Patent GB-190614497-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to Revolving Portable Platform Elevators, or Lifts.
Inventor: MCCARTHY THOMAS JAMES
Filed: 1906-06-25
Granted: 1906-11-29
Abstract: 14,497. McCarthy, T. J. June 25. L i f t s ; handtrucks with lifting- gear. - Relates to portable elevators or lifts of the type described in Specification No. 5876, A.D. 1905, in which a loa d - carrying platform is mounted directly over a turntable at the base of a vertical post or standard, so that the platform and post can swivel as a whole on a portable base-plate. The channel-iron vertical posts 27, 28, Fig. 2, connected by braced cross-bars, are bolted at the lower end to a turntable 17 strengthened by cross-ribs. The turntable is mounted on ball bearings on a hollow baseplate 1 which is also strengthened by cross-ribs and has two wheels 5 mounted on short axles formed integral therewith. A third extension 6 carries a fixed bracket in which a steering-wheel 9 swivels. A bent handle 12 bifurcated at 11 is pivoted to the fork of the steering-wheel, and carries a brake shoe which bears on the periphery of the steering-wheel when the handle is lowered in front of the apparatus to an horizontal position. A flat spring also may be mounted on the fork of the steering-wheel to engage the lower end of the hanale 12 and maintain it in its raised position. The load-carrying platform, which is shown separately at Fig. 7, consists of L-shaped bars having the vertical members connected by cross-braces 36 and the horizontal members by tie bars 37. Guiderollers 41, 42, 44, mounted on rearward extensions of the vertical members, engage the inner sides of the channelled posts, and rollers 38 are mounted between the horizontal members to support the load. Other forms of platform bases may be used to suit the various loads to be lifted, and rubber blocks are placed between the platform and the turntable to reduce shock when the platform falls to its lowest position. Loads of circular section may be transported to the platform by turning the hinged levers 46 into the position indicated by dotted lines to form an inclined way. The platform is raised by a cord 53 which passes over a pulley 54 and is attached to the cross-braces 36. The other end of the cord passes to a spirallygrooved drum 57 which is rotated by hand-operated winding-gear mounted between a pair of standards 59, 60, shown separately in Figs. 5 and 6. The winding-gear consists of toothed wheels mounted on the shafts 62, 63, either of which may be rotated directly by a crank-handle, thus driving the drum at different speeds. A ratchet-wheel and spring pawl are mounted on the end of the shaft 63 to maintain the platform normally in a raised position. The platform descends by its own weight and is regulated by a band brake passing round the pulleys 73, 74 to opposite arms of a pivoted lever 76. While lowering, the crankhandle is removed from the end of the winding- shaft and used to raise the pawl of the ratchetwheel by rotating the shaft 80 on which it is fixed. Suitable casings may be provided for the winding- gear and brake mechanism. The lift is brought preferably into one position for loading and unloading, with the steering-wheel adjacent to, and in the centre of, the vertical posts. In this position, a V-shaped spring latch on the posts engages a recess 51 in the steering-wheel bracket and locks the lift in position, until released by a handle attached to the spring.