Improvements in Safety Apparatus for Pit or Mine Cages or the like for the Prevention of Accidents.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1889-Accepted, 20th July, 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety Apparatus for Pit or Mine Cages or the
like for the Prevention of Accidents.
I CHARLES CROOKES ELLIOTT of 9 Clifton Street Barnsley in the County of York
Miner do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and jascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, and on reference to the accompanying drawing, that
is to say:
This Invention relates to an improved arrangement of, and certain improvements in,
the Safety appliance for Pit or Mine Cages or the like, for which Letters Patent
were granted to me on the 12th March 1887 No. 3756, whereby the said safety
appliance is now improved in its parts and is made doubly safe for the prevention of
accidents, and in stopping and holding a pit or mine cage or the like in position in
case of breakage of the suspending rope or chain, or in the event of other accident
happening to the cage in descending or ascending the pit or mine.
The first part of my present improvements consists in attaching or connecting the
safety appliance to each side (or where found necessary to each end) of the cage
instead of to the top of the cage as according to my former Patent No. 3756/7
One half of the apparatus or of the main working parts thereof is arranged and
fixed outside one side (or end) of the cage, and the other half outside the other side
(or end).
By means of this improved arrangement of the apparatus, besides being rendered
doubly safe for the occupants of the cage, wood or rails or other lengthy articles
required in the pit or mine can be more readily carried in the cage than before.
According to the second part of my present improvements I apply and use only
two chains (instead of four as in my former safety appliance) connected to and
for working the "elbows" of this safety apparatus. One of these chains is connected
to the two elbow ends outside one side (or end) of the cage, and the other chain
to the two elbow ends on the opposite side (or end) of the cage.
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I also apply and use one spring to work the two "elbows on one side (or end)
of the cage and one spring for a similar purpose on the opposite side (or end),
instead of one spring to each elbow as before. And further apply and use a small
coiled or other suitable spring for the purpose of preventing the elbows getting out
of action after being worked, one end of this spring is fastened to the side framing
of the cage, the spring being placed and it works between one of the elbows and
the back plate, and its other end is fastened to a safety catch or pawl which is secured
to the back plate or framework above the elbow, the catch or pawl point catches
or takes into indents or rack teeth made therefor in the upper part of the elbow, and
the catch or pawl is linked to a short chain connected to the chain that works the
two elbows.
Each elbow is held in a supporting bracket or bearing through which and the
elbow a screw bolt or pin is passed (so made and fitted as to allow the elbow to work
easily thereon as a centre) and secured to the back plate or frame of the apparatus.
The extreme outer end of each elbow is fork-shaped and so made and fitted as to
encircle and grasp and hold on to each of the conductor wires or rods fixed in the pit
or mine shaft.
This improved safety appliance, which is made the same on each side (or for each
end) of the cage, is mounted on or fixed to a suitably strong back plate or frame fixed
to each side (or end) framework of the cage.
In order that my present improvements and the means of carrying out the same in
practice may be fully understood, I have shown on the accompanying explanatory
drawing a front view of my improved or double safety apparatus as applied to one

page_text: side of a pit or mine cage, and it should be understood that the corresponding
portion of the apparatus on the other side of the cage is precisely the same in all its
parts.
a, is the back plate or frame on which may improved safety apparatus is
mounted or fixed such back plate being attached or fastened by screws (as shown) or
otherwise, to the framework b, of the cage. c, d, are the two "elbows, each being
held in a supporting bracket or bearing e, f, through which and the elbow a screw
bolt or ping, is passed and secured to the back plate a, the elbows being so placed
and fitted as to work in the brackets or bearings and on the screw bolts or pins g, as
centres.
i
The extreme outer end of each elbow is fork-shaped at h, and made so that it
encircles and will grasp and hold on to the conductor wires or rods i, which are fixed
inside the pit or mine shaft. At the other or inner end of each elbow is a joining
link j, which holds both ends in connection and is made so as to move therewith; to
its bottom end k, a coiled or other strong spring 1, is secured the other end of the
spring being fastened to the cage framing at m. To the upper end of the link j, is
affixed the chain n, which at its upper end is connected to or passes through the
ring o, and is there attached to the supporting chains p, secured to the top of the
cage.
9, is the small spring provided to prevent the elbows c, d, from getting out of
action or proper working order after their being worked; one end of the spring is
fastened to the side framework of the cage as at r, and the spring passes behind and
works between the elbow c, and the back plate or frame a, its other end being fastened
to a safety catch or pawls, secured to the back plate a. Above the elbow the point t,
of the catch or pawls, fits as shown so as to catch into the indents or rack teeth made
on the elbow c, and is linked to a short chain u, which is connected to the chain n,
which works the elbows.
is the top or cover of the cage, and w, w, are the upper portions of the framework
of the cage to which the suspending chains p, are attached.
The general action of my improved combined or double safety apparatus is the
same as that of my former Patent appliance No. 3756/87 that is, when the suspending
rope or chain of the cage acts and keeps all right, on the cage being lowered or
raised, the forked ends, of the elbows c, d, will slide freely down or up the con-
ductors or guides i, but when the suspending rope or chain breaks or other accident
happens, such as overwinding, the cage being thereby released will fall a little and
in so doing tightens the chain (or chains) n, acting automatically and instantaneously
on the spring 1, (on each side of the apparatus and cage) connected to the elbows c, d,
and by such means causes the forked ends h, thereof to grasp and hold fast to the
conductors or guides i, the motion of the cage will thus be stopped, it being held
suspended at that part of the pit or mine shaft where it is when the accident happens.
The drawing represents the cage with the gripping elbows c, d, in action after an
accident, the chains p, p, being shown slack.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The improved and general construction and combination of working parts in
the whole constituting a combined or double safety apparatus to be applied to and
used on pit or mine cages for the better prevention of accidents, substantially as
hereinbefore described, and as illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
2. Arranging and attaching the said improved safety apparatus on or to each side, or
when required on or to each end, of a pit or mine cage, substantially as is hereinbefore
described or set forth.
BRISTOW HUNT,
Aldine Chambers, High Street, Sheffield, Agent for the Applicant.