Improvements in Automatic Safety Brake or Stop Mechanism for the Cages of Mines or the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 21st Sept., 1895-Accepted, 19th Dec.,
1896
Improvements in Automatic Safety Brake or Stop Mechanism for
the Cages of Mines or the like.
We, THOMAS BRAILSFORD, of 309 Quarry Road, Bulwell, in the Borough of
Nottingham, Mechanic, and ELI WARDLE of Beardall Street, Hucknall Torkard,
in the County of Nottingham, Grocer, and ALBERT HEMSLEY, of Catherine
Street, Bulwell, in the Borough of Nottingham, Commission Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for automatically checking
or stopping the descent of the cage of a mine, or the like, in the case of the rope
breaking or becoming disconnected from the cage.
In carrying out this invention each of the guides, which are secured to the
cage and travel on the fixed guide-ropes as the cage ascends or descends, are
formed by a hollow casing provided with a hole in the top and bottom to allow of
the passage of the guide-rope.
The space in the interior of this casing is wedge shaped, the point or narrowest
part being at the upper end and preferably central with the hole for the passage
of the guide rope.
Fitting loosely in the wedge shape space are two wedge shaped blocks, one on
each side of the guide rope, a recess being formed in each block for the reception
of the guide rope which recesses may be roughened so as to afford a better
grip.
When the wedge shaped blocks are moved upwards they close in on the rope
until it is seized and any further movement of the cage tends to close the blocks
on the guide rope, and the greater the weight on the cage the more powerful will
be the grip.
The wedge shaped blocks in each guide or casing, are connected by links, passing
through openings preferably in the bottom of the casing, to the outer end of a
lever which is pivoted to the cage, the inner ends of preferably the whole of the
levers on each side of the cage are connected to a vertical slide or link so that the
whole are operated simultaneously.
The vertical slide or link on each side of the cage is raised against the action of
a spring or weight when the cage is suspended by the weight of the cage, this is
effected by connecting the said slides or links to the lifting rope by a chain or
other suitable arrangement which is slightly shorter than the main connection, the
wedge shaped blocks are thus normally held clear of the guide rope.
When the lifting rope fails the wedge shaped blocks are brought into action first
by the weight or spring acting on each vertical link, and secondly by the weight of
the cage after the blocks have seized the guides ropes.
We preferably employ two break guides for each guide rope, one placed at the
upper aud one at the lower part of the cage.
Dated this 20th day of December 1805
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Automatic Safety Brake or Stop Mechanism for
the Cages of Mines or the like.
We, THOMAS BRAILSFORD, of 309, Quarry Road, Bulwell, in the Borough of
Nottingham, Mechanic, ELI WARDLE, Beardall Street, Hucknall Torkard, in the
County of Nottingham, Grocer, and ALBERT HEMSLEY, of 1, Catherine Street,
Bulwell, in the Borough of Nottingham, Commission Agent, 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 invention relates to improvements in apparatus for automatically checking
or stopping the descent of the cage of a mine, or the like, in the case of the
haulage rope breaking or becoming disconnected from the cage.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings
in which :-
Fig. 1. is a side elevation of the upper and lower parts of a pit cage to which
our invention is applied.
Fig. 2. is a plan.
Fig. 3. is an end elevation partly in section.
Fig. 4. is a view of one of the brake casings and blocks, with the cover
removed, and
Fig. 5. is a section taken on the line X X of Fig. 4.
Figs. 4 and 5 are drawn to a larger scale than Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
In carrying out this invention each guide rope A passes through holes in the
top and bottom of preferably two hollow casings B B secured to the upper and
lower parts of the cage C respectively. These casings B B' may be used instead
of the ordinary guides, or in addition thereto and are preferably provided with
removable cuter covers B².
The space in the interior of each casing B B' is taper or wedge shaped, the
narrowest part being at the upper end, and the position of the holes for the
passage of the guide rope A is arranged so that the said rope passes centrally
through the interior space as shown in Fig. 4. and also at the left hand upper
casing in Fig. 1. the outer cover B being in both cases removed.
