US233232A - Elevator - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

H. G. GOODRIGI-I. Elevator.

No. 233,232. Patented Oct. 12, I880.

11 E J! 2 O Q 2 I E I A I I w I a I 0/ Fiji MtHJSZJ. 1 71142711012,

UNITED STATES PATENT QFETQE.

HARRY G. GOODRIOH, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 233,232, dated October 12, 1880. Application filed September 1, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY G. Goonnron, of Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevators; and I declare the following to be a description 'of my said invention sufticiently full, clear,

and exact to enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my present invention is to provide a practically operative passenger-ele vator which shall be safe from the dropping of the car by breakage of the draft-rope or derangement of the operating mechanism, and also to introduce a method of construction and operation whereby the elevator mechanism is rendered capable of sustaining and carrying great loads without liability of overstraining the supporting and draft ropes. These objects I attain by mechanism constructed and organized for operation substantially as shown in the accompanying drawings and herein described, the particular subject-matter claimed being definitely specified.

Figure 1 is a plan view of an elevator mechanism illustrating the nature of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a side view of the same, with a portion of lower part removed to show the winding-drum, 850.

In my improved elevator the car (together with a greater or less amount of its load, if desired) is supported and counterbalanced by a series of ropes, (sixteen, more or less,) which are connected to the car and to independent weights suspended outside the elevator-car track, said ropes being passed over sheaves or drums, and the latter provided with ratchets or other suitable clutch devices, for holding the sheaves or drums from revolving in one direction, while permitting them to turn in the opposite direction, so that said sheaves or drums are held stationary while the elevatorcar is descending, and the car thus retained by a force equal to the friction of the sustaining-ropes upon the sheaves or drum, while in ascending the sheaves run without opposition. The motive power is applied for drawing down the car and load as well as for raising it.

In the drawings, A denotes the car, which may be constructed in any suitable form, and mounted to travel up and down between suitable guides, B B, the stopping and starting apparatus being arranged in any well-known manner.

0 denotes the draft-rope, one end of which is attached to the head-frame A, and the opposite end to the foot-frame A of the car. Said rope 0 extends up and passes over the wheel or sheave D at the top of the elevatorshaft, thence down and around the windingdrum E, with a sufficient number of coils, c, to give the required degree of friction to prevent slipping thereon, thence down and around a bottom sheave, F, and up to the bottom of the car A, as illustrated.

The sheave or wheel F may be mounted in a movable frame, F, to swing as a caster about the center, f, permitting the sheave F to accommodate itself to the position of the rope G as the coils 0 wind to the right or left along the surface of the drum E. A similar result cg uld be attained by mounting the sheave F upon a screw-shaft, so that it would travel toward the right or left as it turned round, following the coils c.

The Winding drum E, which is pravided with a spirally-grooved surface to receive the rope C, may be located at any desired level, near the side of the elevator-shaft, mounted in suitable bearings and operated by means of a worm-gear, E, and worm-shaft E, as indicated, or in any other suitable manner. The operating devices are preferably arranged at the opposite side of the elevator-shaft from the counter-weighting devices; but both can be arranged at the same side, if desired.

H H indicate a series of sheaves provided with grooves for the reception of the countersupport ropes I, and a series of ratchets or other formed surfaces, h, to receive the stoppawls K, or an equivalent clutching mechanism, whereby said sheaves H are retained from revolving in one direction, (viz., toward the car A,) while they are permitted free action in the other direction. The sheaves H and clutches can be made so as to act singly-4. 6., each pair of ropes l and its clutch K working independent of the others-or they may be arranged to act in sectionsi. 6., two, three, or four, or more sheaves being secured together, so that they form, as it were, a broad sheave with several grooves and clutches. Or, again, the entire lot of sheaves II can be made as a single 1 grooved drum with a series of ratchets or clutches applied thereto, as preferred. The sheaves or drum II are mounted on a suitable supporting-frame, 13, at the top of the elevator, as shown. The pawls or clutches K are in the present instance simple levers supported on the rod B and falling on the suri face of the ratchets It. If desired, however, the clutches K could be modified and be made to act by friction or otherwise, and any form of clutch be used that will hold the sheaves or drums II against movement in one direction while permitting movement in the other direction.

