US681430A - Hoist mechanism for mine-shafts. - Google Patents

Description

No. 68I,430. Patented Aug. 27, |90I. T. J. BARBOUB.

HOIST MECHANISM FOB MINE SHAFTS.

(Application led Dec. 26, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Shout l.

(Ilo Model.)

lun-Inl@ No. 68l,430.

Patented Aug. 27, 190|. T. J. BARBOUR.

HOIST MECHANISM FOB MINE SHAFTS.

(Application led Dec. 2B, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

m. En?

No. 68|,43(J.v 4 Patented Aug. 27, |90I. T. J. BARBOUR.

HOIST MECHNISM FUR MINE SHAFTS.

(Application filed Dec. 26, 1900.)

3 Sheets--Sheet 3,

(No Model.)

m: nous", refzws co1, mcmumo. wnmnnmu, nv c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. BARBOUR, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

HOlST MECHANISM FOR MINE-SHAFTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,430, dated vAug-nist 27, 1901.

Application iled December 26, 1900. Serial No. 41,124. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. BARBOUR, a citizen of the United States, residingin the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hoist Mechanism for Mine-Shafts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The present invention relates more especially to mechanism whereby the position of the cage may be shifted or regulated as to the haulage cable or rope in accordance with the level or depth from which the dirt or ore is to be hoisted from within the mine-shaft. Ordinarily where the double-cage system is employed in connection with an endless or single haulage-cable for the raising of ore from the mine-shaft it is the custom to provide mechanism by means of which the haulage-cable may be shortened or lengthened in accordance with the length of the cable required for the hoisting of the cages from varying levels of the mine-shaft, the cages being permanently attached to the cable. For instance, suppose the mine-shaft contains five working levels from which ore is taken and work is being done in the fifth level at a' the fth level to the fourth or third level it is required where the cages are permanently attached to the cable that the excess of cable be compensated for, so as to raise the cage within the shaft to the level required without changing the position of the surface cage. This is accomplished by what is known as a tail-take-up mechanism, which gives a back pull upon that portion of the cable leading to the lowered cage in order to raise the said cage to the required level. By such mechanism the surface cage will reach the changed level at the same time the loaded cage reaches the surface for unloading. The

auxiliary mechanism required for this pur- The object of the present invention is to dispense with such auxiliary take-up mechanism and provide means whereby one cage may be released from the haulage-cable while the position of the opposing cage is changed to a higher or lower level within the mine-shaft.

The invention also relatesto details of construction as to means for taking up the slack of the cable.

In order to comprehend the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein- Figure l is a side view in elevation illustrating the hoisting mechanism and arrangement of the cable or rope. plan view of the mechanism disclosed by Fig. 1 of the drawings. Fig. 3 is a front view of the mine-shaft, disclosing the cribbing or shaft-frame timbers, endless cage-rope or cable, and cages attached thereto. Fig. ais a similar view illustrating the running of the cage rope or cable when one cage is permanently attached thereto. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailview,in front elevation, of one of the cages with the cage rope or cable passing through the clutch mechanisms and guidesheaves. Fig. 6 is a similarvewin side elevation. Fig. 7 is a broken detail view, in side elevation, of the fixed cage illustrated in Fig. 4, said view illustrating the take-up mechanism secu red to the bottom of the cage.- Fig. 8 is a similar view in front elevation-. v Fig. 9 is a detail view of one ot' the clutch mechanisms, partly in section; and Fig.' 10 is a top plan view of the same.

In the drawings the letter A is used to in dicate the frame-timbers or cribbing which divides the mine-shaft into compartments l 2, and A2 the cage or haulage rope or cable. This rope or cable runs from the drive-d rum B over tension-drum B', under idler-sheave B2, over pit-head sheave B3, thence down shaft compartment 1, and -under take up sheave C, thence up shaft-compartment 2, over pit-head shea-ve C', and thence back to the drive-drum B.

