US1442060A

US1442060A - Suspension device for equalizing the strain on elevator cables

Info

Publication number: US1442060A
Application number: US433977A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph E Evans
Original assignee: OLIVER M CLIFFORD
Current assignee: OLIVER M CLIFFORD
Priority date: 1920-12-30
Filing date: 1920-12-30
Publication date: 1923-01-16
Anticipated expiration: 1940-01-16

Description

Jan. 116, 1923. E

1. E. EVANS.

SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR EQUALIZING THE STRAIN 0N ELEVATOR CABLES.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

FILED DEC. 30| I920.

Jan. 16, 1923.

v J.E. EVANS. fl SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR EQUALIZING THE STRAIN 0N ELEVATOR CABLES.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FILED DEC. 30, 1920.

I Jrwei% W aw Patented Jan. 16, 1923.

JOSEPH'E. EVANS, OF BEDFORD, INDIANA,

ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH 'IO OLIVER M.

CLIFFORD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SUSPENSION DEVICE'FOR EQUALIZING THE STRAIN ON ELEVATOR CABLES.

Application filedbecemberfifl, 1920f Seria1I Io. 433,977.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, Josnrn E. EVANS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bedford, in the county of Lawrence and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suspension Devices for 'Equalizing the Strain on Elevator. Cables, of which the following is a specifi cation.

In elevators or lifts which are widely used for transferring passengersgi-nd freight from one floor of a building to another, the elevator car is usually suspended from a group of cables which run over-a grooved pulley at. the top of the elevator shaft, the car being counterbalanced by weights also suspended from cables running over the pulley at the top of the shaft. \Vhilethe construction and arrangement of the parts of the hoisting mechanism varies among "various manufacturers of such appliances, it is in all cases usual to employ a group of several cables, generally about a half dozen in number to sustain the car. These cables, because of unavoidable variations in manufacture, are liable to stretch unequally, so that if they are all rigidly secured to the car they do not at all times sustain an equal load, with the result that the one which is the most unyielding and bears the greatest partot the load is apt to break. 7

In mV copending application No, 300,726,

filed May 29, 1919, I have described a suspension device intermediate the group of cables and the car which acts through a hydraulic equalizing system of pistons and oil-tilled cylinders to distribute the load equally among the remaining cables; The object of my present invention is to. produce a serviceable and desirable equalizing suspension deviee, in which similar ends are attained through a system of pulleys connected together by an, equalizing cable, which shall not besubject t'o objections inherent'in hydaulicl devices, and'which in general shall be well adapted and designed to serve the purposes for which it was designed. .To this end. I have designed and inventedthe novel suspension device illustrated in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter explained and described, and my invention consistsin the novel combination of co-operating elements and the new arrangement and construction of the parts of such device, the essential element thereof being more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood, however, that variations and vention are possible without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 which illustrate the mechanical construction and arrangement of the parts of a suspension device embodying my invention in a preferred form, Figure 1 is a side view of the device, showing fragments of the associated portions of the suspension pulley, cables and elevator car; Figure 2 is a central vertical section of the device, as indicated by the dotted section line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is also a horizontal section, on a plane belowthat of Fig. 3, as indicated by the line 14 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detail, showing the manner in which the ends of the equalizing cables are anchored; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view, illustrating the relationship of the equalizing cable and the pulleys on the equalizing device and on the car; and F ig. 7 is a fragmentary face view of a portion ofthe suspension' pulley and cables.

'The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures of the drawing. In the embodiment of my invention which will now be disclosed, the device is intended to suspend an elevator car from a set of six cables arranged to run over the usual suspension pulley B at the top of the elevator shaft. The cables are divided in alternation into two groups of three cables each, marked respectively A and A, the ends of which arerespectively connected with the two opposite ends of a set'of three oscillatory bars 1 of the device. In the present instance as shown.

the equalizer bars are of two-part construc tion, each bar consisting of two side members 2-2, spaced apart near the ends by shouldered spacing bolts 3, and orificed at the ends to receive the trunnions 4 of pivot blocks 5, which latter are vertically orificed to receive socket bolts 6 connected to the cables in a common and Well-known manner, as illustrated. I p

' As shown, the equalizerbars are arranged transversely and slightly oblique with respect to a vertical plane passing through the periphery of the suspension pulley, the inclination of the bars being such that the modifications of my in-v cables A and A will all track truly into the grooves of the pulley, see Fig. 7.

