IMPROVEMENTS IN DETACHING OR SAFETY APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS FROM OVERWINDING IN MINES OR OTHER SHAFTS, LIFTS, OR HOISTS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaiah Booth, of Alderly Edge, in the County of Chester,
and Thomas Sugden, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DETACHING OR SAFETY APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING
ACCIDENTS FROM OVERWINDING IN MINES OR OTHER SHAFTS, LIFTS, OR
HOISTS"
Sealed the 5th March 1880, and dated the 20th November 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaiah Booth and Thomas
Sugden at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th November .
1879.
ISAIAH BOOTH, of Alderley Edge, in the County of Chester, and THOMAS SUGDEN,
of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DETACHING OR SAFETY
APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS FROM OVER-WINDING IN MINES OR OTHER
SHAFTS, LIFTS, OR HOISTS."
The Invention consists in certain improvements in detaching or safety apparatus
for preventing accidents from overwinding, applicable to cages or hoists used in
mining or other lifting machines, whereby the winding rope or chain is disconnected
from the load, while at the same time the load is supported by the apparatus, so
as to be prevented from falling after the rope or chain has been disconnected.
The apparatus is constructed as follows:-A bracket or frame is fixed at or near the
top of the cage, in which the shackle or the hook to be released is fixed, the bracket
is shaped out to receive the shackle. The shackle is provided with a transverse
hole, through which a stud is placed to keep it in position, the stud bearing on
the bracket, which is shaped out to receive it. The shackle is continued for a
distance beneath the hole, and at this part the shackle is provided with wings or
wedge shaped pieces, with the thickest point at the lower part of the shackle. The
stud which passes through the shackle may be described as the bearing stud.
Immediately opposite this stud, and in the same horizontal line is fixed another
stud, this may be termed the forcing stud. These studs may be kept in position
by means of springs or soft metal pins, the latter being preferred.

page_text: The studs are each cut at the lower edge of the inside ends by a plane at right
angles to their length, the distance each stud is cut is a little in excess of half the
width of the shackle.
The end of the forcing stud projects outside the bracket while the entire length
of the bearing stud is concealed in the bracket, and therefore unexposed.
At the point beyond which the load must not be raised is fixed a beam, having
an aperture, through which the winding rope or chain passes.
The aperture is shaped out to receive the bracket, and is provided on one side
with a taper or inclined alot placed in a vertical position, having its widest part at
the lower edge of the aperture; on the opposite side of the aperture is fixed a
projection corresponding with the inclined slot, so that the edge of the projection
and the bottom of the slot run in parallel lines. Two parallel slots would also
answer the same purpose.
The bracket in passing through the aperture is so arranged that the projecting
part of the forcing stud comes in contact with the bottom of the inclined slot; as
the bracket passes up the aperture the forcing stud is pushed inside the bracket,
this comes in contact with the bearing stud, and forces it out, so that as the forcing
stud advances the bearing stud recedes, and vice versa, if the cage be made to
descend without passing through the aperture. When the forcing stud has arrived
at the top of the aperture the inside ends of the two studs form together an
inverted V, which is now exactly opposite the shackle. The shackle being slightly
narrower than the bottom of the inverted V, forces its way into this part; the outer
ends of the studs are now just clear above the aperture, the bracket is held at this
point by notches on the bracket, which bear against the sides of the aperture, so
that as the bracket cannot rise any higher the shackle forces its way through the
V shaped ends of the studs, and in making its escape the wings or wedge shaped
projections at the lower part of the shackle force out the two studs to a sufficient
distance to hold the cage securely in position.
If the rope should come to a position of rest when the bracket is in the
aperture (and the shackle has become partially disengaged), and afterwards be made
to descend the bearing stud at its outer edge in descending comes in contact with
the projecting piece of the aperture, and is forced back to its original position
before the bracket can quit the aperture, so that the shackle cannot become
disengaged unless the load be firmly secured on the top of the aperture.
After overwinding has occured the apparatus can be readily put in working
order by placing the shackle in the bracket a little above its ordinary position, 80
as to admit the bearing and forcing stud being passed underneath. The shackle is
then secured by passing a pin through both shackle and bracket. The studs are
then adjusted in the bracket, so as to admit of its being passed down through the
aperture.
By this means the cage or load is lowered on the knees or other support, and the
shackle placed in its ordinary position when the studs are inserted and secured
ready for work.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Isaiah Booth and Thomas Sugden in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th May 1880.
ISAIAH BOOTH, of Alderly Edge, in the County of Chester, and THOMAS SUGDEN,
of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DETACHING OR SAFETY
APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS FROM OVERWINDING IN MINES OR OTHER
SHAFTS, LIFTS, OR HOISTS."
The Invention consists in certain improvements in detaching or safety apparatus
for preventing accidents from overwinding, applicable to cages or hoists used in
mining or other lifting machines, whereby the winding rope or chain is disconnected
from the load, while at the same time the load is supported by the apparatus, so as
to be prevented from falling after the rope or chain has been disconnected.
