G- W. MINTO & J. F. MOGORMIGK.
LOOKING DEVICE FOR THE GATES OF SHAPTS.
APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1912.
1 ,O36,504;, Patented Aug. 20, 1912.
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LOOKING DEVICE FOR THE GATES 0F SHAFTS.
APPLIOATIION FILED JAN. 15, 1912. 1,03 ,504, Patented Aug. 20, 1912.
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UNITED STATES PATENT UFFTGE.
GEORGE W. MIN'IO AND JAMES F. MGCORMICK, OF BRIEF. HILL, PENNSYLVANIA.
LOCKING DEVICE FOR THE GATES 01E SHAIETS.
Specification of Letters Patent.
Patented Aug. 20, 1912.
Application filed January 15, 1912. Serial No. 671,225.
T 0 all whom it may concern:
Be it known that we, GEORGE XV. MrNTo and JAMES F. MCCORMICK, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Brier Hill, in the county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locking Devices for the Gates of Shafts, of which, the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.
This invention relates to a locking device for the gates of shafts, and more particularly to a device that can be advantageously used in connection with mine shafts, elevator wells, and openings or pits that are guarded by inclosures provided with gates.
Our invention aims to provide a locking device that will retain the gates of a mine shaft normally locked when the mine hoist or elevator-ear is not in position, adjacent to the gate to receive passengers, a car or other matter. The device is arranged whereby it will be actuated by a hoist or elevator and placed in position to permit of the device being operated to release the gate, whereby passengers can enter the gateway and pass on to the hoist or elevator-car.
Our invention further aims to prevent the loss of lives and property by providing a gate locking device that requires the attention of a miner or person desiring to pass on to a hoist or elevator-car and the device is of such construction that it cannot be operated unless the hoist or elevator-car is in position to receive the person, thereby eliminating all danger of the person being precipitated into the shaft or pit.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a gate locking device that is applicable to a single or double hoist or elevator-car, the device consisting of comparatively few parts not liable to injury by ordinary use, inexpensive to manufacture and highly efficient as a safety appliance in connection with elevators.
The invention further aims to accomplish the above and other objects by a combinatier 1 of mechanical elements that will be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed. 1
Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals denote corre sponding parts throughout the several views in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the looking device in connection with two gates and a double elevator shaft, showing the gates in a locked position, Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the same showing hoists or elevators at the landing of the shaft, Fig. 3 is a plan of the same with the gates in a locked position, Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the locking device, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the device showing the locking mechanism in an unlocked position.
The reference numeral 1 denotes a large hoist or elevator shaft having a
landing 2, the shaft illustrated being of that type having
vertical center timbers 3 serving as guides and dividing the shaft into two hoist-ways accommodating hoists or elevator-
cars 4 having
guide blocks 5 engagmg the sides of the
vertical timbers 3. The
side frame 6 of the hoists or elevator-
cars 4 are provided with
side plates 7 that serve as a brace for the
side frames 6, also for a purpose in connection with our locking device, as will hereinafter appear.
The type of shaft illustrated is generally inclosed by a
fence 8 or other structure upon the
landing 2 in proximity to the shaft 1, to prevent persons from accidentally falling down the shaft. The
fence 8 is generally provided with hinged
gates 9 whereby the inclosure can be entered, and in order that our locking device can be used in connection with the gates of the inclosure, said gates have been arranged in proximity to each other and a
bearing plate 10 arranged between the free edges of the gates. The bearing plate is preferably made of metal and mounted upon a suitable foundation 11 arranged in the landing 2-.
The
vertical timbers 3 are connected by a bolster or
timber 12 having the upper surface thereof in the horizontal plane of the
landing 2, and suitably mounted upon said timber is a
metallic bearing plate 13 in alinement with the
bearing plate 10.
Arranged within the
bearing plates 10 and 13 are longitudinal parallel operating protruding from the
openings 17 of the
bearing plate 10.
Upon the protruding ends of the
locking shafts 15 are mounted
sleeves 20 provided with radially disposed
handles 21 and
latches 22, said latches being disposed at,
right angles to the
handles 21. and said latches are adapted to engage the outer sides of the
gates 9 and retain said gates in a closed position. The locking shafts 15,
adjacent to the
bearing plate 10 are provided with radially disposed fixed cranks or
handles 23 that are positioned whereby the locking shafts can be rocked by a 15 person on one of the hoists or elevator-
cars 4. The
locking shafts 15, adjacent to the
bearing plate 13, are provided with
lugs 24 for a purpose that will presently appear. Adjacent to the
lugs 24 are
eye bolts 25 connected by a
coiled retractile spring 26, said spring holding said locking shafts 'whereby the eye bolts thereof will normally confront each other, as best shown in Fig. 2.
Pivotally connected to the
bearing plate 13 by
pins 27 are
keeper arms 28 having apertured
ears 29 and loosely mounted in said apertured ears is a
rod 30 encircled by a coiled
compression spring 31, the tension 0 of said spring holding the
keeper arms 28 separated and in engagement with the
locking shafts 15. The
keeper arms 28 are provided with
notches 32 to receive the
lugs 24 of the
locking shafts 15. The lower ends of the
keeper arms 28 are tapered and curved, as at 33 and extend in proximity to the
operating shafts 14.
The ends of the
operating shafts 14 that protrude from the
bearing plate 10 are provided with
sleeves 34 having radially disposed
handles 35, and said shafts adjacent to the
bearing plate 10 are provided with
cranks'or handles 36 similar to the cranks or handles 23. The
operating shafts 14 adjacent to the
bearing plate 10 are also provided with
hooks 37 connected by
coiled retractile springs 38 to
eyes 39, carried by the inner side of the
bearing plate 10, these springs holding the
operating shafts 14 with the
handles 35 and 36 normally vertical. The opposite ends of the
operating shafts 14 are provided with
sleeves 40, said sleeves having hook-
shaped cranks 41 and
projections 42, said projections being dia- '1netrically opposed relatively to the
hookshaped cranks 41.
