IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFTS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN LIFTS & communication to me from abroad by Charles Wilcox Hays, (Coal
Dealer) of Orange, Essex County, State of New Jersey, United States of America,
to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to promote security in the use of lifts or hoists
for buildings.
The invention consists in a lift constructed with a carriage provided with a
groove in its floor, and with or without a corresponding groove in the floor of the
building to receive the arms or arm of a T or L bar attached to the lower part of
a sliding door which opens into the well of the lift near its forward edge, whereby
when the door is opened one arm of the T bar will enter the groove in the edge of
the floor of the carriage and the other arm will enter the groove in the edge of the
floor of the building, so that the said carriage cannot move either up or down
while the said door is open. The forward arm of the T bar may be made forked
to engage with the upper and lower sides of the floor of the carriage if desired.
When the door is closed the forward arm of the T bar projects into the space
between the carriage and the wall of the building so as to leave the carriage free
to move up or down.
When the improvement is to be applied to a swinging door, it is attached to the
said door near its hinged edge, and in such a position that the forward arm of the
T bar will be swung forward into the groove in the floor of the carriage so as to
lock the same when the said door is opened and will be swung back into the
groove in the floor of the building to release the carriage when the door is closed.
The groove in the carriage is made of sufficient depth to receive one or more
springs of metal or rubber and a plate attached to the tops of the said springs or
to the bottoms according as the said spring is placed below or above the arm of the
T bar.

page_text: With this construction, should the hoisting mechanism be started to carry the
carriage before the door is closed, the springs will receive the impulse and thus
prevent the hoisting mechanism or other parts from being strained by the sudden
application of the power.
The improvement may be applied to the lower part of the door or to the upper 5
part of the said door as may be desired, or convenient. If desired the T bar can
be made in L form and arranged to engage only with the carriage, but the
construction first described is preferred as affording greater security.
By means of this invention it will be impossible for the door to be left open
when the carriage moves away from the floor thereby preventing accidents of all
kinds from this cause.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LIFTS" (a communication to me from abroad by Charles Wilcox Hays Coal
Dealer, of Orange, Essex County, State of New Jersey United States of America)
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to promote security in the use of lifts.
The invention consists in a lift constructed with a carriage provided with a
groove in its floor, and with or without a corresponding groove in the floor of the
building to receive the arms or arm of a T or L bar attached to the well door
whereby the said carriage will be locked when the well door is open and released
when the said door is closed.
The groove in the carriage can be made deep, and in its lower and upper parts or
either are secured one or more springs having a plate attached to their tops or
bottoms whereby the hoisting mechanism or other parts will be protected from a
sudden strain should the carriage be started before the well door is closed. as well
be hereinafter fully described.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a part of a building and of a lift carriage
showing the improvement applied to a sliding door, the door being shown open.
Figure 2. is a front elevation of a part of the same, the door being shown closed
and parts being broken away.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the same taken through the line x, x, figure 1.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of the improvement shown as applied to a swinging
door, the door being shown closed-Figure 5 is the same section as figure 4 but
showing the door open Figure 6 is a horizontal section of the same taken through
the line y, y, figure 4.
A represents the wall and A¹ the floor of a building. B is a sliding door opening
into the well of the lift, C is the carriage and D, are the guide posts upon which the
carriage C moves up and down.
To the lower part of the door B near its forward edge is attached a bar E made
in the form of a T and so arranged that when the door is opened one arm of the
T bar will enter a groove F in the edge of the floor of the carriage C and the other
arm will enter a groove G in the edge of the floor of the building so that the said
carriage cannot move either up or down while the said door open.
The forward arm of the bar E may be made forked to engage with the upper and
lower sides of the floor of the carriage if desired.
When the door B is closed the forward arm of the bar E projects into the space
between the carriage C and the wall A of the building as shown in figures 2 and 3
so as to leave the carriage C free to move up or down.
When the improvement is to be applied to a swinging door it is attached to the
said door near its hinged edge and in such a position that the forward arm of

page_text: the T bar E will be swung forward into the groove F to lock the carriage when
the said door is opened as shown in figure 5 and will be swung back into the
groove G to release the carriage when the door is closed.
The groove F is made of sufficient depth to receive one or more springs H of
metal or rubber and the plate I attached to the tops of the said springs as shown
in the drawings or to the bottoms according as the said spring is placed below or
above the arm of the bar E.
With this construction, should the hoisting mechanism be started to carry the
carriage C before the door B is closed the springs H will receive the impulse and
thus prevent the hoisting mechanism or other parts from being strained by the
sudden application of the power.
The improvement may either be applied to the lower part of the door as shown
or to the upper part of the said door as may be desired or convenient. If desired
the bar E can be made in L form and arranged to engage only with the carriage
but the construction first described is preferred, as affording greater security.
By means of this invention it will be impossible for the door to be left open
when the carriage moves away from the floor thereby preventing accidents of all
kinds from this cause.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1 In a lift the combination with the carriage and the well door, of an arm
secured to said door and engaging the carriage when the door is open, and
disengaged therefrom when the door is closed, substantially as herein shown and
described.
2 In a lift the combination with the carriage C provided with the groove F and
the well door B, of the arm E secured to the door and working in the groove of
the carriage when the door is open and into the space between the carriage and
wall when the door is closed, substantially as, and for the purpose specified.
3 In a lift the combination with the carriage the well door and the floor of a
Tbar secured to the said door and engaging with the carriage and the floor when
the door is open, and disengaged from the carriage when the door is closed
substantially as herein shown and described.
4 In a lift the combination with the carriage C provided with the groove F the
floor of the building provided with the groove G and the well door B of the
Tbar E secured to the said door with one arm in the groove of the floor and the
other arm entering the groove of the carriage when the door is opened and with-
drawing therefrom when the door is closed substantially as herein shown and
described whereby the said carriage will be locked when the well door is open and
released when the said door is closed as set forth.
5 In a lift the combination with the carriage C having groove F and the
T bar E attached to the well door B and entering the said groove of one or more
springs Hand the plate 1 substantially as herein shown and described whereby the
hoisting mechanism, or other parts will be protected from a sudden strain should
the carriage be started before the well door is closed as set forth.
Dated this 1st day of May 1885.
A. M. CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm Clark,
53, Chancery Lane.