US1216546A

US1216546A - Water-balanced elevator.

Info

Publication number: US1216546A
Application number: US10113516A
Authority: US
Inventors: Loyd J Caldwell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1916-06-01
Filing date: 1916-06-01
Publication date: 1917-02-20
Anticipated expiration: 1934-02-20

Description

L. J CALDWELL.

WATER BALANCED ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE I. 1916.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

2 $HEETSSHEET l.

Q/VMneMeS L. J. CALDWELL.

WATER BALANCED ELEVATOR.

APPLICATlON FILED JUNE 1. 1916.

'1 ,9 1 6,546 Patented Feb. 20; 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

LOYD J. CALDWELL, 0F WILS ON, IDAHO.

WATER-BALANCED ELEVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 1, 1916. Serial No. 101,135.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, LoYD J. CALDWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilson, in the county of Owyhee, State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water-Balanced Elevators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to elevators and has special reference to an elevator counterbalanced by a water containing tank, the latter being arranged to contain more or less water according to the weight to be counterbalanced and the direction of movement desired for the elevator car. 7

One important object of the invention is to provide an improved and simplified elevator arrangement wherein the car will be moved by water carried in a suitable tank and acting as a counterbalance, the car and tank being connected and supported by a supporting cable and moving in one direction or the other in accordance with the quantity of water in the tank.

A second important object of the invention is to provide an improved means for filling and emptying the tank. 7

A third important object of the invention is to provide a novel clamp brake arrangement for use in connection with a car of this description, the brake being so arranged as to clamp the supporting cable with the car in any desired position.

A fourth important object'of the invention is to provide a controlling device for the water valves of such an elevator which will pass through the car and at the same time be within reach of a person standing at the shaft door at each floor so that such person may operate the car to bring the same opposite the door without the services of a regular and constant attendant being necessitated.

A still further important object of the invention is the provision of a stationary cable passing through the car and so arranged that a person-on the car may cause the latter to move up and down in the ele vator shaft at will, when the car is properly counterbalanced.

With the above and other objects in view, as will be hereinafter apparent the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and H Figure 1 is a section through an elevator shaft showingseveral of the floors of a buildlng and the improved arrangement of elevator disposed in the shaft.

Fig. 2 is a similar section but taken at right angles to Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the floor of the elevator cage; i

Fig. 4 is an enlarged'detail view of the cable clamp;

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the rod grip;

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a modified form of brake, the same being applied to the sheave over the elevator cage.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 there is disclosed an elevator cage or car 10 which moves up and down a shaft 11 between guides 12. On the floor of the car is provided a foot brake 13 which is so arranged as to engage one of the guides when thrust upon by the foot so that the car maybe checked in its motionthereby, this foot brake being of anypreferred construction which I may see fit to use.

Attached to the top of this car is a cable 14 which is trained over a sheave 15 suitably mounted on the frame-work of the elevator shaft. The cable then extends laterally and is trained over a second sheave 16 similarly supported in the shaft and then extends downward to a counterbalance tank 17. Mounted at'the top of the elevator shaft is a supply tank 18 and at the'bottom of said shaft is a receiving tank '19. Extending from the tank 18 is a pipe 20 and to the endof this pipe 1s connected a flexible tube or hose 21 which is in turn connected to the top of the tank 17. In the pipe 20 is av valve 22 which is controlled by an operating handle 23.

Leading downward from the tank 17 is a hose 2a which is connected to a pipe 25 communicating with the tank 19. In the pipe 25 is a valve 26 provided with an operating handle 27 and the two

valves

22 and 26 are in vertical alinement. The

operating handles

23 and 27 are connected by a rod 28 which passes vertically through the car 10,

"as shown. Moreover these

valves

22 and 26 Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

and combinations of derstood. By means of this apparatus the car may be caused to move in either direction sinceit will only be necessary to put a suflicientquantityof water 111 the tank 17 by opening the valve 22 to counterbalance the weight of the ca'r'10 and'thus cause the r car to move upward, or if it is desired to move the car downward, water islet out of the tank 17 by opening the valve QG'WlIGI'B- upon'the carwill descend. In each of these instances, ifthec'ounterbalancing has been properly performed' pressure on the foot "brakej13 will'lock the car'in any desired position. Itis to be noted that the position oftherod 28 is'such thatit is close tothe doors of the elevator shaft so that such rod can be operated by a person standing at one of the landings.

