US355114A

US355114A - Elevator

Info

Publication number: US355114A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1886-12-28
Anticipated expiration: 1903-12-28

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Modeli) 11. ALBERT.

ELEVATOR. No. 355,114. Patented Dec. 28, 1886.

N. PETERS. filflo-Lflhognphnr. Washington. D. (l

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. ALBERT.

(No Model.)

ELEVATOR.

Patented Dec. 28,1886.

Q. PETERS, FhMo-Liliwgrnphur. wnhingmn. D C

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

H.IA LB,ERT.

ELEVATOR.

Patented Dec. 28

IIIIIIlIIIIIII/l N. FEEEI'KS, Pum uuw m hw. Wiahingtmv, n c.

45 1 provide for the construction of the racks D,

NITEDI STATES PATENT 0 rric.

HENRY ALBERT, OF CRESCENT CITY, CALIFORNIA.

ELEVATOR.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,114, dated December 28, 1886.

(No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY ALBERT, of Crescent City, Del Norte county, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Elevators; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same. f

My invention relates to the class of eleva tors, and particularly to that class which are provided with safety appliances, of the general character of those illustrated by Letters Patent No. 331,269, issued to me December 1, 1885.

My invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the clutch mechanism, the brake mechanism, the safety-hatch, and means for locking its sections, the buffers to receive the weight of the cage or car upon the closed hatch, the means for operating the various parts upon the breaking of the hoisting cable or rope, the guide-rollers, and various other details, all of which I shall hereinafter fully describe.

The object of my invention is to provide effective safety appliances for elevator cages or cars.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my invention, Figure 1 is an elevation showing the parts in position, the dotted lines indicating thespreading of the cam f and the locking of the hatch E. Fig. 2 is a plan of the closed hatch. Fig. 3 is a detailsection of the guide-rollers S. Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the clutches G thrown to their engagement. Fig. 5 is a bottom view. Fig. 6 is a modified arrangement of the friction-brakes.

A is the cage or car, which travels in the shaft or well B, and is operated by the cable or rope G. Theshaft or well need not be closely boarded up, but may simply be pro vided with corner-ti1nbersb, for the impingement of the frictional brake-shoes, hereinafter described, and the timbers b on the two opposing sides, which said last-nanied timbers consisting of horizontal parallel spaced bars secured to said side timbersl My elevator is intended to be used in connection with the two-part or sectional safetyhatch which has been heretofore secured to me by Letters Patent N 0. 285,097, dated September 18,1883, and which will herein need only such description and reference as may be necessary to explain its connection with the present case.

E are the hatches, which are located in the well or shaft, and consist of two sections mounted on rollers and adapted to come together to close the well or shaft by gravity or by other suitable means. They are forced to separate or open by a V-shaped cam on the passing car or cage, said cam being adapted to enter a small aperture, 6, made in the center of the hatch, and through which the hoistingrope 0 passes. In each section of the hatch is made the aperture 0.

F is the V-shaped cam by which the operation of the hatch is effected. This cam is secured to the cage or car A, and consists of an upper fixed portion, f. and a lower sectional and pivoted portion, f.

G are the clutch-levers, pivoted at 9 under the cage or car. They have hook-shaped or concave ends, the faces of which are accurately curved, adapting them to fit snugly on the bars of the rack. The shanks g of the clutch-levers extend" toward each other under the cage or car and overlap, both being slotted upon a cross-pin, h, in the forked upper end or head, h, of the guide-spindle H, which passes down through the cross-piece I, further reference to which I shall hereinafter more fully make. Springs 9 operate against the clutch-levers, their tendency being to force them to their engagement.