Arranged between the two members of each equalizer bar, and pivoted to them centrally thereof, is a sheave 7 all three of these sheaves being engaged by an equalizing cable 8 which also engages two lower sheaves 9 secured to the frame work of the car, as will be later explained.

The equalizer bars are spaced and guided by U-shaped frame members 10, the side portions of which pass respectively between the two members of the equalizer bars, and the reduced lower ends of which extend through the flanged sides of a pair of channel bars 11 arranged sidewise, or on edge, and forming part of the top frame of the elevator car, and also extend througha plate 12 arranged beneath such channel bars, the lower ends of the bars 10 being threaded and provided with bolts for securing them to the car frame.

In the construction shown in the drawing, I provide brake blocks or shoes 5, formed with a bearing lug pivoted at 5 in the pivot block 5 so as to have a limited rocking movement, and so arranged and constructed that if by chance any cable A should break the end of the equalizer bar to which it was connected will swing down, and the brake blocks 5 at the ends of the bar will bring up against the sides of the associated U-shaped frame member. However, if desired, the brake blocks 5 may be omitted, the unsupported' end of the equalizer bar in case of breakage of a cable then bringing up against the frame work of the car.

The plate 12 is formed with integral depending bearing blocks or lugs 13 in which are journaled the two lower sheaves 9 above mentioned. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, these sheaves (which are of slightly larger size than the sheaves 7) are arranged transversely and obliquely with respect to the vertical plane passing through the periphery of the suspension pulley, but are inclined to a slightly greater degree in a direction opposite that of the sheaves 7.

The equalizing cable 8 before mentioned is anchored-at its opposite ends to the frame work of the device, and consequently to the car, a convenient method of securing it be ing illustrated in Fig. As there shown, the daring strands of the cable (filled with ltabbitt metal) engage the flared lower end of an externally-threaded sleeve 14, which sleeve extends through an orifice in the plate 12 and is engaged by nuts 15 on the lower side thereof. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the ends of the equalizing cable lie in the vertical tangents of the grooves of the upper sheaves 7 and the cable passes in alternation around the sheaves 7 and and tracks vertically from one sheave to the other. In Fig. 6, the sheaves are laid out in diagrammatic arrangement side by side,

to illustrate clearly the fact that whether,-- because of stretching, or irregularity in the grooves of the suspension pulley,-the cables" are of equal length or not, the cables A will each sustain an equal portion of the weight of the car.

In case the equalizing cable 8 should break, the sheaves 7 will bring up against the top of the frame bars 10, which will then sustain the weight of the car. These members therefore serve as a safety device in ad'- dition to serving to space and guide the equalizer bars. It is obvious, however, that the weight of the car is normally sustained wholly by the equalizing cable, andthat the frame bars 10 may be omitted, if desired, though I regard them as a highly desirable portion of the device.

I claim:

1. A suspension device for connecting an elevator car to a set of cables comprising a plurality of sheaves pivotally connected with said cables and arranged side by side in parallel planes, 'a plurality of sheaves one less in number than said first-mentioned sheaves pivotally secured to the car and also arranged side by side in parallel planes intersecting said first mentioned planes, and an equalizing cable anchored at both ends to the car and engaging said first-mentioned sheaves and said second-mentioned sheaves in alternation.

2. A suspension device for connecting an elevator car to a set of cables comprising a plurality of sheaves pivotally connected with said cables and arranged side by side in parallel planes, a plurality of sheaves one less in number than said first-mentioned sheaves pivotally secured to the car and also arranged side by side in parallel planes, and an equalizing cable anchored at both ends to the car and engaging said first-mentioned sheaves and said second-mentioned sheaves in alternation; said second mentioned sheaves being angularly arranged with respect to said first-mentioned sheaves and arranged to cause said equalizing cable to track vertically between said sheaves.

