Improvements in Lifts.
Year: 1894

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lifts.
1, EDMUND PARRY, OKEDEN of the Firm of R. Waygood & Co., Falmouth
Road, London, S.E., Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to lifts actuated or controlled by electricity and has
reference; firstly, to the gearing of electrical lifts; secondly, to interchangeable
hand and electrically-driven gearing; thirdly, to electrical indicating or con-
trolling arrangements for lifts actuated by electricity or otherwise. These three
portions may be combined in one apparatus or be used separately at will.
Firstly. In lifts driven by worm gearing of ordinary construction there is
generally a slight shock felt in the cage as each tooth comes into gear with the
worm. This may be partially but not entirely overcome by carefully cutting the
teeth of the wheel. In the lifting gear of my invention place some resilient or
shock-absorbing medium at some convenient place between the worm wheel and the
lifting sheave or drum. I may for instance mount the drum loose on the worm-
wheel shaft and drive it through a clutch or coupling provided with india-rubber
leather or other buffers or springs possessing elasticity sufficient to absorb the
shocks without much independent movement. I may in other cases put the drum
and worm wheel on different shafts and connect them in line by a flexible clutch or
coupling, or place them parallel and drive them through spur-gearing fitted with
the resilient inedium.
Secondly. I mount the wheel or drum which carries the load loosely on the
shaft of the worm wheel of the electric gearing and drive it therefrom by a clutch.
On the same shaft or one geared thereto is loosely mounted a hand-rope wheel or
the like also capable of connection by clutch with the lifting rope wheel or
drum.
Thirdly. In electrically-actuated lifts of ordinary construction in which the
armature or field current is varied by a rheostat or other arrangement controlled
by hand from the cage or other part distant from the switch, there may at some
points be enough resistance in circuit to prevent the motor moving its load so that
the cage is stationary although a certain amount of current is flowing through the
machine. In these and other cases it is not an easy matter to judge the correct
Dormal position of the switch.
In carrying out this part of my invention I place an incandescent lamp of
ordinary construction in the cage or other place in view of the operator when
controlling the lift. and connect the same by flexible leads, bars and sliding contacts
or other known means of electrical communication with the main switch or other
controlling apparatus in such a manner that when the said switch etc. is moved
from its central or normal position the lamp filament will glow. The lamp thus
serves as an indicator to facilitate the more delicate adjustment of the switch etc.
and also lights the cage or other part. This part of my invention may be also
applied to lifts other than electrically actuated for the same purpose the current
being obtained from any convenient source and suitable contacts arranged for its
control.
Dated this Fourteenth day of March 1894.

page_text: I, EDMUND PARRY OKEDEN of the Firm of R. Waygood and Co., Falmouth
Road, Great Dover Street, London S.E., Engineers, 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:-
My invention relates to lifts actuated or controlled by electricity and has
reference, firstly to the gearing of electrical lifts, secondly to interchangeable hand
and electrically driven gearing, and thirdly to electrical indicating or controlling
arrangements for lifts actuated by electricity or otherwise. These three portions
may be combined in one apparatus or be used separately at will.
In the accompanying drawings the same letters occurring in different figures
indicate the same or corresponding parts.
Firstly. In lifts driven by worm gearing of ordinary construction there is
generally a slight shock felt in the cage as each tooth comes into gear with the
worm. This may be partially but not entirely overcome by carefully cutting the
teeth of the wheel. In the lifting gear of my invention I place some resilient or
shock-absorbing medium at some convenient place between the worm wheel and the
lifting sheave or drum. I may for instance mount the drum loose on the worm-
wheel shaft and drive it through a clutch or coupling provided with india-rubber,
leather or other buffers or springs possessing elasticity sufficient to absorb the
shocks without much independent movement. I may in other cases put the drum
and worm-wheel on different shafts and connect them in line by a flexible clutch or
coupling, or place them parallel and drive them through spur gearing fitted with the
resilient medium.
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings show four methods of
carrying out this part of my invention. In these views I have only shown those
portions of the gearing to which my irvention is particularly applied, the remaining
portions being of ordinary construction. The power is applied to the worm wheel A
and conveyed to the rope drum B through the elastic connections forming this part
of my invention.
In Figs. 1 and 2 the wheel A and drum B are on two co-axial shafts connected
by the coupling C. One portion of this coupling is fitted with segmental
projections and fits partly within the other e¹ which has similar projections c.
The spaces between the projections are fitted with india-rubber or other shock-
absorbing media.
In Figs. 3 and 4 the drum B is mounted loosely on the worm-wheel shaft and
driven therefrom by two arms D and springs d. The arms D are keyed on to the
shaft and provided with plungers d' acting against the springs d which abut on
eyes or other arrangements on the drum. The lugs on the drum prevent an
undue compression of the springs.
Figs. 5 and 6 show a modification in which the drum is separate from its hub
and connected thereto by projections c² and c with elastic packing similar to
Figs. and 2.
Figure 7 shows another modification in which the drum B and worm wheel A
are on separate shafts connected by toothed wheels one of which has the projections
and elastic packing similar to Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6.
Secondly. I mount the wheel or drum which carries the load loosely on the
shaft of the worm wheel of the electric gearing and drive it therefrom by a clutch.

