AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR WEIGHTING OR TIGHTENING WIRE ROPE CONDUCTORS OR CAGE SLIDES IN MINING AND OTHER SHAFTS."
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Heydon, of Foleshill Foundry, Coventry, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer and Iron Founder, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR WEIGHTING OR TIGHTENING
WIRE ROPE CONDUCTORS OR CAGE SLIDES IN MINING AND OTHER SHAFTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Hoydon at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th December 1876.
JOSEPH HEYDON, of Foleshill Foundry, Coventry, in the County of Warwick,
Engineer and Iron Founder. "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR
WEIGHTING OR TIGHTENING WIRE ROPE CONDUCTORS OR CAGE SLIDES IN MINING
AND OTHER SHAFTS."
The object of this improvement is to strain or pull tight the wire rope conductors
or cage slides used in the winding shafts of coal and other mines, thereby imparting
a steady motion to the cage while travelling up and down.
My arrangement for tightening wire rope conductors consists in applying
hydraulic steam or air pressure in connection with cylinders fitted with pistons or
rams. The cylinders are fixed to a suitable foundation in or near the bottom of the
shaft immediately under and in vertical line with the suspended conductors; the
pistons fitting in the before mentioned cylinders are connected to the conductors or
cage slides by means of ordinary piston rods passing through stuffing boxes in the
cylinder covers; on the upper end of the piston rods solid rings are forged, which .
which receive the ends of the conductors and thus connects them. The pressure
cylinders being thus placed are supplied with pressure by means of a vertical stand
pipe or head of water, to obtain which a small tube is fixed up the shaft of the
mine in the most convenient position and filling the tube with water or other fluid.
In lieu of obtaining pressure by a vertical tube as described, an hydraulic or air
pump may be connected to the before-mentioned cylinders giving a similar effect; or
mechanical equivalents may be substituted, such as racks and pinions actuated by
weighted levers; but I prefer a stand pipe, as described, as the best means of

page_text: •
furnishing the required pressure. Should the cylinders, pistons, or any part of the
apparatus leak or lose water, whereby the stand pipe or head of water should be
reduced and pressure lessened, to prevent which, I fix a feed trough round the side
of the shaft near the mouth, which shall drain itself into the stand pipe; the object
of this trough is to collect any water which may fall from the side of the shaft and
thus keep up the pressure or head of water; if additional pressure should be required
the stand pipe may be carried to the surface and fed by a tank; or a connection to a
steam boiler may be made to the stand pipe which would produce a still greater
pressure and consequent effect upon the pressure cylinders.
Between the cylinders and stand pipe, and forming part of the connection, I place
air vessels; the object of these is to cushion any movement of the pistons by
breaking the thrust of water which would take place in the stand pipe. I also
provide each cylinder with two stop-cocks, one is a relief cock, the other for closing
the communication with the stand pipe and relieving the pistons from pressure,
which will sometimes be necessary, so that the conductors may be disconnected for
repairs or other purposes.
The pistons or-rams are made water-tight in the cylinders by ordinary metallic
or hemp packing; hydraulic leathers may be used instead of hemp packing. I also
place a pressure gauge in connection with the lower end of the stand pipe to
indicate the pressure, also to show any derangement or varied pressure which may
occur in the stand pipe or apparatus.
The conductors are suspended from the pit head frame, in the usual manner,
reaching the required depth, when each conductor or slide is connected to a pressure
cylinder, as before described; or by introducing a cross bar, two conductors may be
tightened by one cylinder, that is to say, place a conductor on each end of the cross
bar and the cylinder between the two conductors, and connect same to the piston
rod of the cylinder so placed; or one or more cylinders acting upon levers could be
arranged to give a similar effect upon one or more conductors; but I prefer, for all
practical purposes, a single pressure cylinder placed to tighten each conductor or
slide singly and independently.
The cylinders I prefer lining with brass or other metal to resist corrosion and
prevent the rusting of the parts coming in contact.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing the.
I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected is,
same,
The application of pressure, either singly or combined, or by mechanical means,
in the manner and for the purpose herein-before described.
I also claim the apparatus heroin-before described, applied in the manner and for
the purpose before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Heydon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th June
.1877.
JOSEPH HEYDON, of Foleshill Foundry, Coventry, in the County of Warwick,
Engineer and Iron Founder. "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS For
WEIGHTING OR TIGHTENING WIRE ROPE CONDUCTORS OR CAGE SLIDES IN MINING
AND OTHER SHAFTS."
The object of this improvement is to strain or pull tight the wire rope conductors
or cage slides used in the winding shafts of coal and other mines, thereby imparting
a steady motion to the cage while travelling up and down.
My arrangement for tightening wire rope conductors consists in applying
hydraulic steam or air pressure in connection with cylinders fitted with pistons or
rams. The cylinders are fixed to a suitable foundation in or near the bottom of
the shaft, immediately under and in vertical line with the suspended conductors;

