IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND WORKING OF HYDRAULIC LIFTS APPLICABLE TO OTHER PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION APPLICABLE TO OTHER SIMILAR APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING LOADS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Marsh Day, William Robert Green, Henry Claude
Walker and Robert Carey, all of Falmouth Road, Great Dover Street, in the
County of Surrey, Engineers, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
ARRANGEMENT AND WORKING OF HYDRAULIC LIFTS APPLICABLE TO OTHER
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Marsh Day, William
Robert Green, Henry Claude Walker and Robert Carey at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 31st August 1882.
JOHN MARSH DAY, WILLIAM ROBERT GREEN, HENRY CLAUDE WALKER, and
ROBERT CAREY, all of Falmouth Road, Great Dover Street, in the County of
Surrey, Engineers, "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND WORKING OF
HYDRAULIC LIFTS, APPLICABLE TO OTHER SIMILAR APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND
LOWERING LOADS
"
Our invention relates to an improved arrangement of apparatus for raising and
lowering loads, and consists essentially in a novel construction of the accumulator
usually employed in connection with the above apparatus, whereby the raising of
the load is effected by a much lower pressure than that required by the apparatus
hitherto in use.
For this purpose we propose to construct the accumulator with an inner or
central ram, in addition to the ordinary ram, and upon this ram, which is firmly
secured to the cylinder by means of bolts or other equivalent device, we arrange
the outer or weighted ram to slide, the one thus forming a guide for the other.
We also provide at any convenient position upon or near the cylinder, a valve
so arranged as to control the opening and closing of three different ports or
passages, one of which ports leads from the cylinder to the inner or central ram,
another of which leads from the cylinder to the lifting cylinder whilst the third
opens out to the waste water tank or discharge.

page_text: By this arrangement a very much higher effective pressure can readily be
obtained than that supplied from the pumps or other available source.
This arrangement also enables the use of balance weights to be dispensed with.
In order to make our invention more clearly understood we will now proceed
to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings illustrative of our Invention, in
which
Figure 1. Represents a sectional elevation through an accumulator.
Figure 2. Being a similar view, but shewing position of ram when the cage or
hoist is raised
By this arrangement a very much higher effective pressure can readily be
obtained than that supplied from the pumps or other available source.
This arrangement also enables the use of balance weights to be dispensed with.
In order to make our invention more clearly understood we will now proceed
to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings illustrative of our Invention, in
which
Figure 1. Represents a sectional elevation through an accumulator.
Figure 2. Being a similar view, but shewing position of ram when the cage or
hoist is raised
Figure 3. Is a longitudinal section through the valve.
A, Being the Cylinder of the accumulator
B, B, Are the weights
C, The ram
D, The inner or fixed ram
E, The valve chamber
F, The valve
G, Port leading from chamber E to ram D
H, Port leading from chamber E to lifting ram.
I, Port leading from chamber E to waste
K, L, M, N, Ports in valve F.
In construction we propose to make the area of the cylinder A, such, that the
pressure exerted by virtue of the weights B, B, upon the ram C, shall be somewhat
less than that required to sustain the lifting ram together with its cage or hoist.
This being so, in order to obtain the increased pressure necessary to raise the case,
together with its load, the valve F, is moved so as to open the ports G, and H,
whereupon communication being established between the cylinder A, and the
ram D, the upper and lower surface of the bottom of the ram C, are thereby
brought into equilibrium to the extent of the area of the fixed or inner ram D,
leaving only the annular area, equivalent to the difference in the area of the Ram C,
and the fixed ram D, to support the whole weight, whereby the pressure exerted
within the cylinder A, is materially increased whence it operates through the
passage H, upon the lifting ram or hoist.
When it is required to lower the cage or hoist, the valve F is moved in a
backward direction so as to bring its port K immediately over the passage G', the
two passages G and I being at the same time brought into communication by the
port K, N, whilst the passage H, is in direct communication through the port L,
with the accumulator cylinder A

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Marsh Day, William Robert Green, Henry Claude Walker
and Robert Carey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th February 1883.
