IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPENING AND CLOSING OR WORKING THE DOORS OR SHUTTERS OF HOISTS OR LIFTS.
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Stones of Ulverston Revolving Shutter Maker, and
Thomas Kirby of Barrow in Furness, Joiner, both in the County of Lancaster
for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
AUTOMATICALLY OPENING AND CLOSING OR WORKING THE DOORS OR SHUTTERS
OF HOISTS OR LIFTS.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Stones and Thomas
Kirby at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th March 1883.
JOHN STONES of Ulverston, Revolving Shutter Maker and THOMAS KIRBY of
Barrow-in-Furness, Joiner, both in the County of Lancaster "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPENING AND CLOSING OR WORKING
THE DOORS OR SHUTTERS OF HOISTS OR LIFTS
,,
Our invention refers to self-acting machinery or apparatus for raising and
lowering revolving shutters doors or guards of various descriptions singly or
otherwise to openings of hoists as the cage ascends or descends to prevent accidents
or risks of attendants or others falling down well-hole, the openings being always
closed before the cage has left same, and opened when the cage is directly opposite.
As, or just before the cage comes to an opening in any floor the shutter or
shutters are raised (if shutters be made to coil above) or lowered (if shutters be
made to coil below) and the opening is clear when the cage is directly opposite;
and as the cage travels upwards or downwards the shutter or shutters are lowered
(or raised) to close openings.
A convenient way of carrying out our invention is by attaching a toothed rack
to the top of the front of cage, which rack works on to the outside rim of a toothed
wheel which is also provided with teeth on a portion only of its inner periphery or
circumference, into these inner teeth a small pinion keyed on the shutter roller is
free to gear when such teeth are in the track of the pinion. The large toothed
wheel is provided with an inner or smaller partially toothed wheel the teeth of

page_text: As the
which are free to gear with the aforesaid pinion when the latter is out of gear with
the teeth on the inner periphery of the large toothed wheel. Now the first tooth
on inside rim of large toothed wheel will when shutter is being raised be just clear
of the pinion and the pinion is thus out of gear when the shutter is up.
cage ascends and leaves the opening the rack on cage still works on the outside of
the large toothed wheel and causes the pinion to be operated on by the teeth on the
outer circumference of the inner or smaller wheel and this reverses the former
motion and causes the shutter to descend and close the opening and by the time it
is fully closed the toothed rack will be out of gear with outer rim of toothed wheel
and be ready for further action on shutters to any openings that may be above.
The same motion takes place whether the cage ascends or descends.
The above describes the working of shutters coiling above but this invention
applies equally to shutters coiling below.
The same apparatus can be applied to framed or sliding doors which when in
opening descend and in closing ascend. Where found more convenient they can be
made to work the reverse way. The same motion downward and upward or
upward and downward takes place when the cage descends.
According to a modified arrangement the cage rack is fixed to front of cage as
before and works into an intermediate pinion which gears with another pinion.
This latter works on a centre or spindle and has a square hole partly tapered to
outer side to allow the rising and falling of a countershaft which fits therein and is
carried to opposite end of cage where it has a pinion keyed on to it, and this end of
the countershaft works in a groove with inner and outer circle formed in a large
pin rack wheel like a mangle wheel The rack fixed to front of cage rises with the
cage and turns the intermediate pinion which again turns the other pinion on the
countershaft thereby also turning the pinion wheel on its opposite end; this latter
turns the large or mangle wheel by working in its round pin rack and the teeth on
outside rim of this large wheel put a pinion which is keyed on to shaft of shutter
roller, in motion.
When shutters, doors or guards on any particular floor or floors are not required
to open and close constantly, the working parts are so arranged as to be easily
thrown out of gear by means of a lever on the ground floor.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Stones and Thomas Kirby in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th September 1883.
