IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIRS, CAGES, OR HOISTS USED IN MINES, SHAFTS, OR LIFTS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Abner Thorpe, of Codnor, in the County of
Derby, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIRS,
CAGES, OR HOISTS USED IN MINES, SHAFTS, OR LIFTS, AND IN THE MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 1st April 1869, and dated the 1st October 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Abner Thorpe at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st October 1868.
I, ABNER THORPE, of Codnor, in the County of Derby, Engineer, do
lereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CHAIRS, CAGES, OR HOISTS USED IN MINES, SHAFTS, OR LIFTS, AND IN THE
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
The chair cage or hoist (hereafter called cage only) is provided at each
side with a perpendicular bar, to each of these bars near the upper and
lower ends are secured clip plates or shoes which slide upon the ways or
guide rods of the mine or lift. Above the upper clip plates on each side
of the cage are a pair of cams or their equivalent, and between them

page_text: the guide rods of the mine or cage lie. To each corner of the cage is
attached a strong chain, these chains are connected together above the
cage by a ring to which is attached a fifth chain lying over the centre of
the top of the cage. To this chain is secured the centre of another
chain each end of which is passed through one or more holes in the top
or cover of the cage, the ends are secured to two bars or to an open
link, the lower ends of which are hinged upon a short bar passed
through the curled end of the lower plate of a flat compound spring
composed of several plates overlying each other. This spring is secured
to the under side of the top or cover of the cage, and upon the outer
ends of the short horizontal bars. At each end of the spring are short
levers working upon pins in the cams or their equivalent in such
manner that when any weight is upon the cage, or the cage is in the
act of being lowered or raised these cams will always be clear of the
guides or ways, but upon the hoisting rope or chain breaking, the springs
will immediately act upon the cams, and they will firmly clutch the
guides or ways and hold the cage suspended. The ring attached to
the five chains is suspended to the hoisting chain or rope by hooked
plates which lie between two other plates, the hooked plates are of such
shape at the outer sides that their outer sides pro‘rude beyond the
sides of the outer plates, so that in case of overwinding the sides of
such inner hooked plates will be pressed by the inner edge of a strong
iron ring carried by a strong beam exactly over the centre of the mine
shaft or hoist. It will thus be apparent that overwinding will be
avoided, and life and property will be saved.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Abner Thorpe in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st April 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ABNER
THORPE, of Codnor, in the County of Derby, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Abner Thorpe, Her special licence that I,

page_text: the said Abner Thorpe, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Abner Thorpe, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at 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 CHAIRS, CAGES, OR
HOISTS USED IN MINES, SHAFTS, OR LIFTS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Abner Thorpe, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 Abner Thorpe, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say :-
The improved chair cage or hoist (herein-after to avoid unnecessary
repetition mostly called cage only) is provided at each side thereof with
a perpendicular bar. To each of these bars near the upper and lower
ends thereof are secured the usual clip plates or shoes which slide
upon the ways or guide rods of the mine or lift. Above the upper clip
plates on each side of the cage is a pair of cams, or their equivalent,
and between these cams or their equivalent the guide rods of the mine
or lift lie. To each corner of the cage is attached a strong chain,
these chains are connected together above the top of the cage by a
ring to which is attached a fifth chain lying over the centre of the
top of the cage. To this short chain is secured the centre of another
chain, each end of which is passed through one or more holes in the
top or cover of the cage, the ends being secured to two bars or to an
open link, the lower ends of which are hinged upon a short bar which
is passed through the curled end of the lower plate of a flat com-
pound spring, which is composed of several plates overlying each other.
This spring is firmly secured at the centre of its length to the under

