An Apparatus for Automatically Stopping or Slackening the Speed of Winding or other Engines which Require to be Stopped at a Given Moment.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 26th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 4th May, 1889
TRUVIDIUNAL DITUITUATION,
An Apparatus for Automatically Stopping or Slackening the Speed
of Winding or other Engines which Require to be Stopped at a
Given Moment.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., the
General Patent Office No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from
abroad by La Société des Mines de Lens of Lens, Pas de Calais, in the Republic of
France) to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus chiefly designed for automatically stopping
winding engines placed over the shafts of mines, or slackening the speed thereof,
but also generally applicable to all machines employed for drawing trains or vehicles
by means of ropes whatever may be the gradient of the road or way.
The said invention comprises the novel application in a special form of a known
apparatus in which the reciprocation of a slide or plug of suitable shape is produced
by the alternating motion of a double piston, the opposite ends of the cylinder in
which the said piston works being alternately placed in communication with a fluid
under pressure and with the atmosphere.
Ordinarily when a cage or a train arrives at a previously determined distance from
the stopping point, the engineer in obedience to a given signal operates his regulating
valve, to control the speed of the engine by admitting the steam or fluid necessary to
bring the cage or the train to the required place. If he should be inattentive or
forgetful at the particular moment, the cage is carried away and as the usual arrange-
ments will not allow of any opposition being made to this untimely ascent, considerable
damage results, besides serious accidents if the cage should at the time be occupied
by workmen.
The object of the present invention is to cause the engine to be automatically
stopped at a given moment independently of the engineer, thereby obviating the risk
of accidents.
The stanner is situated on the line of the steam nine.

page_text: The double piston is of ordinary shape and is maintained in its normal position
whatever may be the variations of speed and the shocks of the steam or fluid by
reason of two passages terminating in short tubes suitably placed and curved in
opposite directions to one another.
The two chambers in which the piston moves are as usual closed by two valves or
cocks, but one of these valves communicating with one of the said climbers is
nctuated automatically by the engine and the other valve communicating with the
other chamber is connects to the lover of the regulator or of the reversing gear and
is consequently actuated simultaneously with the Tattor when moved by the hand of
the engineer.
By this arrangement when the cage being raised or the train being drawn along
by the engine is at a predetermined distance from the required place of stoppage, the
mechanism connected with the engine and regulated in consequence, raises the first
named valve, allows the steam contained in the chamber with which it communicates
to escape, and canses the piston to move which class the steam passage or, as requiresi,
more or less throttles this passage according to the position of a regulating serow.
The ongine is thereby caused to stop or the speed is reduced. The engineer then
operating the regulator or the reversing gear opens, by the same movement the
second valve whereby the piston immediately moves and takes its first position and
gives passage to the fluid steam compressed air or the like.
Dated the 4th lav af fala teev
G. F. REDFERN & ('o.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London.
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus for Automatically Stopping or Slackening the Speed
of Winding or other Engines which Require to be Stopped at a
Given Moment.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the Firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., the
General Patent Office, 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the county of London, Patent
Agents do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from abroad
by La Société des Mines de Lens, of Lens, Pas de Calais, in the Republic of France,)
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to apparatus chiefly designed for automatically stopping
winding engines placed over the shafts of mines or slackening the speed thereof but
also generally applicable to all machines employed for drawing trains or vehicles by
means of ropes whatever may be the gradient of the road or way.
The said invention comprises the novel application in a special form of a known
apparatus in which the reciprocation of a slide or plug of suitable shape is produced
by the alternating notion of a double piston, the opposite ends of the cylinder in
which the said piston works being alternately placed in communication with a fluid
under pressure and with the atmosphere.
Ordinarily when a cage or a train arrives at a previously determined distance from
the stopping point, the engineer in obedience to a given signal operates his regulating
valve, to control the speed of the engine, by admitting the steam or fluid necessary to
bring the cage or the train to the required place. If he should be inattentive or
forgetful at the particular moment, the cage is carried away and as the usual arrange-
ments will not allow of any opposition being made to this untimely ascent, considerable
damage results, besides serious accidents if the cage should at the time be occupied by
workmen. The object of the present invention is to cause the engine to be automati-
cally stopped at a given moment independently of the engineer, thereby obviating the
risk of accidents.
In order to enable the invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can be
carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings in which―
Figure 1 is an elevation, and
Figure 2 a plan of the complete apparatus.
Figure 3 is a section of a portion of the apparatus drawn to an enlarged scale.
The stopper is situated in the line of the steam pipe.
The double piston as shewn in figure 3 is of ordinary shape, normally it occupies
the position shewn in the said figure and it is maintained in this position whatever
may be the variations of speed and the shocks of the steam or fluid by reason of two
passages t t terminating in short tubes suitably placed and curved in opposite direc-
tions to one another.
The two chambers C & C in which the piston moves are as usual closed by two
valves or cocks, but one of these valves S communicating with one of the chambers ()

page_text: is actuated automatically by the engine and the other valve S' communicating with
the other chamber (" is connected to the lever of the regulator or of the reversing
gear and is consequently actuated simultaneously with the latter when moved by the
hand of the engineer.
By this arrangement when the cage being raised or the train being drawn along
by the engine is at a predetermined distance from the required place of stoppage, the
mechanism connected with the ongine and regulated in consequence operates the
valve S, allows the steam contained in the chamber with which it communicates to
escape and causes the piston to move which closes the steam passage or, as required,
more or less throttles this passage nocording to the position of the regulating
screw V.
The engineer
The engine is thereby caused to stop, or the speed is reduced.
then operating the regulator or the reversing gear, opens, by the same movement,
the valve S¹ whereby the piston immediately moves and takes its first position and
gives passage to the fluid, steam, compressed air or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
The improved apparatus for automatically stopping or slackening the speed of
winding or other engines which require to be stopped at a given moment substan-
tially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
21000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.