IMPROVEMENTS IN CAGES AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH USED IN MINING
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Davies, of Treharris Quakers Yard, Merthyr
Tydfil, in the County of Glamorgan, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CAGES AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH USED IN MINING."
(Void by reason of the Patentee having neglected
file a Specification in
pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Davies at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th January 1880.
WILLIAM DAVIES, of Treharris Quakers Yard, Merthyr Tydfil, in the County of
Glamorgan. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CAGES AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH,
USED IN MINING."
The object of the Invention is to obtain increased despatch in working cages
and parts connected there with used in mining.
In carrying my improvements into effect a lifting bottom is employed, one end of
which is hinged to the cage, to the other end two iron brackets are fixed which
project below the bottom band or framing of the cage, so that when the cage sets
at the top or bottom of the shaft the brackets come first in contact with lever stops
or fangs placed in position below the cage, afterwards the cage itself lowers to
them, the hinged end of the lifting bottom going with the cage, while the other
end is lifted by the brackets, so that the lifting bottom is then inclined. The
lifting bottom has iron cross pieces or binders rivetted to the angle irons which
form the rails to receive the wheels of the trams, thereby binding the two rails
together, such binders being made into lengths to suit the gauge of the trams or
trucks used. The above cross pieces or binders are bored, and brass or otherwise
bushed in the centre to receive a longitudinal shaft or axis, which is thereby
supported between the two rails. To this shaft or axis are fixed arms which are
connected by connecting rods to latches or bolts for the purpose of locking the
wheels of the trams or trucks from moving on the rails applied to the cage bottom.
To the arms which are nearest the hinged end of the lifting bottom is also affixed
by a connecting rod a weighted lever underneath the cage. The fulcrum end of
this weighted lever is fixed to the cage bottom. The other or weighted end being
held up from descending too low by a suspender or stop which is also fastened to
the cage bottom.

page_text: As the cage sets on its stop levers or fangs the end of the above weighted lever
also sets on another stop lever or fang which lifts the weighted end of it towards
the cage bottom, thereby acting on the arms connected to it by the before mentioned
connecting rod to give to those arms a partial rotation on the longitudinal axis
(the arm being loose on that shaft or axis between two collars) by which the latches
or bolts connected to those arms will be drawn inwards; when this stop lever or
fang is drawn from under the weighted end of the above weighted lever that end
drops again onto the afore mentioned suspender or stop reversing its previous
action, thereby sending out the latches or bolts connected to the arms. To another
arm on the longitudinal shaft or axis is fixed a rod which is also fixed to a cross
piece at the bottom of the cage, so that when the lifting bottom is being inclined,
the above arm by being held by the rod will impart to the shaft or axis a partial
rotation to cause the latches or bolts connected to the arms which are keyed on the
longitudinal shaft or axis to be drawn inwards. When the cage is lifted up and
the inclined bottom becomes horizontal the bracketed end closes down to its seat in
the cage; these actions are reversed, consequently the latches or bolts will be again
sent out, locking the wheels of the trams or trucks on the rails. At the top or
mouth of the shaft or pit, and on the same side thereof as the bracketed end of the
lifting bottom, the rails for the trams or trucks to such mouth are raised to the
level of the lifted end of the lifting bottom, so that the empty trams or trucks may
run into the cage while the lifting bottom is inclined. To this inclined tramway
and between the rails thereto a short longitudinal shaft or axle with arms,
connecting rods, and latches or bolts similar to those on the lifting bottom is fixed,
the latches or bolts acting as stops to prevent the trams or trucks running on the
cage before their time. Behind the shafting carrying the lever stops or fangs
before referred to, and on the same side of the pit as the above tramway, two
ordinary bearings are fixed to support a transverse shaft or axle. On this shaft
are keyed two arms, the end of one of which is attached to a hand lever by a
connecting rod. On this shaft is also applied to turn loosely on it between two
collars a weighted balance lever, and to the end nearest the pit of this balance lever
a stop lever or fang is by pin joint attached, which is also connected to an arm from
the shaft by a connecting rod, so that when the handle lever is drawn the above
small stop lever or fang is also acted on.
