Improvements relating to Colliery and other Winding Engines for Preventing "Overwinding " and the Starting thereof in the Wrong Direction.
Year: 1889

page_text: Improvements relating to Colliery and other Winding Engines
for Preventing "Overwinding " and the Starting thereof in
the Wrong Direction.
I, THOMAS SMITH, of 74, Cyprus Road, Bootle-cum-Linacre, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
In the Specification of my former Letters Patent dated the 12th of March 1887
and numbered 3769, I described a form of apparatus for preventing overwinding by
colliery and other winding engines and also for the prevention of their being started
in the wrong direction. My present invention consists in certain modifications or
adjuncts to apparatus operating according to the manner set forth in that Specification,
whereby improve the capabilities of the apparatus for the object intended, and
render it more useful and sensitive under certain circumstances, as I will now describe.
reference being had to the accompanying drawings. In these drawings Figure 1
is an elevation of the apparatus: Figure 2 is a plan of same, and Figure 3 is an
elevation of the reverse side of the apparatus to that shown in Figure 1; Figure 4
is a detail of the apparatus showing a certain part in a certain position: Figure 5
illustrates the present improvements applied to the brake mechanisin. The apparatus
is generally constructed and arranged as described in my previous specification
above referred to (with the exception of the part referring to Figure 7): I will
therefore describe only the modifications or adjuncts shown in the drawings, the
letters of reference used herein being the same as those used in my former
specification for the same parts therein.
According to my former Patent when the cage or its equivalent would be at, say
the pit mouth of a colliery, the reversing lever C would be in its central position and
steam cut off, it having been brought there by the wedge piece b1, but when it was
required to give the cage a little more travel, as described in my former specification.
for my particular purpose, it could be done by the operator raising the catch out of
the notch 62 in the wedge piece and moving it towards a stop e, and when the requisite
movement had been given, the steam could be cut off again by the operator, or it
would be done automatically by the wedge and its stop c; now in my present invention
I provide means by which full or nearly full steam may be given the engine and
then as soon as the limit of travel of the cage or its equivalent is reached, the reversing
lever or mechanism is automatically and instantly thrown to dead centre, or
beyond if required, so that under no circumstances can overwinding take place. This
means consists essentially of an escapement or releasing mechanism which allows .a
weight to fall or a spring or equivalent power to act and in so acting throws over
the reversing gear, its actuation being effected by the movement of the wedge
pieces 1.
even
The example of mechanism illustrated, whereby this end is effected. is a trigger
mechanism operated by a weight and consists of a slide S working in and guided by a
fixed
slotted guide T; designates the slot (said guide forming part of the
quadrant A"); a catch bar U having a catch and adapted to rest and slide on the
notch plate or segment A', and connected at its other end to the trigger U; a catch V
mounted on the shaft or spindle with which said trigger is engaged and disengaged;
a weight W fixed on the shaft ; and a lever X mounted on the shaft and con-
nected to the back plate $1 of the slide S, by the rod X'. To actuate this mechanism
a stud (which is adjustable and equivalent to the stone in mysaid former specification)
is provided on the wedge blocks or pieces 61 and on the side next the fixed quadrant A,
so that its path lies in the same vertical plane as the catch u: it is seen clearly in
Figures 3 and 4

page_text: I have described one escapement device, but of course one is provided on each side,
as shown in connection with each wedge piece.
The operation of this mechanism is as follows:-When at the end of the pit's
mouth (or other equivalent position) it is desired to move the cage or its equivalent
a small distancefurther in the same direction, the catch 2 of the reversing lever C
is lifted out of the notch be of the wedge (the lever C and wedge piece having been
previously brought to the central position of the quadrant and steam cut off as will
be understood) and is pressed, towards the back thereof, i... towards the stop cas
shown in Figure 4. Now in this position of the lever C of course the engine will
be given more steam and will cause it to move in the same direction it did when
bringing up the wedge piece, thereby giving the cage a further movement (lift
or lower as the case may be) beyond its normal limit of travel. By this movement
the wedge piece b¹ moves further towards the central or neutral notch, and this
movement will continue until the stud e strikes the catch; But as soon as the stud
moves the catch u, it disengages the trigger from the catch V. whereupon the
weight W is allowed to come into action, the result of which is, that the slide S
through the lever X and rod X', is instantly thrown upwards and towards the central
or neutral notch, and its end coming in contact with the lever C throws it back to
the central or neutral notch or position, and the steam is consequently quickly and
automatically cut off once more. ;
To aid the stopping of the engine the brake gear may he connected to the
escapement mechanism. This is done by providing levers 1 (showing in dotted lines in
Figure 1 and in full lines in Figures 2 and 5) on the shaft and other gear to be
presently described.
The brake mechanism generally is the same as that set forth in my former Patent
Specification, and the mechanism I am now about to describe constitutes an adjunct
to that mechanism.
The levers 1 communicate their motion to the brake lever H by means of the
rods 2, 2, the bar 3, and the rod 4; and these rods are provided at their ends
with slots (which work over pins in the bar 3 and the lever H) so that the
quadrant J, lever H and the brake cylinder, may be operated just as described in
my said former specification, and without interfering with the action of the escape-
ment mechanism above set forth with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4. The
action is, that when a weight W is released the rods move in the direction of the
arrows, and pull the brake lever forward, and so admit steam to the brake cylinder G.
the brake being thus applied.
It will be seen that the brake action together with the simultaneous shutting off
of the steam by the escapement mechanism above described, would cause the engines
to stop almost instantly and before any overwinding could take place.
'As regards the preventing of the engine being started in the wrong direction,
the mechanism described herein and in my said former specification render this
practically impossible.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
!
1. The herein described improvement in connection with colliery and other like
winding engines, having means for preventing overwinding, that is to say, means
or mechanism, operated by or through the engine, adapted to operate, and constructed
in such a manner, that when the cage or other object has arrived at its normal or
ordinary limit, and steam has been cut off automatically, and steam then subsequently
given to the engine to move the cage or other object a certain distance more, such
means or mechanism is acted upon by a weight, or spring, or other equivalent
power, and is thereby put in operation, and the reversing lever or other equivalent
gear thereby operated, and the steam quickly and automatically cut off.
2. As a means for actuating the reversing lever or other controlling mechanism
of colliery and other winding engines, when an extra lift or movement as specified is

page_text: given a cage or other object, an escapement or releasing mechanism operated after
the manner herein described; and also the mechanisms substantially as set forth with
reference to the drawings, for the purposes specified.
3. The combination of mechanism such as specified in claim I, and means or
mechanism operating in connection with the brake of said engines, substantially as
set forth; and also the combination of the said mechanisms herein described with
reference to the drawings.
Dated this 16th day of September 1889
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.