A New or Improved Automatic Governor Gear for Passenger and other Lifts.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Aug., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 1st June, 1896-Accepted, 29th Aug., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Automatic Governor Gear for Passenger and
other Lifts.
I, ARTHUR JONATHAN LIGHTFOOT, of 3, Tatum Street, Walworth, London,
S.E., Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to a new or improved automatic governor gear for
passenger and other lifts and has for object to provide automatically acting means
for regulating, governing and controlling, the speed of, or for entirely stopping,
passenger, luggage, or other lifts whereby accidents arising from defective machinery
and other causes are entirely guarded against.
In accordance with this invention, the governor gearing consists of a pair
of governor balls mounted upon a spindle or shaft inserted into a socket or bracket
on top of the cage or on the saddle girder of suspended lift, or in any other
convenient position for working direct upon a counter shaft fitted into sliding
adjustable bearings connected and disconnected by a double ratchet in chamber
drum connected on counter shaft, the motive power of which is accumulated by a
vulcanised driving wheel travelling on runners adjusted for that purpose, or cog
wheel travelling on a toothed rack fitted to runners and suitable for the purpose,
causing the governor balls to revolve and rise as the speed increases and thereby
bringing into action cams or grippers provided beneath the cage which act upon
the ropes or wires and regulate the speed at which the cage is travelling or stop
same altogether should the speed be too high.
The governor balls when raised to their full extent are kept in position by
a spring clip fixed above the governor rod or spindle.
Dated this 31st day of August 1895.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for Applicant.
A New or Improved Automatic Governor Gear for Passenger and
other Lifts.
1 ARTHUR JONATHAN LIGHTFOOT of 3 Tatum Street, Walworth, London
S.E. Engineer 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 a new or improved automatic governor gear for
passenger and other lifts and has for object to provide automatically acting safety
means for governing and controlling the speed of the cars, cages, or platforms or
for entirely stopping the descent of such cars, cages, or platforms of lifts, hoists,
or elevators whether for the transport of passengers, luggage or other purposes
whereby accidents to life and damage to property, arising from defective machinery,
overloading, or inattention will be effectually provided against.

page_text: The gear is designed for application to lifts or hoists of almost any kind whether
the cars, cages or platform be raised and lowered by ram (hydraulic or otherwise)
or by suspensionary chains, ropes or the like.
In accordance with this invention the governor gearing consists of a pair of
governor-halls the spindle or shaft whereof is mounted in a footstep and bearing
on the top of the cage (for convenience) or on the saddle girder of suspended lifts
or in other convenient position. As a further instance of location of this governor
gearing it may be placed on the platform or floor of the cage and be inclosed in a
boxing thereon.
The spindle of the governor-balls is fitted with a bevil wheel or wheels, gearing
with a bevil wheel on a countershaft, said countershaft being mounted and carried
in adjustable sliding-bearings.
This countershaft is divided, that is, in two parts, but these two parts are coupled
by means of a clutch-box which will allow of the outer portion of the countershaft
to run free in one direction but when said countershaft is run in opposite direction
the clutch-box will effect coupling of the inner end portion of the countershaft
carrying, as aforesaid, the bevil wheel in gear with the bevil on the spindle of the
governor balls.
.
The outer end of the countershaft carries, fast thereon, a driving wheel or pulley
(faced for frictional effect or cogged) and this said driving wheel or pulley is to
run in contact with and be adjusted to a continuous runner or vertically disposed
bar, or a rack on the side guides of the lift enclosure i.e. the shaft or well of the
lift. When the motion of the lift in descending is abnormally increased the speed
of the counter shaft (coupled as aforesaid) will through the bevil gear rotate the
spindle of the governor balls and raise them. The arms of the governor balls
are linked to a sliding collar on the governor spindle and this collar is connected
with a system of levers acting upon cams, clutches, wedges or other mechanical
equivalent for arresting the cage of the lift in the lift enclosure and retaining
it there so as to prevent its falling until the suspensionary means are repaired or
readjusted.
The cam grippers may be used on one or both sides of the cage and be coupled
together so as to ensure simultaneous working.
In conjunction with the governor balls I furnish means for retaining them
in their raised positions with the safety means applied, by a spring clip or holder,
so that the operating action of the cam-levers may not be taken off the cam
grippers, wedges, or the like unless or until any defect shall have been remedied.
In order that the said invention may be well understood there is annexed hereto
drawings illustrative thereof and the same will be referred to in the following
description by figures and letters, like letters referring to similar parts.
The figures of the drawings are to be taken as diagrams and show the automatic
governor-gear as applied to a lift cage with saddle girder suspensionary means;
moreover, for purposes of illustration and economy of space in the sheets of
drawings, the lift cage is shown of small size comparatively with the governor
gear itself.
Fig. 1. is a front elevation of a construction of governor gear, according to
this invention, but the suspensionary means of the lift cage are not shown. The
cage itself is shown in section with part broken away.
Fig. 2. is a plan showing the governor gear the saddle girder, the fork guides
and vertical runner guides of the lift cage.
Fig. 3. a side view from left-hand of Figs. 1 and 2. showing more particularly the
cam grippers.
Fig. 4. a view of the governor spindle and its rising and falling lever-operating
collar raised under abnormal velocity of the lift cage to throw the cam gripper
levers into action, and there is also shown the safety retaining spring clip holding
the governor-balls arms in their extended operative position.
Fig. 5. is a detached isometric view of the lever collar and lever fork.
Fig. 6. a plan of the guide of the vertically operating cam gripper lever rod.

