Improvements in Elevators or Lifts.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 7th Dec., 1889
COMPLETE DIEUITIATION.
Improvements in Elevators or Lifts.
I WILLIAM PARKER GIBSON of 15 Queen Street in the City of London Engineer
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 to elevators or lifts operated by pneumatic pressure and
provided with stop mechanisms for automatically arresting the car at its upper or
lower limit of movement mechanism being also provided for operating the safety
devices should the hoisting cables become broken or slack or the speed of the car
unduly accelerated.
The great objection to the use of pneumatic elevators has been that the movements
of the elevator car in ascending and descending are spasmodic and jerky. This has
been due to the fact that the pressure of the compressed air when exerted directly
upon the piston (owing to the elasticity of the air and the resistance of the piston
and its connected parts, and the load which it is required to raise, and the leakage
of the air beyond the piston) is exerted with varying intensity according as the
resistance of the piston increases or decreases.
This objectionable feature is obviated according to the present Invention by inter-
posing between the compressed air and the piston a body of water or other non-
elastic fluid, against which the pressure of the compressed air will be exerted and by
it communicated to the piston, instead of being exerted directly against the
piston, and by providing the cylinder upon the opposite side of the piston with a
second body of water which flows into and out of the cylinder as the piston moves
and thus water-locks the piston on both sides of the same, as in the well-known
hydraulic elevator in which the water circulates from one end to the other of the
cylinder. By this construction also the liability of leakage of compressed air beyond
the piston is avoided..
A peculiar arrangement and combination of valves and valve-operating mechanism
is employed for controlling the ingress and egress of the water and the supply of
compressed air and the exhaust of the same, and their attachment to the hand-
rope of the elevator by which the several valves are moved at the proper times in
the proper directions relatively to each other simultaneously from the car by a single
pull upon said hand rope which also operates an automatic stop device by which
said valves will be operated when the car reaches its limit of travel in either
direction.
In the accompanying drawing which form part of this Specification-
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of an elevator mechanism."
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the valve mechanism for controlling the supply and
exhaust of the compressed air and the valve mechanism for controlling the ingress
and egress of the water to and from the lower end of the cylinder.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the compressed air valve, the same being taken
on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section upon an enlarged scale of the automatic stop
mechanism.
Fig. 5 is a cross section of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 is a side elevation upon an enlarged scale of the platform of the car with the
safety appliances attached and,
Fig. 7 is a plan view of the underside of same.
Referring now particularly to Fig. 1 it will be understood that A represents the
elevator car, B, its hoisting cable, and C the elevator cylinder in which works a
piston D. The hoisting cable B is connected to the car A and to the piston D iu

page_text: the usual manner.
Located in any convenient position is a closed tank or
reservoir E provided at its lower end with a pipe F through which it communicates
with the upper end of the cylinder C upon the power side of the piston D. The
tank E is supplied with a body of water or other non-elastic fluid sufficient to
slightly more than fill the cylinder at the proper time. The cylinder C also
communicates, through a pipe G, with an open tank H also containing a body of
water or other fluid capable of slightly more than filling the cylinder below the
piston D. The tank E has also connected at its upper portion, above the level of
the liquid contained therein, a pipe I, connected with the source from which the
supply of compressed air is fed to said tank. The source of supply may be an air
compressor provided for the purpose or the supply may be had from a street main
for the distribution of compressed air through different parts of large cities and
towns. The pipe I has also connected to it a waste pipe J, Fig. 3 for the discharge
of the compressed air after use. The pipe F is provided with a valve a having two
ducts or passages and c cut therein at right angles to each other, as shown, so
that each one quarter turn of said valve from the position in which it is shown in
Fig. 1 re-establishes communication between the tank E and the upper end of the
cylinder C, the intermediate position of said valve cutting off such communication.
