IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDING ENGINES AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING COAL, STONE, MINERALS, AND OTHER HEAVY BODIES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT. to Charles Thompson Owen, of Chesterfield, in the
County of Derby, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDING
ENGINES AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING COAL, STONE, MINERALS, AND OTHER
HEAVY BODIES."
:
Sealed the 17th April 1874, and dated the 29th October 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Thompson Owen
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 29th October 1873.
I, CHARLES THOMPSON OWEN, of Chesterfield, in the County of
Derby, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WINDING ENGINES AND APPARATUS FOR: RAISING COAL, STONE,
MINERALS, AND OTHER HEAVY BODIES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the use of compressed air as a counter-
balance or power accumulator applicable to winding engines for raising
coal, stone, minerals, and other heavy bodies.
The following is a description of the method of using compressed air
as a counterbalance or power accumulator for winding engines. in
acordance with my Invention..

page_text: In applying my improvements to winding engine (a double cylinder
engine or pair of winding engines) if the power of the engines at
present employed, as for instance two steam engines, is a sufficient
margin over twice the power required merely to lift the load of coals or
other materials at the required speed irrespective of weight of rope when
the full length of one rope is in the pit, or of inertia required to bring
the total moving weight to that required speed) that margin only
including friction and a provision of sufficient power to overcome the
strain that may be put on by accident or otherwise, then one of the
steam cylinders may be used as an air cylinder with such alterations in
the valve gear as may be necessary, the link or other reversing gear
still being used with modification to suit the cylinder as an air
cylinder.
An automatic variable expansion motion may be applied to the slot,
link, or other motion, to effect the same object of variable expansion;
or the air cylinder may be placed behind one of the steam cylinders and
the air piston rod connected to the steam piston rod.
The inlet valves and ports connected by pipes to one air receiver I
will call air receiver No. 1, the outlet valves and ports being connected
by pipes to another air receiver which I will call air receiver No. 2.
The capacity of the air receivers should in most cases be equal, and
each of a capacity suited to the number of the revolutions of the engine
per journey, the capacity of the air cylinder, and the pressure of air.
Each air receiver may be fitted with a safety valve weighted by a lever
or otherwise to the greatest required pressure, and arranged with pipes
to convey any air that may escape from the full air receiver into the
other one.
A safety valve may be applied to each air receiver turning inwards,
so that a vacuum may not be formed when exhausted, or just as much
vacuum as may be desired. An accumulator consisting of a plunger
and case may be applied to one or both air receivers to act as a
safety valve thereto.
The air cylinder should be of such capacity that with the pressure
obtained it may accumulate as much power in the air receivers as
necessary for the perfect counterbalance (or as nearly so as may be.
desired) of the engine, viz., the inertia or force required to bring, the
moving weight to the required speed, and to stop the same at the end

page_text: of the journey, also to counterbalance the weight of the rope when in
the pit, to accumulate or use any force applied at a time when not
required, or as much of such force as it is desired to utilize.
-
The working of the engine and counterbalance is as follows:
Suppose the cages to be at the end of the journey, the one at the
bottom being filled with full tubs of coal or other materials (or weight to
be raised), the one at the top having the same number of empty tubs, No. 1
air receiver should then be full of air at the highest required pressure.
The same motion of the reversing handle of the winding engines turns
the steam on to the steam cylinder, and the air from No. 1 air receiver on
to the air cylinder alternately at each end in the usual way. The com-
pressed air passing from No. 1 air receiver acts upon the air piston at
cach stroke, the power passing through the connecting rod and
mechanism to the winding drum, thereby overcoming inertia and
weight of rope, the air exhausting into No. 2 air receiver, and this force
after acting through half the journey the pressure in each air receiver
will be equal. The engine continuing to revolve by the force of the
pressure of the steam and the momentum of the moving parts, the
pressure of No. 1 air receiver will become less as No. 2 becomes greater
until at the end of the journey the resistance to the air piston by the
pressure in No. 2 air receiver gets to the highest required pressure. The
steam being shut off before the end of the journey, No. 2 receiver being
full of air at the highest required pressure is now ready on the engine
being reversed in its turn to overcome the inertia of the moving parts
and weight of the other rope, the exhaust air passing into No. 1 air
receiver, the pressure in it increasing again to its highest pressure.
With this counterbalance the amount of steam required instead of being
from twice to five times the power required to lift the load of coals
only the requirements of friction above the bare lift of coals or other
weight to be raised will suffice.
A donkey air compressing engine may be. applied to one or both air
receivers to replace loss in working by joints, valves, cylinder glands,.
or other loss.
The pressure in the alternate lower pressed air receiver may if desired
be reduced below the atmospheric pressure, so as to lessen the required
pressure in the alternate high pressed air receiver.
The application of my improvements to a vertical winding engine is
as follows:-A crank may be fixed on the outer end of the main shaft

