New or Improved Machinery or Apparatus for Preventing Accidents by Overwinding of the Cages of Mine Shafts, Lifts, and other Hoists.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 8th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 8th Nov., 1887
New or Improved Machinery or Apparatus for Preventing Accidents
by Overwinding of the Cages of Mine Shafts, Lifts, and other
Hoists.
I CHARLES HOLOROFT of Trindle House Dudley in the County of Worcester Iron
Master do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
:-
My invention consists of machinery or apparatus constructed as hereinafter
described by the use of which the suspending rope of a mine or other cage is severed
and the cage suspended in case of overwinding.
I will describe my invention in connection with the rope and cage of a mine
shaft.
A short distance below the pulley over which the rope is wound I fix a pair of
cutting blades or shears. These blades or shears are jointed at their outer ends to a
fixed framing over the mouth of the mine shaft. The inner ends of the said blades
are made into cutting edges. In their normal positions the inner ends of the said
blades incline downwards and when they are in that position their cutting edges are
separated a considerable distance. When however the inner ends of the blades are
The
raised they approach each other and cut anything situated between them.
winding rope passes between the said cutting edges of the blades. A disc of iron is
attached to the hook or coupling of the cage and in case of overwinding the said plate
raises the inner ends of the blades causing them to cut the rope and liberate the cage
rope 15
which is supported in the way hereinafter described. The cutting of the
effected during its motion and no sudden check or strain on the engine or machinery
is produced.
At a short distance above the shears is a fixed ring through which the rope passes
and so guides it that it cannot come in contact with the cutting edges of the shears
excepting when the latter are raised as herein before described.
In order to suspend the cage after the cutting of the rope I employ the following
arrangement. The fixed framing herein before referred to over the mine shaft has at
opposite sides hollow vertical guides in which the slippers of the mine cage or other
projections on the said cage engage and work. A series of nearly vertical spring

page_text: levers is jointed to the fixed frame the upper horizontal ends of which levers pass
through slots in each side of the vertical guides when the said levers are in their
normal positions. The slippers or projections on the cage as the cage ascends press
on the inclined under sides of these spring levers forcing them back. As soon as the
slipper or projection has passed any one of these levers the said lever resumes its
norinal position by the action of its spring. The upper horizontal end of the lever is
projected under the slipper of the cage and this occurring at each side of the cage the
said cage is securely suspended after the cutting of the rope. The resistance offered
by the spring levers to the ascending motion or the cage prevents any injury resulting
from the rapid ascent of the cage after its separation from the rope. The said levers
may either turn upon joints as described and be pressed home by separate springs or
the levers themselves may be elastic and fixed instead of jointed at their ends to the
framing or guides.
In order to prevent injury by the falling of the suspending bridle chains of the
cage after the rope
has been severed a cross bar or cross bars may be fixed on the top
of the cage on which the said bridle chains fall and on which they are supported.
Dated 1 day of W
1007
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Machinery or Apparatus for Preventing Accidents
by Overwinding of the Cages of Mine Shafts, Lifts, and other
Hoists.
1. CHARLES HOLCROFT of Trindle House, Dudley, in the County of Worcester,
Iron Master, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :—
My invention consists of machinery or apparatus constructed as hereinafter
described by the use of which the suspending rope of a mine or other cage is severed
and the cage suspended in case of overwinding.
I will describe my invention in connection with the rope and cage of a mine
shaft.
A short distance below the pulley over which the rope is wound 1 fix a pair of
cuiting blades or shears. These blades or shears are jointed at their outer ends to a
fixed framing over the mouth of the mine shaft. The inner ends of the said blades
are made into cutting edges. In their normal positions the inner ends of the said
blades incline downwards and when they are in that position their cutting edges are
separated a considerable distance. When however the inner ends of the blades are
raised they approach each other and cut anything situated between them. The
winding rope passes between the said cutting edges of the blades. A disc of iron
is attached to the hook or coupling of the cage and in case of overwinding the
said disc or plate raises the inner ends of the Blades causing them to cut the rope
and liberate the cage which is left to continue its upward course (ample height
being provided in the head gear for this purpose) until overcome by gravitation
and the said cage is then supported in the way hereinafter described. The cutting
of the rope is effected during its motion and no sudden check or strain on the
engine or machinery is produced.
At a short distance above the shears is a fixed ring through which the rope
passes and so guides it that it cannot come in contact with the cutting edges of the
shears excepting when the latter are raised as herein before described.
In order to suspend the cage after the cutting of the rope and at the point where
its ascent has been arrested by gravitation I employ the following arrangement.
The fixed framing herein before referred to over the mine shaft has at opposite sides
hollow vertical guides in or on which the slippers of the mine cage or other pro-
jections on the said cage engage and work. A series of nearly vertical spring levers
is jointed to the fixed frame the upper horizontal ends of which levers pass through
slots in each side of the vertical guides when the said levers are in their normal
positions. The slippers or projections on the cage as the cage ascends press on the
inclined under sides of these spring levers forcing them back. As soon as the slipper
or projection has passed anyone of these levers the said lever resumes its normal
position by the action of its spring. The upper horizontal end of the lever is
projected under the slipper of the cage and this occurring at each side of the cage
the said cage is securely suspended after the cutting of the rope and at the highest
point to which it ascends before it is stopped by gravitation. The said levers may

page_text: either turn upon joints as described and be pressed home by separate springs or the
levers themselves may be elastic and fixed instead of jointed at their ends to the
framing or guides.
