Improvements in or relating to Means or Apparatus for Securing and Releasing the Doors or Gates of Hoists, and for Holding them Open, and for Affording Protection against Personal Injury.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 4th June, 1897-Accepted, 10th July, 1897
Improvements in or relating to Means or Apparatus for Securing
and Releasing the Doors or Gates of Hoists, and for Holding them
Open, and for Affording Protection against Personal Injury.
We, EDWIN OLDROYD AND COMPANY LIMITED, of Crown Works, Crown Street, Leeds,
in the County of York, Engineers, EDWIN OLDROYD, of Selborne House, South Park
Road, Harrogate, Engineer, and HENRY HORWOOD JENNINS, of 9 Grange View,
Chapeltown Road, Leeds aforesaid, member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus or mechanism for affording personal protection,
and securing and releasing the sliding doors or gates of hoists and for holding them
open, which is not only simple in construction, automatic in action,and readily applied,
but also acts as a brake upon the door, or doors of the hoist whilst the same are
being closed.
This invention is fixed in the space between the door or gate of the hoist and the
cage, in a suitable position as regards each floor, and the door or gate of the same
communicating with the cage of the hoist, say for example, two or more levers which
may be arranged somewhat in a line with each other and mounted on suitable pivots
or studs fixed to the framework of the hoist or door or gate jambs. These levers are
suitably connected together, and one or more of them may be slotted.
Two of the said levers may also be provided with enlarged and inclined ends which
are arranged to pass under the door or gate or to enter a recess provided in it for
either holding the door or gate open or securing it when closed. The end of one of
the levers is also bent or curved and may or may not be armed with a runner so as to
project into the path of a double ended cam plate which is fixed to and travels with
the cage.
Whenever either end of this cam plate comes in contact with the curved end or
runner of said lever, it has the effect of immediately withdrawing one of the inclined
ends of the levers out of contact with the door or gate, at the same time as it places
the opposite and inclined ends of the second lever into position to engage with the
sliding door or gate.
Whenever the door or gate (which may or may not be suitably counter-balanced) is
released from its open position, it is arranged to fall by its own weight, and the fall is
broken by the bottom of the door or gate coming in contact with the inclined end of
the lowest lever, which thereby acts as a brake.
Suitable springs, adjustable or otherwise, are employed for returning the levers to
their normal position.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Means or Apparatus for Securing and
Releasing the Doors or Gates of Hoists, and for Holding them
Open, and for Affording Protection against Personal Injury.
We, EDWIN OLDROYD AND COMPANY LIMITED, of Crown Works, Crown Street, Leeds,
in the County of York, Engineers, EDWIN OLDROYD, of Selborne House, South Park
Road, Harrowgate, Engineer, and HENRY HORWOOD JENNINS, of 9 Grange View,
Chapeltown Road, Leeds, aforesaid, member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers,
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 apparatus or mechanism for affording personal protection,
and securing and releasing the sliding doors or gates of hoists, as well as for holding
them open. The mechanism is not only simple in construction, automatic in action,
and readily applied, but also acts as a brake upon the door, or doors, or gate or gates
of the hoist whilst the same are being closed.
Hitherto many mechanical devices have been employed for achieving the above
objects, and thereby preventing accidents at Hoist Openings. Some of such devices
provide for the opening and closing of the gates or doors by means of levers, pulleys,
and chains arranged to be operated by the cage as it passes up and down the Hoist
But the great drawback of the above and similar arrangements is the fact that
the Hoist doors or gates are opened each time the cage passes any floor, whether
required or not. This is not only very unsatisfactory as it increases the liability to
accidents, but it also necessitates a great waste of power, as well as the unnecessary
wear and tear of several of the moving parts.
race.
The object of this invention is to overcome these defects and to provide means
whereby the Hoist gate or door can only be opened when the cage is at the floor level
of the hoist opening it is intended to use.
In the drawings hereunto annexed :-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of part of a hoist showing the gate open and secured
in that position by means of this invention.
Fig. 2 a perspective view of part of a hoist showing the Hoist gate closed and
locked by means of this invention.
Figs. 3 and 4 are side and end elevations drawn to a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2,
of apparatus for locking the Hoist gate when in a closed position and securing it in
an open or raised position.
A is the framework of the Hoist, B the cage, shown only at Fig. 1, C the chain
for raising and lowering the cage, and D the sliding door or gate, hereinafter termed
and included in the term the sliding gate D, arranged to slide in suitable slides
provided for it, at each floor, in the framework.
The above described parts together with the means for raising and lowering the
cage, not shown in the drawings, may be of the usual and ordinary construction.