page_text: upper and lower ends are secured the usual clip plates or shoes C,
which slide upon ways or guide rods D of the mine or lift. Above the
upper clip plates are a pair of cams E working upon axles on each side
of the cage, and between these cams the guide rods of the mine or
lift lie. To each corner of the cage a strong chain is attached; these
chains are connected together above the top of the cage by a ring;
to this ring is attached a fifth chain over the centre of the top of the
cage. This chain is short and to it is secured the centre of another
chain F which has its ends secured to two open links G, the lower ends
of each link are hinged upon a short horizontal bar. These bars are
passed through the curled ends of the lower plate of a flat com-
pound spring H composed of several plates overlying each other. This
spring is firmly secured at the centre of its length to the under side of
a bar which stretches from side to side of the cage and is secured to the
top of the framing under the cover I of the cage. This cover is pierced
with two slots to allow of the passage of the chain F and links G.
Upon the outer ends of the short horizontal bars at each end of the
spring are fastened short levers K the opposite ends of which work upon
pins in the cams in such manner that when any weight is upon the cage,
or when the cage is being lowered or raised, the cams will always be
clear of the guides, as seen in the side view Figure 2. But if the
hoisting rope or chain should break the springs will instantly come into
operation and will lower the short horizontal bars, thereby causing the
levers K to act upon the cams which will firmly clutch the guides or
ways and hold the cage suspended.
Figures 7 and 8 show the respective positions which the spring, links,
levers, and cams will occupy when the cams are in the act of clutching
the guides. The ring attached to the five chains before mentioned is
suspended to the hoisting chain or rope by means of two hooked plates L
which are of such shape at the outer edges that in case of the chain or
rope being overwound the outer edges of the plates will be pressed
by the inner edge of a strong iron ring M carried by a beam exactly
over the centre of the mine shaft or hoist, and by being so pressed the
slots in the plate L will be forced to face each other, and thereby allow
a free passage for the pin or axle of the shackle which will fall down
and give a slackness to the five chains and will throw the cams into
the position shewn at Figure 8, effectually suspending the cage and
preventing it from falling to the bottom of the mine shaft or hoist. In

page_text: case of overwinding with the machinery or apparatus just described,
the hooked plates L would be carried over the pulleys with the rope or
chain. But as the hooked plates are constructed of such shape that
they are capable of being reversed, as seen at Figure 6, then when so
reversed upon the overwinding of the rope or chain the shackle would be
carried over the pulleys, and the plates being secured to the ring of the
five chains would fall with these chains upon the top of the roof or
cover of the suspended cage.
My next modification or arrangement refers to machinery or apparatus
applicable to cages having one side longer than the others; suppose,
for instance, it is desirable to apply the machinery or apparatus to one
or more three-cornered cages whether two such cages work in the same
shaft, or each cage works in a separate shaft, then in either case I
apply the same machinery or apparatus to each cage, and upon the
short side thereof as that described in my first-mentioned modification to
firmly clutch the sides of the guides or ways D, as seen in plan at
Figure 3, and at the left side of Figure 5, which represents an end view
of the upper portion of one three-cornered cage; but upon the long
side of each such cage I employ the machinery or apparatus shown
in side view at Figure 4. In this Figure, A represents the framing,
and B the perpendicular bar at the short side of the cage, C, C¹, are
two horizontal bars secured to the upper ends of the framing A. The
ends of the bars C and C¹ are connected together by two vertical pieces
carrying the axles of the two cams E. These cams instead of being
moved towards each other by the compound spring H, as described in
my first modification, are forced outwards so that they press upon two
ways or guide rods D¹ of the mine or lift, the cams being operated as
herein-after mentioned. To each end of one of the short horizontal bars
which is passed through the curled end of the spring H, and to the eyes
of the open link G is hinged a short lever K, hinged at its lower end to
a lever K' which works at one end upon a pin in the framing A, and has
its other end connected with a link K2 working on a pin in one of the
cams E, so that in case of the rope or chain being broken or overwound
the spring H will immediately come into operation by the slackening of
the chain F, and will cause two cams on the short side of the cage to
firmly clutch the guide or way D and two cams on the long side of
the cage to firmly press upon the two guides or ways D' whereby the
cage is safely suspended.

page_text: When it is preferred to have the hooked plates enclosed in a case I
employ hooked plates of the shape shewn at Figures 9 and 10, which are
side views of the plates and case. Figure 9 showing the hooks L closed
upon each other inside the case L', and Figure 10 showing the hooks
opened out.
Figure 11 is an edge view of the case and the hooked plates. These
cased hooks or hooked plates also are reversible in the same manner
as the first-described hooks or hooked plates, the hooks being thrown
wide open by the pressure of the ring M, in case of the rope or chain
being overwound whichever end is uppermost.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim, the general
arrangement and combination of parts herein-before described, operating
substantially in the manner above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Abner Thorpe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
GEO. JON. ROBINSON,
Patent Office,
Nottingham.
ABNER THORPE. (L.S.)