JOHN MARSH DAY, WILLIAM ROBERT GREEN, HENRY CLAUDE WALKER, and
ROBERT CAREY, all of Falmouth Road, Great Dover Street, in the county of
Surrey, Engineers IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ARRANGEMENT AND WORKING OF
HYDRAULIC LIFTS, APPLICABLE TO OTHER SIMILAR APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND
LOWERING LOADS
"
' ""
Our invention relates to lifts or elevators actuated by hydraulic pressure, and
used for raising and lowering persons, goods, or other loads, to or from different
floors or levels and more especially to that form of such hydraulic lifts or
elevators in which the constant weight of the platform or carriage is nearly
balanced by the constant pressure of water, chains, pullies, and balance weights
to the lift not being required, whilst the weight to be raised is lifted by the sub-
mission of an additional area to the pressure of water when necessary, or is lowered
by the removal of the pressure from such additional area.
It has for its objects improvements in the construction and arrangement of the
accumulator, or that part of the apparatus by means of which the pressure of water,
supplied under sufficient pressure from pumps or other suitable source, is utilized
and transmitted in the proper manner as desired to the piston or plunger of the
elevator platform or carriage, so that such accumulator is simple, compact, and
easily and cheaply made and operated, and very effective when in operation.
In order to put our invention in operation, we construct the accumulator with a
vertical outer cylinder; through the upper open end of which rises and falls (with
the intervention of a suitable stuffing box or its equivalent) a hollow weighted ram
or piston.
The upper end of this hollow weighted ram or piston is also provided with a
stuffing box or its equivalent and slides upon a concentric cylinder of less diameter
the lower end of which is open, whilst its upper end is firmly fixed to beams or
other suitable supports and is also preferably connected to the lower cylinder by
sufficiently strong bolts or stays.
The accumulator constructed and arranged as described is placed in any
convenient position in the neighbourhood of the lift which is to be actuated, and
the cylinder of the lift is connected to the outer cylinder of the accumulator by a
pipe, with the intervention of an adjustable valve preferably of the kind herein-
after described. From the same valve a second pipe is brought so as to communicate
between the valve and the upper end of the central internal cylinder already
described and a third pipe is also arranged by which when required a
communication can be made through the valve between the central internal
cylinder and the open air or to a waste water tank or any receptacle into which the
water can be discharged. The lower end of the movable weighted ram or piston is
closed and the valve is connected to the lift in the usual well known way so that
it can be operated as desired by persons using the lift at any height of the platform
or carriage.
The accompanying drawing is in illustration of our invention. Figure 1 being
a vertical section through the accumulator and through the lift the latter being at
the top of its stroke, but shewn broken off in its height. Figure 2 a front view of
the accumulator when the lift is at the bottom of its stroke, and figure 3 a section
through a regulating valve of the kind which we prefer to use. The same letters
of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures. A is the carriage or
platform of the lift supported in the usual way upon the upper end of the lift ram B
which descends through the stuffing box Ŭ into the lift cylinder D in which it

page_text: rises and falls in the usual way. E is the lower outer cylinder of the accumulator
firmly supported by the frame F on the foundation G. The upper concentric small
cylinder is shown at H firmly attached to the framing I at its upper end, and
also connected and stayed to the lower cylinder E by bolts K K. The hollow
weighted ram L loaded with weights L', works through a stuffing box M at the
upper end of the lower cylinder E; and is itself provided with a stuffing box N at
its upper end which slides upon the internal concentric cylinder H the lower end
of which at O is open whilst the lower end of the hollow weighted ram L is closed
at P. The regulating valve is shown at R and S is a pipe which can be made to
communicate through the valve, when desired between the outer accumulator
cylinder E (from the lower part of the latter where a hollow weighted piston
instead of a ram is used) and the lift cylinder D whilst T is a pipe through which
a communication can be made as desired either between the outer cylinder E and
