IMPROVEMENTS IN HOISTING APPARATUS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HOISTING
APPARATUS."-A communication from abroad by William Draper
Andrews, of Brookhaven, in the State of New York, United States
of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 26th May 1875.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Ohancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HOISTING APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 26th May 1875.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Ohancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HOISTING APPARATUS," to be as follows:
-
This Invention relates to hoisting machines or apparatus in in which
a cage or platform is raised and lowered within a hoistway for the

page_text: purpose of transporting passengers or goods from any one floor or story
of a building to another, or for other raising and lowering purposes. One
part of the Invention specially relates to elevators or hoisting apparatus
in which not only the rising and lowering platform or cage is provided
with a counterbalance, but in which the platform and counterbalanco
are connected or operated by or through the hoisting rope or drum of
the latter, and it consists in a combination with such a connection of the
platform and counterbalance of an auxiliary or safety rope connected
at its one end with a locking device upon or carried by the platform,
and at its opposite end either with another locking device upon or
carried by the counterbalance, or with a second platform, or with a
counterbalance weight itself.
The Invention also consists in a combination with the rising and
lowering cage or platform of an independent safety rope connected at its
one end with the platform and at its other end with the locking devices :
upon the platform, and moving with the latter for operation either by a
governor occupying a stationary relation and set in motion by said rope
or by hand from the outside to actuate the locking, devices carried by the
platform.
Furthermore, the Invention consists in means for indepondently
operating from the platform by hand the locking devices carried by the
platform.
The locking devices preferred to be employed consist of pendent
friction blocks on the ends of the free bars connected respectively with
the cage and the counterbalance. These friction blocks bear at their
backs when pressed outwards against the vertical guides of the hoisting
apparatus, but at other times they are free from contact with said guides.
The friction blocks are of a wedge shape on their faces, against which
rest loose rollers contained in inclined pockets made in the cross beams
of the platform and counterbalance respectively, so that the descent of;
the platform and counterbalance relatively to the free bars, or the lifting
of said bars relatively to the platform and counterbalance, will force the
friction blocks out against the guides.
The additional safety rope which is connected at one end to the locking
devices of the travelling cage or platform, after passing over suitable
pulleys to give it the required direction, is at its other end connected
with the bottom, or moves in common with the platform, and may be
operated by hand from the outside of the platform at different points in.

page_text: "
the height of the hoistway to actuate the locking devices on the platform.
But that the locking devices may be automatically operated by a
stationary governor the rope in passing from its connection. with the
locking devices of the platform is laid over guide pulleys above the
hoistway, and from thence down the one side of the hoistway through
an eye in a turning gripping disc and corresponding slots in an enclosing.
case secured to one of the guide posts of the hoistway. The rope is then
continued downward under a fixed guide pulley, and from thence up
over one of a pair of independently rotating guide pulleys in a fixed.
frame and down and around a pulley which drives a stationary governor.
The
rope is then led away and secured to the lower end of the platform.
The rope-gripping device or disc has attached to its shaft which provides
for its turning a weighted lever, which has its weighted end held raised
so long as the governor, as actuated by the platform through the addi-
tional safety rope, is not unduly accelerated. This position of the lever .
is maintained by the hold on its forward end of a hooked or tripping.
bell crank connected with the governor.
4
When the weighted lever is thus held or locked the rope has a free
passage through the gripping disc or device, In case, however, of a too
rapid descent of the platform the governor is accelerated by the rope:
moving in concert with the platform to an extent that causes it to free -
the lever, which will then turn the gripping disc or device, causing it to
hold the rope and arrest the descent of the platform.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Alfred
Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st December
1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of May, in the year .
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc.
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her

page_text: special licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HOISTING APPARATUS," being a com-
munication to me from abroad by William Draper Andrews, of Brook-
haven, in the State of New York, United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to bo
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office on or before the Eighth day of
December, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to hoisting machines or apparatus in which a
cage or platform is raised and lowered within a hoistway for the purpose of
transporting passengers or goods from any one floor or story of a building
to another, and for other raising and lowering purposes. One part of the
Invention specially relates to elevators or hoisting apparatus in which
not only the rising and lowering platform or cage is provided with a
counterbalance, but in which the platform and counterbalance are con-
nected or operated by or through the hoisting rope or drum of the latter,
and it consists in a combination with such a connection of the platform
and counterbalance, of an auxiliary or safety rope connected at its onc
end with a locking device upon or carried by the platform, and at its
opposite end either with another locking device upon or carried by the
counterbalance, or with a second platform, or with a counterbalance
weight itself.
The Invention also consists in a combination with the rising and
lowering cage or platform of an independent safety rope connected at its

