Improvements in and connected with Metal Gates or Grills for Lifts and Lift Wells.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 1st Ncv.. 1893-Accepted, 1st Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Metal Gates or Grills for Lifts
and Lift Wells.
I Robert John Worrall Gate Smith, Art Metal Worker aud Designer,
Tue Brook Steel and Iron Gate Works, Cuerdon Street, and Byrom Street
Liverpool, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
When the circumstances are such, that it is not convenient to protect any portion
of the entrance to a lift car, or lift well with a rigid grill, protect the whole
thereof with a Bostwick patent gate as described in Specification of Patent
No. 2189 of the year 1885 or other collapsable grill.
In order to efficient working of such grills, transom & threshold guides are
necessary and it is common practico to form the grill otherwise inconveniently
high so that the height of transom may be convenient.
According to my invention I secure to said Bostwick Patont, or other collapsable
grill, stiles, so lengthened and projecting above the top of the grill, that they reach
the said transom, and guide the grill.
At the upper end of my lengthened stiles, I may fix a roller to work on the
upper, or under side of the transom rail, or I may substitute rigid inetal, or other
suitable material for the roller, or, aud proferably 1 may attach to the under side
of the transom itself a longitudinal slot, and on the upper end of my lengthened
style, a stud which I cause to work freely in the slot, and having a head on its
upper end too large to allow it to pass through the slot.
I. may repeat this slot and stud arrangement at the threshold of the said grill
By this moans I may in some cases reduce the superficial area, and the weight of
the grill and consequently the cost thereof, while increasing the efficiency, I may
however apply my slot and stud arrangement to the top, bottom, or sides of a
collapsable grill, by attaching my studs directly to the collapsable portion
thereof.
I may slide my grill vertically, and when the sliding space at my disposel is
insufficient to allow sufficient head room when the grill is opened by sliding upwards,
or to allow the grill to slide clear of the floor when opened by sliding downwards.
1 form my grill so that one portion slides telescopically into another portion, or
I may form the whole, or a portion of my grill of rigid horizontal rails, and flexible
vertical bare, or a flexible sheet of flexible horizontal rails, and flexible vertical
bars, or the whole of a flexible sheet, so that a grill may be slided in an angular,
or onrvilinear direction, or I may adopt a collapsable grill, or partly rigid, and
partly collapsable grill.
To facilitate sliding, and prevent chocking, I form a continuous slot, the parts of
which are held together at intervals by dogs or braces.
At intervals on my sliding grill 1 fix headed studs, so arranged that the shank
works freely in the said slot, while the head being too large to pass through the
alot holds the structure in its place.
I may pass cords, or chains from the grill over pullies, and down to a convenient
position, or continue them under other pullics, and connect them again with the
grill.
I provide suitable balance weights, with similar, sliding, arrangeinents to those
just described.
1 connect these balance weights with the grill they balance by pully, and cord,
or any other convenient arrangement.

page_text: When the opening a sliding grill protects communicates, with a lift well, I
arrange that the lift car shall in travelling, automatically open, or open and close
the grill.
To this end I furnish the grill, and weights, or corde, or chains connecting
therewith, or with the grill with catches, and corresponding therewith the lift car
with sliding catches.
The arrangement is such that the catches on the car may be slided at will, and
caused to engage with any other of the catches described, and so open or close the
grill.
When the lift car communicates with a number of floors, so that a number of
grills require to be operated, I arrange the catches on the grills, cords, chains,
weights, and other connections of all the floors in such relationship to each other,
and to the catches on the car, that any catch or catches on the car may be slided
into relationship with the corresponding catch or catches on the grille, cords, chains
weights, or other connections during the journey of the car.
Thus any one, or more grills may be alone operated during the journey of the
car up, or down, and the catches on the car may, at starting be slided into, and will
throughout the journey preserve relationship with the catches on, and in connection
with any one or more grills, so that these latter only are operated without further
control.
I find that the lift car is liable through carelessness, or by accident to pass the
point at which it should stop, and to prevent such a circumstance from causing
damage to my grills, or their connections, or to the person, I form the catches
which are operated upon by the sliding catches of tempored metal, and the pro-
jecting portions thereof at a convenient angle, so that any relationship between the
catches which may have been formed in order to operate the grills will be broken
at a given strain, through the yielding of the tempered metal, and the car may
continue its journoy without injury to the grills or their connections.
Dated this 12th day of August 1893.

