Improvements in Safety Apparatus for Pit Cages, Hoists, and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 13th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 13th Apr., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety Apparatus for Pit Cages, Hoists, and
the like.
We, JOHN THOMAS CALOW 25 Broughton Road, Owlerton, Sheffield in the
County of York, Manufacturer, CHARLES HEDLEY HATTERSLEY and ALBERT
DAVIDSON both of Arundel Street Sheffield aforesaid Engineers do hereby declare
the nature of our invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to an arrangement of mechanism to be fixed to the cage or
hoist to grip the guides, slides, or conductors when the rope breaks.
To prevent repetition we wish it to be understood that words used in the singular
tense will also cover the plural, and that the word conductor will include wire
guides, slides, or the like.
We propose to use a shoe suitably grooved on both sides (so as to be reversible) to
fit against the wire conductor, and having one or more depressions in the groove
into which the rope can be pressed so as to form a bend or what is known as a
"kink," by means of a shoe or clip on the opposite side of the wire conductor also
grooved and having corresponding projections and which is pressed forward when
the necessity arrives.
Instead of grooved shoes as before described we may for some purposes use
grooved wheels so arranged as to produce the bend in the conductor but with less
friction and consequent damage.
The opposite shoe or clip is pivotted upon one or more arms, one of which is
fixed upon a shaft having a semi-revolving notion in its bearings, and to which is
also secured a lever provided with an adjustable weight for the purpose of depressing
a spring which has its bearing or point of resistance on the cage or hoist, or a
fixture thereto, with means for its adjustment.
If the rope breaks and the cage falls the spring is relieved by gravitation and
at once raises the lever, applies the clip, and arrests the cage.
When we use grooved wheels as before mentioned we prefer to carry the single
wheel which is to press the conductor between the other wheels (so as to form a
bend or kink) upon a short arm suspended from a centre, and at the back of the
arm and so arranged as to bear against it, is an eccentric or cam fixed upon the
end of the rocking shaft to which the arm, provided with a balance weight and
the spring before described are connected; when the spring is put into action, the
eccentric or cam forces the arm with its grooved wheel against the conductor and
bends it between the opposite two wheels on the shoe, the wheels revolve and the
cage is arrested gradually.
To meet the two objections made to the use of safety apparatus viz. 1st the
liability to come into action when the cage is descending and 2nd, allowing the
rope to be run much longer than it .otherwise would in consequence of having a
safety apparatus, at the same time neglecting to keep the apparatus in working
order.
We propose to apply when desired an arrangement of locking gear to the before
described apparatus that shall automatically lock the mechanism when descending
and automatically unlock it when ascending.
The knowledge that the apparatus will not act in descending will cause the usual
amount of care to be taken in examination of the rope.
The locking appliance we propose to construct as follows: We attach a catch to
the rocking shaft, or connected with some part of the movable shoe by which it
can be held out of contact with the conductor, and we fix to the cage or in other

page_text: suitable position a fan or wing so placed that it will be acted upon by the air
when the cage is raised or lowered, and will cause a bolt to engage with or
become disengaged from the before-mentioned catch according to the direction
in which the cage is moving. When descending the bolt will engage and prevent
action, when ascending the bolt will be withdrawn and the safety apparatus be 5
prepared for action.
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ROBT. F. DRURY, C.P.A.,
Bank Buildings, George Street, Sheffield, Agent for Applicants...
COMITETE SI MULTTOAITON
Improvements in Safety Apparatus for Pit Cages, Hoists, and
the like.
We, JOHN THOMAS CALOW 25 Broughton Road, Owlerton, Sheffield in the
County of York, Manufacturer, CHARLES HEDLEY HATTERSLEY and ALBERT
DAVIDSON both of Arundel Street, Sheffield aforesaid Engineers 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 :-
Our invention relates to an arrangement of mechanism to be fixed to the cage
or hoist, to grip the guides, slides, or conductors when the rope breaks, or when
the cage or hoist drops from any cause.
To prevent undue repetition, it is to be understood that words used in the
singular tense, will also cover the plural and that the word conductor includes
wire guides and guides of various constructions.
The annexed sheets of drawings show my invention in several modified forms.
Fig. 1, side elevation of a cage, with my apparatus applied to wire conductors.
Fig. 2, views of grip constructed without grooved rollers.
Fig. 3, side elevation of a cage, with apparatus applied to wood conductors.
Fig. 4, side plate carrying the lever, weight and spring, to bring the apparatus
into action.
Fig. 5, side or edge view of same.
In carrying out our invention as applied to a wire conductor for example,
shown in Fig. 2, we use a shoe A, grooved down two of its opposite sides, and
having one or more depressions A¹, into which the rope R, can be pressed by
means of a pivotted clip B, fixed upon a shaft D, the rope R, passing vertically
between the two.
The clip B, is provided with a curved projecting part B₁, to fit into the hollow
or depression A', thus when it is pressed forward it will force the rope R, into
the depression A¹, and produce a "kink" or bend, and thus obtains a firm grip of
the rope.
Instead of a plain grooved shoe and clip as described, we may for the purpose
of reducing friction upon the rope, apply both to the shoe and the clip, grooved
rollers marked C, two being placed upon the shoe, and one in an intermediate
position upon the cam or clip B, as shown in Fig. 1, these act upon the wire
rope R, as before described but with less surface friction than rigid surfaces;
the gripping pressure is taken by the axles of the rollers.
The shoe A, is a fixture, but the clip or cam B, is fixed upon a rocking shaft D,
supported in bearings, it is also provided with a projection E, to engage with an
automatically acting hook F, by which the cam may be held back, and thus
prevented operating.
Connected with the axis of the hook F, is a plate or vane G, which is acted
upon by the air in ascending or descending the pit, and thus it automatically
raises or lowers the hook F, so as to retain or release the clip or cam B, as the

