AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE NUMBER OF TUBS OR OTHER MEASURES OR QUANTITIES OF COAL OR OTHER SUBSTANCE OR MATERIAL DRAWN FROM PITS OR MINES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Yates, of Oswaldwistle, in the County of
Lancaster, Engine Driver, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD
OF AND APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE NUMBER OF TUBS OR OTHER MEASURES
OR QUANTITIES OF COAL OR OTHER SUBSTANCE OR MATERIAL DRAWN FROM PITS
OR MINES."
Sealed the 9th February 1864, and dated the 15th August 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Yates at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
August 1868.
I, GEORGE YATES, of Oswaldwistle, in the County of Lancaster, Engine
Driver, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE NUMBER OF TUBS OR OTHER
MEASURES OR QUANTITIES OF COAL OR OTHER SUBSTANCE OR MATERIAL DRAWN FROM
PITS OR MINES," to be as follows, that is to say:
The object of this Invention is correctly to register the quantity of coal
or other material drawn from pits or nines, which I effect as follows:-
Placed in a suitable position at or near the mouth of the pit or mine, or other
convenient place, and in connection with suitable gearing, are two dial plates
(the one registering the number of tubs or measures, the other the number of
quarters, there being a certain number of tubs or measures to one quarter,)
provided with fingers or pointers, the said gearing being connected with
and acted upon by means of a star wheel which derives its motion from a

page_text: projection or catch worked from the vertical shaft used in hoisting or winding the
said coals or other materials, or in any other convenient manner from the said
hoisting or winding machinery. As each tub or other measure ascends the
pit or mine, the projection or catch before named acts upon the star wheel,
which communicates motion to the gearing and fingers or pointers of the first-
mentioned dial plate, thus registering each tub or measure on its ascent; the
number of tubs or measures constituting a quarter having ascended the
gearing will communicate motion to the finger or pointer on the second-
mentioned dial plate, and register the quarters; this being repeated, the number
of tubs or measures of coal or other materials drawn from the pit or mine,
may be ascertained at any time on reference to the dial plates and fingers
or pointers thereon.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Yates in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th
February 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
YATES, of Oswaldtwistle, in the County of Lancaster, Engine Driver, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of August in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Yates, Her special licence that I, the said George
Yates, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Yates, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE NUMBER OF TUBS OR OTHER
MEASURES OR QUANTITIES OF COAL OR OTHER SUBSTANCE OR MATERIAL DRAWN FROM
PITS OR MINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Yates, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed, in the Great Seal

page_text: Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Yates, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Drawings (that
is to say):-
The object of this Invention is correctly to register the quantity of coal or
other material drawn from pits or mines, which I effect as follows:---Placed
in a suitable position at or near the mouth of the pit or mine, or other
convenient place, and in connection with suitable gearing, are two dial plates
(the one registering the number of tubs or measures, the other the number
of quarters, there being a certain number of tubs or measures to one quarter,)
provided with fingers or pointers, the said gearing being connected with and
acted upon by means of a star wheel which derives its motion from a projection
or catch worked from the vertical shaft used in hoisting or winding the said
coal or other material, or in any other convenient manner from the said
hoisting or winding machinery. As each tub or other measure ascends the
pit or mine, the projection or catch before named acts upon the star wheel,
which communicates motion to the gearing and fingers or or pointers of the
first-mentioned dial plate, thus registering each tub or measure on its ascent;
the number of tubs or measures constituting a quarter having ascended, the
gearing will communicate motion to the finger or pointer on the second-
mentioned dial plate, and register the quarter; this being repeated, the number
of tubs or measures of coal or other material drawn from the pit or mine
may be ascertained at any time on reference to the dial plates and fingers or
pointers thereon.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention, I will now proceed
to describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may hẹ
performed or carried into practical effect; and in order that the same may
be distinctly understood, I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings
illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with letters of reference
corresponding with those in the following explanation thereof, similar letters
of reference being placed upon corresponding parts of the apparatus in the
various Figures.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved apparatus; Fig. 2 is a front
elevation with dial plates removed in order to shew the gearing; Fig. 3 is a
vertical section of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a back elevation.
A and A' are the dial plates, the plate A being divided into twenty equal

