An Improved Apparatus for Preventing the Falling of Colliery Cages and the like in Event of a Breakage in the Lowering Ropes or Tackle, or for Stopping the same in any Desired Position.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Preventing the Falling of Colliery
Cages and the like in Event of a Breakage in the Lowering Ropes
or Tackle, or for Stopping the same in any Desired Position.
We, JOSEPH STIRLAND of 2 Limegrove, Long Eaton, in the County of Derby,
Engineer, and WILLIAM COTTRILL of 48 Main Street, Long Eaton aforesaid,
Railway Signalman, 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:―
The object of our invention is to prevent the falling of colliery cages and such
like ascending and descending chambers, raised or lowered by means of ropes,
chains or the like.
In describing our said invention reference will be had to the different figures
on the accompanying sheet of drawings, which will form a part of this
Specification.
Figure 1 is a plan shewing the general arrangement of our improved
apparatus.
Figure 2 is a side elevation shewing a portion only of the apparatus, the left
hand side of the figure being the complete one.
Figure 3 is a section on line "a" "a" of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the
arrow al.
Figure 4 is a section on line """" of Figure 1 looking in the direction of
the arrow b¹.
As will be seen upon referring to the drawings, our apparatus is designed for
use in connection with those chambers or cages in which vertical guide rods, wires
or ropes or conductors as they are technically termed, are placed at the sides of
the cage and pass through the framework of the same. Upon the accompanying
drawings we shew four guides or conductors A but it will be evident that our
invention may be applied to cases where any number of guide rods or conductors
are used.
The various parts of the apparatus as shewn upon the drawings are in the
positions they would assume supposing the rope or lowering tackle to have just
broken and the apparatus to be in active operation, the positions of the parts when
not clutching the conductors are shewn by dotted lines on Figure 2; and it will
be further understood that the apparatus is shewn as applied to the raising and
lowering of a colliery cage. B is the rope by means of which the cage is suspended
over the headstocks and down the pit shaft, it terminates in a ring C from which
ropes or chains D preferably four in number pass one to each corner of the frame-
work of the cage to steady it in its ascent or descent, a rope or chain B₁ also
depends from this ring and has any suitable stop E upon it to prevent too much of
the rope or chain B' passing into the inside of the cage, the lower part of this
rope or chain passes round a pulley F and upwards over a pulley G mounted upon a
haft H which revolves in bearings fixed in or to the side framework of the cage,
the said shaft H also carries two other pulleys J, J' to each of which is fixed a
chain, rope or the like J for the purpose of transmitting motion through the
medium of pulley K to the shaft L (which is mounted in suitable bearings fixed to
the framework of the cage) and consequently to pulleys M which raise or lower
he clutch boxes N surrounding the guide rods or conductors A, by means of ropes,
chains or the like fixed to the sides of the said clutch boxes and passing round the
aid pulleys M; these clutches boxes have guides O on the outsides thereof to

page_text: keep them in position between the short guide rods P fixed in any suitable manner
to the framework of the cage; pivotted inside the clutch boxes at Q (the heads of
the said pivots also serving as guides in a similar way to the guides O) are
clutching levers R the shorter arms of which terminate in any suitable device such
as that illustrated so that when moved upon their pivots Q they clutch or release
the guide rods or conductors A, the said levers are hung from the upper framework
of the cage by means of chains or the like S and their outer ends are hooked or
otherwise suitably fixed to springs T, the latter being fixed to the side framework
of the cage. From the roof of the cage there hangs a plate or frame U carrying a
loop or guide V and a sliding catch W, also fixed to the roof of the cage is a
bracket or the like X to which is pivotted an arm Y see Figure 4 the upper end of
which is fixed to a spring Z tending to keep the upper end of the said arm as close
to the roof as possible. The lower end of this arm terminates in branches Y' Y²
between which is mounted the pulley F.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:- -When the rope B is hauled upon
and tightened the pulley F is raised in the loop V until it comes up and stop under
the catch W and upon being further hauled upon and tightened it causes the rope
or chain B' to revolve the said pulley F and also pulley G the latter carrying with it
the shaft H and pulleys J, J' which in turn revolve the pulleys M and shaft L;
these pulleys M by means of the ropes or chains M¹ bring down the clutch boxes
and in so doing the clutching levers or arms R are caused to turn slightly on their
pivots and open, thus freeing the guide rods or conductors A from the clutches,
it will be readily understood that so long as a strain is kept upon the chains or
ropes B, B¹ the cage will continue to travel or ascend and descend freely upon the
guide rods or conductors but directly either of these ropes or chains break or become
loose and the strain is entirely taken off, the weight of the cage in falling instantly
causes the clutching levers to close in and grip the guide rods or conductors and stop
the cage, the whole weight of which will then be borne by the said guide rods or
conductors; the said clutches may be cross cut, roughened or formed in any suitable
manner for more effectually gripping the guide rods or conductors.
