AN IMPROVED SAFETY APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO CAGES OR HOISTS, USED IN MINING OR LIPTING MACHINES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thomas Calow, of Staveley, in the County of
Derby, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED SAFETY
APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO CAGES OR HOISTS, USED IN MINING OR LIPTING
MACHINES."
Sealed the 5th September 1862, and dated the 10th March 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thomas Calow at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents with his Petition, on the 10th
March 1862.
1, JOHN THOMAS CALOW, of Staveley, in the County of Derby, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED SAFETY
APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO CAGES OR HOISTS USED IN MINING OR LIFTING MACHINES,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in manufacturing and applying a safety apparatus as
herein-after mentioned, to cages and hoists, which apparatus will, in the event
of the rope or chain breaking or otherwise becoming detached from the cage
or hoist, grip securely the slides or conductors, and thereby prevent the cage
or hoist from falling, and will also prevent the overwinding of the cage or
hoist.
.

page_text: The apparatus
is not attached to or connected with the rope or chain, from
which the cage or hoist is suspended, as is usual in other modes heretofore
used for the like purpose, and consequently it is not affected by, and has no
tendency to come into action, or be moved at all by the tightening or slack-
ening of the rope or chain, when the cage or hoist is at rest on the props
or otherwise, but is brought into action by the cage or hoist gravitating or
becoming a falling body.
The apparatus consists essentially of a spring or springs and, a weight
or weights connected to and acting upon suitable mechanism for gripping
the slides or conductors in case of accident, the spring or springs having a
-bearing or foundation on the cage or hoists, the weight or weights hanging
from or resting upon the spring or springs, so as to neutralize their tendency
to bring the grips into action, while the cage or hoist remains suspended or
supported.
When the rope or chain breaks or becomes detached from the cage or
hoist, the grips are brought into action by the law of gravitation, that is,
the cage or hoist becomes a falling body, thereby releasing the spring or
springs, which on being free to act, instantly bring the. grips in contact
with the slides or conductors, and thereby prevent the cage or hoist, from
falling.
To prevent overwinding I use a detaching hook, fixed at a convenient
distance above the cage or hoist. This hook consists of two bars or legs
jointed together at one end; and hooked outwards at the other. These legs
are connected to the chain or rope by means of a shackle at the joint, the
hooked ends carry a curved slotted plate, when distended by the weight of
the cage or hoist connected to and bearing down the joint of a pair of shorter
legs jointed together, and placed between the longer or outer legs, which said
shorter legs have a shoulder bearing also upon the curved slotted plate between
the legs. I insert one or more plate springs to keep the hook in position, when
the weight of the cage or hoist is not bearing upon it. Under the pulley I fix
a strong ring of such diameter that the hook cannot pass through without the
outer legs being closed so as to release the hooked ends from the curved
slotted plate, thereby detaching the rope or chain from the cage or hoist, and
thus prevent overwinding.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the. Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Thomas Calow in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th September 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I, JOHN
THOMAS CALOW, of Staveley, in the County of Derby, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord 'One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of: Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant: unto me, the said
John Thomas Calow, Her special licence, that I, the said John Thomas
Calow, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Thomas Calow, my executors, administrators, and 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 "AN IMPROVED SAFETY
APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO CAGES OR HOISTS USED IN MINING OR LIFTING MACHINES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I,. the said John Thomas Calow, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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.
NOW KNOW YE; that I; the said John Thomas Calow, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to per-
formed; to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in manufacturing an improved safety apparatus
herein-after described to be applied to cages and hoists, which safety apparatus
will, in the event of the rope or chain breaking or becoming otherwise detached
from the cage or hoist, grip securely the slides, guides, or conductors,,and
thereby prevent the cage or hoist from falling, and will also prevent the over-
winding of the cage or hoist.
The apparatus is not attached to or connected with the rope or chain from
which the cage or hoist is suspended, as is usual in other apparatus heretofore
used for the like purpose, and consequently it is not affected by the tightening