page_text: (Fig. 28) is front elevation.
When circumstances are such that it is not couvenient to protect any portion of
the entrance to a lift car, or lift well with a rigid gate, I protect the whole thereof
with a collapsible gate.
In order to efficient working of such gates, transom guides are necessary, and it
is common practice to form the gate otherwise unnecessarily high so that the height
of transom may be convenient.
According to my invention I secure to said collapsible gate (Fig. 4) vertionlos (1)
so lengthened and projecting above the top of the gate that they reach the said
transom (2) and guide the gate (3).
At the upper end of my lengthened stiles, I may fix a roller, to work on the
upper, or under side of the transom rail, or I may substitute rigid metal, or other
suitable material for the roller, or, and preferably, I may attach to the under side
of the transom, or form in the transom itself a longitudinal slot (4) (Fig. 10).
On the upper end of my lengthened style a stud (5) (Fig. 5) which I cause to
work freely in the continuous slot, with the stud (5) therein, and having a hend (6)
on its upper end too large to allow it to pass through the slot, or I may form my
continuous slot, dovetail (section 7 Fig. 7) and the stud (71) (Fig. 6) corresponding
therewith, or I may reverse this arrangement and substitute for the slot, a guide
rail (seation 8) (Fig. 8) and attach to my styles a slotted stud (section 8¹) (Fig. 9)
corresponding with, and working on the guide rail (8) (Fig. 8) I may repent and
invert any of these slot, and stud arrangements at the threshold of the said gate.
By this means I may reduce gate (3) (Fig. 4) to the height necessary for
protection, while the transom (2) remains at a height convenient to the persons, or
goods entering the lift car.
I may prevent the accumulation of dirt in any of my slots fixed at the threshold
by forming them so that they are open or partly open to the lift well at their lower
Bide.
I may slide my gate vertically and when the sliding space at my disposel is
insufficient to allow sufficient head room when the gate is opened by sliding
upwards, or to allow the gate to slide clear of the floor when opened by sliding
downwards.
I form my gate so that one portion (elovation 9) (Fig. 11) slides telescopically
into another portion (9'), or I may divide the height into convenient leaves, and
may connect such leaves together by hinges, so that they may be folded together
(side elovation 10) (Fig. 13) before, or in the process of sliding, or may be guided
from the vertical into an angular, or curvelinear direction (side elevation 11)
(Fig. 20).
Or may be provided with separate guides, so that when not required to close
the opening, they may be slided into any available space, and be packed out of the
Way of the opening (section 12), (Fig. 15) or I may form my gate, or portions
thereof of flexible matorial, so that it, or a portion of it, may be guided from the
vertical into a horizontal position (section 13), (Fig. 22) or an oblique position (14)
(Fig. 21) and so pack away in any available space when not required to close the
opening.
Or I may adopt a collapsible gate.
Or a partly rigid and partly collapsible gate.
To facilitate sliding in a vertical, curvilinear direction, or angular direction, and
prevent chocking, and prevent my gates, or weights from accidentally leaving their
guides, I may use as gnides any of the continuous slot, and stud, or dovetail
arrangements hereinbefore described and shown in (sections (5, 6) (Fig. 5)
(7) (Fig. 7) (7¹) (Fig. 6) (8) (Fig. 8) (8') (Fig. 9).
may pass corris, or chains from the gate over pullies, and down to a convenient
position, or continue them under other vullies and connect them again with the gate.

page_text: from the space in which they have been packed away (elevation 12) (Fig. 15) the
weight to be counterbalanced by balance weights is niuch greater than such weight
when the gates have nearly closed the opening, or at any intermediate stage, the
balance weights of such gates require a special treatment.
According to my invention I use for such gates balance weights divided into
sections (15. 16. 17) (Fig. 16) elevation (12') (Fig. 14) (12º) (Fig. 16).
I connect each section with a section of the. sliding gate by a separate cord,
or other connection. *
Now when the gate is slided upwards the section (17) (Fig. 18) of the balance
weight first comes into play alone, and when the gate is further in its course
Bection (16) comes also into play, and when the gate is still further on its course
the whole of the said sections are in play, and the weight assumes the positions
shown on (elevation 12¹) (Fig. 14).
I may divide my balance weights into any number of sections, or may use any
number of separate balance weights.
I may connect these sections of my weight, or my various weights with the
various sections of my gate by passing the cords, or other attachments of the lower
sections of my weight, or of my lower weights through apertures formed in the
upper sections, or upper weights.
may guide and hold these various balance weights, or sections thereof by one,
or more guides, and may pass their connections over one or more pullies.
In order to arrange the guido for my gate, and the guide for my balance weight
in the least space, I combine the one with the other as shown (plan 28) (Fig. 17).
I mny combine any two of the guides hereinbefore described, or may form a
double line of any one of them.
The combined guides may be both on the same plane, or on planes at an angle to
each other, or on reverse planes.
I arrange that the lift car may in travelling, automatically open, or close, or
open & close my sliding gates.
To this end I furnish the gate, & its weight, or cord, or chains connected
therewith, or with the gate with keys, and corresponding therewith the lift car
with fingers. The arrangement is such that the fingers, on the car may be projected
at will, and caused to engage with any of the keys described, and so open, or close,
or open, and close the gate.
When the lift car communicates with a number of floors, so that a number of
gates require to bo operated, I arrange the keys on the gates, cords, chains,
weights, and other connections of all the floors, in such relationship to each other
that the one, or more of them to be operated by the lift car during one movement,
are not in the same vertical line as another one, or more of them to be operated by
the lift car during another movement.
I arrange my fingers on the lift car so that when any one of them is projected
towards the keys on the gates, weights, or other attachments thereof, it is in the
same vertical line, as one or more of the keys it is intended to operate.
Thus any one, or more gates may be alone operated during the journey or
movement of the car up, or down, and the fingers on the car may at starting be
projected into, and will throughout the journey or movement preserve relationship
with the keys on, and in connection with any one, or more gates, so that theɛe latter
only are operated without further control the lift car a number,-letter, or similar
character to indicate the particular floor it is related to, and whether it is to be
used in the up, or down journey.
I find that in the case of high speed lifts the finger thereon strikes its related
key on the gate or woight with great force.
I find that the lift car is liable through carelessness or by accident to pass the
point at which it should stop, and to prevent such a circumstance from causing
damage to my gates, or their connections, or to the person, I form my key (34)
(Fig. 18) on a portion of my gate (36) or key (35) (Fig. 19) on a portion of my

