New or Improved Apparatus for Preventing Overwinding in Mines or Collieries.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Apparatus for Preventing Overwinding in Mines
or Collieries.
We, JOHN LINDLEY of School House, Clifton, near Manchester, Engineer,
and ALFRED ELI LINDLEY of 147 Manchester Road, Kersley, Stone Clough,
near Bolton, Iron Turner, do hereby declare the nature of our said invention to be
as follows:-
Our invention relates to the winding or haulage apparatus for mines or
collieries, and has for its object to provide means for automatically preventing
overwinding.
"
In accordance with our invention we apply to the crank axle of the winding
engine a "skeleton
or free ended (double) crank and to such crank we apply a
spiral screw or worm of a somewhat fine pitch and gearing with a worm wheel
arranged on a shaft alongside. The valve or size of this wheel, and that of the
worm, are such as to cause the wheel to rotate only for a small fraction of a
revolution for every turn of the crank shaft, and in proportion to the depth or
height of the mine shaft. Upon the same shaft or axle on which the worm wheel
is mounted is a set of cams or pawls one of which cams or pawls in rotating is
designed (according as the mine cage has reached the limit of its ascent or descent)
to come in contact with a set of levers mounted on one common centre or axis.
One of said levers when the worm wheel aforesaid has rotated beyond a pre-
determined limit, (corresponding to the limit of haulage) raises a catch lever
which has previously locked a weighted catch, and such weighted catch being so
freed strikes another catch lever, which in turn releases another weighted catch,
and this latter being connected by rods and links to the steam valve lever of the
winding engine and moving forward under the influence of its weight, turns off the
steam. The releasing of this catch also turns on steam to a break lever engine for
retarding the movement of the winding engine fly wheel, and thus the engine and
winding gear are brought to a standstill with all the parts in check.
In addition to operating a steam valve lever I arrange for the releasement of
the weighted catches to augment the pressure of a foot-brake by means of a single
armed lever sustained in ordinary working by a T headed rod depending from an
arm of the last mentioned weighted catch, but dropped by abutment against a
suitable stop when the said catch is released, and carrying a rolling weight which
moving to the lever and increases the pressure on the foot brake.
The arrangement of the parts, and proportions or values of levers, wheels, etc.,
are fixed relatively to the depth or height of mine shaft, and may be varied to suit
circumstances.
Dated this 1st day of October 1895.
JOHN LINDLEY,
ALFRED ELI LINDLEY,
By John G. Wilson & Co.,
Agents.

page_text: New or Improved Apparatus for Preventing Overwinding in Mines
or Collieries.
We, JOHN LINDLEY of School House, Clifton, near Manchester, Engineer,
and ALFRED ELI LINDLEY of 147 Manchester Road, Kersley, Stone Clough,
near Bolton, Iron Turner do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
Our invention relates to the winding or haulage apparatus for mines or
collieries, and has for its object to provide means for automatically preventing
overwinding.
In accordance with our invention we apply to the crank axle of the winding
engine a skeleton" or free ended (double) crank, and to the free end of such
crank we apply a spiral screw or worm, of a somewhat fine pitch. This screw or
worm gears with a worm-wheel arranged on a shaft alongside, and the value or
size of the worm wheel, and that of the worm, is such as to cause the wheel to
rotate only for a small fraction of a revolution for every turn of the crank shaft,
and in proportion to the depth of the mine. Upon the same shaft or axle on which
the worm wheel is mounted, or upon an auxiliary shaft geared therewith, is a set
of cams or pawls (fingers or tappets) which, in rotating, are designed respectively
(according as the engine alternately raises two cages by winding or unwinding
when either mine cage has passed the limit of its ascent to come in contact with
one of two levers, mounted on one common centre or axis, and press such lever
down.
As either of said levers is depressed it raises a catch lever which has previously
locked a weighted catch, and such weighted catch being so freed, strikes another
catch lever, which in turn releases another weighted catch, and this latter being
connected by rods and links to the steam valve lever of the winding engine, and
moving forward under the influence of its weight, turns off the steam.
releasing of this catch also turns on steam to a brake lever engine for retarding the
movement of the winding engine fly wheel, and thus the engine and winding gear
are brought to a standstill with all the parts in check.
The
In addition to operating a steam valve lever I arrange for the releasement of
the weighted catches to bring a foot-brake into operation by means of a single
arıned lever, sustained in the, ordinary working by a T headed rod depending from
the end of a rod connected with the last mentioned weighted catch, but dropped
by abutment of the said T headed rod against a suitable stop when the said catch
is released, and such single armed lever carrying a rolling weight, which moves to
the lever end, pulls down the free end of the foot-brake lever and causes the brake
to act upon the engine wheel.
And in order that our said invention shall be the more readily understood and
carried into practical effect we have hereunto annexed a sheet of drawings
illustrating the winding wheel and crank portions of a colliery winding plant with
our improved apparatus for preventing overwinding applied thereto.
Fig. 1 illustrates a side elevation of said winding plant and apparatus.
Figs. 2 10 5 illustrate details in elevation and plan respectively of parts of our
improved apparatus.
In accordance with our invention we employ a worm or screw (A) which
receives its motion from the "skeleton" crank (B) or other suitable and corre-
sponding source of movement.
This worm (A) gears with worm wheel (C) upon the vertical shaft (C), which
latter at its upper end carries a bevil or mitre wheel (D). This wheel (D) in turn