page_text: On the same shaft or one geared thereto is loosely mounted a hand-rope wheel or
the like also capable of connection by clutch with the lifting-rope wheel or
drum.
Figs. 8, 9 and 10 show this part of my invention, A being the worm-wheel,
B the rope wheel or drum and E the hauling wheel over which passes the hand-
actuating rope.
In Fig. 8 the rope wheel B which is loose on the worm shaft is provided with
clutch teeth F. A clutch G sliding on a feather on the worm-wheel shaft may be
A. loosely
put into gear with B when the lift is to be driven through wheel A.
mounted wheel H having clutch teeth may be slidden along the shaft into gear
with the rope wheel B and pinion A when hand driving is desired.
In Fig. 9 the rope wheel B is keyed on a shaft upon which run loosely the
worm wheel A and hauling wheel E, both A and E being provided with clutch
teeth. A clutch 1 sliding on a feather on the shaft may be put into gear with
either A or E.
Fig. 10 shows an arrangement somewhat similar to Fig. 9 except that the
hauling wheel E is keyed on a separate shaft having a pinion J gearing into a
clutch wheel running loosely on the shaft of the rope wheel B.
Thirdly. In electrically-actuated lifts of ordinary construction in which the
armature or field current is varied by a rheostat or other arrangement controlled
by hand from the cage or other part distant from the switch, there may at some
points be enough resistance in circuit to prevent the motor moving its load so that
the cage is stationary although a certain amount of current is flowing through the
machine. In these and other cases it is not an easy matter to judge the correct
normal position of the switch.
In carrying out this part of my invention 1 place an incandescent lamp of
ordinary construction in the cage or other place in view of the operator when
controlling the lift and connect the same by flexible-leads, bars and sliding contacts
or other known means of electrical communication with the main switch or other
controlling apparatus in such a manner that when the said switch etc. is moved-
from its central or normal position the lamp filament will glow. The lamp thus
serves as an indicator to facilitate the more delicate adjustment of the switch and
also lights the cage or other part.
This part of my invention may be also applied to lifts other than electrically-
actuated for the same purpose the current being obtained from any convenient
source and suitable contacts arranged for its control.
Fig. 11 shows one method in which I carry out this part of my invention. Kis
an ordinary reversing switch controlling the motor k of the lift cage L and being
provide
operated by the rope passing through the cage and down the lift well. I
O additional contacts M and connect them by flexible leads m with a lamp m² in the
cage L. A brush on the lever m³ makes contact with M when this lever is moved
from its central position. The illumination of the lamp m' thus indicates that the
lever m² is in such a position that current is passing through the motor.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
5 tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
0
(1.) In lifts driven by worm and wheel mechanism the detachment of the drum
from the worm-wheel shaft in combination with the elastic connection substantially
as described.
(2.) The construction and combination of gearing for lifts as shown in Figs. 1
and 2 of the accompanying drawings and substantially as described.
(3.) The construction and combination of gearing for lifts as shown in Figs. 3,
4, 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings and substantially as described.
(4.) In electric lifts the combination of electrical and hand-driven gearing
5 substantially as described.

page_text: (5.) In electric lifts the use of an incandescent lamp or lamps placed in the cage
or elsewhere for the purpose of indicating the position of the starting switch
substantially as described.
Dated this Thirteenth day of December 1894.
EDMUND PARRY OKEDEN.