IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING OVERWINDING AND CONTROLLING THE MOVE- MENTS OF CAGES OF MINE SHAFTS, HOISTS, AND THE LIKE."
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James I'Anson, Thomas Hudson, and Edward Rowe, all
of Darlington, in the County of Durham, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING OVERWINDING AND CONTROLLING THE MOVE-
MENTS OF CAGES OF MINE SHAFTS, HOISTS, AND THE LIKE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James l'Anson, Thomas
Hudson, and Edward Rowe at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 5th November 1879.
"
JAMES I'ANSON, THOMAS HUDSON, and EDWARD ROWE, all of Darlington, in the
County of Durham. IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING OVERWINDING AND
CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENTS OF CAGES OF MINE SHAFTS, HOISTS, AND THE
LIKE"
Our Invention has for its object to prevent the cages used in mine shafts, hoists,
and the like, passing beyond the point at which they should stop, either in
ascending or descending, and it relates to a means whereby the supply of steam,
or other motive agent to the engine by which the cage is raised and lowered, is
automatically shut off at the proper moment, and a brake at same time caused to
be applied to control or arrest the motion of the said engine.
In carrying our Invention into effect the cage, or an appliance attached thereto,
is caused to strike a lever rod or other device located at any suitable point or
points to operate a valve in connection therewith in such a way that the steam,
water, air, or other motive power is thereby shut off from the engine, and power
applied to the brake which is used to control or arrest the engine.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James l'Anson, Thomas Hudson, and Edward Rowe, in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 5th May 1880.
JAMES I'ANSON, THOMAS HUDSON, and EDWARD ROWE, all of Darlington, in the
County of Durham. "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING OVERWINDING AND
CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENTS OF CAGES OF MINE SHAFTS, HOISTS, AND THE
LIKE."
Our Invention has for its object to prevent accidents by the cages used in mine
shafts, hoists, and the like, passing beyond the point at which they should stop, and
it consists in an improved self acting arrangement of mechanism whereby the supply
of steam is automatically shut off from the winding engine, and at same time
admitted to a steam brake, which is thus caused to be applied to control or arrest
the motion of the engine.
The apparatus of our Invention is distinguished from others for preventing the
overwinding of miner's cages by the fact that the valves controlling the admission
of steam to the engine and to the brake cylinder are operated by the steam pressure
itself, and that when the engine is working the steam is always tending to open
the valve leading to the steam brake, but is prevented from doing so until the cage
releases a locking device which keeps the valve closed. Thus should the cage travel
further than the point at which it ought to be stopped the steam pressure will
automatically cause the brake to be applied and cut off the steam from the engine,
which cannot be started again until the locking device is replaced in its proper
position. In order that our Invention may be more readily understood, we will
proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which
Figure 1 represents a general elevation of the winding engine with our improve-
ment applied; Figure 2 is a section on a larger scale taken through the steam
brake cylinder and the valve controlling the admission of steam thereto; Figure 3
is an elevation also on a larger scale of the locking device by which the position of
the valve is controlled.
A is the steam cylinder, and a is the piston working therein by which the
brake O is operated; B is a piston valve cylinder connected to the cylinder A by a
pipe C, which is attached to one end of cylinder A, and to the middle of cylinder B;
D is a pipe connecting one end of cylinder B with the steam pipe E from the
boiler; b is a piston valve fitted to work in a cylinder B, its normal or closed
position being between the pipes C and D, as shown, so as to cut off their commu-
nication. It will be seen that the piston valve b always has steam on its top side
when the engine is working, so that the steam pressure is always tending to move
the valve past the end of pipe C, and thus obtain access to the brake cylinder A.
It is prevented from doing so, however, by the locking device shown in Figure 3,
and which is connected to the rod of the piston valve b by a rod F and bell crank
lever G, this bell crank lever being keyed on the spindle of a throttle valve H in
the steam pipe E. The locking device consists of a vertical bolt or rod I sliding
through a slot in the end of the rod F, which is also fitted to slide in a direction at
right angles to the bolt I. The latter works between guide rollers i, and the
slotted end of the rod F between guide rollers f. The bolt I has an enlargement K
on the side towards the end of the rod F, and terminating at the lower end in an
incline, and this enlargement passes through the slot in the bar F, which may be
provided with a friction roller k to run upon the incline K. The upper end of the
sliding rod I is jointed to a lever arm L fixed on a shaft l, on which is also fixed
a curved lever arm M projecting in the way of the cage N so as to be struck by it
should it rise so high. This lever arm M can be placed at any convenient height
above bank so as to give the cage any range in working that may be desired.
When the projecting part K of the locking bolt I occupies the slot in the bar F, as

page_text: shown, this bar is in tension, and the valve b is retained in the position shown,
but the moment that by the cage striking the lever arm M the rod I is lifted high
enough to raise the part K out of the slot in the rod F, the said rod F is free to
be moved in the direction of the arrow by the steam pressing on the valve b,
thereby allowing the said valve to be moved past the pipe C, thus admitting steam
to the brake cylinder A, the movement of the bell crank G at the same time
turning the throttle valve H. The steam is thus cut off from the engine and
admitted to the brake simultaneously, and the engine comes to rest before the cage
can reach a position of danger. The cage remains suspended at the point to which
it has travelled until the steam is turned off at the boiler and let out of the steam
brake cylinder by opening a cock (not shown) placed on the top of said cylinder,
by which means the cage can be let down on the keps quietly and gradually.
Having described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, we would observe that we do not limit ourselves to the precise arrange-
ment of the parts shown, as they may be differently disposed, for instance, the
valve cylinder B may in some cases be placed horizontally instead of vertically, but
what we claim as our Invention to be protected by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
1st. The improved safety apparatus combined, applied, and operated substantially
as herein shown and described, for cutting off steam from the winding engine
and applying the brake.
2nd. In a safety apparatus for preventing overwinding, the employment in
combination of a piston valve, actuated by the steam pressure, to control the
admission of steam to the brake cylinder, and of a locking device acting in oppo-
sition to the pressure on the valve, and actuated or released by the cage, substan-
tially as shown and described.
In witness whereof, we, the said James I'Anson, Thomas Hudson, and Edward
Rowe, have to this our Specification set our hands and seals, this Third
day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
JAMES I'ANSON. (L.S.)
THOS. HUDSON.
(L.S.)
E. ROWE.
(L.S.)