US443283A

US443283A - Electric safety device for elevators

Info

Publication number: US443283A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1890-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 1907-12-23

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No- Model.)

' H. HOLMES & O. PEGROSVENOE.

v ed Dec. 23, .1890.

Pat

I ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

(No Model.) 7 2 SheetsSheet 2' H. E. HOLMES 860; P. GROSVENOR. ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

No. 443,283. PatentedDec. 23, 1890.

UNITED STATES I P TENT OFFICE.

HERBERT E. HOLMES, OF VEST SPRINGFIELD, AND CHARLES F. GROSVENOR,

OF LUDLOVV, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,283, dated December 23, 1890.

Application filed April 14., 1890. Serial No. 347,740. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HERBERT E. HoLMEs and CHARLES F. GROSVENOR, citizens of the United. States of America, residing at est Springfield and Ludlow, respectively, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrical Safety Devices for Eleva-' tors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for insuring the automatic stoppage of a moving elevator on the necessity for such stoppage arising from condition of danger, said condition of danger insuring the establishment of an electrical circuit for the control of electricallyoperateddevices, which in turn have a controlling connection with the power-shipping medium of the elevator, and from the illustrations and description hereinafter given and the terms of the subjoined claims the composition of the invention may be more fully ascertained.

In the drawings, Figure l is an illustration in elevation of the usual arrangement of the elevator relative to the hoistway and the power-shipping medium and of the electrically controlled devices with relation to said power shipper. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view to be hereinafter particularly referred to. Fig. 3 is a view illustrative of certain features of the invention in an application for operation somewhat dilierent from the one shown in Fig. 1.

Corresponding characters of reference indicate the same parts in all the views.

In the drawings, Arepresents a part of the elevator hoistway, and B a part of the elevatorcar, having a usual and well known form of safety appliances thereon for operating between the car and the vertical ratchet-rack a along each side of the hoistway, said safety devices comprising the angular levers Z) I), each having an outwardly-extended dog d on the end of its outer arm for projection to engage with said ratchetteeth, and the spring f for insuring the positive and instantaneous move ments of the levers on the breakage of the hoist-rope.

0 represents the rod, which, however, may be a rope or chain, which connects either directly or through interposed connections with the belt-shipper or other power controlling device, and as represented in the particular illustration given the shipper-rod has such a limit of movement as to swing the crank-arm g from the position shown into the one indicated by the dotted line 10, the former position, for instance, being that assumed when the elevator is moving downwar(lly,'the latter assumed when the elevator is moving upwardly, and when the shipper-rod is moved to maintain said arm g intermediately of said extremity the power will be thrown off and the elevator stopped.

' D represents a lever intermediately pivoted on a suitable support and located at some convenient point ad j acentthe said shipper-rod C, but at such a place in the hoistway that it will not likely beinterfered with. This lever normally occupies the oblique position shown in full lines at all times, except on such unusual occasions as the safety devices hereinafter described are required to operate. Said lever is, by its connection with and control by such devices, constrained in said oblique position. The spring 00 is applied to swing the lever from the said normal oblique position to the other oblique position indicated by the dotted lines 12.

It represents a wheel having concentrically afiixed on the face thereof another wheel j,

tate on the suitablysupported horizontal stud t.

The cord or flexible connection 7c is by its terminals connected, as at 14: and 15, to lugs on the shipper-rod C at points above and be low the compound wheel h j, said cord by an intermediate portion encircling the rim of the wheel j, which rim is preferably grooved; and in order that there may be a reliable engagement between the said wheelj and the cord encircling it, the cord is at a suitable point such, for instance, as the part of the periphery farthest from the shipper-rodconfined to the periphery of the said wheel by a staple 16 or other means for positive confinement.

