IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH LIFTS OR ELEVATORS FOR BUILDINGS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lanc, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND CONNECTED WITH LIFTS OR ELEVATORS FOR BUILDINGS." A communi-
cation from abroad by Benjamin Slusser, of Sidney, Shelly County, State of
Ohio, United States of America, and William Henry Collier Goode, of the
same Place.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th February 1880.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH LIFTS OR
ELEVATORS FOR BUILDINGS." [A communication from abroad by Benjamin
Slusser, of Sidney, Shelly County, State of Ohio, United States of America, and
William Henry Collier Goode, of the same Place.]
This Invention relates to improvements in lifts or elevators for warehouses and
other buildings, constructed with a view to securing greater safety against the
sudden fall of the platform from the breakage of the rope, and to provide against
persons falling through the hatchways in the several floors.
The Invention consists, first, in a novel automatic clutch for arresting the descent
of the platform in the event of the sudden breakage of the rope; secondly, in means
for opening and closing a set of automatically operated trap doors for the hatchways
which are opened above and closed after the platform in. rising, and also opened
below and closed above the platform in descending, so that at no time is the
hatchway left open; thirdly, in the construction of the platform, which is built
with a view to securing strength without great weight, as hereinafter more fully
described.
The main frame of the lift consists of an iron bar which is bent three times at
the top to form a bail, and extends down at each side parallel with and inside of
the guide bars, which are of iron, and extend the whole distance the lift is designed
to travel. At the lower ends of each side of the bars of the lift are arranged
horizontally projecting U shaped brackets, each of which carries two wooden
beams, of which the inner beams and inner bend of each bracket are bolted
through the lower end of the bars, while the outer beams and the outer bend

page_text: of the brackets are bolted to inclined hangers or suspending rods. These hangers
are bolted at the top to the main frame, and the flooring of the lift is laid across
the beams. In bolting the inner beams together they are extended out past the
floor of the platform so as to embrace the guide bars, and form guides to steady
the platform in its vertical movement. For holding the platform when the rope
breaks a peculiar form of safety clutch is provided. To the upper end of the
framework carrying the platform are attached upwardly projecting and offsetting
arms, to one of which on each side is pivoted the clutch frame, consisting of a short
horizontal bar having two lugs forming a notch between the same that receives
the guide bar and two rollers placed upon opposite sides of the notch, and one
above and the other below the frame. When the clutch frame is horizontal the
rollers rest against the guide bars, and the frame and platform move freely up and
down; but as soon as a strain is brought upon the outer end of the frame to
depress it, the edges of the lugs in the clutch frame bind against the guide bar,
and cramp against the same with sufficient friction to sustain the platform and its
weight. The clutch frame is held in its horizontal position by means of lovers
fulcrumed to the bent portion of the main frame of the lift, and having their
shorter and outer ends coupled to the side of the clutch frame opposite its attach-
ment to tho platform. The inner ends of these levers extend to the centre of the
bent bar forming the frame of the lift, and are bent and loosely contained in a link
which encircles the bar, and forms an attachment for the rope, whereby the platform
is lifted. By this arrangement whenever there is a tension on the rope the link
lifts the inner ends of the levers, which movement depresses their outer ends and
holds the clutch frame horizontal with its rollers against the guide bar so as to
move freely. When however this tension on the rope ceases by breakage or other
cause, the inner and heavier ends of the levers descend, while their outer ends rise
and throw the edges of the notches of the frame against the bar to cramp it, while
the weight of the platform as suspended from the off-setting arm at the long end
of the clutch frame serves to increase the binding, and arrest by friction any
downward movement of said platform. To render the action of the clutch frame
more sensitive a spring is arranged on each side of a cross bar or brace to press tho
clutch frame into its engaging position whenever the breakage occurs in the rope;
or the inner ends of the levers may be weighted with the same object.
To avoid the danger of falling through the open hatchways of the several floors
a door is hinged to each side of each hatchway, which doors close in the centre, and
drop down when they are to be opened. These doors are closed and opened auto-
matically by means of upwardly projecting arms attached to the doors at their
hinges at each end and on each side, whose function is to close the doors on the
upward movement, while below the hatchways are levers which are pivoted in
hangers and jointed to rigid arms depending from the doors which close said doors
on the downward movement. To lock the doors when closed a double sliding
locking bolt is arranged to embrace the vertical bars and slide under the doors,
one branch under one door, and the other branch under the other; this bolt is
withdrawn by an arm of a vertical rock shaft, and shot again to its place by a
pendent weighted arm.
This rock shaft terminates above the floor in a bent arm near one of the arms
on the doors, and terminates below in a second bent arm. Both of these bent arms,
as also the arins of the doors and the levers, are in range of contact with rollers
on the extremities of the offsetting arms of the platform frame above mentioned.
