the Coal- Pit Engine and Apparatus. 265 



the full bucket bringing up the empty one to the engineer's 

 hand. The work is thus done much better and cheaper, as it 

 could be done with fewer men, and without the danger that 

 often occurs by careless men neglecting their duty. The new 

 method may shortly be described thus : (See Plate III.) — At the 

 pit mouth B C (fig. 1), a platform D is fitted about six feet 

 from the pit mouth, and extends to E, about 30 feet back from 

 the pit, — the width of the platform being from 10 to 12 feet ; 

 and at the farthest end of the platform there is an inclined 

 plane E F attached, down which the full bucket runs, the weight 

 of which brings up the empty bucket to the engineer's hand. 

 At the pit mouth are fixed four upright posts or pillars, 1, 2, 

 3, 4, about 14 feet in height above the platform. On the top 

 of these are fitted two double rails or shears, G H, G H (figs. 

 1 and 2), which are sloped down from 14 to 10 feet at 5, 6 (fig. 

 1), and are extended about 20 feet back. In the centre of each 

 double rail is fitted a block I I (figs. 1 and 2), which has free- 

 dom to slide up and down the rails ; and in each block is a 

 pulley K, which is suspended downwards for the ropes of the 

 buckets to pass over. To each block is fitted a chain L L 

 (figs. 1 and 2), which is extended over the pit mouth, and to 

 ■which is suspended a round box M, of sufficient weight to 

 carry out the empty bucket to the pit mouth. On the top of 

 the shears is fixed a frame N N (figs. 2 and 3), with a pin 

 (figs. 2 and 3), to move right and left, which is connected with 

 my pivot-valve P P (fig. 4), which makes the best reversing- 

 box. Thus, when the pin is moved to the centre betwixt the 

 shears, the steam should have communication to top and bot- 

 tom of the cylinder at the same time ; but the valve of the mo- 

 del being so very small, I was afraid to make the ports lai-ger, 

 in case the surface betwixt the ports should have been rendered 

 too small ; but, by the way in which the valve is fitted, it shuts 

 off the steam from the cylinder, which will be sufficient to shew 

 the principle. When the engine is in motion, the bucket is 

 lifted up to the pit mouth ; the rod of the bucket T opens the 

 lever R, brings in the bucket, and places it upon the platform 

 1) E, and then shuts oflf the steam from the engine by touch- 

 ing the pin O ; and all that the engineer will have to do is to 

 unhook the full bucket, and set it down the railway Y^ F, and 