Z represents a cord which by one end is connectedto the end 17 of lever D and by its other end is connected to the portion, as the lower one 18, of the wheel 72. m represents anand said compound wheel is mounted to roother cord connected by its one end to the same end 17 of lever 1') and by its other end to another point, as 10, on the periphery, which latter point more or less nearly diai'netrically opposite to the beforementioned one 18. Both of these cords are of equal length, and in the arrangement stated, when the lever D is in its normal position and the shipper-rod is thrown to its uppermost limit to cause the descent of the elevator, the said shipper-rod will through the cord 7; rotate the compound wheel, so that the point 18 will have a posi tion to make taut the cord 1, and the cord in will be slack. \Vhen the shipper-rod O is thrown to its other or lowermost limit, the cord 7.", moving downwardly, insures by its round turn connection with wheel j the semirotation of the compound wheel 7i j, and the cord I is then slackened and the cord an is taut, the latter cord then being more or less in the disposition indicated by the dotted line 20. Now it willbe seen that whether the shipper-rod is at its upper or lowermost limitto insure either the downward or upward travel of the elevator, one or the other of the cords Zor m between the wheel 71 and lever extremity 17 is taut, and that at either of such times should the lever D under the action of the automatic safety devices connected therewith be swung into the dotted-line position, said lever I) will, through whichever cord thereto connected which is taut, insure an extent of rotation of the compound wheel hj as will, through the connection of the cord 70 between same and the shipper-rod, secure such a movement of the shipper-rod in its proper direction, either up or down, as the case may be, as to carry the shipper-rod to its midway position-that is, its position for throwing otlf the power and stopping the elevator; and, agaimjust as soon as the difficulty occasioned by the slacking of the hoistingrope has been overcome and the shipper-rod is again thrown to one or the other of its extreme positions it, the shipper-rod, will cause a draft through the cord 7t upon the compound wheel, and the latter through one or the other of the cords Z w, to effect a restoration of the lever D to its normal position, the same being there maintained by the detent devices comprised in the electrically-controlled contrivanees, which will be hereinafter particularly described.

The usual and vertically-movable shaft or spindle at, having at its lower end the yoke 11 for engaging the angular lever l) at the top of the elevatoncar, and to which shaft a hoisting-rope is connected, has a laterally-extended collar g, which overlies a spring-contact piece 2* supported on the top of the elevator adjacent to but insulated from another contact-piece 25. An electric wire-2G extends from said contact-piece 2T to an electro-magnet 27, which is in proper proximity to the said lever D, said wire comprising in its run a battery or generator 28. To the other contact-piece another electric wire is connected which passes to an intermediately-pivoted metallic arm adjacent; to the electromagnct, said. lever 30 being by its spring 32 normally maintained in the horizontal disposition shown, its one end then resting upon the contactpiece 33, from which contactpicce a short electric wire 29 also passes to a proper connection with the eleetro-magnet 27. The armature -35 is comprised in onearm of the angular lever which is pivoted at its elbow, the other arm 36 of said angular lever being adapted to have a latching engagement with the detent device f for the disk 11, with which the lever l) has a pin-aud-slot engagement, as at 37, said point of engagement being, relative to the normal position of the disk, a little oil? from a vertical line axially intersecting the disk. The said disk n near its lower edge is provided with the laterallyextended stud 38. The said detent device 6 is shown in the enlarged view, Fig. 2, and consists of an L-shaped or elbow lever comprising the members 30 and 14,0, rigidly united,

and the member l2,continuing in a line with the member 39 across and beyond the elbow l3, and a suitable pintle or pivot-pin passes through the elbow and into the supporting plate or part r. The spring it is applied between the

members

39 and 42, which serves in a measure to maintain the relative rela tions between the three members 39, .20, and 42, shown, although the members 239 and 40 may be swung slightly relatively to the one 42, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. The spring T5 is applied to the said detent device 6 forthe purpose of swinging the same bodily in the direction indicated by the arrows 40 40' on the unlatching of the armature arm 36 from its engagement from the member 4:2. The left-hand arm at? of the lever 30 overlies a nose 48 of the disk 11..