The pipe G is also provided with a valve d constructed and operated in a manner
similar to that just described and having two ducts or passages ef cut therein at
right angles to each other, which valve controls communication between the lower
end of the cylinder and tank H. The tanks E and H will, previous to the
operation of the elevator, be each provided with the requisite amount of water or
other liquid W, which may be supplied to the tank E through the port p which will
be closed tightly by means of a plug, as shown, to prevent the escape of compressed
air. The pipe I is provided at its lower end and at the point of its junction with
the air-exhaust pipe J, with a valve g having a duct or passage i communicating
with the duct and cut at right angles thereto, as shown in Fig. 3 by which com-
munication is controlled between the pipe I and the source of supply of compressed
air, and by which also communication is established at the proper time in the
operation of the elevator mechanism between the pipe I and the air-exhaust pipe J
to permit the exhaust of the compressed air from the pipe I and tank E after use
or during the upward movement of the piston D. The valves d and g are each
connected to a shaft carrying a small pulley k (see Fig. 2) about which passes the
hand-rope K of the elevator, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The pulley has secured
to it (see Figs. 1 and 2) a lever to the free end of which is also pivotally con-
nected the lower end of a rod m, the upper end of which is also pivotally connected
to a lever n secured to the stem of the valve a. The pipe I may be provided with a
valve o Fig. 2 by which the pressure at which the compressed air is to bo supplied
to the tank E may be regulated, or by which such supply may be cut off when
desired. By reason of the connecting together of the valves d g and a in the manner
described a single operation of the hand-rope K will only be necessary
valves simultaneously, each in the proper direction relatively to the others.
The operation of the mechanism which has been described is as follows:-When
the various parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 1 communication will be
established between the tank E and the upper end of the cylinder C, between said
tank and the source of supply of compressed air, and between the tank H and the
lower end of the cylinder C. It will be noticed that when the valve g has opened
communication between the pipe I and the source of supply of compressed air it at
the same time cuts off communication between the pipes I and J and prevents the
escape of compressed air. The compressed air passing through the pipe I enters the
tank E and forces the water contained in said tank into the cylinder C against
the power side of the piston D which it will force downward, thereby raising the
elevator car, the downward movement of the- piston, forcing the water in the cylinder
beneath it into the tank H. When it is desired to arrest the car at its upper limit
of movement or at any intermediate landing the attendant will draw upward upon
tlie hand-rope K and move the pulley k from right to left until a one-eighth turn
move said

page_text: as been imparted to the valves d and g, this movement of the pulley k raising the
ever I and rod m and through the latter the lever n and imparting a corresponding
novement to the valve a. When the parts have been thus moved the valve d will be
n position to cut off communication between the tank H and the cylinder C, the valve a
will cut off communication between said cylinder and tank E, and the valve g will cut off
communication also between the pipe I and the source of compressed air supply,
communication also between the pipe I and the exhaust-pipe J still remaining cut
off. The escape of water from below the piston being thus prevented the further
movement of the piston downward will be arrested and the car he brought to rest.
When it is desired to move the car downward the hand-rope K will be drawn
upward thereby moving the pulley k until the duct e of the valve d has been brought
into register with the pipe G, when communication will be opened between the
cylinder and tank H. When the pulley k has been thus moved the valve g will
be operated through the shaft j to bring its ducts and i into position to open
communication between the pipes I and J and to shut off the further admission of
compressed air to the pipe 1. This movement of the pulley & will also raise the
rod m and lever n and through the latter bring the duct c of the valve a into
register with the pipe F. Communication being thus established between the
pipes I and J the compressed-air confined in the pipe I and the tank E will escape
therefrom through the pipe J into the open air. As the piston D is thus relieved
of its pressure the car will begin to descend by its own weight and the piston to
rise, the latter as it rises forcing the water from the cylinder through the pipe F
into the tank E. As the upward movement of the piston continues the water which
has been forced from below it into the tank H in its descent will be drawn back
to the cylinder C beneath the piston. This will continue until it is desired to stop
the car.
To accomplish this the hand-rope K will be drawn downward, thereby
through the pulley and shaft giving a one-eighth turn to the valves & and 9 in
a direction contrary to that just described, this movement of the pulley k, causing
the rom and lever n to descend and through them operating the valve a to close
the pipe F. The parts will then be in the positions which they occupied in the
description heretofore given of the operation of stopping the car, and the ingress and
egress of water to and from the cylinder C and the supply and discharge of compressed
air to and from the tank E be prevented. When it is desired to again cause the
car to ascend the hand-rope K will again be drawn downward until the valves a and d
and g are returned to the positions in which they are shown in the drawings, when
the duct of the valve d will open communication between the tank H and the
lower end of the cylinder, the duct b will open communication between the tank E
and the upper end of the cylinder, and the duct h of the valve g will establish
communication between the compressed-air pipe I and its source of supply, at the
same time cutting off communication between the former pipe and the exhaust-
pipe J and preventing the further exhaust of compressed air. The operation of the
piston D will then be the same as that already given when the operation of raising the
elevator car was described.
