US718375A - Automatic stop device for elevators. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JAN. 1a, 1903 G. w. NISTLE. AUTOMATIC STOP DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1902 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

4 III/I NO MODEL.

III/III 1'! uokms warms co. mom-Luau WASHINGTON, I:v cv

No. 718,375. v PATENTED JAN. 13, 1903.

i G. W. NISTLE. AUTOMATIC STOP DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED AUGLZZ, 1902.

H0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 718,375. PATENTED AN. 13, 1903..

G. W. NIsTLE. AUTOMATIC STOP DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

I APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1902.

N0 MODEL. s SHEETS-SHEET a.

LlNrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

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

AUTOMATIC STOP DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

$PEOIFIOATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 718,375, dated January 13, 1903.

Application filed August 22, 1902. Serial No. 120,688. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. NISTLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful" Improvements in Automatic Stop Devices for Elevators, of which the following'is a specification.

My invention relates to elevators, and more especially to an improved mechanism for effecting the automatic stopping of a car at any desired landing whether the car he ascending or descending.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and reliable mechanism of the character stated which may be operated by merely pushing a button or equivalent device which indicates and corresponds with the floor at which a passenger may desire to land.

To this end myinvention consistsin a mechanism 0f the character specified which is readily capable of application to all elevators wherein the movements of the car are controlled by a cable extending from the top to the bottom of the shaft.

My invention in the best mechanical form in which I have thus far embodied the same is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

, wherein 0 Figure 1 represents an ordinary elevatorshaft in vertical elevation with the front wall thereof removed and the landings shown in section and also illustrating a car therein with its front wall partially broken out to illustrate the relative location of'the automatic stop mechanism contained therein. Fig. 2is a front elevational view of the principal parts of the stop mechanism, including the indicator devices, detached. Fig. 3 is a vertical see- I 40 tional view through one wall of the car and the adjacent wall of the shaft and illustrating the automatic stop devices in side elevation. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view through the wall ofthe shaft, the adjacent 5 wall of the car, and the cable on a plane above the cable-actuating jaws; and Fig. 5 is a detail elevational View of a part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3 in a plane at right angles to the latter.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates an elevator-shaft, and 11 the car traveling therein, the movements of which latter are controlled through any well-known starting and stopping devices (not shown) controlled by the usual cable 12, extending vertically of the 5 5 sh aft from top to bottom thereof. One section of this cable passes through the car and is designed to be actuated by the operator in starting the car, as usual, whilethe other section lies between adjacent walls of the shaft and the car.

Mounted on one side wall of the car and at a height to be Within easy reach is the traveling part of my improved stop mechanism, in-

cluding the indicator devices thereon, which I will now proceed to describe in detail. In brackets 13, secured to the wall of the car, is rotatably mounted a horizontal shaft 14, one end'of which has fast thereon a main operating-lever 15, the handle end of this lever extending above the shaft, while the operating end of, the lever extends some distance 'therebelowand is provided on its lower end with a pointed shoe 16, designed to cooperate wi'th devices, hereinafter described, that act directly upon the external section of the controlling-cable. The shaft 14 has loosely mounted thereon a series of upstanding arms 17, each of which has journaled upon its upper end a small wheel or roller 18, designed to ride over a stationary cam on the inner wall of the shaft, as hereinafter more particularly described. There will be as many of these arms 17 as there are landings (above the ground-floor) to be served by the device, each arm corresponding to and effecting the control of the carat the particular landing, which is indicated in any suitable or convenient way thereon, as by means of the indicator. disks or buttons 19, herein shown. It 0 will be observed by reference to Figs. 1 and 2 that the arms 17 are arranged side by side in closely-adjacent vertical planes, and in the corresponding vertical planes there are located a group of stationary cam-blocks 20, fast 5 on the inner wall of the shaft and in such positions as to be engaged and oyerrun by the rollers 18, whereby thearms-l'? are given a limited inward oscillation. As indicated in Fig. 1, one of these cam-blocks is located adjacent each landing and isprovided with camsurfaces at both its lower and upper ends in order to operate in connection with both the ascending and descending movements of the car. Each one of the arms 17 is maintained normally in an inner idle position, in which it will not contact or be affected by the cam 20, by means of a light leaf-spring 21, Fig. 3, secured at its upper end to the rear edge of the arm and at its lower free end engaging the bottom margin of the aperture in the wall of the cage through which the arms 17 operate.

