US789311A - Elevator. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

A. AKER.

ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Inventor.

Anion/Aka];

PX c to r n e g s No. 789,311. PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

A. AKER.

ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17,1904.

2 MEETS-SHEET 2.

0 .1 I 5.: M M

Witnesses Httomegs NiTED STATES Patented May 9, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ANTON AKER, OF HELENA, MONTANA, ASS'IGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO EDWARD HORSKY, OF HELENA, MONTANA.

ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,31 1, dated May 9, 1905.

Application filed June 17,190 Serial N0. 213,011.

To all whom, it may concern."

Be it known that I, AN'roN Anna, a citizen of the United States, residing at Helena, in the county of Lewis and Clarke and State of Montana, have invented a new and useful Elevator, of which the following is a spcciiication.

This invention relates to elevators, and has for its object to simplify the hoisting apparatus and to adapt the same for manipulation by hand and by power in such a manner as to enable the convenient transfer from hand operation to power operation, and vice versa, whenever desired. It is furthermore designed to maintain an approximate counterbalance between the weight of the car and the coun terweight in direct proportion to the amount of additional weight placed upon the car, thereby to insure an easy and regular movement of the car and to materially lessen the amount of hand-power required for manipulating the elevator by hand.

While the elevatorof the present invention is capableof general use, it has been particularly designed for use in mine-shafts, where a hand-operated elevator is particularly desirable. ln this connection it will be understood that the shaft of a mine-elevator is considerably longer than the elevator-shafts of buildings. Hence the car has a proportionately longer path to travel, and therefore it isanother object of this invention to provide for taking up unnecessary slack in the suspension and counterweight cables when the car is to descend only a part of the length of the shaft and to unwind or pay out additional portions of the suspension-cable and counterweight-cable when it is desired to run the car to a considerable depth into the mine-shaft.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of the top portion of the car, showing the means for removing weight therefrom to maintain a counterbalance between the car and the counterweight. Fig. 4 is a crosssectional view on the line A i of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the removable weights. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional View of the counterweight.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each and every figure of the drawings.

The shaft of the present elevator includes the usual upright guide members 1, near the upper end of which are cross-bars 2 for the support of the hoisting apparatus. This hoisting apparatus includes a fixed shaft 3, carried by the cross-bars 2, and a drum loosely mounted upon the shaft and made up of three sectionsviz., the brake-section 4;, the pull-rope section 5, and a suspension and counterweight section 6said sections being firmly clamped between duplicate heads 7 by means of tiebolts 8, which pierce the heads and the several drum-sections. In the outer face of each head is a concentric depression 9, forming a seat for a cap-plate 10, which is also pierced by the tie-bolts, there being suitable antifriction-balls 11 interposed between the cap-plate and the back of the socket receiving the same, thereby to provide an antifriction-bearing for the drum. The brake and pull-rope sections are of substantially the same diameter, which I is twice the diameter of the intermediate suspension-cable section. The section 5 is provided with an annular peripheral groove 12, which is substantially V-shaped in cross-section for the reception of the endless pull rope or cable 13, which also travels around a loose guide-pulley 1 L, mounted in any suitable manner at the bottom of the shaft. The brakesection 4 has a flat periphery, which lies between a pair of annular flanges 1A, within which is received the brake-band 16, the upper end of which is secured in any suitable manner to the top portion of the elevatorshaft, as indicated at 17, from which the band depends and embraces the rear side and lower portion of the brake-section. At the front of the upper portion of the shaft is a vertically-movable brake-lever 18, which is intermediately fulcrurned, as at 19, upon a portion of the shaft, with its inner end pivotally connected, as at 20, to the free end of the brakestrap, while a brake-controlling rope or cable 21 depends from the outer end of the lever and engages a guide-pulley 22, carried by the elevator-shaft and arranged to maintain the pull-rope in position for convenient access at the front of the elevator-car.

