IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS IN MINES AND COLLIERIES BY THE BREAKING OF ROPES OR OVER-WINDING
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Denton and Joseph Whitaker, both of
Leeds, in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS IN MINES AND COLLIERIES BY THE
BREAKING OF ROPES OR OVER-WINDING."
Sealed the 12th July 1864, and dated the 13th January 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Denton and
Joseph Whitaker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 13th January 1864.
We, WILLIAM DENTON and JOSEPH WHITAKER, both of Leeds, in. the
County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS IN MINES AND
COLLIERIES BY THE BREAKING OF ROPES OR OVER-WINDING," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the apparatus used for
winding cages in mines and colleries, the objects being to prevent the
descent of the cage by the accidental breaking of the rope, and to prevent
accident from over-winding, the methods being applicable also to mill hoists
and other similar purposes. The chains or ropes coupled to the main chain
or rope, and supporting the cage, are attached to two catches working loose on
studs fixed to each end of the upper part of the cage which is drawn up and
let down the pit by aid of the upright conductor. The catches have curved
slots cut in them, such slot ways being struck from the centres of the studs;
each slot contains a curved block of less length than the slot, so that when

page_text: the suspending chains are tightened by the weight of the cage, the catches
will turn on their centres, the points of the catches opening or descending
until the bottom of each slot comes in contact with the bottom of its block,
four of which form the bearage of the cage. A spring is bolted to each
block ready to bring the points of the catches back to the conductor; when
the rope slackens or breaks, these springs act upon or under projecting
headed studs near the points of the catches. The heads keep the springs in
their places. Curved plates (bolted to the back of the blocks with the springs
between the two) serve as parallel guides for the catches. The points or edges
of the catches should be notched or serrated in order to enable them to bite
or hold better. Each pair of catches is connected by a bolt or stretcher to
prevent their impinging on the cage by the oblique pull of the chains.
To prevent accidents from over-winding we employ a C link with the bend
or hook very strong, a guard prevents the ring. of the rope from slipping off
the hook. The guard has two snecks over which two catches drop to keep the
guard in position. The catches are held down by two springs bearing on
studs, the ring and guard being jointed at the bottom. The two catches are
coupled together by a tail piece inserted between them and rivetted thereto,
so that should the cage be over-wound before it can reach the pulley, the tail
piece will come in contact with a cross beam fixed for the purpose, and turning
on a pivot set in the link, the catches will be lifted from the snecks, thereby
removing the impediment to the separation of the guard from the link, which,
having a shoulder on it above the tail piece will be thrown backwards so that
the rope ring must slip out and leave the catches and the cage behind, then
the catches in the cage itself being released from the pull of the rope spring
into action against the conductor, and prevent the descent of the cage.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Denton and Joseph Whitaker in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the; 13th July 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM 3
DENTON and JOSEPH WHITAKER, both of Leeds, in the County of York, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her 3
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the

page_text: said William Denton and Joseph Whitaker, Her special licence that we,
the said William Denton and Joseph Whitaker, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Denton and
Joseph Whitaker, our 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 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS IN MINES AND COLLIERIES BY THE
BREAKING OF ROPES OR OVER-WINDING," upon the condition (amongst others).
that we, the said William Denton and Joseph Whitaker, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters.
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Denton and Joseph Whitaker,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, 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 certain improvements in the apparatus used for
winding cages in mines and collieries, the objects being to prevent the descent
of the cage by the accidental breaking of the rope or chain, and to prevent
accident from over-winding; the methods being applicable also to mill hoists
and other similar purposes.
In order that our said Invention may be completely understood, we proceed
to describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, in
which Fig. 1 represents the position of the apparatus when working; Fig. 2,
its position when the rope or chain is detached, either by the breaking of the
rope or chain, or by the catch being slipped; Fig. 3 represents the form of
the claws a, in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 shews the slip catch for the prevention of
over-winding.
In Figs. 1 and 2 similar letters denote corresponding parts. A, B, shews
the cage or hoist; C, is the upright conductor fixed in the pit; D, D, are
two catches or claws fixed on the upper part of the cage at each end, working
loose on the studs a, a, having a curved slot way from 6 to b, which slot way
is struck from the stud a as a centre, c, c, being two blocks curved in form to
correspond with the slot ways, so that when the four suspending chains of the

page_text: cage are tightened by the cage being lifted from its bearings, the catches will
turn on the centres a, a, the points d, d, of the catches opening in the direction
of the curved dotted lines, until the bottom of the slot way b, b, comes in
contact with the bottom of the block c, which four chains form the bearage of
the cage whilst in motion; e, e, are two springs bolted on the blocks c, c, ready
to bring the points d, d, of the catches back to the conductor when the rope
slackens or breaks; the heads f, f, being studs fixed in the catches, under
which the springs e, e, work, the heads keeping the springs in their places.
The plates fixed on each side of the blocks c, c, by the bolts which fasten the
springs to the blocks, form parallel guides to the catches. A bolt or stretcher
extends from each catch at one end of the cage to the corresponding one at
the other end, to prevent the catches impinging on the cage by the oblique
pull of the chains fixed at g, g, Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a slip catch to prevent damage from over-winding. A, acts as a
C link with the bend or hook at a, very strong to insure its bearing the
requisite weight; B is a guard to prevent the ring of the rope slipping off the
book. The guard has two snecks over which two latches & drop to keep
the guard in its place, the latches being held down by two springs, one of
which is shewn, which bear on studs b'. The parts A and B are joined
together at d, the two latches being coupled together by the tail piece e being
inserted between them, and all three rivetted or bolted together as shewn at f,
so that in the event of the cage being overwound previous to its going into
the pulley, the tail piece coming in contact with a cross beam, fixed for the
purpose, would by turning on its joint g lift the latch 6 off the sneck, thereby
removing the impediment to the separation of A from B, at the point h,
and A, having a shoulder at i, it follows that when the latch 6 comes
in contact with such shoulder, and the cage is still going upward, the
tail piece would be arrested by the cross beam, and would turn the portion A
of the slip catch over on its back, when the rope ring k must slip out
and leave the catches and cage behind; then the catches D, D, Fig. 1, in
the cage itself, being released from the pull of the rope, spring into action
against the conductor and prevent the descent of the cage, the same as in the
event of the rope breaking, the cage is thus secured from falling, and con-
sequently safety is ensured to life and property. If the centre stud a, Figs. 1
and 2 should happen to break the catches will be held by the blocks c, so that
double safety is afforded. The catches D may be made of malleable iron, and
the slip catch, Fig. 4, either of malleable or wrought iron.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, we would remark, in conclusion, that

page_text: we do not limit ourselves to the precise details and configuration of parts
herein expressed and shewn, as the same may obviously be varied or modified
without in any way departing from the principles thereof; but what we claim
and desire to be secured to us by the herein in part recited Letters Patent are
the catches and springs, and the methods of arranging and fixing the same,
substantially as described and shewn at Figs. 1, 2, and 3, together with the
arrangement and construction of the slip catch, substantially as described and
shewn at Fig. 4, as applied to the chain or rope cage and conductor consti-
tuting our "Improvements in Apparatus for Preventing Accidents in Mines
and Collieries by the Breaking of Ropes or Over-winding," according to the
title hereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Denton and Joseph Whitaker,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eleventh day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness
JOHN MYERS,
Kenyon Cört,
Briggate, Leeds.
WILLIAM DENTON. (L.S.)
JOSEPH WHITAKER. (L.S.)