Loosely fitted upon the spindle His a crosshead, J, which carries said spindle bybearing up under its head. At each end of the crosshead are secured the sliding connecting rods or bars j, passing up through the slotted ends of the clutch-levers and in grooves made on each side of the cage or car, and connected at their upper ends to the ends of a cross-head, K, which slides in slotted fixed guides k on. the top of the car, and is connected to the lower end of a spindle, L, which passes up through the fixed cross-guide Z and into a seat or recess, f formed in the top of the V -shaped cam f, and is connected with the hoisting cable or rope C. A spring, M, encircles the spindle,

and bears upon its lowerend and against the fixed cross-guide Z, so that when the hoistingrope is under tension the spring remains in a compressed condition, but when the tension on said rope is relieved the spring forces downwardly the cross head K, and, through the sliding connecting rods or bars j, forces downwardly the lower cross-head, J, thereby relieving the head of the lower spindle, H, which rests upon it, and permitting the clutch-levers G to be forced down by their own springs g, which have been heretofore mentioned.

When the tension is upon the rope O, the lower cross-head. is drawn upwardly, so that the spindle H is carried up and the shanks of the clutches are held in an approximately horizontal position, in which their hooked ends are drawn inwardly out of reach of and contact with the racks D in the shaft or well but when the rope O breaks the lower crosshead falls down, assisted by the spring M above and the springs g of the clutch-levers below, whereby said levers themselves are thrown at an angle, their curved or hooked ends being turned outwardly and adapted to engage the bars of the racks D, upon which they fit snugly and accurately.

It is the design of the present invention to 7 provide for an emergency in which the clutch- 0 f, in two sections, separable at their lower ends and pivoted at their upper ends, so that they may be made to converge when in a normal position for operating the hatch, and made to separate when required for the looking of the hatch to an approximately vertical position. I accomplish this by means of the links N, which are pivoted to the sections of said cam at their outer ends, and are pivoted to bearings n on the lower cross-head, J, at their inner ends. When the lower cross-head is in its normal positionthat istto say, elevatedthe links are drawn upwardly at an angle, whereby the sections of the cam are drawn inwardly to their normal V shape; but

hatch are for the reception of the parts of the,

X cam when in this perpendicular position. It

will be seen, therefore, that when the cage falls the sections of the lower cam are ififmediately thrown outwardly, and have no tendency,

therefore, to open the hatch, but, on the contrary, by passing through the apertures e in said hatch absolutely look its sections and prevent it from opening, so that the cage is stopped. Now, in order to ease the descent of the cage before it strikes the hatch as well as to ease it when being caught by the clutch-levers, I have the following brake mechanism,which is operated by the spreading of the sections of the lower cam. The upper ends of the sections of said cam have for their pivot-centers the rockshafts O, which are journaled in suitable bearings under the cage or car. The outer ends of these shafts carry blocks 0, to which are socured, in suitable manner, the rubber brakeshoes 0,which consist of shanks or stems fitted to the under side of the blocks and heads fitted to their outer sides, as shown, or in any other suitable manner. Now, when the sections of thelower cam are in their normal position the rock-shafts are so turned as to carry their rubbers or shoes 0 within the planes of the sides of the car, and they donot come in contact with the corner-timbers of the well or shaft; but when the sections of the cam are separated the blocks 0 are thrown outwardly at an angle, and thus force their rubbers or shoes 0 into contact with the corner-timbers b in such a manner that they will bind or cramp against said timbers and serve to relieve the descent of the cage or car.

In order to break the fall of the cage as it comes in contact with the hatch, as well as to protect the other mechanism from injury, I havethe following buffer mechanism Under standards, P, which serve as guides for the lower crosshead and its connections. The lower ends of these posts are hollowed or socketed out to receive the spindles q of the buffers Q. Above these spindles, and within the sockets of the posts, are springs q, and said spindles are guided in their seats by means of pins g operating in guide-slots in the posts. The buffers are provided with rubber faces, and are connected by the cross-piece I,which serves as aguide for the lower spindle, H. This spindle being centrally located passes down when the cam-sections are thrown outwardly through the center aperture, e, of the hatch,andis thereforenotintheway,thusallowing the cage to come down far enough so that its spring-buffers Q come in contact with the hatch and support the cage, while the spread sections of the cam lock said hatch. Upon the upper ends of the posts of standards P are bearing blocks R, against which the lower cross-bar, J, bears when elevated to its normal position, thereby,in connection with the upper spindle seated in the recess of the fixed cam f, carrying the weight of the car or cage, and preventing any interference with the clutchlevers.