The speed of the car in moving up and down is controlled by the position of the
valves ad which determine the rate at which the water shall enter and escape from
the cylinder, and thus regulate the speed of the piston.
If desired, the connections may be so organized that the air instead of being
exhausted from the tank E will, during the upward movement of the piston D,
circulate from the tank E to the tank H, (the latter tank being of course closed) and
be thence exhausted during the next downward movement of the piston. In such
case the valve will be omitted and the connections will be organized as indicated
by dotted lines in Figure 1, that is to say, the tank H will be provided with a valve 9
having ports 6, 7, by which the air can be allowed to enter the tank E from the
pressure main through port 6 and pipe I and at the same time the air contained in
5 the tank H can escape through pipes 5, 4 and port 7 as the piston D descends. The
valve 9 has a port 8 by which, when the valve is given a quarter turn the pipes I and 5
will be brought into communication so as to allow the air to circulate from the

page_text: tank E to the tank H as the piston, ascends. When the valve 9 is in an intermediato
position the pipes I and 5 will both be closed so as to prevent the entrance, of air to
the tank E and its escape from the tank H. The valve .9 will be provided with
an arm 10 similar to the arms In by which it will be operated through .the.rod.m
simultaneously with the valves.a d.
For automatically actuating the valves when the car has reached the limit of its
movement in either direction the hand rope K passes around a sheave L loosely
mounted upon the shaft M to which is affixed the pulley N over which passes the
hoisting cable B.
The hand rope K as shown in the present case passes through the elevator car A in
convenient position to be grasped by the hand of the attendant as shown by dotted
lines in Figure 1. The sheave L forms one end of a barrel O enclosing a portion of
the shaft M. That portion of the shaft enclosed within the barrel is screw threaded
and carries at or near each end stationary nuts qr. Between the nuts the shaft has
loosely mounted upon it a travelling nuts capable of movement during the rotation
of said shaft along the same between the nuts and as hereinafter described.
The travelling nuts is provided with a projecting end t which enters and fits loosely
within a longitudinal recess u formed in the barrel O. During the rotation of the
shaft M the travelling nuts will, by reason of its connection with the loosely
mounted barrel O in the manner described, travel along said shaft toward one or the
other of the nuts qr and engage with one of them when the car reaches the limit
of its movement. In order to provide for the ready engagement of the travelling
nuts with the nuts q reach of said nuts is provided upon its engaging surface with
oppositely-arranged shoulders v. The nuts and are in addition provided with
lock nuts by which they are securely locked and held in position upon the
shaft M.
q
The operation will be as follows. Let it be assumed that the car A is in the
position shown in Fig. 1 and is moving upward. As the upward movement of the
car continues the shaft M will be revolved and with it the nuts
and r,
the loosely
mounted barrel O remaining stationary and the travelling nuts travelling along the
shaft M towards the nut q being guided in this movement by its connection with the
barrel O. When the nuts has reached the nut 7 it will engage therewith. When
the nuts and are thus brought into engagement the nuts will be caused to
revolve with the shaft M and will communicate the rotary movement of said shaft-
to the barrel O and sheave L said sheave revolving in the same direction as the
shaft M and drawing upward upon the hand rope K. This revolution of the sheave L
will continue until it has drawn upward sufficiently upon the hand rope K to stop
the car. The operation of the different parts of the stop mechanism is 'so timed that
the movement of the car will be arrested in an easy and gradual manner and free
from jar, and within the limit of its upward movement. When the car is descending
the operation will be reversed, the nuts during the rotation of the shaft M in the
opposite direction travelling along said shaft and engaging with the nut at its
opposite end. When the nuts s and are thus brought into engagement the sheave L
will revolve in a direction contrary to that just described and imove the hand rope K
downward to stop the car..
