US718374A - Elevator. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JAN. 13

ELEVATOR. APPLICATION FILED MAY 16,-1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

PATENTED JAN. 13, 1903. G. W. NISTLE. n

ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1902.

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N0 MODEL.

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G. W. NISTLE. ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16,11902. N0 MODEL.

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V//eaz PATENTED JAN. 13, 1903.

lINrTsD STATES "ATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. NISTLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO EVERETT W. BROOKS AND ROBERT L. GIFFORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELEVATOR.

SPECIFIGATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 718,374, dated January 13, 1903.

Application and May 16, 1902. serial No. 107,587. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. NIsTLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevators, of which th'e following is a specification.

My invention relates to elevators, more especially those of the passenger type, and has for its principal object to provide a construction whereby a gang of elevators may all be simultaneously operated from a single motorshaft, which in the preferred form of my invention is located at the top of the 'several shafts and extends across the entire series, the principal purpose of such an arrangement being to provide a driving mechanism which by simultaneously driving a series of cars, some ot' which are ascending while others are descending, shall have the eifect of minimizing the variations in strain imposed upon the motor in the starting and stopping operations of each car.

Another object of my invention is to increase the life of the cables employed in elevotor systems through a construction which obviates the injurious winding and unwinding of the cable or cables about pulleys and drums, an operation which by subjecting cables to continual exing strains rapidly mpairs the tensional strength and weight-sustaining qualities thereof.

To these and other ends my invention consists, primarily7 in a group of mechanical combinations, each comprising an elevator-car and a counterbalance-Weight therefor connected therewith by a cable or other flexible tensional support passing over a pulley located at the top of the shaft and sustaining the car preferably by frictional contact of the cable or cables with the upper semiperiphery of the pulley when arranged in series and operated simultaneously by means of a common continuously-driven motor-shaft extending transversely of the entire series of elevator-shafts.

My invention consists, further, in special details and arrangements of mechanism for carrying out the objects specified, all as more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevational view of a gang of elevators, here shown as six in number, equipped with supporting and operating mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of a single eleVator-shaft,- showing the car therein and supporting, counterbalancing, driving, and brake mechanisms therefor. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the 6o driving and brake mechanisms for a pair of adjacent cars on a considerablyenlarged scale. Fig. 3a is a detail view of a portion of the brake-operating mechanism; and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View, enlarged, on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3, showing the preferred form of grooves in the periphery of the pulley at the head of the shaft engaged by the cables that support the car.

` In carrying out my invention I support the 7o car by a cable orv series of cables which are simply passedover but not around the usual sheave at the top of the shaft, to the opposite end of which cable or cables is secured a counterbalance-Weight, while the up and down movements of the car are positively efvfected from a motor-shaft through gearing interposed between the latter and the shaft of the cable-sheave and mechanism under the control of the operator in the-car for re- 8o versing the rotary movements imparted to the sheave and for applying a brake which locks the sheave against movement in either direction.

In the drawings, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 indi- 85 cate a series of elevator-shafts arranged side by side, in which are adapted to travel a corresponding series of cars 5a, 6a, 7a, 8', 9a, and 10, Across the top of these several elevator-shafts extends a common horizontal driv- 9o ing-shaft, (indicated by 11,) which shaft may be operated by a pair of motors 12 and 13, located at either end thereof. In view of the fact that this shaft 1l furnishes the power for operating and controlling all of the several cars through intermediate mechanism which is the same in connection with all of the several cars a description of the said intermediate operating 'and controlling mechanism as applied to one of the cars-for example, the roo car 5, running in the shaft -will suice for all.

Referring then more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, 14 designates a pillow-block at the top of the shaft, in which is rotatably joui'- naled the shaft 15a of a pulley or sheave 15, the periphery of which is preferably grooved to receive one or more cables 16, which connect the roof of the car 5f with a stack of counterbalance-weights 17, attached to the lower end of the cable and adapted when the car is at the highest point of its travel to seat and come to rest in a pocket 1S at or below the base of the shaft. The cable or cables 16 and connterbalance-weights 17, trained over and suspended from the pulley 15, as described, constitute the sole means for counterbalancing the car, and the frictional engagement of the cable or cables with the upper half of the periphery of the pulley 15 is relied upon and has been found amply sufficient to sustain the weight of the carwith its maximum load against any tendency of the latter to drop by reason of a relative slip between the cables and the peripheral surface of the pulley.

My invention in its broad features is not concerned with the particular mechanism for effecting the rotation of the pulley 15 in opposite directions to effect the ascent and descent of the car or with the particular mechanism employed to hold or brake the said pulley when the latter is not positively driven in either direction and the car is at a landing; buta simple and effective mechanism which may be employed for these purposes consists in its essentials of the following: Above each elevator-shaft is the pulley or sheave l5, already described, on the rear face of which pulley as viewed in Fig. 2 is a circular spur-gear 22. Fast on a shaft 20, journaled in the pillow-blocks 21, are a pair of spur- gears 24 and 25, the perpheries of said gears being connected by an intermediate smooth circular surface adapted to be overlaid by a curved friction-brake 26, which latter is hinged at its heel` 26 to a bracket 14 on the pillow-block lf'and has an overhanging forwardly-projecting arm 2Gb, on the outer extremity of which is mounted a weight 27, which by its gravity effect serves to maintain the brake in operative relation to the gears 24 and 25 except when positively lifted therefrom by means hereinafter described. Fast on one end of the shaft 2O is a spur-pinion 23, which meshes with the gear 22.