page_text: gears with mitre or bevil wheel (E), mounted and keyed on the shaft (F), and
thus, as the crank (B) revolves, such shaft is very slowly rotated, the proportion
of speed being such as will only allow the shaft (F) to make barely one complete
revolution for the depth of the mine, or the proper lift of the mine cage.
Upon the end of the shaft (F) is the usual stationary dial (G), with pointer (H),
for indicating to the engineer the position of the mine cage.
Also upon shaft (F) is a set of 'fingers' or tappets, (I) and (J), keyed on said
shaft and therefore turning with it. These 'fingers' are arranged to point, more
or less, in opposite directions, as shewn more clearly in Fig. 5, and as they rotate
with the shaft (F), first in one direction and then in the other, with the alternate
raising of the cages, one or other of such tappets, when the cage which it is set to
operate for has passed the limit of its ascent, strikes the end of a lever (K) or the
end of lever (L) and depresses it. The finger (I) operates on lever (K) for one
cage, and the finger (J) on the lever (L) for the other cage; the point of
lever (K) being cut away to allow the finger (J) to pass. Similarly the lever (L)
is slightly cut away to allow the point of finger (1) to pass. In the drawing
'finger' (I) is shewn as having reached the limit of its proper movement, and ready
to act on lever (K) if it should be allowed to exceed such movement.
Under ordinary circumstances the engineer in charge, having the dial (G) before
him, stops the engine and wheel by shutting off eteam and putting on the steam
brake by levers (M) and (N) when the pointer has reached the limit of ascent
marked on the dial, and under such circumstances the fingers' (I) and (J) just
come to rest before touching the levers (K) and (L) and therefore do not operate
thereon.
Upon, however, the engineer failing to observe, or misjudging the position of
the pointer, or wrongly starting the engine, and the pointer passing its limit, one
or other of the 'fingers,' as aforesaid, operates on the lever (K), or (L), and
depressing it raises the lever end (L'), and with it the rod (O), which latter at its
other extremity is connected to catch lever (P), and therefore lifts such lever out
of latchment with weighted lever (Q), and allows such weighted lever to tilt over,
and with its weighted end to strike the free end of catch lever (R). By lever (Q)
so striking the lever (R) the weighted lever (S) is released, to which is connected
a set of rods (T), (T'), and as such lever (S) tilts over in the direction of the
arrow (X), under the influence of the weight (S¹), it draws or pulls the said rods
forward, and rod (T) being connected to lever (U), which in turn is connected to
slide (V), pushes the starting and steam brake levers in the direction of the arrow (Y),
and thus shuts off steam to the engine, and turns on steam to the steam brake,
and so arrests the winding.
Simultaneously with the drawing forward of the rod (T) the rod (T¹) is drawn
forward from which is suspended a Tended rod (T), and said rod (T¹) being
formed with a slotted Tend as illustrated, causes the rod (T) which previously
rested across the longitudinal part of the slot, to drop, and so lower the end of a
single armed lever (W).
This lever (W) is connected to a rod (W') whose upper extremity takes on to,
or over, the top edge of a foot brake lever (X), which so long as the lever (W) is
sustained by the rod (T), does not operate upon the lever (X), but when such
rod (T) is released, the full weight of the lever (W) and that of the rolling
weight (Y), (which moves to the end of the lever and gives it a gradually increasing
value) is brought to bear on the foot brake (X), and so by the shutting off of
steam by lever (M), opening of steam to steam brake by lever (N), and the
depression of foot brake lever (X), the movements of the winding drum or wheel
are effectually arrested before the cages can have travelled more than 3 or 4 feet
beyond their appointed distance.
By varying the setting or adjustment of the fingers (I) and (J) it will be
5 apparent that the 'time' at which the improved apparatus shall work may be
varied.

page_text: Similarly it will be observed that the proportion or number of levers may be
varied to suit the exigencies of the different situations in which winding engines
may be placed.
If desired the apparatus may be used for automatically arresting the over-
winding in lifting one cage only, in which case one finger' only will be used.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is :-
1st. In means for preventing over-winding in mines or collieries, one or more
fingers or tappets, mounted on a revolving shaft, and so speeded as to rotate idly
for the proper lift of the mine cage, but when the cage exceeds its appointed
movement to bring into operation suitable apparatus for operating the steam and
brake-lever mechanism, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated on
the accompanying drawing.
2nd. The combination and arrangement of parts forming our new or improved
apparatus for preventing overwinding in mines, as set forth and illustrated.
Dated this 1st day of July 1896
JOHN LINDLEY,
ALFRED ELI LINDLEY,
By John G. Wilson & Co.,
5 Market Street, Manchester, Agents.
JOHN LINDLEY,
ALFRED ELI LINDLEY,
By John G. Wilson & Co.,
5 Market Street, Manchester, Agents.