The operation of the parts is as follows:-Supposing the platform and frame
to be below the floor, and the trap doors above being closed, when the platform and
frame rises the rollers strike first the lower ends of levers, slightly raising the
doors so as to relieve the bolts of their weight. Quickly following this the rollers
strike the lower arm of the rock shaft, and rocking it vertically its arm withdraws
the double bolt from beneath the doors, allowing them to fall open by their own
gravity, and the upper part of the platform frame passes through. As the platform
itself is about to pass through a set of rollers on cach corner of the platform strike

page_text: the now horizontal arms of the doors, and by lifting them bring back the doors
to a horizontal position, said rollers at the same time striking the upper arm of the
rock shaft and withdrawing the bolt, which as soon as the rollers leave the arm is
shot under the door by the pendent weighted bar.
In descending the rollers on the platform strike first the arms of the doors and
slightly raise the doors to allow the bolts to be withdrawn, when quickly following
this action the same rollers strike the upper arms of the rock shaft to withdraw
the bolts; the doors then drop down, and as the top of the platform frame passes
through the floor, the rollers on the offsetting arms of the platform strike the ends
of the levers to restore the doors to the closed position, while the same rollers
acting on the lower arm of the rock shaft withdraws the bolt, and the weighted
arm again shoots it beneath the doors to lock them closed. The doors are locked
upon both sides to enable them to stand considerable weight.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
August 1880.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH LIFTS OR
ELEVATORS FOR BUILDINGS." A communication from abroad by Benjamin
Slusser, of Sidney, Shelly County, State of Ohio, United States of America, and
William Henry Collier Goode, of the same Place.
This Invention relates to an improved construction of lift or elevator for
warehouses and other buildings, constructed with a view to securing greater
safety against the sudden fall of the elevator platform from the breakage of the
rope, and to provide against persons falling through the hatchways in the soveral
floors. The Invention consists, first, in a novel automatic clutch for arresting the
descent of the platform in the event of the sudden breakage of the rope; secondly,
in the peculiar means for opening and closing a set of automatically operated trap
doors for the hatchways, which are opened above and closed after the platform in
rising, and also opened below and closed above the platform in descending, so that
at no time is the hatchway left open; thirdly, in the peculiar construction of the
platform, which is built with a view to securing strength without great weight, as
hereinafter more fully described.
In the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 is an edge view of the elevator partly
in section; Figure 2 is an edge view of the elevator from the opposite sido;
Figure 3 is a plan view of a part of the trap door of the hatchway with the guide
in section through line xx, Figuro 4; Figure 4 is a side view, and Figure 5 a
detail of the clutch frame.
A, A, represent the two vertical side posts or beams to which are attached tho
guide bars B, B, which are made of iron and extend the whole distance the elevator
is designed to travel; C is the elevator proper, which is constructed as follows:-
A bar of iron a, a', a¹, Figures I and 4, constitutes the main frame, which is bent
three times at the top to form a bail, and then extends down each side parallel with
and inside of the guide bars. At the lower ends of each side of bar a¹ is arranged
a horizontally projecting U shaped bracket P, one on each side of the lower end
of bars a¹. These iron brackets carry each two wooden beams D, D', of which the
inner beams D, D, and inner bend of each bracket are bolted through the lower
end of bars a', while the outer beams D¹, D¹, and the outer bend of the brackets
are bolted to the inclined hangers or suspending rods E, E. These hangers are
bolted at the top to the main frame, and across the beams D, D', is laid the flooring
of the platform. In bolting the inner beams D, D, together they are extended out
past the floor of the platform (as at y, Figure 4) so as to embrace the guide
bars B, B, and forin guides to steady the platform in its vertical movement.
For holding the platform when the rope breaks a peculiar form of safety clutch
is provided. To the upper end of the framework carrying the platform are attached
upwardly projecting and offsetting arms b, to one of which on each side is pivoted
the clutch frame F. This frame consists of a short horizontal bar having two
lugs,, forming a notch between the same that receives the guide bar B (see
Figure 5), and two rollers p, p, placed upon opposite sides of the notch, and one
above and the other below the frame. Now whenever the frame F is horizontal
the rollers p, p, rest against the guide bars B, and the frame and platform move
freely up and down; but as soon as a strain is brought upon the outer end of the
frame to depress it the edges of the lugs in the clutch frame bind against the bar B
and cramp against the same with sufficient friction to sustain the platform and its
weight. To hold the clutch frame horizontal for normal action levers c, c, are
fulcrumed to the bent bar a, and their shorter and outer ends are coupled at 8,

page_text: Figure 5, to the side of the clutch frame opposite its attachment to the platform.