Fitting in the space within each casing B B¹ are two wedged shaped blocks DD,
one being placed on each side of the guide rope, a recess D' (see Fig. 5.) being
formed in each block to fit on the said rope.
The interior of the recesses D' in the blocks D may be smooth or be cut or
roughened to correspond with the surface of the guide rope so as to afford a better
grip.
As shown in the drawings, the blocks D D are in their normal position or clear
of the guide rope, and it will be seen that if they are moved upwards in the
casing B, they will close in or the said rope until it is seized and any further
downward movement of the cage further tends to close the blocks on the guide
rope, and the greater the weight on the cage, the more powerful will be the
grip.
The blocks D D in each casing B are connected to a vertical sliding bar E
working in a recess in the back of the said casing, by a pin E' in each of the
blocks D engaging in a horizontal slot in the corresponding sliding bar E.
Each upper sliding bar E is connected to the corresponding lower bar by a shaft
or bolt F sliding longitudinally in bearings G secured to the cage C, the ends of

page_text: the shaft pass through posses on the sliding oars, and are secured therein
by nuts F on the shaft or bolt.
This arrangement provides a ready means of adjusting the upper sliding bar E
with respect to the lower.
The sliding bars E and blocks D are raised by springs H on the shafts F and
the blocks D thus brought into action, but in this normal position they are held
against the action of the said springs by the following arrangement
At the upper part of the cage C are two transverse shafts II mounted in
bearings I secured to the cage C. Secured near the ends of each shaft I are two
arms JJ and the end J' of these four arms each engage with a stud K on each of
the four upper sliding bars E.
The studs K on the sliding bars Ę pass through slots in the cage C, but if
desired both the studs K and arms J J may be arranged on the exterior of the
cage, but we prefer the arrangement shown as they are protected by the hood C¹
of the cage.
Secured near the middle of each shaft I is an arm I, the two free ends [* of
these arms I are connected to each other by a link L, and to the ring M¹ of the
lifting chains M by a link L' and chain L'.
The length of the link L' and chain L' is adjusted with respect to that of the
chains M so that the free ends L' of the arms I are raised, and the ends J¹ of
the arms and the four pairs of sliding bars E depressed and the blocks D held
out of action as shown in Fig. 1. when the chains M take or sustain the weight of
the cage.
When the haulage rope fails the ends I³ of the arms 1' are released and fall, the
slides E are immediately raised by the springs and the blocks D brought into
action firstly by the said springs and secondly by the weight of the cage after the
blocks D have seized the rope.
In order that the blocks D may be with certainty moved and retained clear of the
guide rope A when they are moved into their normal position a groove D¹ (see
Figs. 4 and 5) may be formed in the face of each block, and studs or projections
secured to or formed on the covers B to engage with the grooves D¹.
We preferably employ two sets of brake blocks D and casing B to each guide
rope A, one being preferably arranged at the upper and one at the lower part of
the cage, but in some cases, for example in a light hoist one set of brake blocks
may be found sufficiently powerful.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In automatic safety brake or stop mechanism the employment of wedge shaped
or taper brake blocks, working in a corresponding shaped cavity or recess for
gripping a guide rope.
2. In automatic safety brake or stop mechanism the combination with a casing
such as B through which a guide rope A passes of a brake block or blocks such
as D in the interior of said casing substantially as described.
3. In automatic safety brake or stop mechanism the combination with a casing
such as B and brake blocks such as D D of a sliding bar such as E connected to
the said blocks substantially as described.
4. In automatic safety brake or stop mechanism the combination with a casing
such as B, and brake blocks such as DD of a sliding bar such as E, lever such as
that provided by arms J and 12 on a shaft I one end I" of which is connected to
the haulage rope and the other end J' to the slide E substantially as described.
5. In automatic safety brake or stop mechanism the combination with casings
such as B B and two or more sets of brake blocks such as D D of sliding bars
such as E E, shaft F for connecting each pair of sliding bars E and spring H
substantially as described.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete

page_text: automatic safety brake or stop mechanism substantially as described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 18th day of September 1896.
ELI WARDLE.
ALBERT HEMSLEY.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.