page_text: with connecting rod and other parts to air cylinder connected with air
receivers as described above. With this counterbalance the pressure of
steam may be lessened, or a greater load of coals may be lifted for the
same amount of steam.
My improved counterbalance apparatus also dispenses with the
necessity for the chain or other counterbalance hitherto employed which
involves so much wear and tear and friction.
The improved counterbalance apparatus also dispenses with the
necessity and expense of conical or scroll drums, which are only easily
made capable of counterbalancing the statical load.
An air compressing cylinder for either vertical or horizontal engine
may in some instances according to my improvements be employed
with only one air receiver; for instance, when after one half of the
journey has been performed, during which the compressed air. having
passsd from the air. receiver through the air cylinder having overcome.
the inertia and weight of rope, the valve gear should then be
reversed by suitable autoniatic means, the air receiver is then re-pumped.
full of compressed air ready for use in the next journey..
The receiver and air pipes may with advantage, be covered with
cement or other non-conducting substance, so that any force in heat,
may be retained. Also the air cylinder may be placed in a cistern or
chamber containing water, to absorb the heat generated and prevent
injury to the valves, piston, and other parts by excessive heat.
The valve gear may be so arranged that the engine man should be
able to apply the force of the compressed air in either direction (to raise
or lower) if necessary, and at any part of the journey, or to shut off the
air from both air receivers at pleasure.
When doing shaft work, repairing, or inspecting, the air can be
throttled so as merely to assist the crank of steam engine, over the
centre.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Thompson Owen in the Great Seal Patent
A1074
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
THOMPSON OWEN, of Chesterfield, in the County of Derby, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria; by Her
Letters Patent; bearing date the Twenty-nintli day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in thio
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-.
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles Thompson Owen, Her
special license that I; the said Charles Thompson Owen, my executors;
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I; the said Charles
Thompson Owen, my executors; administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter, during the term therein expressed; should and law-
fully 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDING ENGINES AND APPARATUS FOR
RAISING COAL, STONE, MINERALS, AND OTHER HEAVY BODIES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Thompson Owen,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
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 Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
my,
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Thompson Owen, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say:—
This Invention relates to the use of comprèssed air as a counterbalance
or power accumulator applicable to winding engines for raising coal,
stone, minerals, and other heavy bodies:

page_text: The following is a description of the method of using compressed air
as a counterbalance or power accumulator for winding engines in
accordance with my Invention:-
In applying my improvements to an ordinary winding engine (a
double cylinder engine or pair of winding engines), if the power of the
engines, which may either be designed for the purpose or be such as at
present employed, as for instance, two steam engines is a sufficient
margin over twice the power required merely to lift the load of coals or
other materials at the required speed, irrespective of weight of rope,
when the full length of one rope is in the pit and of inertia required to
bring the total moving weight to that required speed, that margin only
including friction and a provision of sufficient power to overcome the
strain that may be put on by accident or otherwise, then one of the
steam cylinders may be used as an air cylinder with such alterations in
the valve gear as may be necessary, the link or other reversing gear still
being used with modifications to suit the cylinder as an air cylinder.
Or the air cylinder may be placed behind one of the other cylinders, and
the air piston rod connected to the steam piston. Or a separate crank
may be provided for the air piston to be connected to.
The inlet valves and ports connected by pipes to one air receiver I
will call air receiver No. 1, the outlet valves and ports being connected
by pipes to another air receiver which I will call air receiver No. 2. The
capacity of the air receivers should in most cases be equal, and each of a
capacity suited to the number of the revolutions of the engines per
journey, the capacity of the air cylinder, and the pressure of air. The
receivers may be placed in any convenient position. Each air receiver
may be fitted with a safety valve weighted by a lever or otherwise to
the greatest required pressure, and arranged with pipes to convey any
air that may escape from the full air receiver into the other one or into
the atmosphere.
An automatic variable expansion motion may be applied to the slot,
link, or other motion to effect the same object of variable expansion.
Or the air may be wiredrawn during the first part or other part of the
journey by suitable mechanical means so as to reserve the air from
expanding too soon if thought advisable.
A safety valve may be applied to cach air receiver turning inwards,
so that a vacuum may not be formed when exhausted, or just as much