Within each shaft-compartment Works or operates a cage, which cages D D' are attached to the cage or haulage cable or rope in such a manner that as one cage is carried downward the other is elevated or moved upward toward the surface or head-opening of its Fig. 2 is a top loo shaft-compartment. In Fig. 3 of the drawings the cage or haulage rope or cable is Villustrated asextending around the said cages, while in Fig. 4 of the drawings the said rope or cable is illustrated as attached at one end to the top of cage D, the free end passing around cage D and being connected by a suitable take-up mechanism to the bottom of cago D. By the latter form of connection one cage is rigidly or permanently secured to the cage or haulage rope or cable A2, while the oppositecage is detachablysecu red thereto. Preferably I make each cage detachably connected to the cage orhaulage rope or cable and make employment of a continuous or unbroken endless rope or cable, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Then this form of connection is employed, each cage is provided with an upper and lower frame D2 D3. The upper frame supports the cable-sheaves 3 4 and the lower frame the cable-sheaves 5 6. Through these sheaves the cable extends, audsaid sheaves are set at an angle, as illustrated in Fig. 6 ot` the drawings, in order that the cable or rope A2 may be kept clear of frame-timbers or cribbing of the shaft.

Each cage is provided with an upper clutch E and lower clutch E, which are supported, respectively, by the frames D2 D2. The cable or rope leads through the upper clutch E prior to passing between the sheaves 3 4 and through the lower clutch after leaving the sheaves 5 These clutches maintain the rope or cable A2 in line with the pit-head sheaves 'B2 C and the guide-face of the takeup sheave C. W'hile the sheaves 3 4 lead the cable or rope to one side ofthe cage, the lower sheaves 5 G guide or return the same to the center thereof. It is preferable that the cable or rope be led to one side of the cage, so as not to interfere with theloading capacity of the said cage.

In Figs. 3, 4, 5, and G the cage rope or eable is illustrated as passing through upper and lower guides 7 8 and the cage as held thereto by compression-screws 9 l0. This is the simplest form of clutch mechanism and is mainly employed in said views to prevent complication of drawings. y

In Fig. 9a detail of the form ofclutch mechanism to be employed is illustrated, the same consisting of the clutch-jaws a a', connected to the collar b by the toggle-links Z9 h2. These toggle-links are forced inward and outward to open and close the clutch-jaws by the screw-rod d, which extends within the cage in order that the same may be operated from the interior or platform thereof. As the top and bottom clutch mechanisms are counterparts,I have only deemed it necessary to illustrate one of the clutches.

In Fig. 4 only one cage is illustrated as bcing provided with the clutch mechanisms and the cable or rope guiding sheaves, the opposite cage D being permanently secured to one end of the cable or rope, and the free end of gear wheel G.

said cable or rope being attached to the chain d' of the auxiliary take-up mechanism suspended from the bottom ofsaid cage. This take-up mechanism is made use of as au auxiliary to the take-up sheave C in order that the slack of the cable or rope may be compensated for after the limit as to take-up has been reached by the take-up sheave O. The

take-up sheave C isvsecured within slideframe C2, which frame works in ways C3 in the bottom of the mine-shaft. This slideframe C2 is permitted a vertical movement of about ten feet, and the weight thereof is such as to overcome that of the cable or rope A2. Hence it serves to maintain the rope or cable taut and to take up such slack as may be occasioned by stretching of the cage rope or cable. After the slide-frame has reached its full downward depth its usefulness as a takeup means for the slack ceases. However, the slack or stretch will seldom be so great as to overcome the limit of the take-up sheaves play. Still to provide against such a possibility an auxiliary take-up means is employed where one cage is permanently attached to the cage cableor rope. Such mechanism is attached, preferably, to the bottom of the fixed or permanent cage, and the same comprises the shaft E2, mounted in bearings of frame E3. To one end of said shaft'is secured the worm-gear F, which is actuated by the Worm F', carried by the winding-shaft F2. The shaft E2 carries the chain-wheel F2, over which works the chain d', to which the free end of cable A2 is connected. In order to operate the take-u p mechanism, a crankkey is fitted over projecting end cl3 of winding-shaft F2. As this shaft is rotated the inotion thereof is transmitted to shaft E2 through the medium of the worin F andworm-gear F.

To the drive-drum Bis con nected the brakewheel G, Fig. 2 of the drawings, and larger Motion is imparted to the drive-drum B from power-shaft G2, which is driven in the present case by electricity. The power-shaft works in bearings of frame G3 and has secured thereon pinion f, which meshes with gear f, secured to shaft H. To said shaft is secured pinion h, which meshes with the larger gear-wheel G.

