IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFTING AND HOISTING MACHINERY
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
We, HENRY CLAUDE Walker and ROBERT CAREY, both of Falmouth Road in
the County of Surrey Engineers do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFTING AND HOISTING MACHINERY to be as follows:-
"
Our invention relates to lifting or hoisting machinery of the kind known as self
sustaining, and it has for its object novel methods of constructing such machinery
in combination with friction brakes so that manual or other power can be applied
to a shaft so as to cause it to revolve in either direction for the purpose of raising
a load, the load being prevented from running back when the power is withdrawn,
whilst if it be desired that the load should descend by its own weight quickly but
under proper control, it can be allowed to do so by releasing a brake, the same
brako also serving the purpose of controlling the descent as desired.
When the lever which releases the brake is again freed, the load can only be
lowered by pulling in the opposite direction upon the rope used for raising it.
In order to put our invention in operation, we take a shaft or spindle revolving
freely in suitable bearings, and having fixed upon it a hauling wheel round which
passes a rope by pulling which in either direction the spindle can be made to
revolve and the load lifted in the usual way. Upon the shaft between the bearings
is formed or fixed a collar, against which fits one end of a lifting wheel or drum, or
of a toothed pinion driving such wheel or drum.
This wheel fits freely upon the shaft in which is fitted a projecting key or
feather extending the full length of the wheel, a keyway in the latter fitting freely
over the key but being of somewhat greater width so that the wheel can turn
upon the shaft for a short distance in either direction before meeting the key.
Upon the outer end of the wheel or drum, or upon a separate ring firmly fixed
to the end of the drum, are formed two or more shallow radial more or less
V-shaped grooves, and a separate loose annular disc having corresponding radial
projections fitting into the grooves is then fitted upon the shaft, the disc having a
keyway similar to that in the wheel fitting over the key which is long enough to
extend to the outer side of the disc.
Upon the shaft is then fitted a brake wheel or drum which can be firmly held
so as to be prevented from revolving, by means of a brake strap tightened round it
by a loaded lever.
Outside the brake wheel is fitted and firmly fixed upon the shaft a second plain
disc. It is evident that when the brake wheel is prevented from revolving by the
weight of the loaded lever upon its strap, if the two discs are pressed tightly
against its sides so as to embrace it between them the shaft cannot revolve, but if
the loaded lever be lifted so as to release the brake wheel the shaft can revolve

page_text: freely in either direction, and its revolution can be checked as desired by allowing
the loaded lover to press with more or less force upon the brake strap.
Supposing the brake wheel to be held tight by the loaded lever, if the hauling
wheel be turned for the purpose of raising a load the feather upon the shaft will
drive both the drum or wheel and the grooved disc by means of their keyways, t
and in this condition the projections on the disc fit into the grooves in the drum
and the two discs can turn freely against the brake wheel between them. If
however the hauling power ceases the load has a tendency to turn the drum or
barrel backward and the radial notches in the latter force the corresponding
projections upon the loose disc away and jam the latter against the brake wheel 1
and the load remains suspended until power is again applied to the hauling wheel
to turn the shaft in either direction. If now it be desired to lower the load
quickly, by raising the loaded lever the brake wheel is released, and the shaft with
the drum, two discs, and brake wheel can turn freely in either direction and the
load descends until the lever is released and the brake wheel again held fast.
A brake strap of any ordinary kind may be used, but we prefer to make it in
the form of a ring of iron, steel, or other suitablo material, bored to fit the brake
wheel freely, the ring being cut through at one point of its circumference where
two projecting lugs are formed one of which is carried by the frame or bearing
of the machine and the other is pressed down by the shorter arm of the lever so as
to force the two together and tightly embrace the brake wheel. The loaded lever
is connected to a rope by which it can be raised as desired by an attendant in the
usual way.
Friction rollers may be arranged upon the radial projections which fit into the
corresponding V shaped radial grooves upon the end of the barrel or drum as
described; and these grooves may be made in the disc, and the projections upon
the barrel if preferred.
Our invention may be applied to other kinds of self-sustaining lifting or hoisting
machinery, as well as to that of the novel kind described.