The nuts g and may be adjusted along the shaft M at any desired distance from
each other and be locked in their positions by their lock nuts w or by other suitablo
means.
The abutments for the nuts will preferably be formed by nuts gras shown, but
where adjustment is not required the abutments may be fixed upon the shaft Mor
the abutments may be either fixed or adjustable upon the barrel.
When the car has been stopped at the limit of its movement in either direction
the rope K may be moved in the same direction to start the car as such movement
instead of drawing the nuts against the stationary nut will turn the nuts so as to
back it away therefrom.
To automatically arrest the movement of the car should the hoisting cables B
break or the speed of travel from other causes become unduly accelerated I' provide

page_text: means for operating the safety wedges carried by the platform of the car A. The
arrangement of the parts for this purpose is clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7 in which A¹
represents the elevator platform, and B' the guides by which its movements in the.
elevator shaft are guided. The platform A¹ is provided upon its under side with a
wide cross beam C₁ extending across its width and having projecting ends in which
are formed recesses for embracing loosely the guides B' upon each side of the platform.
Each recess is provided upon one side of the guide B1 with a metal wear plate D¹
and upon the opposite side with a wedge E having an inclined outer face-the
adjacent face of its recess being similarly inclined, as shown in Fig. 6. The cross
beam C¹ is provided at each end near each recess with a curved bearing F' against
which rests a yoke-shaped arm G¹, the ends of which are pivotally connected to
arms ed. The arms c are pivotally secured in bearings e' upon the cross beam C¹
and the arms d' are made fast to rods H, also pivoted in bearings upon said cross
beam and each carrying a cam g¹ upon which rests a finger fast upon a rod I'
turning in bearings secured to the side of the cross beam (". The rod 1' has also
fast upon it at one end of the cross beam C₁ a rock arm K' one end of which is
secured to the cable L of the governor apparatus of the elevator which may be
of any usual construction and is consequently not shown. Interposed between the
end of the arm Ki and a guide m¹ in the car is a spring n'. The end of the finger
at each end of the cross beam Centers an opening s in the lower end of the
wedge E and when raised and lowered forces said wedge upward and downward
in its recess, as herein after described. The arm G upon each side of the cross
beam has also secured to it at op respectively the rods M' N-two upon each
side of the car, said rods passing upward along the sides of the car and being
connected to the hoisting cables above the car, or if preferred the cables may separate
at the top of the car and passing downward upon the opposite sides of the car have
their ends secured at o¹ as is common in this class of elevators.
The cable L may
be connected to any suitable form of governor provided with connections for operating
clamping or retarding devices, which, when the movement of the car becomes unduly
accelerated, will stop or retard the further movement of said cable and cause it to
operate the connections already described to raise the wedges E¹ in their recesses
and thus arrest the further movement of the car.
The operation of the mechanism described is as follows. When the elevator car is
travelling at normal speed and with its hoisting cables intact and taut the wedges El
will rest loosely in their recesses, and the safety appliance reinain inoperative, the
cable L moving with the car and communicating its movement to the governor.
When, however, the descent of the elevator car becomes for any reason accelerated
beyond its proper speed, the governor, through suitable clamping devices with which
it is provided will retard or stop the further movement of said cable and cause it to
rock the arm K¹ and through the rod I raise the fingers and wedges' E' and
force said wedges tightly into their recesses. When the wedges E' have been raised
to this position they will bind tightly between the beam and the guides B' and
thereby arrest the further descent of the car. When the car has been thus arrested
in its descent the governor will cease its operation and upon the reverse movement
of the car release its clamping devices from the cable L' and permit said cable to be
returned to its normal position by the spring n'. The cable L' in returning to its
normal position will rock the arm K¹ downward and through the rod I rock the
fingers downward and withdraw the wedges. The car will then be free to continue
its descent.
Should any one of the hoisting cables become broken or slack, the other cable will
draw upon and tilt the arm G' to which it is connected and through its arm d' rock
the rod H¹ and cause its cam g¹ to rock the rod I¹ and press the fingers h¹ upward
and force the wedges E¹ into their recesses and cause them to wedge tightly between
the beam and guides B' and thus arrest the descent of the car. Suppose for
example one or both of the cables connected to the bars M' should break or become
slack. The strain then being increased upon the cables attached to N they will draw
upward upon their ends of the arms G and through the arms d' rock the rod or

page_text: rods H¹ and cause the inner ends of its cam or cams to press the fingers h¹
upward and force the wedges E' into their recesses in the manner just described.
