A NEW OR IMPROVED LIFT
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 16th Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 17th May, 1887.
I, PER GUNNAR BACKMAN, 8 rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, France, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for A NEW OR IMPROVED LIFT to
be as follows:-
My invention relates to a new or improved system of lift or elevating apparatus,
based upon the forced ascending movement of a nut around its screw when such nut
is turned round and the screw kept fixed. In order that the various parts of the
apparatus may be more clearly understood, I shall now refer to the accompanying
drawings in which: fig. 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus on the line ab (fig. 3);
fig. 2 is an horizontal section on the line YZ; and fig. 3 is an horizontal section on the
line V X. In all these figures the same letters refer to the same or corresponding
parts.
A is a rail turned in the form of a screw, either angular, T shaped or otherwise.
B are vertical uprights of any suitable shape or form, on which the rails A in screw
form are fixed. It is obvious that any suitable frame may be used instead of said
uprights. C is a revolving crown or circular truck, furnished with any number of
friction rollers D arranged in screw form. This truck runs on the rail A, ascending
or descending in the same way as a nut turning round a fixed screw. G is an endless
cable passing over the extreme pulleys H H fixed at the extremities of the lift, then
over another pulley H¹ going round the revolving crown or truck in a groove or
grooves G', coming back by H and from thence arriving at the extreme pulley H
The pulleys H' and H" are fixed on the cage or cabin K and ascend with it.
K is a
cabin of one or more stories resting with slight friction on the revolving crown C by
means of friction rollers N, pivot M, or other suitable mechanism enabling it to
revolve on the truck C; or the friction rollers and pivot may be used in combination

page_text: This cabin is also furnished with rollers P working in grooves running along the
uprights B.
By this arrangement, the cabin K is made to turn or revolve on the truck C in such
manner that if a rotary movement is imparted to the crown C, the cabin K which rests
upon this crown,
rises with it without in any way partaking of its rotary movement.
M is the pivot of the cabin; it is not indispensable, but has the advantage of guiding
the revolving truck, and of maintaining it continually on the axis of the rail in screw
form A.
Having now described the construction of the apparatus, I will proceed to explain
the working of it.
The cable G being set in motion by a suitable motor and guided by the pulleys
HHHH, wraps itself one or more times round the hollow or groove of the
truck Cat G¹, imparting a rotary movement to the latter. This rotary movement
causes the truck to ascend or descend as the case may be, exactly as a nut is made
to ascend or descend when turned round a fixed screw. The rollers of the cabin revolve
on the truck C above described and the cabin ascends directly without revolving, by
means of its guides or rollers P running in slides or grooves in the uprights B.
This system of lift gives perfect security in case of accident, i.c. in case the driving
cable should snap. The weight of the truck instead of bearing vertically, only bears
along the inclination of the screw, enabling all the brakes to act without shocks. By
the addition of the above mentioned pivot, the revolving crown or truck is securely
held in the axis of the screw, thus removing all possibility of its getting off the rails;
should however such an event occur, the only result would be to stop the apparatus
without causing an accident.
The lift may be of any suitable form, material, or dimensions, and may be employed
for hoists, or lifting apparatuses of whatever kind; it may be constructed to work
vertically, or at any angle to suit local circumstances. The rail in screw form may be
placed either in the core of the screw, or a rotary movement may be given to the
revolving crown or truck, either by a steam, gas, or compressed air motor, or by any
suitable mechanical means. The helicoidal or screw form rail may also be made on
the rack and pinion system if found desirable.
Th J... con 1000

page_text: I, PER GUNNAR BACKMAN, of 22 Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, France, Engineer, 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:
My invention relates to a new or improved system of lift or elevating apparatus
based upon the forced ascending movement of a nut around its screw when such nut
is turned round and the screw kept stationary.
In order that the various details of this improved system may be more clearly
understood, I shall now refer to the accompanying drawings, in which: fig. 1 is an
exterior view of the apparatus partly in section, by a", ", fig. 3; fig. 2 is a front
view; fig. 3 is a plan view; and fig. 4 is a full view of the apparatus in elevation.
In all these figures similar letters refer to corresponding parts.
A is a spiral or screw-form rail fixed upon standards B. The rail is continuous.
C is a truck frame
The spiral rails and standards together form the well of the lift.
which, by means of friction rollers D arranged in spiral form, travels on the spiral
track. These rollers revolve on shafts E fixed to the truck frame by means of
on the core
brackets e e¹. The core of the truck is hollow. F is a cog wheel keyed
of the truck. G is a spiral wheel fixed by means of a special contrivance upon the
core of the truck. This contrivance is such as to allow the spiral wheel to turn loosely
on the core in one direction, but unites wheel and truck when turned in the opposite
direction.
H is the cage or car for receiving persons or goods as the case may be ; it is fitted
with slides or rollers J which slide or travel on guide ways K parallel with the axis of
the screw, and fixed to the standards.
m are counter
The guide ways are inside the track and are interrupted so as to leave room for the
friction rollers of the truck to pass. L is the floor or bottom of the car. This floor or
hottom is taken away in fig. 3 and the car is shown in dotted lines. On this bottom
are fixed the main driving pulley M and the counter pulley N. O is an endless rope,
one part of which passes inside the well and the other outside. This rope passes over
the pulley M, and is directed by the pulley N, into the axis of the well.
pulleys; m² is a moveable pulley: p is a balance weight suspended to the moveable
pulley; n is any suitable motor. P is a bevelled pinion keyed on the shaft of the
main driving pulley M. S is a solid shaft fixed by means of bearings to the bottom of
the car.
Qis a bevelled pinion, loose on the solid shaft S, and gearing with the
pinion P. R is a bevelled pinion, loose on the hollow shaft T, and also gearing with
the pinion P. U is an endless screw keyed on the hollow shaft T and gearing with