page_text: or slackening of the rope or chain, and has no tendency to come into action
or be at all moved by such tightening or slackening of the rope or chain,
when the cage or hoist is at rest on the props, or otherwise at rest, but is
brought into action by the cage or hoist gravitating or becoming a falling
body.
The apparatus consists essentially of a spring or springs and a weight or
weights connected to and acting upon mechanism for gripping the slides,
guides, or conductors, in case of accident, the said spring or springs having a
bearing or foundation on the cage or hoist, while the weight or weights hangs
from, or rests upon the spring or springs, so as to neutralize or counteract the
tendency of such spring or springs to bring the grips into action, while the
cage or hoist remains suspended or supported.
When the rope or chain breaks or becomes detached from the cage or
hoist, the grips are brought into action by the law of gravitation; that is, by
the cage or hoist becoming a falling body, and thereby releasing the spring
or springs, which on being free to act instantly bring the grips in contact
with the slides, guides, or conductors, and thereby prevent the cage or hoist
from falling.
. To prevent overwinding, I use a detaching hook fixed at a convenient
distance above the cage or hoist. This hook consists of two bars or legs
jointed together at one end, and hooked outwards at the other; these bars or
legs are connected to the chain or rope by means of a shackle at the joint;
the hooked ends carry a curved slotted plate, which are distended by the weight
of the cage or hoist by bearing down the joint of a pair of shorter bars or legs
jointed together and placed between the longer or outer bars or legs, which
said shorter bars or legs have a shoulder bearing also upon the curved
slotted plate; between the bars or legs I insert one or more plate springs to
keep the hook in position, when the weight of the cage or hoist is not bearing
upon
it. Under the pulley I fix a strong ring of such diameter, that the hook
cannot pass through, unless the outer bars or legs are closed, so as to release
the hooked ends from the curved slotted plate, thereby detaching the rope or.
chain from the cage, or hoist, and thus prevent overwinding.
. Having thus set forth the nature of the said Invention, I now proceed more.
particularly to explain in what manner the same may be performed with refer-
ence to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2 a front view, of an arrangement

page_text: A, A, are the grips or gripping levers; B, the guides, slides, or conduc-
tors; C, C, are the shafts which connect the levers or grips A, A, and on
which shafts are also lifting levers D, D; E is. a rod for connecting the
lifting levers with the spring and weight; F is a weight; and G a spring. I
recommend that a reference index plate be placed over this spring, to indicate
the state and condition of the spring and the amount of pressure upon it. H,
is a box which encloses the weight and spring. When the rope or chain
breaks or becomes detached and the cage or hoist falls, the spring G will raise
or separate the weight F from the cage or hoist, and the said weight will
force or carry the rod E upward by means of a stud or nut fixed on the rod
above the weight and with the rod the lifting levers D, D, which being fixed
on the same shafts, as the grips or levers A will bring them all in contact
with the guides and suspend the cage or hoist thereon. When the descent
of the cage or hoist is arrested, the weight will slide down the rod E,
and will compress the spring, leaving the grips in contact with the slides or
guides.
In Figure 3 another form of grip is shewn, consisting of a curved wedge I.
This wedge is brought in contact with the slides by the levers A, A, thereby
transferring the strain from the shafts C, C, to the stud K, and the shoe L;
B is the guide or slide. The wedge may be notched or toothed, as shewn,
or it may be smooth, or it may be hollowed on its face, so as to take a hold
upon iron or wire rope guides. M is a hand lever by which the grips may be
brought into action when required.
Figure 4 shews the detaching hook herein-before described; Figure 5 is a
modification of this hook, in which the slotted plate is straight, and has a dove-
tailed or inclined bearing on the legs, which are kept apart by a spring or
springs.
I do not confine myself to the exact form of grips herein-before described,
as other forms of grips may be used and will answer the same purpose.
Although I have shewn certain particular methods of carrying into effect
my mode of causing the grips or gripping mechanism to act by the gravitation
of the cage or hoist, I do not restrict myself to the exact details of these
methods, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
mode, as herein set forth.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same may be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First, arranging and combining apparatus in such manner that grips or
gripping appliances, (or their mechanical equivalents), may be brought into-

page_text: action by the falling or gravitation of the cage or hoist, substantially as
'described.
Second, the arrangement and combination of parts substantially as herein-
before described, for detaching the rope or chain from the cage or hoist, to
prevent overwinding.
Third, the general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the
improved safety apparatus herein-before described.
In witnesss whereof, I, the said John Thomas Calow, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of September, in the year of our
Lord, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
GEO. JON. ROBINSON,
Patent Office,
Nottingham.
JOHN THOMAS CALOW. (L.S.)