IMPROVEMENTS IN SAPETY CAGES FOR MINES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Buxton, of Staveley, in the County of
Derby, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAPETY CAGES FOR
MINES."
Sealed the 3rd September 1860, and dated the 6th March 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Buxton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
March 1860.
I, WILLIAM BUXTON, of Staveley, in the County of Derby, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY CAGES
FOR MINES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to prevent accidents in mine shafts by
arresting the cage when the rope or chains break, or in any case when the
cage becomes detached from the raising or lowering agent.
The arresting apparatus consists of two levers bolted to the floor of the cage
on both sides thereof, with springs for drawing the inner arms of the levers
towards a horizontal line when they are not held down by chains connected to
the outer and shorter arms of the levers; the chains are also attached to the
raising and lowering chain, belt, or rope. The arresting levers are so placed
on the cage as to have one of the conductors extending from the top to the

page_text: .bottom of the shaft between them on both sides of the cage. When the
raising and lowering chain, belt, or rope is tight, the arresting levers are
held by their chains free of the conductors, but should it break or become
slack, the springs raise the inner arms of the arresting levers, bring them in
contact simutaneously with the two conductors, and thus arrest and hold the
cage from descending.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Buxton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BUXTON, of Staveley, in the County of Derby, send greeting.
WHEREAS. Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing-date the Sixth day of March, 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 William Buxton, Her special licence that I, the said William Buxton;
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Buxton, 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." IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SAFETY CAGES FOR MINES," upon the condition, (amongst others) that I,
the said William Buxton, my executors 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 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Buxton, 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 fol-
lowing statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
The object of this Invention is to prevent accidents in- mine shafts by

page_text: arresting the cage when the rope or chains break, or in any case when the,
cage becomes detached from the raising or lowering agent.
The arresting apparatus consists of two levers bolted to the floor of the,
cage on both sides thereof, with springs for drawing the inner arms of the
levers towards a horizontal line when they are not held-down by chains con-
nected to the outer and shorter arms of the levers; the chains aro also attached.
to the raising and lowering chain, belt, or rope. The arresting levers are so
placed on the cage as to bave one, of the conductors extending from the top to
the bottom of the shaft between them on both sides of the cage as to have one
of the conductors extending from the top to the bottom of the shaft between
them on both sides of the cage. When the raising and lowering chain, belt,
or rope is tight, the arresting levers are held by their chains free of the con-
ductors, but should it break or become slack, the springs raise the inner arms
of the arresting levers, bring them in contact simultaneously with the two
conductors, and thus arrest and hold the cage from descending.
In the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 is a plan, Figure 2 a side
elevation, and Figure 3 an end elevation, of a safety cage with my Invention
applied thereto. A, A, is the framework of the cage; B, B, is an iron guard
bolted to the top of the cage; C, C, aro the drawing chains and rope; D, D,
are light chains attached to the levers E, and to the drawing chains C, C;
E, E, are arresting levers, bolted to the floor of the cage I, I, having free
vertical movement; F, F, are springs pinned upon the axis which carries the
levers E, E, to the inner and long end of which they are loosely connected by
light chains; G, G, are the conductors extending from the top to the bottom of
the shaft; II, H, are slides or slippers working upon the conductors; I, I, is
the floor of the cage.
When the cage is in a state of suspension the chains D, D, are tight, and
the inner ends of the levers E, E, are depressed into the position shewn by the
dotted lines, but when the drawing chains become slack by reason of the rope
or chains breaking, the ends of the levers E, E, are thrust against the con-
ductors G, G, by the force of the springs F, F. The friction which then takes
place between the levers and conductors is such as to force the levers towards
a horizontal position, and thus the cage is securely wedged directly the
chains become loose. The levers may be fitted with spikes to pierce the con-
ductors.
The Drawings show the apparatus fitted to a cage working upon wooden
conductors; but the Invention may be applied in cases where round rope or
iron conductors are used, a slight modification only being required in the form

page_text: of the ends of the levers. The force resulting in the wedge-like action of any.
one lever is balanced by the power of that on the opposite side, and thus no,
displacement of the conductor takes place.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I'declare that I claim, the employment in.
safety cages for mines, of arresting levers and springs and chains connected.
therewith, essentially in manner and for the purpose herein-before described..
In witness' whereof, I, the said William Buxton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty.
WILLIAM BUXTON. (L.S.)