To the other end of the balance lever a
heavy weight is attached. A connecting rod connects the balance lever with the
small shaft or axis between the rails of the inclined tramway, and in its action
corresponding with the above longitudinal shaft and parts.
The above small stop lever or fang is so fixed that when the cage sets this small
lever or fang is pressed down, thereby sending up the weighted end of the balance
lever, so that the stops on the inclined tramway are acted upon by the connecting
rod which is attached to their shaft, and also to the weighted end of the balance
lever.
On the stop lever or fang shafting at the hinged end of the cage is applied to
move freely thereon between collars a loose fang, and to this fang is attached the
end of a connecting rod, the other end of which is fixed to the end of a balance
lever which works horizontally. The other end of this balance lever is connected
to the fang lever by a long rod reaching from one side of the pit to the other, s0
that when the hand lever is drawn it acts upon the afore mentioned small fang on
the one side of the pit and on the loose fang on the other. The above loose lever
or fang supports the weighted end of the lever which is fixed under the hinged end
of the cage as before described. On the same shaft as the fang or hand lever is
fixed an arm which is keyed fast to the above shaft. In the end of the above arm
is fixed a pin which also goes through a slot provided in the fang or hand lever;
this fang or hand lever is loose on the fang shafting, therefore the fang shaftings
are not acted upon with the movements of the lever until it is drawn sufficiently,
so that the afore mentioned pin is home at the end of the slot in the lever.
Now while the fang or hand lever is being drawn until the pin is home in the
slot it has acted (by the afore mentioned connecting rods attached to it) on the

page_text: small and on the loose fang, drawing the small fang back from under the cage,
thereby releasing the weighted balance lever, also drawing loose fang which releases
weighted lever under hinged end of cage.
At the bottom of the shaft or pit there is also a stop lever or fang which as the
cage sets supports the afore mentioned weighted lever under cage, thereby releasing
the front latches on the cage, the inclination of the lifting bottom releasing all the
remaining latches on the loose bottom as before described, therefore the trams run
off at once.
To the above fang is attached by a connecting rod a vertical lever
fixed between the rails of the tramway, so that when the hind wheels of empty
trams or trucks have just cleared the front or latches nearest the hinged end of the
cage, the front axle of the empty trams or trucks strikes this lever, thereby drawing
back the stop lever or fang, which at once releases the weighted lever under the
cage, thereby sending out the front latches (nearest hinged end) which stops the
on coming full trams or trucks in their proper places on the cage until they are
locked on, when the cage is eased off the bottom and the lifting bottom gets its
seating in the cage, when all the latches come out which lock the tram wheels on
the cage.
We will now suppose the cage wound up to the top, and that there are empty
trams or trucks on the inclined tramway on the pit top ready to go on the cage.
As the cage sets or lands the small stop lever or fang at the end of the weighted
balance lever releases the latches in connection with the inclined tramway, also the
weighted lever under cage releases the front latches, and the inclination of the
lifting bottom releases the remaining latches, so that all the latches are drawn
inwards, consequently the full trams are running off and the empty ones following
to take their place on the bottom, but as soon as the hind wheels of the empty
trams have cleared the latches on the inclined tramway, the banksman pulls the
lever (until the slot is against the pin on the arm as before described), thereby
releasing the small fang, also the loose fang, which sends out the latches on the
inclined tramway, likewise the front latches on the lifting bottom, thereby stopping
the on going empty trams in their proper places on the cage, when they are again
all locked on by the engine man easing the cage off, the fangs acting thereon and
the lifting bottom getting its seating in the cage, the banksman drawing home the
lever, which now acts upon the whole of the fangs drawing them clear, so that the
cage may again descend the pit. When the men are wound up a pin or bolt drops
into a slot in a quadrant preventing the fang or hand lever closing the afore
mentioned small fang, so that should there be any empty trams on the inclined
tramway the latches in front of them are not acted on, so that they cannot run on-
to the cage to injure the men.
.
The arrangement above described at the bottom of the pit can be applied at the
top also.