US419312A - Draft-annunciator for mines - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. BULLUCK.

DRAFT ANNUNGIATOR POR MINES.

Patented Jan. 14, 1890. @l

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WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet' 2.

W. BULLUCK. DRAFT ANNUNGIATUR POR. MINES.

No. 419,312. Patented Jan. 14,1890.

Arm/Mfrs.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM BULLUcK, oE CENTRALIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DRAFT-ANNUNCIATOR FOR MINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,312, dated January 14, 1890.

Appncanon filed June 1a, 1889. sentire. 314,685. (Numan.)

T a/Z whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BULLUCK, of

'Centralia, in the county of Columbia and.

act description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved annunciator which is simple and durable in construction and servos to indicate the state of the air in the returnairways of a mine.

The invention consists in certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts'in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front view of the improvement as connected with a telephone and electric bell. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a front view of the improvement connected with an electric bell of a different form. Fig. 4 is a face view of the cover for the same.

The improved annunciator is provided with a fan-wheel located in the return-airway of the mine and rotated by the current of air passing through the airway. In case the current of air is very strong, the fan-wheel rotates rapidly; but if a feeble current passes through the airway the fan-wheel is rotated slowly, and if no current exists the fan-wheel is not rotated at all. The rotating fan-wheel is connected by a suitable mechanism with a bell, which is sounded at intervals varying with the speed of the fan-wheel. The sounds of the bell are transmitted by a telephone to the central olce located above ground, so that the foreman in the central oice, hearing the sounds, can tell the state of the air in the respective airway in which the fan-wheel is located.

Instead of the fan-wheel being connected with the bell in the airway, it may be connected with a circuit-breaker of an electric bell which leads from the mine to the cent-ral office and sounds a bell there. The telephone can, by this arrangement, be entirely dispensed with.

As shown in the drawings, in Figs. 1,2,and 3, the fan-wheel A, of any approved construction, is secured on a shaft B, mounted to turn in suitable bearings formed in a frame C, located in a suitable place in the Vreturn-airwayin the mine. On the shaft Bis secured a pinion D, connected with a train of gear.'- wheels E, of which the last gear-wheel Fis secured on ashaft G, mounted Yto turn in suitable bearings on the frame C. On the front end of the shaft G is fastened a disk H, provided on its face with a number of pins I, arranged in a circle and adapted to operate suc.- cessively on an arm J, extending from the striker K, adapted to sound a bell L, held on the frame C. In the immediate neighborhood of the bell L is held a telephone-transmitter N of a telephone connected with the central oflice located above ground and serving to transmit the sounds of the bell L to the central oliice.

When the air-current in the airway passes through the fan-wheel A, the latter is rotated, and by its connection with the train of gearwheels E turns the disk-wheel H, which, by its pins I, actuates the striker K, sounding the bell. According to the speed of the fanwheel A the striker K sounds the bell at intervals varying with the speed of the said fan-wheel. The operator in the central office,

- hearing the sounds through the telephone, can

tell the state of the air in the mine.

Instead of using a telephone, as described, I may dispensewith the same and the bell L on the frame C, and employ an electric bell of any approved construction, such as shown in the drawings.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the striker-arm J is provided with a springpressed extension J moved in and out of contact with the spring O2, connected with the post O, held insulated on the frame C, and from which leads a circuitwire P, connected with abattery Q and an annunciator R, preferably located in a central oflice outside of the mine. The wire P is also connected with a post O, held directly on the frame C. Now, when the fan-wheel A rotates the electric circuit is alternately closed and opened by the extension J engaging and disengaging the spring O2; consequently the bell of the ann unciator is sounded at intervals varying with the speed of the IOC fan-wheel. To this-device I may add a springgovernor circuit-breaker. (Shown in Figs. 1 and 2.) The governor Sis attached to the main shaft B, and when the wheel A runs at a normal rate of speed the governor is disconnected from the screw T, held insulated in the frame C and connected by a branch wire P with the insulated post O, previously described. New, when the fan-wheel A runs very slow, (indicating an insufficient quantity of air in the airway,) then` the governor connects with the screw T and completes the electric circuit, so thatt-he bell of the annunciator sounds continuously, thus giving an alarm, which indicates insufficient or foul air in the airway of the -mine...On Athe -Square endof the shaft G maybe secured'a handV, (see'Fig. 4,) indicating. on` a dial IV, held ina coverCt, fitting onthe casing C.y The hand indiea'tesltheamountof air passing through the wheel Aata given time. l 1 1 Having thus described my. invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is f. J y

1. In a draft-annunciator, the combination, with `the fan-wheel located in a mine-airway and adapted to berotated bythe air in the same, of an electric bell, a circuit-breaker,

means for operating the circuit-breaker from the fan-wheel, circuit-wires, a spring-governor operated by the fan-wheel, and contacts with which the governor engages, substantially as described, whereby provision is made for sounding the bell at intervals varying with the speed of the fan-wheel, and also for sounding the bell continuously when the fanwheel slackens below a certain speed, as set forth.

2. In a draft-annunciator, the combination, with a fan-wheellocated in and operated' by the current of air in a mine-airway, of an electric bell, a disk provided with a series of pins, means foroperating the diskfroln the fan-wheel, a pivoted arm .projecting into the pathofthepinsof the disk, a contact-Sprin g eng. Ging. said arm, Aa spring-governor on the shaft of thefan-Wheel and `operateddy the movement ofthe ysaid, fanwheel, a ,contactscrew with which the governor, engages and circuit-wires, substantially as herein shown and described. v p

WILLIAM BULLUCK.

lVitnesses:

W. K. LORD, L. E. DAVIS.

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