Should either or both of the cables attached to the bars N' break or become slack, the
opposite end or ends of the arm or arms G' will be raised and the outer end or ends
of the cam or cams g' pressed against the finger or fingers and the wedges E¹ be
forced upward into their recesses.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The combination with the cylinder and piston of a pneumatic elevator, of a
closed tank containing a body of liquid interposed between the pressure side of the
piston, and the compressed air for operating the same and filling the cylinder, a tank
comunicating with the cylinder upon the opposite side of the piston and containing
a body of liquid sufficient to fill the cylinder upon that side of the piston, valves a d
for controlling the flow of the two bodies of liquid to and from the cylinder, and a
hand rope for operating said valves from the car, substantially as described.
2. The combination with the cylinder and piston of a pneumatic elevator, of a closed
tank containing a body of liquid interposed between the pressure side of the piston,
and the compressed air for operating the same and filling the cylinder, a tank
communicating with the cylinder upon the opposite side of the piston and containing
a body of liquid sufficient to fill the cylinder upon that side of the piston, valves a d
for controlling the flow of the two bodies of liquid to and from the cylinder, a valve
for controlling the supply and exhaust of compressed air to and from said closed
tank, and a hand. rope for operating said valves from the car, substantially as
described.
3. The combination in a pneumatic elevator, of a cylinder and piston, closed tanks
communicating with the cylinder upon the opposite sides of the piston and containing
bodies of liquid sufficient to fill the cylinder upon said respective sides of the piston,
pipes and valve mechanism for admitting air under pressure to one of said tanks to
drive the piston in one direction and for allowing said air to circulate from said tank
to the other tank as the piston moves in the other direction and for allowing the air
to escape from said last tank, and conections for operating said valve mechanism from
the car, substantially as described.
4. The combination with an elevator car, its hoisting cable, and the sheave over
which said cable passes at the top of the shaft, of a threaded shaft M provided with
abutments and fixed to said sheave, a sheave Land barrel O turning freely upon said
shaft, a travelling nut s working upon said threaded shaft between the abutments and
connected to said barrel to lock it and the sheave L to the shaft when it engages with
either abutment and a hand rope K passing around said sheave substantially as
described.
5. The combination with an elevator car, its hoisting cable, and the pulley over
which said cable passes at the top of the shaft, of a threaded shaft M fixed to said
pulley and a second sheave or pulley L and barrel O turning freely upon said shaft,
a travelling nut s working upon said threaded shaft between adjustable abutments and
connected to said barrel to lock it and the sheave L to the shaft when it engages with
either abutment and a band rope K passing around said sheave L substantially as
described.
6. The combination with the fingers h¹, and the wedges for stopping the
car, of the
rods H having the cams g¹ formed to operate said fingers when the rods H' are
rocked in either direction, the arms G' fulcrumed upon bearings beneath the car and
connected upon opposite sides of said bearings to the respective hoisting cables and
pivotally connected at one end to arms d' extending from said rods H' substantially
as described.
7. The combination with the rod I' carrying fingers h¹, and the wedges for stopping
the car, of the rods H¹ having the cams formed to operate said fingers when the
rods H¹ are rocked in either direction, the arms G¹ fulcrumed upon bearings beneath

page_text: the car and connected upon opposite sides of said bearings to the respective hoisting
cables and pivotally connected at one end to arms d' extending from said rods H
and the arm K' extending from the rod I¹ and connected to the governor cable L₁
substantially as described.
8. The combination with the elevator car and its guides B₁, of wedges E', the
fingers entering openings in the wedges so as to move said wedges in both
directions, the rods Hi having the cams g' formed to operate said fingers when the
rods are rocked in either direction, the arms G' fulcrumed against bearings beneath
the car and connected upon opposite sides of said bearings to. the respective hoisting
cables and pivotally connected at one end to arms d' extending from said rods Hi
substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of October 1889.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.