Safety Spike for Suspending Underground Safety Lamps.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Feb., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Safety Spike for Suspending Underground Safety Lamps.
DAVID JAMES, Machine House, Henllys, near Newport, Mon., Colliery Mechanic,
ALFRED PEARSON, New Houses, Upper Cwmbran, near Newport, Mon., Colliery
Engineman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The safety spike consists of a piece of steel tapered to a fine point at one end
and the other end fixed in a circular cup-shaped top. A shield of less length
than the spike encircles it and slides backwards and forwards.
A strong hook-
shaped catch is let into the cup top, with the hooked part at the other end pass-
ing through the shield and spike."
When it is required to use the spike by forcing it into timber for suspending
the safety lamp the shield is slid back into the cup, while the hooked catch pass-
ing through the shield and spike locks the shield in that position. When the
spike is not required to be used the shield is slid over the tapered point and is
similarly locked.
The cup-shaped top is made of brass which reflects the light, and so enables
the article to be seen in the darkness with greater ease. The hook shaped catch
is made of strong brass wire, while the shield is made of copper and the spike
of steel.
What we claim as the special feature of our invention is that while it fulfils
every requirement of the miner underground it enables the article to be carried
with safety in his pocket.
Dotad this 12th lave of Woh 1000
DAVID JAMES.
ALFRED PEARSON.
A
Safety Spike for Suspending Underground Safety Lamps.
We, DAVID JAMES, of Machine House, Henllys, near Newport, in the County of
Monmouth, Colliery Mechanic, and ALFRED PEARSON, of New Houses, Upper
Cwmbran, near Newport, in the County of Monmouth, Engineman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to a simple appliance, termed a spike, for suspending
the underground safety lamps used by miners, the principal object of the inven-
tion being to so construct the spike that whilst its sharpened end may be readily
driven into the roof or shoring timbers or elsewhere in the mine it may be readily

page_text: withdrawn therefrom and when so withdrawn be protected so that when carried
about by the miner in his pocket the point is incapable of damage or injury to
his person.
The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of one form of the invention,
Fig. 2 an elevation of the cup shaped head of the spike and
Figs. 3 and 4 sectional elevations showing the sharp end of the spike uncovered
ready for driving. in the timber, and protected for carrying in the pocket, respec-
tively.
Figs. 5, 6, 7 are elevations, partly in section,, of another form of the invention.
Figs. 8 and 9; 10 and 11, 12, 13, and 14 are further modifications of our
invention.
C
In carrying out our invention in every one of the methods shown we employ
a shield a to protect the point b of the spike c but referring for the moment, to
Figs. to 4 we provide the spike e with a head d of a cup-shaped character which
is secured to it by rivetting as shown or in other ways. This cup-shaped head
may be made of brass or other suitable material so that when polished it can be
readily seen in the mine, whilst the spike e is made of the same material or, pre-
ferably, of steel..and when the two are made of the same material they may be
formed in one piece only so as to dispense with rivetting together. To protect the
point when the spike is out of use we employ a tubular shield a capable of being
slid backwards and forwards on the spike c and at the extremity of its travel in
either direction it may be held securely in position. In Figs. 1 to 4 this is done
by providing the shield a at one side with holes f and g and at the other with a
slot h, a hole i also being formed in the spike. Into this hole is passed the bent
or hook shaped end of a wire spring or locking pin j the other end of-which is
secured to the head d. When the shield is in the position indicated in Figs. 1
and 3 the bent end of the pin also passes through hole g but when such end is
pulled out of the latter the shield a can be slid towards the right into the position
indicated by Fig. 4 where it is held in a position to cover the point by the pin
passing into hole f. The spike as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 is ready for being
driven into the roofing or shoring timber of the mine whilst as shown in Fig. 4
it is ready for carrying in the pocket of the miner.
In all the figures in this specification like parts are represented by similar refer-
ence letters. Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6 in place of the locking pin we form
a bayonet slot k in the shield a and insert a stationary peg, pin or projection / in
the spike c as will be readily understood. For greater security the shield in these
figures may be held in either position on the spike by extending the pin as
shown in Fig. 7, and screwing such end. A small thumb nut could then be
placed on the latter and jammed against the shield a as required.
In Figs. 8 and 9 the spike c is quite separate from the head and instead of the
shield a being a sliding one it is attached to, or formed in one with, the cup-shaped
head and at its outer end is chased with an internal screw thread. A similar
thread m is formed on the spike c so that the latter can be screwed into the shield
either end first for the purposes. already referred to. When ready for use the
end n is butt against the internal face of the head d so that the spike may receive
the impact due to any blow required to fix it in timber and thus take the strain
off the screw threads.
In the arrangement indicated in Fig. 14 the spike e is provided with screw
threads at o and p and the shield a is chased with similar threads q at its inner
end. whilst at its outer end it has a flanger, the portion of the
shield between the flange and threads 9 being slightly chambered
internally as shown, so as to clear threads p. When in the position shown
the shield is screwed on the threads o and protects by its outer end the threads p.
To cover the point b the shield is unscrewed from threads o, pushed outwards and

page_text: screwed on threads p. To prevent the shield being screwed entirely off the spikec,
we may pass a pin through the latter or form thereon one or more projections c
as shown in Fig. 12, the shield a being placed on the spike before the latter is
rivetted to the head d.
In Figs. 10, 11 and 13 the shield a is formed in one with the head d and in-
stead of being tubular it is slotted through so that the spike may be pivoted and
capable of being turned round. The spike is pivoted on a pin a and is provided
with holes f¹ and g¹. In Figs. 10 and 11 the holes are engaged by locking pin j
as will be understood. In Fig. 13 the locking pinj has two pins j¹ formed on it
to engage with holes f¹ and gl.
As constructed under any of the methods shown the spike may be of any con-
venient length and the parts be made of any suitable material and it may be forced
in any direction required into the material to hold it, so that the hook of the
safety lamp can be placed either on the shank of the spike or the cup shaped head.
When driven into overhead timber the end of the hook passes into the cup d.
From the drawings and description it will be seen that the spike is very simple
in construction; is handy and compact, fulfilling every requirement of the miner
for suspending his safety lamp, and being in every way preferable to the un-
shielded spikes now in use whilst having the advantage that it can be carried
about in his pocket without risk of injury to his person.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A suspending appliance for miners safety lamps comprising a central spike
pointed at one end and having at the other a cup-shaped head, a shield located
on said spike and capable of being formed in one with a cup-shaped head, or of
being moved backwards and forwards on said spike, and means for locking or
holding said movable shield in two positions on said spike substantially as and
for the purposes described.
2. A suspending appliance for miners safety lamps comprising a central spike
pointed at one end and pivoted at the other to a shield formed in one with or
attached to a cup-shaped head, and means for locking said spike in a closed or
open position substantially as described.
3. A suspending appliance for miners safety lamps, constructed, arranged and
operating substantially as set forth with reference either to Figs. 1 to 4; 5 and
6; 7; 8 and 9; 10 and 11; 12; 13; or 14 of the accompanying drawings.
3
111
2
1000
WILLIAM H. TAYLOR,
Stephen's Buildings, 62, Market Street, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicants.