AN IMPROVED SAFETY APPARATUS, TO BE APPLIED TO CAGES IN THE DRAWING OF COALS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nicolas Libotte, Mechanician, of 33, Boulevard,,
St. Martin, Paris, (Empire of France,) for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
SAFETY APPARATUS, TO BE APPLIED TO CAGES IN THE DRAWING OF COALS."
Sealed the 15th September 1859, and dated the 5th April 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nicolas Libotte at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th April 1859.
I, NICOLAS LIBOTTE, Mechanician, of 38, Boulevard St. Martin, Paris
(Empire of France), do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED SAFETY APPARATUS, TO BE APPLIED TO CAGES IN THE DRAWING OF
COALS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of a safety apparatus, in which claws, grips, or jaws
are mounted on shafts, which may be turned by means of vertical or horizontal
springs on such springs being released by the breakage, slackening, or giving
way of the chain or rope by which the cage is suspended, and the springs

page_text: being thereby set free to act on the shafts and their jaws the latter are
caused to catch or grip the pit or shaft "guides" with a firm hold. The parts
taut," or in proper
may be so arranged that while the chain or rope is
condition, its effect would be to exert tension on vertical springs, or to
compress horizontal springs, or where both vertical and horizontal are used so
to act on them simultaneously immediately on the rope or chain slackening
or giving way, the springs are set free and act through intermediate appliances
on the jaws or clips, causing them to grip the shaft guides with a tenacity
proportionate to the weight and the acquired velocity. In one arrangement
vertical springs are used, which, when released by the giving way or slackening
of the suspending rope or chain, press against the lower part of a guided rod,
which so acts through its lugs on cranks as to turn in contrary direction two
shafts, which traverse the cage and carry, keyed at their ends, jaws or grips,
which are thus forced to catch into the shaft guides. To prevent them from
cutting therein too deeply they may be spread out in shape, and serrated to
take firmer hold, and are kept in proper travel by abutments.
In another arrangement the springs may be horizontal, and when released
from compression by the loosening or giving way of the suspending chain act
on horizontal intermediate rods which press on cranks, turn jaw-carrier
shafts, raise the jaws and cause them to grip, at the same time lowering
a. rod, connected to them by jointed links and other cranks above;
but when the chain is taut this rod is drawn up, thereby turning the
shaft and bringing the claws back, the springs being compressed by the:
lower cranks.
In another arrangement of my apparatus the claw-carrier shafts are inter-
cepted and connected by an intermediate beam, worked by a large vertical
spring acting on the claws through intermediate rods and cranks, its
action being assisted by smaller springs at each end acting on the claw-
carrier shafts through other cranks, so that when the chain is taut the
large spring is compressed, the beam drawn up, the claws kept open, and
the smaller springs compressed, but when the chain gives way the large spring
distends and draws down the beam, causing the jaws to close and grip
the guides.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Nicolas Libotte in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th October 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NICOLAS
LIBOTTE, Mechanician, of 33, Boulevard St. Martin, Paris (Empire of France),
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the Twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Nicolas Libotte, Her special licence that I, the said Nicolas
Libotte, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Nicolas Libotte, my executors, administrators, 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, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED SAFETY
APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO CAGES IN THE DRAWING OF COALS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Nicolas Libotto, 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 Nicolas Libotte, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying Drawings, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say: —
My Invention relates to safety apparatus to be applied to cages used in the
drawing of coals, for the purpose of checking or arresting the descent or fall
of the same in the event of the suspending rope or chain becoming relaxed,
breaking, or giving way,
The Invention consists of a safety apparatus in which claws, grips, or jaws
are mounted upon shafts, which are capable of being turned to the required
extent by means of vertical or horizontal springs, on such springs being.

