Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1886
Complete Left, 2nd Sept., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 4th Oct., 1887.
I THOMAS MEACOCK of No. 158 Soho Hill Handsworth in the County of Stafford
Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows :-
My invention relates to improvements in hydraulic lifts of the class known as
multiplying chain lifts the said lifts having a single moving rain encircling a fixed
internal ram or tube the moving ram working in a cylinder having multiplying chain or
wire rope sheaves attached to it either at its bottom or sides. The multiplying chain
or rope passes over the aforementioned sheaves and also over a corresponding number
of sheaves mounted in a bracket fixed on the top of the moving ram.
The working of the lift is as follows:-Water under pressure being admitted to the
moving ram the said ram runs out or protrudes from its cylinder thus taking up a
length of lifting chain multiplied in proportion to the number of sheaves used.
This class of lift is in common use for two purposes first as double power lifts where
pressure is admitted to an internal fixed ram for raising light loads and to both the
internal and moving ram for raising heavier loads secondly the inner ram is some-
times used to balance a fixed or constant suspended load the outer or moving ram
being used for raising the load in which latter case the contents of the internal fixed
ram are in direct communication with the source of water supply the outer or moving
ram being under the control of the working valve.
My invention has for its object to use the pressure water in proportion to the loads
to be raised. This object I effect in the following manner. First in place of admitting
water to the internal ram for light loads and then to both rams for heavier loads I
admit pressure to the internal fixed ram for a light load to the outer or moving ram
for heavier loads (the internal ram being put to exhaust or suction from non pressure
for maximum
water) and to both internal fixed ram and outer moving ram
loads. In the case of lowering maximum loads I put the ram in circulation
or communication with the source of supply thereby returning its contents.
For lighter loads I place the internal fixed ram into circulation or communication
with the source of supply and exhaust the outer moving ram thereby returning
or paying back its contents to the source of supply. The several operations

page_text: and the saving of pressure water are effected by a simple arrangement of valve motion
under control of a single hand lever or cord all admissions of pressure being obtained
by the movement of the hand lever or cord in one direction and all exhaust motions
being effected by moving the lever or cord in the opposite direction or other equivalent
motion when the lever or cord is placed at its middle position the various powers
are locked and the lift is arrested at any desired stage of travel or run out of the
moving rain and retained there.
The valve notion which I prefer to employ consists of a series of four balanced
plugs two being available for admission of pressure water and circulation to the source
of supply the remaining two plugs being used for exhaust purposes. Or an arrange-
ment of slides may be used the said arrangement of slides having the same motions
and being under the same control of a single lever or cord as the plug valves described.
In each case an arrangement is employed to indicate points for the movement of the
lever or cord for the respective operations.
In order to facilitate access to the internal gland of the lift for the purpose of
examining and repacking or repairing it without disturbing or unpacking the outer
gland or disconnecting the chains or interfering with the tappet motion I employ a
sliding stuffing box on the top of the cylinder. This stuffing box can be moved up
the outer ram and retained in a convenient position by catches fixed to the outer or
moving ram during the examination repacking or repair of the internal gland.
Dated this Tenth day of December 1886.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hydraulic Multiplying Chain Lifts.
I THOMAS MEACOCK of No. 158 Soho Hill, Handsworth in the County of Stafford,
Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my 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 improvements in hydraulic lifts of the class known as
multiplying chain lifts, the said lifts having a single moving ram encircling a fixed
internal ram or tube the moving ram working in a cylinder having multiplying chain
or wire rope sheaves attached to it either at its bottom or sides. The multiplying
chain or rope passes over the aforementioned sheaves and also over a corresponding
number of sheaves mounted in a bracket fixed on the top of the moving rain.
The working of the lift is as follows:-Water under pressure being admitted to the
moving ram the said ram runs out or protrudes from its cylinder thus taking up a
length of lifting cbain multiplied in proportion to the number of sheaves used.
This class of lift is in common use for two purposes, first, as double power lifts
where pressure is admitted to an internal fixed ram for raising light loads and to both
the internal and moving ram for raising heavier loads; secondly the inner ram is
sometimes used to balance a fixed or constant suspended load, the outer or moving
iam being used for raising the load in which latter case the contents of the internal
fixed ram are in direct communication with the source of water supply, the outer or
moving ram being under the control of the working valve.
My invention has for its object to use the pressure water in proportion to the loads
to be raised. This object I effect in the following manner. First in place of admitting
water to the internal ram for light loads and then to both rams for heavier loads
I admit pressure to the internal fixed ram for a light load, to the outer or moving
ram for heavier loads (the internal ram being put to exhaust or suction from non-
pressure water) and to both internal fixed ram and outer moving ram for maximum
loads. In the case of lowering maximum loads I put the ram in circulation or
communication with the source of supply thereby returning its contents.
For lighter
loads I place the internal fixed ram into circulation or communication with the source
of supply and exhaust the outer moving ram thereby returning or paying back its
contents to the source of supply. The several operations and the saving of pressure
water are effected by a simple arrangement of valve motion under control of a single
hand lever or cord, all admissions of pressure being obtained by the movement of the
hand lever or cord in one direction and all exhaust motions being effected by moving
the lever or cord in the opposite direction or other equivalent motion; when the
lever or cord is placed at its middle position the various powers are locked and the
lift is arrested at any desired stage of travel or run out of the moving.ram and
retained there.
The valve motion which I prefer to employ consists of a series of four balanced
plugs two being available for admission of pressure water and circulation to the

