IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFTING OR HOISTING APPARATUS, WHEREBY TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE CAGE OR ARTICLE LIFTED WHEN A ROPE OR CHAIN BREAKS OR IS OVERWOUND, & IN HOISTS GENERALLY, AS APPLIED TO MILLS, WAREHOUSES, & OTHER BUILDINGS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Lister, Engineer, and David Myers, Builder,
both of Caledonia Street, Bradford, in the County of York, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFTING OR HOISTING APPARATUS, WHEREBY
TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE CAGE OR ARTICLE LIFTED WHEN A ROPE OR
CHAIN BREAKS OR IS OVERWOUND, & IN HOISTS GENERALLY, AS APPLIED TO
MILLS, WAREHOUSES, & OTHER BUILDINGS."
Sealed the 16th April 1862, and dated the 16th October 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Lister and David
Myers at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the. 16th October 1861.
We, JOSEPH LISTER, Engineer, aud DAVID MYERS, Builder, both of
Caledonia Street, Bradford, in the County of York, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFTING OR HOISTING APPA
RATUS, WHEREBY TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE CAGE OR ARTICLE LIFTED, WHEN
A ROPE OR CHAIN BREAKS OR IS OVERWOUND, & IN HOISTS GENERALLY, AS APPLIED TO
MILLS, WAREHOUSES, & OTHER BUILDINGS," to be as follows:-
-
Our improvements in apparatus for arresting.the fall of a cage or bucket
ina mine, or while being otherwise hoisted, relates, first, to a combination of
parts connecting the rope or chain with the article to be lifted. In these
hoists we employ two guide rods, one on each side,& extending throughout the
[Price Sd.]

page_text: height of hoist, which rods are embraced by suitable guides connected with
the cage, two of which are levers or pivoted parts constituting part of the
safety apparatus; the others may be simplyguiding parts; within these lever or
pivoted parts that embrace the guide rods, are two levers, each one with its
end abutting against the guide rods, and having their fulcra in the pivoted
parts embracing the guide rods. The ends of the levers are attached by links
to a stock or piece which is again connected with the rope, as will be herein-
after described. The ends of abutting levers towards the connecting links
traverse in slots in a piece fixed to the cage or parts by which the article
to be lifted is suspended; when the weight hangs on the rope the levers are
moved upwards in these slots, so as to withdraw their ends from the guide
rods, & allowing free motion up & down thereon, the weight being carried
by the levers on which the slotted piece hangs at this time, but immediately
the rope breaks or the levers are released, they are drawn downwards by strong
springs, which immediately force their ends against the guide rods, & also
draws the embracing levers or parts against them, thereby gripping the guide
rods hard & preventing the descent of the cage. The embracing parts or
levers are double cranked & are pivotted at the lower part of the 'slotted
bearing piece which is situated midway between the guide rods. So far the
above refers to the safety apparatus in case of breakage of the rope or chain;
the next part refers to the overwinding of the rope, whereby accidents often
occur from the cage being carried over the top pulley; to prevent this,
we dispose a ring a little below the top pulley; this ring is fixed to the guide
rods or other support & in diameter is about equal to the distance between
those rods. The stock piece before mentioned to which the connecting links
of the levers are attached is not permanently attached to the hoist rope or
chain; it consists of two cheek plates suitably connected, and between which
are two levers pivoted therein, which when their upper ends are approached to
each other, grip and hold the barbed-like end of a piece of metal fixed to the
rope, in which position the levers are held by a clamp surrounding the stock-
piece or cheek plates at that part. This clamp will slide up & down, but not
easily, on the stock-piece, & it is louger than the internal diameter of the ring,
so that in case it is drawn up in contact therewith it is immediately driven
down on the stock-piece, releasing the ends of the levers which embrace the
barbed end; the same action drives it down on the lower ends of those levers
which before projected on each side of the stock-piece, collapsing them, and
thereby causing the upper ends to separate; this releases the end of the rope,
but at same time causes those levers to expand or spread above the ring
so as to take hold thereof & suspend the cage. The above improvements

