Smallman clip

A smallman clip is a metal fastening device designed to attach a hauling rope securely to the rim or eye of a coal tub or similar mining container. The clip grips the rope and the tub's attachment point together, creating a mechanical connection strong enough to withstand the jerking and swinging loads encountered during underground haulage.

The clip consists of two metal pieces, typically wrought iron or steel, that sandwich the rope between them. A bolt or pin passes through both pieces to clamp them shut. The design allows the rope to be quickly attached or detached without knotting, which matters when a pit worker needs to disconnect a full tub and send an empty one back down the slope in rapid succession. The clip's name derives from the small man, the mine worker responsible for this task, though the device itself is simple and reusable across many tubs.

Variants include clips with slightly different jaw widths to accommodate ropes of different diameters, typically ranging from three-quarters of an inch to one and a half inches. Some have reinforced contact surfaces to reduce rope wear. The tub itself may have a fixed eye welded to its edge, or the rope may wrap partially around the rim before being clamped. Quality matters greatly here, because failure of the clip during a haul can cause a tub to plunge and injure workers below or damage pit infrastructure.

In practice, the smallman clip sits within a broader haulage system that might include stationary winding engines, rope guides, and multiple tubs traveling on parallel tracks. The clip is one of the cheapest and most critical components in this chain. Corrosion and metal fatigue are persistent problems in wet mine environments, so clips are inspected regularly and replaced when bolt holes become enlarged or jaw surfaces become pitted.