Such being the nature and object of our said Invention we will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly understood,
we have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference, corresponding with those in
the following explanation thereof:-
In the annexed Drawing, Fig. 1 is an edge view, Fig. 2 a side view, and Fig. 3
a vertical section of our improved dataching or safety apparatus; Fig. 4 is a view
showing the method of suspension after detachment.
The apparatus is constructed as follows:-
A bracket or frame a, a, is fixed at or near the top of the cage, in which the
shackle b, b (or the hook), to be released is fixed; the bracket a is shaped out to
receive the shackle b. The shackle b is provided with a transverse hole at c, c,
through which a stud d, d, is placed to keep it in position; the stud bearing on
the bracket a, a, which is shaped out to receive it. The shackle b, b, is continued
for a distance beneath the hole, and at this part the shackle is provided with wings
or wedge shaped pieces e, e, with the thickest point at the lower part of the shackle
The stud d, d, which passes through the shackle may be described as the bearing
stud.
Immediately opposite to this stud, and in the same horizontal line is fixed
another stud ff, this may be termed the forcing stud. These studs may be kept
in position by means of springs or soft metal pins g, g (which are sheared in passing
through the apertures), the latter being preferred.
The studs are placed a distance apart from each other, equal to the diameter of
the soft metal pin to be sheared, so that the pin of the forcing stud is sheared first,
and immediately after the pin of the bearing stud is sheared.
By this arrangement the shearing strain is considerably reduced.
The studs & and fare each cut at the lower edge of the inside ends by a plane at
right angles to their length, the distance each stud is cut is a little in excess of
half the width of the shackle.
The end of the forcing stud f, f, projects outside the bracket a, a, while the
entire length of the bearing stud d, d, is concealed in the bracket, and therefore
unexposed.
At the point beyond which the load must not be raised is fixed a beam h, h, see
Fig. 4, having an aperture i, i, through which the winding rope or chain passes.
The aperture is shaped out to receive the bracket, and is provided on one side with
a taper or inclined slot k, k, placed in a vertical position, having its widest part at
the lower edge of the aperture; on the opposite side of the aperture i, i, is fixed a
projection 1, 1, corresponding with the inclined slot k, k, so that the edge of the
projection and the bottom of the slot run in parallel lines. Two parallel slots would
also answer the same purpose.

page_text: The bracket a, a, in passing through the aperture i, i, is so arranged that the
projecting part of the forcing stud f, f, comes in contact with the bottom of the
inclined slot k, k, as the bracket a, a, passes up the aperture i, i, the forcing stud f, f,
is pushed inside the bracket a, a, this comes in contact with the bearing stud d, d,
and forces it out, so that as the forcing stud f, f, advances, the bearing stud d, d,
recedes, and vice versa, if the cage be made to descend without passing through
the aperture. When the forcing stud f, f, has arrived at the top of the aperture
i, i, the inside ends of the two studs d and f form together an inverted V (see
Fig. 3), which is now exactly opposite the shackle b, b. The shackle being slightly
narrower than the bottom of the inverted V, readily forces its way into this part;
the outer ends of the studs d and f are now just clear above the aperture i, i.
The bracket a, a, is held at this point by projections which prevent it from going
through the apertures; the shackle b, b, forces its way through the V shaped ends
of the studs & and f, and in making its escape the wings or wedge shaped pro-
jections e, e, at the lower part of the shackle b, b, force out the two studs d and f
to a sufficient distance to hold the cage securely in position, as shewn at Fig. 4.
If the rope should come to a position of rest when the bracket a, a, is in the
aperture i, i (and the shackle b, b, has become partially disengaged), and afterwards
be made to descend, the bearing stud d, d, at its outer edge in descending comes
in contact with the projecting piece 7, 7, of the aperture i, i, and is forced back to its
original position before the bracket a, a, can quit the aperture, so that the shackle b, b,
cannot become disengaged unless the load be firmly secured on the top of the
aperture i, i.
After overwinding has occured, the apparatus can be readily put in working
order by placing the shackle b, b, in the bracket a, a, a little above its ordinary
position, so as to admit the bearing and forcing studs being passed underneath.
The shackle b, b, is then secured by passing a pin through both shackle and
bracket. The studs d and fare then adjusted in the bracket, so as to admit of its
being passed down through the aperture. By this means the cage or load is
lowered on the knees or other support, and the shackle b, b, placed in its ordinary
position when the studs d and fare inserted and secured ready for work.
Another method of forming the connection after the occurence of an accident is
by bringing the shackle down to its ordinary position in the bracket. The two
forcing screws f¹, f, on the top of the aperture are then screwed in simultaneously,
thus forcing in the studs flush with the bracket; the weight of the cage will then
draw the bracket through the aperture, and the studs will be forced to their
ordinary working position. By this method the weight of the load is utilized in
forming the connection.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention, together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, we wish it to be understood that we claim as our Invention the
improved detaching or safety apparatus, as hereinbefore described and illustrated
by the Drawings annexed, or any mere imitation or modification thereof, con-
structed and operating in substantially the same or a similar manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Sugden, on behalf of myself and the
said Isaiah Booth, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth
day of May, One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
THOMAS SUGDEN. (L.S.)