page_text: case, may be applied to one or both air reccivers to act as a safety valve
thereto.
The air cylinder should be of such capacity that with the pressure
obtained may accumulate as much power in the air receivers as necessary
for the perfect counterbalance (or as nearly so as may be desired). of the
engine, viz., the inertia or force required to bring the moving weight to
the required speed, and to stop the same at the end of the journey;
also to counterbalance the weight of the rope when in the pit to
accumulate or use any force applied at a time when not required, or as
much of such force as it is desired to utilize.
The working of the engine and counterbalance is as follows:-Suppose
the cages to be at the end of the journey, the one at the bottom being
filled with full tubs of coal or other materials (or weight to be raised),
the one at the top having the same number of empty tubs, No. 1 air
receiver should then be full of air at the highest required pressure. The
same motion of the reversing handle of the winding engines turns the
steam on to the steam cylinder, and the air from No. 1 air receiver on
to the air cylinder alternately at each end in the usual way. The com-
pressed air passing from No. 1 air receiver acts upon the air piston at
each stroke, the power passing through the connecting rods and
mechanism to the winding drum, thereby overcoming inertia and weight
of rope, the air exhausting into No. 2 air receiver, and this force after
acting through half the journey the pressure in each air receiver will be
about equal. The engine continuing to revolve by the force of the
pressure of the steam and the momentum of the moving parts the
pressure of No. 1 air receiver will become less as No. 2 becomes greater,
until at the end of the journey the resistance to the air piston by the
pressure in No. 2 air receiver gets to the highest required pressure. The.
steam being shut off before the end of the journey, and No. 2 receiver
being full of air at the highest required pressure, is now ready on the
engine being reversed in its turn to overcome the inertia of the moving
parts and weight of the other rope, the exhaust air passing into No. 1
air receiver, the pressure in it increasing again to its highest pressure.
A donkey air compressing engine may be applied to one or both air
receivers to replace loss in working by joints, valves, cylinder glands,
or other loss from leakage.

page_text: The pressure in the alternate lower pressed air receiver may if desired
be reduced below the atmospheric pressure so as to lessen the required
pressure in the alternate high pressed air receiver.
The application of my improvements to a vertical winding engine is
as follows:-A crank may be fixed on the outer end of the main shaft
with connecting rod and other parts to air cylinders connected with air
receivers as described above. With this counterbalance the pressure of
steam may be lessened or a greater load of coals may be lifted for the
same amount of steam.
My improved counterbalance apparatus also dispenses with the
necessity for the chain or other counterbalance hitherto employed which
involves so much wear and tear and friction. This improved counter-
balance apparatus also dispenses with the necessity and expence of
conical or scroll drums which are only easily capable of counterbalancing
the statical load. With this counterbalance the amount of steam
required instead of being from twice to five times the power required to
lift the load of coals only the requirements of friction above the bear
lift of the coals or other weight to be raised will suffice.
An air compressing cylinder for either vertical or horizontal engine
may in some instances, according to my improvements, be employed
with only one air receiver. For instance, when after one-half of the
journey has been performed during which the compressed air having
passed from the air receiver through the air cylinder having overcome
the inertia and weight of rope the valve gear should then be reversed by
suitable automatic means; the air receiver is then pumped full of com- s
pressed air ready for use in the next journey.
The receiver and air pipes may with advantage be covered with cement
or other non-conducting substance, so that any force in heat may be
retained. Also the air cylinder may be placed in a cistern or chamber
containing water to absorb the heat generated and prevent injury to the
valves, piston, and other parts by excessive heat.
The valve gear may be so arranged that the engine man should be able
to apply the force of the compressed air in either direction (to raise or
lower) if necessary, and at any part of the journey, or to shut off the air
from both air receivers at pleasure.
When doing shaft work, repairing or inspecting, the air can be throttled
so as merely te assist the crank of steam engine over the centre.