The normal position of the lock is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive showing the
gates 9 locked and this is the position of the look when the hoist or elevator-
car 4 is not at the
landing 2. In this position of the locking device, the
locking shafts 15 are" held in a locked position by the
keeper arms 28 and said shafts cannot be rotated or rocked, consequently the
gates 9 cannot be opened and the inclosure entered. The
operating shafts 14 are idle, but are maintained in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by the coiled
retractile springs 38.
Upon a hoist orelevator-car reaching the level of the
landing 2, the occupants of the hoist or elevator-car can open either of the gates or either of the gates can be opened from the outside of the inclosure by a person desiring to enter the same and passed on to the hoist or elevator-car. In the first instance, the
handle 36 is used and in the last instance the
handle 35. The operation is the same in connection with both handles and I will assume that the
handle 35 is 30 used from the outside of the shaft inclosure. This handle is swung downwardly to the left or counter clock wise, placing the
coiled retractile spring 38 under tension and ele-' vating the hook-
shaped crank 41 of
theshaft 14. As the hook-shaped
crank 41 is elevated it contacts with the
side plate 7 of the hoist or elevator-car and the end of the operating
shaft 14 supporting the hookshaped crank is forced over in the
slot 19, causing the
projection 42 to engage the
keeper arm 28, move said arm out of engagement with the
lug 24 of the locking
shaft 15, thereby releasing said shaft. The next operation is that of swinging the
handle 21 of the locking
shaft 15 to the left, thereby elevating the
latch 22 of said looking shaft clear of and releasing the
gate 9. Immediately upon the
gate 9 being opened, 7 the
retractile spring 26 which has been placed under tension by a movement of the locking
shaft 15 restores said shaft to its normal position and as the operating
shaft 14 has been previously restored to its normal position by the
spring 38, the
spring 31, between the
keeper arms 28, immediately restores the keeper arm to its normal position locking the
shaft 15. The
gate 9 cannot be locked in a closed position until the open.- tion just described is repeated and only such operation canbe performed with the hoist or elevator-car on a level with the
landing 2. With the gate in proximity to'the hoist or elevator-car, the condition of the gate, that is, whether locked or unlocked, can be readily observed and even though the gate be left unlocked, the habit of first unlocking the gate would soon attract the persons attent-ion to the fact thatthe gate is unlocked and that thereis a degree of danger in entering the gate.
From the foregoing'it will be observed that we have devised a gate locking device that depends for its operation upon a hoist, elevator-car or platform being in position to prevent accidents of persons passing through the gate, and that the principal locking mechanism cannot be operated until a primary mechanism hasbeen actuated to release the main locking mechanism whereby 139 the main locking mechanism can be operated to release the gate. In other words, there are two successive operations that must be performed and neither of these operations can be accomplished without a third element being in position to permit of the primary mechanism being actuated.
e reserve the right to double the looking device herein shown upon opposite sides of the shaft 1 in connection with the
vertical timbers 3, to use the locking mechanism in connection with various kinds of gates and to resort to other means than the springs for accomplishing the same purpose as said springs.
While in the drawing there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the structural elements are susceptible to such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.
\Vhat we claim is 1. In a locking device for the gates of elevator shafts, the combination with an elecator shaft, an elevator-car, and a safety gate for said elevator, of bearing plates, one positioned at one side of the gate and the other positioned at one side of the path of the car, a main locking mechanism supported by said bearing plates and including a shaft having means for locking said gate, and a primary mechanism supported by said bearing plates and including a shaft having means adapted to be actuated by contacting with said elevator car for releasing said main locking mechanism whereby said mechanism can be operated to release said ate.
2. A locking device comprising a pair of bearing plates one arranged rearwardly of the other, a locking shaft mounted in said bearing plates and provided with a latch, a keeper arm carried by one of said plates and normally engaging said shaft for looking it, an operating shaft supported in said plates and capable of being rocked and laterally moved, and means carried by said operating shaft and capable of engaging said keeper arm when said shaft is laterally moved for shifting said keeper arm to release said locking shaft.
3. A locking device comprising a pair of bearing plates, one arranged rearwardly of the other, a locking shaft mounted in said bearing plates and provided with a latch, a keeper arm carried by one of said bearing plates for locking said shaft, an operating shaft supported by saidbearing plates in a plane below the locking shaft, means carried by said operating shaft and capable of engaging said keeper arm to shift it thereby releasing said locking shaft, means for retaining said keeper arm normally in engagement with said locking shaft, and means connected to said locking shaft for restoring it to locked position after having been released by said operating shaft.
4. A locking device comprising a pair of bearing plates one arranged rearwardly of the other, a locking shaft mounted in said bearing plates and provided with a latch, a keeper arm carried by one of said plates and normally engaging said shaft for looking it, an operating shaft supported in said plates and capable of being rocked and laterally moved, means carried by said operating shaft and capable of engaging said keeper arm when said shaft is laterally moved for shifting said keeper arm to release said locking shaft, means for retaining said keeper arm normally in engagement with said locking shaft, and means connected to said locking shaft for restoring it to locked position after having been released by said operating shaft.
5. A look for the gate of an elevator shaft comprising a main locking mechanism for normally maintaining the gate in locked position, means for normally maintaining said mechansm in locked position, and a rotatable and laterally movable shifting mechanism for said means, said shifting mechanism being manually rotated and laterally moved by contacting with the elevator-car.
In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.
GEORGE W. MINTO. JAMES F. MCCORMICK.
WVitnesses:
I. E. MOYER, -J. B. WYATT.
Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G.