page_text: released by the breaking, slackening, or giving way of the rope or chain by
which the cage is suspended; and the springs being thereby set free to act
(directly or indirectly) upon the shafts and their jaws or grips, the latter are
caused to grip or catch into the pit or shaft guides with a firm hold. Thus,
the parts can be arranged in such manner, that while the chain or rope is
taut, or in its proper and extended working condition, its effect would be to
exert tension upon, or stretch the spring or springs when vertical springs are
used, or to compress the springs when horizontal ones are used; or to act on
both simultaneously when both vertical and horizontal springs are employed,
i.c., stretching the former and compressing the latter; but immediately on
the rope or chain slackening or giving way, the springs are set free, and act
through intermediate appliances on the jaws or grips, causing them to catch,
clip, or hold the shaft-guides with a degree of tenacity proportionate to the
weight, or load, and acquired velocity.
The accompanying Drawings exemplify various modes in which the Inven-
tion may be carried into effect.
One of these arrangements is represented in Figures 1 and 2, which show
my safety apparatus as having been put into operation, i.e., on the chain
becoming relaxed, &c. (Figure 1 elevation, Figure 2 plan).
In this arrangement, vertical springs r, r, are used; C is the chain by which
the cage is attached to the drawing chain; a, a, are two shafts passing com-
pletely through the cage, and carrying at their extremities jaws or grips 9,9, 9, 9,
firmly keyed thereon. On the drawing chain giving way, and ceasing to pull
on the chain C, or on the chain breaking or becoming slack, &c., the springs
r, r, are released and press against the lower parts of a guided rod t, which, by
means of its lugs or arms e, e, acts upon cranks m, m, which turn the shafts
a, a, in opposite directions, so that the jaws or grips 9, 9, 9, 9, which are keyed
thercon, and which of course partake of the motion of the shafts, are forced to
clip or catch into the shaft or pit guides, and arrest the descent of the cage.
To prevent them, however, from biting into the guides too deeply, or cutting
them right through, these jaws may be constructed of a spread-out shape, as
shewn, and they are serrated, thereby adding to the number of points of
contact, and increasing the resistance so that they take a firmer hold. b, b, are
abutments fitted to the cage above the grips for keeping them in proper travel,
in case they should accidentally swerve, &c.
In another arrangement shewn in Figures 3 and 4 (elevation and plan),
horizontal springs are used; the apparatus takes up a less space in depth than
in the previous instance, and the weight of the cage is reduced. In this

page_text: arrangement r,r, are the springs, which act horizontally; C, suspending chain
as before; a, a, shafts, carrying jaws or grips g, g. The springs r, r, are kept
compressed as long as the rope or chain is in its proper extended state or
working order, but when it breaks, gives way, or becomes relaxed (as by the
fracture of the drawing rope for example), the springs r, r, are released from
compression, and act upon two horizontal intermediate rods t', t', which press
on the cranks m, m, and turn the jaw or grip carrier shafts a, a, in opposite
directions, and the shafts thereby raise the jaws and cause them to grip, at the
same time lowering a rod t, connected to the shafts by jointed links or arms e, e,
and other cranks n, n, but when the chain C is kept stretched by the drawing
chain, that is, when the chains are "taut," or in proper working condition,
the rod t is drawn up, and by means of its links e, e, and cranks n, n, turns
the shafts a, a, so as to bring the jaws back, the springs r, r, being compressed
by the lower cranks m, m; b, b, are abutments attached to the cage, as in
Figures 1 and 2, to keep the jaws or grips in proper travel. Figure 5 shows
the apparatus at the instant of the chain giving way, and the ends of the grips
just coming in contact with the guides. Figure 6 is another view of the
apparatus.
In another arrangement represented in Figures 7, 8, and 9, adapted for
long cages intended for carrying two trucks end to end, the claw-carrier shafts
a, a, are intercepted as at the points o, p, and connected by an intermediato
beam or bar, worked by a large vertical spring r acting through an inter-
mediate rod t, and imparting action to the shafts a, a, and to the claws g, g,
by rods t', t, and cranks m, m. The principal spring r is assisted in its
operation by four smaller auxiliary springs r³, r', fitted at each end, and acting
on the shafts a, a, through lower cranks m³, m'; when the chain is taut or
extended the spring r is compressed, the beam / drawn up, and the rods t', t',
keep the jaws 9, 9, open, and the springs r³, 7, compressed; but when the
chain gives way, &c., the spring r is distended, the beam 2 drawn down, and
the jaws close upon and grip the guides. This arrangement may be considered
as a combination of two safety apparatuses of the description shown in Figures
3 and 4, set one at each end of the cage, connected and acted upon by spring
and beam I, 1. The interruption of the shafts the intermediate beam
reduces the weight.
Figure 10 is a side view, Figuro 11, plan, and Figure 12, elevation of a
modification in which the grip-carrier shafts are reduced in length, and instead
of passing completely through the enge, only extend to a short distance within
the top frame. Here, when the chain is stretched, it draws up the fod t;