Loosely mounted on the power-shaft 11 in the same transverse planes, respectively, as the gears 24 and 25 are a pair of spur-pinions 28 and 29. The pinion 28 meshes directly with the gear 24, while the spur-pinion 29 engages the gear 25 indirectly through an idler-pinion 30, journaled between a pair of adjacent pillow-blocks 3l, which support the shaft 11, Fig. 2. This is for the purpose of producing opposite rotations of the gears 24 and 25 from the rotations of their respective driving-pinions 2S and 29 in the same direction.

32 and 33 are a pair of friction-clutches splined upon the shaft 11 and adapted to alternately engage and disengage the outer faces of their respective cooperating pinions 28 and 29. A convenient mechanism for operating these clutches in properly-timed relation consists of a pair of lever-arms 34 and 35, pivoted at their inner ends to the snpports which carry the shaft 11 and idler-pinion 30, said lever-arms being pivoted at intermediate points to thephubs of the clutches and at their outer extremities being connected by a bar 36. To the lever-arms 34 and 35 are attached the opposite ends of a controllingcable 37, which latter passes over suitable guide-sheaves 3S and 39 down through the elevator-shaft and over a guide sheave or pulley 40 at the bottom thereof, one vertical section of the loop of said cable passing lthrough the car in a position conveniently adapted to be gripped and pulled by the conductor. The relation of the clutches 32 and 33 to their respective pinionsis such that the disengagement of one clutch by an upward or downward pull on the cable 37 will not immediately engage the opposite clutch with its pinion, but will first produce an interme diate position of said clutches, wherein both will be disengaged from their respective pinions. When said clutches are in this intermediate position, it is desired to apply the brake 2G, and as a convenient means for effecting the actuation of the brake in properlytimed relation to the movement of the clutches I have applied to the upper face of the bar 36 a pair of oppositely-inclined cam- blocks 41 and 42, Fig. 3, which cani-blocks coperate with a correspondingly cam-faced lug 43, secured to the under side of the overhanging arm 26b of the brake directly above and between the cam- blocks 41 and 42. It will thus be seen from an inspection of Figs. 3 and 3 that when the clutches 32 and 33 are in their intermediate or inoperative positions relatively to their respective pinions the carnfaced lug 43 will occupy such a position relatively to the cams 4l and 42 as Will permit the weight 27 to apply the brake 26 to hold the gears 24 and 25 against movement, while a travel of the bar 36 in either direction, produced by a pull `upon the cord 37 to throw either one of the clutches into operative engagement with its respective pinion, will produce an elevation of the brake by reason of the wedging action of one or the other of the cams 41 42 upon the cam-faced lug 43.

The operation of the mechanism will be readily understood from the foregoing description, in connection with the drawings, but may be briefly described as follows: Each of the several cars is counterweighted by the weights 17 to balance the weight of the car with an average load. This being the case, the power required to start and stop the car and the strain upon the operating mechanism in these operations is reduced to a minimum, as is well understood in elevator practice.

IOO

IIO

The motors 12 and 13 drive the shaft 11 continuously in one direction, thus imparting an uninterrupted rotation in the same direction to all of the clutches 32 and 33 splined thereon, during which, of course, some of the cars will be ascending, others descending, and others stationary at the top, bottom, or intermediate landings. Considering the car in Fig. 2 as having reached the'upward limit of its ascent and being stationary and about to descend and assuming that the driving-shaft 11 is rotating in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 2 and 3, the clutches and brake controlling the movement of said car will occupy the relative positions illustrated in plan in Fig. 3, both clutches rotating idly and the brake being applied to prevent the A turning of the pulley 15 owing to any inequality in the gravity effects of the car and its counterbalance. To start the car upon its downward movement, the operator gives an upward pull upon that section of the controlling cable which passes through the car, thereby releasing the brake 26 through the engagement of the cams 42 and 43 and at the same time throwing the clutch 33 into engagement with its pinion 29, and the rotation of the latter pinion through the described connections im parts a rotation to the gear 22 and its connected pulley in a direction to raise the counterweight and lower the car. When it is desired to stop the car at a landing, the operator merely grasps the controlling-cable, thereby effecting a downward pull upon the latter, which shifts both clutches to the intermediate position and simultaneously applies the brake. Vhenever the car is to be raised, a downward pull upon the controlling-cable by the operator effects the reverse movement of the clutches, throwing the clutch 32 into driving engagement with its pinion 28 and through the described connections effecting a rotation of the pulley 15 in a direction to raise the car. When the car is to be stopped on its upward travel, the operator simply grasps the cable, thereby interrupting its travel relatively to the car to an extent sufficient to disengage the clutch 32, and the upward travel of the car ceases simultaneously with the application of the brake to hold the car against movement in either direction.