In order to'f'urther efiect braking there is provided a clamp consisting of'a base member 28and a'coactingtopor cover 29, the

two being held together by parallel links 30 so that movement of the cover 29jin either direction will causefthe same'to approach theba'se 28'. on this top member 29 is a 7 lug 31 whereto isconnected a rod 32 which is in turn connectedto a lever 33 so arranged that' its end lies adjacent the elevator shaft wall and above the doors. Connected to this end of the lever 33 is a rod 34 which passesdownward'through the elevator and is received in 'a' suitable guide35 at the I bottom 'of the shaft; It will be obvious that movement in either direction of the rod as will'cause movement of the lever 33 and this in turn will actuate the rod 32tofmove the clamp top .meinber29 toward the hn 8 In order to efiect movement of'this'rod 5% by the car itself it is preferred to provide mechanism to clamp the rod and car together. To this end there is provided on 7 the floor of the car a stationary clamping member'36 and a movable clamping mem- .These;two-clan1p members are so arrangedthat the rod3 1 passesf between them and in alineme'nt with the pathof 'novement of themember 37 there is a sup= port- 38' 37 This whereto is"'connected oneo'f the members of a-knuckle joint 39, theremain-. ing knuckle being connected to the member knuckle joint carriesa footpedal 10 so as to be readily operated by pressure of the foot of a person riding in the elevator; In the operation of this part of the device when the pedal 40 is depressed the rod B iwill be clamped to the car and any 'movement'of the c'arino'ne direction or the otheriwill cause clamping movement of the 1 cablejclamp whichiwill stop further movement of the

Stop buttons

15 and 16 on rods 3 1 and cable 11, are to be located at top and bottom of elevator shaft so as to stop car 10 before it can strike ends of shaft.

r In order to more nicely and carefully control the movement of the car when the same is counterbalanced, further means are provided.

In the embodiment shown, these means consist of a cable 41 which is fixed above to the frame-work of the elevator shaft and is attached below to the upper end of a tension spring42, the lower end of said spring being 'fiXed to the floor of the elevator shaft. 15y

this means, the cable is at all times kept taut. Mounted in the car is a drum 13 which is operated by a crank 14: and the cable 41 is wound around this drum. In the operation of this part of the device when the car has been just counterbalanced by the proper weight of water in the tank 17, the operator in the carmay grasp the crank 44k and by rotation thereof cause upward or downward movement of the'car. In this way the car can be positioned exactly at the right place so that its floor will'come in alinement with the floor at which it is desired to stop.

' In the modified form of brake shown in Fig. 6 there is'provided on the sheave 15 a brake drum 45 surrounded by a brake band 16 which has its ends connected to a toggle 47 to which the rod 82 isattached. It will be obvious that movement of this toggle in either direction will cause clamping of the brake band on the brake drum and that such 'm'ovement is effected in precisely the same manner as the movement of the member 29 toward the member 28 previously described. The tank 18 may be supplied with water from any. suitable source and in order to indicate such a source there has been here shown a valved supply pipe 48 adapted for connection to a city main or the like, although this pipe may be connected to the tank of a windmill tower or any other elevated source of water supply as desired.

There has thus been provided a simple and efficient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that many minor changes may be made in the form and construction of'the invention without departing from the material principles thereof. It is not therefore desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein "shown and described but it is wished to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

Having-thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

l. The combination with an elevator car; of a tank connected to the car to form a counterweight therefor, a supply pipe connected to the tank, a draw ofl' pipe connected to the tank, vertically alined valves in said pipes, and a rod connecting the valves and passing through the car, a cable passing vertically through the car and having fixed ends, means within the car to cause the car to travel along the cable when said car is counterbalanced. r

2. The combination with an elevator car; of a tank connected to the car to form a counterweight therefor, a supply pipe connected to the tank, a draw ofi pipe connected to the tank, vertically alined valves in said pipes, a rod connecting the valves and passing through the car, a cable passing vertically through the car and having fixed ends, a drum rotatably mounted in the car around which said cable is wound, and a crank for the drum operable by the elevator attendant to cause travel of the car on the cable.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each,

3. In combination, an elevator car, a counterweight therefor, a cable connecting and supporting the car and counterweight, a cable grip adapted to engage said cable, a rod passing through the car and arranged to operate the grip upon movement, a gripping device fixed to the car and adapted to engage the rod to move the latter as the car moves, and operating means for the rod gripping device mounted within the car.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

LOYD J. CALDWELL.

Witnesses:

A. C. CALDWELL, ISABEL SIMMONS.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.