A SAFETY CAGE WITH DISCONNECTING CATCH TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS IN THE WORKING OF COAL OR OTHER MINES ARISING FROM THE OVERWINDING OB. BREAKING OF THE ROPES OR OTHER PARTS USED FOR HOISTING PURPOSES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Kaye Hampshire, of the Parish of Whit-
tington, in the County of Derby, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of
"A SAFETY CAGE WITH DISCONNECTING CATCH TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS IN THE
WORKING OF COAL OR OTHER MINES ARISING FROM THE OVERWINDING OB.
BREAKING OF THE ROPES OR OTHER PARTS USED FOR HOISTING PURPOSES."
Sealed the 3rd October 1862, and dated the 14th April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Kaye Hampshire
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th April 1862.
I, JOSEPH KAYE HAMPSHIRE, of the Parish of Whittington, in the County
of Derby, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "A SAFETY CAGE WITH DISCONNECTING CATCH TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS IN THE
WORKING OF COAL OR OTHER MINES ARISING FROM THE OVERWINDING OR BREAKING
OF THE ROPES OR OTHER PARTS USED FOR HOISTING PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The annexed Drawing represents my improved safety cage with discon-
necting catch,, which will be readily understood by the following description,
reference being had to the Drawing by letters and figures marked thereon, in
which Drawing Figs. 1 and 2 represent front and side elevations of the safety
cage and catch as applied for working in general.
A shows the cage (a double cage) for bringing to bank at the same time
two tubs of coal or other mineral, placed severally in A' and A2; the upper.

page_text: compartment A', is used by the colliers and others employed in the mines to
convey them up and down. The disconnecting catch B is attached to the
drawing rope C above, and to the iron rods D of the cage A. In the case of
the rope being drawn from any cause up to the pulley beam E, the catch B
coming in direct contact with the beam or frame E immediately opens and
disconnects the rope C from the cage. The weight of the cage instantly
brings into action, by the aid of a strong spring H, four levers K, which grip
the conductors X¹ and retain the cage in the exact position in which it was
left by the disconnecting of the rope. The same result would follow if the
rope were to break. The weight of the cage would bring the levers into play,
and retain the cage in the place where the breaking of the rope may happen
to be. The spring H connected by the side rods F to the cage rods D takes
off the sudden check of the detached or broken rope, and is more efficient at
H than if placed above the cage, or otherwise. The levers when out of
action come in contact with four stops O, rivetted on a lever plate R. The
levers work through a box S, and are kept in their proper gauge by rod N;
rods D are a striking and important improvement on the usual heavy chains.
The apparatus can be fixed and applied to an ordinary cage, whether single or
double.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Kaye Hampshire, in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
KAYE HAMPSHIRE, of the Parish of Whittington, in the County of Derby,
Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joseph Kaye Hampshire, Her special licence that I, the said
Joseph Kaye Hampshire, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Joseph Kaye Hampshire, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man

page_text: an Invention for "A SAFETY CAGE WITH DISCONNECTING CATCH TO PREVENT
ACCIDENTS IN THE WORKING OF COAL OR OTHER MINES ARISING FROM THE OVER-
WINDING OR BREAKING OF THE ROPES OR OTHER PARTS USED FOR HOISTING PURPOSES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Kaye Hampshire,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Kaye Hampshire do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is. to say):
The annexed Drawing represents my improved safety cage with discon-
necting catch, which will be readily understood by the following description
thereof, reference being had to the Drawing by letters and figures marked
thereon, which Drawing represents front and side elevations of the safety
cage and catch arranged and constructed according to my Invention, and
as adapted for work in general.
A represents the cage (a double cage) for bringing to bank at the same
time two tubs of coal or other mineral, placed severally in A' and A²; the
upper compartment A' is used by the colliers and others employed in the
mines to convey them up and down. The disconnecting catch B is attached to
the drawing rope C above, and to the iron rods D of the cage A. In the
case of the rope being drawn from any cause up to the pulley beam E, the
catch B coming in contact with the beams or frame E immediately opens (see
dotted lines) the upper ends of B, and disconnects the ring of rope C from
the cage. The weight of the cage, thus disconnected, instantly brings into
action, by the aid of two strong springs H, four levers K, pivotted at h, which
grip the conductors or guides X¹ which are continued throughout the depth of
the pit and retain the cage in position in which it was left by the disconnecting
of the rope. These levers are at other times kept out of action by reason of
the weight of the cage being suspended on them through the medium of the
springs H and rods F F. The same result would follow if the rope were to
break. The springs H being thereby relieved of the weight of the cage would
bring the levers into play and retain the cage in whatever position it may
be in when the breaking of the rope may take place. The springs H, con-

page_text: nected by the side rods F to the cage rods D takes off the sudden check of
the detached or broken rope, and is more efficient in position shown at H than
if placed above the cage, or otherwise. The levers K, when out of action,
come in contact with four stops O, rivetted on a lever plate R. The levers
work through a box S, and are kept in their proper gauge by rod N. Rods D
are a striking and important improvement on the usual heavy chains used in
similar positions. The apparatus can be fixed and applied to an ordinary
cage, whether single or double..
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention, to be protected
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the arrangement of
parts herein-before described, and represented in the Drawings hereunto an-
nexed, applied to a cage apparatus for raising and lowering men and materials
in mines, whereby accidents from overwinding, or the breaking of the rope or
otherwise are prevented, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Kaye Hampshire have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JOSEPH KAYE HAMPSHIRE. (L.S.)