An Apparatus to Automatically Register the Number of Tubs, Waggons, or other Vehicles Passing any Given Place about Mines or otherwise.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 24th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 24th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 20th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus to Automatically Register the Number of Tubs,
Waggons, or other Vehicles Passing any Given Place about
Mines or otherwise.
JOHN GEORGE PATTERSON, Engineer 9 Front Street, Tynemouth, in the
County of Northumberland and THOMAS ADAMSON TATE, Colliery Manager,
Bunker Hill, Fence Houses, in the County of Durham do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows :—
At the point where we wish to register the number of tubs waggons or other
vehicles passing we have a semicular or other shaped piece of metal or other
material which we will hereinafter call the push.
This push is projecting so that when the tub or waggon passes over it the weight
of these presses it down and to this push we connect a spring or weight so that as
soon as the wheel of the tub or waggon has passed over it it rises up again ready
for the next wheel.
In cases where it is desirable to have the indicator some distance away from the
point where the tubs or waggons are passing we have this push so connected that
when it is pressed down it is the means of completing an electric circut.
In connection with the aforesaid we employ an electro-magnet this magnet being
connected to the push by suitable cables or wires and in this circut at some suitable
place we have an electric battery or electric accumulator.
With the electric-magnet we employ an ordinary engine counter either a rotary
or reciprocating and this counter has on its spindle a ratchet wheel on which is a
pawl fastened to the end of a lever which works on a centre or pivot.
When a tub or waggon passes over the aforesaid push it presses the push down
and makes an electrical contact and thus completes the electrical circut-consequently
the electric magnet attracts the lever to it and the pawl on the end of this lever
moves the ratchet wheel on the spindle of the aforesaid counter so far round and as
soon as the circut is broken by the push rising up the lever falls back to its normal
position.
Now as on the most of waggons there are four wheels for every waggon passing
over the push it is pressed down twice. We can therefore arrange the pawl and
ratchet wheel so that every time the push is pressed down the counter will be
turned half a revolution-thus when the wheels of one waggon press down the push
twice the counter will register one.
Or by arrangeing the ratchet wheel and pawl by varying the number of teeth the
counter could be made to register any number of waggons as if 20 waggons
passed over the push the counter would only register one which would mean
score.
a
In the event of the push being wedged down or becoming fast from any cause
whatever we make an arrangement on the electric-magnet to ring an electric bell
and thus indicate that the push is not working properly.
.
Where it is desirable to have the counter to register close to the push we employ
on a spindle in connection with the push a ratchet wheel which wheel is connected
to the counter by suitable shafts and gearing, so that every time the push is pressed
down by the waggon wheels it moves the counter direct by the pawl, ratchet wheel
and gearing.
The push we would protect by suitable guards so that it could only be pressed
down by the wheels of a waggon or tub or other vehicle and not by men's feet.as
they walked over it.
This apparatus will be particularly useful at a coal or other mine where it could

page_text: be employed at the shaft bottom or at the top of the shaft on the flat sheets
so that every tub or waggon which was pulled out of the cage or pushed in as the
case might be would press down the push and thus indicate either on the spot or
some distance away as for instance in the managers office or house the number of
tubs or waggons drawn out of the pit.
Dated this 23rd day of May 1892.
JOHN GEORGE PATTERSON.
THOMAS ADAMSON TATE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus to Automatically Register the Number of Tubs,
Waggons, or other Vehicles Passing any Given Place about
Mines or otherwise.
We, JOHN GEORGE PATTERSON, Engineer, 9, Front Street, Tynemouth,
Northumberland, THOMAS ADAMSON TATE, Colliery Manager, Bunker Hill,
Fence Houses, County Durham do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-.
The object of our invention is to register the number of tubs, waggons, or other
vehicles, passing any particular point about mines or otherwise, in a given time,
and we hereby describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings.
At the point from which we wish to register, we insert two metal plates, here-
after called the push P P¹ Fig. 1 & 2 projecting slightly through and above the
level of the rail.
1
The tail rods of the push P P¹ pass through the eyes at the ends of the lever L
into the guides G G¹.
The lever L is pivoted in the double eye D in such a manner that an equal
pressure on the push P P¹ will depress the double eye D, & the rod T, also the
spring S, by means of the plate R. At the bottom of the rod T, is a piece of
insulated metal, which on depression, by means of a rubbing contact, closes an
electrical circuit between the two springs V V₁, these are connected to a battery Z,
and an electro magnet M, by means of the wires or cables E E', which actuates an
ordinary engine counter A, by means of a ratchet wheel N, as shewn in Fig. 3.
For colliery work, this counter can be placed anywhere most convenient or
desirable, for instance at the manager's house, or office, the wires or cables E E¹
being run to that part of the colliery where the recording push P P' is fixed.
Fig. 1 represents the two plungers of the push P P' placed opposite each other,
one in each rail, and a tub or waggon will depress them once for each pair of
wheels.
As most waggons about collieries are fitted with two pairs of wheels, each waggon
in passing will give two registrations, and the total amount of tubs, or waggons,
that have passed in any given time, will be half that number.
In Fig. 2 each tub or wagon will only give one registration in passing over the
push, as in this case the two plungers are placed in one rail_only, and the two
wheels at one side depress them at the same time. The lever L is pivoted in the
double eye D, to prevent any person giving a false registration, as, if one plunger
is depressed by the foot, or any other means the other rises proportionately without
affecting the rod T.
The spring S is of sufficient strength that only a heavy load such as a full tub,
or wagon, will compress it & close the circuit between the springs V V' as previously
described.
Fig. 4. If it is desirable to have the counter in the neighbourhood of the
push P P¹ we can employ mechanical means for actuating the counter as shown in
Fig. 4.
The push P P is here connected to a lever L, which is pivoted at D, and actuates

page_text: the counter A by means of a rack Y, and pinion X; or any of the other well known
means. At the other end of the lever L, is a balance weight W, or spring, adjusted
to prevent the push P P' being depressed except by a loaded tub, or wagon.
Fig. 5 shows a similar arrangement, except that the counter A, is actuated
directly from the lever L, instead of using the rack Y, and pinion X, as shewn in
Fig. 4.
In Figure 7 the tub, on passing over the rails B B₁ shoves aside the chock F,
but immediately the wheels have passed, the chock is forced back onto the rail Bi
by the spring H, and thus the tub cannot be passed back over the push P P¹again,
and give a second registration.
The box K is placed over the spring, & part of the chock, to prevent anyone
tampering with it.
In Figure eight the tub, on passing over the rails B B', presses forward the
arm O, with the axle Q. When the tub reaches the push P P1, the arm O, is
released, & rises to its upright position, by the help of the weight W, (a spring
may be used instead), & thus prevents the tub making a second registration.
Having now particularly described, & ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, & in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
Firstly. An apparatus for automatically registering the passage over a certain
fixed spot, of tubs, wagons, or other vehicles, by means of pushes, & electro-
magnets, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1 2 3.
Secondly. An apparatus for automatically registering the passage over a certain
fixed spot, of tubs, wagons, or other vehicles, by means of proper levers, & springs,
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 3, 4 & 5.
Thirdly. In an apparatus of the kind herein before described, the combination of
pushes, contacts, electric circuits, electro magnets, & recording instruments substan-
tially as, & for the purposes herein before described.
Fourthly. In an apparatus of the kind hereinbefore described, the combination
of pushes, levers, pinions, & recording instruments, substantially as, & for the
purposes hereinbefore described.
Signed this 22nd day of February 1893.
JOHN GEORGE PATTERSON.
THOMAS ADAMSON TATE.