An Improved Automatic Safety Brake for Cages used in. Shafts of Mines and in Warehouses, Hotels, and other Buildings.
Year: 1898

page_text: סייה
New Zealand),
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 20th Apr., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 20th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 6th Aug.,
1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Automatic Safety Brake for Cages used in. Shafts of
Mines and in Warehouses, Hotels, and other Buildings.
We, THEODORE BERNARD JACOBSEN, Architect, and HENRY RABE, Mine Manager,
both of Thames, in the Provincial District of Auckland, and Colony of New
Zealand, 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: -
This improvement is applicable to and is for use in the ordinary form of cage
now used in mine shafts, warehouses, and other buildings and is designed to give
absolute security to miners and others who have to go in such cages, so that in the
event of the haulage rope or chain breaking from any cause whatever or being
slackened while the cage is travelling up or down, the brakes hereunder described
will at once be forced into the guides and so hold the cage suspended and prevent
any accident happening to those in the cage or to those who may happen to be
beneath it.
The improvement consists of a false and movable bottom placed above the true
bottom inside the cage and attached to an inner frame working on the inside of the
frame of the cage, which has a roof to it to which is coupled the haulage chain or
rope. Beneath the centre of the false bottom a spindle is fixed which has two or
more brakes attached to and working on it, the lower ends of these brakes rest in
openings at the bottom of the cage and when the false bottom drops, through the
slackening or breaking of the haulage rope or chain, they shoot out and jam into
the guides on which the cage works and thereby hold it suspended. Two springs
are used to steady the false bottom and to pull it down when the rope or chain
slackens or breaks so as to expedite the shooting out of the brakes, a spindle may
also be fixed to the under part of the roof of the inner frame with brakes attached
to and working on it similarly to the brakes under the false bottom.
The accompanying drawings show four figures which explain the foregoing
description more fully.
Identical parts in the four figures are marked with the same letters as indicated
on the drawings.
Figure 1 is a vertical section showing the parts A false or movable bottom,
B brakes, C spindle, D springs, E guides, F openings in frame of cage for brakes to
shoot out of, G slippers attached to inner or sliding frame which overlap the guides E
and keep the cage in position and steady it, H metal plates connected to the
CD R1

page_text: openings F to strengthen them J true bottom of the cage, K frame of cage,
L brackets for thrust of springs 1) and to check descent of false bottom A,
M bolts to secure springs D to spindle C, 0 pin for coupling chain to top piece P
on roof R of inner frame of cage, P top piece fastened to roof R of inner frame of
cage, R roof of inner frame of cage, and S cleats for preventing false bottom A
from rising, and inner frame from being drawn out of the frame K of cage.
Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the parts A, B, C, F, G, H, J, K, L, N iron
flaps from roof R to top of frame K, O, P, and R.
Figure 3 is a plan of the brakes showing B brakes and C spindle.
Figure 4 is a cross section below the false bottom showing the parts A, B, C, D,
F, J, L, and M.
The false and movable bottom A is made of iron or other suitable metal and
is placed above the true bottom J inside the cage at such a distance as to allow
room for the brake or brakes B to act. Metal cleats S are fastened to the sides
of the frame K about two inches above the false bottom A to prevent it from rising
higher and to prevent the inner frame from being drawn out by the haulage
rope or chain from the frame K of the cage. The spindle C is fastened to the
under part of the false bottom A in the centre by two lugs at right angles to the
ends next to the guides E. The brakes B are made of solid metal sufficiently strong
to stand the strain put upon them, which metal can be of any kind and size found
to be suitable for the purpose; the upper ends of the brakes B are made round and
flat with holes in their centres so that they may fit close together round the spindle C,
the other or lower ends rest in openings F in the frame K of the cage level
with the true bottom J and are more or less flattened out to an edge. The brakes B
are fixed to the spindle C in pairs with their upper ends close together but with
their lower ends pointing to opposite sides of the cage, as shown on Figure 1 of the
drawings, so that the pressure on them is equally divided.
The haulage rope or chain is coupled by a pin O to the top piece P fastened to
the roof R of the inner or sliding frame which frame slides up and down the frame Kof
the cage sufficiently to give the false bottom all the play it requires. Slippers G
are attached to the inner frame which overlap the guides E fixed in the shaft or
pit and tend to keep the cage in position and to steady it. When the rope or
chain is tightened the false bottom A rises to and presses against the cleats S which
keep it from rising higher, this action brings the brakes B up to an angle which
keeps their points inside the openings F in the frame K of the cage so that it, the
cage, can ascend or descend as required.
When the strain of the haulage rope or chain is slackened or should it be broken
either purposely or by accident the false bottom A by the pull of the springs D
together with its own weight drops, and the lower ends of the brakes 1 shoot
out from the cage through the openings F provided for that purpose and strike
into the guides E on the sides of the shaft or pit of building in which it works
so that the cage is at once stopped in its descent. Two brackets L are fixed to
the frame K at points beneath the false bottom A for the purpose of preventing it
falling too far and from reaching and passing the point of greatest elongation;
these brackets L are also fixed for the purpose of receiving the thrust of the
springs D.
Plates of metal H of sufficient strength are let into and around the
openings F and connected to the frame work K of the cage so that when
the brakes B press against them they with the brakes B sustain the whole weight of
the cage.
Two springs Dare suspended beneath the false bottom A, one on each side of the
brakes B, and are hung to the spindle C by two bolts M. also one on each side of
the brakes B, the two ends of the springs D thrust against the under sides of the
brackets L fixed beneath the false bottom A to the frame K of the cage. The
purpose of the springs D is to steady the starting of the upward and downward
movements of the false bottom A and further and mainly to pull the false bottom A
down sufficiently to force the brakes B to shoot out through the openings F into the

