IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED IN MOVING OR TRANSPORTING HEAVY BODIES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Anthony Hardcastle, of Newcastle-upon-
Tyne, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED
IN MOVING OR TRANSPORTING HEAVY BODIES."
Sealed the 23rd May 1871, and dated the 26th November 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Anthony
Hardcastle at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 26th November 1870.
I, ROBERT ANTHONY HARDCASTLE, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
TO BE USED IN MOVING OR TRANSPORTING HEAVY BODIES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the hauling of loaded or other vehicles, and
is more particularly applicable to the system of hauling employed in
the mining districts, wherein an endless rope or chain travels along a
double tramway and hauls the loaded trucks in one direction whilst
the empty ones are conveyed in the opposite direction.
According to this Invention it is proposed to fit into each truck or
into two or more coupled trucks a peculiar clip which shall grip firmly
the hauling rope or chain and release it again readily when required.
This clip may consist of two jaws working on the same or different

page_text: centres and both moveable, or one fixed and the other moveable. These
jaws are carried on a plate or frame which is fitted in any convenient
manner upon the end of the truck so as to be readily removeable therefrom.
I find the most convenient arrangement is to slot the plate or frame
and to fit it into a piece of T or angle iron which is secured to the truck
and has a notch made in it into which a pall or catch on the plate or
frame engages for the purpose of holding the latter securely. This pall
or catch may however be dispensed with if preferred. The hauling rope
or chain is guided over the clips so as to fall therein when the latter are
opened, which is effected by fixed inclined parallel bars pressing upon
the tails of the lever clips as they pass along them, the clips being then
caused to grip the rope or chain either by the action of the strain on the
rope itself or by a spring, or screw, or wedge, or levers. The rope or
chain is released when required by other inclined parallel bars acting
In order to ensure the
upon the lever clips as in the previous case.
coupling of the trucks to the hauling rope or chain at or about the
equal distances apart the truck just dispatched may be caused to strike
a signal which will warn the attendant to push forward the next truck.
and so on (or if preferred an indicator may be connected with the
sheaves which carry the rope or chain, and be caused to sound a signal
when the proper length has been run off.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Robert Anthony Hardcastle in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 26th May 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
ANTHONY HARDCASTLE, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Robert Anthony Hardcastle,
Her special licence that I, the said Robert Anthony Hardcastle, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Robert Anthony Hardcastle, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at

page_text: 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN: APPARATUS TO. BE USED IN
MOVING OR TRANSPORTING HEAVY BODIES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Robert Anthony Hardcastle, my executors or adminis.
trators, 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 Robert Anthony Hardcastle, 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 :—
This Invention relates to the hauling of loaded or other vehicles, and
is more particularly applicable to the system of hauling employed in
the mining districts, wherein an endless rope or chain travels along a
double tramway and hauls the loaded trucks in one direction whilst the
empty ones are conveyed in the opposite direction.
.
To carry out this Invention I fit onto each truck or onto two or.
more coupled trucks a peculiar clip, which shall grip firmly the hauling.
rope or chain and readily release it again when required. This clip
may consist of two jaws working on the same or different centres and
both moveable, or one fixed and the other moveable. These jaws are
carried on a plate or frame which is fitted in any convenient manner
upon the end of the truck so as to be readily removeable therefrom.
The hauling rope or chain is guided over the clips so as to fall therein
when the latter are opened, which is effected by fixed inclined parallel
bars pressing upon the tails of the lever clips as they pass along them,
the clips being then caused to grip the rope or chain either by the
action of the strain on the rope itself or by a spring, or screw, or wedge,
or levers. The rope or chain is released when required by other inclined
parallel bars acting upon the lever clips as in the previous casę.
order to ensure the coupling of the trucks to the hauling rope or chain
at or about equal distances apart the truck just dispatched may be
caused to strike a signal which will warn the attendant to push forward.
In

page_text: the next truck, and so on, or if preferred an indicator may be connected
with the sheaves which carry the rope or chain and be caused to sound
a signal when the proper length has been run off.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and incidentally referred to the manner in which the same
is to be performed or carried out in practice, I will now proceed to fully
and particularly describe and ascertain in what manner the same is to
be performed or carried out in practice by reference to the Drawings
accompanying these presents, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS,
"
Fig. 1, front view with detail of part hereafter referred to as f; Fig. 2,
section and with detail of said part f. a, plate or frame with slot a¹;
b, bolts; c, plate in front of clips; d, jaws centred on bolts b; e, spiral
spring pressing clips together; f, piece of H iron fastened to tram.
The operation of this mechanism is as follows:-The attendant places
the apparatus on the tram, the slot a¹ being inserted into the piece f fixed
to the tram, which serves as a guide and steadier, the tram is then pro-
pelled forward and the projecting horns of the jaws strike against a pair
of parallel bars fixed with such an inclination as to open the jaws, the
rope then drops between the jaws and escaping from the pressure of the
bars the jaws close on the rope, which then leads the tram to its
destination, When arrived at the station where it is desired to stop
the tram, two parallel bars fixed and inclined as above strike the horns
of the jaws and the rope being led over a sheave higher than the tram
is lifted out of the clips. Instead of using fixed parallel bars I may use
if preferred a species of sectors (in pairs), or a pair of wheels, or a pair
of bars, or by hand, as will be understood by reference to the accom-
panying Drawings. If necessary one jaw only may be opened, a stop
being so arranged as to prevent the opposite jaw from being thrown out
of position. In Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 the sectors suspended from a on being
struck by the horns of the clips move backwards, at same time pressing
down the horns; 6 is a counterbalance to keep sectors perpendicular
when not in contact with the clip. In Figs. 5 and 6 are shown a pair of
wheels the edges of which may be either smooth or roughened, the
action similar to sectors, the horns of clip strike the edges and are
opened by them. In Fig. 7 is shown a modification of clip and dis-
engaging gear to be actuated by bars, sectors, wheels, or. hand. a, jaw

page_text: with standard a¹ to fit into recesses on the tram or truck; b, moveable
jaw centred at c; c, pin'; d, spring; e, rope. Or as in Fig. 8 I dispense
with the pin c as shown. a, jaw fixed to standard d; b, jaw with
horn 6' attached to c, spring connecting a and b; d, standard; e, rope.
Thus far I have shown and described arrangements for clips on two
centres, clips on one centre, clips on spring acting as a centre, and
disengaging gear consisting of parallel inclined bars, sectors, and wheels.
And in Fig. 9 other disengaging gear of the following character are
shown in which Figure a and a¹ represent a pair of wheels round which
an endless chain 6 revolves; c represents the endless rope hauling d, truck
or tram attached to rope by e, clips; f, horizontal sheave round which
endless горе turns. Motion being given to f the rope moves, and gearing
into a sheave on axis of a¹ causes a¹ to revolve, a¹ actuates endless
chain b, causing a to revolve, thus making 6 serve the place of parallel
bars. The tram d being hauled by the rope the clip e engages in the
inclined parallel chains, which open the jaws and release the rope.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my said Invention, and in what manner the same may be
performed or carried out in practice, I hereby declare that I claim, the
Invention of "Improvements in Apparatus to be used in Moving or
Transporting Heavy Bodies," an important feature whereof is the use of
clips such as those shown in the accompanying Drawings and described
in this Specification, it being understood that I do not limit myself to
nor do I claim the particular forms and details herein described, my
Invention being limited only by the substantial features thereof without
regard to exactitude of form and detail.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Anthony Hardcastle, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this 22nd day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
WILLIAM MOSSOM,
Black Lion Hotel,
Stockton-on-Tees.
R. A. HARDCASTLE. (L.S.)