Improvements in Stops for Elevator and other Cages.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left. 28th May, 1896-Accepted, 18th Ju'y, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stops for Elevator and other Cages.
We, THOMAS BELL, of McAlester, Indian Territory, Engineer, JOHN SIDNEY
WILLIAMS, Engineer, TALLIE MILLWEE, Druggist, and CHARLES INNS,
Book-keeper, all of Krebs, Indian Territory, United States of America, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to provide a simple device to be placed in the
bottom of an elevator well or mining shaft to serve as a cushion to receive the
descending cage so that the cage may be run with considerable speed without
liability of damage ensuing in consequence of the cage striking the bottom
suddenly.
To this end the apparatus comprises a cushioned striking plate or platform, a
locking device to retain the plate in its lower position, and means for automatically
releasing the plate and allowing it to rise to again receive the cage when the latter
is lifted.
The invention may also be used to advantage in cages which are arranged to
receive coal or similar trucks and which being depressed by the weight of the cage
and truck, and being prevented from rising by the locking device, holds the truck
in position to be readily loaded.
The striking plate or platform is supported on springs mounted on a base plate
and its downward movement is limited by suitable stops. From the underside of
the striking plate or platform and at a point near the centre, depends a screw which
is connected with the striking plate by a ball joint, the ball being held by a pin so
that it cannot turn horizontally, the object of the ball joint being to enable the
screw to maintain its vertical position without being strained, even though the
striking plate be considerably tilted. The screw extends downward through
the base plate, through a plate which is supported on legs above the base plate,
and through a ratchet wheel, the thread of the screw being engaged by a key in
the said ratchet wheel so that the vertical movement of the screw turns the ratchet
wheel. If desired the screw may be provided with several grooves and the ratchet
wheel with corresponding keys, or the ratchet wheel may be interiorly threaded to
fit the screw. The ratchet wheel is tapered on the under side so that it will turn
with little friction when the platform is being depressed, but its upper side is
provided with a shoulder which is received in a plate and causes the ratchet wheel
to turn with considerable friction when the platform is being lifted.
The
The ratchet wheel is prevented from turning by a pawl whose outer end is
pivoted to a connecting rod which extends outward and is pivoted to the lower end
of a lever provided with a spring which tends to pull its upper end outward.
upper end of the lever is connected with the lower end of a lever which has a
long hend adapted to be struck by a cage so as to push the lever out when the rage
is ascending and thus release the pawl so that the ratchet wheel may turn and the
striking plate rise.
When the elevator is used in connection with the rails of a coal track, vertically
swinging rails are employed, the latter being so connected with the striking plate
as to be caused to move up and down therewith. The movable rails are hinged at
their outer ends to the ordinary track rails and when the striking plate is lifted the
rails are on the same level and adapted to align with rails on the cage.
The

page_text: movable rails are provided with flanges secured to a movable swinging floor.
That edge of the platform which is adjacent to the movable rails is provided with
two notches or open slots to receive the ends of said rails.
From the foregoing it will be seen that when the stop is arranged in the bottom
of a mining shaft it will cushion a descending cage, the striking plate when
depressed being locked by the pawl so that the cage is in position to receive or
discharge its car, and that when the cage ascends it strikes the bent lever and
releases the pawl and ratchet wheel which permits the screw to turn and the spring
to raise the striking plate.
In lieu of springs, other forms of cushion for the striking plate may be used.
Dated this 3rd day of September 1805
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
improvements in Stops for Dievator and other ages.
We THOMAS BELL, Engineer, of McAlester, Indian Territory and JOHN
SIDNEY WILLIAMS, Engineer, TALLIE MILLWEE, Druggist, and CHARLES
INNs, Bookkeeper, all of Krebs, Indian Territory, United States of America 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:-
The object of our invention is to provide a simple device which is adapted to be
placed in the bottom of an elevator well or mining shaft, and which serves as a
cushion to receive the descending cage, thus allowing the attendant to run the cage
with greater speed and preventing the cage from receiving damage by striking the
bottom suddenly. Our stop device is also adapted to be locked in its depressed
position when struck by a cage and then be automatically released when the cage
is lifted, so as to place itself in position to again receive the cage. The object of
locking the stop device in its depressed position is to hold the cage stationary while
it is being unloaded, as otherwise the cushion would cause the cage to rise.
A further object of our invention is to provide a device which may be used to
advantage in cages which are arranged to receive coal or similar trucks, and which,
being depressed by the weight of the cage and truck and being prevented from
rising by the locking device holds the truck in position to be readily loaded.
To these ends our invention consists of certain features of construction and
combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in
all the views.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved stop;
Figure 2 is a detail view of the lever mechanism which is used for releasing the
stop so that it may rise again without being compressed; and
Figure 3 is a detail vertical section of the stop, showing its connection with the
rails of an ordinary coal track.
The stop is provided with a top striking plate or platform 10 which is supported
on springs 11 resting on a base plate 12, preferably mounted on suitable supports 13,
but it will be understood that instead of the spiral springs 11 shown, other springs
may be used or another form of cushion substituted for the springs, without
departing from the principle of the invention. The downward movement of the
striking plate or platform is limited by blocks 14 ou the base plate 12.
Depending from the under side of the striking plate or platform 10 and at a
point near the centre is a screw 15 which is connected with the striking plate by