Fixed in the place between the sliding gate D and the cage B in a suitable
position (as regards each floor, and the sliding gate D of the same communicating
with the cage B) are say for example two or more levers-three levers marked E, F, G,
are shown in the drawings-which may be arranged somewhat in a line with each
other mounted on suitable pivots or studs or bolts f g attached to a sole plate H
which is fixed to the framework A or sliding gate jambs. The levers E, F, G are
suitably connected together, and may be slotted, as for instance the lever E which is
pivotally fulcrumined to the same pivot f as lever F, and connected to the lever F
by the bolt f, whilst the ends of levers F and G are also connected together by the

page_text: The upper end of lever E and lower end of lever F are also provided with enlarged
and inclined ends e f (see Figs. 1, 2, and 3) which are arranged in opposite
directions and to pass under the sliding gate D or over a catch plate d fixed to the
sliding gate D as at Fig. 2, or to enter a recess provided in it for either holding the
aliding gate D open or securing it when closed. The end of the lever G is also bent
or curved and it is (or may not be) armed with a runner G so as to project into the
path of a double ended cam plate I which is fixed to and travels with the cage B.
When, the lever G is armed with a runner G¹ it is preferably bifurcated, and the
runner is mounted on a pin g¹ between the prongs of the fork. The projecting end
of the pin gl also works in a slot A in the sole plate H.
Whenever either end of this cam plate I comes in contact with the curved end or
runner G1 of lever G, during the travelling of the cage B, it has the effect of
immediately withdrawing one of the inclined ends of the levers out of contact with
the sliding gate D and at the sametime it places the opposite and inclined ends of
the second lever into position to engage with the sliding door or gate. That is, when
say the end of cam plate I comes in contact with runner G' the inclined end f
will be drawn clear of the sliding gate D and the inclined end e¹ of lever E will be
moved into the path of the said gate D. But when the end i of cam plate I comes in
contact with the runner G', a reverse action of the inclined ends fe takes place.
When the straight or flat portion of the cam plate 1 is acting on the runner G, as
at Fig. 1, then the end e' of lever E will be in the path of the sliding gate D. The
cam plate I is fixed in such a position on the cage of the Hoist that the flat portion i³
of the cam plate I is in contact with the runner G whenever the cage B stops at a
given floor. This enables the sliding gate D to be raised to the position shown at
Fig. 1, after the cage has ceased travelling, and to be held in a raised position by the
end el of lever E passing under the bottom of the sliding gate D. When the cage B
is travelling, and it is not required to stop at, say for example, the first and second
floors, but at the third floor, then the cam plate I simply passes over the runner G¹
and immediately it has passed over the runner the levers E, F, G resume the position
shown in the drawings at Fig. 3.
The levers E F are returned to their normal position,-after being acted upon by the
cam plate 1,-by the a djustable or other springs J and K mounted upon the
pins and k fixed respectively to lugs h h on the sole plate H and working through the
lugs on the said levers, said springs being interposed between the lugs as
shown.
Whenever the sliding gate D (which is raised by hand and which may or may not
be suitably counter-balanced) is released from its open position, it is arranged to fall
by its own weight, and the fall is broken by the bottom of sliding gate D coming
in contact with the inclined end of the lever I which thereby acts as a brake
for the gate.
It will be readily understood that first, a separate set of levers E, F, G are employed
for each floor. Second, although three levers E, F, G are shown, and described, in
the drawings, yet if desired the number may be increased or decreased, say for
example to two, in which case one of the levers might be made longer than the
other, arined at each end with the enlarged inclines, pivoted at or about its centre,
and connected as described to a shorter lever armed with a runner or bent as
described. Third, the sole plate H may in some cases be dispensed with and the
levers mounted directly on the framework A.
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 wecl aim is :-
1. The arrangement and combination of levers, springs, runner, and cam plate
fixed substantially as herein before described in the space of the Hoist between the
sliding doors or gates and travelling cage by means of which the sliding doors or
gates of the Hoist may be unlocked, raised, and secured in a raised position one at a
time, when the cage is stationary and its bottom level with the floor or the storey of

page_text: the building requiring to communicate with the said cage, and the said opened door
or gate released and closed by the travelling cage as soon as it commences to ascend
or descend, the remainder or the sliding doors and gates, which communicate with
the well of the Hoist, meanwhile remaining closed and locked.
2. In means or apparatus for securing and releasing the sliding doors or gates of
Hoists the combination of two or more levers connected together, one or more of such
levers being provided with inclined ends and armed with a runner as described, said
levers being mounted pivotably upon the framework of the Hoist within the space
between the sliding gates and the travelling cage with or without a sole plate, a catch
plate fixed to each of said sliding gates, and a cam plate fixed to the travelling cage,
whereby one of said sliding gates may be unlocked, raised, and held in an open
position at a time (the remainder of the gates being closed and locked) whenever the
travelling cage is stationary at a desired floor and its bottom in a level therewith,
said opened sliding gate being immediately released and closed as soon as the cage
again commences to travel, all arranged substantially as herein described and
illustrated.
Dated this third day of Lune
HENRY HORWOOD JENNINS.
P. pro EDWIN OLROYD & Co., LTD.,
R. MENNELL,
Secretary.