The operation of these last-described parts may now be understood. Assuming that in the working of the elevator the hoisting-rope slackeus, the shaft n is immediately caused to move downwardly in relation to the top of the elevator-car and the collar q will bear the contact-piece 24: upon the contaet-piece 25, establishing a circuit for the attraction by the electro-magnet of the armature 235 thereupon, and the arm 30 will swing to free the detent f. The spring will impart a slight degree of rotational movement to the detent. t as a whole, so that the extremity of the member 39, which directly acts as the stop for the stud 38, will be swung out of its abutting engagement with said step. The spring a; will now swing the lever D and secure a partial rotation of the disk it and the move ment of the shipper-rod to its interi'nediate position to secure the shipping of the power. The stop-stud 38, moving into the position indicated therefor by the dotted circle 38, Fig. 1, will strike against the member 40 of the detent t, which at that time lies across the path of said stud and the detent is forced immediately back to its normal posi- ICC.

with the member 42 of the detent.

tion. (Shownin the drawings.) The move- 'ment of the disk will swing the lever 30 into the position indicated by the dotted lines therefor, when the circuit will be broken, the end of the said lever 30 passing off from the contact-piece 33, and the armature will fall to its normal position and by its arm 36 latch The elevator having been immediately stopped on the slackening of the rope, whereby it is not permitted to assume an oblique disposition and get awry in the hoistway, as otherwise it would be liable to do, the travel of the elevator is then reversed by properly throwing the shipper-rod to the corresponding limit therefor, and the slackening having been thus overcome, as is well known may be readily done, the travel of the elevator in the original direction may be resumed. Under the automatic operation of the electrically-controlled devices above particularly described the disk remains with its stud in the position indicated by 38*, the lever D being retained in its dotted-line position, and the circuit-breaking 1ever 30 remains in the position indicated therefor by the dotted lines in Fig. 1; but then through the movement secured by the elevator attendant of the shipper-rod to one or the other of its extreme positions, through the compound Wheel and cord mechanism h, j, k, and Z or m, the lever D is caused to return to its normal position, it in turn carrying the disk u to its normal position, the stud 38 thereof as it passes downwardly upon the top of the detent member 39 swinging said detent member, and also the one 40, slightly with relation to the then-latched member42, so that the said stud 38 may pass by the member 39 and assume its position against the end thereof, the spring 44 then immediately returning the slightly-swung parts of the detent into their proper positions.

From the foregoing description of the mechanism comprised in the present invention it will be seen that the automaticallybperating devices are restored to their positions for op eration directly the power-shipping medium is so moved as to cause a travel of the elevator in either direction, it obviously appearing that only when the elevator is moving is there any requirement for the protective intervention of the safety devices. It will further appear from the foregoing that under normal conditions the extreme movements of the shipper-rod to insure the travel of the elevator either up or down and the placing of the shipper-rod in its median relation for the stoppage of the elevator in no way affect the operative arrangement of the safety devices.

\Vhile in the foregoing description we have made particular mention of the establishment of the circuit to operate devices for insuring the stoppage of the elevator by means of the bearing of the one contact 24 upon the other 25, occasioned by the flange or collar q moving downwardly on the slackening of the rope, as

occasioned by the slipping of the belt orothcrwise, it will be fully apparent that the said devices for controlling the shipperrod-arc as advantageously operative on the forming of the circuit through other ineans-as, for instance, by means of appliances arranged in re lation to the elevator-car or hoistway, substantially such as shown and described in an application for Letters Patent of the United States filed by us March 26, 1890, Serial No. 345,313; and in the drawings, Fig. 3, an illustration is given for the purpose of making more clear in what manner the elevator traveling may be immediately stopped by a part of a person or article on the elevator striking against a movable part on one of the floors adjacent the hoistway. As the said 'movable part E is upwardly forced by being borne upon by a projecting part or person on the elevator, the pin 50 is therewith moved to release the contact-piece 24, so that it may bear upon the contact-piece 25,itbeing noted thatthe

electrical wires

26 and 29 connect with these contact-pieces, and thus it willbe seen that it is quite immaterial in what particular manner the circuit is established, for the operation of the parts directly controlled by the electro-magnet is in no way dependent upon circuit-closing devices having any particular manner of operation.

