US685116A - Stair-lift. - Google Patents

Description

N0. 685,|I6. Patented Oct. 22, |90I.

\ J. M. DDGE.

STAIR LIFT.

(Application led Mar. 30, 1901.) `(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

No. 6a5,||6. Patented not. 22,|9o\.

J. M. DODGE. v

STAIR LIFT. (Application med Mar. so. 1961.) i (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Ybelt illustrated in Fig. 1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. DODGE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE STAIR LIFT COMPANY, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

sTAlR-LIFT;

sPEcIFIcATIoN ruiming partof Letters Patent No. 685,1 16, grated october 22, 1901. Application tiled March 30, '1.901. Serial No. 53,'l63l. (No model.)

The object of my invention is to provide lmeans for taking the driving strain from the iiexed portion of the stair-lift in order to reduce the friction and strain upon the belt.

My invention is an improvement upon the device illustrated and claimed inl an application for patent iled byme on the 7th day of January, 1901, Serial No. 42,411. In the above-mentioned application a supplemental coupling-belt is used, engaging the carryingbelt during a portion of its travel only, whereas the belt illustrated and claimed in the present application is practically a part of the carrying-belt and is capable of being lengthened or shortened' to agree with the carryingbelt, so that the drivingstrain is not taken by the carrying-belt, but by the supplemental belt or chain.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through sufficient of a stair-lift to illustrate my invention, the carrying-belt being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing a detail of the Figs. 4 and 5 are views showing the means for lengthening and shortening aI section of the belt in its two positions. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are diagram views showing the means of shifting the mechanism shown in Fig. 3 from the position shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. 4 at the lower D at the end and around a drivingwheel D', at the lower end in the present instance, although power may be applied to D2 D3 are shaped at d d' to accommodate the enlarged portions of the chains or belts I. The main portion 't' of the chainpis of the ordinary link-and-pin type in the present instance, and each section is coupled at one end by the enlarged link z' to an axle B and connected at the other end to an arched link i2, which is in turn pivoted to a lever I', hung on the axle B. (Clearly illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, and 5.) On the end of the lever I is a wheel e, and at one side of the lever is a second wheel e, somewhat less in diameter than the wheel e in the present instance.

When the lever I is in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a section of the belt is contracted, and when the lever is forced over to the position shown in Fig. 5 a section of the belt is lengthened. On the return run the sections of the belt are lengthened and on the exed portion of the carrying-run the sections are contracted. This is accomplished by means of the rails and cam-surfaces shown in Fig. 1. Inthe irst place, when the belt passes around the lower wheel D3 the wheel e on the lever I travels upon the cam-rail f, as shown .in Fig. 6, causing the lever to move in the direction of the arrow, and consequently will contract the section of belt bethe point f2 of the rail F, as shown in Fig. 1,

when the lever will be thrown completely over. link 'i2 to the lever I', will then be on a dead- The pivot-point 3, which couples the center and the lever will not have a tendency to throw over; but in order to guard against accident the lever is held down by the body of the rail F, which extends up to a point near the upper end ot the stairway, where it is discontinued, and the lever is then under the control of a rail F', which is curved in the present instance. This rail F acts upon the wheel e', gradually lifting the lever I and throwing the pivot i3 ott the dead -center. IVhen the lever reaches the upper end ot the rail F', the section of the belt will be lengthened prior to passing around the head-wheel D2, as clearly shown in Fig. l. Thus it will be seen that sections of the chains or belts will be lengthened at certain points of their travel and be shortened at other points, and the levers are so controlled that the sections will be shortened when the carrying-belt is flexed to form treads and risers and when the carrying-belt passes around the carryingwheels, and on the return run the sections of the chain or belt will be lengthened. Thus the driving strain is taken by the coupling belt or chain when the step sections are flexed, and consequently there is a saving in power and in wear and teal' of the apparatus.

While I have shown a chain, a rope may be used in place ot the chain, if desired.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination in a stair-lift, of'a carrying-belt, means for fiexing said belt on the carrying-run of the stair-lift, a coupling-belt attached at intervals to the carrying-belt, and means for lengthening and shortening said coupling-belt, substantially as described.

2. The combination in a stair-lift, of a carrying-belt, means for flexing said belt on the carrying-run of the stair-lift, a coupling-belt attached at intervals to the carrying-belt, and means for lengthening and shortening sections of said coupling-belt between the points of attachment, substantially as described.

3. The combination in a stair-lift, of a carrying-belt, means for flexing said belt on the carrying-run to form treads and risers, a coupling-belt attached at intervals to the carrying-belt, the sections of said coupling-belt between the points of attachment being capable of being lengthened or contracted, and rails for automatically contracting or lengthening the said sections, substantially as described.

4. The combination in a stair-lift, ofa carrying-belt, means for flexing the said belt to form treads and risers, axles at the points of fiexure, a coupling-belt attached to the carrying-belt at the alternate axles forming a series of sections, and means for contracting each section as the treads and risers are formed, whereby the driving strain will be taken by the coupling-belt, substantially as described.

5. The combination in a stair-lift, of a carryin g-belt,wheels around which the belt passes, means for flexing the said belt to form treads and risers on the carrying-run of the stairway, a coupling-belt attached at intervals to the'carrying-belt, the section of the belt between the coupling being capable of being lengthened or shortened, with means for automatically shortening the coupling-belt when the carrying-belt is flexed to form treads and risers, and means for lengthening the coupling-belt when the carrying-belt reaches the upper end of the stairway, substantially as described.

6. The combination of an endless carryingbelt, means for fiexing the said belt to form treads and risers, axles at the points of ilexure, a coupling-chain at each side of the carrying-belt and attached to alternate axles, and means for lengthening or shortening the sections of chain between the alternate axles, substantially as described.

7. The combination in a stair-lift, of a flexible endless carrying-belt, means for fiexing the belt to form treads and risers, axles at the point of fiexure, levers pivoted to each alternate axle, a chain extending from an axle t0 the level', and means for operating the lever so as to take up the slack in the chain when the carrying-belt is flexed, substantially as described.

8. The combination in a stair-lift, of a carrying-belt, axles on said belt, means for flexing the belt to form treads and risers, couplingchains at each side of the carrying-belt, said coupling-chains being attached to alternate axles, one of the links of said chain being in the form of a lever and rails for controlling the position of the said lever, whereby it is thrown to one side or the other of the axle to which itis pivoted so as to lengthen or shorten the section of belt of which it forms a part, substantially as described.

9. The combination in a stair-lift, of a flexible carrying-belt, means for fiexing the belt to form treads and risers, axles at the nose of each tread, a coupling-belt made in sections, each section being attached to an axle forming a continuous coupling-belt, a lever forining part of each section, and rails for operating the lever to lengthen or shorten the belt, substantially as described.

10. The combination in a stair-lift, of an endless carrying-belt, means for fiexing the belt to form treads and risers, coupling-belts at each side of the carrying-belt and connected to the carrying-belt at intervals, each section ot' belt between the points of attachment consisting of a chain and a lever to which one end of the chain is attached, said lever having two wheels, one outof line with the other, and fixed rails also arranged out of line so as to actuate the levers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. JAMES M. DODGE.

NVitnesses:

WILL. A. BARR, Jos. H. KLEIN.

IIO

Images