For instance it may be applied to the well known machinery for the purpose in
which a shaft runs in bearings having a collar fixed to it inside each bearing and
inside each collar a loose ratchet wheel, provided with corresponding palls or
detents turning upon centres fixed to the frame of the apparatus, the shaft being
screwed and having screwed upon it the hauling wheel of the lift, the outer end of
the shaft having fixed upon it a driving wheel carrying an endless or other rope,
so that when the driving wheel is turned it turns with it the shaft and the hauling
wheel is screwed along the latter until it is jammed against one of the ratchet
wheels which is thus gripped between the wheel and the collar upon the shaft, the
shaft, ratchet wheel, and hauling wheel, then revolving together and the weight
being lifted whilst the ratchet wheel and pall prevent the weight from running
back when the motive power is withdrawn; and the driving wheel being turned
in the opposite direction when it is desired to lower the weight, so that the
hauling wheel is withdrawn from the ratchet wheel and the latter is no longer
jammed upon the shaft.
Or, our invention may be applied to different kind of machinery for the same
purpose in which the whole apparatus is free to receive motion through the driving
wheel in either direction, but is automatically coupled up to a fixed bearing on the
frame of the machine immediately motion in either direction is. initiated at the
driven barrel end of the apparatus. Or, again, it may be applied to another
different kind of machinery for the same purpose in which a split ring or segments
are fitted freely round the shaft of the machine, the ring or segments fitting freely
into an external ring which is connected to an independent rigid support, whilst a
square bar is fitted between the ends of the ring or segments so that when twisted
it jams the latter in the external ring and prevents the shaft from revolving.
In these different kinds of lifting and hoisting machinery it is ovident that it is
necessary to apply motive power to the driving wheel for the purpose of lowering
the load as woll as to raise it, and in order to put our invention in operation we
1

page_text: make the palls which retain the ratchet wheels in the first kind of machine herein-
before referred to, or the fixed bearing or part of the frame of the machine to
which the whole apparatus is automatically coupled up in the second kind of
machine herein before referred to, or the external ring within which the split ring
or loose segments are jammed in the third kind of machine bereinbefore referred to,
capable of rotation round the shaft instead of being rigidly fixed, but we provide
friction brakes (preferably of the kind already described) and levers to them in
such manner that by applying the friction brakes they become practically rigid
and immoveable, whilst by releasing the friction brakes more or less the wheel or
drum is able to revolve more or less freely, and the load can be allowed to descend
by its own weight.
Where, as in the first kind of machine, ratchet wheels and palls are used in the
way referred to, we connect the palls to suitable pins or pivots in drums or wheels
capable of revolving freely outside and concentric with the ratchet wheels, and we
arrange friction brakes or straps round the drums or wheels, weighted levers being
arranged in such manner that they keep the brakes constantly applied to the
drums or wheels until the weights are lifted by a rope or bar worked by the person
attending to the liſt.
In the second kind of machinery we apply similar brakes and weighted levers
to the bearing or part of the frame of the machine to which the whole apparatus is
automatically coupled up, such bearing or part of the frame instead of being fixed
being made capable of revolution when the pressure of the brake is removed.
In the third kind of machinery referred to, we make the external ring, within
which the split ring or loose segments turn, capable of free revolution in bearings
concentric with the shaft, and we apply to its outer circumference a friction brake
or strap kept pressed against it by weighted levers, the weight being lifted when
required by means of a rope or bar, so that the load can then descend by its own
weight.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
We, HENRY CLAUDE WALKER and ROBERT CAREY, both of Falmouth Road, in
5 the County of Surrey, Engineers do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFTING AND HOISTING MACHINERY" and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement and accompanying Drawing (that is to say) :-
:-
Our invention relates to lifting or hoisting machinery of the kind known as
0 self-sustaining, and it has for its object novel methods of constructing such
machinery in combination with friction brakes so that manual or other power can.

page_text: be applied to a shaft so as to cause it to revolve in either direction for the purpose
of raising a load, the load being prevented from running back when the power is
withdrawn, whilst if it be desired that the load should descend by its own weight
quickly but under proper control, it can be allowed to do so by releasing a brake,
the same brako also serving the purpose of controlling the descent as desired.
When the lever which releases the brake is again freed, the load can only
be lowered by pulling in the opposite direction upon the rope used for raising it.
In the accompanying Drawings, Sheet 1, figure 1 is an end view, figure 2 a plan,
and figure 3 a sectional plan, of hoisting machinery constructed according to our
invention.
