Improvements in or relating to Appliances for Opening and Closing Gates, Doors, Barriers, Semaphore Arms, or the like, of Lifts.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1595
Complete Specification Left, 3rd July, 1896-Accepted, 8th Aug., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Appliances for Opening and Closing
Gates, Doors, Barriers, Semaphore Arms, or the like, of Lifts.
We, JOHN THOMAS STOKES, of 2 Cromford Road, Wandsworth, Surrey, and
JOSEPH RICHMOND, of the Firm Joseph Richmond and Company, Limited,
30 Kirby Street, Hatton Garden, London, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the employment of a number of subsidiary hydraulic
rams or pistons and cylinders one or more to each floor of a building in which a
lift is fitted, all of said cylinders being in connection and controllable by a main or
master hydraulic valve which is moved in conjunction with the apparatus for
starting and stopping the lift and is thus practically part and parcel of the starting
and stopping valve. This valve is so constructed that when the lift is moving in
either direction, the gate, semaphore arms, or barriers at all floors are closed, but
upon the lift being brought to a standstill all the gates, semaphore arms, or barriers
at the various floors try to open, this is prevented by means of catches with the
exception of the floor at which the cage is stopped where the catch is automatically
thrown out of gear by the arrival of the cage, leaving the gate, arm, or barrier free
to open at this floor only. The locking is independent entirely of the hydraulic
gear for opening and shutting but this may also be done by small hydraulic
cylinders for shooting bolts or catches if preferred.
In one arrangement, the cage is provided with a vertical bar or frame having
inclined ends and a flat central part, said strip projecting sufficiently far as to come
into contact with a roller on the end of a bell crank lever, at each up and down
travel of the cage, said lever being pivoted to the frame of the lift wheel.
The other arm of the roller lever has a bolt which can be moved in and out of a
socket by the foregoing movement, the return being effected by a spring or
counterweight.
The several cylinders are preferably in connection with a single pipe leading
from a master or power valve which alone is operable by the lift attendant as
before referred to by the mere act of stopping or starting the lift in the
ordinary way.
In another arrangement, the locking and unlocking gear may be dispensed with
by having a separate hydraulic valve to work cylinder or cylinders at each floor
which is actuated by the arrival of the cage, thus opening only the gate, semaphore
arm, or barrier at the floor where the cage happens to be.
Dated this 3rd day of October 1895.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said John Thomas Stokes and Joseph Richmond.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Appliances for Opening and Closing
Gates, Doors, Barriers, Semaphore Arms, or the like, of Lifts.
We JOHN THOMAS STOKES of 2 Cromford Road, Wandsworth, Surrey, and
JOSEPH RICHMOND of the Firm Joseph Richmond and Company Limited,
30 Kirby Street, Hatton Garden, London, Engineers, 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:-
This invention relates to the employment of a number of subsidiary hydraulic
rams or pistons and cylinders one or more to each floor of a building in which a
lift is fitted, all of said cylinders being in connection and controllable by a main or
master hydraulic valve which is moved in conjunction with the apparatus for
starting and stopping the lift and is thus practically part and parcel of the starting
and stopping valve. This valve is so constructed that when the lift is moved in
either direction the gates, semaphore arms or barriers at all floors are closed but
upon the lift being brought to a standstill all the gates, semaphore arms, or barriers
at the various floors, try to open, this is prevented by means of catches with the
exception of the floor at which the cage is stopped where the catch is automatically
thrown out of gear by the arrival of the cage, leaving the gate, arm, or barrier,
free to open at this floor only. The locking is independent entirely of the
hydraulic gear for opening and shutting but this may also be done by small
hydraulic cylinders for shooting bolts or catches if preferred.
Our invention and the manner of carrying same into practice will be understood
upon reference to the accompanying 3 sheets of drawings in which
Figure 1 is a front view showing the general arrangement of hydraulic rams and
starting valve by which the semaphore arm or barrier is operated.
Figure 2, is a side view of the same showing the inclined wedge piece on the
cage by which the locking bolt is operated.
Figure 3, is a view showing the apparatus as applied to a lift.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are diagrams illustrating some of the various ways in which
our invention can be applied.
Referring to the arrangement shown at Figures 1, 2 and 3 we provide the cage A
with a vertical bar B or frame having inclined ends B', B', and a flat central part C
or equivalent device said bar projecting sufficiently far as to come into contact
with a roller D on the end of a lever E at each up and down travel of the cage A
said lever E being pivoted to the box F which also contains the hydraulic
cylinder G and which is attached to the frame of the lift well.
The other end of the roller lever E has a bolt 11 pivoted thereto which cau be
moved in and out of a socket J by the foregoing movement, the return being
effected by a spring or it may be a counterweight K.
The several cylinders, for operating the semaphore arms or barriers guarding
the entry to the lift well on each floor, are preferably in conuection with a single
pipe (shown in dotted lines in Figure 3) leading from a master or power
valve L which is practically an extension of the ordinary starting valve M and is
only operable by the lift attendant as before referred to by the act of stopping or
starting the lift in the ordinary way.
