IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC HOISTING OR LIFTING APPARATUS, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER LIFTING APPARATUS."
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexandre Samain, of Paris, France, Mechanician, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HYDRAULIC HOISTING OR LIFTING APPARATUS,
PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER LIFTING APPARATUS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexandre Samain at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd June 1878.
ALEXANDRE SAMAIN, of Paris, France, Mechanician. " IMPROVEMENTS IN
HYDRAULIC HOISTING OR LIFTING APPARATUS, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER
LIFTING APPARATUS.'
"
This Invention relates to improvements in hydraulic hoisting or lifting apparatus,
and comprises various novel features in the construction of the same.
In carrying the said Invention into practice the frame of the lifting or hoisting
apparatus is suspended to a chain passing over two pulleys, and of which the other
extremity carries a movable counterweight in a cylinder and furnished with
leather, beneath which the liquid is caused to enter under pressure by means of a
special distributor.
In the case of a lift or hoist having to rise 10 metres the piston counterweight
should balance the weight of the frame and the effects of friction, and the chain
should have a weight per metre sufficient to compensate for the progressive dimi-
nution of the column of water in the cylinder. This result may be obtained by
providing a pipe, with an enlargement at the top, communicating by means of
another pipe with a receiver, the liquid from which descends upon the piston
counterweight. When the latter descends the double leather provided with elastic
metallic rings prevents all loss of liquid. In this manner, the lower column of
liquid acting by suction and the upper column by pressure, the employment of
heavy chains is unnecessary.
If the lift or hoist has a course exceeding 10 metres, the column of water acting

page_text: 1
by suction under the piston not being able to rise higher than 10 metres, I adopt
the following arrangements, that is to say :-
The piston is traversed by a rod terminated by a head, and carrying at its lower
part a sucker cased with leather.
For the descent of the piston of the counterweight the action will be produced
by the weight of the column of water, 10 metres in height, situated above the
piston, increased by the weight of the column of water comprised between the two
pistons.
In another arrangement the said metal rod traversing the piston is replaced by
a chain, furnished at its two extremities with packing devices and which presents
the advantage of doubling upon itself, which simplifies the construction by avoiding
its prolongation in the interior of the piston.
In another arrangement the movement is transmitted from the skip or cage to
the distributor by means of rods; for this purpose I place upon the exterior wall
of the frame two rollers, one of which has two flat parts, and is mounted upon an
axle carrying a handle or beam serving to rotate it and to produce the tightening
of the rod, which is drawn along and opens or closes the distributor.
I provide an improved distributor, which is composed of a cast-iron tube, open
at its upper part, and closed at its lower part by a piece resting on the ground;
this tube is furnished in its interior with another tube, made of bronze or brass,
and drilled in its interior in order to ensure the water-tight play of the pistons.
The outer tube is also furnished with three tubulures, the lower tubulure serves
for the entry of the water under pressure; the intermediate tubulure serves to
conduct the water into the cylinder of the lift or hoist, and the upper tubulure is
intended for the discharge of the liquid.
Opposite to the intermediate tubulure the outer tube is slightly enlarged and
the inner tube pierced with holes on the whole of its circumference, which permits
the passage of the liquid, although the said inner tube does not bear any opening
corresponding to the intermediate tubulure.
At the lower part of the outer tube is cut an orifice, intended for the discharge
of any water which might penetrate there, and the arrival water conduit carries a
retaining clack valve designed to prevent any accidental descent of the piston when
the pressure accidentally slackens in the pipe which feeds the apparatus.
It will be seen that to ensure the descent of the counterweight the entry of the
water which lifts it should be stopped, and at the same time this water should be
allowed to escape in the discharge conduit; it is sufficient for this purpose to
depress a rod provided at the top, which is readily effected, as the two sections of
the pistons being equal the pressure of the liquids is balanced on their two faces.
In this descending movement the piston at first interposes itself between the lower
tubulure and the intermediate tubulure, and interrupts the arrival of the liquid,
then the apparatus continuing to descend communication is set up between the
intermediate tubulure and the discharge tubulure. This piston is formed of twin
pistons, and is of such a height that by bringing it opposite the intermediate
tubulure the communication of the lift or hoist with the two tubulures of arrival
and discharge of water is interrupted in such a manner that the counterweight is
made immovable at the point where it happens to be at the time..
i When the rod at the top of the piston is lifted the communication is closed
between the intermediate tubulure and the discharge tubulare, and is opened with
the feed tubulure in such a manner that the counterweight of the apparatus will be
lifted again and compel the skip crank to descend.