page_text: parts, and each part divided into six equal parts (two tubs or measures being
hoisted each ascent of the "cage," and twelve tubs or measures being one
quarter); the finger or pointer A* having completed a revolution, twenty
quarters will be indicated by the finger or pointer A³ on the dial plate A¹, and
so on each revolution, motion being given to the said fingers or pointers by
the following means:-The apparatus being placed in such position in the
engine house as that the ordinary "traveller catch" on its ascent acts on the
end of the crank arm B, raising the said arm, which arm working on the stud
or pin B' will forward the catch or pall B', moving the star or catch wheel B
one notch, thus communicating motion to the pinion wheel C, which gears
with the wheel C, which wheel is provided with an elongated boss C', working
on the stud or pin C, on the end of which boss is placed the finger or pointer A'.
At the back of the wheel C', and fixed on the elongated boss C³, is a pinion
wheel D, gearing with the wheel D' (also provided with an elongated boss)
working on the stud or pin D; on the other end of last-mentioned boss is a
wheel E, genring with the wheel F; the wheel F is provided with an elongated
boss F, of such diameter and bored out so as to fit loosely and work on the
boss C (see Fig. 4), the upper end of boss F being turned down to a shoulder
and receives the finger or pointer A³, so that whilst the fingers or pointers
both work on the stud or pin C by means of the elongated bosses C² and F',
their motions are quite distinct and independent of each other, the diameter
and pitch of the wheels being such as to obtain ten revolutions of the elongated
boss C, carrying the finger or pointer A² to one revolution of the wheel C', on
the boss of which is placed the finger or pointer.A³ for registering the number
of quarters. Tubs or measures of coal being placed in the cage ready for
ascent, the "hooker-on" or attendant in the pit or mine pulls the ordinary
signal wire S, which is attached to a bell in the engine house or near the
mouth of the pit or mine, and to the crank G, on which the engine is started;
but when miners or operatives or tools are in the cage to be wound to the
. surface, it is the usual practise for the hooker-on to pull the signal wire S
three times, ringing the bell thrice as a special warning for care in winding.
On reference to Figures 2 and 4 it will be seen that the signal for hoisting
miners or tools being given by means of the signal wire S (as before described),
the said wire being also attached to the lever G, the said lever being drawn
forward, carrying with it the catch or pall G', which will turn the crank H,
on the stud or pin H', each time the signal wire S is pulled, so that upon three
signals being given the crank H will have moved on its stud or pin Ha
distance equal to three of the notches or teeth at H, and raising, by means
of the pin H³, the casting I, at the upper end of which is a pin K; on the

page_text: casting I being raised, as described, the pin K will lift the catch or pall B'
out of contact with the star or catch wheel B' (shewn in dotted line at Fig. 2),
thus preventing motion being communicated to the fingers or pointers during
the hoisting of miners or tools. A little before the arrival at the mouth of the
pit or mine of the cage the "traveller catch" will raise the crank arm B
(as herein-before described), the pin L fixed therein acting on the lever M,
working on the stud or pin N, will by means of the lever P, lift the catch
or pall G out of the notches or teeth in the crank H, the casting I and
pin K being drawn to their former position by the weight R on the end of
lever H, thus lowering the catch or pall B' into gear with the star or catch
wheel B³, ready to communicate motion to the gearing and fingers or pointers
on the next ascent of the cage with coals.
It will be evident that the pitch and diameter of the gearing above described,
the number of notches or teeth in the star or catch wheel, and the divisions
on the dial plates may be varied where it is desireable to hoist or wind one or
more than two tubs or measures of coal or other material on each ascent of
the cage.
Having thus fully described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Indicating the Number of Tubs
or Measures, or Quantities of Coal or other Substance or Material Drawn from
Pits or Mines," together with the manner in which the same is to be or may
be performed or carried into practical effect, I would remark, in conclusion,
that I claim as my Invention the means of and apparatus for such purpose as
shewn in the Drawings, and above particularly described, or any mere modifi-
cation thereof, operating in substantially the same or a similar manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Yates, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
o Witness,
WALTER BRIERLEY,
Patent Agent,
Halifax & Blackburn.
GEORGE YATES. (L.B.)