the inner upper concentric cylinder H or between the latter and a waste water
cistern or discharge pipe at U. Water under sufficient pressure is applied to the
apparatus from pumps or other convenient source into the outer cylinder E or
the valve chamber e
The action of the apparatus constructed and arranged as described is as follows :-
The upper cylinder H being made to communicate with the discharge pipe U,
pressure is removed from the interior of the hollow weighted ram L and the weight of
the lift platform or carriage at A and its ram B is just sufficient to rise the weighted
ram L and its weights L' the water in the lift cylinder D passing (through the
valve R) into the external cylinder E through the pipe S. When it is required to
raise the lift ram B and its load the valve at R is moved so that the discharge
pipe U is closed and the water under pressure is admitted through the pipe T into
the smaller upper cylinder H and into the hollow weighted ram L the additional
pressure tending to force the latter down being proportioned to the area of the
external diameter of the upper smaller cylinder H which is of such size that the
additional pressure so added is sufficient to raise the greatest load that it is
intended shall be lifted by the carriage or platform A. These operations can be
repeated as often as desired the valve at R being actuated by the usual well
understood way by means of a rope or chain W actuating the gear X as desired
and itself operated from any part of the height of the lift.
Figure 3 is a section upon a larger scale of the regulating valve which we
prefer to use for the purpose hereinbefore described. e is the valve chamber into
which water under sufficient pressure is admitted from any suitable source of
supply. is the slide valve, ga port leading from the chamber e to the pipe T
and the upper hollow fixed cylinder H and h a port leading from the chamber e to
the lift cylinder D. A third port i leads from the chamber e to the discharge
pipe U. Suitable ports and passages are shewn at k l m and n in the valve f.
When it is required to lift the rain B with its load, the valve f is moved so as to
open the ports g and h, communication being thus made between the cylinder E
and the hollow fixed upper cylinder H the additional downward internal pressure
required being thus exerted upon the hollow rain L and thus raising the lift ram B
and the platform or carriage and load A. When it is required to lower the lift 4
ram B and the platform and load A. the valve f is moved until its ports k and n
open a communication through the ports g and i between the pipe T and the
discharge pipe U, whilst the pipe S makes a direct communication through the
passage between the outer accumulator cylinder E and the lift cylinder D.
Where more convenient, from want of vertical space or other cause, the 5
cylinders E and H may be fixed horizontally instead of vertically, the moveable
hollow ram L being forced. into the cylinder E by means of sufficiently heavy
weights attached to chains or ropes connected to the ram, and passing over pullies..
Or the entire apparatus may be inverted, the ram L being forced upward by.
sufficiently heavy weights similarly arranged.
5
We are aware that it has long been usual in hydraulic lifts to balance or nearly
balance the permanent weight of the lift ram and platform or carriage, by means of

page_text: the pressure of water, chains, pullies, and balance weights being in this way
unneeded, and we do not claim generally the use of hydraulic pressure for such
purpose, but having described our invention and the manner in which it is to be
performed, We claim:-The combination in hydraulic lifts of the lower external
fixed cylinder, the upper hollow concentric small fixed cylinder, and the intermediate
movable hollow weighted ram or piston sliding in the lower fixed cylinder and
upon the upper smaller fixed cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described and shown in the drawing.
Also the combination with the fixed outer cylinder, the upper fixed hollow
inner cylinder, and the weighted movable ram, of the regulating valve, and connecting
pipes by which the interior of the hollow movable weighted ram can be put in
communication through the upper fixed hollow cylinder, with the lower fixed
cylinder, or with a discharge pipe as desired, substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described and shewn in the drawing.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Green for myself and on
behalf of my Copatentees have hereunto set my hand and seal this
twenty seventh day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
WILL ROBT. GREEN (L.S.)