The inner ends of these levers extend to the centro of bar a, and are bent and
loosely contained in a link d, which encircles bar a and forms an attachment for
the rope, whereby the platform is lifted. By this arrangement whenever there is a
tension on the rope the link d lifts the inner ends of the levers c, c, which movement
depresses their outer ends and holds the clutch frame horizontal with its rollers
against bar A for free movement. When however this tension on the rope ceases
by breakage or other cause, the inner and heavier ends of the levers descend, while
their outer ends rise and throw the edges of the notches of the frame against the
bar A to cramp it, while the weight of the platform as suspended from the offsetting
arm at the long end of the clutch frame serves to increase the binding, and arrest
by friction any downward movement of said platform. To render the action of the
clutch frame more sensitive a spring e is arranged on each side of a brace to press
the clutch frame into its engaging position whenever the breakage occurs in the
rope. The inner ends of the levers c, c, may however be weighted sufficiently to
dispense with this feature.
To avoid the danger of falling through the open batchways of the several floors,
I hinge to cach side of each hatch way a door G, Figure 3, which two doors of each
hatchway close in the centre, and drop down when they are to be opened.
To automatically operate these doors, as described, I attach to them at their
hinges, at each end and on cach side, upwardly projecting arms g, whose function
is to close the doors on the upward movement, while below the hatchway I pivot
in hangers h, Figure 1, the levers i jointed to rigid arms depending from the doors
which close said doors on the downward movement. To lock the doors when closed
a double sliding locking-bolt j, Figures 2 and 3, is arranged to embrace the vertical
bars A, and slide under the doors, one branch under one door, and the other branch
under the other door. This bolt is withdrawn by the attached arm h³ of a vertical
rock-shaft k, and shot again to its place by a pendant weighted arm l.
The rock-shaft terminates above the floor in a bent arm K' near one of the
arms g, and terminates below in a second bent arm K³. Both of these bent arms
K', K³, as also the arm g and levers i, are in range of contact with rollers m located
on the extremities of the offsetting arms b of the platform frame.
The operation of the parts is as follows:-
Supposing the platform and frame to be below the floor, and the trap doors
above being closed, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, then when the platform and
frame rise the rollers m strike first the lower ends of levers i, Figure 1, slightly
raising the doors so as to relieve the bolts of their weight. Quickly following this
the rollers strike the lower arm K', Figure 2, of the rock-shaft k, and rocking it
vertically its arm withdraws the double bolt j from beneath the doors, allowing
them to fall open of their own gravity, and the upper part of the platform frame
passes through. As the platform itself is about to pass through a set of rollers n
on each corner of the platform strike the now horizontal arms g, and by lifting
them, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, bring back the doors to a horizontal
position, said rollers at the same time striking the upper arm k¹ of the rock-shaft
and withdrawing the bolt j, which as soon as the rollers leave the arm is shot
under the door by the pendent weighted bar. In descending the rollers n (see
dotted lines of Figure 2) strike first the arm g and slightly raise the doors to allow
the bolts to be withdrawn, when quickly following this action the same rollers
strike arms of the rock-shaft to withdraw the bolts; the doors then drop down,
and as the top of the platform-frame passes through the floor the rollers m strike
the ends of levers i, as shown in full lines in Figure 1, to restore the doors to the
closed position, while the same rollers m acting on lower arm ², Figure 2, of the
rock shaft withdraws the bolt, and the weighted arm again shoots it beneath the
doors to lock them closed.
As shown the lock device is arranged at one end only of the door, but in practice
it is proposed to lock the doors upon both sides to enable them to stand considerable
weight
"

page_text: Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The safety clutch for an elevator or lift, consisting of the clutch frame F
notched to receive the guide bar, and provided with rollers p, p, combined with
and pivoted to the platform frame on one side, and connected by levers c, c, with
the draft-rope for holding the clutch-frame in its normal position, substantially as
described.
2nd. The combination with the vertical guide-bars and the movable platform
frame of a right angular bar or clutch-frame notched to receive the guide bars, and
pivoted at one side of the guide bars to the said platform-frame so as to cause the
weight of the platform to cramp the guide-bars and arrest the downward movement
of the same, as described.
3rd. The combination of the trap doors having arms g and levers i, the rock
shaft connected with bolt j and having arms ', les, together with the movable
platform having offsetting projections for striking and operating said arms, sub-
stantially as described.
4th. The combination with the guide bar B and the double trap doors of the
bifurcated bolt j arranged to embrace the guide bar and hold up both doors,
together with suitablo mechanism for operating said bolts.
5th. The platform frame, consisting of the single bent bar a, a¹, a¹, the U shaped
brackets P, P, carrying beams D, D¹, and the suspending rods E, E, the inner
beams D and arms of the bracket being bolted through the lower ends of bars'a',
and the outer beams and arm of the brackets being bolted to the suspending rods E,
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melvillo Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty third day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
A. M. CLARK. (1.5.)