What we claim as our invention is 1. In a safety device for elevators, the combination, with the power-shipping medium, as the shipper-rod C, of a lever D,pivotally supported, and a wheel axially mounted forpartial rotation, a cord having connections, at difierent points thereof with said power-shipping medium and also With said wheel, and cords connected to different peripheral portions of said wheel and to said lever, and all whereby on the swinging of said lever said wheel will be rotated and the shipper-rod will be moved to its intermediate or power-shifting position, substantially as described.

2. In a safety device for elevators, the combination, with the power-shipper, of a lever D, pivotally supported, and a wheel axially mounted for partial rotation, the cord l1aving connections at different points thereof with said power-shipping medium and also with said wheel, and cords connected to different peripheral portions of said wheel and to said lever, as and for the purpose set forth, an electro-magnet and mechanism controlled thereby for restraining or controlling the.

swinging of said lever, contact-pieces properly applied in relation to the elevator, the one adapted to be moved against the other, and electric connections running from said contact-pieces to the said electro-magnet and comprising an electric generator, for the purpose described.

3. In a power-shipping mechanism forelevators, in combination, the power-shifter rod, a swinging lever, and connections interposed between same and said power-shipper for insuring on the movement of said lcvcr the placingof said power-shipper into its position for insuring the non-opcration of the motive power, a disk with which said lever has an engagement, substantially as described, and provided with an abutmentpart, as 38, a detent 'for engagement with said abutment, and a spring 1L5, applied thereto for bodily swinging said detent, the electromagnet, and the armature comprising by a suitable part thereof a latch for said detent, and the contact-pieces properly applied in relation to the elevator, the one adapted to be moved. against the other, and electric cou nections running from said contact-pieces to the said electro-magnet and comprising an electric generator, for the purgose described.

4:. In a safety device for elevators,the combination, with the elevator-car having the insulated and separated contact-pieces 2t and 25, the one adapted to be moved to contact with the other, and the p rt q, movable on the slackening of the hoist-rope toinsure the contacting of said pieces, and the power-shipping medium, of an electro-magnet and wires running therefrom to said contact-pieces and comprising the electric generator, and mo\'- able connections actuated by said electromagnet and interposed between same and said powenshipping medium, wherebyon the closing of the circuit the said movable connections will insure the shifting movement of the said shipper.

5. In a safety device for elevators, the combination, with a power-shipping medium, of a swinging and spring-constrained lever, as D, and interposed connections between same and said power-shipping medium for insuring on its movement the placing of said medium into its shifting position, a disk with which said lever has an engagement, substantially as described, and provided with the abutment-stud 3S and the nose 4:8, and capable of a partial rotation, the pivtally-mounted detent t, comprising the rigid members 3-) and and the member 42, and the spring applied between the latter member and one of its fellows, for the purpose set forth, and the spring for bodily swinging said detent, the springpressed circuit-breaking lever 30, having an arm in engagement with said nose 48, and a contact-piece 33, on which said lever normally bears, the electro-magnet and its armature, which has a latching engagement with said detent, contact-pieces properly ap' plied in relation to the elevator, the one adapted to be moved against the other, an electric connection running from one of said contact-pieces to said hitter-named electromagnet, an electric connection running from the other of said latter-named contactpieces to said circuit-breaking lever 30, and another connection between said first-named contactpiece 323 and the electro-magnet, there being comprised in the circuit an electric generator, all arranged for operation substantially as and for the purpose described.

HERBERT E. HOLMES. CHAS. I GROSVJNOR.

\Vitnesses:

WM. 1 BELLoWs, G. M. CHAMBERLAIN.