An Improved Observation Tower.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 6th Oct., 1894
An Improved Observation Tower.
We, MORRIS FORD SMITH, of No. 1917 Fontaine Street, in the City of
Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Mechanical
Engineer, and HORACE PETTIT, of S.E. corner of Chestnut and Fifth Streets,
in said City of Philadelphia, Attorney-at-Law, 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 an observation tower of any desired
height having a passenger carrying platform from which an uninterrupted view from
all points may be had during both the ascent and descent of the platform, such a
tower being of especial value for seashore and mountain resorts, exhibitions and
the like.
To this end we construct a tower of any desired height and arrange around the
same a platform which may be raised and lowered upon vertical guides formed
preferably by portions of the structural work of the tower, and upon this platform
is placed a passenger platform which may be revolved by any suitable mechanism
during the ascent and descent of the elevator so that the passengers may have an
uninterrupted view from all sides of the tower during the entire time they occupy
the same.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a tower provided with a passenger platform in
accordance with our invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on the line 3-3 Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation, on an enlarged scale of a portion of the tower and
the platform, and
Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view on the line 5--5 Fig. 4.
In Fig. 1 the upper and lower portions only of the tower are shown and the
intervening portion is of the same construction and of any desired height. The
tower in the present instance is hexagonal in cross section, but this form of course,
may be altered as desired, the form shown, however, being a desirable one,
convenient to construct and costing but comparatively little, as the iron employed
is that in ordinary commercial use. At the meeting points of the various sides or
angles of the tower are angle irons, A, of V-shape in cross section, extending in
sections from top to bottom of the tower and connected and braced by inner
horizontally disposed T-bars, B, and cross bars, b, extending from the junctions of
the horizontal bars, B, with the vertical bars, A. At the top of the tower is a
platform, D, upon which the passengers may pass after the passenger platform has
reached its highest point but which is intended principally to serve as a support
for a number of standards or bearing blocks, E, F, in which are shafts, e, f, the
former carrying sheave, e', over which the hoisting ropes, e³, for the hoisting
platform may pass, and the standards, F, carrying the shafts, f, on which are
mounted sheaves, f¹, over which are guided ropes, f, carrying counter-balance
weights, G, which may partially counter-balance the weight of such hoisting
platform. Extending around the tower is a platform, H, formed of a series of
angle and channel bars, and provided with circular tracks h on which are guided
wheels, h', carried by the passenger platform, J. In order to more securely brace
the platform, H, I provide at some distance below the same, a ring, K, formed of
angle iron encircling the tower from which extend bracing bars or struts, to the
ने

page_text: underside of the platform, H, and from a point about midway from the struts, k,
extend bracing bars, 1, extending to a second ring, L, which forms the extreme
inner portion of the platform, H. The rings K and L are rigidly secured together
by vertically disposed angle bars, L', at each angle of the tower, and which also
serve to support at points immediately above the ring, L, and below the ring, K,
the grooved rollers, m, which are adapted to guide the platform, H, in a vertical
path, the rollers resting against the angle irons, A, and preventing any lateral
displacement or circular movement of the platform, H. Connected to this
platform, H, are counterbalance ropes, f, extending over the sheave, f, on the
platform, D, and carrying at their opposite ends the counterbalance weights, G, as
before stated, so that a portion of the weight of the platform will be taken from
the main hoisting ropes, e², which extend over the sheaves, e¹, and at their lower
ends pass around winding drums, M, mounted on suitable shafts which may be
driven synchronously by the worm gearing, N, from a central power shaft, n.
The base of the tower imbedded in the ground to a desired depth and from a
distance above the base extend anchoring bars or rods, O, connected to plates, o,
imbedded in the ground, while the base is further anchored by a series of cross
bars, O¹, extending through the base portion of the tower beneath an inner
horizontally disposed ring, o¹, held in position against the same by bolts, o,
extending through a plate, o³, placed on the surface of the ground and forming a
bed plate for the hoisting machinery.
The passenger platform, J, is annular in form and is provided at each edge with
enclosing hand rails, j, and on its under side has supporting wheels, h', adapted to
the circular tracks, h, of the hoisting platform, H; in order to prevent any lateral
movement of the passenger platform the hoisting platform carries at points just
below its upper guiding rollers, m, a circular track, P, against which the anti-
friction rollers, p, carried by the passenger platform may travel, these rollers and
the track, P, serve to keep the rollers, h, upon their tracks, h, so that it is
unnecessary to employ flanged rollers for the purpose.
In
The mechanism for revolving the passenger platform is of any suitable character,
a preferable form being that illustrated wherein the hoisting platform, H, is
extended out at diametrically opposite points to form on one side a support, Q,
for an electric motor, R, and on the opposite side to form a support, 7, for a grooved
idler, r, the motor being geared down and adapted to revolve a pulley, r, from
which extends a wire cable belt, S, adapted to a groove, s, in the edge of the
platform, J, the cable or belt extending also around the idler, r, so that the pulling
strain of the cable will be equalized and the passenger platform will not be pulled
over toward the motor. The motor may, however, be carried by the passenger
platform and drive a roller or cable operatively connected to the passenger platform
or tower, or a gas engine or other motor may be employed for the purpose.
some cases the vertical movement of the platform may be transformed into a
revolving motion and the platform be revolved without any auxiliary motor power
as will be readily understood. The necessary electric current for the motor may
be transmitted through a flexible cable, such as are ordinarily used for lighting
purposes in passenger elevators, or it may preferably be supplied by a trolley
wire, T, provided vertically upon the outer walls of the tower and against which
may bear a trolley wheel, t, carried by an arm, t¹, pivoted to the under side of the
platform, H, and held in contact by a spring or other suitable device. In
operation the passengers are assembled on the platform J, at base of the tower
and after the hoisting drums have been started in motion the electric motor upon
the platform, H, is set in operation and as the hoisting platform is raised to the top
of the tower and with it the passenger platform, the latter is revolved at any
desired speed by means of the motor and its cable, s, so that the passengers while
ascending or descending will at the same time also be rotated horizontally and
during the ascent and descent of the platform may have an uninterrupted view from
all sides of the tower, the platform at the extreme top of the tower may be
employed when the passengers desire to remain at the top, and there if
may,