The car may be of any approved form, that which has been shown in the accompanying drawings including a platform 23, from opposite ends of which rise upwardly-inclined hangers or frame-bars 24, which have their upper ends connected to a cross-bar 25. The cross-bar 25 is preferably a wooden beam, which is reinforced by front and rear metal bars 26, which are connected to the beam by means of suitable fastenings, the ends of the metal bars being projected beyond the ends of the beam, so as to slidably embrace the guide member of the shaft, there being suitable antifriction-rollers 27 mounted in sockets or recesses in the ends of the'beam and arranged for contact with the guides.

For the suspension of the car there is a suspension-cable 28, which pierces the upper cross-bar 25 of the car-frame and secured thereto in any suitable or approved manner, with its upper portion extending around the suspension -drum section 6 in the annular groove or way 29. A peripheral series ofsubstantially radial pins 30 project outward from the back of the way 29 and alternately incline in opposite directions toward the respective ends of the drum, with the suspension-cable passing in a sinuous path between said annular series of pins, thereby to prevent slipping of the suspension-cable without necessitating that said cable be wound several times around the drum and also wound around other drums or wheels, as in ordinary forms of elevators, thereby materially simplifying the manner of suspending the car from the drum of the hoisting apparatus. After passing around the upper half of the suspension-drum section the other portion of the suspension-cable passes downwardly at the back of the shaft and is wound around the drum 31, which is mounted within the frame 32 of the counterweight and serves as a suspension means for said counterweight. The drum of the counterweight is provided with opposite terminal peripheral flanges 33 and an intermediate peripheral flange 34, dividing the drum into opposite half-sections, the suspension-cable being wrapped or coiled around one of the sections of the counterweight-drum, with a drag-cable 35 wrapped or coiled around the other drumsection, with its lower end suitably connected to the bottom of the platform of the car, as indicated at 36. The suspension and drag cables are of course wound in the same direction around the counterweight-drum, and said counterweight-drum is normally held against rotation by means of a clamping-nut 87, carried by the inner end of the shaft or pivot of the drum and capable of being loosened by means of a wrench or lever 38 to permit of the car and the counterweight descending simultaneously and to permit of rotation of the drum, so as to unwind or pay out additional suspension-cable and drag-cable to permit of an increased descent of the car. One of the flanges 33 is provided with a peripheral series of ratchet-teeth 39, a suitable ratchet-dog or pawl 40 being mounted upon thecounterweight-frameand cooperating with the ratchetteeth to prevent reverse movement of the d rum. It will now be understood that the suspensioncable and drag-cable are wound in the same direction around the counterweight-cable to permit of additional portions of said cables being unwound or paid out when it is desired to have the car travel downwardly beyond the limit which has been previously fixed by locking the counterweight-drum against rotation.

It will be understood that the car and the counterweight are substantially equal in weight, so that by manipulation of the pull rope or cable the hoisting-drum may be rotated to raise and lower the car without the application of any other power. However, should it be desirable to employ power for running the car an additional cable 41 may be run over the peripheral grooved portion 42 of the suspension-section of the hoisting-d rum with one end engaged with a hook 43, provided upon the suspension-cable 28, near the top of the car, with .its other end connected to any suitable type of hoisting-engine. (Not shown.) By this means the hoisting-drum may be rotated by power without altering or changing any of the other parts of the apparatus.

In order to insure an easy running and manipulation of the car by hand-power, it is necessary to maintain anapproximate counterbalance between the counterweight and the car when additional weight is placed upon the latter, and therefore I propose to carry weights upon the car which may be readily removed therefrom in proportion to the additional weight placed upon the elevator, and in this manner maintain an approximate counterbalance between the car and the counter weight. In carrying out this feature of the invention I employ a series of superposed weights 44, resting upon the upper crossbeam 25 of the car and provided with terminal openings 45 for the reception of guide pins or bars 46, rising from the top of the car.

At the middle of each weight there is a transverse slot or notch 47 to receive the suspension-calole. When the car is at its upper limit, the series of weights are received within sets of hangers 48 and 49, of which the hangers 48 are at opposite sides of the weights and the hangers 49 are at the opposite ends thereof, said hangers being suspended from a cross-bar 50, carried by the elevatorshaft at the upper limit of the movement of the car. The hangers 48 are provided with a vertical series of openings 51, and the under sides of the weights are provided with notches or grooves 52 to register with the respective openings of the hangers and to permit of pins or keys 53 being passed through the openings in the hangers and through the notches in any of the weights, so as to support one or more of the weights upon the hangers, and thereby relieve the car of any desired amount of weight. It will of course be understood that the weights work easily upon the pins 46 in order that the latter may readily withdraw from the weights which are connected to the hangers when the car moves downwardly, and also to permit of the pins reentering the suspended weights when the car passes to its upper limit.

