IMPROVEMENTS IN SAPETY CAGES FOR MINE SHAFTS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Ridley, of Low Wortley, in the County of
York, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAPETY CAGES
FOR MINE SHAFTS,"
Sealed the 25th March 1859, and dated the 13th October 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Ridley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th October 1858.
I, ROBERT RIDLEY, of Low Wortley, in the County of York, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY
CAGES FOR MINE SHAFTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of safety
apparatus to be applied to the cages of mine shafts, whereby the falling of the
cage, should the winding rope accidentally break, is prevented.
The apparatus consists of a peculiar combination of coiled or barrel springs,
and gripping eccentrics.
The cage is fitted at its upper end with a pair of transverse parallel shafts,
which shafts carry at each extremity an eccentric, there being thus two
eccentrics on either side of the cage. These eccentrics are disposed on each
side of the conducting rods,and when brought into action or partially rotated
by the coiled springs herein-after reforred to, they grip or lay hold of the
conducting rods, and so prevent the descent of the cage, should the rope
D

page_text: accidentally break. The coiled springs surround and are secured to the
transverse shafts, one end of each spring being secured to the shaft, and the
other to the framing of the cage, so that they will have the effect of turning
the shafts in their bearings. In the middle of each of these shafts is a lever
arm, to which are attached the ends of a double safety chain, so arranged with
regard to the winding rope, that when the weight of the cage is on the main
rope the safety chains will be tightened, and by acting on the lever arms and
shafts will keep the eccentrics out of contact with the conducting rods; but
should a breakage of the winding rope occur, the lever arms will be relieved
from the tension of the safety chain, and the coiled springs will consequently
be free to act, and cause the eccentrics to turn towards each other, and grip
the conducting rods between them, thus maintaining the cage stationary at
whatever part of the shaft it may be.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Ridley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th April 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
RIDLEY, of Low Wortley, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Ridley, Her special license that I, the said Robert Ridley,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Ridley, my executors, administrators, or 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 SAFETY CAGES FOR
MINE SHAFTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert
Ridley, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particu-
larly 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Ridley, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
safety apparatus to be applied to the cages of mine shafts, whereby the falling
of the cage, should the winding rope accidentally break, is prevented.
This apparatus consists of a peculiar combination of coiled or barrel springs
and gripping eccentrics.
The cage is fitted at its upper end with a pair of transverse parallel shafts,
which shafts carry at each extremity an eccentric, there being thas two
eccentrics on either side of the cage. These eccentrics are disposed on each
side of the conducting rods, and when brought into action or partially rotated
by the coiled springs herein-after referred to, they grip or lay hold of the
conducting rods, and so prevent the descent of the cage should the rope
accidentally break. The coiled springs surround and are secured to the
transverse shafts, one end of each spring being secured to the shaft, and the
other to the framing of the cage, so that they will have the effect of turning
the shafts in their bearings. In the middle of each of these shafts is a lever
arin, to which are attached the ends of a double safety chain, so arranged with
regard to the winding rope, that when the weight of the cage is ou the main
rope the safety chains will be tightened, and by acting on the lever arms and
shafts will keep the eccentrics out of contact with the conducting rods; but
should a breakage of the winding rope occur, the lever arms will be relieved
from the tension of the safety chain, and the coiled springs will consequently
be free to act,and cause the eccentrics to turn towards each other, and grip the
conducting rods between them, thus maintaining the cage stationary at what-
ever part of the shaft it may be.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
I shall refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts through-
out all the Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a vertical section of my safety cage;
Figure 2 is a similar view taken at right angles to Figure 1; and Figure 3
is a plan of the same. A is the floor of the cage, and B a rectangular
framing connected by four vertical supports to the floor A. This frame carries

page_text: the safety apparatus, which consists of the coiled or barrel springs C, C,
surrounding the transverse parallel shafts D, D, combined with the two pairs
of gripping eccentrics E, E, severally secured to the extremities of the shafts
D, and so disposed as to nip or grip firmly the conducting rods F, F, when
the springs C are allowed to turn or operate upon the safts D. G, G, are
stops, which are secured to the shafts 1) for the purpose of preventing the
eccentrics from being turned further than is necessary to fill up the greatest
space possible between them during the time of an accident. For this purpose
the stops are made to bear against the sides of a projection H on the inside
of the framing. The safety chains I are connected at J to the hauling rope or
chain, and are severally secured to the ends of the arms K, K, fast on the
shafts D. L, L, are the chains which connect the four corners of the cage to
the winding chain or rope; and these chains are made rather longer than the
safety chains, so that on commencing to wind, the safety chain will be first
acted upon, and through the arms K, will turn the shafts slightly so as to
take the gripping eccentrics out of contact with the conducting rods, and leave
the cage perfectly free to be either raised or lowered. Should, however, a
breakage of the winding chain or rope occur, the strain on the arms K will
instantly cease by the descent of the chain, and the springs C, C, coming into
action, will turn slightly the shafts D, and cause the eccentrics to grip the sides
of the conducting rods, and hold the cage suspended in the shaft till assistance
arrives. The weight of the cave itself will still further increase the hold of the
eccentrics, and cause them to grip firmly the conducting rods. I am aware
that eccentrics have been previously employed in safety cages for gripping the
conducting rods when requisite, and therefore I lay no claim to the use of
eccentrics; neither do I claim separately any of the mechanical elements of
which my apparatus is composed.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as variations may be made therefrom without deviating
from the principles or main features of my said Invention; but what
I consider to be noveland original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the general construction, arrangement, and combination of apparatus
constituting a safety cage for mine shafts, as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use of the coiled or barrel springs in com-

page_text: bination with eccentrics and shafts, in the manner and for the purpose herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Ridley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of April, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-nine.
ROBERT RIDLEY. (L.s.)