In order to produce the automatic stoppage of the frame at determined inter-
mediate points I fix upon the aforesaid operating rod tappets, which project more
in proportion as they are placed higher.
On the frame I place a sort of box. containing a bolt, which can be made to
project more or less outside the box by means of a screw and a small handle;
moreover, a divided dial plate shews the position which ought to be given to the
handles to stop the frame at any determined stage.

page_text: A governing rod bears at each stage or landing a handle, by means of which the
apparatus may be controlled.
The frame being guided throughout its height, either by round bars or by columns,
is further provided with an automatic brake, which is constructed as follows, that
is to say:- -The frame is suspended on two jointed levers acted upon by powerful
springs under the action of the weight of the frame; these springs are compressed,
but if the chain should be broken the springs by relaxing would strongly force the
guides upon the rods or the columns, and produce a tightening capable of stopping
or at least of retarding the descent.
A more powerful brake may be constructed as follows, that is to say :-I arrange
at the height of the pulley upon which the chain passes a double pawl, which is
arranged to oscillate freely around a shaft, the extremity of which is furnished with
two claws designed to insert themselves at the moment of the accident between the
links of the chain in order to stop the movement thereof. The said pawl is during
the normal advance kept in a horizontal position by a counterweight, provided on
the extremity of an arm in connection with the said pawl.
To produce the oscillation of the pawl I use the centrifugal force, which is
developed in the circumference of the said pulley at the moment of the accident.
For this purpose the rim or the arms of the said pulley carry bolt pins, each
furnished with a head against which strikes the extremity of a spiral metallic
spring, resting in a tube closed at one end and open at the other in order to give
passage to the bolt pin; this spring acts constantly to bring towards the centre the
said tube, which is so made that at the normal speed of rotation of the pulley it
will not strike against the tappet fixed to the pawl, while on the contrary if in
consequence of any rupture whatever the pulley should rotate very quickly, the
centrifugal force compresses the interior springs of the tubes which strike against
the tappet, displacing the pawl, the joints of which penetrate into the links of the
chain and stops it instantaneously. The aforesaid tubes may be replaced by a
hammer carried by a jointed rod on the rim of the pulley, and pressed towards the
centre by a spring. The claws of the said pawl being double, the effect may be
produced in the other direction if the chain happens to be broken on the side of the
skip or cage; in this manner the counterweight cannot fall, and thus the accidents
which a fall might produce will be avoided.
In all cases the skip is sustained by its special safety apparatus above described.
When an additional counterweight is made use of, balancing the whole or part of
the skip, I apply to this counterweight safety mechanism assisting to assure the
security of the lift or hoist. For this purpose the counterweight, guided by a
spindle and suspended to a chain, passing over a pulley, carries at its upper part two
cars in which is mounted a fixed axle, upon which can oscillate a lever of which one
of the extremities carries an excentric claw, this lever is connected by a rod to
another lever oscillating round an axle, and terminated by a pallet which is main-
tained in a horizontal position by a counterweight, the size and weight of which is
to be regulated by the normal speed of the apparatus. If this speed increases the
resistance of the air, which increases, as its square will augment much more rapidly
and will cause a flyer to rock, and consequently will cause the eccentric claw to
rotate, which will stay itself against the guiding iron and will sustain the skip
suspended to the auxiliary chain.
A similar arrangement, but working in the opposite direction, is adapted to the
lower part of the counterweight, and maintains it suspended in case of rupture of
the chain

page_text: "
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexandre Samain in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd
· December 1878.
ALEXANDRE SAMAIN, of Paris, France, Mechanician. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HYDRAULIC HOISTING OR LIFTING APPARATUS, PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER
LIFTING APPARATUS."
"
This Invention relates to improvements in hydraulic hoisting or lifting apparatus,
and comprises various novel features in the construction of the same, and is partly
applicable to other lifting apparatus.
-
In carrying the said Invention into practice the frame of the lifting or hoisting
apparatus is suspended to one end of a chain passing over two pulleys and whose
other extremity carries a movable counterweight which is enclosed in a cylinder,
and is packed with leather below which the liquid is caused to enter under pressure
by means of a special distributor.