The means whereby the engagement of the roller 18 with the cam-block 20 in the case of each arm 17 is caused to effect a rearward oscillation of the lower end of the oscillating lever 15 is as follows: Fast on the shaft 14, adjacent the lower end of each arm 17, is a collar 22, which is provided on its periphery with a single ratchet-tooth 22. (See Fig. 3.) Pivoted on the same side of the arm 17, a short distance above said collar 22, is a gravity-pawl 23, the nose of which is adapted for cooperation with the ratchet-tooth 22, said pawl being provided with a short forwardlyprojecting arm terminating in a knob or button 23, which latter may conveniently bear a numeral corresponding with the numeral carried by the arm to which it belongs and which indicates the particular floor or landing with which said arm and pawl are associated. The parts thus far described are so related that if when the lever, shaft, and collar are in their normal positions the arm 17 be pushed outwardly until the roller 18 nearly contacts the wall of the shaft the pawl 23 will be carried over the point of the ratchet-tooth 22 and will drop behind the same. From this it follows that as soon as the roller 18 in either its upward or downward travel oncounters the cam 20 the lower end of the lever will be rocked in a rearward direction against the tension of a master-spring 24, operating between the adjacent wall of the car and the lower end of the lever and normally tending to maintain the latter thrust forward inwardly of the car.

The function of the lever 15 under the automatic action of the parts with which it is associated is to maintain the automatic stopping devices inoperative, and this function it performs, in connection with the pointed shoe 16 on its lower end, through the following mechanism: Fast on the cable 12, adjacent each landing, are a pair of oppositelydisposed cone-shaped buttons, the uppermost of which is designated by 25 and the lowermost by 26, the former operating upon the descent of the car and the latter upon its ascent to arrest the car at the particular landing with which said buttons are associated. It will be observed that the wide end of the upper button is uppermost, while that of the lower button is undermost. The wide ends of these buttons are adapted to cooperate with a pair of horizontally-disposed jaws 27, pivoted at their inner ends upon a standard 28, mounted on the floor of the car and extending through a horizontal slot 11 Fig. 4, in the wall of the car, and at their outer ends embracing the cable 12, for which purpose the meeting edges of said jaws near their outer extremities are concaved or hollowed out sufficiently to enable the cable to lie therebetween when the jaws are closed, as plainly shown in Fig. 4. The meeting edges of the jaws where they engage the cable and therebeyond are slightly beveled on their upper and lower margins fora purpose hereinafterdisclosed. These jaws are adapted to open and close in a horizontal plane to an extent to permit the passage therebetween of the buttons 25 and 26 at the desired times, and they are normally held closed by elastic means, herein shown as consisting of a U- shaped spring 29, embracing their pivoted ends and sides. On the upper faces of the jaws 27, adjacent the lower end of the lever 15 and in a common transverse plane, are mounted a pair of studs 30, which are preferably provided with antifriction-rollers 31. These studs are so positioned that the pointed shoe 16 will normally under the impulse of the master-spring 2a enter between them wedge fashion, thus forcing the jaws apart to such an extent that the latter will freely pass over the buttons 25 and 26 on the controlling-cable without exercising any effect on the latter. On the inner wall of the shaft at each landing, out of vertical alinement with the cam 20,but in vertical alinement with the inner meeting edges of the free end of the jaws 27, is located a diamond-shaped block 32, which serves as a spreader for the jaws 27 after the latter have engaged the buttons 25 and 26, respectively, and moved said buttons and the cable, to which they are attached, a sufficient distance to effect the stopping of the car at the landing. block is located at a point substantially opposite the position assumed by the buttons when the latter have been carried up or down by the jaws to an extent sufficient to insure the stopping of the car.

