IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR MINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of the Firm of Herbert and
Company, Solicitors of Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNALLING APPARATUS
FOR MINES." A communication from abroad by Charles Cummings, of
Virginia City, Nevada, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert John Haddan at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th July 1880.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbort and Company, Solicitors of
Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR MINES." A communication from abroad by
Charles Cummings, of Virginia City, Nevada, United States of America.
The Invention relates moro particularly to an electric signalling apparatus,
whereby persons in the underground workings of mines may transmit signals to the
engineer and others, either froin stations in the mine, or from a cage in any part of
the shaft or incline, said signals being adapted to be given at any time before or
after starting the cage up or down, and while the cage is in travel. The Invention
consists in connecting a signal with the armature of an electro magnet, and placing
the latter in an open electric circuit which extends down a shaft or incline, so that
by closing said circuit at will the signal may be operated. The Invention also
consists in extending electric conductors respectively connected to opposite clectric
poles down a shaft or incline, and providing a cage with a device adapted at will to
electrically connect said conductors during the travel or the rest of the cage, thereby
actuating an electro magnet placed in the electric circuit of said conductors, so that
its armature operates a signal connected therewith. The signal may be given by a
whistle operated by steam or compressed air, which is allowed to flow through a
vertically movable valve when the stem of the latter is raised by the magnetic
action of an electro-magnet upon its armature, the crosshead to which the
armature is attached being preferably guided at both ends by the, standards, which
carry at their upper end the yoke of the electro magnet. A vertical rod placed
between the electro-magnets fits with its lower end into a vertical socket formed in
Maine

page_text: the centre of the upper face of the armature, said rod being provided with a shoulder
for arresting the motion of the armature when desired, while the upper end of the
rod slides in a hole formed in a yoke connecting the top of the electro-magnets, and
is provided with a scrow thread and nut resting on the upper face of the yoke, and
serving to adjust the height of the rod, a spring being so placed between the bottom
of the yoke and a collar on the rod that it assists in pressing the vale on its seat.
The current conductors which pass down the shaft or incline may consist of two
parallel cylindrical pipes provided with longitudinal flanges which project into
dove tailed grooves of a strip or series of strips attached to one side of the shaft or
incline, the cage being provided with a pivoted brush placed opposite the two
_ conductors, and prevented from coming into contact with the latter by a spring,
while a suitable-stop-arrests the brush on the opposite side. By pressing the brush
against the conductors the latter are electrically connected, the electro-magnets set in
action, and the whistle sounded.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Herbert John Haddan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
January 1881.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Solicitors of
Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SIGNALLING APPARATUS FOR MINES." A communication from abroad by
Charles Cummings, Virginia City, Nevada, United States of America.
This Invention relates more particularly to an electric signalling apparatus
whereby persons in the underground workings of mines may transmit signals to
the engineer and others, either from stations in the mine or from a cage in any part
of the shaft or inclino, said signals being adapted to be given at any time before
or after starting the cage up or down, and while the cage is in travel. The Invention
consists in connecting a signal with the armature of an electro magnet, and placing
the latter in an open electric circuit which extends down a shaft or incline, so that
by closing said circuit at will the signal may be operated. The Invention also
consists in extending electric conductors, respectively connected to opposite electric
poles, down a shaft or incline, and providing a cage with a device adapted at will
to electrically connect said conductors during the travel or the rest of the cage,
thereby actuating an electro magnet placed in the clectric circuit of said conductors,
so that its armature operates a signal connected therewith. The Invention further
consists in the several details of construction employed to carry out the broad
principles of my Invention. The Drawings represent parts sufficient to understand
the Invention, Figure 1 being a side elevation, partly in section, of an apparatus by
means of which the signals may be given, and may be located near the station
occupied by the engineer or other person for whom the signals are intended; Figuro 2
is an end elovation of the same apparatus; Figuro 3 represents a plan view of said
apparatus, and a transverse section of a mining shaft provided with means to effect
the closing of the circuit through said apparatus at any time from a travelling cage ;
Figuro 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of said compartment and cage; Figure 5 is a
detail view in longitudinal section of one of the joints of the conductor sections;
Figure 6 is a detail view in horizontal section, showing the manner of connecting the
cross head and the standard; Figure 7 is a detail view in vertical section, showing
manner of connecting the armature and the adjustable rod. Those Drawings
illustrate the best manner now known to me for embodying the principle of this
Invention. Some of the parts may however be used without the others, and in
apparatus differing in details of structure from that herein represented. A
signal A, adapted to be operated by steam or compressed air, is in communi-
cation with a steam or air chamber B through an opening C governed by
a valvo D. This chamber is connected by a pipe E with a, compressed air
receiver or steam boiler. The valve has its upper extremity provided with a cross
head G, to which is secured an armature H of an electro magnet L. The ends of
this cross head are provided with small slides a, which fit in vertical grooves b
formed in the sides of the standards M, the armature is thereby maintained directly
in line with the poles of the electro magnet. A vertical rod N has its lower
extremity fitted in a vertical socket c, formed in the central upper portion of the
armature. A shoulder a¹ formed on the rod is adapted to bear against the upper
face of the armature under certain circumstances as will presently appear. The
upper extremity of the rod slides in a hole formed in yoke P. A nut R is threaded
on the projecting extremity of said rod by turning the nut down, its face bears
against the yoke, and the rod is correspondingly raised. A spring S has its lower
extremity engaged with the rod and its upper extremity engaged with the yoke.
The rod may be vertically adjusted so as to cause the shoulders d to be in constant

page_text: 01
contact with the armature, or to be in contact only while the armature is within a
predetermined distance of the electro magnet. Thus the spring pressed rod can be
adjusted so as to follow the armature in the latter's down movement until the
valve is seated, this adjustment being employed when the packing about the valve
stem is so tight that the pressure of the steam or air is insufficient to scat the
valve. Under other conditions the spring pressed rod may be adjusted so that the
armature when attracted will strike the shoulder d at a suitable distance, for
instance, of an inch from the poles of the electro magnet, said distance being
sufficient to release the armature from the power of the residual magnetism of the
electro magnet after the circuit is opened. The yoke P which unites the bobbins
of the electro magnet has its extremities sliding freely on standards M, while nuts T,
located respectively above and below each extremity of the cross head are threaded
on the standards. By running these nuts up or down on the standards the yoke is
correspondingly moved, so as to vertically adjust the clectro magnet. From the
battery or other source of electricity H pass the wires b', c', the wiro b¹ from one
electric pole passes through the electro magnet on its way to one of the two electric
conductors. Each conductor is formed as an open cylinder, having longitudinal
flanges d', which fit in a corresponding recess c formed longitudinally in a
supporting strip B'. An electric insulating cement f secures said flanges within
the recess; preferably both of these conductor-recesses are formed in a single
supporting strip, said strip extending lengthwise within a shaft or incline of a
mine, and secured to one side thereof near to and parallel with the corresponding
one of the side guides C¹ upon which the cage runs. This supporting strip may be
formed of wood or any other suitable material; the conductors may be made of
copper or other suitable substance. The sections of the conductors may be of any
desired length, and are connected together in the shaft or incline by short
cylinders of copper or other suitable material. The extremitics of one of these
cylinders are inserted respectively in the joining ends of two adjacent sections and
secured by soldering. The cement which I now prefer to secure the conductors to
the supporting stripe of wood is a compound, consisting largoly of sulphur and a
small proportion of gutta percha. A brush D, formed of good conducting material,
is pivoted to the frame of cage E' near to and directly opposite the conductors.
A spring F forces the brush away from the conductors, and a stop G supports the
brush against the action of said spring. By pressing tho brush against the two
conductors A³ the latter are electrically connected, and the circuit is closed through
the electro magnet. The arinature is thereby attracted to the electro magnet
opening the valve and operating the signal. By alternately placing the brush in
contact with and free from the conductors A', the circuit is made and broken, so
as to operate the signal as many distinct times as may be desired. It is apparent that
this closing and breaking of the circuit can be effected while the car is in travel or
is stationary, and also from any point of the shaft or incline. A similar device for
closing and breaking the circuit may be located in any station in the mine from
which it may be desirable to signal. The foregoing description represents my
preferable construction for accomplishing the object of this Invention, but changes,
substitutions, and omissions of parts herein described may be made, provided the
essential features of construction set forth in the following claims are employed.
Having fully described this Invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure
by Letters Patent is,―
1st. An electric signaling apparatus for mines, consisting in the combination
with a signal, an electro magnet and mechanism connecting the two, of electrical
conductors oxtending down a shaft or incline, and a device adapted to electrically
connect the conductors and close the circuit through said electro-magnet, substantially
as set forth.
2nd. An electric signaling arraratus for minos, consisting in the combination
with a signal, an electro magnet, and mechanism connecting the two, of electrical
conductors extending down a shaft or incline, and a cage provided with a device
adapted at will during travel or rest of the cage to electrically connect the
-

page_text: conductors and close the circuit through the electro magnot, substantially as set
forth.
3rd. In a signalling apparatus, the combination with an electro-magnet armature
and a valve connected thorewith of electric conductors respectively connected to
opposite electric poles, and a device which electrically connects conductors at
will, said electro inagnet being included in the electric circuit, substantially as set
forth.
4th. In a signalling apparatus the combination with an electro magnet armature,
a valve connected therewith, and a whistle communicating with the valve opening
of electric conductors respectively connected to opposite electric poles, and a device
which at will electrically connects the conductors, said electro-magnet being
embraced within the electric circuit, substantially as set forth.
5th. In an electric signalling apparatus the combination with two electric
conductors extending down a shaft or incline, and respectively connected to opposite.
electric poles, of a travelling cage provided with a device which electrically connects
the two conductors, and a spring which forces said connecting devico free from the
conductors, substantially as set forth.
6th. In an electric signalling apparatus the combination with two electric
conductors extending down within a shaft or incline, and respectively connected to
opposite electric poles of a travelling cage provided with a device which electrically
connects the conductors, a spring which forces said connecting device free from the
conductors, and a stop which supports said device against the action of the spring,
substantially as set forth.
7th. In an electric signalling apparatus the combination with two electric
conductors extending down within a shaft or incline, and respectively connected to
opposite electric poles of a pivotal brush adapted to electrically connect the
conductors, substantially as set forth.
8th. In an electric signaling apparatus the combination with a supporting strip
provided with a longitudinal recess, of an electric conductor fitted in the latter,
and an insulating coment holding the conductor in position, substantially as set
forth.
9th. In an electric signaling apparatus the combination with a supporting strip
provided with a longitudinal recess or recesses and secured lengthwise within a
shaft or incline, of an electric conductor or conductors respectively fitted in the
said recesses and electrically insulated, substantially as set forth.
10th. In an electrical signaling apparatus the combination with a supporting
strip provided with a longitudinal recess, and secured lengthwise within a shaft or
incline of an electric conductor formed as an open cylinder having longitudinal
flanges fitted in said recess and electrically insulated, substantially as set forth.
11th. In an electric signaling apparatus the combination with an electro magnet
armature, a valve connected therowith, and a spring which forces the armature
from the magnet of a whistle and a steam or air chamber communicating with the
latter through an opening governed by said valve, substantially as set forth.
12th. In an electric signaling apparatus the combination with an electro magnet
armature and a valve stem secured thereto, of a spring which forces the armature
from the magnet, and an adjusting device which varies the tension of said spring,
substantially as set forth.
13th. In an electric signaling apparatus the combination with an electro magnet
and a yoke which secures the magnet in longitudinal adjustment on standards of a
valve stem secured to the armature, and a valve which controls communication of
a steam or air chamber with a whistle, substantially as set forth.
14th. In an electric signaling apparatus the combination with a valve stem
provided with a cross head an electro magnet armature secured to the latter, and
a spring which forces the armature from the magnet of a whistle, a steam or air
chamber communicating with the whistle through an opening, and a valve
governing the latter, substantially as set forth.
15th. In an electric signaling apparatus the combination with a valve stem, an

page_text: electro magnet arinature secured thereto, and a rod extending upward from the
armature of a yoke having a hole through which the rod passes, a spring having
one extremity engaged with the rod and its opposite extremity engaged with the
yoke, and a nut which engages with the extremity of the rod which projects
slightly with the yoke, substantially as set forth.
16th. In an electric signaling apparatus the combination with a vertically
adjustable spring pressed rod having its lower extremity provided with a shoulder
of an armature provided with an opening, in which the lower end of the rod has
sliding movement as said shoulder bears or frees itself from bearing against the
armature, substantially as set forth.
17th. In an electric signaling apparatus the combination with standards provided
with vertical-grooves of a cross head carrying an armature, and having its ends
provided with slides fitting in said grooves, substantially-as-set-forth..
18th. In an electric conductor extending down within a shaft or incline, the
combination with two adjacent sections of an independent connecting piece formed
of good conducting material, and having its extremities secured respectively to the
joining ends of said sections, substantially as set forth.
19th. In an electric conductor extending down within a shaft or incline, the
combination with two adjacent sections of a short cylinder having its extremities
fitted respectively in the joining ends of said sections and soldered thereto,
substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Herbert John Haddan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal thin Tulih J....
ATY 1001