Improvements connected with Compressed Air Engines and with Elevators Operated thereby.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application,. 18th Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 16th June, 1892-Accepted, 16th July, 1892..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Compressed Air Engines and with
Elevators Operated thereby.
A communication from abroad by OTIS BROTHERS & Co., of 38, Park Row, New
York, in the United States of America, Manufacturers.
We, AMERICAN ELEVATOR COMPANY of 4 Queen Victoria Street in the City
of London, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates in general to the utilization of compressed air expansively
in engines for operating machinery and power transmission and more especially for
operating the engines of elevators, and it has for its object to provide means whereby
the compressed air may be effectively utilized in operating engines and it consists
in the construction and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter more
particularly pointed out.
It is well known that compressed air may be utilized for operating engines or
motors on street cars, power transmission and especially is it applicable for operating
engines connected to run elevators in houses and other places. To do this an
engine, which may be substantially like the ordinary steam engine, is provided
and connected with the source of supply of compressed air, by means of which
the engine can be operated whenever desired. It is also well known that when
compressed air expands it creates an intense cold and it is found that this is apt
to cause a deposit of ice, from the moisture in the air or otherwise, in or around
the ports and valves of the engine so that it is practically impossible to use the
compressed air expansively at ordinary temperatures. The object of this invention
is to provide a simple means whereby the compressed air passing to the engine
may be heated so that as it expands it will not deposit frost or ice which will
interfere with the operation of the engine.
In carrying out the invention it is shown as applied to an engine operating an
elevator, and the accompanying drawing is a general view showing the apparatus
necessary to carry out the invention.
In the drawing A represents an elevator connected to the ordinary cables B
passing over sheaves C to a drum D, connected to be driven by the engine E.
This engine E may be of any ordinary type but is shown of the well known style
often used to operate elevators by steam, the only difference in construction of the
engine being that when the engine is operated by compressed air expansively the
valves and ports are preferably made larger than for operation by steam. Con-
nected to the engine is a supply pipe F leading from the compressed air tank G,
or other source of compressed air, and H represents a typical valve controlling the
admission of compressed air at the ports of the engine.
In order that the compressed air may be raised to a proper temperature before
entering the ports of the engine, means are provided whereby it may be heated
electrically, and for this purpose there is shown an electric generator I, which
be situated at any convenient place and leading therefrom are the conductors J, K.
Arranged in some suitable position and preferably in an enlargement or
cylinder L of the compressed air pipe F are a series of resistance coils M, and
these are so arranged that the compressed air in passing to the engine will have to
circulate around the coils and when these coils are properly connected in the
electric circuit and become heated the temperature of the compressed air passing
over them will be raised to such an extent as to preclude the danger of depositing
frost or ice in the engine where the compressed air is expanded to propel the same.
In the operation of elevators it is uncommon to run them continuously and the

page_text: engine is usually controlled by some suitable means from the cage, and for this
purpose there is shown a simple hand rope O passing through the elevator cage A
and connected to the valve controller device H, and as it is unnecessary to heat the
air except at the time of using in order to prevent the waste of electric current the
valve controller H is preferably arranged so that it will close the electric circuit J, K,
whenever the controller is moved to operate the engine and when it is moved to
-stop the engine it will break the circuit. Thus the circuit J K is shown as
terminating in contact plates j, k, with a contact plate h on the valve controller
which will close or open the circuit as the controller is moved.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been thus illustrated a
conventional form of electric heater arranged in the supply pipe for the compressed
air has been shown it will be understood that other forins and arrangements may
be used without departing from the spirit of the invention which is not therefore to
be understood as being limited to the precise construction and arrangement of
parts illustrated and described.
Dated this 18th day of September 1891.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Compressed Air Engines and with
Elevators Operated thereby.
A communication from abroad by OTIS BROTHERS & Co., of 38, Park Row, New
York, in the United States of America, Manufacturers.
We, AMERICAN ELEVATOR COMPANY of 4 Queen Victoria Street in the City
of London, Manufacturers, 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 relates in general to the utilization of compressed air expansively
in engines for operating machinery and power transmission, and more especially for
operating the engines of elevators, and it has for its object to provide means whereby
the compressed air may be effectively utilized in operating engines, and it consists
in the construction and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter more
particularly pointed out.