:..
In order to put our invention in operation, we take a shaft or spindle a revolving
freely in suitable bearings band having fixed upon it a hauling wheel c (shewn
in figure 7), round which passes a rope by pulling which in either direction the
spindle a can be made to revolve and the load lifted in the usual way. Upon the
shaft a between the bearings is formed or fixed a collar d, against which fits one
end of a lifting wheel or drum e, or of a toothed pinion driving such wheel
or drum.
This wheel e, fits freely upon the shaft a in which is fitted a projecting key or
fenther extending the full length of the wheel, a keyway in the latter fitting
freely over the key but being of somewhat greater width so that the wheel can
turn upon the shaft for a short distance in either direction (as shown in figure 4)
before meeting the key.
Upon the outer end of the wheel or drum e, or upon a separate ring firmly fixed
to the end of the drum, as shewn at g, are formed two or more shallow radial
grooves more or less V or double inclined plane shaped, as shewn at h in figures 2
and 4, and a separate loose annular disc i having corresponding radial projections
fitting into the grooves is then fitted upon the shaft a, the disc i having a keyway
similar to that in the wheel fitting over the key ƒ which is long enough to extend
to the outer side of the disc. Upon the shaft a is then fitted a brake wheel or
dram k which can be firmly held so as to be prevented from revolving, by means
of a brake strap tightened round it by a loaded lever m..
Outside the brake wheel is fitted and firmly fixed upon the shaft a a second
plain disc n. It is evident that when the brake wheel k is prevented from revolving
by the weight of the loaded lever m upon its strap 1, if the two discs i and n are
pressed tightly against its sides so as to embrace it between them the shaft a
cannot revolve; but if the loaded lever m be lifted so as to release the brake
wheel the shaft a can revolve freely in either direction, and its revolution can
be checked as desired by allowing the loaded lever m to tighten with more or less
force upon the brake strap l. Supposing the brake wheel k to be held tight by
the loaded lever m, if the hauling wheel be turned for the purpose of raising a
load the fentherf upon the shaft a will drive both the drum or wheel e and the
grooved disc i by means of their keyways, and in this condition the projections on
the disc i, fit into the grooves in the drum e and the two discs i and n can turn
freely against the brake wheel k between them. If however the hauling power
ceases the load has a tendency to turn the drum or barrel e backward and the
radial notches in the latter forco the corresponding projections upon the loose
disc i away and jam the latter against the brake wheel and the load remains
suspended until power is again applied to the hauling wheel to turn the shaft a in
either direction. If now it be desired to lower the load quickly by raising the
loaded lever m the brake-wheel is released, and the shaft a with the drum e,
two discs and i and brake wheel k, can turn freely in either direction and the
load descends until the lever m is released and the brake wheel k again held fast
A brake strap of any ordinary kind may be used, but we prefer to use the
arrangement shewn in figures 1 and 2 in which the brake strap is in the form
of a ring of iron, steel, or other suitable material, bored to fit the brake wheel k
freely, the ring being cut through at one point of its circumference at l¹ where
two projecting lugs o, o, are formed one of which is carried by the frame or

page_text: bearing of the machine at p and the other is pressed down by the lever at r so as
to form the two together and tightly embrace the brake wheel k. The loaded
lever m is connected to a rope, not shewn in the drawing, by which it can be
raised as desired by an attendant in the usual way.
Friction rollers may be arranged upon the radial projections which fit into the
corresponding V shaped radial grooves upon the end of the barrel or drum as
described; and these grooves may be made in the disc, and the projections upon
the barrel if preferred.
When the weight is lowered by pulling down the hauling rope as described
without releasing the brake the tendency of the weight is sometimes to keep the
discs described constantly jammed against the brake wheel, and to provent such
lowering with sufficient ease, and in such case we sometimes make use of the
arrangement shewn in figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 (Sheet 2), in which e is the drum,
h the grooved surfaces, and k the brake wheel between the discs n and i, (which
are shewn of a somewhat modified shape): The centre of one of these discs i has
a recess formed in it at s within which lies a key t serving as a lever, one end of
which fits in a notch in the grooved surface h and its other end in a notch in the
disc n the edge of the recess at s¹ serving as a fulcrum so that when the shaft a
is turned by the hauling wheel c (figure 7) the disc n moves the end of the lever t
laterally the other end of which forces back the drum e in the opposite direction
and so prevents the inclined grooves at h from jamming the disc i against the
brake wheel so long as the downward pull upon the hauling rope on the wheel v
is continued.