In order to prevent injury by the falling of the suspending bridle chains of
the cage after the rope has been severed I employ the following arrangement. On
two cross beams which are placed in the frame work at a short distance below the
shears, four spring sliding doors are arranged each sliding door being situated at
right angles to the adjacent ones. When overwinding of the suspending rope takes
place the disc or plate attached to the coupling acting against springs on the said
doors pushes them back which are closed after the passage of the said disc or plate.
The disc after the rope has been severed falls on the closed sliding doors by which it is
supported and the falling of the bridle chains thereby prevented.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation the fixed framing situated over the mouth of
the mine shaft the wooden cage guides and the pulley over which the suspending
rope of the cage works, to which fixed framing and parts rope severing or cutting
mechanism and cage suspending mechanism together with minor details constructed
according to my invention are applied; Figure 2 represents in side elevation;
Figure 3 in back elevation and Figure 4 in plan the shearing or cutting mechanism
and parts connected therewith drawn to a larger scale than Figure 1; Figure 5
represents a plan of the rope guide fixed to the underside of the joists to which
the knives or shears are jointed; Figures 6 and 7 represent elevations taken at right
angles to one another of the suspending mechanism of the cage and Figure
represents a horizontal section of the same taken through one of the hollow guides
and the suspending mechanism the said Figure S being drawn to a larger scale
than Figures 6 and 7; Figures 9 and 10 represent a portion of the suspending
mechanism of the cage drawn to a large scale; Figures 11. 12 and 13 represent a
modification of the cage suspending mechanism used with rope guides and Figure 14
represents the bridle chains of the cage and the arrangement for preventing the
falling of the said bridle chains after the rope has been severed.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawings.
I will first describe the shearing or cutting mechanism: a is the suspending rope
which may be circular, flat or other sectional figure, working over the pulley, the
said rope a being connected to the mine cage c by the bridle chains e and coupling
fg, are the cutting blades or shears turning on the centres at g², 12 carried by the
cross joists i, i secured to the fixed framing k over the mouth of the mine shaft. The
construction of the acting edges of the blades or shears g, h will be best understood
by referring to the enlarged views Figures 3 and 4. It will be seen that the suspend-
ing rope a of the mine cage passes between the cutting edges of the said blades or
shears, the inner ends of which overlap one another (see the plan Figure 4). In
their normal positions the inner or cutting ends of the blades or shears I, h incline
downwards as seen in Figure 3 and when in that position their cutting edges are
separated a considerable distance and have no action on the suspending rope a which
has freedom of motion between them for raising and lowering the cage. When
however the inner ends of the blades or shears 9, h are raised they approach each
other and cut the rope situated between them at or about the line indicated at 16
Figure 3. The raising of the shears or blades g, h on the overwinding of the cage
is effected by the disc or plate of iron m surmounting the coupling by which the
suspending rope a is connected to the cage. It will be understood by an exami-
nation of Figure 3 how when the cage is over wound the two shears or cutting
blades 9 h are raised by the disc or plate m bearing against the projecting inner end
of the, blade g. The cutting of the rope is effected during its motion and no sudden.
check or strain on the winding engine or machinery is produced. By means of the
fixed ring or guard n (shown in plan of underside in Figure 5) through which the
suspending rope a passes, the said rope is so guided that it cannot come into contact

page_text: with the cutting edges of the blades or shears g, h excepting when the said blades or
shears are raised by the disc or plate m on the coupling of the cage chains on the
overwinding of the cage as herein before described.
Near the end of the lower blade is a stirrup piece p which is made to clip the
upper blade or shear h which blade is shaped to receive it. By this means the two
blades are prevented from separating. The two blades or shears g, h are supported in
their normal or inclined positions by the hanger q on the lower bent end of which
the lower blade y rests and as the inner end of the upper blade rests on the inner
end of the lower blade g as seen in Figure 4 the two blades are thus supported. By
means of the spring pressing on the upper blade the two blades are kept in their
places and great steadiness given to thein when raised for severing the suspending
rope a. The two blades may be kept in their places in other ways than that described
and represented; for example, instead of a plate spring a coiled or other spring may
be used. Although I prefer to make the cutting blades or shears of jointed levers as
described and represented in the drawings, yet clastic levers fixed to the framing may
be used in place of jointed levers.
7°
l
1 will now describe with reference to Figures 6. 7. 8. 9 and 10 the mechanism for
Each of the wooden frames k
suspending the cage after the cutting of the rope.
carried by the fixed framing k has connected to it a trough piece (see the enlarged
cross section Figure 8) and to the said trough piece angle bars constituting a hollow
vertical guide are rivetted the said hollow guide forming a continuation of the
wooden guide 3. The trough pieces supporting the hollow guides /² are connected
to the wooden frames 2 by the bolts and slots at 3 so that the said trough pieces!
and hollow guides can have a limited sliding motion on the said wooden frames k
for the purpose hereinafter described. The slippers c², c² of the mine cage c embrace
and work upon the outsides of the hollow guides in the manner seen in Figure S.