It is well known that compressed air may be utilized for operating engines or
motors on street cars, power transmission, and especially is it applicable for
operating engines connected to run elevators in houses and other places. To do
this, an engine which may be substantially like the ordinary steam engine, is
provided and connected with the source of supply of compressed air, by means of
which the engine can be operated whenever desired. It is also well known that
when compressed air expands it creates an intense cold, and it is found that this is
apt to cause a deposit of ice, from the moisture in the air or otherwise, in or around
the ports and valves of the engine, so that it is practically impossible to use the
compressed air expansively at ordinary temperatures.
The object of this invention is to provide a simple means whereby the compressed
air passing to the engine may be heated so that as it expands it will not deposit
frost or ice which will interfere with the operation of the engine.
In carrying out the invention it is shown as applied to an engine operating an
elevator, and the drawing accompanying the Provisional Specification is a general
view showing the apparatus necessary to carry out the invention.
In. said drawing A represents an elevator connected to the ordinary cables B
passing over sheaves C to a drum D, connected to be driven by the engine E.
This engine E may be of any ordinary type but is shown of the well known style
often used to operate elevators by steam, the only difference in construction of the

page_text: engine being that when the engine is operated by compressed air expansively the
valves and ports are preferably made larger than for operation by steam.
Connected to the engine is a supply pipe F leading from the compressed air
tank G, or other source of compressed air, and H represents a typical valve
controlling the admission of compressed air at the ports of the engine.
In order that the compressed air may be raised to a proper temperature before
entering the ports of the engine, means are provided whereby it inay be heated
electrically, and for this purpose there is shown an electric generator I, which
may be situated at any convenient place, and leading therefrom are the con-
ductors J. K.
Arranged in some suitable position and preferably in an enlargement or cylinder L
of the compressed air pipe F, are a series of resistance coils M, and these are so
arranged that the compressed air in passing to the engine will have to circulate
around the coils, and when these coils are properly connected in the electric circuit
and become heated the temperature of the compressed air passing over them will
be raised to such an extent as to preclude the danger of depositing frost or ice in
the engine where the compressed air is expanded to propel the same.
In the operation of elevators it is uncommon to run them continuously, and the
engine is usually controlled by some suitable means from the cage, and for this
purpose there is shown a simple hand rope O passing through the elevator cage A
and connected to the valve controller device H, and as it is unnecessary to heat the
air except at the time of using in order to prevent the waste of electric current,
the valve controller H is preferably arranged so that it will close the electric
circuit J, K, whenever the controller is moved to operate the engine, and when it
is moved to stop the engine it will break the circuit. Thus the circuit J K is
shown as terminating in contact plates j, k, with a contact plate h on the valve
controller which will close or open the circuit as the controller is moved.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been thus illustrated and
a conventional form of electric heater arranged in the supply pipe for the com-
pressed air has been shown it will be understood that other forms and arrangements
may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention which is not there-
fore to be understood as being limited to the precise construction and arrangement
of parts illustrated and described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to us by
our foreign correspondents, we declare that what we claim is :-
1. The combination with the engine and source of compressed air of an electric
heater arranged to heat the air in its passage to the engine, substantially as
described.
2. The combination with an engine connected to operate an elevator, of a source
of compressed air, connections between the source and the engine and electric
heaters arranged in the connections to heat the air, substantially as described.
3. The combination with an elevator and an engine for operating it, of a source
of compressed air connected to operate the engine, an electric heater arranged to
heat the compressed air and a valve controlling device connected to be operated
from the elevator, the said valve controlling device controlling the electric circuit
of the heater, substantially as described.
4. The combination with the engine and the source of compressed air, of a pipe
leading from the source to the engine, the pipe being provided with an enlarged
cylinder and an electric heater arranged in the cylinder and connected with the
source of electric supply, substantially as described.
Dated this 16th day of June 1892
PHILIP M. JUSTICE, Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicants.