US1080648A - Safety-catch for mining-cages. - Google Patents

Description

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SAFETY CATCH FOR MINING GAGES. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14, 1912.

1,080,648. Patented Dec.9,1913.

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COLIN METHVEN, OF HERMINIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY-CATCH FOR MININCT'- CAGES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9,1913.

Application filed November 14, 1912. Serial No. 731,300.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, COLIN METHVEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at I-Ierminie, in the county of Westmoreland and Sta-te of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety- Gatches for Mining-Cages, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to safety appliances for hoists, and though primarily designed for hoisting cages for mining shafts, it may be used for elevators of various kinds, inclined railways, and the like.

The object of my invention is to provide an automatic safety device which will prevent the cage from dropping in case the hoisting cable should pull out of its socket or break off between the cage and my safety device.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a two deck mining cage with my improved automatic safety device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of that part of the safety device in which my invention resides. Fig. 3 is a section of Fig. 2 on the line III--IIL Fig. 4t is a perspective View of one of the lower wedge-blocks with fragments of the parts directly attached thereto.

On the drawings, l represents a mining cage having the two decks 2 and 3. The cage is supported by the chains l having their lower ends secured to the cage and their upper ends to the ring 5.

6 represents the hoisting cable made of strands of steel wire twisted spirally in the usual manner. The lower end of the cable is anchored in the socket 7 of well-known construction, the upper end of the cable leading to any approved hoisting apparatus. Ordinarily, the cable is passed over a sheave and then to the cable-drum of a hoisting-machine. At a suitable distance above the socket 7 I provide the cable with a pair of clamping members 8, one on each side of the cable. The members 8 have the vertical grooves to receive the cable, the grooves having their walls spirally recessed to conform to the spiral twist of the cable, so that the cable cannot slip through the clamping members when the latter are tightly clamped to the cable. The members 8 are drawn toward each other so as to clamp the cable between them by the bolts 9. The outer side or face of each member 8 is provided with a wedgeshaped rib or track l0, which inclines downwardly and outwardly away from the cable, that is, the two members 8 have diametrically opposite ribs or tracks inclining downwardly and away from each other. rlhe ribs are mostly located between the bolts 9 on the opposite sides of the cable so that the wedge blocks 11 presently to be described will act to draw together the members 8 lwhere the bolts 9 produce their clamping action. 'Ihe wedgeblocks 11 extend out horizontally and have their inner or opposing faces inclined to correspond to the inclination of the clamping members 10. Preferably the ribs and wedge-blocks will have interlitting tongues and grooves, it being immaterial which has the tongue or groove, but I have shown the clamping members with the grooves and the wedge blocks with the tongues. yThe tongue and groove arrangement serves as a guide for the wedge-blocks and prevents them from twisting out of their line of travel. The wedge-blocks are connected together by the tie-bars 1Q, which extend through the slots 13 in the clamping members S and are se cured to opposite sides of the wedge-blocks 11 by the bolts 14. The slots 13 extend vertically below the bars 19. when in their nori mal position at or near the top thereof, to permit the wedge-blocks to travel downwardly for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

To the lower ends of the members 8 I connect the upper ends of the lower clamping members 15 by means of the pivots or bolts 1G. The members 15 have horizontal slots 17 for the bolts 16 to permit them to move laterally independently of the upper clamping members S. The slots and pivot bolts are so made that the members S can move freely toward the cable without being held back by the members l5. The lower ends of the members 8 are recessed to receive the members l5, the recesses being larger than the adjacent ends of the members 15 so that the members S and 15 can move laterally without hindrance .from each other. The opposing faces of the members 15 are spirally grooved like the members S to lit the spiral exterior' of the cable (i. The outer diametrical opposite faces of the members 15 are inclined downwardly and away from each other and the cable, like the ribs 10. 'lhe wedge-blocks 18, resembling the wedgeblocks 11, have their opposing faces corresponding to the inclination on the members 15. The blocks 18 are connected together by the two tie-bars 19 by means of the bolts 20 and 21. The upper and lower wedgeblocks 11 and 18 are connected together by the links 22, their lower ends being connected to the bolts 20. The links may be arranged in pairs on the outside of the blocks, if desired. The bridle-chains 23 have their lower ends connected to the cage 1 and their upper ends to the blocks 18, by means of the bolts 21. These chains hang loosely so that there is normally no strain on them.

