IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS IN WINDING FROM MINES IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Walker, of Eccleston, near Prescot, in the
County of Lancaster, Colliery Viewer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS IN WINDING FROM MINES,
Sealed the 10th August 1860, and dated the 28th February 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Walker at the
.. Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
: February 1860.
I, ROBERT WALKER, of Eccleston, near Prescot, in the County of Lan-
caster, Colliery Viewer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS IN WINDING FROM
MINES, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," to be
as follows:-
The object of this apparatus is to prevent accidents arising from overwind-
ing or raising the cage or other article to be wound too high. The apparatus
consists of a self-acting hook connected above to the winding rope or chain
and below to the cage or other article, the lower connection being by pre-
ference a bridle with an antifriction bowl. If the cage should be raised until
the hook comes on the head gear pulley, the connection between the cage and
the hook opens a spring catch forming part of the hook, and liberates the
cage, which is then caught by retaining palls or other apparatus of the usual
construction; by this means the accidents arising from the cage being drawn
over the head gear pulley are prevented.

page_text: A modification of my Invention consists in the use of two plates or bars, one
of which is connected to the winding-on chain or rope, and the other to the
cage; these bars are connected together by a shoulder, on one entering a
recess in the other; the two bars are held in contact by a spring. When this
apparatus is raised till it comes in contact with the head gear pulley, a spring
trigger is pressed against the projection, above referred to, and separates the
bars, thus liberating the cage; or the spring trigger can be acted upon by
coming against a projection attached to the head gear of the pit or other
fixture.
it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th August 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
WALKER, of Eccleston, near Prescot, in the County of Lancaster, Colliery
Viewer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Robert Walker, Her special licence that I, the said Robert
Walker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Robert, Walker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS, FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS IN WINDING FROM MINES, WHICH APPA-
RATUS 18 ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER SIMILAR. PURPOSES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert Walker, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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. 9%
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Walker, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
The object of this apparatus is to prevent accidents arising from overwind-
ing or raising the cage or other article to be wound too high. The apparatus
consists of a self-acting hook connected above to the winding rope or chain,
and below to the cage or other article to be raised. If the cage should be
raised until the hook comes on the head gear pulley, the connection between
the cage and the hook opens, a spring catch forming part of the hook, and
liberates the cage, which is then caught by retaining palls or other apparatus
of the usual construction; or my improvements may be so modified that the
.cage can be liberated by a spring catch coming against a projection attached
to the head gear of the pit or other fixture.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon:-
Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Figure 2 a side view, of one of my
improved self-acting disengaging hooks; Figures 3 and 4 are similar views of
another mode of constructing my improved hooks; Figures 5 and 6 are two
views, on a reduced scale, of part of a pit head, shewing the mode of applying
my improved hook to the cage of a colliery. In Figures 1 and 2, a is the
body of the hook, which is suspended by the swivel bridle 6 to the winding
rope or chain c, shewn in Figures 5 and 6; this winding rope or chain passes
in the usual manner over the head gear pulley d. The cage e is connected to
the book a by the bridle f, furnished with an antifriction bowl ; this bridle
is made with two eyes for the chains to which the cage is suspended; to the
hook a is hinged the catch h, which forms a portion of the hook; to this catch
are forged the projections h', which are acted upon by the spring i fixed to the
sbank of the hook a; this spring holds the catch h closed. To the other side
of the shank of the hook a is fixed the bracket j, which serves to hold the
hook a from the head gear pulley d when required, as shewn by dotted lines
in Figure 5. The mode of action is as follows:-When the cage e is rising,
the bridle hangs in the hook a, and the catch h is closed by the spring i, as
shewn in Figures 1 and 5; but if, owing to the neglect of the engine driver, or
from any other cause, the cage should be raised until the bracket j, fixed to
the shank of the hook a, comes against the head gear pulley d, as shewn by
dotted lines in Figure 5, then the antifriction bowl g in the bridle f, bearing
on the catch h, causes the catch to open and to disengage the cage from the
hook; when the cage is thus disconnected from the hook it is caught by the
retaining palls 1, shown in Figure 6, or by any other suitable apparatus,

page_text: whereby it is prevented descending the pit. By means of this improved appa-
ratus the accidents arising from overwinding or drawing the cage over the
head gear pulley, are avoided.
Figures 3 and 4 represent a modification of my improved self-acting dis-
engaging hooks; in this case the lower end of the spring catch 'm fits in a
hole in the hook a, and to the upper part of the catch m is fixed the projection
j, answering the purpose of the bracket j, in Figure 1. When the cage has
been raised until the projection ; comes against the head gear pulley d, the
hook a is held in a slanting position, as shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 5,
and the antifriction bowl g in the bridle f is thus at liberty to drop out of
the hook a to liberate the cage, which is caught by the retaining palls, as
before described.
I wish also to remark that the liberation of the cage may be effected in the
following manner, which is a modification of my Invention, and consists in the
use of two plates or bars, one of which is connected to the winding-on chain
or rope, and the other to the cage; these bars are connected together by a
shoulder on one entering a recess in the other; the two bars are held in
contact by a spring; when this apparatus is raised until it comes in contact
with the head gear pulley, or against a projection attached to the head
the pit or other fixture, a spring catch is pressed against the projection, above
referred to, and separates the bars, thus liberating the cage.
gear
of
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, as applied to a coal mine, I wish to remark that my
improvements are equally applicable to other mines and in other places, wliere
winding gear is employed; and I declare that I claim,―
First, the improved self-acting disengaging hooks or apparatus, as shown and
as described, or any modification of the same.
And, secondly, the application of an antifriction roller or rollers to the
bridles of disengaging hooks, as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Walker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
ROBT. WALKER. (L.S.)