In a lift or hoist which has to rise 10 metres, as represented in Figure 1, the
piston counterweight A should balance the weight of the frame C, and the effects
of friction and the chain should have a weight per metre sufficient to compensate
for the progressive diminution of the column of water in the cylinder B.
In the arrangement represented in Figure 20 this result is obtained by providing
the pipe D with an enlargement E at the top, communicating by a pipe F with the
receiver G, from which the liquid descends upon the piston counterweight H
When the latter descends the. double leather I, provided with elastic metallic
rings J, Figure 22, prevents loss or escape of the liquid. In this manner the lower
column of liquid acting by suction and the upper column by pressure, the employ-
ment of heavy chains is rendered unnecessary.
If the lip or hoist has a course or movement exceeding 10 metres, the column
of water acting by suction under the piston, not being able to rise higher than 10
metres, I adopt the following arrangements, that is to say :-
In the arrangement represented at Figure 4 the piston H is traversed by a rod K,
terminated by a head L, and carrying at its lower part a sucker cased with leather
at M.
For the descent of the piston of the counterweight the action will be produced
by the weight of the column of water of 10 metres in height, situated above
the piston, plus the weight of the column of water comprised between the two
pistons.
In the arrangement represented in Figure 21, the metal rod K is replaced by a
chain P, furnished at its two extremities with packing devices Q and R, and which
-presents the advantage of doubling upon itself, the construction being thus simplified
by avoiding its prolongation in the interior of the piston.
In the arrangement represented in Figure 1 the movement is transmitted from
the "skip" or cage to the distributor by means of rods. For this purpose I place
upon the exterior wall of, the frame V, Figure 5, two rollers S, T, one of which has
two flat parts, and is mounted upon an axle provided with a handle or beam U,
serving to rotate the roller S, and to produce the tightening of the rod, which is
drawn along and opens or closes the distributor.
Figures 15 and. 16 represent an improved distributor composed of a cast-iron
tube a, open at its upper part, and closed at its lower part by a piece b resting on
the ground; this tube is furnished in its interior with a tube c, formed of bronze
or brass, and properly bored out to ensure the water-tight working of the
pistons e, f.
The outer tube a is also furnished with three tubulures; the lower tubulure g
serves for the entry of the water under pressure; the intermediate tubulure h serves
to conduct the water into the cylinder of the lift or hoist; and the tubulure i is
intended for the discharge of the liquid.

page_text: Opposite to the intermediate tubulure. h the tube a is slightly enlarged as
shewn, and the inner tube c is pierced with holes throughout its entire circumference
to permit the passage of the liquid, although the said inner tube c has no opening
corresponding with the tubulure h.
:
At the lower part of the tube a is an orifice j for the discharge of any water
which might enter therein, and the water admission conduit k has a retaining
valve to prevent any accidental descent of the piston if the pressure in the feed
pipe should be accidentally reduced.
It will be seen that to ensure the descent of the counterweight the entry of the
water which lifts it should be stopped, and at the same time this water should be
allowed to escape by the discharge conduit. It is sufficient for this purpose to
depress the rod d, its depression being easily effected, as the sectional area of the
pistons e and fare equal, and the pressure of the liquid is consequently balanced on
their two faces. In its descending movement the piston e at first interposes itself
between the tubulure g, which admits the water, and the tubulure h, and interrupts
the entry of the liquid, then the apparatus continuing to descend, communication
is established between the intermediate tubulure h and the discharge tubulure i
It will be moreover observed that the piston e being formed of twin pistons is of
such a length that by bringing it opposite the tubulure h the communication of the
lift or hoist with the admission and discharge tubulures is interrupted in such a
manner that the counterweight is rendered immovable at the very point where it
happens to be at the time of such interruption.
When the rod d is raised to the position indicated on the Drawing, the com-
munication is closed between the tubulure h and the discharge tubulure i, and is
opened with the feed tubulure g in such a manner that the counterweight of the
apparatus will be lifted again and the skip will descend.
To produce the automatic stoppage of the frame or eage at determined inter-
mediate points, I. fix upon the aforesaid operating rod tappets which project to an
extent varied in proportion to the height at which they are placed.
On the frame I place a box containing a bolt which can be made to project more
or less outside the box by means of a screw n and a small handle p, Figure 6; a
divided dial plate shews the position to be given to the said handle to stop the
frame at any determined stage.