An important advantage incident to the above-described manner of supporting and counterbalancing the car where friction-cables are employed resides .in the fact that should the driving connections between the motor-shaft and the pulley 15 for any reason fail to work properly or get beyond the control of the operator or should. the latter forget or fail to operate the controlling devices when the car has reached either the upper or lower limit of its travel no possible damage can result, for the reason that the counterbalance-weights 17 come to rest in the pockets 18 at the bottom of the shaft when the car has reached the upper limit of its travel, thereby slacking the cables 16 and destroythe continued rotation of the latter does notI have any lifting eifect upon the car. Similarly, when the car is at rest atthe bottom of the shaft the cables 16 are slacked, and the subsequent continued rotation of the pulley 15 will have no further lifting effect upon the counterbalance-weights. It will thus be seen that my invention by virtue of the described construction provides an ever-present safeguard against accident due to a collision of either the car or the counterbalance-weights with the-sustaining and operating devices at the top of the elevator-shaft.

The provision of the pockets 18 to receive the counterbalance-weights 17 when at rest affords a cushioning effect due to the compression and restricted escape of the air confined therein below the entering weights,

which serves to relieve the car from shock or jar that would otherwise result from thesudden interruption of the gravity effect of the weights in counterbalancing the car.

Another important object of my invention resides in the minimizing of the starting and stopping strains upon the motor or motors by having all the individual elevators of a gang geared to and operated by a common drivingshaft, whereby torsional strains produced by some of the cars upon the shaft in one direction are more or less oset and counterbalanced by simultaneous torsional strains upon the shaft produced lby others of the cars in the opposite direction. The work of the mo,- tor or motors is thus rendered more nearly constant and uniform than has heretofore been possible in any elevator system with which I am acquainted.

Still another advantage of my invention resides in the location of the motors and driving mechanism at the top of the shaft and directly under the roof of the building, where space is of comparatively little value,'instead of in the basement, where the space may be much more valuable. Where electric motors are employed, which are the kind I prefer to use in connection with my invention, the power can be taken, if desired, from any eX- ternal source, thus freeing the basement of the building-entirely from boilers, engines, coal-bins, and other accessories of a powerproducing plant.

Still another advantage of my invention resides in the fact that I increase the life of the cables employed by greatly lessening the degree of i'lection to which the cables are subjected. Where the cables are wound upon and unwound from a drum every time the car ascends and descends or are passed one or more times entirely around the periphery of a friction pulley or drum, they rapidly deteriorate and lose their original degree of tensional strength, requiring to be frequently replaced by new cables in order to insure absolute safety against breakage. The only ilection to which the cables in my invention' IOO IIO

are subjected is that of a half-turn over a single pulley of considerable diameter at the head of the shaft, and consequently the life of the cables is greatly extended.

In the preferred form of my invention the periphery of the supporting-pulley is provided with one or more U-shaped grooves, as illustrated in the detail view Fig. 4, according to the number of cables employed, such a form of groove being amply sufficient to afford the necessary friction to insure against slip between the pulley and the cable or cables and at the same time embodying the automatic safety feature hereinabove described. It is obvious, however, that if it were desired to guard absolutely against any possible slip of the iiexible tensional support upon the pulley this might be accomplished in a variety of ways within the purview of my invention, as by making the grooves V-shaped, whereby they would have an effective bite upon the cables, or by making the pulley n the form of a sprocketwheel and the cables in the form of sprocketchains. Such devices, however, would lack the automatic safety feature above described. Believing myself to be the first to operate a gang of elevators from a single continuously, rotating power-shaft, I do not limit myself to the speciic connections shown and described intermediate said shaft and the several elevators except to the extent indicated in certain of the appended claims.

I claiml. In an elevator, the combination with a supporting-pulley mounted at the top of the elevator-shaft, of a car adapted to travel in the latter, a cable connected at one end to said car and passing thence over said pulley,

a counterbalance-weight suspended from the opposite end of said cable, and a pocket at the base of the shaft adapted to receive, cushion and support said counterbalance-weight as the car reaches the top of the shaft, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a gang of elevator shafts and cars operatively suspended therein, of a single power-shaft adapted to be continuously rotated, and means under the control of the operator in each car for starting, driving and stopping the latter from said power-shaft, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a gang of elevator shafts and cars operatively suspended therein, of a single power-shaft extending transversely across said elevator-shafts adapted to be continuously rotated, and driving, reversing. and brake mechanisms between said power-shaft and each of said cars under the control of the operator in the latter, substantially as described.

4t. The combination with a gang of elevator-shafts, cars therein, and supporting pulleys and cables thereabove, of a single powershaft extending transversely across said gang of elevator-shafts, a motoradapted to impart a continuous rotation to said power-shaft, driving, reversing,aud brake mechanisms between said power-shaft and the supportingpulley of each car under the control of the operator in the latter, said power-shaft, motor, and driving, reversing, and brake mechanisms all being located at the top of the elevator-shafts, substantially as described.

GEORGE W. NISTLE.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL L. POND, RoBT. N. GIFFORD.

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