page_text: XIV. Connected with metal gates for lift wells which are collapsible, or folding,
and slide vertically a balance weight divided into sections, placed one upon anothor
ench connected with the gate by a separate cord or other connection, for the
purpose herein before described.
XV. Connected with metal gates for lift wells which are collapsible or folding,
and slide vertically, the balance weight divided into sections placed one above
another, each section connected with the gato by n separate cord, or other con-
nection, the cords or connections of the lower sections passing through apertures
formed in the upper sections, for the purpose herein before described.
XVI. Connected with metal gates for lift wells which are collapsible or folding,
and slide vertically several balance weights, each connected by a separate connection
with a portion of the gate for the purpose herein before described.
XVII. Connected with metal gates for lift wells which are collapsible, or divided
into leaves, or sections several balance weights each guided and held in a separate
guide, and connected with its related portion of the gate, by a separate cord, or
other connection.
XVIII. Connected with metal gates for lift wells which slide vertically a metal
guide for the weight united, and integral with a metal guide, for the gate for the
purpose herein before described.
XIX. Connected with metal gates for lift wells sliding vertically the key (34)
(Fig. 18) or (35) (Fig. 19) formed of tempered metal, and having projection
whose upper, or lower, or upper and lower surfaces are set at an angle with the
vertical plane of the gate, weight, cord, or other attachment to which it is attached
for the purposes described.
XX. Connected with metal gates for lift wells the key (38) (Fig. 27) as, and for
the purpose herein before described.
XXI. Attached to several metal gates sliding vertically, and protecting several
openings one above another all communicating with one lift well koys or other
parts projecting into the lift well, for the purpose of being operated by fingers, or
other parts projected from the lift car so arranged that that, or those attached to
any one gate for the purpose of being operated as aforesaid during one movement of
the lift car, are not in the same vertical line with that, or those attached to any
other gate, to be operated as aforesaid during another movement of the lift car, and
as shown in plan (Fig. 3) (K 1. K 2. K3 K4).
XXII. Attached to the balanco weights, cords, or other connections of several
metal gates, sliding vertically and protecting several openings, one above another
all communicating with one fift well keys or other parts projecting into the lift well
for the purpose of being operated by fingers or other parts projected from the lift
car, so arranged that that, or those attached to the balance weights, cords, or other
attachments of any one gate for the purpose of being operated as aforesaid, during
one movement of the lift car are not in the same vertical line with that, or those
attached to the balance weights, cords or other connections of any other gate, and
to be operated as aforesaid during another movement of the lift car, and as shown
on drawings in plan (Fig. 3. K 5. K 6. K 7. K 8.).
XXIII. Fingers attached to a lift car, and so arranged that when projected
they engage as herein before described, with the keys described in Claims XXI.
XXII. and shown on drawings in plan (Fig. 3. Ư´1. U 2. U 8. U 4. D 1. D 2.
D3 D4.).
XXIV. A finger attached to n lift car for the purpose of engaging with a key,
on a sliding gate, and having its end next the gate as herein before described, and
shown in drawing (43) (Fig. 25) and for the purpose described.
XXV. Several fingers on a lift car for the purpose of operating respectively
several keys attached to sliding gates, their balance weights, or other con-
nections, having on, or near them a letter, figure, or other character, for the
purpose of indicating the several floors to which respectively the gates referred
to, belong.

page_text: XXVI. The lever (45) (Fig. 28) with the stud as, and for the purpose
described.
XXVII. Any arrangement by which a gate sliding vertically operates the
stopping apparatus of a lift, or by which said stopping apparatus is operated by
the same contrivance as that which operates the gate.
XXVIII. Connected with several gates sliding vertically, and protecting several
openings to one lift well the combination of parts herein before described, and shown
on drawings (Figs. 1. 2. 3).
Dated this 31st day of October 1893.