Lamp Stations and Stations or Harbours of Refuge for Mines.
Year: 1886

page_text: Lamp Stations and Stations or Harbours of Refuge for Mines.
I, HERBERT KIRKHOUSE, of Tylorstown, Pontypridd, in the County of
Glamorgan, Mining Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide coal and other mines with stations or
harbours of refuge to which fresh air is supplied, and to which in case of explosions
or any defect or failure of the ventilation, the workmen or other persons in the
mines may retreat, while when required lamps may be opened and lighted or
trimmed in such stations with perfect safety.
The stations consist of air-tight compartments of masonry, steel, iron, or any
other material that can be made practically air-tight and sufficiently strong to
resist high pressure, both external and internal; and to such compartments fresh
compressed air (preferably at a higher pressure than that of the colliery or mine) is
supplied, the air being conveyed by tubes or pipes of wrought or cast iron or other
suitable material, from the surface or any part of the mine where fresh air can be
obtained, to the stations or compartments, which are arranged at suitable points in
the various districts or workings.
The openings or ways into the compartments will be through a series of doors or
manholes, so that by closing the same the compartment will be cut off from the
mine, the doors or covers for the openings being constructed of steel, iron, wood, or
other suitable material capable of resisting any great pressure or sudden force, and
made to close practically air-tight; or if desired the manholes may be made com-
paratively small, and sufficient pressure be maintained within the compartments,
to ensure the air escaping through such manholes preventing the entrance of all
gases etc.
Each compartment or station will be provided with a separate intake or air
supply pipe, and an outlet valve or valves, or other means which will regulate the
pressure as required, and act as safety or blow-off valves.
The stations or refuges can be provided with water tanks and provisions.
Lamps can be lit in the compartments in the interior of the workings of the
mine, thus avoiding all danger from the exposure of naked lights, and obviating
the dangerous necessity of having to convey the lamps to distant lamp stations
when requiring to be trimmed or relit.
Further, in case of explosions the miners could retreat to the refuges or stations,
and so remain in safety until rescued or all danger has passed.
T
1
1000

page_text: Lamp Stations and Stations or Harbours of Refuge for Mines.
I, HERBERT KIRKHOUSE, of Tylorstown, Pontypridd, in the County of
Glamorgan, Mining Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide coal and other mines with stations or
harbours of refuge to which fresh air is supplied from surface or other part
separately from colliery ventilation, and to which in case of explosions or any
defect or failure of the ventilation, the workmen or other persons in the mines may
retreat, while when required lamps may be opened and lighted or trimmed in such
stations with perfect safety.
The stations consist of air-tight compartments of masonry, steel, iron, or any
other material that can be made practically air-tight and sufficiently strong to
resist high pressure, both external and internal; and to such compartments fresh
compressed air (preferably at a higher pressure than that of the colliery or mine) is
supplied, the air being conveyed by tubes or pipes of wrought or cast iron or other
suitable material, from the surface or any part of the mine where fresh air can be
obtained, to the stations or compartments, which are arranged at suitable points in
the various districts or workings.
The openings or ways into the compartments will be through a series of doors or
manholes, so that by closing the same the compartment will be cut off from the
mine, the doors or covers for the openings being constructed of steel, iron, wood, or
other suitable material capable of resisting any great pressure or sudden force, and
made to close practically air-tight; or if desired the manholes may be made com-
paratively small, and sufficient pressure be maintained within the compartiment,
to ensure the air escaping through such manholes preventing the entrance of all
gases, etc.
Each compartment or station will be provided with a separate intake or air
supply pipe, and an outlet valve or valves, or other means which will regulate the
pressure as required.
The stations or refuges can be provided with water tanks and provisions.
Lamps can be lit in the compartments in the interior of the workings of the
mine, thus avoiding all danger from the exposure of naked lights, and obviating
the dangerous necessity of having to convey the lamps to distant lamp stations
when requiring to be trimmed or relit.
Further, in case of explosions or any defect or failure in the ventilation, the
miners could retreat to the refuges or stations, and so remain in safety until rescued
or all danger has passed.
In cases where the stratification of the mine or colliery is of a nature to permit
of the formation of air-tight compartments therein, the stations or refuges may be
cut out of the earth itself, instead of being built up in the workings or districts,
but provision must always be made for supplying fresh air to and regulating the
pressure in such compartments.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
The employment in collieries or mines of compartments, air-tight or otherwise,
for the purpose of providing stations or harbours of refuge, and also for enabling
lamps to be lit or trimmed in the interior of the workings or districts of such
collieries or mines without danger, air being supplied to such compartments by
means of suitable pipes or tubes, all substantially as herein specified.
Dated this 25th day of October 1886