In order to change the position of the cages D D within the mine-shaft, so as to shift the work to varying levels, one fcage is heldat the opening of the shaft by being supported upon chairs. (Notshown.) Its clutch mechanisms are then released in order to free the cable or rope A2. When thus freed, the cage within the mine-shaft is raised or lowered to the desired level. During this movement of said cage the releasedcage remains supported upon its chairs and the cable or rope runs freely through its guide-sheaves and clutch mechanisms. After the cage Within the mineshaft has reached the desired level the clutch mechanisms of the free cage are then operated so as to clutch or grasp the cage cable or rope firmly. The position of the cages IIO at the desired level of the mine-shaft. It will' be understood that one cage ascends as the opposing cage descends and that the loaded cage reaches the surface at the same time as the empty or descending cage reaches the level from which the ore is being extracted or worked.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure protection in by Letters Patent, is

l. In a single-cable hoist apparatus for mine-shafts, the combination with the endless hoisting-cable, of the opposing cablecages,of devices carried by the cages whereby the endless cable is guided above and below the same, and means whereby the cages may be held locked to or released from the endless cable without requiring the cages to be removed from the cable in order to permit of its position being varied in accordance with the working level of the mine-shaft.

2. In a singlecable hoist apparatus for.

mining purposes, the combination with the mine-shaft having different levels, of the endless hoisting-cable working therein, of the cages carried thereby, of devices whereby the endless cable is guided above and below the cages, and means whereby the positions of the cages may be varied upon the hoistingcable by releasing the cable without removing the same from the guide devices.

3. The combination with the endless hoisting-cable, of the cages carried thereby, of clutch mechanisms secured to the cages and by means of which they are attached to the hoisting-cable, and means for operating the clutch mechanisms whereby the positions of the cages may be varied for different working levels.

4. The combination with the hoisting-cable, of the cages carried thereby, of guide-sheaves secured to the cages and through which the hoisting-cable extends, clutch mechanisms carried by the cages and by means of which the cages are locked to the hoisting-cable, and means for operating the clutch mechanisms so as to place the cagesin or out of locked engagement with the hoisting-cable in order that the positions of the cages may be changed in accordance with the working levels of a mine-shaft.

5. The combination with the drive mechanism,of the hoisting-cable, the pit-head sheaves over which the cable works, the take-up shcave located within the mine-shaft for taking up of the cable slack, the opposing cages carried by the hoisting-cable, devices for guiding the endless cable above and below the cages, and means whereby the relative positions of the cages may be varied upon the hoisting-cable in accordance with the working levels.

6. The combination with the endless hoisting-cable, of the shaft within which the endless cable works, the cages carried by the said cable, of guide-sheaves secured to the top and bottom portions of the cages and between` which the hoisting-cable extends, and of means whereby the relative positions of the cages may be varied upon the hoisting-cable so as to adjust the same to the desired working level of the shaft.

'7. In a single-cable hoist apparatus for mining purposes, the combination with the mineshaft, of the endless hoisting-cable working therein, of the cages carried thereby, one of said cages being detachably secured to the said cable, of devices for guiding the endless cable above and below the said cage, and of means whereby the said cage may be released from the cable without disconnectingfthe cable from the guiding devices so that the relative positions of the cages may be varied upon the said hoisting-cable in accordance with the working levels of the mine-shaft.

8. In a single-cable hoisting apparatus, the combination with the drive-drum, of the ten'- sion-drum, the idler-sheave, the mine-shaft, the pit-head sheaves, the take-up sheave located at the bottom of the shaft, the endless hoisting-cable working over said sheaves and drums, the cages carried by the endless hoisting-cable, and means whereby the positions of the cages may be varied upon the hoistingcable in accordance with the working level of the mine-shaft.

9. In a single-cable hoisting apparatus, the combination with the mine-shaft, of the endless hoisting-cable working therein, mechanism located outside of the shaft for driving the endless cable, the opposing cages carried by the endless cable, of means for guiding the cable around the cages, and of means carried by the cages wherein the positions thereof may be varied upon the said cable in accordance with the working level of the mineshaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature, in the presence of witnesses, this 30th day of November, 1900.

THOMAS J. BARB OUR..

In presence of FRANK M. LELAND, D. J. BAssETT.

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