IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO HOISTS AND, OTHER APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR RAISING AND LOWERING WEIGHTS, DESIGNED AS A PROVISION AGAINST ACCIDENTS TO WHICH SUCH APPARATUS OR MACHINERY IS LIABLE
Year: 1858

page_text: (This Invention received Provisional Protection, but notice to proceed with the
application for Letters Patent was not given within the time-prescribed
by the Act.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Adam Woodward and William
Carter Stafford Percy at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 5th February 1858.
We, ADAM WOODWARD, Engineer, and WILLIAM CARTER STAFFORD PERCY,
Machinist, both of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE
TO HOISTS AND, OTHER APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR RAISING AND LOWERING
WEIGHTS, DESIGNED AS A PROVISION AGAINST ACCIDENTS TO WHICH SUCH APPARATUS
OR MACHINERY IS LIABLE," to be as follows:-
Firstly, the Invention relates to hoists or machinery, and arrangements for
raising and lowering weights generally employed in warehouses, manufactories,
and mines, and its object is to prevent the descent of the box or.cage of the
hoist and balance weight when the rope or chain employed to raise or lower
the box or cage happens to break; and this part of our Invention consists in
certain arrangements and combinations of mechanism attached to the box or
cage and balance weight of hoists, viz., a series of levers arranged so that
when moved in one direction they will cause friction blocks to grip or press
firmly against the guides upon which the box or cage or balance weight slides,
and when moved in the other direction, will withdraw the, friction blocks from
the guides. These levers are fixed on a beam or frame, and the rope or chain
is attached to the end of the lever or levers, and the box, cage, or balance
weight is suspended on the levers. The action is this, when the rope or chain
is tightened, or the weight of the cage or box is sustained by the rope or
chain, the levers are lifted and withdraw the friction blocks from the guides,
and when the rope or chain is slack, or when it is broken, the, lever or levers.

page_text: are free, and a spring or springs act on the lever or levers to bring the friction
blocks against the guides, and the weight of the box or cage and its contents
act also on the lever or levers, and thus force the friction blocks firmly against
the guides; the greater the weight in the box or cage, and greater is the
pressure of the friction blocks on the guides, which hold sufficiently firm to
prevent the descent of the box, cage, or balance weight.
Secondly, the Invention relates to the machinery, which gives motion to the
rope or chain for raising and lowering the box or cage of hoists, and to other
means of raising and lowering weights when the machinery is actuated by
power and by belts; the object of this part of our Invention being to provide
against the breakage of the driving belt or belts, which, without the application
of arrangements having the same object as those forming this part of our
Invention, would leave the machinery uncontrolled, and would allow the box,
cage, or weight to descend with such rapidity as might cause considerable
damage. This part of our Invention consists in arranging a brake to be
actuated by a lever, its end having a friction pulley upon it that rests on the
driving belt, which thus holds the lever up and prevents it acting on the brake
pulley, but should the driving belt break, or get off the driving pulleys, the
end of the lever will fall and act on the brake pulley which is on the shaft (or
on one geered with it) that gives motion to the rope or chain employed to
lift the box, cage, or other weight, consequently the box, cage, or weight is
prevented from descending.
Thirdly, this Invention relates to the machinery which gives motion to the
rope or chain for raising and lowering the box or cage of hoists, and which is
also applicable to cranes and similar machinery; the object of this part of our
Invention being to provide against any accident, leaving the machinery un-
controlled, and this part of our Invention consists in applying a brake, the
brake pulley being on the chain or rope shaft, or on one connected with it,
and in connecting the lever of this brake with mechanism which, when
rotated by being geered with the brake pulley shaft, or any other. shaft in
connection with it, will create a movement by centrifugal force, so that whicn
the speed exceeds a velocity fixed upon the movement created by the extra
centrifugal force will apply the brake and diminish the velocity of the
descending weight. The mechanism employed for actuating the brake is the
ordinary "governor or conical pendulum, or its equivalents.
"