page_text: a ball joint 16, the ball being held by a pin 16 working in slots of the bearing so
that it cannot turn horizontally, as shown in Figure 3. The object of the ball
joint is to enable the screw to maintain its vertical position without being strained,
even though the striking plate 10 be considerably tilted. The screw 15 extends
downward through a plate 17 which is supported on legs 18 and through a ratchet
wheel 19, the thread of the screw being engaged by a key 20 in the said ratchet
wheel, so that the vertical movement of the screw turns the ratchet wheel. The
screw also extends downward through the base plate 12 and the wear plate 21 on
which the ratchet wheel turns. If desired the screw may be provided with several
grooves and the ratchet wheel with corresponding keys, or the ratchet wheel may
be interiorly threaded to fit the screw. The ratchet wheel 19 is tapered on the
under side so that it will turn with little friction when the platform 10 and the
screw 15 are being depressed, but the upper side of the ratchet wheel is provided
with a shoulder 22 (Figure 3) which enters a plate 23 bolted to the under side of
the plate 17, and causes the ratchet wheel to turn with considerable friction when
the platform 10 is being lifted.
The ratchet wheel is prevented from turning by a pawl 24 which, however, may
be released by the levers connected with it, the pawl being fulcrumed on the under
side of the plate 17 and having its outer end pivoted to a connecting rod 25 which
extends outward and is pivoted to the lower end of a lever 26 which is fulcrumed
on a support 27 and is at the upper end pulled outward by a spring 27. The
upper end of the lever 26 connects by a rod 28 with the lower end of a lever 29
which is fulerumed on a suitable support and has a long bend 31 adapted to be
struck by a cage 32 so as to push the lever out when the cage is ascending and
thus release the pawl 24 so that the ratchet wheel may turn and the striking
plate 10 rise.
When the elevator is used in connection with the rails 37 of a coal track, as
shown in Figure 3, one edge of the striking plate 10 is provided with a rod 33
which enters slots 34 in the vertically swinging rails 35, which therefore are adapted
to move up, and down in unison with the striking plate. The rails 35 are hinged
at 36 at their outer ends to the ordinary track rails 37, and when the striking
plate 10 is lifted the rails 37 are level with the rails 35 and are of a height to align
with the rails on a cage which is adapted to receive the coal trucks running on the
track 37 in the usual way. The rails 35 are provided with flanges 35ª secured to
a movable floor portion 38 which is adapted to swing in a space 39.
That edge of
the platform 10 which is adjacent to the rails 35 is provided with two notches or
open slots, to receive the ends of said rails, as shown in Figures 1 and 3.
It will be seen from the foregoing that when the stop is arranged in the bottom
of a mining shaft, it will cushion a descending cage as specified, and when the
striking plate 10 is depressed it is locked by the pawl 24 so that the cage is in
position to receive or discharge its truck, and when the cage ascends it strikes the
bend 31 of the lever 29, thus actuating the levers connected therewith and
releasing the pawl 24 and ratchet wheel 19 which permits the screw 15 to turn and
the spring 11 to raise the striking plate 10.
We have shown but one set of swinging rails 35 connected with the striking
plate, but it will be understood that the striking plate will have a similar set of
rails on the opposite side, so that when a cage is on the striking plate it inay receive
or discharge trucks from either side.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is,
-
1. A stop of the kind described, comprising a cushioned striking plate, a locking
device to hold the striking plate in its lower position, and means for automatically
releasing the striking plate, substantially as described.
2. A stop of the kind described, comprising a cushioned striking plate, a ratchet
mechanism for locking the striking plate in its depressed position, and a lever

page_text: mechanism actuated by the rise of the cage from the striking plate to release the
ratchet mechanism, substantially as described.
3. A stop of the kind described, comprising a cushioned striking plate, a screw
on the under side of the striking plate, a ratchet wheel turned by the vertical
movement of the screw, a pawl to engage the ratchet wheel, and a lever mechanism
to release the pawl, substantially as described.
4. A stop of the kind described, comprising a cushioned striking plate, a screw
on the under side of the striking plate, a ball joint connecting the screw and
striking plate, a ratchet wheel turned by the vertical movement of the screw, a pawl
to lock the ratchet wheel, and a lever mechanism to release the pawl, substantially
as described.
5. A stop of the kind described, comprising a cushioned striking plate, a screw
on the under side of the striking plate, a ratchet wheel turned by the screw, a
bearing plate for the upper side of the ratchet wheel, a pawl to lock the ratchet
wheel, and a lever mechanism to release the pawl, substantially as described.
6. The combination, of the cushioned striking plate, the ratchet wheel turned
by the rise and fall of the striking plate, a pawl for preventing said ratchet wheel
from turning, a lever projecting above the striking plate to be engaged by a
cage, and mechanism actuated by the lever to release the pawl, substantially as
described.
7. The combination, with the cushioned striking plate and the stationary track
rails adjacent thereto, of the swinging track rails hinged to the rigid rails and
connected with the striking plate to rise and fall therewith, substantially as
described.
8. A stop of the kind described, comprising a cushioned striking plate, a locking
device to hold the striking plate in position when the cushion is compressed, and
means for releasing the striking plate, substantially as described.
9. The combination of the cushioned striking plate, and the swinging floor
section secured to a stationary support and also secured to the striking plate to rise
and fall therewith, substantially as described.
Dated this 28th day of May 1896.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.