page_text: are applicable to hoists generally, while the following is adapted for hoists in
which it is desired to lift goods to different stages or floors of a warehouse,
which hoists are sometimes entirely enclosed, & have doors to open through
which to land or remove the goods as required; these doors, according to our
Invention, we make to open and fold upon hinges disposed horizontally, which
doors we so connect with the endless chain or hoisting gear that as the cage
or basket passes each landing (up or down), the door is opened in a self-acting
manner by the machinery; this takes place at each landing, but if the goods
pass to the landing above or below the gear again slowly closes the door or
doors just passed. It may be arranged so that the door only of the landing
where the goods are to be landed or removed is opened for their reception or
removal, the others remaining closed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Lister and David Myers in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th April 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ..JOSEPH
LISTER, Engineer, and DAVID MYERS, Builder, both of Caledonia Street,
Bradford, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Joseph Lister and David Myers, Her special licence that we, the
said Joseph Lister and David Myers, our executors, administrators,and assigns,
or such others as we, the said Joseph Lister and David Myers, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFTING OR HOISTING
APPARATUS, WHEREBY TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE CAGE OR ARTICLE FITTED
WHEN A ROPE OR CHAIN BREAKS OR IS OVERWOUND, AND IN HOISTS GENERALLY, AS
APPLIED TO MILLS, WAREHOUSES, AND OTHER BUILDINGS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Joseph Lister and David Myers, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the

page_text: nature of the said luvention, 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 we, the said Joseph Lister and David Myers, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
Our improvements in apparatus for arresting the fall of the cage or bucket
in a mine, or while being otherwise hoisted, relate, first, to a combination of
parts connecting the rope or chain with the article to be lifted. In these
hoists we employ two guide rods, one on each side and throughout the height
of the hoist, which rods are embraced by suitable guides connected with the
cage, two of which are levers and constitute part of the safety apparatus ; the
others may be simple guiding parts; within these levers or pivotted parts that
embrace the guide rods are two lovers, each one with its end abutting against
the guide rods, and having their fulcra in the pivotted parts embracing the
guide rods. The ends of the levers are attached by links to a stock or piece
which is again connected with the rope, as will be herein-after described.
The abutting levers have their connecting ends traversing in slots in a piece
fixed to the cage or parts by which the article to be lifted is suspended when
the weight hangs on the rope, the levers are moved upwards in these slots
so as to withdraw their ends from the guide rods, and allowing free motion up
and down thereon, the weight being carried by the levers on which the slotted
piece hangs at this time, but immediately the rope breaks or the levers are
released, they are drawn downwards by strong springs, which immediately
force their ends against the guide rods, and also draws the embracing levers
or parts against them, thereby gripping the guide rods hard, and preventing
the descent of the cage. The embracing parts or levers are double cranked,
and are pivotted at the lower part to the slotted bearing piece, which is
situated midway between guide rods; so far the above refers to safety appa-
ratus in case of breaking of the rope or chain; the next part refers to the over-
winding of the rope, whereby accidents often occur from the cage being carried
over the top pulley, to prevent which we dispose a ring a little below the
top pulley; this ring is fixed to the guide rods or other support, and in diameter
is about equal to the distance between these rods. The stock piece before
mentioned, to which the connecting links of the levers are attached, is not
permanently attached to the hoist rope or chain, but consists of two cheek