page_text: compresses the springs r, r, and lowers ends 63, 6, of the arms or lovers b, b²,
which pressing upon the cranks m, m, turn the short shafts a, a, and open the
grips 9, 9, but when the chain becomes relaxed or broken, the reverse action
takes place, the springs bring down the rod t, raise the ends b, b, of the
levers, turn the shafts a, a, and close the grips.
In the modification Figures 13 and 14, when the rod t rises, it acts by
means of links or arms b, b, on the cranks or pieces c, c, behind the jaws J, I,
so as to separate the jaws and press the springs r, r, between the pieces q, 9;
if tho rod falls down from the fracture of the chains, the springs r, r, reacting
upon the pièces q, q, push them out, and act upon the cranks c, c, of the jaws,
and force the latter to grip the guides and keep tho apparatus up.
In these two last described modifications a certain play should be allowed
at the joints or connections to facilitate the sweep of the levers, which may be
done by slotting or forming the sockets oval in the direction of the lever's
length.
Figures 15, 16, and 17 show another modification in which there is fitted
just above the cage a moveable frame or head-piece b, c, d, e, formed with
tenons or studs p, p, sliding in mortices or guide grooves o, o, formed in tho
body of the cage, to which is fixed also the upper cross beam n, n; this frame
or head piece is also connected to jaw-carrier shafts a, a, by double cranks
m, m, m, m, fitted against the edge of the cage on the inner side, and to the
angles of the head piece are attached the suspending or bearing chains by
which the cage is connected to the main or drawing chain; when this chain
is in its proper or working condition, it lifts the head piece b, c, d, e, until the
pieces p, p, come up to the top of the guide grooves o, o, and thus keeps the
whole apparatus raised; the head piece in rising compresses the springs r, r,
between the moveable cross beam h, h, and the stationary cross beam n,n,
and also by acting on the cranks m, m, and on the shafts a, a, opens the
jaws g, g; the reverso action ensues when the chain is relaxed, &c., when tho
springs press upon the beam h, h, force the head framepiece to drop, and this
acting upon the cranks m, m, closes the jaws, which keeping the cage up on
the shafts a, a, grip into the guides with a force proportionate to the load.
The pieces p, p, are fitted with india-rubber buffers or pads to weaken
concussions.
Figures 18 and 19 represent two other modifications.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same may be performed, I declare that I lay no claim to
the mechanical parts separately considered; but that I claim,-

page_text: The method of constructing, that is to say, of arranging and combining
parts of safety apparatus, as herein-before described, according to which, jaws,
grips, or claws are mounted on shafts, capable of being turned by the action
of vertical or horizontal springs directly or indirectly applied, such springs
being held or kept inactive while the cage suspending rope or chain is in its
properly extended or working condition, but being released on the rope or
chain breaking, giving way, or becoming relaxed, so as to act upon the shafts,
whereby the jaws, grips, or claws are put into operation.
And I claim the various arrangements (cach considered in its combination
of parts) before described and represented in the Drawings, the details whereof
may be varied, provided the character of the Invention as herein set forth
be retained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nicolas Libotte, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of September; in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
J. GOCHET.
N. LIBOTTE. (L.S.)