It is readily seenthat, in case the chains 4 break, or the cable 6 pulls out of the socket 7, or the cable parts between thesocket and the safety clamp or catch, the bridle-'chains 23 would be drawn downwardly by the cage,

causing the wedge-blocks 18 to wedge the lhoist cable', a pair of cable-clamping members having vertical slots at each side of the cable, there being a wedge-shaped surface clamping members 15 tightly to the cable. The do-wnward movement of the wedgeblocks 18 would through the links 22 `and their lost motion connection with the upper wedge-blocks draw the wedge-blocks 11 downwardly and cause the members 8 to grip the cable with greater force than they were being gripped by the action of the bolts 9.

By the united wedging action of both sets of wedge-blocks, I produce a very strong and reliable safety catch for hoist-cables, each set of clamping members being unhindered by the other as would be the case if the members 15 were integral or rigid with the members 8.

I provide the clamping members with corresponding tongue and groove connections as shown in Fig. 3, where 24 represents the tongues fitting in corresponding grooves.

I claim- 1. In a safety device for hoist cables, a hoist cable, clamping members gripping the same, there being inclined ribs on the clamping members, a pair of cable-clamping me-mbers pivoted to the bottom of the first named clamping members and having their outer faces inclined, a pair of wedge-blocks cooperating with the inclined ribs, a pair of wedge-blocks coperating with the inclined faces of the lower clamping members, links connecting the upper and lower' pairs of wedge-blocks, a load attached to the cable, and bridle-chains connecting the load and the lower wedge-blocks.

2. In a safety device for hoist cables, a hoist cable, clamping members gripping the same, there being inclined ribs on the clamping members, a pair of cable-clamping members pivoted to the bottom of the first named clamping members and having their outer faces inclined, a pair of wedge-blocks cooperating with the inclined ribs, a pair of wedge-blocks coperating with the inclined hoist cable, two pairs of cable gripping members having diametrically opposite wedging surfaces, pairs of wedge-blocks adapted to coperate with the said wedgmg surfaces to cause the gripping members to grip the cable, means connecting the members of each pair of wedge-blocks,means-connecting the pairs o-f wedge-blocks, a load connected to the cable below the gripping members, and bridle-chains connecting the load and the gripping members.

4i. In a safety device for hoist cables, a

on each clamping member, wedge-blocks slidable on the said surfaces, tie-bars eX- ytending through the slots and co-nnected to the wedge-blocks, a lo-ad connected to the cable below the clamping members, and means connecting the load to the rwedgeblocks.

5. In a safety device for hoist cables, a hoist cable, a pair of cable-clamping members having vertical slots at each side of the cable, there being a wedge-shaped surface on each clamping member, wedge-.blocks slidable on the said surfaces, tie-bars eX- tending through the slots and connected to the wedge-blocks, a load connected to the cable below the clamping members, and means connecting the load to the wedgeblocks, the coperating faces of the wedgeblocks and the clamping members having tongue-and-groove connections.

6. In a safety device for hoist cables, a hoist cable, clamping members gripping the same, a pair 0f cable clamping members yieldingly connected to the first-named clamping members and having their outer faces inclined, a pair of wedge-blocks cooperating with the inclined faces of the second clamping members, a load attached to the cable below the clamping members, and bridle-chains connecting the load to the wedge-blocks.

7. In a safety device for hoist cables, a spirally twisted hoist cable, clamping members gripping the same, a pair of cable clamping members loosely connected to the first-named clamping members and having their outer faces inclined, a pair of wedgeblocks coperating with the inclined faces of the second clamping members, a load attached to the cable below the clamping members, and bridle-chains connecting the load to the wedge-blocks, the clamping members having spiral grooves fitting the spiral eX- terior on the cable.

8. In a safety device for hoist cables, a pair of upper clamping members, a pair of lower clamping members, a lost motion connection between the two pairs of clamping members and means for causing each of the members to automatically grip the cable in case the cable should break between the 10 clamping members and the load attached to the lower end of the cable.

Signed at Pittsburgh, Pa., this 4th day of November, A. D., 1912.

COLIN METHVEN. Witnesses:

F. N. BARBER, ANNA R. BEATTY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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