IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFTING OR HOISTING MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
Year: 1884

page_text: We, JOHN MARSH DAY, WILLIAM ROBERT GREEN, and HENRY CLAUDE
WALKER, all of Falmouth Road, in the County of Surrey do hereby declare the
nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFTING OR HOISTING MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of lifting or hoisting machinery or apparatus
known as self-sustaining in which the load to be lifted or lowered is automatically
sustained in any position when the power used for lifting or lowering ceases to be
applied. It has for its object a novel method of constructing, arranging, and
combining, levers and pulleys which operate a brake, in such manner that when a
hauling rope is being pulled for the purpose of lifting or lowering a load the brake
is automatically released so long as the power is applied whilst it is again brought
into action when the power ceases to be applied.
Assuming that the invention is to be applied to a lift of the ordinary kind in
which two cages are used, ascending and descending alternately, or a balance
weight together with a cage of less weight, the brake acting in either direction, we
key the hauling wheel, the V-shaped rope wheel, and the brake wheel, all of the
ordinary well known kind, upon a shaft in the usual way, carried by bearings
suitably supported and fixed. Over and round the brake wheel we place a brake
strap, one end of which is fixed whilst its other end after passing over the wheel is
connected to a lever which carries a weight sufficient to hold the required load and
prevent it from running back when sustaining power is no longer applied to the
hauling rope.
Upon each side of the hauling wheel is arranged a lever turning upon centres
fixed to the frame of the apparatus and each having an arm descending vertically
or nearly so the lower end of which carries a pulley, inside and against which the
rope from the hauling wheel already described passes, in such manner and position
that the two parts of the rope as it descends from the wheel are brought somewhat
out of the perpendicular and made to approach each other. Whichever side of the
rope is pulled vertically, for the purpose of actuating the lift in either direction,
tends to force outward the lever upon that particular side. Each lever is connected
by a link to a central vertical lever which hangs freely from a centre at its upper
end and has a short arm upon each side of the centre, the ends of these shorter
arms being arranged below the loaded lever which applies the brake strap to the
brake as already described, in such manner that if the central lever be moved either
to the right or left by pulling downward either rope the loaded lever is lifted and
the brake released.

page_text: Whenever therefore either cord is pulled either for lifting or lowering the load,
the brake is released and remains free so long as sufficient force is applied but when
the force is removed the brake is automatically re-applied and the load remains
safely suspended.
The arrangement just described is more particularly adapted to a single cage lift
having a balance weight considerably heavier than the cage, as the brake strap
being fixed at one end will hold safely a heavier load when the tendency is to
strain it from its support than when the tendency is to thrust it toward the
support.
For light lifts, or light hoists used with a chain and hook in which case the
V-shaped hoisting wheel is replaced by a drum or barrel, we sometimes modify the
arrangement already described, by arranging a lever and pulley upon one side of
the hauling wheel only, the other side of the rope descending freely vertically.
The weighted lever which applies the brake strap is arranged so that when the
rope which passes inside the pulley is pulled down, a short arm upon the lever
which carries the pulley raises the loaded lever sufficiently to release the brake.
If the other or free side of the rope is pulled down the tendency of the brake
wheel is to lift the loaded lever and release the brake so that the lift can be worked
in that direction with but little additional friction.
In another somewhat modified form of our invention, we arrange a vertical or
nearly vertical lever upon each side of the hauling wheel, each carrying a pulley
round and inside which the hauling rope passes, as in the arrangement first
described, but at the upper end of each lever we arrange two arms horizontal or
nearly so, an outer one carrying a sufficient weight, and an inner one preferably of
less length jointed to and pressing upward a brake block arranged under the brake
wheel. This brake block is therefore pressed up by both weights, but if either side
of the hauling rope be pulled the brake is released by the corresponding pulley
being drawn somewhat outward. Both levers move together, the hauling rope on
the opposite side to that which is being pulled hanging somewhat more vertically
as its pulley moves outward by the rising of the brake block.
By this method of arrangement the brake power is applied equally in both
directions, and the friction of the hauling rope as it passes round and inside the
guide pulleys on the levers is much reduced.
The method of applying the principle of our invention in which levers actuated
by the hauling rope are arranged so as to release the brake when the rope is pulled
downward, may be varied in many ways.
For instance, the hauling wheel, a ratchet wheel and pall or their equivalent, and
the V-shaped lifting wheel may be keyed upon a single shaft, the ratchet wheel
being capable of turning freely in one direction, but not in the other direction
without carrying with it the shaft and hauling wheel.
A brake strap fixed at one end is arranged to pass over the brake wheel its
other end being attached to a brake lever provided with a weight sufficient
to hold the load safely, and a lever with a guide pulley round and inside which the
hauling rope passes is arranged in the same manner as in the arrangement first
described, so that when the hauling rope is pulled in the proper direction to lower
the load the weighted lever is raised and the brake released, whilst when the other
side of the hauling rope is pulled to raise the load, the brake remains unaffected but
the ratchet or its equivalent rotates.
By our invention great safety, economy, simplicity of construction, and
durability are attained in lifting or hoisting machinery or apparatus of the kind
described.
HOOD

