Year: 1897

page_text: We, HENRY BURGESS and EDWIN BURGESS, both of 28, Clayton Street, Skelmers
dale, in the County of Lancaster, Miners, and WILLIAM BENNETT, of 30, Clayton
Street, Skelmersdale, in the samo county, Grocer, do hereby declare the nature of
our said invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has for its object to provide simple and reliable means whereby in
case of breakage of the winding rope of a mino cage such cage shall be automatically
caught and prevented falling down the pit shaft.
Such means consist essentially of levers mounted on fulcrums within the cage
and one end of each encircling one of the guide ropes of the cage, and the other
end connected to a spring or weight. To this last named end of each lever one end
of a short chain or cord is connected, secured at its opposite extremity to the usual
hauling or winding rope. When the cage is working the pull on the hauling rope
is sufficient to hold the said chain taut, and to cause the lovers to lie in a horizontal
position, and permit the ends which encircle the guide ropes to travel up and down
without interfering with such ropes. Immediately, however, the winding rope
breaks or goes slack the tension on the chain is removed, and the spring pulling
down the free ends of the levers causes the opposite extremities to bind upon the guide
ropes, and by so doing to sustain and hold the cage and prevent further descent.
100K

page_text: this invention and in what manner the samo is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention has for its object to provide simple and reliable means whereby
in case of breakage of the winding rope of a mine cage such cage shall be auto-
matically caught and prevented falling down the pit shaft.
Such means consist essentially of levers mounted on fulcrums on the cage and
one end of each encircling one of the guide ropes of the cage and the other end con-
nected to a spring or weight. To this last named end of such levers, we connect
one end of a short chain or cord secured at its opposite extremity to the usual haul-
ing or winding rope.
When the cage is being raised or lowered in ordinary working the pull on the
hauling rope is suflicient to hold the chains taut and to cause the levers to lie in a
horizontal position and thereby permit the ends which encircle the guide ropes to
travel up and down without interfering with such ropes. Immediately, however, the
winding rope breaks or goes slack the tension on the chain is removed, and the
spring pulling down the free ends of the levers causes their opposite extremities to
bind upon the guide ropes, and by so doing to sustain and hold the cage and
prevent further descent."
And in order that our said invention may be more readily understood and carried
into practical effect, we have hereunto annexed a sheel of drawings, and will now
proceed to describe the same with the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a side, and Fig. 2 an end elevation of a mine cage with our invention
shown applied thereto.
Figs. 3 and 4 show one of the safety appliances separately.
In accordance with our invention we employ a set of levers (A), one for each
guide rope (B), and each of such levers we mount in any suitable way upon a
fulcrum or axis on any suitable part of the cage, and by preference, on bracket or
upright (C) forming part of the cage frame, or bolted thereto. Such levers are each
formed with an 'eye' (D) at one end which embraces one of the guide ropes (B),
and with an opening or hook at the other end, to which a chain (E) depending from
the main hoisting tackle (F), is secured. This chain (E) when the cage is ascend-
ing or descending and in its normal working condition is just long enough to allow
the lever (A) to lie in, or about, a horizotal position and for the 'eye' (D) to work
loosely upon the guide rope, or lie in such relation to the rope as to form no obstruc-
tion to the ordinary movements of the cage. When, however, the hoisting tackle
is broken and the chains (E) thereby allowed to get slack, the balance or poising
of levers (A), or the rapid descent of the cage, is such that the said levers are caused
to tilt and the edges of the 'oyes' (D) to bind upon the guide ropes, and thus arrest
the movement of the cage and sustain it until the hauling rope can be repaired,
instead of going to the bottom of the shaft with disastrous results, as would be the
case in the absence of the safety appliance.
In lieu of one chain being employed for each lever, and connected direct to the
hoisting tackle (F), two or more of such levers may be connected together, and one
chain used for operating them.
6
To ensure of the levers having a tight grip on the ropes, and to allow of the move-
ment of the radial levers we form the eye' (D) with an oval opening, and with
its sides sloping as shown in Fig. 4. The edges of such opening may be sharp or
jagged, or otherwise formed for the more effectual biting' of the rope. Similarly
we may provide weights (G) (or springs) for giving a definite tilt to the levers.
s
Whilst we prefer each lever to be independent, we may arrange for them to be
held out of play by a frame or guard lying under the free ends of all the levers,
and carried by the chains.
Having thus 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 and desire to secure by Lotters Patent is :-
1: In safety appliances for mine cages and the like, the use of levers (A)

page_text: surrounding one of the usual guide ropes at one end, and connected at the opposite
end to the hoisting tackle, and mounted and operating, as set forth.
2; The lever (A) with 'eye' (D), as and for the purposes set forth.
Dah 00L 1 D110077
HENRY BURGESS,
EDWIN BURGESS,
WILLIAM BENNETT,
By John G. Wilson & Co.,
Agents, Manchester.
HENRY BURGESS,
EDWIN BURGESS,
WILLIAM BENNETT,
y John G. Wilson & Co.,
Agents, Manchester.