page_text: And in order that my Invention may be clearly understood and readily
performed or carried into practise, I will proceed to describe the
Drawings hereto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 and 2 represent the application of my Invention to an
ordinary winding engine (a double cylinder engine or pair of winding
engines) that will admit of the use of one of the steam cylinders as an
air cylinder. A is the steam cylinder; B, the converted air cylinder;
C¹, C¹¹, the air receivers (called in the former part of the Specification
air receivers, Nos. 1 and 2 respectively) ; a¹, a", communication pipes
between air receivers and air cylinders; 61, 6", outlet safety valves on
receivers; c,¹¹¹, pressure valves opening inwards for the automatic
replenishing of waste air; d, donkey air engine applied to air receivers
when required; D, the winding drum of engine. The above letters
have reference to the Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Figure 3 represents a winding engine with the compressed air
cylinders placed behind the steam cylinders, either one or two of which
may be used; A¹, A", the steam cylinders; B', B", the air cylinders;
e¹, e¹¹, valves for regulating the communication between the air cylinders
and receivers. The other parts are such as described above.
Figures 4 and 5 represent the application of my improvements to a
vertical winding engine, the air cylinder B actuating through the crank
E fixed on the opposite end of the shaft F to the steam cylinder A;
C³, C", the air receivers; a¹, a", communication pipes; D, the winding
drum.
Figure 6 represents a vertical winding engine, the air receivers being
placed outside of the wall of the engine house an opening being made in
the wall for communication between the engine man and the air
cylinder. The other parts are lettered as above.
Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, represent on an enlarged scale a regu-
lating or expansion valve suitably arranged for carrying out my
improvements, which acts also as a check valve to the receivers. The
valve a may be of the ordinary Cornish or double beat valve or of any
other convenient construction, the valve a being lifted by a cam 6 on
spindle c, the arm d being worked either direct from the reversing
shaft, as in Figures 16 and 17, or by the lever of the automatic

page_text: expansion gear, shown in Figures 18 and 19, the vertical spindle e
having a long slot in it, so that when the cam 6 is in its lowest position
the valve may still be free to lift, when the pressure in the air cylinder
becomes greater than that in the air receiver into which it is driving the
compressed air as previously described. On the return journey the cam
6 lifts the valve, and retains it open during that journey if actuated
direct from the reversing shaft or opening, and allowing it to close inter-
mittently if actuated by the automatic expansion gear herein-after
described, the air being admitted alternately to each end of the air
cylinder either by a slide, drop valve, or any other suitable valve gear.
Figures 16 and 17 represent the arrangement of a converted air
cylinder and valve gear, arranged in accordance with my improvements.
The reversing shaft a actuating the arms and rods as indicated by
diagram lines, the arms d³, d", of the regulating or check valves e¹, e¹¹,
alternately each journey; c¹, c¹¹, are the air pipes to receivers. The valve
gear shewn as "drop valve" may be of any suitable construction, as is
well-known and used in steam cylinders.
Figures 18 and 19 represent on an enlarged scale a form of automatic
expansion gear, suitably arranged in accordance with my improvements
for being used to regulate the admission of the air to the air cylinders
previously described; a is a shaft driven by means of spur gear, worm, and
wheel, or any other suitable mechanical motion from the drum or trail shaft
of the engine. The wheel c drives by means of a feather key the shaft d,
the shaft being free to work longitudinally in the boss of the wheel; e is
a revolving cam keyed tight on the shaft d which is screwed at one end,
which end works in a fixed nut f. As the engine proceeds on its journey
the cam e moves along so that the sheave g is acted upon by a different
part of the revolving cam e, the projections being so modelled that by
the lever h (which is connected to the valve gear on the cylinder) the
air may be cut off to any required degree of expansion at the different
parts of the journey; j is the reversing shaft on which is secured the
cam k during the journey in which the valve actuated by the lever;
h is the inlet valve; the sheave and lever g is allowed to rest on the
revolving came, the projections opening the valve during the alternate
journey; the cam k by raising the sheave 9 from the cam allows the
valve to close the valve when acting as an outlet valve; the long slot in
the vertical spindle allows the valve to lift when the air in the air
cylinder becomes greater than that of the receiver into which the air is

