21 
Buttle’s Safety Cage. 
Mr. William Buttle, of Quarry Hill, Sandhurst, lias added a safety cage to the 
long list of inventions which he has brought under the notice of this Department 
from time to time. Respecting this latest invention he writes as follows, under 
date 18th December, 1884 :— 
Herewith is a. sketch and description of a safety cage altogether different from any ever proposed 
by others. I beg you will be so good as to place the matter before the proper officials of the Department— 
it will be found deserving ol foremost attention. Description .—Flexible ropes are secured at the bearings 
above the shaft, and also at the bottom of the shaft, one on each side of the cago. Each rope is coiled 
round one ol the drums once or twice. The levers vibrate on the fulcrum. Under each lever is a claw, 
which drops^ into notchos on the drum and prevents them from revolving when the arms of the levers 
descend, which descent, takes place when the hauling rope (which is likewise attached to the ends of the 
lovors) breaks. A platform, on which the men stand, is attached at the angles to the arms of the lovers by 
ropes ; and instantaneously on the breaking of the rope the platform descends. But please observe that 
the descent of the cage is retarded by the coils of the ropes round the drums, consequently the platform 
descends quicker than the cage, otherwise the platform and cage would descend at a like speed, and the 
object would not be attained, as the claws would not act. No springs are used, neither are any skids needed 
in the shaft. 
The sketch and description were referred to Mr. Inspector Grainger, Sandhurst, 
who reports :— 
I lie cage would not be at all adapted for working in our shafts here. As to the merits claimed 
for it hy the inventor, it would he necessary to have a suitable shaft specially sunk, and a test of the cage 
given, beforo an opinion could he rightly formed. Mr. Buttle has considerable inventive genius, hut, in my 
•opinion, his present invention would not he a success. 
Chessell’s Saeety Cage. 
Mr. Geo. Chessell, of Kyneton, lias forwarded to me, through Senior Inspector 
Nicholas, a description of a safety cage invented by him, which is as follows :— 
1st. The cage is 7 feet in height from the floor to the crown, and is protected hy substantial covers. 
The centre bar is firmly fastened by means of Ijin. screw and nut to the underpart of the crown of the 
cage, and lias a slot 5 inches long, at the top, in which the bar of the connecting shackle works; the 
weight of the cage is held hy this bar. 
2nd. Two feet below the crown of the cago is a strong cross-bar, holding the cage firmly together. 
Between this bar and the crown a spiral spring, 19 inches long, is fixed and kept iu position by a screwed 
spill, which passes up through the centre of the spring; at the lower part the spring rests upon an adjusting 
nut, forged for this purpose. 
3rd. About the centre of the loop, which extends from the crown to the cross-bar, and is made of 
4in. x f ths iron, two straight bars are fastened by nuts and screws, and these bars carry four connecting 
rods, to which the grippers are attached. 
4th. The bar of the shackle works freely in the slot at the top of the centre bar. The ends of the 
loop are connected with the shackle bar. ^Vhen the bar is at the top of the slot the grippers are open. 
The spill travels with the loop, and the spring is compressed when the grippers are open. When the rope 
breaks, the spring expands, brings down the loop, and the grippers catch the skids instantaneously, and stop 
the fall of the cage. 
Mr. Nicholas states, in reference to this caa;e— 
The appliances are simple and effective ; they are easily kept in working order, and the first cost is less 
than that of the majority of safety cages. 
Gherardin’s Safety Appliance. 
Mr. John Henry Gherardin, of Heathcote, forwarded to me a photograph of a 
model appliance to prevent over-winding, for which he claimed the following merits:— 
1st. That any cage reaching the poppet-heads will he detained there in an upright 
position until lowered in the proper way. 2nd. That when the contrivance is once 
set it will last for years, cannot get out of order, will require no looking after, and 
will not he in the way of anything. I obtained from Mr. Inspector Grainger a 
description of the contrivance, which is as follows:— 
Within a short distance of the pulley wheels there nro self-acting doors. Attached to the flooring 
of a small brace or landing, whero the doors are fixed, there is an upright bar which works on a pivot. 
Connected to the upright bar, there is a horizontal one which rests on one of the self-acting doors. There 
are two lever hooks made fast to the bearers that carry the pulleys. These lever hooks are fixed in a 
horizontal position resting on a cross-bar a little bevelled. As soon as the bucket or cage is raised by 
over-winding up through the doors, the upright bar disconnects the lever hooks, when the hooks instantly 