3. A suspension device for connecting an elevator car to a set of cables comprising a plurality of sheaves pivotally connected with said cables and arranged side by side in parallel planes, a plurality of sheaves one less in number than said first-mentioned sheaves pivotally secured to the car and also arranged side by side in parallel planes, and an equalizing cable anchored at both ends to the car and engaging said first-mentioned sheaves and said second-mentioned sheaves i elevator car to an even plurality .of cables rimning over a suspension pulley and comprising a set of equalizer bars respectlvely connected at their opposite ends with said o. A suspension device for connecting an elev.ator car to an even plurality of cables running over a suspension pulley and comprising a set of equalizer bars respectively connected at their opposite ends with said cables, said bars each consisting of a pair of spaced side members, of sheaves respectively journaled between the side members of said bars, a second set of sheaves one less in number than said firstmentioned sheaves pivotally secured to the car, and an equalizing cable anchored at both'ends to the car and engaging said firstmentioned sheaves and said second-mentioned sheaves in alternation.

6. A suspension device for connecting an elevator car to a set of cables comprising a plurality of sheaves pivotally connected with said cables, a plurality of sheaves one less in number than said first-mentioned sheaves pivotally secured to the car, anequalizing cable anchored at both ends to the car and engaging said first-mentioned sheaves and said second-mentioned sheaves in alternation, inverted U-shaped members secured to the car and having their cross-portions arranged respectively above and in the planes of the first-mentioned sheaves, and means for maintaining said sheaves in their respective planes.

7. A suspension device for connecting an elevator car to an even plurality of cables running over a suspensionv pulley and comprising a set of equalizer bars respectively connected at their opposite ends with said cables, a corresponding set of sheaves respectively journaled centrally in said bars, a second set of sheaves one less in number than said first-mentioned sheaves pivotally secured to the car, and inverted U-shaped members secured to the car and having their cross-portions arranged respectively above and in the plane of said first-mentioned sheaves, said equalizer bars being spaced and guided by the side portions of said U- shaped members. i

suspension device for connecting an a corresponding set elevator car to an even plurality of cables running over a suspension pulley and cornprising a set of equalizer bars respectively connected at their opposite ends with said cables, said bars each consisting of a pair of spaced side members, a corresponding setof sheaves respectively journaled between the side members of said bars, a second set of sheaves one lessin number than said firstmentioned sheaves ends to the car and engaging said first-mentioned sheaves and said second-mentioned sheaves in alternation, and inverted U- shaped members secured to the .car and hav ing their cross-portions arranged respectively above and inthe. plane of said firstmentioned sheaves, the spaced side members of each said equalizer ba'rs straddling the side portions of its respective U-shaped member. r

9. A suspension device for connecting an elevator carto an even plurality of cables running over a suspension pulley and comprising a set of equalizer bars respectively connected at their opposite ends with said cables, said bars being arranged transversely and obliquelywith reference to a vertical tangential plane passing through the riphery of the sup-porting pulley, a set of sheaves respectively journaled centrally upon said bars, a second set of sheaves one less in number than .said firstmentioned sheaves pivotally secured to the car, and an equalizing cable anchored at both ends to the car. and running over said first-mentioned sheaves and said second-mentioned sheaves in alternation, said second mentioned sheaves being oppositely inclined to-said first-men-' tioned sheaves and arranged in staggered repivotally secured to the car, and an equalizing cable anchored at both lation, whereby said equalizing cable will track vertically between said sheaves.

10. A suspension device for connecting an elevator car to an even pluralit of cables running over a suspension pulley and comprising a set ofo'scillatory equalizing members respectively oppositely connected with pairs of. said cables, a corresponding set of sheaves pivotally connected with said oscillatory meinber's, a second set of sheaves one less in number than said first-mentioned sheaves'pivotally secured to the car, and an equalizing cable anchored at both ends to the car and engaging said first-mentioned sheaves and said second-mentioned sheaves in alternation.

IIosEPH EVANS.