IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN RAISING AND LOWERING WEIGHTS IN MINE SHAFTS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Addenbrooke, of Green Hill, Womburn, near
Wolverhampton, Ironmaster, and Frederick Lewis, of Pen Fields, near
Wolverhampton, aforesaid, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS USED IN RAISING AND LOWERING WEIGHTS IN MINE SHAFTS."
Sealed the 19th June 1860, and dated the 12th April 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Addenbrooke
and Frederick Lewis at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 12th April 1860.
We, GEORGE ADDENBROOKE, of Green Hill, Womburn, near Wolver-
hampton, Ironmaster, and FREDERICK LEWIS, of Pen Fields, near Wolver-
hampton, aforesaid, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN RAISING AND LOWERING WEIGHTS IN
MINE SHAFTS," to be as follows:—
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus used in
raising and lowering weights in mine shafts, in order to avoid the dangerous
consequences which with the apparatus now ordinarily employed follow when
the engine is allowed to continue in motion after the skip is raised out of the

page_text: mine shaft.
For these purposes the pulley, which ordinarily is mounted in
bearings fixed vertically over the mouth of the mine shaft, is in this arrange-
ment mounted on a carriage or frame in such manner that the pulley and
carriage can move or slide back away from the mine shaft. The rope or
chain employed as heretofore passes over the pulley and descends down the
mine shaft, and apparatus is applied carrying an eye, through which the
rope or chain passes, and a button or disc is fixed on the chain or rope at such
a distance above the skip as will on the same being raised above the mouth of
the shaft cause the said button or disc to lift the eye, and give motion to
apparatus connected therewith, so as to release a catch which previously
retained the frame or carriage on which the pulley is mounted, and then on
the further motion of the rope or chain the frame or carriage will be caused
to move up an incline till it comes beyond another catch or stop, which locks
the frame or carriage, and prevents it again descending the incline till such
stop or catch is withdrawn, which may be done by the pitman, or it may be
arranged that the engine man, should at the proper time remove or release
this stop or catch. Provision is made, in case the engine man does not stop the
engine when the pulley carriage or frame has arrived at its proper position on
the incline, for such frame or carriage, or parts connected therewith, to act on
apparatus in such manner as to shut off the supply of steam from the engine.
In order to prevent accidents when the rope or chain breaks, there is a hood
or plate at the upper part of the skip, which has radial levers jointed thereto,
and the rope or chain by which the hood or plate and the load are lifted is
attached to the inner ends of such levers; hence when the load is suspended
the levers assume an inclined position, so that their outer ends are free, and
do not touch the sides of the mine shaft, but immediately on the breaking of
the rope or chain the inner ends of the levers will come against the sides of
the shaft, and stop the descent of the skip. The apparatus is so arranged
that the top of the shaft may be fenced in all round, as it will not require to
be covered from time to time, as heretofore, as the load is, when it comes
above the mine shaft, moved away from over the mine shaft by the motion of
the pulley carriage or frame. The load is received on to a raised platform or
surface, when the pulley carriage or frame is retained from moving back
down the incline. As the pulley carriage traverses the chain or rope is
received between two guides or plates.