In another arrangement the locking and unlocking gear may be dispensed with
by having a separate hydraulic valve to work cylinder or cylinders at each floor
which is actuated by the arrival of the cage thus opening only the gate, semaphore
arm or barrier at the floor where the cage happens to be.
The valve L has inlet and exhaust ports N. P. P1 respectively these being so
arranged that when the starting valve is in the middle or stop position as shown in

page_text: the drawings the inlet port N of the valve L will allow power water to pass through
to the cylinders G and exert pressure upon the ram Q and lift the semaphore arm
or barrier R by the link Q'. The said arm is pivoted preferably between
brackets S. S. cast on the front plate T of the box F which is fixed on one side of
the lift well at the several floors as shown more particularly by dotted lines in
Figure 3.
If however the starting valve lever V be moved to either of the positions
indicated by the dotted lines 1 and 2 such as when the lift is ascending or descending
the valve L will be in such position that one or other of the ports P. P¹ will open
the cylinder G to the exhaust U so that there will be no tendency to lift the
barriers R which will remain across the entrance to the lift well at all times except
and unless the cage A is stopped opposite the entrance at any given floor when the
inclined wedge will withdraw the bolt H clear of the barrier and allow the ram to
lift the arm at that entrance only. By reason of the attendant moving the valve
to the mid or stop position power water is allowed to exert pressure in the
cylinders G on each floor but as all the barriers are locked by the bolt H the rams
thereof to which they are connected are rendered uneffectual for opening or lifting
the barriers unless the cage has arrived at the proper position for the flat face C of
the bar B to completely withdraw the bolt at that particular floor when the ram
will lift said barrier while all the others remain closed and locked.
By the use of a supplementary valve constructed and arranged in connection
with the starting valve as described it is obvious that the lifting or opening of the
barriers is clear of any independent action of the attendant and by the use of a
locking device at each floor we ensure that the cage must arrive and stop at its
proper position before access can be had to the lift and that while the lift is
travelling up or down although the barriers are thereby unlocked as the cage passes
they do not open but still guard the entrance by reason of the cylinder G being
open to exhaust it being only possible for the barrier to rise when the cage is
stopped in its proper position at the lift entrance by means of the starting valve.
We are not confined to any particular form of semaphore arm or barrier or to
any particular arrangement of such and although we prefer to use a hydraulic
cylinder on each floor as just described we may in some cases only use one such
cylinder as shown by the diagram Figure 4. which represents a series of collapsable
gates having a carriage containing small rollers W₁W₁ around which is rove two
ropes X, X, in the manner shown. These ropes are secured at the top by any
suitable means and at the bottom are hung with weights Y, Y', the weight Y' being
heavier than the other and is so arranged in relation to the single hydraulic
cylinder G that it is lifted by the ram Q when the starting valve is put to the mid
or stop position.
This allows the smaller weight Y to pull upon its rope W and pull back and
collapse whichever gate is unlocked by the cage while all the others remain locked.
When the starting valve is shifted for the cage to be moved the heavier weight Y¹
by reason of the pressure being removed from the ram Q pulls upon its cord W¹
and draws the gate to, to close the opening in opposition to the lighter weight Y or,
these gates may be opened by the direct application of a ram as shown in diagram
Figure 5 or cylinders may be arranged on each side of the lift well to lift the gates
vertically when a lazy tong appliance such as represented in diagram Figure 6
could be used in order to get the required movement from a short ram.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination and arrangement of appliances for severally and independently
opening, closing and locking semaphore arms, gates or barriers guarding the entrances
to lifts on several floors, the parts being constructed substantially as shown and
operated by an attendant from and by the usual starting rope as described with
reference to Figures 1. 2 and 3 of the annexed drawings.

page_text: 2. The combination with the ordinary starting and stopping valve of a hydraulic
valve arranged in connection with a series of hydraulic cylinders and rams for
opening and closing the semaphore arms, gates or barriers and so constructing said
hydraulic valve that the said gates arms or barriers are closed when the starting
valve is in position for moving the cage up or down, said gates, arms or barriers
tending to open when the starting valve is in the position for stopping the cage as
.described.
3. The combination with the hydraulic valve and cylinders set out in the
preceding claim, of bolts for locking the respective semaphore arms, gates or
barriers when closed, and an inclined bar, cam or equivalent device attached to the
cage for withdrawing the bolt and thereby releasing the semaphore arm, gate or
barrier at the particular floor at which the cage is stopped and thereby allow the
hydraulic ram to move or open said particular semaphore arm gate or barrier while
all the rest are locked in their closed position against pressure exerted by the
hydraulic ram as described.
Dated this 2nd day of Tule 1806
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said J. T. Stokes and J. Richmond.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said J. T. Stokes and J. Richmond.