Improvements in Control Devices for Elevators.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 23rd May, 1898
Improvements in Control Devices for Elevators.
A communication from abroad by OTIS BROTHERS AND COMPANY, of 38 Park
Row, New York, in the United States of America, Manufacturers.
We, OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY LIMITED of 4 Queen Victoria Street in the
City of London, 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 control devices of elevator apparatus and consists
of means whereby the switch or its equivalent may be shifted from the cage without
affecting the position of other operating parts, as fully set forth hereinafter and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:
Fig. 1 shows in elevation an elevator apparatus embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 shows an enlarged view in part section of the motor and winding
apparatus.
.
Fig. 3 is an elevation in part transverse section, on the line 3-3, Fig. 2.
Figs. 4 and 5 are face views of two of the gears.
The motor Z is of any suitable construction and may be an electric motor as
shown, or a steam or water motor and it is provided with a motor control device Y,
which may be an electric switch of conventional character, or it may be a control
valve. When an electric motor is used, the shaft thereof is preferably connected
with a worm-shaft 3, engaging the gear upon the drum-shaft 4, carrying the drum
around which pass the winding ropes, in a manner too well known to need
illustration and description.
It is desirable in many instances to make use of a motor control switch or other
device having a comparatively limited movement to thereby necessitate but little
movement of the operating devices for the motor control devices carried by the
cage, which operating devices, for instance, may consist of a lever 5 in the cage
rocking a shaft carrying the lever 6 with pulleys at the ends of the lever, around
which pulleys pass cables 7 and 8 suspended from eye-bolts at the top of the well
and extending to a shifter wheel or pulley S, connected with the motor control
device in a suitable manner, as for instance by a shifter bar B.
When the motor control device is in the form of a switch as shown, and is in a
central position, the current is cut off and a brake is applied to stop and hold the
motor, the wheel or pulley S, in such case, occupying its central position, and when
the said wheel is turned in one direction the motor control switch closes the circuit
to revolve the motor in one direction, and when the wheel is turned in the other
direction it closes the circuit to revolve the motor in the other direction, and in
either case the brake should be removed. As shown, the brake consists of a band 9,
bearing upon a pulley 10, upon the shaft of the motor, which band is fixed at one
end and is connected at the other to a weighted lever 12, which lever is lifted to
remove the brake and lowered to apply it. This lifting is effected by means of
a T lever V pivoted at 13, slotted at the upper end to receive a pin 14, on the
shifter bar B, and a vertically moving cross-piece 15 connected with the lever 12,
bears upon both the cross arms of the lever V so as to be lifted, then the said lever
is tilted in either direction.
In apparatus of this character it is common to make use of what is termed
"automatic stop devices" employing stop devices of such construction that after
the drum has been turned to a sufficient extent to carry the cage to its extreme

page_text: limit at the top or bottom of the well, the motor control device will be automatically
shifted to its central or stop position. A common construction consists of a
threaded extensión 16 of the drum-shaft 4, carrying a nut 17, which is so constructed
and arranged 'as to make contact with and turn a moving part, as for instance a part
or pinion R, when the said nut is carried upon the screw to the limit of its
movement in either direction, and from this moving part R, movement is imparted
to the motor control device.
It will be evident that if the moving part or pinion R, whatever may be its
character, is directly connected or geared with the motor control device the said
part R and its connections would be necessarily moved at each operation of the
motor control device by the operator within the cage, and it is therefore necessary
to provide for lost motion connecting devices so constructed as to permit of a
certain degree of lost motion between the motor control device and the part R,
whereby the operator can shift the motor control device to one side or the other
to any desired extent during the normal operation of the elevator apparatus,
without in any way affecting the moving part or pinion R, and without interfering
in any way with the operation of the automatic stop devices, if the cage should run
beyond its normal travel. The intermediate lost motion connecting devices may be
constructed in different ways, but, as shown, the part R is in the form of a mutilated
pinion engaging the teeth of a gear wheel H, turning upon a stud 19, and in tarn
rotating a pinion L, which engages a toothed segment A, upon the shifter wheel S.
To permit of the lost motion above described, parts of the train of gears are so
constructed.to be capable of a limited movement independent of the other parts.
Thus, the wheel H, has on one side a segmental recess between the ends of which
is an abutment E, Figs. 3 and 5, and the pinion L has a lug D, Figs. 3 and 4,
which is so arranged as to move freely in the recess in the wheel H and to abut
upon the abutment E upon one side or the other only after the motor control
device has been shifted to its full extent in one direction or the other. This
shifting of the motor control device therefore can be effected without the operator
in any way shifting the positions of the automatic stop devices. When, however,
the cage travels beyond the limit of its normal movements the gear R is turned by
the automatic stop devices thereby turning the wheel H until the abutment E makes
contact with the lug D, when the pinion L will be rotated and turn the shifting
pulley S, and shift the motor control device back to a central position.
As the abutment E and lug D will only be brought in contact when the lug D
is at one side of the central position shown, the movement imparted to the
lug D will gradually bring the motor control device to its central position,
and cut in the resistance so that there is no abrupt stoppage to the movement of
the cage.
Inasmuch, however, as it is almost impossible to stop the car and the hoisting
drum the instant that the current is cut off, provision should preferably be made
for permitting a limited movement of the winding drum after the motor control
device has been shifted, but for holding the latter in the position to which it is set.
This is effected by providing the pinion or part R with a mutilated gear, a curved
projection C, and by providing the gear wheel H with two projections 20, 20, each
with a curved face adapted to the face of the projection C, the said pro-
jections C 20, 20, being upon a different vertical plane from the toothed portions
of the gear and pinion. These parts are so arranged that the face of the
projection C and the curved face of one of the projections 20, will be brought to
coincide after the motor control device has been shifted fully to one side or the
other, thereby preventing the further movement of the motor control device and
locking it against change of position, while permitting the rotation of the winding
drum, which will be brought to rest by the action of the brake before the projection C
is carried from the projection 20.
When the cage travelling in one direction has been stopped in this manner by
the automatic stop devices and it is necessary to start the cage in the opposite
direction, the movement of the shifting pulley S will carry the lug D on the