The rollers or guides for the traveling cage or car are arranged as follows: They are des ignated by S, and areon the outside of two sides of the cage, four being on each side. They operate against the edges of the rackthe cage or car are secured firmly four posts or rately guide the cage.

timbers b,and said timbers have their edges convex, whereby the concave peripheries of the rollers fit them perfectly, and thus accu- These rollers are mounted on the spindles s, which are secured to or formed with 'nuts 8, which are seated upon screws 8 mounted in blocks .9 which may be -readily set in the walls of the cage or car at suitable points, said screws being operated by hand-wheels s", which are reached through apertures from the inside of the car. Set screws 8 or other devices are passed through from the inside of the car and hold the nuts to their places on the screws, whereby they may be adjusted. The operator from the inside of the car may, by turning the handwheel 8, adjust the rollers 'properly to their guide-timbers, and in case of accident he may set them up tightly enough to cause them to act as brakes.

, Now, by reference to Fig. 6 it will be seen how I can modify these appliances to cases where the automatic hatches are not used, and where, consequently, the cam F is dispensed U with and reliance is placed simply on the clutch-levers and the brakes. In this case the rock-shafts O, which carrythe brake-rubbers, also form the pivot-shafts of the clutch-levers G. In other words, instead of pivoting said clutch-levers upon short pivots, as shown in the first instance, they are secured firmly upon the rock-shafts O, and by the operation of the clutch-levers the brakeshoes will be operated as before. 7

The complete operation of my machine is as follows: \Vhen the suspending tension is upon the hoisting-cable G, the whole weight of the cage or car is carried by the lower crosshead, J, bearing up under the blocks R on the upper ends of the standards or posts P, and by the upper spindle against the top of the upper cam, f. The clutch-levers are withdrawn, as are also the friction-brakes 0, while the lower sectional cam, f, is in its normal V shape, and

the hatches are operated thereby as the cage or car passes them. The movement of the car movement of the lower cross-head forces, by

is accurate, being guided by its rollers S, which, being adjustable from within, place the proper and accurate guidance of the car fully within the control of the operator. Now, the hoisting rope. or cable breaks, and the cage or car starts to fall. Immediately all the parts drop by gravitation, hurried by the upper spring, M, assisted by the lower springs, g", the former acting through the'upper cross-head, K, side bars, j, and lower cross-head, J, to relieve the lower spindle, H, and the latter,acting directly on the pivoted clutch-levers G, throws said 1evers to such an angle that their outer ends immediately come to their engagement with the racks D, whereby the cage or car is suspended. At the same time the downward means of the links N, the separation of the parts of the lowerV-shaped cam, f, the move ment of which rocks the shafts O and throws the brake-shoes 0 outwardly from each corner of the cage or car against the corner-timbershatch if the clutch engagements are imperfect.

These sections, being now in a perpendicular position, pass directly down through the apertures ein the hatch, and prevent its parts from opening, and the hatch itself locks and holds the cam, so that the clutch-levers and the brakes are firmly locked in their several engagements. The lower spindle, H, entering the center aperture, 6, of the hatch allows the spring buffers Q to come in contact therewith, and thus while the brake-shoes easethe motion the hatch effectually stops the cage. It will be seen that these several safety appliances operate independently. If, for any reason, the clutches miss their racks, the movement of the remaining parts is not prevented, and the cam-sections and the brake-shoes are operated by the spring above, while the clutchlevers are operated by their own spring. This independence of the clutch levers provides also for their instantaneous engagement, as but a small movement is required to throw them out, much less than is required to spread the'cam-sections. By havingthe connecting rods or bars j pass on each side of the car or cage I avoid a central connection through the car or cage, which may be objectionable. All the safety appliances are placed upon the bottom of the car or cage, just where they'should be in order to arrest its descent in case of accident.

