Improvements in Mechanism for Automatically Stopping Lifts and for Opening and Closing their Shaft Doors or Gates.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanism for Automatically Stopping Lifts and
for Opening and Closing their Shaft Doors or Gates.
I, HEINRICH HILMAR BOCK, Engineer, of Apolda in the Great Dutchy of Saxony-
Weimar-Eisenach do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
+18
The annexed drawing represents in Figures 1 2 and 3 respectively the longitudinal
and cross sections as also the ground plan of one storey of a lift in which according
to requirement the opening of the lock apparatus of a lift as also the stoppage of the
lift when it has arrived at the level of the former can be effected automatically and in
which also the gap or opening for entering and leaving the lift is again closed
automatically if by reversing the lifting machinery the lift again leaves its position.
For this purpose the apparatus consists in the first place of a vertically arranged
endless link chain a which passes over a guide pulley below but sets in motion at top
a chain wheel 6 and its axle c. The shaft c drives by means of a bevel wheel d
according as the coupling box e is set through the cone gearing fand the vertical
shaft i fitted with two belt drums turning either to the right or to the left or it
leaves the latter at rest when the coupling box e stands in the middle position
that is to say if the slide ƒ and g turn loosely. The stoppage of the coupling
box e is effected through the hand lever k. I is a self coiling shutter for
closing the lift shaft gap (entrance and exit) which on the one part is
kept by means of chains or rope runners m and a weight n in a position
enabling it to close the gap while on the other part the belts o o connect the shutter
with the belt drums in such a manner that running around the guide cylinder p it
opens the gap if by turning the shaft the belts are wound around the drum h which
always takes place whenever one of the gearing bevel wheels for by connecting
with the box e the movement of the chain aand of the axle e driven by it is
transmitted to the shaft i. The chain a is now set in motion by means of a
fixed arm on lift F which takes hold of the cams or projection r fastened to
the chain when the lift moves up and down and in this manner carries the chain
along with it. Accordingly at each passage of the lift F the chain is moved in
the direction of the former provided always that its cams or projections, are set
in such a manner as to enable the arm q to catch hold of them. Now in order to
bring these cams always into the proper position the axle c carries furthermore
a grooved pulleys on the circumference of which is fixed a cord or strap the
weight t at the outer end operating so that on the axle c turning the said cord
is wound by the axle a around the pulley s but the shaft. and together with the
latter the chain are at once drawn again into their original position as soon as
the latter is again set free. Owing to the motion imparted to the chain a by the
arm of the lift two alternatives become possible that is to say.
1. The box e is in the middle position the cone gearings ƒ and g therefore are
running loose and the shaft remains motionless that is to say the lift shaft gap
or opening is closed. Then the movement of the chain a will last until its seizing
cams or projection following the arc of the chain wheel cease to be taken hold
of by the cog q. As soon as this is done the chain is set free and is again
drawn into its original position by the weight t by means of its cord having been
in the meantime wound around the pulleys that is to say the seizing cams or
projections r return to their original position. This continuous change always
takes place in a uniform manner whether the lift be moving in an upward or
downward direction.
2. The box e is according to the direction of the motion of the lift thrown into
gear with one or the other of the gearing wheels f and a and therefore by means

page_text: of chain a set in motion in the manner described above the shaft i is now also
set turning so that the door of the lift shaft gap or opening consequently opens.
With the handlever k. is now connected also by means of a har 1 and the lever 2
a segment of a cone wheel 3 which operates upon the gearing 4. The latter is
fixed on the tube 5 which although it can be turned is safely protected against
displacement in the direction of its axis. The tube 5 has been forced over the dis-
engaging rods u running through the entire height of the lift shaft and guides in
two slots the pins and v¹ fixed to the rods u. The rod arrangement is ther-
fore forced forward and backward along the tube 5 but is at the same time
turned around its own axis because to the tube 5 a rotary motion is imparted by
means of the cone gearings 3 and 4. But this rotary motion takes place always
when the hand lever is displaced from one position into the other. The pins v
and are now so fixed as to cause one of them to be automatically thrown into
gear according to the direction of the lift F and the position of the hand lever k
so as to be also at the right time seized or engaged by the projection of the
lift owing to which the disengaging bar must now follow the motion of the lift
and rise or fall which has the effect of making it act on the disengagement of
the lifting winch pushing its straps into the position for running loose. But
owing to this the lift is brought to a standstill and it is clear that by means of
a suitable disposition of these arrangements of apparatus the disengagement can
be regulated in such a manner as to ensure the lift coming to a standstill just at
the moment when its bridge is on a level with the landing floor. The lift winch
has now again to be thrown into gear for the purpose of continuing the progress
of the lift by means of the rods u running outside of the lift through the entire
height of the latter by the hand of the man detailed to work it.
By means of the arrangement just described as established on each storey of
the lift shaft it is possible to work the lift from any given point of departure to
any given point of destination and the doors close at the point of departure and
at the point of destination open themselves automatically as soon as the lift arrives
behind them whereas all other doors or openings passed by the lift remain closed
and that furthermore the lift is then brought automatically to a standstill when it
has reached the starting or arrival position which has been thrown into gear.
By arranging the shaft with the belt drums in an horizontal direction over
the departure opening a strong sliding door may be employed for closing the
latter which open in a perpendicular, direction and by its own weight produces
again the automatic fastening.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
A chain mechanism which on the lift ascending and descending is drawn along by a
cog of the former but on leaving it returns by means of a cylinder with cord and
weight to its original position and as to the rest works by means of a cone wheel
change gear a winch shaft for opening the lift shaft door or leaves it untouched
according to the throwing in gear of the claw coupling belonging to it effected by
means of a hand lever when the latter takes a rotatory effect at the same time on the
disengaging rod arrangement throwing it into gear in such manner as to cause a
projecting arm on the lift to catch hold besides the chain of one its salient pins v v₁
and by doing so presses the belt gearing of the winding winch into the position for
running loose so that the lift is brought to a standstill in front of the opened lift shaft
door substantially as described and represented in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 24th day of August 1889
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.