AN IMPROVED CAPSTAN AND WINCH FOR PURCHASING OR RAISING SHIPS' ANCHORS WITHOUT THE APPLICATION OF A MESSENGER, IN WHICH THERE IS NO FLEETING OR SURGING, AND FOR RAISING COALS AND OTHER ARTICLES AND THINGS OUT OF COAL AND OTHER MINES, AND ALSO FOR DRAWING AND WORKING ON RAILWAYS WITH DRAWING PULLEYS WITH FLAT OR ROUND ROPES
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
PRATT, of South Hylton, in the County of Durham, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-third day of February, in the second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Pratt, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Thomas Pratt, my exors, admors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Thomas Pratt, my exors, adñiors, or assigns,
should. at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVED CAPSTAN AND WINCH
FOR PURCHASING OR RAISING SHIPS' ANCHORS WITHOUT THE APPLICATION OF A
MESSENGER, IN WHICH THERE IS NO FLEETING OR SURGING, AND FOR RAISING
COALS AND OTHER ARTICLES AND THINGS OUT OF COAL AND OTHER MINES, AND
ALSO FOR DRAWING AND WORKING ON RAILWAYS WITH DRAWING PULLEYS WITH
FLAT OR ROUND ROPES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said Thomas Pratt, shall cause a particular description of the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be enrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in
part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Pratt, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say)-
My Invention relates,—
First, to an improved capstan, whereby the holding on of the cable by hand,
as heretofore practised (when a messenger is not used), is rendered unnecessary
by the application of certain additional apparatus, and whereby the surging of
the cable, heretofore so common, is avoided.
Secondly, my Invention relates to an improved winch, having apparatus
acting in a similar manner as that above mentioned applied thereto, and to
obtain a like beneficial result.
Thirdly, my Invention relates to an improved winch for raising coal and
other articles and things from mines.
Fourthly, my Invention relates to an improved construction of winch,
applied to drops for raising and lowering coal waggons; and,
Lastly, my Invention relates to an improved construction of winch for
drawing and working on railways with ropes.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a capstan constructed according to my Invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same. a represents the barrel of the capstan,
having at its lower part two grooved pulleys or surfaces b, c, formed therein,
one suitable for hempen cable, and the other suitable for chain cable.
d is a
cog wheel affixed to the lower end of the capstan. This wheel takes into and
drives another cog wheel e, which moves on a suitable spindle or axle, as
does also the capstan a, and parts connected therewith, as above described,
and as are clearly shown in the Drawing; but it has not been thought neces-
sary to show such spindles nor the pauls which are ordinarily used in capstans.
To the cog wheel e is affixed the barrel f, having two corresponding grooves
formed thereon to those on the capstan, one suitable for hempen cables, and
the other for chain cables, as is clearly shown in the Drawing, and the surfaces
b, b, and also the surfaces c, c, one so placed in respect to each other as to cause
the cable to be in contact with extensive portions of the pulley b, b, or c, c,
and thus produce the utmost extent of holding friction. g represents part of
a chain cable which it may be supposed is attached to an anchor, and that
it is being raised by the capstan moving in the direction of the arrow, the

page_text: Figure 4 is a
The Drawing
of surfaces or
consequence of which would be that the surface of the pulley or grooved
surface of the cylinder f being driven at equal speed with the corresponding
ground surface c of the capstan, the cable would be moved away as fast as
it was moved by the capstan, and at the same time there would be sufficient
holding of the surfaces c to prevent slipping or moving back or surging, and
such would also be the case in the event of a hempen cable being used in
the grooved or pulley surfaces b, b, and thus the trouble and danger of holding
on and drawing away of the slack of the cable by hand will be rendered
unnecessary. Figure 3 shews a front view of a winch, or as it sometimes is
called, a windlass, constructed according to my Invention.
transverse section, and Figure 5 is an end view of the same.
shows that this machine is so arranged as to have two sets
pulleys for hempen cable, and also two sets of surfaces or pulleys c suitably
arranged for chain cables; but this may be varied according to the desire of
the parties for whom it may be constructed. h is a driving shaft or axis
moved by two winch handles, as is shown in the Drawing. i, i, are pulleys
affixed on such axis for lifting any light weights, but the same have no relation
to my Invention, and may be applied or dispensed with. j is a pinion affixed
on the axis .h, and takes into and drives the cog wheel d, the axes of
these wheels moving in suitable bearings carried by the end framings;
and these axes have the pulleys b, b, and c, c, affixed thereto, and act
in a similar manner to what has been explained in respect to the capstan.
k is a friction band. Figure 6 shows my Invention as applied to the raising
of coals or other things from mines, and is so arranged that there is a
portion of the rope ascending and raising coals or other things, whilst the
other portion of the rope is descending. By this arrangement of winch
apparatus, not only is great advantage obtained by the means of the combined
using of grooved pulleys, but by the arrangement of rope, which is consequent
on the arrangement of pulleys, much less length of rope is required where a
double lift is at all times going on, for, owing to the holding of the pulleys b, b,
there will not be that waste of rope heretofore necessary where the same of
nécessity is wound and unwound from a barrel. In this arrangement a is the
driving axis, which receives motion from a steam engine or other power, and
on that axis is a cog wheel d, which takes into and drives the cog wheels c,
and b, b, are three pulleys, which are grooved similarly to those previously
described; and such is the arrangement that the holding of the surfaces b, in
respect to the rope, will be such that there will be slipping or movement of the
rope, except in moving with the surfaces of the pulleys b. And I would remark
that the surface speed of the pulleys should be equal whatever be the

page_text: diameter of the cog wheels which drive them. Figure 7 shows a like winch
apparatus applied to a drop for raising and lowering coal waggons, the parts
being marked with the same letters of reference indicate similar parts; but in
this case the weight of the drop and waggon is counterbalanced by the
weight 2. Figure 8 shows the application of a like winch apparatus to the
working of ropes on railways, and the parts are marked with like letters of
reference, and the Invention consists in employing the grooved wheels b, b,
driven by suitable cog wheels, and the axis a is the driving axis receiving
motion from a steam engine or other power.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would remark that I
lay no claim to the various parts separately, and some of the parts may be
varied without departing from my Invention. And I would have it understood
that what I claim as my Invention is, the mode of constructing capstans with
combined grooved pulleys or surfaces b, b, and c, c, as above described.
Secondly, I claim the mode of constructing winches (or windlasses) with
combined grooved pulleys or surfaces b, b, and c, c, as above described.
Thirdly, I claim the construction of the improved. winch shown at Figure 6,
for raising coals and other things from mines.
Fourthly, I claim the improved winch apparatus as applied to drops for
raising and lowering coal waggons, as described in respect to Figure 7.
And, lastly, I claim the winch apparatus, as described in respect to Figure 8,
for working ropes on railways.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Pratt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and thirty-nine.