page_text: We, JOHN MARSH DAY, WILLIAM ROBERT GREEN, and HENRY CLAUDE
WALKER, all of Falmouth Road, in the County of Surrey do hereby declare the
nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFTING OR HOISTING MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying
Drawing:-
This invention relates to that class of lifting or hoisting machinery or apparatus
known as self sustaining, in which the load to be lifted or lowered is automatically
sustained in any position when the power used for lifting or lowering ceases to be
applied.
Our present invention has for its object a novel method of constructing,
arranging, and combining, levers and pulleys which operate a brake, in such
manner that when a hauling rope is being pulled for the purpose of lifting or
lowering a load the brake is automatically released so long as the power is applied
whilst it is again brought into action when the power ceases to be applied.
Our invention may be applied to lifts of different kinds, as for instance to the
ordinary kind in which two cages are used, ascending and descending alternately,
or a balance weight together with a cage of less weight, the brake acting in either
direction.
a is the
Or it may be applied to light lifts or hoists in the manner shewn in figure 1 in
the accompanying drawing which is in illustration of our invention.
lifting wheel round which the hoisting rope b passes, being guided by the fixed
pulleys c, c¹. The wheel a, the hauling wheel d, and a brake drum e are all keyed
upon the shaft f carried by bearings suitably supported and fixed to the beams g.
One side of the hauling rope d descends freely vertically, whilst its other side
passes inside the pulley h which is carried by an arm turning upon a fixed
centre and having a short arm by which the loaded lever can be raised.
This loaded lever k is connected to the brake strap which fits round the brake
drum e.
When the rope which passes inside the pulley is pulled down, the
pulley is moved outward by the pressure of the rope, and the short arm h² of the
lever raises the loaded lever k and releases the brake, and by continuing to pull
downward upon the rope the lift and load can be raised. When the hauling force
upon the rope is withdrawn the loaded lever re-applies the pressure of the brake
strap to the drum e, and the lift with with its load remains suspended in any
position.
If the other or free side of the rope is pulled down the tendency of the brake
wheel e is to lift the loaded lever k and release the brake so that the lift can be
worked in that direction with but little additional friction or resistance.
Another somewhat modified form of our invention is shewn in figure 2, in which,
a more or less vertical lever h¹, h¹, is arranged upon each side of the hauling rope d¹
the levers turning upon centres i, i, and carrying pulleys h, h, round and inside
which the hauling rope passes, as in the arrangement first described, but at the
upper end of each lever we arrange two arms n, n¹, horizontal or nearly so, the
outer arm n carrying a sufficient weight o, and the inner shorter one n' being
jointed to and pressing upward a brake block k arranged under the brake wheel e.
This brake block is therefore pressed up by both weights o, o, but if either side
-

page_text: of the hauling rope d¹ be pulled down the brake is released by one or other of the
pullies h, h, being forced somewhat outward the weight o being raised and the
short arm n of the lever being depressed and the brake-block k withdrawn from
the brake drum e.
By this method of arrangement the brake power is applied equally in both
directions, and the friction of the bauling rope d as it passes round and inside the
pulleys h, h, upon the levers h, h¹, is much diminished.
In another somewhat modified arrangement for the same purpose we place over
and round the brake wheel a brake strap, one end of which is fixed whilst its other
end after passing over the wheel is connected to a lever which carries a weight
Bufficient to hold the required load and prevent it from running back when
sustaining power is no longer applied to the hauling rope.
Upon each side of the hauling wheel is arranged a lever turning upon centres
fixed to the frame of the apparatus and each having an arm descending vertically
or nearly so the lower end of which carries a pulley inside and against which the
rope from the hauling wheel already described passes, in such manner and position
that the two parts of the rope as it descends from the wheel are brought somewhat
out of the perpendicular and made to approach each other. Whichever side of the
rope is pulled vertically, for the purpose of actuating the lift in either direction, it
tends to force outward the lever upon that particular side. Each lever is connected
by a link to a central vertical lever which hangs freely from a centre at its upper
end and has a short arm upon each side of the centre, the ends of these shorter
arms being arranged below the loaded lever which applies the brake strap to the
brake as already described, in such manner that if the central lever be moved
either to the right or left by pulling downward either rope the loaded lever is lifted
and the brake released.
Whenever therefore either cord is pulled either for lifting or lowering the load,
the brake is released and remains free so long as sufficient force is applied but
when the force is removed the brake is automatically re-applied and its load
remains safely suspended.
The method of applying the principle of our invention, in which levers actuated
by the hauling rope are arranged so as to release the brake when the rope is pulled
downward, may be varied in many ways.
For instance, the hauling wheel, a ratchet wheel and pall or their equivalent, and
the V-shaped lifting wheel may be keyed upon a single shaft, the ratchet wheel
being capable of turning freely in one direction, but not in the other direction
without carrying with it the shaft and hauling wheel.
A brake strap fixed at one end is arranged to pass over the brake wheel its other
end being attached to a brake lever provided with a weight sufficient to hold the
load safely, and a lever with a guide pulley round and inside which the hauling
rope passes is arranged in the same manner as in the arrangement first described,
so that when the hauling rope is pulled in the proper direction to lower the load
the weighted lever is raised and the brake released, whilst when the other. side of
the hauling rope is pulled to raise the load, the brake remains unaffected but the
ratchet or its equivalent rotates.
By our invention great safety, economy, simplicity of construction and
durability are attained in lifting or hoisting machinery or apparatus of the kind
described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
The methods of constructing and operating lifting or hoisting machinery or
apparatus by passing the hauling rope round one or more pulleys carried by
suspended levers connected with a brake in such manner that when the hauling

page_text: rope is pulled for the purpose of lifting or lowering a load, the brake is
automatically released so long as the power is applied, whilst it is again brought
into action when the power ceases to be applied, substantially as described and
illustrated.