The shape of the rubber shoes or brakes 0 is such that they bind or choke between the.

car and the opposing surface, and the more the car is inclined to descend the better their action. Their position at the four corners of the cage or car is advantageous, in that they are not in the way and will find permanent opposing frictional surfaces in the corner-timbers. Their operation against these timbers serves the additional purpose of fully throwing the cam-sections to a perpendicular. The racks D, made of the cross bars or wires, as described,'permit the immediate andv full engagement of the clutches, which would not be the case if a toothed or notched rack were employed, although a toothed or notched rack can be used. Insteadof the separate springs g for operating the clutch-levers G, I may use a single spring around the lower spindle, H.

The sections of the lower cam should preferably be made integral with the rock-shafts O, which carry the brake blocks and shoes.- By having the shaft or well of the elevator as little boarded as possible, drafts are avoided,

as it ceases to be a chimney, and is therefore less dangerous in case of fire and not so dark, but lighter and pleasanter to ride in. It is also economical in construction.

The way the rack-timbers and their rods are I constructed gives a means of escape from the.

' would afford a person an easy way of escape.

Thus it really is a fire-escape also.

Having described m yinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. Inan elevator, the pivoted clutch-levers G under the cage or car, for engaging racks in the sides of the elevator shaft or well, in combination with the means for holding said levers out'of engagement when the cage or car is operating normally, and allowing them to move to their engagement upon the breaking ofthe hoisting rope or cable, consisting of the movable spindle L, to which the hoisting rope or cable is attached, the upper crosshead,K,secured to the spindle, the lower crosshead, J, the side bars, j, connecting said crossheads, and the lower spindle, H, carried by the lower cross-head and connected with the pivoted clutch-levers, substantially as herein described.

2. In an elevator, the clutch-levers G, pivoted under the cage or car for engaging racks in the sides of the elevator shaft or well, in combination with the means for holding said levers out of engagement when the cage or car upper portion, and the springs g, by which the clutch-levers are actuated, substantially a herein described.

3. In an elevator, the rock-shafts O, journaled under the cage or car and having on their outer ends the blocks 0, carrying the frictional brake-shoes 0 at each corner of said cage or car, in combination with the sectional V-shaped cam f, secured to or formed with said rock-shafts, and mechanism for spreading the sections of the cam upon the breaking of the hoisting rope or cable, whereby the shafts are rocked to project or withdraw their shoes to or from contact with the opposing surfaces in the shaft or well, substantially as herein described.

4. In an elevator,the rock-shafts O, journaled under the cage or car and having .on their ends the blocks 0, carrying the frictional brake-shoes 0 at each corner of said cage or car, and the sectional V-shaped cam f ",secured to said rock-shafts, in combination with the mechanism for spreading the sections of the cam, whereby the brake-shoes are thrown into contact with the opposing surfaces of the shaftor well, consisting of the spring-actuated upper spindle, L, to which the hoisting rope.

or cable is attached, the upper cross-head, K, the lower cross-head, J, and the side bars, 9', connectingthe two, and the links N, connecting the parts of the sectional cam with the lower cross-head, substantially as herein described.

5. In an elevator, the pivoted clutch-levers G under the cage or car and adapted to engage racks in the wellor shaft, therock-shafts 0, j ournaled under said cage or car and having the blocks 0, carrying the frictional brake-shoes 0 at each corner of said cage or car, and the sectional V-shaped cam f, secured to said rockshafts, in combination with the mechanism for simultaneously operating the clutch-levers connected with the shanks of the pivoted clutch-levers, the springs g of said levers,a.nd the links N, connecting the lower cross-head with the parts of the sectional cam,all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described.

6. In an elevator, the rock-shafts O, carrying the blocks 0, with brake-shoes 0' at each corner of the cage or car, in combination with the clutchlevers G, secured to said shafts and adapted to engage racks in the sides ofthe well or shaft,and mechanism operated by the breaking of the hoisting rope or cable for operating the clutch-leversand brake-shoes,substantiall y as herein described.

-7. In an elevator, the rock-shafts carrying the blocks 0, with frictional brake-shoes 0 at each corner of the cage or car, and the clutch levers G, secured upon said rock-shafts and adapted to engage racks in the sides of the well or shaft, in combination with the mechanism for operating said clutch-levers,whereby they engage said racks and at the same time operate the frictional brake-shoes, consisting of the spring-actuated spindle L, to which the hoisting rope or cable is attached, the'upper cross-head, K, the lower cross-head, J, and the side bars, j,connecting them,and the spindleH upon the lower cross-head, substantially as herein described.