page_text: being driven. This variable expansion may if desired be effected by a
link or any other suitable. mechanical means that may be found most.
convenient.
Figures 12, 13, and 14 represent an air cylinder enclosed in a casing
containing water, suitably arranged for carrying out my improvements.
a¹, a, are the connecting pipes to the receivers. The shaft A is actuated
in a similar manner to the steam valves, and the spindles c¹, c¹¹, are
worked by expansion gear, such as above described. Separate expansion
valves worked by the spindles c¹, c", may be placed in the valve chests,
the vertical spindles having a long slot, as shewn in Figure 7.
Figure 15 represents an arrangement of valve gear suitable for
working the air cylinders in accordance with my improvements. A is a
shaft, having an arm actuated in the ordinary way; B, the cam for
lifting the bell-brank lever C which works on the pivot d; e¹, e¹¹, the
connecting links; f, radial guide working on the centre g; h, the sliding
guide for top end of valve spindle; b, cam for lifting valve a; c, spindle
worked by expansion gear. In working this valve gear the expansion gear
previously described may be so arranged that in the journey when the
valve is being used as an inlet valve the valve may, be worked by a
revolving cam arranged with suitable cut off during that journey, the
next journey when the valve requires to act as an outlet valve, it may
by suitable gear be actuated by the same, or by another revolving cam
arranged so that the valve may be opened at the part of the stroke in
which the pressure inside the cylinder has become the same as that in
the receiver into which the air is being forced. This would dispense
with the necessity of using the long slot in the vertical spindle, and also
with the spindle c and cam 6 previously described, the valve being
actuated by the cam B only. The lever C may be lifted direct by the
revolving cams, or by any other suitable means, this motion of the valve
causing expansion during the one journey, and during the alternate
journey the opening at the required time may be accomplished by a link.
or any other suitable mechanical means that may be found most con-
venient.
Figures 20, 21, and 22 represent an arrangement of automatic
reversing gear that may be used in carrying out my improvements if
only one air receiver be used, the cam e being worked similar to the
revolving cam of the expansion gear Figures 18 and 19. previously
described. When the sheave a rests on the-smaller part of the came

page_text: the link or coupling rod is raised, this continuing until about half the
jonrney or distance the weight is moved, the cam passing along until
the scroll-shaped projection raises the sheave, thus lowering the link or
coupling rod, keeping it in that position until the end of the journey,
when the receiver will have been re-pumped full of compressed air ready
to assist the first part of the next journey. This motion of reversing
the valve gear may, if desired, be performed by stops placed on a
horizontal shaft, which may be worked forward and backward during
the journey by a worm and wheel driven from the shaft, or in any other
suitable manner.
.
Figure 23 represents a ram and case fitted to air receiver, and arranged
to act in combination with my improvements as a safety valve or
accumulator, and being weighted will when the pressure in the receiver
becomes low fall, and so displace the air from the receiver.
Apparatus such as previously described may be applied to engines in
accordance with my improvements for hauling coal, stone, or other
heavy bodies, with such modifications as may be found necessary, the
power being accumulated in a receiver when not required, and giving
the same off again at those parts of the journey in which it may be
required to overcome the resistance of a greater motor or any other
resistance.
The air cylinders shewn in the Drawings to be worked by drop valves
may with suitable modifications of the gearing be worked by slide valve,
piston valves, or any other suitable form of valve gear.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I
do not claim generally the use of compressed air as a counterbalance or
power accumulator, but what I do claim is,―
First. The arrangement and application of apparatus for compressing
air, to be employed as a counterbalance or power accumulator for
winding engines for raising coal, stone, minerals, or other heavy bodies,
substantially in the manner herein described and represented in Figures 1,
2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Second. I claim the combined arrangement and application of two air
receivers arranged for working the air from one to the other alternately,
substantially in the manner and for the purposes as herein described and
represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed.

page_text: Thirdly. I claim the arrangement and application of one air receiver
for using the compressed air from the receiver to assist the starting, and
after moving the weight about half the journey reversing the valve gear,
and pumping air back again into the receiver ready for use, substantially
in the manner herein described with reference to Figures 20, 21, and 22,
of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Fourthly. I claim the arrangement and application of automatic
expansion valve gear and valves, substantially as herein-before described
and represented with reference to Figures 18 and 19 of the Drawings
hereunto annexed, applicable to working the counterbalance apparatus,
substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before described.
Lastly. I claim the improved arrangements and combinations of
machinery and apparatus applicable to winding and hauling engines for
raising coal, stone, minerals, and other heavy bodies, substantially in the
manner herein-before described and represented in the Drawings here-
unto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Thompson Owen, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of April,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
CHARLES THOMPSON OWEN. (L.S.)