The operation of the device has already to a considerable extent been indicated, but may be briefly summed up as follows: Assuming the car to be at the ground-floor, the several arms 17 will all be occupying their inward position under the influence of the springs 21. The lever 15, under the influence of the master-spring 24,will occupy a position wherein the pointed shoe 16 is between the studs 30, thus maintaining the jaws 27 apart, while the pawls 23 will lie idle, with their noses overlying and resting upon the peripheries of their respective collars 22 in rear of the teeth 22 Assuming, for the sake of examp1e,that a passenger enters the car, desiring to go to the fifth floor, upon entering he or the op erator will press that knob on one of the arms 17 which is numbered 5, thus pressing the roller at the upper end thereof outwardly toward the adjacent wall of the shaft. This rearward swing of the arm will be sufficient to cause the nose of the pawl 23 to drop in This front of the tooth 22. The spring 21, however, has not sufficient tension to overcome the master-spring 24, and hence the lever 15 will remain undisturbed, with the shoe at its lower end holding the jaws 27 apart. The car will then rise, the jaws 27 passing idly over the pair of buttons 26 and 25'atthe second, third, and fourth landings; but just before the fifth landing is reached the roller 18 will encounter the cam 20, and through the described connections the lever 15 will be rocked to withdraw the wedge-shaped shoe' 16 from between the studs 30, thus allowing the jaws to close just below the button 26, which pertains to the fifth landing. Through the engagement of the jaws with the broad lower end of the button the controlling-cable will be raised sufficiently to effect the'stopping of the car at the landing, and simulta neously with the completion of this movement the beveled-end portions of the jaws 27 will encounter the wedge-block 32, and the jaws will be spread thereby sufficiently to enable them to release and pass over the button 26 on the subsequent continued ascent of the car. As the cable 12 is actuated bythe operator to continue the upward travel the upper button 25 will readily pass between the jaws, owing to its wedge-like formation, and simultaneously with or before resuming the ascent from the floor at which the landing was made the operator will raise the pawl 23 corresponding with that particular landing, and this will enable the master-spring 24 to again assert itself and spread the jaws 27 through the wedge-shoe 16, thus restoring'the normal position of the mechanism and rendering it inactive with reference to any other landings. In this manner by the pressing outwardly of any appropriate arm 17 the car may be caused to automatically stop at the desired landing, and it is immaterial how many of the arms are thus actuated at the same time or during a single ascent or descent of the car, since the mechanisms which effect the stopping of the car at the several land: ings are all independent. For instance, if three passengers desire to stop at the second, fourth, and sixth landings, respectively, all three of the arms 17 corresponding to these landings may be set before starting. The car will automatically stop first at the second landing, after which the mechanism for that landing will be restored to normal position by raising the pawl carrying the numeral 2. The car will then automatically stop at the fourth landing,after which the mechanism controlling the stopping of the car at that point will be rendered idle through the raising of the pawl bearing the numeral 4:, after which the car will continue to and automatically stop at the sixth floor.

With reference to the descent of the car precisely the same series of operations take place as has already been described in connection with the ascent by Virtue of the fact that the stationary controlling-cams and the spreader-block on the wall of the shaft are all double-that is, alike-but inversely formed at their opposite ends, the same being true of the buttons 25 and 26' on the controlling.

but in case a passenger should fail to call his landing in time for the setting of the automatic mechanism as described to effect a stop at that point the carmay be stopped at such landing or any other by the operator by drawing inwardly the handle end of the lever 15 just before the landing at which a stop is to be made is reached, this having the same effect upon the stopping devices controlled by said lever as if the lever had been automatically actuated through the engagement of the roller 18 with the cam 20.

The several arms 17 when in their idle positions lie so far within the car that the noses of their respective pawls will overlie the dependent of each other, each arm 17 when required performing its function without interfering with either the normal or active position of any other arm or arms.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my invention provides an entirely automatic stop mechanism for elevators which is capable of stopping the car at any predetermined landing or landings on either the ascent or descent of the car and which requires for its setting nothing more than a slight pressure upon a knob or button. This relieves the operator of the burden of remembering all of the landings as they are ordinarily announced to him and reduces his labor and responsibility to the setting and resetting of the stop mechanism and the restarting of the car after each stop. It is evident that the principle of my invention might be embodied in mechanically equivalent devices varying more orless widely from the mechanism herein shown and described. I do not limit myself, therefore, to the specific details of the latter except to the extent that they may be indicated in the claims hereunto appended.