page_text: one and with the platform and at its other end with the locking devices
upon the platform, and moving with the latter for operation either by a
governor occupying a stationary relation and set in motion by said rope,
or by hand from the outside to actuate the locking devices carried by
the platform.
upon the platform, and moving with the latter for operation either by a
governor occupying a stationary relation and set in motion by said rope,
or by hand from the outside to actuate the locking devices carried by
the platform.
Furthermore, the Invention consists in means for independently
operating from the platform by hand the locking devices carried by
the platform.
Having thus specified the object or objects and nature of the Invention,
its description will be proceeded with in reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
Figure 1 represents a partly sectional elevation of a hoisting apparatus
and hoistway in part having the Invention applied; Figure 2 is a broken
and partly sectional elevation of the same at right angles to the former
Figure; Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line x, x; Figure 4 is a
side view of a rope-gripping device operated by a governor through or
by the platform for actuating the locking devices of the latter; and
Figure 5 is a horizontal section thereof.
Figure 6 is a diagram in elevation, showing a modified arrangement of
the hoisting drum, hoisting and counterbalance rope, and guide pullies
for the latter; and Figure 7 is a plan of the same.
Referring in the first instance to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the
Drawing A, A, represent the guide posts of a hoistway, and a, a, the
guides attached to the inner faces thereof, and up and down or between
which the cage or travelling platform B works.
O is the hoisting drum or pulley, which is here shewn as arranged
above, but which may be arranged below and the hoisting rope pass
from it over a guide pulley above without effecting any change in the
principle of action, or the hoisting drum when arranged above may be
driven from below.
D is the hoisting rope, and which may also be the counterbalance
rope of the platform, the same passing over or around the hoisting drum
by which it is operated, or instead of one continuous rope passing round
said drum the same may be divided, and the separate ropes be attached
to the drum and to the platform and its counterbalance respectively, but
in either case the platform and its counterbalance are connected or

page_text: operated by or through the hoisting drum, so that they have equal move-
ments in opposite directeons, and are always in the same relative position
as measured through the connecting rope or ropes.
E is the counterbalance of the platform. This counterbalance is hero
shown as an independent weight arranged to travel up and down within
or between guides b, b, on posts or uprights F, F, said counterbalance
being attached at c to the one end of the hoisting rope D, and the
platform B attached at d to the other end of such rope. Instead of a
separate weight however being used as a counterbalance to the plat-
form B a second platform may take its place.
G is an auxiliary or primary and automatic safety rope, the one end of
which is attached at e to a bar H, which freely rests on top of the
platform, and which carries the latter's locking devices here shown, but
said locking devices may be changed or others substituted for them
without affecting the Invention. From the point or place of attach-
ment e the rope G passes over guide pulleys I, and from thence to
locking devices on or carried by the counterbalance, and which
may be similar to those on the platform, or of any other suitable
description, so long as they hold on the guide posts in the hoistway,
f here representing such rope's attachment to the locking devices of
the counterbalance, and H' indicating a free bar or weight resting on the
counterbalance, and serving to carry its locking devices. This rope G
is free to move with the platform and its counterbalance, and is of such
length that it runs in a slack or loose manner over its guide pulleys,
with no other resistance than its own weight and friction, which the
weight of the bars H, H', respectively overcome during movement in
opposite directions without raising either of said bars. Should the
hoisting rope D break however or be unduly stretched both the platform B
and its counterbalance E will descend relatively to the auxiliary rope G,
causing the latter to remain nearly stationary with the locking devices
or bars H, H, thereof suspended at its opposite ends, upon which the
platform and its counterbalance respectively descend and securely lock
themselves. The loose or free bars H, H', arc of sufficient weight to
secure the travel of the rope G over its guide pulleys without raising said
bars from their respective inactive positions, or the same result may be
effected by springs connecting said bars to the platform or cage and its
counterbalance respectively.

