Improvements in and connected with Hoist Doors.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1899-Accepted 1st Apr., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Hoist Doors.
We, TOM NUTTALL, of the firm of T. Nuttall & Sons Limited, Cotton Spinner,
and WILLIAM COOPER, Joiner, both of Farnworth, in the County of Lancaster,
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:―
This invention has been designed with the object of providing simple and
effective means for automatically raising a hoist door on the arrival thereat of
the cage, and for similarly lowering the door on the departure of the cage,
both operations being effected whether the cage be moving upwards or down-
wards. Means may also be provided for putting the apparatus out of action
when it is desired to pass a door without stopping, and for automatically
locking and unlocking the door.
For the purpose of operating the door we use devices which in their simplest
form, consist of a vertical friction rail affixed to one of the jambs of the cage,
and two friction rollers mounted on one side of the hoist door opening, in such
positions that when the cage passes, the friction rollers may be rotated by the
friction rail. These rollers are mounted at a vertical distance apart slightly
greater than the length of the friction rail, and they are geared together by a
crossed rope band cord or chain, so that when one is rotated in one direction by
the movement of the friction rail, the other is consequently rotated in the opposite
direction. The rotational movement of these rollers is directly employed to
raise and lower the door as hereinafter described. This may be effected by
means of separate pulleys which are attached to or compelled to rotate by suit-
able means, with the friction rollers, and by cords bands chains or the like,
each of which has one end attached to and passing around one of the pulleys,
and its other, end attached to the door which should be counter-balanced. It
will be obvious that the frictional driving of the device may be substituted by
positive driving, as for example by means of a rack and pinion instead of the
friction rail and friction pulleys, and by means of toothed gearing in substitution
for the crossed band or cord. Usually, there will be a set of the apparatus on
each side of the door-way, connected by a cross shaft on the ends of which the
friction rollers or their equivalent are mounted. As these two sets of apparatus
are precisely alike, it is necessary to illustrate and further describe one only.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 represents. a general sectional elevation, and Figure 2, a plan of
one of the friction rollers with the friction rail shewn in cross section.
Figure 3 shews the locking device.
W denotes the well of the hoist: C, the cage: D, the hoist door: F, the
friction rail; R R¹ the friction rollers: and A, the cord by means of which
the door is raised and lowered. The friction rail is of such a length that it
cannot rotate both of the friction pulleys at the same time. As shewn by Figure 2,
a groove g is formed in each roller for the reception of the cord. If a strap

page_text: or band be used, this groove will not be required. If a chain be used, a
sprocket wheel may be fixed to each roller for the chain to gear with. One end
of the cord is fixed to a convenient part of the door, at ior example, whence
it is passed over the upper roller, down to the front of and under the lower
roller, and from the back of this roller to the door where the other end is firmly
secured as at d.
The cage being opposite to the door-way, and the door being raised, as shewn
by Figure 1, then, in whichever direction the cage is next moved, its movement
will, by the agency of the friction rail, pulleys and cord, ensure the lowering
and closing of the door.
If it be desired to provide means for putting the apparatus, out of action
whilst the cage is passing any particular door-way, the friction rail F, instead
of being rigidly attached to the cage, may be so arranged that it may be with-
drawn out of possible contact with the friction rollers. This may be effected
in various ways, as for example by the means represented in the drawings. As
there shewn, the friction rail is pinned upon the three horizontal. rods B B¹
and B. The upper and lower rods B B, are arranged to slide in. the
brackets E and E and are forced in the direction of the friction pulleys by the
springs GG. The centre rod B2, is pinned at its opposite end to the bent lever H,
which is provided with a handle I. The motion of this lever is limited by stops
in the guide J, and it may be held in either the inoperative or operative posi-
tions by a pin passing through holes formed in the guide and in the lever. If
the handle I be depressed, the rod B will be drawn back, and consequently
also the friction rail, and the apparatus will be out of action. It is again put
into action by lifting the handle.
The locking device is separately indicated by the diagrammatic Figure 3.
Above the upper and below the lower friction rollers R R₁, friction bowls S
and S are mounted upon the ends of horizontal rods which are each connected
by a pin and slot with the respective ends of the levers T T the opposite ends
of which are both pinned to the bolt U. The rods on which the friction bowls S
and S¹ are mounted are carried in brackets V V₁ and are provided with springs
as shewn, which tend to force the friction bowls into the path of the friction
rail F, and at the same time, to force the bolt U to the right into engagement
with its socket in the door. When the cage is opposite any doorway and the
friction rail is consequently in the position indicated by Figure 3, the door is
raised and the bolt is in the same position as it occupies when engaging the
lowered door. When the cage moves in either direction, the friction rail F
first commences to rotate the roller R or R' and lower the door. Immediately
afterwards, the friction rail comes into contact with the bowl S or S¹, and draws
back the bolt U which is held back until the friction rail has passed the bowl,
whereupon the springs immediately force the bolt into engagement with the now
completely lowered door, and lock it. When the cage is approaching the door-
way from above or below, the rail F first comes into contact with the bowl S
or S', whereby the bolt is withdrawn and the door becomes free to be raised
as herein before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:
1. Apparatus for automatically raising and lowering hoist doors by the motion
of the approaching or receding cage, constructed arranged and operating sub-
stantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. The herein before described means for automatically unlocking hoist doors
before they are raised and for locking them after they are lowered, constructed
and operated substantially as herein before described with reference to Figure 3
of the accompanying drawings.
3. The hereinbefore described apparatus for automatically unlocking, raising,

page_text: lowering and locking hoist doors which consists essentially of a vertical friction
rail F on the cage, two friction rollers R R rotated by the friction rail and
geared to rotate in opposite directions, flexible connections between the rollers
and the door, two friction bowls S S¹ forced into the path of the friction rail
by springs and carried on horizontal rods which are pinned to the two levers TT,
and a bolt U connected with the contiguous ends of the said levers, all con-
structed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 17th dow of Wohmiam & D 1900