In each of the said hollow vertical guides 12, at opposite sides of the mine shaft, a
series of nearly vertical spring levers s is jointed. Alternate levers of the series are
turned in opposite directions and their upper horizontal ends or heads have the shape
best seen in Figures 9 and 10 and in their normal positions project through slots or
openings in the angle bars of which the hollow guides are composed. The pro- .
jecting parts of the heads of the levers s outside the angle bars constitute the seats
or supports on which the slippers c² of the cage c rest as hereinafter described.
The said levers s are jointed to the knuckle plates s² rivetted to the inner faces of
the angle bars and the said levers are so arranged in their respective hollow guides
that the projecting head of one lever in one of the hollow guides is situated at the
same level as the projecting head of another lever in the opposite hollow guide,
the heads of the pair of levers in opposite guides being turned in opposite
directions.
As the mine cage e ascends in the mine shaft, its slippers c² c² press on the inclined
undersides of the spring levers s forcing them back and compressing their springs.
As soon as the slippers have passed any pair of levers the said levers resume the
positions represented in the drawings by the action of their springs. In this way the
horizontal ends or heads of the levers are projected under the slippers c², c² at each
side of the cage and on the cutting of the rope by the mechanism herein before
described the cage is securely suspended and supported between the guides as will be
understood by an examination of the drawings.
In order to prevent shock and injury to the men in the cage by the sudden sus-
pension of the cage by the lever mechanism described and represented, the hollow
O guides 1, 2 and the trough pieces carrying the levers s, s are supported by springs
so that they are capable of sliding vertically for a short distance. For this purpose
the top of each hollow guide and trough piece is bolted to the strong rod u (see
Figure 6) the head u² of which bears upon the strong spring u³ in the box u sup-
ported on the cross beam or joist . The springs in the boxes ut support the parts
5 of the cage suspending mechanism in their normal positions on the wooden frames k².
As the cage is suspended by the lever mechanism in the hollow guides its additional
weight causes the said guides to descend until the springs u balance the combined

page_text: weights of the cage and its contents and the guides. The descent of the guides 2 is
permitted by the slots at k³ in the trough pieces working upon the fixed bolts or
pins on the wooden frames ². By this arrangement there is but little shock given to
the cage and injury to the men is prevented. Figures 11 and 12 represent elevations
taken at right angles to one another of the arrangement of the suspending mechanism
of the cage in combination with rope guides and Figure 13 represents a horizontal
section of the same. In this arrangement the rope guides are marked w, and the
slippers c² of the cage work on the inside of the angle bars instead of outside as in
the first described arrangement but the action of the suspending and shock preventing
mechanisms is the same as that of the arrangements before described and corresponding
parts are marked with the same letters of reference.
The arrangement for preventing injury by the falling of the coupling fand bridle
chains e of the cage after the rope has been severed is represented in Figure 14. On
the cross piece 4 (see Figure 1) of the fixed framing, two beams, are fixed.
These beams have fixed to them four spring sliding doors three only marked 46, kº, kº,
being shown, each sliding door being situated at right angles to the adjacent ones.
The springs are fixed to the underside of the beams, and their upper ends are
bolted to the sliding doors . When overwinding of the suspending rope a takes
place, the disc or plate m acting against the inclined sides of the springs of the
sliding doors push back the said doors and thereby permit of the passage of the
said disc or plate m. After the disc or plate m has passed the said doors they close
and take the positions represented in the drawing. When the rope is severed the
disc or plate m falls on the closed sliding doors by which it is supported and the
falling of the coupling fand bridle chains e thereby prevented.
I apply my invention to lifts and other hoists substantially in the manner herein
before described and illustrated with respect to a mine cage.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and
the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as my invention
of "New or improved machinery or apparatus for preventing accidents by overwinding
of the cages of mine shafts lifts and other hoists
First The construction and combination of parts herein before described and illus-
trated in the accompanying Drawings for severing the suspending rope of the mine
cage lift or hoist in case of overwinding; that is to say, arranging at a short distance
below the pulley over which the rope is wound a pair of cutting blades or shears
between the open or separated cutting edges of which the suspending rope is situated
and travels and raising the said cutting blades or shears so as to cause their cutting
edges to approach one another and cut the said rope in case of overwinding by means
of a disc or plate attached to the hook or coupling of the cage lift or hoist substantially
as described and illustrated.
Secondly The construction and combination of parts substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings for suspending the cage, lift
or hoist after the cutting of the rope.
Thirdly The construction and combination of parts substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings for preventing shock to the
cage, lift or hoist on its being suspended by the mechanism claimed in claim 2.
Lastly-The construction and combination of parts herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings for preventing the falling of the suspending
bridle chains of the cage lift or hoist after the rope has been severed.
Dated this Third day of October 1887