We may cause the apparatus to be operated from the inside of the cage if
desired in case any danger may be suspected by the occupants of the cage and
unknown to the engine-driver: as already explained when the cage is free to
travel up and down the guide rods or conductors A the arm Y is pressed tightly
up against the catch W as shewn by dotted line Y³ Figure 3 this catch slides in
guides 1 and 2 and its backward and forward movement is limited by stops 3 and 4
engaging the said guides, a spring 5 is arranged to press against stop 3 to keep the
catch in the position shewn on Figure 3; when an occupant of the cage wishes to
stop it in going down the pit he moves the lever 6 in a backward direction which
opens the catch and allows the arm Y and pulley F to pass upwards until stopped
at 7, during this short release of the strain upon the rope or chain B¹ the clutches
firmly grip the guide rods or conductors and the cage is instantly stopped, the
pulley F and arm Y when at rest always assuming the position shown on Figure 4
through the pull of the spring Z, which is for the purpose of taking up the slack
in the chain or rope B¹.
To prevent anyone tampering with this arrangement the catch may be locked in
the position shewn on Figure 3 in a variety of manners, such as by simply locking
it to the plate or frame U, and the apparatus may if desired be tested in this
manner every morning before being used in the shaft without disconnecting the
suspending rope B. The springs T are for the purpose of preventing the con-
cussion that would be otherwise experienced in the sudden stopping of the cage,
suitable buffers 8 being also provided if necessary which may also be provided
with powerful springs for the same purpose.
The whole of the side apparatus may be arranged in the upper framework of
the cage and covered in with side plates in any suitable manner, it being under-
stood that the upper portion only (say about a third) of the cage is shewn upon the
drawings.

page_text: It is evident that the sizes of the various parts may be altered according to
different requirements, that the springs may be larger or smaller if desired, the
clutches varied in shape according to the shape of the guide rods or conductors,
that sprocket wheels and chains may be substituted and even be more preferable
than pulleys or ropes and that ropes, chains or other connections of any suitable
description for their various offices may be used without departing from the spirit
of our invention.
If it is not desired to test the apparatus every morning or to provide means
for allowing the occupants of the cage to stop it when going down, this portion
of the apparatus may be dispensed with also the pulley F, in which case the
pulley G would be moved forward and placed directly under the wire or chain B'
and the apparatus would be just as effectual in case of breakage.
Having now 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 is :-
1. In an apparatus for preventing the falling of colliery cages and the like or
for stopping the same in any desired position the employment of a rope or chain B¹
attached in any suitable manner to the suspending rope B of the cage, the said
rope or chain B¹ having a stop E either passing round pulley F, and over and being
fixed to pulley G or passed directly round and fixed to pulley G, which is fixed to
shaft H the latter having pulleys J, J¹ mounted thereon with cords or chains fixed
thereto and passing round pulleys K and fixed to the sides of clutch boxes N the
shaft L being thus caused to revolve as required and carry with it the pulleys M each
of which has a rope or chain attached thereto and passing to the sides of the aforesaid
clutch boxes, the whole being for the purpose of operating the said clutch boxes
up and down the short guide rods P, P, P, P, substantially as described and
illustrated.
2. In an apparatus for preventing the falling of colliery cages and the like or for
stopping the same in any desired position the employment of clutch boxes N having
pivotted therein clutching levers such as R suspended by chains or the
from the framework of the cage and adapted to grip or release the guide rods or
conductors A, and secured at the outer ends to springs T, the latter being secured
to the framework of the cage and acting in combination with spring or other
buffers 8 substantially as described and illustrated.
3. In an apparatus for preventing the falling of colliery cages and the like or
for stopping the same in any desired position the employment of a pivotted arm Y
fixed to a spring Z, the said arm passing through a loop or sling Y and carrying at
its forked end the pulley F and being adapted to stop under the sliding catch W,
the latter having guides 1 and 2 fixed to a depending plate or framework U,
stops 3 and 4, spring 5 and lever 6 and a lock or bolt and cottar or the like to
secure the same to the plate U, substantially as described and illustrated.
4. The whole substantially as and for the purposes described herein and as
illustrated upon the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of August 1894
W. SWINDELL,
Agent for the Applicants.