The governing rod at each stage or landing is provided with a handle, by means
of which the said apparatus may be controlled.
The frame is guided throughout its height either by round bars or by columns ;
and it is provided with an automatic brake, represented in Figure 7. The frame is
suspended on two jointed levers q, r, acted upon by powerful springs 8, t. By the
weight of the said frame these springs are compressed, but if the chain should
be broken the releasing springs would forcibly press the said guides upon the rods
or columns, and produce a tightening or binding action capable of stopping or
considerably retarding the descent of the cage or frame.
A more powerful and reliable brake may be constructed as follows, and will
afford absolute security in case of rupture of the suspension chains, that is to say :-
As shewn in the Drawing, Figures 8, 9, 10, 11, I arrange at the height of the
pulley a over which the chain passes, a double pawl b¹, arranged to oscillate freely
upon a shaft o¹, and whose extremity is furnished with two claws d', d¹¹, designed
to insert themselves at the moment when an accident occurs between the links of
The pawl b' is, during the
the chain e in order to stop the movement thereof.
ordinary working of the apparatus, kept in a horizontal position by a counterweight
f1, provided on the extremity of an arm g', on or in connection with the said pawl
6. To produce the oscillation of the pawl I utilize the centrifugal orce, which is
developed at the circumference of the said pulley a' at the moment an accident
occurs. For this purpose the rim or the arms of the said pulley a¹ are provided
5 with bolts or pins ¹, each furnished with a head which is struck by the extremity
of a spiral metallic spring resting in a tube k¹, closed at one end and open at the
other end, to give passage to the said bolt or pin; this spring tends constantly to

page_text: return to the centre of the tube k¹, which is so arranged that at the normal speed
of rotation of the pulley a¹, it will not strike the tappet fixed to the pawl b'; while
on the contrary, if in consequence of any rupture the pulley a¹ should rotate
rapidly, the centrifugal force compresses the interior springs of the tube k¹, which
strike the tappet h', thereby displacing the pawl b', the points of which enter the
links of the chain and stop it instantaneously. The aforesaid tubes k¹ may be
réplaced by a hammer carried by a jointed rod on the rim of the pulley, and pressed
towards the centre by a spring, as shewn in the Drawing. The claws of the pawl
6 being double, the effect may be produced in the other direction if the chain
happens to be broken on the side of the "skip" or cage; in this manner the falling
of the counterweight is prevented, and accidents which might be produced by its
fall will be avoided.
In all cases the said cage is sustained by its special safety apparatus above
described. When an additional counterweight is made use of for balancing the
whole or part of the cage I apply to this counterweight safety mechanism which
aids to assure the security of the lift or hoist. For this purpose the counterweight
guided by T iron, and suspended to a chain m¹, passing over a pulley n', carries at
its upper part two ears o¹, in which is mounted a fixed axle p², whereon can
oscillate a lever q', one of whose extremities carries an excentric claw; this lever is
connected by a rod r to another lever 81, oscillating upon an axle t, and terminated
by a pallet u', which is maintained in a horizontal position by a counterweight v¹,
the size and weight of which will be regulated by the normal speed of the
apparatus. If this speed increases the resistance of the air will augment much
more rapidly, and will cause the movement of the flyer, and consequently will cause
the rotation of the said excentric claw, which will remain against the guide, and
will sustain the skip suspended by the auxiliary chain.
A similar arrangement, but working in the opposite direction, is adapted to the
lower part of the counterweight, and maintains it suspended in case of rupture of
the chain m³.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. The construction of a lift or hoist in which the well or shaft ordinarily
used is replaced by a vertical cylinder and a piston counterweight, as and for the
purposes above specified.
Second. The peculiar construction and arrangement of the pistons for a lift or
hoist with a range or movement of more than 10 metres, as above set forth.
Third. The application of a special distributor working directly under the action
of a rod controlled from the interior of the cage, as above set forth.
Fourth. The addition at the summit of the elevating column of a water receiver
to compensate for the variations of weight due to the rolling up or unrolling of the
chain, as above set forth.
Fifth. The application to the lift of the peculiar automatic brakes above described,
and whose action is based upon the utilization of the speed of rotation to arrest the
cage in case of rupture of the chain, as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexandre Samain, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.