Improvements in or applicable to the Lifting Gear of Mine and other Cages and Hoists.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1892-Accepted, 23rd July, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to the Lifting Gear of Mine and
other Cages and Hoists.
I, JAMES WALLACE, of Ashwood Lodge, Headingley, Leeds, in the County of
York, General Merchant, 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 my invention is to provide means or apparatus whereby the shock
imparted to mine and other cages and hoists, caused by the same being suddenly,
set in motion, is minimized or entirely obviated, whilst at the same time the danger
of breaking the lifting gear is obviated, and the wear and tear of such gear is
thereby considerably diminished.
Hitherto, in lowering mine and other cages and hoists, the cage, bucket, or other
part is lowered and allowed to rest at the bottom of the mine or other place, thus
leaving the lifting rope or other gear slack. On this rope or gear being raised, the
cage or other part to be lifted, meets with a sudden shock or jerk on the rope or
gear becoming tight, which shock is liable to break or strain the rope or gear, or
the cage or other article to be lifted.
According to my invention I employ a spring coupling or buffer, situated between
the cage or other article to be lifted and the lifting gear, which coupling or buffer
is constructed in such a manner that on a sudden pull being imparted to the lifting
gear, the said buffer or spring coupling destroys or deadens the force of the shock,
thus preventing same travelling or being transferred to the cage or other article to
be lifted, and avoiding any breakage or damage to the same, or to the lifting gear,
which would otherwise have been caused.
And in order that my invention may be clearly understood, I will particularly
describe same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters
refer to like parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a section of a coupling constructed according to my invention,
Figure 2 is a side elevation, Figure 3 is an end elevation and Figure 4 a cross
section of same taken on line y of Fig. 2.
For the above purpose I employ any required number of discs A of metal or
other suitable material, such discs A having grooves or recesses A¹ therein as shown
at Fig. 1. Between these discs A are provided elastic rings or buffers B, such
rings or buffers being held in their respective positions between the discs A by the
grooves A' in which they rest.
These discs A and elastic rings or buffers B are placed within a casing or
cylinder C, and are so arranged as to have an equal number of discs and rings at
each end thereof. D D₁ are bolts or cotters which are attached to their respective
shackles E E' on the exterior of the cylinder C, through which such bolts or cotters
pass by the slots H, in which they are free to move up and down as required.
These bolts or cotters D and D¹ bear against their respective discs A, and are held
apart and up to the said discs A by the washer or distance piece J.
At each end of the cylinder I provide the cylinder covers F, such covers F being
fixed or held against the casing or cylinder C by bolts G.
The discs A may be kept in position by the pin K which may be fixed to the
inner disc A, and working through the opening L in the cap or cover F as shown
in the upper half of Figure 1, or this pin K may be dispensed with as shown in the
lower half of Fig. 1, or such discs A may be made solid.
The shackle E' is attached to the cage or other article to be lifted, whilst the
rope or lifting gear is attached to the upper shackle E, and on the coupling being
put in tension the cotters D and D' are drawn apart, thereby compressing the

page_text: elastic rings B between their discs A, causing such rings and discs to move towards
their respective cylinder covers F, which covers F together with the bolts G receive
the pressure or strain, whilst at the same time the elastic rings C receive and
destroy the force of the shock.
It will therefore be readily seen that on the rope or lifting gear being suddenly
raised, the two shackles will be drawn apart, putting the elastic rings or buffers in
compression, thereby destroying or deadening the force of the shock to such an
extent that the same is not felt at the cage or other article. to be raised, at the
same time lessening the danger of breaking the lifting gear, and considerably
diminishing the wear and tear of such gear.
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
·11
1. In mine and other cage and hoist lifting gear, the combination of the discs A,
rings B, casing or cylinder C, cotters D D', shackles E E¹, cylinder covers F,
bolts G, and distance, piece J, all arranged substantially as and for purposes herein
set forth.
2. The employment of the pin K, in combination with the parts claimed in
Claim 1, substantially as and for purposes herein set forth.
3. The combination of the casing or cylinder C, cylinder covers F, bolts G,
cotters D D', and shackles E E¹, substantially as herein set forth.
4. The employment of discs A, and rings B, in combination with cotters D D'
and cylinder covers F, substantially as herein set forth.
Doted this 4th day of I... 1000
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.