US792623A - Moving spiral stairway or elevator. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

L. G. SOUDER. MOVING SPIRAL STAIRWAY 0R ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

L. G. SOUDER. MOVING SPIRAL STAIRWAY ORELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED OOT. 25,1904.

2 SHBETB-BHEET 2.

:s A ZMM?/ @a UNITED STATES Patented June 20, 1905.

; ATENT OFFICE.

LEAMON G. SOUDER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,623, dated June 20, 1905.

Application filed October 25,1904. Serial No. 229,922.

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEAMON G. Somme, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in b Ioving Spiral Stairways or Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to a moving stairway or elevator, and in such connection it relates more particularly to an improvement upon the moving stairway and elevator illustrated and described in United States Letters Patent No. 723,325, granted to me under date of March 2&, 1903, the present improvements residing in sectional risers constituting, in conjunction with segmental treads, the stairway or elevator adapted to ascend or descend in spiral courses in step-like form and to be flexed, so as to assume a belt-like form in a horizontal plane.

The principal object of my invention is to provide in a moving stairway or elevator a divided or sectional riser, each section of which is hinged to a tread and both sections pivotally connected with each other at one end to allow the risers to open when the treads and risers are flexed in band-like form, so as to move in a substantially straight path and to close when the treads and risers are flexed to assume a step-like form, so as to move in a spiral path.

The nature and scope of my present invention will be more fully understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which Figure l is a top or plan view of a portion of a moving spiral stairway or elevator, one portion of the treads and risers of which being shown as flexed to assume a step-like form, so as to move in a spiral path, and another portion being shown as flexed to assume a beltlike form, so as to move in a straight or substantially straight path, the whole so arranged embodying main features of my said invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view, enlarged, illustrating in top or plan view the segmental treads connected by divided or sectional risers, wings, and clips connected with one section of each of the risers and a railing arranged on each of the treads. Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of Fig. 2, and Fig. I is a central sectional view of one of the segmental treads.

Referring to the drawings, a is a tread of segmental shape in plan, and b a riser consisting of two sections 5 and 5 each of which, by means of hinges t, is movably connected with a segmental tread a. The sections Z) and b at their outer ends are pivotally connected with each other by a hinge Z) to permit the same to open and to close in a manner as shown, for example, in Figs. 1 and 2. A series of alternate treads a and risers 7) form the steps of the moving stairway, which may be flexed into belt form or step form by means not shown. Each of the treads a is provided at'its outer end with a roll or wheel a, riding on a rail 0, and at its inner end with a roll (0 engaginga channel-iron (Z, secured to a drum 0, which forms the guide for the roll (0 for a purpose fully described in my previous patent, No. 723,325. In addition to the roll a each tread a is provided with a downwardlyprojecting arm a carrying a roller (6*, which by engaging the channel-iron (Z assists in holding the tread a in a horizontal position when ascending or descending a spiral path, as shown in the upper portion of Fig. 1. When, however, the treads a are moved over a straight portion arranged at the upper and lower landings of the spiral stairway, (partially shown in the lower part of Fig. 1,) the same are supported, preferably, by rollers (0 carried by brackets a, secured to the under side of the tread a, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The risers 6, however, are supported by rollers f, preferably secured to the hinge 6*, which in the spiral path of the stairway travel on the rail 0. Secured to the shaft a of each of the rollers a and in front of the same is arranged a grip g for a cable it, which is adapted to actuate the treads a and risers b, flexed into steplike form over the spiral path shown in the upper part of Fig. 1. When in step-like form, the sectional riser t is closed. Its sections 6 and o abut against each other, as shown at 72 in Fig. 1. In this closed position the sections are stiffened and held in alinement with each other in addition to the hinge 6* by a clip 71, secured to the section If, and a wing 72, secured to the section 7) and engaging a guidepiece 7 1, secured to the section 7/, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In the step-like form the risers Z) assume a vertical position so as to permit the treads (t to travel around the drum 0. If, however, the straight portion at of a landing is reached, the treads a and risers 7) are stretched out into a belt-like form before reaching such portion, as shown in Fig. 1. In this instance the risers are first flexed from a vertical position to a horizontal position and are held closed, as shown at 7) in Fig. 1. The more the risers Z) approach the substantial straight portion (0 of the stairway the more the same will open to permit the treads c to be guided to and travel in a substantially straight path. When the treads It and risers b have reached the substantially straight portion a the sections 7/ and 7/ of the risers 7; will have opened to their fullest extent. The openings so formed are partially closed or bridged by the wings 71". If a person should remain standing on a tread (a when the same is traveling in a straight path, the railing at will prevent the person so standing thereon stepping into the opening beyond the wing 7r, because the railing is arranged to follow the outline of the tread a up to the wing 7 and curves or is rounded at the inner end of the tread, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Each of the treads a, in addition to the wheel a, is provided with a wheel a carried by a bracket to". This bracket is secured to the under side near the inner end of the tread 0,, thereby assisting in the supporting of the tread in its travel in a spiral path.

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

1. An elevating-conveyer or moving stairway, comprising treads and risers hinged together, each riser being formed of sections hinged at one end.

2. An elevating-conveyer or moving stairway, comprising treads and risers hinged together, so as to be flexed into step-like and belt like form, each of said risers being formed of two sections in pivotal connection at one end.

3. In an elevating conveyer or moving stairway, a series of treads and risers hinged together, each of said risers being formed of two sections hinged at one end so as to permit said treads and risers to travel in curved and substantially straight paths.

4. An elevating-conveyer or moving stairway, comprising treads and risers hinged together,each of said risers being formed of sections hinged at one end so as to ciose and open when traveling in respectively curved and substantially straight paths, and means adapted to bridge the opening formed between the sections of said. risers.

5. In an elevating conveyer or moving stairway, a series of treads and risers hinged together, each of said risers being formed of sections hinged at one end so as to close and open when said treads are traveling in curved and substantially straight paths, means adapted to stiffen the sections of the risers when in a closed position, and one of said means adapted to bridge the opening formed between the sections of said risers.

6. In an elevating conveyer or moving stairway, a series of treads and risers hinged together, each of said risers being formed of sections pivotally connected at one end, in combination with a railing arranged on each of said treads.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEAMON G. SOUDER.

Witnesses:

J. WALTER IQoUeLAss, THOMAS M. fiMITH.

Images