IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM USED FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS WHEN RAISING OR LOWERING SKIPS, BASKETS, OR APPARATUS PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO MINES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bennetts, of Tuckingmill, in the County of
Cornwall, Workman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM
USED FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS WHEN RAISING OR LOWERING SKIPS, BASKETS,
OR APPARATUS PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO MINES."
Sealed the 12th July 1859, and dated the-13th January 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. William Bennetts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th January 1859.
-
I, WILLIAM BENNETTS, of Tuckingmill, in the County of Cornwall, Work-
5 man, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
'IN MECHANISM USED FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS WHEN RAISING OR LOWERING
SKIPS, BASKETS, OR APPARATUS PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO MINES," to be as
follows:
This Invention has for its object improvements in mechanism used for
O preventing accidents when raising or lowering skips, baskets, or apparatus.
For these purposes, in order to prevent accident in the event of the chain or
rope breaking, the skip, basket, or apparatus used is suspended or connected
in such manner that immediately a breakage takes place two projections

page_text: which move on axes are pressed outwards by springs against the wood framings,
and so as to retard and arrest the downward movement of the skip, basket, or
other apparatus. The arrangements of these projecting instruments, which
move on axes, and are pressed out by springs, may be somewhat varied, but in
all cases the projecting instruments are held from projecting outwards by the
tackle by which the skip, basket, or apparatus is suspended. In one arrange-
ment the projecting instruments are at the ends of two levers, to the upper
ends of which the chain or rope is attached the lower ends of such levers
having springs applied thereto, with a tendency to force out those ends when
permitted so to do by the breaking of the chain or rope, but so long as the
chain or rope remains unbroken the weight of the skip keeps the springs
pressed back, and the retarding instruments held out of action; or the pro-
jecting instruments may be levers on axes arranged in such manner as to be
kept pressed down by connecting rods or links, so as to compress the springs
so long as the skip, basket, or apparatus is suspended.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Bennetts in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th July 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BENNETTS, of Tuckingmill, in the County of Cornwall, Workman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of January, 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 William Bennetts, Her special licence that I, the said William Bennetts, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Bennetts, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MECHANISM USED FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS WHEN RAISING OR LOWERING
SKIPS, BASKETS, OR APPARATUS PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO MINES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Bennetts, my, executors

page_text: 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 per-
formed, 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 William Bennetts, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:―
This Invention has for its object improvements in mechanism used for
preventing 'accidents when raising or lowering skips, baskets, or apparatus.
For these purposes, in order to prevent accident in the event of the chain or
rope breaking; the skip, basket, or apparatus used is suspended or connected
in such manner that immediately a breakage takes place two projections
which move on axes are pressed outwards by springs against the wood
framings, and so as to retard and arrest the downward movement of the skip,
basket, or other apparatus. The arrangements of these projecting instruments,
which move on axes, and are pressed out by springs, may be somewhat varied,
but in all cases the projecting instruments are held from projecting outwards
by the tackle by which the skip, basket, or apparatus is suspended. In one
arrangement the projecting instruments are at the ends of two levers, to the
upper ends of which the chain or rope is attached, the lower ends of such
levers having springs applied thereto, with a tendency to force out those ends
when permitted so to do by the breaking of the chain or rope, but so long as
the chain or rope remains unbroken the weight of the skip keeps the springs
pressed back, and the retarding instruments held out of action; or the pro-
jecting instruments may be levers on axes, arranged in such manner as to be
kept pressed down by connecting rods or links, so as to compress the springs
so long as the skip, basket, or apparatus is suspended..
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
Figures and 2 snew respective a front view. and side view of a skip,
waggon, basket, or bucket,. combined with apparatus: for retarding or pre-
venting it from falling in case the chain with which it is lifted. breaks.
A

page_text: shows the wood frame or skip road as used at present for mine shafts or
pits; B is the skip; waggon, basket, or bucket for drawing the stuff; C is the
better or link for connecting chain with bow; D is a hollow link with catch
at the lower end; E is a solid link passing through D, and connected at C
with catch at other end corresponding with D; these two links forming the
drawing bow; F, F, are two springs acting against catches at lower end of D
and E, for the purpose of forcing them against the frame A in case of
breakage of the chain or rope, the drawing links being much heavier in the
upper part than at the catch, it is evident that immediately on the breakage-of
the chain or rope the top part of the links will fall, causing the catches to
strike against the frame, and so prevent the skip from falling.
!,་
Figure 3 shows the adaptation of the principle to a-skip-where the, frame or
road is not in the centre. I is a rod connecting drawing link D with catch I
by the joint J, the link E having a corresponding rod and catch on the other
side of skip. In case of breakage of the chain or rope the link D falls, as
before stated, and draws up the rod H and with it the catch I, which strikes
against the frame A, and so prevents the falling of the skip.......
Figures 4 and 5 show respectively. a, front view and side view of another
arrangement of apparatus constructed on the same principle. In this arrange-
ment the drawing bow D is made in one piece with long cheeks, and connected
with the skip B by the pin S through the slot I, the slot I being sufficiently
long to allow the bow D to drop, in case of breakage of chain or rope; E is
'the sustaining link, having one end attached to the bow D by pin S, and the
other end to catch H; F is a connecting rod-having one end.attached to the
link E, the other end passing through the spiral spring G; and actuated
'thereby; G is a spiral spring at the bottom of the skip for actuating the catch
H by means of the rod F. Now it is evident that whilst the drawing chain or
rope remains unbroken the pin S is kept at the top of the slot I; and the link
being attached. to pin S draws up the rod F, and keeps the catch-H out of
action, the spring G in the meanwhile being compressed-by--the drawing
power. In case of breakage of the chain or rope, the spring-G being in full
action, and rod F connected with catch H, it is 'evident that the catch H, with
the corresponding one on other side of skip will be thrown against the
wood frame A, drawing the guides 0, 0, against the back of frame, and so
preventing the descent of the skip. It will be seen that the catches work on
the same axle as the wheel on the inside. The springs G'are similar to those
used in the buffers of railway carriages, and have been proved to bear the
greatest amount of work.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to any
of the mechanical parts separately; but what I claim are the combinations
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bennetts, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
WILLIAM BENNETTS. (L.S.)