page_text: guides E should the haulage rope or chain by any means become slackened or
broken.
When the haulage rope or chain is again tightened the false bottom A resumes
the position before described and as it rises draws the points of the brakes B inside
the openings F in the frame K of the cage so that it can either be lifted or lowered
as required.
Additional brakes B are placed in the upper part of the cage and secured by a
spindle C under and to the roof R of the inner and sliding frame which act in the
same way as the lower brakes B, already described, on the false bottom A dropping.
These top brakes B can be dispensed with or used alone, in which case the bottom
brakes will not be fitted, or both sets of brakes B can be used as shown on
Figures 1 and 2 on the accompanying drawings.
Å bar can be fixed to one side of the frame K next to one of the guides E and
carried across to the other side of the frame K next to the opposite guide E at about
five feet up from the false bottom A in which case clips will be used to fasten
the bar to the frame K which will stand out from it so as to give room for the
inner and sliding frame to work on the frame K, this bar if fitted is intended for
stacking timber against and to facilitate the carriage of other loads. Hand rails
may also be fixed to the inner sides of the frame K for the convenience of miners
and others using the cage.
The improvements comprised in this invention consist of the false bottom A
with spindle attachment C, the brakes 13 working on the spindle C, the openings F
in which the lower ends of the brakes B rest and through which they shoot into
the guides E, the inner or sliding frame having the false or movable bottom A
connected to it, the spindle C attached to the under part of the roof R and the
brakes B working on it, the cleats S attached to the frame K for checking the
upward movement of the false bottom A, the brackets L-for preventing the brakes B
from reaching and passing the point of greatest elongation and the springs D for
pulling down the false bottom A until the brakes B shoot out into the guides E.
Iron or other suitable metal is used in the construction of the different parts
before described but the inventors do not confine themselves to its use as hard wood
or any other material adaptable for the purpose can be used.
No measurements are given herein as they will vary according to the sizes of the
cages and the shafts and pits in which they have to work.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
-
First. A the false or movable bottom, C the spindle attached to the under part of
the false or movable bottom A and C the spindle attached to the under part of
the roof R, B the brakes working on the spindles C; as described herein and as
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Second. The combination of the parts A false or movable bottom, B brakes,
C spindles, D springs, F openings for brakes, G slippers, H metal plates to openings,
J true bottom, K iron frame of cage, L brackets, M. bolts to secure springs D,
O coupling pin to top piece P on roof R, P top piece on roof R, R roof to inner
frame and S cleats; as described herein for the purposes set forth and as illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of April 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.O.,
Agents for the Applicants.