8. In an elevator, the two part separable hatch E, closing the well or shaft and having apertures e, in combination with the sectional or two-part V-shaped cam f on the elevator cage or car, and mechanism for spreading said cam by the breaking of the hoisting rope or cable, whereby its sections may pass down through the apertures e in the hatch and lock said hatch, substantially as herein described. 9. In an elevator, the two-part separable hatch E, having apertures e, in combination with the rock-shaft 0 under the cage or car, having blocks 0, carrying frictional brakeshoes 0, the sectional or two-part V-shaped cam f secured to said-rockshafts, and mech anism operated by the breaking of the hoisting rope or cable for spreading the sections of said cam, whereby the frictional brake shoes are thrown into contact with the opposing surfaces of the shaft or well and the sections of the cam are forced to a perpendicular to pass through the apertures of the hatch and lock said hatch, substantially as herein described.

10. In an elevator, the pivoted clutch-levers G and the means for operating them,consisting of the spring-actuated upper spindle, L, to which the hoisting rope or cable is attached, the upper cross-head, K, the lower cross-head, J, the side bars, j, connecting them, and the spindle H, carried by the lower cross-head, in combination with the posts or standards P under the cage, the spring-buffers Q in said posts, and the cross-bar I, connecting the buffers and serving as a guide for the lower spindle, H, substantially as. herein described.

11. In an elevator, the two-part separable hatch E, having side apcrtures,e, in combination with the'traveling cage or car A, the sectional V-shaped cam f. upon the cage or car, and mechanism,substantially as described,for spreading its sections, whereby they pass down through the apertures of the hatch and lock said hatch, the posts P on the under side of the cage or car, and the spring-buffers Q on the lower ends of said posts, adapted to come in contact with the closed hatch and support the car or cage,substantially as herein described.

12. In an elevator, the two-part separable hatch E, having side aperture, 0, in combination with the traveling cage or car, A, the rockshafts O, pivoted beneath it and having the frictional brake-shoes 0 at each end, and the sectional V-shaped cam f,secured to the rockshafts and adapted to be spread upon the breaking of the cable so as to pass through the apertures e of the hatch and lock it, the fixed posts P under the cage or car,and the spring-buffers Q in the posts for breaking the shock when the cage or car falls upon the hatch, substantially as herein described. A

13. In an elevator, the two-part separable hatch E,provided with a central aperture, e, for the passage of the hoisting-cable, and the side apertures, e, as shown, in combination with the cage or car A, having the V-shapedcam F, for operating the hatch, the lower portion,f, of said cam being sectional and adapted to be spread and to lock the hatch, as described, the pivoted spring-actuated clutch-levers G, and the means for operating them, consisting of the spring-actuated upper spindle, L, the upper crosshead, K, the lower cross-head, J, the connecting side bars, j, and the lower spindle, H, adjustably connected with the clutchlevers, and the links N, connecting the parts of the sectional cam f with the lower cross-head, whereby said parts are spread, the fixed posts P,secured under the cage or car, the movable spring-buffers Q in their lower ends, adapted to come in contact with the closed and locked hatch, and the cross-bar I,uniting the buffers and forming a guide for the spindle H, all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described;

l ifiIn an elevator, thecage or car having the upper V-shaped cam, f, with a recess or seat, 7

the blocks R on the fixed posts, substantially as herein described.

15. In an elevator, the well or shaft B,having timbers b, and the cage or car A in said shaft or well, in combination with the antifriction rollers S, the spindles 8, upon which they are mounted, said spindles having nuts s, the screws 3 upon which said nuts are mounted and adapted'to travel, the handwheels sflupon said screws and accessible from a the inside of the cage or car, whereby they may be readily operated, and set-serewss, for holding said spindles in place where adj usted,substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY ALBERT.

Witnesses:

J AS E. MURPHY, W. H. WooDBURv.