page_text: the pistons fitting in the before-mentioned cylinders are connected to the conductors
or cage slides by means of ordinary piston rods passing through stuffing boxes in
the cylinder covers; on the upper end of the piston rods solid rings are forged which
receive the ends of the conductors and thus connects them. The pressure cylinders
being thus placed are supplied with pressure by means of a vertical stand pipe or
head of water, to obtain which a small tube is fixed up the shaft of the mine in the
most convenient position and filling the tube with water or other fluid.***
". In lieu of obtaining pressure by a vertical tube, as described, an hydraulic or air
pump may be connected to the before-mentioned cylinders, giving a similar effect; .
'or incchanical appliances or equivalents may be substituted, such as racks and
pinions actuated by weighted levers; but I prefer a stand pipe, as described, as the
best means of furnishing the required pressure. Should the cylinders, pistons, or
any part of the apparatus leak and lose water, whereby the stand pipe or head of
(water would be reduced and the pressure lessened, I fix a feed trough round the
'side of the shaft near the mouth which shall drain itself into the stand pipe; the
object of this trough is to collect any water. which may fall from the side of tho
'shaft and thus keep up the pressure or head of water; or if additional pressure
should be required the stand pipe may be carried to the surface and fed by a tank;
or a connection to a steam boiler may be made to the stand pipo which would
produce a still greater pressure and consequent effect upon the prossure cylinders:
.D
Between the cylinders and stand pipe, and forming part of the connection, I place
'air vessels; the object of these is to cushion any movement of the pistons by breaking.
the thrust of water which would take place in the stand pipe. I also provide cach
cylinder with two stop-cocks; two are fixed in the ports or passages of each cylinder,
one closing the connection with the stand pipe, the other open, relieves the piston
from pressure by the escape of the water above the piston, which will be necessary
for repairs or other purposes.
The pistons or rams are made water-tight in the cylinders by ordinary metalic
or hemp packing; hydraulic leathers may be used instead of hemp packing. I also
place a pressure gauge in connection with the lower end of the stand pipe to
indicate the pressure, also to shew any derangement or varied pressure which may
occur in the stand pipe or apparatus.
The conductors are suspended from the pit head frame in the usual manner,
reaching the required depth; each conductor or slide is connected to a pressure
cylinder, as before described; or by introducing a cross bar, two conductors may be
tightened by one cylinder by connecting a conductor at each end of the cross bar
and placing the pressure cylinder in connection with the cross bar midway, pulling
equally at each conductor, or one or more cylinders acting. upon. levers may be.
arranged to have a similar effect; but I prefer, for all practical purposes, a single
pressure cylinder placed to tighten each conductor singly and independently.
The cylinders I prefer lining with brass or other metal, to resist corrosion and
prevent the rusting of the parts coming in contact.
Fig 1 represents a sectional elevation of a mine shaft, shewing the position of the
conductors or cage slides suspended from the pit head frame and the manner of
applying the pressure cylinders.
partly in
Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of one of the cylinders, shewn in Fig.
section. A, A, is the winding shaft of a mine; B, B, are the conductors or cage
slides suspended from the pit head frame C; C¹ is the cage which slides up and
down the conductors; D, D, are pressure cylinders; E, E, is the vertical stand pipe
connected by branch pipes to the pressure cylinders D, D; F is an open trough
placed round the wall of the shaft to catch the dropping water which falls from the
side of the shaft; the trough is connected to the stand pipe and will supply the
same with water, keeping up the pressure in the cylinders, or G shews a con-
5 tinuation of the stand pipe carried to the surface and connected to a supply

page_text: cistern H, or a connecting pipe may be arranged to dip beneath the water in a
steam boiler J if extra pressure is required, or the same pipe may be connected with
the steam of a boiler.
Fig. 2. a is an enlarged view of one of the cylinders in Fig. 1, partly in section,
shewing the internal arrangement of the piston; b is the piston fitting moderately
tight in the cylinder a; the piston rod e passes through the cylinder cover d and
stuffing box c, which is then connected to the conductor by the ring or shackle f,
the inlet port n connecting with the stand pipe g; the air vessel is placed to
cushion the thrust of water caused by any movement of the piston b; the stop-
cock when closed shuts off the pressure of the stand pipe, and by opening the
cock the piston is relieved from pressure, relaxes the conductor for renewal or
repairs; the under side the piston b is open to the atmosphere by the pipe m.
The pressure cylinders instead of being fixed in the pit bottom may be placed
upon the head frame in an inverted position, and connected to the conductors, so
arranged to tighten them by pulling upwards; in this case the pressure may be
obtained from an air or hydraulic pump, or even a steam boiler may be used.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing the
same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected is,-
The application of pressure, either hydraulic, steam, or air, applied singly or
combined, or by mechanical means, in the manner and for the purposes herein-before
described.
I also claim the apparatus herein-before described, applied in the manner and for
the purpose before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Heydon, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of June, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-seven.
JOSEPH HEYDON. (L.S.)