IM-. PROVEMENTS IN WINDING GEAR FOR MINES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Wilson, junt, of the Bridgewater Foundry,
Patricroft, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IM-.
PROVEMENTS IN WINDING GEAR FOR MINES."
Sealed the 28th February 1879, and dated the 31st October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Wilson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st October 1878.
ROBERT WILSON, jun., of the Bridgewater Foundry, Patricroft, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDING GEAR FOR MINES."
The object of this Invention is to balance the winding ropes of engines used for
raising coal and other minerals when the drum is arranged parallel and of equal
diameter from side to side, so that the ascending and descending ropes as they wind
on and off travel at the same velocity throughout the entire lift. The balance rope
is arranged as follows:-
At the under side or bottom of each cage one of the ends of the rope is attached;
this rope is of sufficient length to allow it to bang in a natural bend in the sump or
well a convenient depth below the loading stage at the bottom of the shaft. This
balance rope I make the same weight per foot run as the winding rope, or as
nearly so as convenient; it may be made of iron or steel wire or other suitable
material or construction that will allow of sufficient pliability. I prevent this
balance rope from twisting and knotting when the engines are winding at high
velocities by means of guides fixed below the loading stage at the bottom of the
shaft. I prefer to make these guides in the form of wooden beams fixed in the
sump crossways at each side of the rope, but any other convenient form or material
may be used for this purpose.
This balance rope in cases of slow winding may be allowed to run in the water
which collects in the sump or well, but for high speed winding I prefer to keep the
rope above the water level.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Robert Wilson in the Great Seal-Patent-Office-on-the-28th_April
1879.
ROBERT WILSON, junior, of the Bridgewater Foundry, Patricroft, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer."-IMPROVEMENTS_IN_W_INDING GEAR FOR MINES."
The object of this Invention is to balance the winding ropes of engines used for
raising coal and other minerals when the drum is arranged parallel-and-of equal
diameter from side to side, so that the ascending and descending ropes as they wind
-on-and-off-travel-at-the-same-velocity_throughout the entire lift. The balance rope
is arranged as follows-At the under side or bottom of each cage one of the ends
of the rope is attached; this rope is of sufficient length to allow it to hang in a
natural bend in the sump or well a convenient depth below the loading stage at
the bottom of the shaft. This balance rope I make the same weight per foot run as
the winding rope, or as nearly so as convenient; it may be made of iron or steel wire
or of other suitable material or construction that will allow of sufficient pliability.
I prevent this balance rope from twisting and knotting when the engines are
winding at high velocities by means of guides fixed below the loading stage at the
bottom of the shaft. I prefer to make these guides in the form, of wooden beams
fixed in the sump crossways at each side of the rope, but any other convenient form
or material may be used for this purpose.
This balance rope in cases of slow winding may be allowed to run in the water
which collects in the sump or well, but for high speed winding I prefer to keep the
rope above the water level.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood I will describe the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters
marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a section of the shaft of a coal pit shewing a side view of the cages,
and Fig. 2 is a section of a shaft shewing an end view of the cages to which my
improvements in winding gear are applied, the engine for raising and lowering the
cages having a parallel winding drum or ordinary rope roll, the rope travelling at
the same velocity in proportion to the speed of the engine throughout the
entire lift.
a, a, are the cages, to the under side of which the counterbalance rope b is
attached; c and d are the guide beams for preventing the rope from twisting or
knotting and e is the loading stage at the bottom of the shaft. The length of
rope attached to each cage is always equal, the length of the counterbalance rope
suspended to each cage varying with the ascent and descent of the cages, so that
the strain upon the driving drum does not vary with the position of the cages in
the shaft, and as the counterbalance rope is of the same weight as the lifting rope
the engine has only the weight of the coal to raise. The guide beams c and d
effectually prevent the counterbalance rope from twisting or knotting when winding
at high velocities.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention and described the manner of
performing the same, I declare that I claim the application of the counterbalance
rope, as shewn and described when applied to miners' cages, which are raised and
lowered by a parallel drum or ordinary rope roll.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Wilson, junior, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of April, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-nine.
ROBERT WILSON, JUNIOR. (L.S.)