page_text: the spiral wheel G. V and X are friction cones keyed on the solid shaft and the
hollow shaft respectively, but moveable along such shafts. Y is a bevelled pinion
fixed on the solid shaft S and gearing with the pinion Z which is keyed on the same
shaft as the pinion Z' which gears with the wheel F keyed on the truck frame.
a and a¹ are the two arms of a fork fixed below the car, upon one axis about which
they are moveable. b and are the two arms of another jointed fork. The arms a
and are jointed at their extremities with nuts, whilst a¹ and bare fitted with sleeves.
The friction cone V has a groove in which the arm a fits. The arm a' fits in the
groove of a collar keyed on the solid shaft. The two arms of the second fork fit
similarly in the grooves of the cone X and of another collar, also keyed on the shaft.
c and care spiral springs surrounding the shaft. S and placed between the arms of the
two forks. is a rod running through the nuts and sleeves of both forks. This rod
is screwed where it runs through the nuts; g is a pinion keyed on the end of the
rod f, and made to gear with an endless chain. ' is another similar pinion fast on the
top of the car C. h is an endless chain running through the two pinions g and g¹.
u is a pin projecting from such endless chain.
Having now described the various parts of my new system of lift, I shall proceed to
explain the manner in which the same is to be performed.
Motion is imparted to the machinery by the endless rope O which is driven
continuously in the same direction. The requisite tension of the rope is maintained
by the moveable pulley m' furnished with a balance weight p, or in any other suitable
manner. This rope is driven by the motor n. It transmits its motion to the putley M,
and passing over the intermediate pulley B, comes back to the machine. The motion
of the pulley M is transmitted by incans of the pinion P to the pinions and R; as
long as these two pinions remain loose on their shafts, the motion of the rope will not
affect the apparatus, but on gearing the friction cone V with the pinion Q, the latter
is made fast to the solid shaft S; the motion of this shaft will then, by means of the
pinions Y, Z, and 21, be transmitted to the truck. If the friction cone X is geared
with the pinion R, the hollow shaft. T will be set in motion. The endless screw keyed
on this shaft, and gearing with the spiral wheel will cause the truck to rotate, but in
the opposite direction to that just described.
When the truck is set in rotation, it will ascend or descend the spiral track according
to the direction of its rotation. The car will take part in the ascent or descent of the
truck frame without taking part in the rotation of the latter, inasmuch as it slides along
the guide ways K which prevent its turning round.
The gearing of the friction cones is effected by the action of the springs c and c¹
held in place by the two forks, the arms aa¹ and 66 of which are governed by the
screwed rod f. These forks allow; 1st of the compression of both springs at the same
time, and this puts them out of gear with the two friction cones, thus bringing the
apparatus to a stop; 2nd of the compression of one of the springs, and of the expansion
of the other, the latter moving one of the cones and thus causing the ascent or the
descent.
The rod which governs the forks, is worked by the endless chain h, motion being
imparted to the latter, either by hand (when it is required to stop at any point of the
ascent or descent), or by a self-acting contrivance. The automatic or self-acting
stoppage is effected by the meeting of the projecting pin U₁ fixed upon the endless
chain, and the stops or projections fixed at the various places where the car is to stop.
These stops or projections are not coincident in the horizontal plane. It is only
necessary to place the projecting pin in position, to stop at the desired point. This
pin may be so placed at starting, or during the ascent or descent.
Instead of the stops or projections above described, platforms at the highest and
lowest points, to assure the stoppage at the extreme limits of the journey, may be
used, in order to stop the apparatus in whatever position the projecting pin U¹ may be
placed.
The spiral track may obviously be inclined at any angle within certain limits; as a
rule, an angle of from 10 to 20 degrees will be found most suitable.
The apparatus, left to itself, would naturally tend to descend the spiral track with an

page_text: accelerating speed, but in order to avoid such a contingency, I have introduced the
endless screw U, the inclination of whose thread is calculated to prevent the spiral
wheel from turning the screw, which would allow the apparatus to descend. The screw
acts therefore as a permanent break, obliging the apparatus to remain in statu quo
when the motion is stopped from any accidental or voluntary cause. This screw night
have been made to govern the ascent, but it would have caused considerable friction;
I havo consequently effected the ascending motion from another source, and made the
spiral wheel loose in the direction of the ascent.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
1. The combination of a well, consisting of the standards or frame of a continuous
spiral track, and of interrupted guides or ways, with a truck frame having rollers
travelling on the spiral track, and a car, guided vertically in said standards, and
supported in such manner upon the truck frame that it shall partake in its ascending
movement without partaking in its rotation.
2. The combination of an endless or other chain, with the forks, springs, and friction
cones for starting and stopping the apparatus.
3. The use of an endless screw gearing with a spiral wheel acting as a permanent
break preventing any downward movement when the motion is stopped from any
cause whatsoever, voluntary or accidental.
4. The independent action of those parts of the mechanism which govern the
upward and downward movements.
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