The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-08
evidence, as well as the fancy price
placed upon the machine
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER.
From Mr.. Trent.
ditor of The Herald:

To the Editor of The Herald:
Having just had my attention drawn
to the design and general arrangement
of the machinery of a certain much
vaunted electric elevator. 1 was great
" astonished to find the elaborate con-
tradiction involved in it.
The motive power of the machine is
an electric motor running naturally at
high rate of speed, as most all cleo
trio motors and generators do. Con-
nected direct with the Shaft Of said
motor is a screw or worm gear, a de
vice in mechanics that is never used
except where an extremely low rate
of speed is desired or where it is
necessary to reduce from a high speed
to an excessively low speed. I say
never used except in the above condi-
tons because it is universally recog-
nized among mechanics that any form
of worm gear is necessarily the most
waSteful method of transmitting power
on account of the extreme ratio of fric-
ton, and also on account of an eX-
cessively rapid wear.
The next stage in the conversion of
power in this machine is through an
elaborate system of multiple sheaves
or rope wheels involving a high ratio
or proportion Of gears and never used
except as a means of raising an eX-
ceSSiVely slow speed or power to a high
rate of speed. twill therefore be at once
seen why [ refer TO this machine as a
contradiction. You first use the power
at a high rate of speed, then reduce
it to an excessively low rate of speed,
and next you raise to high rate of
speed
Any ordinary individual-and he need
not be a mechanic-would naturally
inquire, why should not the high rate
of speed on the motor be applied di
rectly in producing the high rate of
speed required upon the elevator car
or the car ropes, without resorting to
such roundabout and impractical
means of reaching the same result?
1t is surely not a multiplication of
machinery and parts that is desired
in passenger elevator machinery any
more than in any other kind of ma
chinery The common sense tendency
of the times or of any good designer
is to the utmost possible simplicity
and fewness of parts, and especially
to a minimizing of the cost of the
machine, for experience has always
been decidedly in favor of simplicity
and maximum directness in mechan-
les or machinery, as in most other
things.
The multiple sheave system above
referred to is the same as is used upon
all of the horizontal hydraulic elevator
machines in this city, for the reason
that the horizontal hydraulic machine
represents great power, but very slow
speed which has to be increased or
multiplied by means of such sheaves
in order to produce the desired speed
upon the car or rope.
The greatest objection in theory as
we'll as in practice which has ever been
found to the horizontal hydraulic ele-
vator cylinder has been, first, the con-
sumption of power where multiple
sheaves are used, and, secondly, the
great destruction of ropes, as such
form of gearing ordinarily involves d
proportion of from to Is to t..
1t is precisely the use of this multiple
sheave system which it is desirable to
avoid in any kind of elevator. and
the idea of applying electric power for