Published Resources Details
Journal Article
- Title
- Mine cage safety gear with controlled deceleration
- In
- Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia
- Imprint
- vol. 30, no. 9, Sep 1958, pp. 273-279
- Description
This paper, No.1258, originated in the Broken Hill Group of The Institution, and was presented before a meeting of the Group on 26th March, 1958.
The author, S. A. Eyers, AMIEAust, is Assistant Engineer, The Zinc Corporation Ltd., Broken Hill.
[This paper was jointly awarded the Mechanical Engineering Prize 1958]
- Abstract
The improvements in safety equipment and methods throughout industry during this century have been more prominent in the mining industry than elsewhere. Shaft accidents formerly contributed very largely to the total accident roll but, with the steady improvement in the design of winding engines, rope installation and cage equipment, the present-day shaft accident rate has dwindled to a negligible value. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the improvements which have been made in cage safety gear.
There exist many factors which, upon failure, could cause accidents involving persons travelling in cages. The most obvious and important are :
1. Engine driver;
2. Engine prime mover;
3. Mechanical portion of engine;
4. Clutches and brakes;
5. Ropes;
6. Headsheaves and supports;
7. Rope capping;
8. Cage suspension;
9. Cage structure;
10. Shaft guides or runners;
11. Shaft structure.
Factors 1 and 2 are primarily guarded against failure by the large number of safety devices incorporated into the design of modem winding engines. They are also covered in part by the cage safety gear. Items 3 and 4 are also partly covered by the cage safety gear as are items 5, 6, 7 and 8, while the remaining three factors, namely failure of 9, 10 and 11 cannot, at this stage, be regarded as covered by the safety gear which is described here. [The paper includes a brief history of safety gear on cages.]