In order that any predetermined amount of weight may be removed from the car, the weights are graduated and marked with the individual weight thereof in order that the desired number of weights may be removed from the car. These weights will of course vary in size according to the capacity of the elevator. For a hand-operated elevator of medium capacity it has been found convenient to have the upper weight weigh one hundred and twenty five pounds and to have the weight of the same indicated at the middle of the front thereof and at one end of the front thereof, while the remaining weights preferably weigh twenty-five pounds apiece, which is indicated at corresponding ends of the weights, and the total weights of each weight and the Weights above the same being indicated at the middle of the front of each weight. In the arrangement shown in the accompanying drawings there are twelve weights numbered from 1 to 12, inclusive, from the uppermost to the lowermost weight, and as the sum of each weight and the weights thereabout is indicated upon the individual weights any given weight may be readily removed from the car by inserting the pins 53 beneath the weight having the required number of pounds indicated thereon. For instance, should a person weighing two hundred pounds step upon the car said car would of course be two hundred pounds heavier than the counterweight, and to maintain an approximate counterbalance between the car and the counterweight it will be necessary to remove two hundred pounds from the car, which can be readily accomplished by inserting the pins beneath the weight marked 200 lbs. to suspend two hundred pounds upon the cross-bar 50.

In the operation of this elevator and assuming that the car is at the top of the shaft, the operator removes from the car a sufficient number of the weights 4:4 to equal the com bined weight of the operator and the load which is to be carried to the top of the shaft, so that when the elevator-car reaches its lower limit and the load is placed thereon there will be an approximate counterbalance between the weight of the loaded car and the counterweight, wherefore it will require comparatively little effort upon the part of the operator in pulling upon the cable 13 to elevate the loaded car. In this connection it will be understood that when the operator pulls down upon the pull-cable to elevate the car he removes weight therefrom in proportion to the pull exerted, thereby lightening the ear and. facilitating its upward movement. \Vhen the car is empty and at the top of the shaft and weight has been removed therefrom to descend, it is of course necessary for the operator to manipulate the pull-cable sufficiently to overcome the excess of the counterweight.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an elevator, the combination with a car and a counterweight, of a series of superposed removable weights carried by the top of the car, a hanger supported within the shaft and disposed to receive the series of weights at the upper limit of the car, and means to suspend the individual weights upon the hanger and relieve the car of said weights to maintain an approximate counterbalance between the car and the counterweight when additional weight is placed upon the ear.

2. In an elevator, the combination with a car and a counterweight, of a series of superposed individually-removable weights carried by the top of the car and provided with pinreceiving openings, a hanger carried within the shaft and disposed to receive the series of weights at the upper limit of the car, said hanger being provided with a series of openings to register with the openings of the weights, and a pin capable of being passed through any of the openings in the hanger and the corresponding openings in the weights to suspend any of the weights upon the hanger and relieve the car of such weights to maintain an approximate counterbalance between the car and the counterweight when additional weight is placed upon the car.

3. In an elevator, the combination with a car and a counterweight, of a pair of pins rising from the top of the car, a series of detachable superimposed weights supported by the top of ,the car and having openings receiving pins, the under side of each weight being provided with a transverse groove, a

cross-bar supported in the shaft at substantially the upper limit of the car, hanger members depending from the cross-bar and disposed to receive the Weights at the upper limit of the car, some of the members being provided with perforations to register With the grooves of the respective Weights, and a pin capable of being passed through any of the openings in the hanger members and the grooves of the corresponding Weights to sus- IO pend any of the latter upon the cross-bar.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ANTON AKER.

Witnesses:

B. O. BROOKE, ANDREW H. MoGoNNELL.

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