page_text: plates suitable connected, and between which are two levers pivotted therein;
when their upper ends are approached to each other, they grip & hold the
barbed end of a piece of metal fixed to the rope, in which position the levers
are held by a clamp surrounding the stock-piece or check plates at that part.
This clamp will slide up and down, but not easily, on the stock-piece, and is
longer than the internal diameter of the ring before mentioned, so that when
itis drawn up in contact therewith, it is immediately driven down on the stock
piece, releasing the ends of the levers, which embrace the barbed end of
suspending piece; the same action drives it down on the lower ends of those
levers which before projected on each side of the stock-piece, thereby causing
the upper ends to separate, which releases the ends of the rope, but at the
same time causes those levers to expand or spread above the ring so as to take
hold thereof and suspend the cage. These improvements are applicable to
hoists generally, but more especially to mines, while the following is adapted
for hoists in which it is desired to lift goods tof different stages or floors of
the warehouse, which are sometimes entirely enclosed, and have doors to o, en,
through which to land or remove the goods as required; these doors according
to our Invention we make to fold up and open on hinges dispesed horizontally,
which doors we so connect with the endless chain or hoisting gear that as
the cage or basket passes each landing, the door is opened by the self-action
of the machinery; this takes place as each landing, but if the goods pass to
the landing above, the gear again slowly closes the doors just passed. It may
be arranged so that the doors only of landings where the goods are to be
deposited are opened for their reception, the others remaining closed.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents in elevation a perspective view of hoisting apparatus
arranged and constructed according to our Invention. a, a, is the cage or
platform on which anything is hoisted, and b, b, the guide rods on which it
is guided in its ascent and descent in a pit shaft, or other positions where
hoists are required. The upper and lower cross-bars c, c', of the cage embrace
the rods b,b, as seen and form the necessary guides; in the upper cross-bar is
fixed the slotted plate d, on which the weight of the cage hangs in ordinary,
being suspended from the hoisting rope or chain by links e. The links e, e,
are attached to the ends of levers f, f, which by the weight of the cage are
held up against the top ends of the slots in d. The levers ff, are mounted
on pivots g,g, fixed in the cranked pieces h, h, which are pivotted at the
lower part on a pivot or pin i, in the boss of d, while the upper and outer
ends are double and embrace the rods b, b, up and down which they are

page_text: guide,and slide freely when the cage is suspended by the rope. The double
or open limbs or parts of h, h, also receive the levers f, f, which are so disposed
that their ends abut against the rods b, but the abutting ends being rounded
off at the upper part as seen dotted, when raised by links, e, e, are constantly.
pulled down by strong springs h, k, affixed at one end to the parts h, and at
the other to levers/,/, as seen. These springs are not, however, strong enough
to sustain the weight of the cage a, and therefore the levers abut against the
upper ends of slots in d, and are thereby kept from exerting any friction on
the rods. The links e, e, are connected by a cross pin with the piece /, which is
placed in connection with the rope or chain a, in manner according to another
part of our Invention to be herein-after described. From the above description
it will be readily seen that the cage will ascend and descend without impedi-
ment on the guide rods b, b, when in ordinary working, but that when the
rope breaks or any part of the hoisting machinery is deranged and the cage
so detached, the levers,/, being liberated will at once be drawn downwards by
the springs k, l, causing their ends to abut hard againstthe rodsb, and at same
time causing the loops of h, embracing the rods, to be drive n hard against
thereby producing a friction on those rods, which will suspend the cage and
prevent its descent, the friction produced on the ends of fif,by the tendency of
the cage to descend assist to tighten their hold on the rods. Thus a hoisting
cage will be suspended at any point of its ascent or descent, and be then
rendered perfectly safe, notwithstanding the breakage of the hoisting rope or
chain.
go
The next part refers to the overwinding of hoists, to prevent accidents from
which, we connect the rope or chain to the cage by apparatus that will let
its hold when carried too high. For this purpose at the top of the hoist
we dispose and fix a ring m, through which the socket piece and cross bar n
cannot pass this socket piece is fitted to embrace and slide very stiffly on
the part 1, to ensure which and at same time to prevent it setting fast, a
strong spring may.be introduced to create necessary friction. The part lis
formed of two parallel plates suitably connected, and confining between them
two catch levers p, p, mounted on fulcra q, q; the upper ends of these are
so formed that when in the closed position they fit and embrace the barbed end
of piece 7, fixed on the end of the chain a, and they are held thereon by the
bracket or cross-bar n, that being slid upwards to embrace and collapse
the upper ends of levers p, and so securely connect and hold the part 1. In
the event of the hoist being overwound, the bar n strikes against the ring m
and is drawn down on ., so it that releases the upper ends of p, p, which
'mmediately open and release their hold of r, and so frees the cage from the

page_text: chain ; at same time, however, that the ring and bar releases the part, it
is driven down on the lower and projecting end of levers p, causing the upper
ends to spread, at which time the ends are above the ring m, and being thus
extended beyond its internal diameter they hold thereon and suspend the cage,
as seen at Fig. 2.
Having described the nature of our Invention and the manner of performing
the same, we declare that what we claim as our Invention, to be protected by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the arrangement and
construction of apparatus herein-before described, applied to lifting and
hoisting apparatus as and for the purposes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Lister and David Myers, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eleventh day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.