I claim 1. In an automatic stop mechanism for elevators, the combination with a car and its controlling-cable, of a series of stationary cams located on the wall of the shaft adjacent the several landings, respectively, a corresponding series of independently-movable devices carried by the car,each one of which is adapted to be shifted into line with one of said cams, a cable-engaging device carried by the car,

Thus it will be seen that the operations of the several arms 17 are entirely in- 1 and mechanism intermediate said movable devices and said cable-en gaging device whereby the latter is rendered operative upon the cable at the several landings through the contact of said movable devices and cams, sub stantially as described.

2. In an automatic stop mechanism for elevators, the combination with a car and its controllingcable, of a series of stationary cams located on the wall of the shaft adjacent the several landings, respectively, a corresponding series of independently-movable pivoted arms carried by the car, the free ends of which are adapted to be shifted into line with their respective cams, a cable-engaging device carried by the car, and mechanism intermediate said arms and said cable engaging device whereby the latter is normally rendered inoperative npon the cable, but is caused to engage the latter to stop the car through the contact of any one of said pivoted arms with its respective cam, substantially as described.

3. In an automatic stop mechanism for elevators, the combination with a car and its controlling-cable, of a cable-engaging device carried by the car, restraining mechanism also carried by the car normally rendering said cable-engaging device inoperative upon the cable, and cooperating devices on the wall of the shaft at the several landings and on the car, respectively, through the predetermined engagement of which said cable-engaging device is freed from the restraining mechanism and permitted to engage the cable to stop the car, substantially as described.

4. In an'automatic stop mechanism for elevators, the combination with a car and its controlling-cable, of a pair of spring-actuated jaws carried by the car and adapted to engage the cable, jaw-separating mechanism also carried by the car and normally spreading said jaws, and cooperating devices on the wall of the shaft at the several landings and on the car, respectively, through the predetermined engagement of which said jaws are freed from the separating mechanism and permitted to engage the cable to stop the car, substantially as described.

5. In an automatic stop mechanism for elevators, the combination with a car and its controlling-cable, of a series of stop-buttons secured on the cable opposite the several landings, respectively, a pair of spring-actuated jaws carried by the car embracing and sliding over the cable and adapted when closed to contact said stop'buttons, jaw-separating mechanism also carried by the car and normally spreading said jaws, and cooperating devices on the wall of the shaft at the several landings and on the car, respectively, through the predetermined engagement of which said jaws are freed from the separating mechanism and permitted to move into operative relation to said stop-buttons, substantially as described.

6. In an automatic stop mechanism for elevators, the combination with a car and its controlling-cable, of a series of stop-buttons secured on the cable opposite the several landings, respectively, a pair of spring-actuated jaws carried by the car embracing and sliding over the cable and adapted when closed to contact said stop-buttons, jaw-separating mechanism also carried by the car and normally spreading said jaws, cooperating devices on the wall of the shaft at the several landings and on the car, respectively, through the predetermined engagement of which said jaws are freed from the separating mechanism and permitted to move into operative re lation to said stop-buttons, and stationary jaw-spreading devices on the wall of the shaft at the several landings, respectively, adapted to engage and spread said jaws after the latter have contacted the stop-buttons and arrested the movement of the car, substantially as described.

7. In an automatic stop mechanism for elevators, the combination with a car and its controlling-cable, of a series of stationary cams located on the wall of the shaft adjacent the several landings, respectively, a corresponding series of independently-movable pivoted arms carried by the car, the free ends of which are adapted to be shifted into line with their respective cams, a pair of spring-actuated jaws carried by the car and adapted to engage the cable, and a jaw-separating device also carried by the car and adapted to be disengaged from the jaws to permit the latter to close and engage the cable upon the engagement of any one of said pivoted arms with its respective cam, substantially as described.

8. In an automatic stop mechanism for elevators, the combination with a car and its controlling-cable, of a series of stationary cams located on the wall of the shaft adjacent the several landings, respectively, a shaft horizontally journaled along one side of the car, a series of vertically-extending arms loosely journaled on said shaft and adapted to be shifted into line with said cams, respectively, an independent pawl-and-ratchet connection between each arm and the shaft, an operating-lever fast on said shaft, one end of said lever constituting a handle and the other terminating in a wedge-shaped shoe, a pair of spring-actuated jaws carried by the car and at their outer ends adapted to embrace and slide over the controlling-cable, stop-buttons fast on the latter adjacent each landing adapted to be contacted by said jaws when closed GEORGE W. NISTLE.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. POND, FREDERICK O. GOODWIN.

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