page_text: Fig. 7. represents a side view of one of the guide forks of the suspensionary
saddle girder fitted with antifriction rollers for the vertical runners of such lifts.
Fig. 8. is a plan view of a modification of roller fitting of the guide forks of such
lifts.
A, indicates the lift cage; B, the suspensionary saddle girder; C, the guide
forks of the cage fitted with the antifriction rollers C¹; D, the vertical runners of
the lift enclosure with which the guide forks C, C¹, engage.
E indicates a vertical runner of the lift enclosure with which the motion wheel F
(indicated in dotted lines Fig. 3.) of the governor gear runs in contact. The
motion wheel F, is carried upon the outer end of the countershaft G, the inner end
of said shaft G; carrying one portion of the clutch-box (indicated at H) and the
other portion of clutch-box H, is carried upon the shaft G¹, which shaft G¹, also
carries the driving bevil wheel I, in gear with the bevil wheel I, of the governor
shaft K. The governor balls, arms and links are indicated in dotted lines ;-
Figs. 1, 2, and 3, in normal position and raised in Fig. 4 when the speed of the
cage is abnormally increased in case of accident on too high a velocity being
attained through carelessness.
The counter shafts G, G¹, are carried in the bearings L, which are fitted to slide
upon the beds L', and are adjustable by the screws L2, working through a threaded
hole in the plates L³. By this provision the motion wheel F, can be adjusted to its
runner E.
M, is a loose collar upon governor shaft K, N, a lever rod, shown forked and
engaging with the collar M, at the end N₁, and jointed at N³, to the rod N³.
Red Ns, works through the square guides N4, (Figs. 1 and 6.) and is jointed at No,
to the joint link No, connected to the arm of the cam gripper N'.
The cam grippers N7, N8 are mounted in pairs upon shafts O, running across
from one side of the cage A, to the other, and the motion from the lever N to one
of the cams N', is coupled by the gear wheels 01, (fast on shafts O) so as to work
the other, cam N and also the back cam grippers N8, simultaneously with N'.
No, is a right and left handed screwed socket piece for adjusting the length of the
rod N³, for its proper action upon the cam grippers.
When abnormally high speed is attained the governor arms, through the motion
wheel F, clutch box H, and bevil gears II', will assume position shown in Fig. 4.
raising collar M, and the forked end N', forcing down the rod N3, N5, N°, and
putting the cam grippers N7, N8 into operation.
The cam grippers may be made to act upon the vertical guide runner D, or upon
vertically arranged chains or ropes (wire ropes for instance).
In connection with the governor device and upon its spindle K, the spring clip P,
is arranged. In Figs. 1 and 3 the horns of clip P, are shown bearing upon
the ends K of the governor arms but (as shown in Fig. 4.) when the governor arms
are thrown out the ends K pass under the horns of clip P, which pressed down by
its spring will act to hold the arm in the extended position with the safety gripper
appliance in action retaining the lift-cage from descending until proper repair or
attention has been given.
The purpose of the clutch box H, is to connect the countershafts G, G', when
the lift cage is descending so that under that condition of movement of the lift
cage, the continuous motion of the wheel F, will be transmitted to the bevils I, I¹,
and to the governor shaft K, and its subsidiary parts, but in ascending the wheel F,
shaft G, and part of the clutch only will be in rotary motion. Thus the wheel F,
will always be running and be kept to its work upon the vertical runner or guide
as E, or as described.
Under normal condition of descending speed of the lift-cage although the
governor gear will be connected and turning with the shaft G, and wheel F, (or by
whatever means, other than wheel F, the motion may be communicated to shaft G,
and the clutch box H,) the collar M will not be raised sufficiently to put the lever
system N into action.
Upon the speed of descent becoming abnormally increased the collar M will

page_text: become raised, and will put the lever system N, into operation to throw the cam
grippers N', N8, into action whereupon the motion of lift cage will be immediately
arrested.
The wheel F, may be faced on its edge with india rubber or be made with cogs,
or other means may be employed to ensure perfection of contact between the
wheel F, and the vertical guide E, and said guide may in some
correspondingly faced.
cases be
It is a matter of knowledge to lift makers that, as a safety means for lift-cages,
wedges have been used to come into operation between the cage and the lift
enclosure, and it may be pointed out that this improved governor gear and lever
system N, may be applied to throw wedges into action for purpose of arresting the
cage, although the cam grippers, as shewn, work very efficiently.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is: :-
First. The new or improved automatic governor gear for lifts operated by the
motion wheel F, and vertical runner or guide E, as and for the purpose herein set
forth and described in reference to the accompanying drawings.
•
Secondly. In governor gear as herein set forth the combination of the shaft G,
clutch box H, and shaft G, and bevils I I, as and for the purpose specified.
Thirdly. In governor gear as herein set forth the combination of the shaft G,
carrying a motion wheel such as F, mounted in adjustable bearings L, as and
for the purpose set forth.
Fourthly. In governor gear as herein set forth the combination with motion
wheel F, shaft G, clutch H, shaft G¹, bevils 11, and rising and falling collar M,
of the forked lever N, N1, N2, and the adjustable rod N³, Ñ³, N°, acting upon the
gripping device as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Fifthly. In governor gear as herein set forth the spring retaining clip P, acting
together with the ends K, of the arms of the governor balls to maintain the safety
grippers in engaged position as and for the purpose set forth.
Sixthly. In governor gear as herein set forth the combination of the cam
grippers N7, N³, the shafts O, and gears O¹, operated through the link N', Nº,
substantially as specified.
Seventhly. The combination with lift fork guides such as C, of the rollers C',
as set forth.
Dated this 30th day of May 1896.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
Agents for Applicant.