IMPROVEMENTS IN DETACHING OR SAFETY APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS FROM OVERWINDING IN MINES OR OTHER SHAFTS, LIFTS, OR HOISTS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Ramsey, of Carlin How, in the Parish of Brotton,
in the County of York, Engineer, and Edmund Mills Hann, of Brotton, afore-
said, Mining Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DETACHING
OR SAFETY APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS FROM OVERWINDING IN
MINES OR OTHER SHAFTS, LIFTS, OR HOISTS."
Scaled the 6th February 1877, and dated the 15th December 1876.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Robert Ramsey and Edmund
Mills Hann at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th December
1870.
ROBERT RAMSEY, of Carlin How, in the Parish of Brotton, in the County of York,
Engineer, and EDMUND MILLS HANN, of Brotton, aforesaid, Mining Engineer.
"IM-
PROVEMENTS IN DETACHING OR SAFETY APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS
FROM OVERWINDING IN MINES OR OTHER SHAFTS, LIFTS, OR HOISTS."
This Invention consists in certain improvements in detaching or safety apparatus
to be attached to the cage, bucket, or other receptacle travelling in the shaft of a
mine or other similar position, whereby the danger of accidents from the over-
winding thereof is obviated.
According to the first part of this Invention the apparatus consists of two jaw
hooks of the usual description, that is to say, of two pieces of metal pivoted together
in the middle, so that when the upper ends are closed together the lower ends are
apart, and vice vered. These jaw hooks are provided with enlarged heads, in the
faces of which a notch or indentation is cut, so that when the two faces are brought
together the notches form a round hole for the reception of the pin to which the
shackle fastened to the winding rope is attached, the outer sides of the heads being
provided with projections for the purpose herein-after mentioned. Around these
two jaw hooks a clamp of metal having its lower end larger than its upper end is
placed and kept in position by means of two copper pins, and when so in position it
holds the upper portions of the jaw hooks with the shackle pin between them
tightly together.
Between the two jaw hooks a small wedge-shaped piece of metal is placed with
its larger end downwards. Upon the pin of the shackle to which the winding rope
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page_text: is attached, and which is held tightly between the two jaw hooks, as herein-before
mentioned, two small metal plates are placed, and which are passed down the before-
mentioned clamp on each side of the wedge and fastened thereto by means of a
small copper pin. The hook is then ready for use.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Should the cage or other receptacle 5
be wound beyond the proper distance the apparatus enters into a ring of metal
placed in a beam above the shaft, and through which metal ring the winding rope
works until the head of the jaw hooks project above the ring, when the lower or
enlarged end of the clamp comes in contact with a rim or enlargement formed upon
the inside of the ring, and pressing thereon cuts the two copper pins holding the 1
clamp in position and releases the two upper jaws, which at once liberates the rope
end with its shackle and pin, and in its action of leaving the jaws draws up the
two small plates before mentioned with the wedge, the jaws being so constructed as
only to allow the wedge to come as far up as to jam or fasten the projecting catches
properly open upon the ring; the two small plates then cut the copper pin by which 1
they are attached to the wedge, and the rope end is then free.
The machine is then properly keyed on to the top of the ring, the danger of the
jaws being only partially secured or becoming accidentally released by shaking or
by the reaction or fall of the cage being thereby entirely obviated. This arrange-
ment of apparatus will be inore clearly understood by reference to Figures 1, 2, and 2
3, of the accompanying Drawings, which are respectively a section of the apparatus
in its normal position the same view when keyed on to the ring, and an end view
of the same. A, A, are the two jaw hooks pivoted together at C, a, a, being the
lower ends thereof; B, B, are the enlarged heads of the saine, b, b, being the
notches formed in the face thereof for the reception of the shackle pin H; D is the
clamp with the projection & which comes in contact with the interior of the ring J;
E is the wedge; F, F, the two small plates carried by the shackle pin E, and
fastened to the wedge E by the soft metal pin e; G is the shackle to which the'
winding rope is connected, and H the shackle pin; J, the ring fastened on to the
beams K, K, into which the apparatus enters in the case of an overwind; L, L, are 3
the shackles by which the load is attached to the apparatus.
