Improvements in Automatic Apparatus for Locking and Unlocking Corves on Mine Cages.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 1st May, 1889-Accepted, 15th June, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Apparatus for Locking and Unlocking
Corves on Mine Cages.
We JOHN THOMAS DAWES of Cefn Mawr, Mold, in the County of Flint, Civil and
Mining Engineer, and EDWARD ROBERTS of Ruthin in the County of Denbigh
Solicitor do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object is to provide for cages used in raising coal and minerals from mines
apparatus for automatically locking the tubs corves or hutches on the said cage and
automatically releasing them when they reach the pits mouth, such apparatus being
so constructed that the tubs corves or hutches may be run on and off the cages at
either side.
The invention consists First. In constructing the cage with a sprocket wheel
or equivalent device arranged to act on stop pieces or clips and acted on by the axles
or other convenient parts of the tubs corves or hutches in such manner that when on
or more tubs corves or hutches is or are run off the cage and another or others run
on the stop pieces or clips are caused to grip the tubs corves or hutches on the cage
and lock them in position.
Second. In arranging the stop pieces or clips so that they are held in locking
position by springs or weights.
Third. In so combining the sprocket wheel or its equivalent, and the stop pieces or
clips that the gripping or locking will take effect whether the tubs corves or hutches
are run off and on the cage in one or other direction.
Fourth. In providing at the top and bottom of the shaft contact pieces to act on
and disengage the gripping or locking mechanism.
Dated this 30th day of July 1888.
Per Pro J. T. KING,
J. Johnson, Agent.
COMPLETE, SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Apparatus for Locking and Unlocking
Corves on Mine Cages.
We JOHN THOMAS DAWES of Cefn Mawr Mold in the County of Flint Civil and
Mining Engineer and EDWARD ROBERTS of Ruthin in the County of Denbigh Solicitor,
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 is to provide for cages used in raising coal and minerals from mines
apparatus for automatically locking the tubs corves or hutches on the said cage and
automatically releasing them when they reach the pits mouth, such apparatus being
preferably so constructed that the tubs corves or hutches may be run off and on the
cages at either side.
The invention consists. First in constructing the cage with a sprocket wheel or
equivalent device arranged to act on stop pieces or clips and acted on by the axles or
other convenient parts of the tubs corves or hutches in such manner that when one
or more of the tubs corves or hutches is or are run off the cage and another or others
run on the stop pieces or clips are caused to grip the tubs corves or hutches on the
cage and lock them in position.
Second. In arranging the stop pieces or clips so that they are held in locking
position by springs.or. weights.
Third. In so combining-the-sprocket wheel-or-its equivalent and the stop. pieces or
I Die Q11

page_text: clips that the gripping or locking will take effect whether the tubs corves or butches
are run off and on the cage in one or other direction.
Fourth. In providing at the top and bottom of the shaft contact pieces to act on and
disengage the.gripping or locking mechanism.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section and Fig. 2 a plan of a cage constructed according
to the first and second parts of our invention. a is a sprocket wheel free to revolve
in bearings on the cage c. d stop on the sprocket wheel. e lever resting against
the stop d to prevent the sprocket wheel from being turned round more than once.
f sliding plate fitted. with pawls g for turning the shaft and sprocket wheel a a
portion of a revolution by means of the ratchet wheel g'. This is effected when the
lever e is lifted out of the way of the stop d by the projection on the sliding plate f
acting on the wedge piece on the lever . The sliding plate f is operated by the
lever k. catch to prevent the tubs corves or hutches m from running backwards
off the cage.
n ratchet and pawl to keep the sprocket wheel steady.
The action is as follows two tubs corves or hutches on the cage are run off aud
two more run on so as to cause the sprocket wheel to make one revolution and the
stop & then rests against the levere and prevents further forward motion of the tubs
corves or hutches at the same time the catch prevents the tubs corves or hutches
from running off backwards. If the cage is now raised or lowered and the lever k is
moved so as to release the sprocket wheel and move the ratchet wheel g' a portion of
a revolution so as to move the stop d past the lever e the two corves may be run off
and two more run on causing the said sprocket wheel again to make a full revolution.
The lever k is moved automatically by means of inclined planes or projecting arms
when the cage reaches the top and bottom of the mine. The sprocket wheel may
be arranged to make only part of a revolution each time the tubs corves or hutches
are run on or off the cage and one two or more tubs corves or hutches may be
carried on a cage the number of arms of the said wheel being varied accordingly.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a modification of apparatus under the third part
of my invention.
a is a sprocket wheel which is turned by the axles of the tubs corves
or hutches 1, 1, catches for preventing the tubs corves or hutches from running off the
cage. o toothed wheel free to turn on the shaft hand caused to move therewith by
the vee shaped pawl p. 7 is a rack in gear with the wheel o and having attached
thereto at the ends, finks r r. The links are connected to the arms ss which
operate the catches or so as to liberate the corves according as the rack q is moved
in one direction or the other. The links rare slotted so that one of the catches P
can be operated without the other being affected. The rack y is operated by the
lever which is moved by hinged stops t placed in any desired position in a pit
shaft.
*
The action of the apparatus is as follows. Two tubs corves or hutches m are run
on to the cage in the direction of the arrow the axles passing freely over the catch
until the leading axle abuts against the catch 1. The cage is then raised or lowered
until the lever comes into contact with the stops t which causes such lever and
with it the rack q to move in the direction of the arrow and also the toothed wheel o
to revolve on the shaft h against the pressure of the pawl p. The movement of the
rack q depresses the catch 7 by means of the link and arms and the tubs corves or
hutches are free to be run off the cage. By reason of two corves running off the
cage and two others being run on, the sprocket wheel a, shaft h and toothed wheel o
are caused to make a complete revolution which moves back the rack 9 to its first position,
and allows the catch to rise and stop the last two tubs corves or hutches from
passing off the cage until there has been another movement of the rack q. When it
is desired to run the said tubs corves or hutches off in the opposite direction the stops t
are so placed as to cause the rack g to move in the reverse direction to that described.
Fig. 4 is a view of apparatus for unlocking or disengaging catches or gripping
appliances on cages. u cage, trucks, catch, movable prop or lever which
operates the lever y and catch when the cage is lowered on to it.

page_text: It will be evident that the details and arrangement of parts may be considerably
modified without departing from our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is.
First. Constructing mine cages with a sprocket wheel or equivalent device operated
substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.
Second. Constructing mine cages with a sprocket wheel or equivalent device and
stop pieces or clips held in locking position substantially in the manner and for the
purpose setforth.
Third. Constructing mine cages with a sprocket wheel or equivalent device and
stop pieces or clips arranged to act in either direction substantially in the manner and
for the purpose setforth.
Fourth. Contact pieces for acting on or disengaging the gripping or locking
mechanism of mine cages substantially as setforth.
Per Pro J. T. KING,
J. Johnson, Agent.