JOHN STONES of Ulverston, Revolving Shutter Maker and THOMAS KIRBY of
Barrow in Furness Joiner both in the County of Lancaster "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPENING AND CLOSING OR WORKING
THE DOORS OR SHUTTERS OF HOLSTS OR LIFTS
»
Our invention refers to self acting machinery or apparatus for raising and
lowering revolving shutters doors or guards of various descriptions singly or
otherwise to openings of hoists as the cage ascends or descends to prevent accidents
or risks of attendants or others falling down the well-hole, the openings being
always closed before the cage has left same, and open when the cage is directly
opposite.
As or just before the cage comes to an opening in any floor the shutter or
shutters are raised (if shutters be made to coil above) or lowered (if shutters be
made to coil below) and the opening is clear when the cage is directly opposite and
as the cage travels upwards (or downwards) the shutter or shutters are lowered
(or raised) to close the openings.
A convenient way of carrying out our invention is illustrated by Figures 1 and 2
of the accompanying drawings Figure 1 being an end view of the gear in the
position of cage in first. part of its ascent, and Figure 2 an end view of the gear in
the position of cage after it has ascended or gone up and opened the shutter. We
attach a toothed rack A to the top of the front of cage P which rack A works on
to the outside rim of a toothed wheel C which is also provided with teeth C³ on a
portion only of its inner periphery or circumference into these inner teeth C¹ a
small pinion D keyed on the shutter roller is free to gear when such teeth are in
the track of the pinion. The spindles of the wheels C and D have their bearings
in brackets or framing fixed to the well of the lift. The large toothed wheel C is
provided with an inner or smaller partially toothed wheel F the teeth of which are
free to gear with the aforesaid pinion D when the latter is out of gear with the
teeth C¹ on the inner periphery C of the large toothed wheel C. As the cage ascends
the action shewn in Figure 1 first takes place, the rack A causing the wheel C to
revolve in the direction of the arrow whereby the inner teeth C¹ turns the
pinion D in the direction of the arrow; the pinion D being fixed on the shutter
shaft or roller, the shutter S in front of the opening to a landing or stage will be
raised to a convenient distance above the stage so that any one may enter or leave
the cage while it is opposite the stage. Now the first or uppermost tooth on
inside rim C¹ of large toothed wheel will when shutter is raised be in the position
shown in Figure 2 or just clear of the pinion D and the pinion is thus out of gear
when the shutter is up. As the cage ascends further and leaves the opening the
rack A on cage still works on the outside of the large toothed wheel C and causes
the pinion D to be operated on by the teeth on the outer circumference of the
inner or smaller wheel F and this reverses the former motion inasmuch as the
pinion D will be turned in the direction indicated by the arrow on Figure 2 and
thus cause the shutter S to descend and close the opening to the landing stage and
by the time it is fully closed the toothed rack A will be out of gear with outer rim
of toothed wheel F and be ready for further action on similar gear connected to
shutters to any openings that may be above. The same motion takes place
whether the cage ascends or descends that is to say the rack in the descending of
the cage will on approaching the opening to a landing or stage first raise the
shutter and then as it leaves the opening lower or shut the shutter,

page_text: The above describes the working of shutters coiling above but this invention
applies equally to shutters coiling below.
The same apparatus as just described and also the apparatus to be described
further on can be applied to framed or sliding doors which when in opening
descend and in closing ascend. Where found more convenient they can be made
to work the reverse way. The same motion downward and upward or upward and
downward takes place when the cage descends or ascends
Figures 3 to 5 illustrate a modified arrangement Figure 3 being end view of
arrangement of gear at one end of the shutter Figure 4 similarly of gear at the
other end of the shutter and Figure 5 vertical transverse section. The cage rack A
Figure 3 is fixed to front of cage as before and works into an intermediate pinion C
which gears with another pinion E. This latter works on a centre or spindle B
and has a square hole partly tapered to outer side to allow the rising and falling
of the countershaft B which fits therein and is carried to opposite end of cage
where it has a pinion F keyed on to it-see Figures 4 and 5 and this end of the
countershaft F works in a groove G with inner and outer circle formed in a large
pin rack wheel I like a mangle wheel. The rack A fixed to front of cage rises
with the cage and turns the intermediate pinion C which again turns the other
pinion E on the counter shaft B thereby also turning the pinion wheel F on its
opposite end; this latter turns the large or mangle wheel I by working in its
round pin rack and the teeth on outside rim H of this.large wheel turns a pinion D
which is keyed on to shaft of shutter roller This latter will thereby first (as the
pinion works inside the pin or mangle wheel I) be turned in one direction
so as to raise the shutter, and next (as the pinion F works outside the pin wheel I)
be turned in the opposite direction so as to close the shutter. The intermediate
wheel C may in some cases be omitted and the rack A will then gear directly with
the pinion E.