page_text: The locking devices here shown consist of pendent friction-blocks-g
on the ends of the free bars H, H', said friction blocks bearing at their
backs when pressed outwards against the guides a, a, b, b, of the posts,
but at other times being free from contact with said guides. These
friction blocks are of a wedge shape on their faces, against which rest
loose rollers i contained in inclined pockets k made in the cross beams
of the platform and counterbalance respectively, so that the descent of
the platform and counterbalance relatively to the free bars H, H, or
the lifting of said bars relatively to the platform and counterbalance
will force the friction blocks g of the locking devices out against the
posts in the hoistway or guides thereon. Such locking devices may be
applied to both the top and bottom of the platform and its counter-
balance, or either of them, as shown in case of the platform at the left
hand of Figure 1, a rod, which may have a screw adjustment connecting
the upper and lower friction blocks together.
In some cases the rope G instead of being attached at both of its ends
to locking devices may be connected only at its one end to locking
devices on or applied to the platform, and be directly connected, that is,
not through the interposition of locking devices with the counter-
balance, but in such case the rope G and its attachments require to be
of greater strength to sustain the counterbalance, the weight of which
will be transferred to the rope G by the breaking of the hoisting
rope, and should the rope G also break it will result in the fall of
the counterbalance only as the platform will be locked by the first
motion.
K is an additional safety rope, having its one end connected at 2 to
the locking devices at the top or one end of the travelling cage or
platform, and after passing over suitable pulleys to give it the required
direction, having its other end connected with the bottom or opposite
end of the platform as at m, so that said rope moves in common with
the platform, and 'may be operated by hand from the outside of the
platform at different points in the height of the hoistway to actuate the
locking devices on the platform, or so that the locking devices may be
automatically operated by a stationary governor through the intervention
of said rope K, which also serves as it moves in common with the
platform to operate the governor. To these ends the rope K is repre-
sented as passing from its connection at 7 with the locking devices of
the platform up over guide pulleys L, L, above the hoistway, and from

page_text: •
thence down the one side of the hoistway through an eye n in a turning
gripping disc or device M and corresponding slots n¹ in a case N, which
encloses the disc, and is secured to one of the guide posts A of the hoist-
way. Said rope K is then further continued downward under a fixed
guide pulley O, and from thence up over one of a pair of independently
rotating guide pulleys P, P, in a fixed frame Q and down and around a
pulley R which drives the stationary governor S. The rope K is then
continued up over the other guide pulley P and down from it under a
pulley T in the lower part of the hoistway, and from thence to the lower
end of the platform, where it is connected at m.
This
The rope-gripping device or disc M has attached to its shaft which
provides for its turning a weighted lever U. This lever has its weighted
end held raised when the governor S, as actuated by the platform
through the action of the rope K is not unduly accelerated.
position of the lever U is maintained by the hold on its forward end of a
hooked or tripping bell crank V, with which the governor is connected
by a pin and elongated hole z to allow of its moving to a certain extent
without operating the trip, and when said lever is thus held or locked,
the rope K has a free passage through the slots n' in the case N, and
eye n in the gripping disc or device M. In case however of a too rapid
descent of the platform, the governor S is accelerated by the rope K
moving in concert with the platform, to an extent that causes it to trip
the bell crank V from the lever U, so that the weighted end of said
lever is free to drop, and so turn the gripping disc or device M as to
cause the rope K to crook or bind between it and the case N and firmly
hold it, so that the platform in descending will leave the weight or bar
H suspended, and thus the locking devices will be put into operation
and the further descent of the platform be checked.
Of course the tripping and rope gripping devices herein described may
be variously modified, and this Invention is not restricted to any
particular kind, nor yet to a particular construction of locking devices.
The governor trip and gripping devices may also be arranged to
operate by and upon the auxiliary safety rope G.
Not only may the rope K be used to automatically operate the locking
devices as described, but when from any cause it is desirable to arrest at
will the descent of the platform, without resort to other or the usual
appliances which may be inopportune, a person on any floor of the

page_text: building within which the platform works, may by grasping the rope K
actuate the locking devices or hold the bar H so that the platform locks
itself.
Means which also may be variously modified as regards details, are also
provided by which a person riding in the platform can operate the
locking devices on or carried by the latter. Thus, W is a rope, chain,
or rod within reach of a person riding on the platform B, and connected
with a lever Y in the top of the cage or platform and arranged so that
by pulling on the rope or connection W, the free bar H is raised and
with it the friction blocks g of the locking devices, by which the descent
of the platform is arrested.
The several means herein described of locking the platform, as also the
counterbalance if desired, may either be used separately or in com-
bination, and if necessary to give additional safety two or more hoisting
ropes may be used.
Referring to Figs. 6 and 7 of the Drawing, the hoisting drum or
pulley O is arranged below, and the hoisting rope D, which is attached at
its one end d to the platform B is run over a top sheave or pulley A¹,
down round the hoisting drum, up past a guide pulley B¹, and over upper
pulleys C', O', down to the counterbalance E, while the auxiliary or
primary safety rope G, starting from its connection at e with the locking
devices of the platform, passes over upper guide pullies I, I, down to
the counterbalance E, or to the locking devices carried by the counter-
balance.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements
in Hoisting Apparatus," as communicated to me by my foreign corre-
spondent, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim,—
First. In a hoisting apparatus in which the cage or travelling platform
and its counterbalance are connected and operated by or through the
hoisting rope or drum or pulley of the said rope, the combination there-
with of a safety rope connected at its one end with locking devices
carried by the said platform, and at its opposite end either with a
locking device of a counterbalance, or with the latter direct, or with the
locking device of a second platform constituting a counterbalance for