Another arrangement for carrying this Invention into effect consists of a pair of
jaws of a similar shape to those herein-before described, but instead of being
pivoted together in the middle portions thereof the same are separately hung by
pins or bolts at their lower ends to a metal box which contains them, and to which 3
box the load is attached in any convenient manner. The jaws when closed hold
the bolt or pin of the shackle to which the winding rope is attached in a bolt hole
made for that purpose, as herein-before described in reference to the first-mentioned
arrangement, and are held securely together by a pair of "feathers" or keys which
pass up within the box and on the outer side of each jaw, the feathers being kept 4
in position by resting on a pair of soft metal pins.
A wedge is placed between the two jaws and connected to the winding rope by
means of two inetal plates carried by the shackle pin, and which pass down on cach
side of the wedge and are connected thereto by a soft metal pin.
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The mode of action of this arrangement is that when the load is so far overwound 4
as to allow the apparatus to enter into and partly pass through the ring herein-
before mentioned as being placed above the shaft, the lower parts of the "feathers
which project come into contact with the lower part of the ring, and are depressed
so as to cut the soft metal pins sustaining them. The jaws are thereupon released,
and opening allow the winding rope to escape, and in its action of leaving the jaws 5
it carries up the wedge and firmly fixes it between the jaws, and thus securely
wedging or locking the latter on to the ring. The soft metal pin is then cut and
the rope end is free.
By this last mentioned arrangement the jaws are locked instantaneously on to
the ring, and the possibility of their being shaken off and the consequent dangers 5
avoided, and owing to the feathers being separate it is impossible for the jaws to be
released by striking the pit sides or "buntings," or by anything falling on to it, for

page_text: should one feather be so struck and one jaw released the winding rope is still firmly
held, and accidents from such causes are thereby prevented.
Another advantage consists in the fact that the action of disengaging does not
commenco until the jaws are in a proper position to catch the ring, and therefore all
danger of what has been termed a partial overwind and the consequent inoppor-
tune releasing is avoided.
We prefer that the ring into which the apparatus enters in the case of an overwind
should, instead of being let into a bean, be bedded on elastic and bolted by means
of its flanges to two beams of timber, thus obviating the necessity for cutting away
the timber as at present.
We will now refer to Figures 4, 5, and 6, of the accompanying Drawings, from
which the nature of this arrangement will be more clearly understood, and which
are respectively a section of the apparatus in its normal position; the same view of
the apparatus when keyed on to the ring and an end view. A, A, are the two jaw
hooks pivoted to the box D by the pins or bolts a, a; B, B, are the enlarged heads
thereof with the notches b, b, for the reception of the shackle pin H; C, C, are the
two "feathers" or side keys resting on the two soft metal pins c, c, and which
release the two jaw hooks by coming in contact with the interior of the ring J; D
is the box enclosing the two jaw hooks and other portions of the apparatus, and to
which the load is suspended; E is the wedge between the two jaw hooks, to which
the two plates F, F, carried by the shackle pin H are attached by the soft metal
pin e;
Gis the shackle with its pin H to which the winding rope is attached; J is
the ring fixed on to the two beams K, K, into which the apparatus enters in the
case of an overwind; L is the shackle by which the load is connected to the box D.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, we would observe in conclusion that we
are aware safety apparatuses constructed as described in the first part of our
Specification, that is to say, with the two jaws pivoted together and confined by a
movcable clamp, but without the arrangement for locking the jaws when over the
ring, are already in use, and we do not claim such construction, but what we
consider novel and original and therefore claim as constituting our said Invention
are,-
First. The securely locking the jaws of safety apparatus, in the manner and
for the purposes herein-before set forth and described or any mere modifications
thereof.
Secondly. The construction of safety apparatus with the two jaw hooks hung
independently and actuated by separate feathers or keys, in the manner and for the
purposes herein-before set forth and described, or any mere modifications thereof.
And, Thirdly. The construction and arrangement of the safety apparatus forming
the second part of our Invention, in the manner and for the purposes herein-before
set forth and described, or any mere modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, wo, the said Robert Ramsey and Edmund Mills Hann,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eleventh day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.