page_text: necessary be intervening platforms at various heights within the tower proper when
the latter is of any great height.
For the convenience of passengers we may provide a number of revoluble or
other seats, and the platform may be stepped, as illustrated in Fig. 1.
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. In combination, a tower, a platform encircling the same with mechanism for
raising and lowering and for revolving said platform, substantially as specified.
2. In combination, a tower, a hoisting platform encircling the same, mechanism
for elevating and lowering the said platform, a passenger platform supported upon
the hoisting platform and mechanism for revolving said passenger platform,
substantially as specified.
3. In combination, a tower, a hoisting platform encircling said tower and having
supporting tracks, mechanism for elevating and lowering said platform, a passenger
platform having rollers or wheels adapted to said tracks, with mechanism for
revolving said passenger platform, substantially as specified.
4. The combination of the tower, the hoisting platform, mechanism for raising
and lowering said platform, supporting tracks on said platform, a guiding track also
carried by said platform and a passenger platform having supporting and guiding
wheels adapted to the tracks of the hoisting platform, with mechanism for revolving
said passenger platform, substantially as specified.
5. In combination, a tower having vertical guides, a hoisting platform encircling
said tower and having wheels adapted to said guides, a passenger platform mounted
upon the hoisting platform and mechanism for revolving said passenger platform,
substantially as specified.
6. In combination, the tower having vertical guides, a hoisting platform encircling
said tower and having wheels adapted to said guides, an engine or motor carried
by said hoisting platform, a passenger platform mounted upon the hoisting platform,
said passenger platform being operatively connected to and revolved by said engine
or motor, substantially as specified.
7. The combination of the tower, a hoisting platform encircling said tower, a
lower supporting ring beneath said platform and also encircling said tower, bracing
bars extending from said ring to the underside of the platform, guiding wheels
carried by said platform and ring adapted to vertical guides on or forming part of
the tower, supporting tracks as h on said hoisting platform, a circular guiding
track, P, carried by the hoisting platform, a passenger platform having supporting
wheels adapted to travel on the tracks, h, and guiding wheels, p, adapted to the
circular track, P, with mechanism for revolving said passenger platform,
substantially as specified.
8. The combination of the tower, a hoisting platform encircling the same,
hoisting mechanism, an electric motor supported upon said hoisting platform, a
passenger platform mounted upon the hoisting platform and adapted to be revolved
by said electric motor, an electric conductor or trolley extending from the bottom
to the top of the tower and a trolley arm carried by the hoisting platform and
adapted to conduct the current from the trolley to the electric motor, substantially
as specified.
9. An observation tower of the same diameter from its base to its top, vertical
guides formed on the exterior of such tower, a platform encircling said tower and
adapted to such guides, mechanism for raising and lowering said platform, and a
passenger platform mounted upon the hoisting platform with mechanism for
revolving said passenger platform, substantially as specified.
10. The combination of the tower, angle bars, as A, forming vertical guides, a
hoisting platform, as H, a supporting frame therefor comprising angle bars, L',
arranged at the angles of the tower, encircling rings, K and L, secured to said
angle bars, L', bracing bars connecting the rings and platform, guiding wheels

page_text: as m, secured to the angle bars, L', and guided upon the bars, A, a circular guiding
track, as P, carried by the angle bars, L', a passenger platform mounted upon the
hoisting platform, guiding rollers on the passenger platform, adapted to said
track, P, and mechanism for revolving said passenger platform, substantially as
specified.
The thin 00th den of Aust 1804
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.