Improvements in Lifts and Hoists.
Year: 1894

page_text: PROVISIONAL SE MULLICATION.
Improvements in Lifts and Hoists.
I, THOMAS MULLOCK, of 71 Etta Street, Deptford, London S.E., Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows
--
My invention relates to lifts and hoists in which the platform, cage, or other
article to be raised and lowered is sustained by ropes, either two or four ropes
being usually applied; and its object is to provide ready an efficient means
whereby the cage will be immediately stopped, automatically, on the breaking of a
rope, without the aid of springs or weights.
According to my invention, when using four ropes, I fit to the upper part of the
cage two sliding frames, having two pulleys or sheaves fitted to each, and I carry
the ropes round these sheaves in opposite directions in such a manner that, on the
breaking of one or more of the ropes the cessation of strain upon its pulley, will
allow the sliding frame to slide in the opposite direction, by means of the unbroken
rope attached to the companion pulley.
After passing round these pulleys or sheaves, the four ropes are carried down
the sides of the cage or otherwise, and made fast to the ends of two double ended
levers. These levers are connected by suitable connecting rods, to four
eccentrically formed and pivoted cams (preferably serrated) in such a manner
that, on the breaking of one or more rope or ropes the lever in connection
therewith, immediately assumes a dingonal position and thereby causes the cams
to grip the guide or runner, and arrests the motion of the cage.
When two ropes only are used with the cage, a fixed frame is fitted in
combination with the double-ended levers, and the mechanism is otherwise
modified, so that on the breaking of one of the ropes, the motion of the cage is
similarly arrested by the cams gripping the guide or guides or runners.
An extra safety rope is fitted, which is only required in case the whole or both
of the aforesaid sustaining ropes should break simultaneously.
Dated 26th November 1894.
GEO.
DOWNING,
8 Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.
Improvements in Lifts and Hoists.
THOMAS MULLOCK, of 71 Etta Street, Deptford, London S.E. Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my said 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 lifts and hoists, in which the platform, cage, or other
article to be raised and lowered is sustained by ropes, either two or four ropes
being usually applied; and its object is to provide ready and efficient means

page_text: rope, without the aid of springs or weights.
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and ascertained,
reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar figures of
reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 an end elevation, showing a lift constructed
for four sustaining ropes.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the upper end of the lift.
Fig. 4 is a section on the line a-b.
Fig. 5 is an elevation & Fig. 6 a plan showing another method of mounting the
pulley frames.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 4-7 is the frame of the lift. 8, 8, are sustaining ropes.
9, 10, are two sliding frames, each frame being fitted with two pulleys or sheaves,
as shown. The ropes are carried round the sheaves in opposite directions, so that,
on the breaking of one or more of the ropes, the cessation of strain upon its pulley,
will allow the sliding frame to slide in the grooves 11, 12, in the opposite direction,
by means of the unbroken rope attached to the companion pulley. After passing
round these pulleys or sheaves, the ropes pass over the pulleys 13 and are carried
down the sides of the cage, or otherwise guided, and made fast to the ends of the
two double-ended levers 14, pivoted to the frame at 15.
16, 17, are two of the four cams pivoted to the frame at 18, 19, eccentrically, and
having (preferably) serrated contact surfaces, and connected together by connecting
ods 20. The other side of the cage is similarly fitted. The levers 14 are in
contact with rollers 21 attached to the cams 16, 17, (instead of which rollers
connecting rods may be fitted for the same purpose).
On the breaking of one of the ropes, the disconnected end of the lever falls, and
the opposite end rises, thus assuming a diagonal position. The rising arm of the
lever, by its contact with the roller of one of the cams, causes the serrated surface
of the cam to press against the guide bar or runner 22, the other cam operating in
a similar manner on the other side of the bar, by the action of the connecting
rod 20 whereby the motion of the cage is immediately arrested.
When using two ropes only, the two ends of each rope are passed round the
pulleys at one end of the frames 9, 10, and made fast to one end of each lever on
the same side of the fulcrum, and the frames are rendered stationary by dispensing
with the slots 11, 12.
On the breaking of one of the ropes, one end of both levers is raised by the
unbroken rope and the cams on both sides of the cage are simultaneously caused to
grip the guide bars 22 and arrest the downward motion of the cage.
When applying an extra safety 1ope 23, I use a modified form of pulley frame,
as shown in elevation in Fig. 5 and in plan in Fig. 6. The frames 9 and 10 are
triangular and pivotted at 24. The safety rope 23 is made fast at 25 to one of the
cams 19, on each side, and is carried upwards over a suitable pulley attached to the
cage, and under the projecting pins 95 10b, of the pulleys, and suitably stretched.
In case of the breaking of one or all of the sustaining ropes the frames 9", 10
become tilted over to one side and the rope 23 is thereby caused to operate the
cams by the increased strain thrown upon it.
The rope 23 may also be operated
by hand from the inside of the cage, when required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. The improvements in lifts and hoists, substantially as and for the purposes
herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
2. In lifts and hoists, the combination of double ended levers pivoted to the
frame; eccentrically mounted cams also pivoted to the frame and connected
together so as to grip the guide bars simultaneously, substantially as and for the
purposes herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.

page_text: 3. In combination with lifts and hoists as aforesaid, the application and use of a
safety rope 23, substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and
illustrated by the drawings.
Dated 26th August 1805
GEO.
DOWNING,
8 Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.