222 



COALFIELDS AND COLLIERIES OF AUSTRALIA. 



reinforced. The present system brings out four skips in a set, 

 at the rate of one and a half miles per hour, which experience 



E roves to be fast enough to prevent accidents ; but on the sur- 

 ice the endless rope system works quicker, from two to four 

 miles per hour. There are two main districts, the north and 

 south, each supplied with a separate haulage : the northern 

 rope also actuates one of the branches of the southern district 

 by means of gearing. There are four jigs, or underground, 

 self-acting inclines, which supply the mnin southern rope 

 -where the seam becomes steep. There are four places along a 



i 



t 



Fig. 140. 



jig where skips may branch off to workings; the arrangement 

 of such flats is shown at Fig. 140. The drums at the top of 

 the jigs are provided with brake bands, top and bottom, which 

 have blocks of leather-jacket wood bolted to them. The end- 

 less rope is driven by a Tangye duplex horizontal engine, hav- 

 ing 20in. diameter cylinders, and a 3ft. stroke. This engine 

 works the two main endless ropes. The rope pulley has a steel 

 liner which is bolted inside the groove, and can be renewed 

 when ^ worn. The face of the pulley is slightly inclined from 

 one side to the other, so that the rope which passes on to the 

 pulley at that side with the lesser diameter, after coiling round 



