IRONDALE COLLIERY. 



127 



rope. The speed is regulated by a brake at the top. The in- 

 cline for the upper searn has an angle of 14 degrees. The 



Fig. 68. Side Tippler. 



skips have a jockey in front and a chain behind (Fig. 67). 

 The jockey alone would cause the down going skip to tip up, 

 so that it would run on the two front wheels only, therefore 

 the back is kept down by means of a 7ft. close-linked chain, 

 which has a hook at either end. One end is wrapped round 

 the rope about four times ; then the hook, being close to the 

 rope and pointing down hill, is turned on its back, so that the 

 longer piece of chain can be hitched into it ; the hook at the 

 other end of the chain is fastened to the back of the skip. One 

 or two skips may be sent down at a time. Should a skip acci- 

 dentally get away and break the chain of that in front, the 

 jockey will cause it to tip over and block any further accident. 

 The skips are weighed on a W. and T. Avery's weighing- 

 machine. A side tippler is used to empty the skips (Fig. 68). 

 The skips are not held in position by the wheels or axles, for 

 should these become loose the skip might fall out at the top; 

 but angle iron is bolted on to the sides of the skips, which 

 catch in the side angles of the tippler. A wooden block at the 

 end of the tippler prevents the skip from going too far, as it 

 has to be drawn back, and is not pushed forward. The tippler 

 is eased down by a screw brake, which works in a path of a 

 half-circle at either end. 