The support-ropes I connect with the headframe A of the ear, pass over the sheaves II, and attach to the weights L, asindicated. A sufficient number of ropes, l, are employed to connect to the car the desired total counterweight,theweightingmaterial beingcomposed ofindependent llat plates ofcast-iroll, (or other substance.) each individual plate weighing some one hundred pounds, more or less, or of i such proportion that its weight will not cause 1 its suspension-rope l to adhere to the surface of the sheave or drum ll beyond the limit for ready frictional or sliding movement there on. Ropes l are of such size as will, beyond all question, sustain indefinitely one of the weight'plates, L, and the several plates are each attached by separate ropes. In the present instance sixteen ropes, l, and weights I. are used; but I do not wish to confine myself to that particular number, as a greater or less number could be employed without departure from the spirit of my invention. and in practice the number would be probably increased or diminished, according to the size and weight of the elevator-ear.

In the operation of my improved elevator the wint lug-drum, being revolved by the applied power, takes on the rope (J from one direction, at the same time discharging it in the other, and vice versa, thus drawin;, the car upward or downward, according to the direction in which the drum 1' is operated.

'ith the upward movement of the car A the weights I. draw over the ropes l, the sheaves ll turning freely, so that only such force is required on the draft-rope (l as may be necessary to lift the excess of load over the counter-balance. \\'hen the car descends the sheaves II are clutched and remain stationary, and the ropes l are required to slide on the stationary surfaces, thus giving a strong retaining friction, and a force is required on the draft-rope U equal to the excess of such friction over the weight of the load on the car in order to bring the car down. llence,

should the draft-rope Cat any time break, the car would be held by the supporttug-ropes I, and in no case could the car fall, except by the breaking of the entire series of ropes I and draft-rope C at one and the same timean event beyond the range of probabilities.

A break of the draft-rope 0 does not increase the strain on any of the individual ropes l, the maximum strain on which can only be the amount of their frictional contact on the sheave II due to the attached weight L, this being but a small fraction of their ultimate breaking-strain.

It will be observed that this construction renders an elevator fully safe at all times, while it is adapted for excessive loads, as none of the support-ropes can be overstrained, and should the car be greatly overloaded it cannot overcome the friction of the ropes I to a degree sufiicient to force the car down at a dangerous speed.

The ropes I and C may be made of any suitable material and of any desired form, or chains or hands may be used in lieu thereof. I prefer, however, ordinary Manila, wire, or hemp ropes for the purpose.

It will be understood that Ido not herein make reference or claim to the duplication of dratt or hoisting ropes in an elevator, as I am aware that such feature has heretofore been described in Letters Patent No. 32,441, of May 28, 1861.

What I claim as of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an elevator, the combination, with the car or load sustaining platform and mechanism for operating the same, ofa series of supportinga'opes connecting said car with counter-weights, and adapted to slide in frictional contact with a stationary sheave, drum, or surface when said car moves downward, for the purpose set forth.

2.. In an elevator, the combination, with the car or platform and mechanism for operating the same, of a series of supporting-ropes connecting said car with a series of independent counter-weights, a drum or series of sheaves, provided with grooves for the reception of said ropes, and a series of clutches for retaining said sheaves or drum from revolving when the car moves downward, while permitting their revolution when the car moves upward, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the car A, the series of support-ropes I, the independent counter-weights L, the sheaves or drums H, having grooves and ratchet-surfaces h, and the pawls or dogs K, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, with the car A, provided with a series of independent supportropes, l, with counter-weights L and friction sheaves or bearers H, of the draft-rope G, attached to the top and bottom of said car, the winding-drum E, and sheaves D and F, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

Witness my hand this 30th day of August, A. I). 1880.

HARRY C. GOODRICH.

Witnesses:

CHAS. H. BURLEIGH, S. 1%. BARTON.

Images