page_text: case may be. The balance of the fan is adjusted by means of weights W, in order.
to render its action more or less sensitive.
In Fig. 1, the cage is supposed to be descending during which time the safety
apparatus is not supposed to be necessary, and the vane G, is raised by the resistance
of the air, and has locked the catch or cam in the position shown.
As soon as the cage commenced to descend the resistance of the air to the.
passage of the vane raised it to its highest position and lowered the hook F, upon
the projection, E, of the clip and so locking it.
When the cage commences to ascend, the air acts upon the upper side of the
vane pressing it down and raising the hook, thus unlocking the cam B, and leaving.
it free to act.
The automatic gripping action which is put into operation by the law of
gravitation is constructed as follows and is shown in Figs. 4 and 5.
The shaft upon which the clip B, or cam J, is fixed is marked D, and carries a
lever or arm N, with a weight O, which rests upon the bracket P, and connected
with the said arm N, is a vertical rod Q, with an encircling spring S, bearing upon
a small bracket T, or like support.
The lifting power of the spring is regulated by means of one or more nuts
screwed upon the rod.
The elbow V, and its adjusting screw regulate the position of the can, in
relation to the rope R.
It will thus be seen that when the cage is ascending the cam B is free to act,
and if the cage from any cause becomes a falling body the weight O, ceases to
act as such, and the spring S, immediately raises the arm N, and throws the cam
(or clip) into contact with the rope.
When wood conductors such as H, Fig. 3, are used, the gripping jaw or shoe 1,
placed on the same side of the conductor as the cam J, and is preferably
serrated or otherwise roughed upon the face next to the conductor H, and is
connected with the cam by means of a pin passing through a slot K; it is also
guided in its parallel movement by a pin in its upper part engaging with a similar
slot L, in the frame M.
The cam is in connection with a locking action and vane similar to that before
described.
The apparatus being automatically locked in descending, removes the objection
made to grips of ordinary construction, namely, their liability to get into action
during winding, and becoming a cause of accidents or delay; if however for any
reason it is desired to put the apparatus in a condition to act both in ascending
and descending, it is only necessary to either remove the vane G, or to fasten it
down.
We propose to cover the mechanism with a casing to protect it from dirt and
damage, and to render the parts more support; we also propose to have two of the
apparatus fixed upon the shaft D, one at each end to act upon each conductor.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is or may be carried into practice, we declare
that what we claim is :-
1. In a safety apparatus for pit cages and hoists, the combination of a fan or
vane (put into action by its resistance to the air), with a locking and unlocking
action, substantially as hereinbefore described, and shown in the drawings.
2. In a safety apparatus for pit cages and hoists, the combination with a fixed
reversible shoe of a pivotted cam or clip, capable of giving a kink or bend to the
wire guide when pressed towards the shoe, substantially as hereinbefore described,
and as shown in Fig. 2, of the drawings.
3. In a safety apparatus for pit cages and hoists, the combination and arrange-
ment of a cam B, pivotted upon a centre or shaft D, and provided with a grooved
roller C, arranged to compress the guide rope R, between two similar grooved

page_text: rollers C, fixed on the opposite side of the rope, substantially as hereinbefore
described, and as shown in Fig. 1, of the drawings.
4. In a safety apparatus for pit cages and hoists where wood conductors are
used, a shoe I, with roughened face towards the conductor provided with pins or
lugs working in guide slots K and L, to keep the shoe parallel with the conductor,
and operated by a cam J, substantially as hereinbefore described, and as shown in
Fig. 3,, of the drawings.
5. In the automatic gripping action of safety apparatus for pit cages, such as
described and shown in Fig. 4, the combination with the weighted arm N, fixed
loose upon the shaft D, of a rod Q, with a spiral spring S, capable of being
regulated by means of locknuts working upon the screwed rod Q, as hereinbefore
described and shown.
Dated the 10th day of February 1894.
ROBT. F. DRURY, C.P.A.,
Bank Buildings, George Street, Sheffield, Agent for Applicants.