Sometimes in the method of arrangemont just described the brake may be.
omitted, one of the discs being in such case fixed to the frame of the machine.
Our invention may be applied to other kinds of self-sustaining lifting or hoisting
machinery, as well as to that of the novel kind described. For instance it may be
applied to the well known machinery for the purpose in which a shaft runs in
bearings having a collar fixed to it inside cach bearing and inside each collar a
loose ratchet wheel, provided with corresponding palls or detents turning upon
centres fixed to the frame of the apparatus, the shaft being screwed and having
screwed upon it the hauling wheel of the lift, the outer end of the shaft having
fixed upon it a driving wheel carrying an endless or other rope, so that when the
driving wheel is turned it turns with it the shaft and the hauling wheel is screwed
along the latter until it is jammed against one of the ratchet wheels which is thus
gripped between the wheel and the collar upon the shaft, the shaft, ratchet wheel,
and hauling wheel, then revolving together and the weight being lifted whilst the
ratchet wheel and pall prevent the weight from running back when the motive
power is withdrawn; and the driving wheel being turned in the opposite direction
when it is desired to lower the weight, so that the hauling wheel is withdrawn
from the ratchet wheel and the latter is no longer jammed upon the shaft.
Or, our invention may be applied to different kinds of machinery for the saine
purpose in which the whole apparatus is free to receive motion through the driving
wheel in either direction but is automatically coupled up to a fixed bearing on
the frame of the machine immediately motion in either direction is initiated at the
driven barrel end of the apparatus. Or, again, it may be applied to another
different kind of machinery for the same purpose in which a split ring or segments
are fitted freely round the shaft of the machine, the ring or segments fitting freely
into an external ring which is connected to an independent rigid support, whilst
a square bar is fitted between the ends of the ring or seginents so that when
twisted it jams the latter in the external ring and prevents the shaft from
revolving.
In these different kinds of lifting and hoisting machinery it is evident that it is
necessary to apply motive power to the driving wheel for the purpose of lowering
the load as well as to raise it, and in order to put our invention in operation we
make the palls which retain the ratchet wheels in the first kind of machine
hereinbefore referred to, or the fixed bearing or part of the frame of the machine to

page_text: which the whole apparatus is automatically coupled up in the second kind of
machine hereinbefore referred to, or the external ring within which the split ring
or loose segments are jammed in the third kind of machine hereinbefore referred
to, capable of rotation round the shaft instead of being rigidly fixed but we
provide friction brakes (preferably of the kind already described) and levers to
them in such manner that by applying the friction brakes they become practically
rigid and immoveable, whilst by releasing the friction brakes more or less the
wheel or drum is able to revolve more or less freely, and the load can be allowed
to descend by its own weight.
Where, as in the first kind of machine, ratchet wheels and palls are used in the
way referred to, we connect the palls to suitable pins or pivots in drums or wheels
capable of revolving freely outside and concentric with the ratchet wheels, and we
arrange friction brakes or straps round the drums or wheels, weighted levers being
arranged in such manner that they keep the brakes constantly applied to the
drums or wheels until the weights are lifted by a rope or bar worked by the person
attending to the lift.
In the second kind of machinery we apply similar brakes and weighted levers
to the bearing or part of the frame of the machine to which the whole apparatus
is automatically coupled up, such bearing or part of the frame instead of being
fixed being made capable of revolution when the pressure of the brake is
removed.
•
In the third kind of machinery referred to, we make the external ring, within
which the split ring or loose segments turn, capable of free revolution in bearings
concentric with the shaft, and we apply to its outer circumference a friction brake
or strap kept pressod against it by weighted lovers, the weight being lifted when
required by means of a rope or bar, so that the load can then descond. by its own
weight.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1. The combination of the double-inclined plane or V shaped grooves, with the
discs and brake wheel and brake and drum or its equivalent arranged and operating
in either direction substantially in the manner and for the purpose described and
shewn in the drawings.
2. The combination of the inclined-plane or V-shaped grooves with the recesses 8
and lever t substantially as and for the purpose described and shewn.