page_text: When the
pinion L away from the abutment E and leave the gear wheel H loose, and the
pinion R is then turned to its original position by any suitable means, as for
instance by a weight W connected to a cord 21, passing over guide pulleys and
attached to the periphery of a grooved wheel 22, upon the pinion R.
pinion R is turned by the automatic stop device the cord 21 is wound upon the
periphery of the wheel 22. and when the pinion R is released the weight carries.
the pulley 22 and pinion R to their normal positions.
It will be evident that the weight or a spring may be differently arranged to.
restore the pinion R to its normal position as the operating devices of the motor
control devices are operated from the cage. While the connections between the
automatic stop devices and the motor control device have been shown in the form
of gears, any other form of connection securing a partial free movement or lost
motion of the lost motion connecting devices may be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated
to us from abroad by our foreign correspondents, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination in an elevator apparatus, of a motor, a motor control device.
therefor, and means for moving the motor control device from the cage, an
automatic stop device for the motor control device, motor, and lost motion
connecting devices between the automatic stop device and motor control device,.
whereby a limited movement of the motor control device is permitted without
affecting the position of the automatic stop devices, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination in an elevator apparatus, of a motor, a motor control device.
and operating devices therefor for moving the same from the cage, an automatic
stop device for the motor control device, connections between the automatic stop.
device and the motor, and lost motion connecting devices between the automatic stop
device and the motor control device, substantially as set forth whereby to permit.
the motor control device to be moved without moving the automatic stop device for
the purpose specified.
3. The combination with a motor, and motor control device, of the moving.
part or pinion, connections between the motor and pinion, 'the segment connected
with the motor control device, connections between the segment and pinion con-
structed to impart movement from the pinion to the segment in one direction but
permit the independent movement of the segment in the opposite direction,.
substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with a motor, of the moving part, connections between the
moving part and motor, the segment, and an intermediate pinion and gear-wheel
between the segment and moving part, the intermediate pinion being provided
with a lug and the intermediate gear-wheel with an abutment, substantially as.
described.
5. The combination with the moving part and automatic stop devices for actuating
the moving part, of means for restoring said moving part to its normal position
as the automatic stop devices are moved to their normal position, substantially as.
described.
6. The combination of the moving part and automatic stop devices for actuating
the moving part, and a weight connected to the moving part to restore it to its.
normal position as the automatic stop devices resume their normal position,
substantially as described.
7. The combination with the motor control device, automatic stop devices, the
segment and moving part, one connected with the motor control device and the
other with the automatic stop devices, of connections between the segment and
moving part, a projection upon the moving part, and projections upon the con-
nections constructed to engage and lock the connections at the termination of the
movement of the moving part in each direction, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.

page_text: 8. The combination in an elevator apparatus with the motor control device and
operating devices therefor, automatic stop devices and the moving part of
connections between the moving part and motor control device and a projection
on the moving part engaging the connections as the motor control device is brought
to either limit of its position, and to lock the said motor control device while
permitting a limited movement of the automatic stop devices and parts connected
therewith, substantially as set forth.
9. The combination in an elevator apparatus with the motor control device,
automatic stop devices of connections intermediate of the motor control device
and the automatic stop devices constructed to permit a movement of the
motor control device independent of the automatic stop devices, substantially as
set forth.
Deted the 14th d
CA
1900