When shutters, doors or guards on any particular floor or floors, are not required
to open and close constantly, the working parts are so arranged as to be easily
thrown out of gear by means of a lever on the ground floor.
Figures 6 and 7 illustrate another modification, Figure 6 being an end elevation
and Figure 7 a plan section of the gear at one side of the cage P. A is the rack
fixed to side of the cage as before but provided, with two rows of pins A¹
and A'; as one or the other set of pins gears with the pinion C the latter will
revolve in one direction or the other and thereby in the ascent of the cage first
raise and then lower the shutter as before, the same action taking place in its
descent. The pinion C is fixed on the spindle C¹ which runs in bearings in the
frames G G¹ and has also fixed to it the pinion E which by the intermediate wheel F
transmits motion to the wheel D which is fixed on the shutter roller spindle D'.
The cage is guided by rollers such as the roller H.
Figure 8 is part plan section, Figure 9 part end elevation and Figure 10 part
sectional elevation on line X X Figure 8 of another arrangement in which the two
rows of pins A¹ A³ of the last described arrangement are replaced by two pieces
of chain A¹ A' also fixed to side or end of the cage P, the pins of the said chains
gearing with and driving the chain or sprocket-pinion C in the same manner as
the pinion C Figures 6 and 7, is driven. The spindle on which the pinion C is
fixed works in bearings in the frame G and has near its other end a pinion E which
by means of the chain F transmits the required motion to the sprocket wheel D
which is fixed on the spindle D¹ of the shutter roller; or the motion might if
desired by a little difference in the arrangement be transmitted thereto by tooth-
wheel gearing as in the last example.
Figure 11 is an end view and Figure 12 plan section of another arrangement.
The cage P is provided with a pin A' near the top and another pin A³ near the
bottom; the pin A' acts on the left side of an endless pitch chain C, and the pin A
on the right side of the chain C which for this purpose is provided with catches or
tumblers C*, two for each side and one of each pair acting in the ascent and the
other in the descent of the cage. The chain C passes round two sprocket wheels

page_text: L and M, the spindles I and K of which have their bearings in brackets fixed to
the side of the lift well. The bracket K' for spindle K is shown in Figure 12.
Motion is transmitted by chain E from another sprocket wheel F to a sprocket
wheel F on the shutter roller spindle D. The lift well is in this case shewn
fitted with three shutters viz S $' and S³ which all are operated from the same ;
gear by the bevel wheels N N'. The action is exactly the same as in the previous
arrangements.
By placing the gear differently it may be applied to work shutters for drawing
across the well at one or more landings or stages.
The shutters in all the preceding cases are balanced in the ordinary manner.
The above described apparatus is applicable to various kinds of hoists whether
worked by steam or hydraulic or other power.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed We declare that We claim :-
First In connection with cage platform or other lifts the employment of
shutters doors or guards which by means of tooth wheel or other gear is operated
from the cage or platform in such manner that the cage on approaching a landing
first causes the shutter to be opened to allow communication between the cage
and the landing and on leaving the landing closes the shutter substantially as
set forth.
Second: The combination of a tooth rack, teeth, pins or equivalent parts on
the cage with corresponding wheels chains or other gear connected to the lift
well and with shutters on the latter for the purpose of operating such shutters in
the manner described the whole being constructed substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
In witness whereof I the said John Stones for myself and on behalf of the
said Thomas Kirby have hereunto set my hand and seal this twentysixth day
of September in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty
three.
JOHN STONES (LS.)