page_text: source of supply, the remaining two plugs being used for exhaust purposes. Or an
arrangement of slides may be used the said arrangement of slides having the same
motions and being under the same control of a single lever or cord as the plug valves
described. In each case an arrangement is employed to indicate points for the
movement of the lever or cord for the respective operations.
In order to facilitate access to the internal gland of the lift for the purpose of
examining and repacking or repairing it without disturbing or unpacking the outer
gland or disconnecting the chains or interfering with the tappet motion, I employ
a sliding stuffing box on the top of the cylinder. This stuffing box can be moved up
the outer ram and retained in a convenient position by catches fixed to the outer or
moving ram during the examination, repacking or repair of the internal gland.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in vertical section and Figure 2 in front elevation a hydraulic
multiple chain lift having a single moving ram. In Figure 1 the moving ram is
represented at the bottom of its stroke and in Figure 2 at the top of its stroke, the
sliding stuffing box being lifted in the said Figure 2.
Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 represent the valve and slide arrangements for effecting the
operations of the lift as hereinafter described.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawing.
A is the single moving ram of the lift the said moving ram encircling the fixed
internal ram B. The moving ram A works in the cylinder A' having multiplying
sheaves A² at its bottom. The multiplying chain or rope A³ indicated in dotted lines
passes under the sheaves A² and also over the sheaves A' mounted in a brackt A³
fixed on the top of the said moving ram A, the said bracket working on the guide
rods A. The said moving ram A is propelled or protruded out of the cylinder A¹
by means of pressure water being admitted through either or both of the passages or
apertures marked C and C and the working of the lift is effected in the following
manner and by the use of the valve or slide arrangement hereinafter described.
For light loads the internal ram B is put to pressure through the pipe or passage
when the ram A is run out of the cylinder with a force acting upon the top internal
area equal to the intensity of the water pressure on the area of the ram B, which I
should preferably proportion to have a relation to the total area of the ram A as 1
is to 3.
For heavier loads I admit pressure to the ram A through the aperture or passage C
which opens into the annular space between the moving ram A and fixed ram B. In
this case the moving ram A is run out by the action of the water pressure upon the
annular space of the ram A encircling the fixed ram B the area of which space is
double that of the area of the fixed ram B. In this case the ratio is as 2 is to 3.
For maximum loads, water under pressure is admitted through both of the
apertures or passages C and C1 to both the fixed ram B and to the annular space
between the moving ram A and fixed ram B, thereby causing the said ram A to run
out with the full effective area of 3. When only one area is admitted to pressure the
other area draws its contents from a non pressure source of water through a suction
valve provided in each of the communicating pipes or apertures C and C₁; a similar
valve being provided and fixed communicating with the supply main permits the
returning to the source of supply of the contents of either the ram B or A when
lowering with a load.
The valve arrangement which I use for effecting the operation of the lift Figures 1
and 2 is represented in vertical section in Figure 3 and plan in Figure 4 the said
Figures 3 and 4 being drawn to a larger scale than Figures 1 and 2.
The said valve arrangement consists of a series of four plugs D D¹; E E' which
are held upon their respective seats by water pressure acting upon the increased areas
of the spindles F, Fl over the areas of the valve ports G G. The chambers H H¹
over the spindles F, F¹ are charged with water passing around the stems I, I'. This
volume of water has to be displaced during the raising of the plugs and the respective

page_text: plugs can only automatically return upon their seats as the chambers H H¹ become
charged through the clearance caused by the diameter of the passages being larger
than the stems I, I', thereby ensuring steady action. The coiled springs J, J' are
for the purpose of keeping the plugs D D'; E E¹ upon their seats when water
pressure is shut off at the supply main. The pressure inlet is marked K and
is common to either of the plugs D D¹. The exhaust inlet is marked L and serves
for both the plugs E E'. The pipe M communicates with the internal ram B through
the pipe C Figures 1 and 2 and the pipe N is connected to the passage or aperture C
of the cylinder A¹ containing the moving ram A Figures 1 and 2. The
plugs D D E E' are actuated by the two double cams O, O' fixed on the spindle P.
By partially rotating the spindle P in one direction by means of a drum or lever
fixed to it the plug D is raised thereby admitting pressure to the ram B through the
connections described. By a further movement of the drum or lever on the spindle P
the plug D is liberated by means of the slipping link Q when it automatically seats
itself thereby closing communication to the ram B. During this movement the cam
raises the plug D' so that the annular area of the ram A is admitted to pressure. For
raising a maximum load a third movement of the cam again raises the plug D at the
same time retaining the plug D' open; both rams are now subject to pressure.
;
I do not think it necessary to describe the action of the parts for putting the
respective areas of the rams to exhaust as this is effected in precisely the same
manner as the opening of the pressure plugs D D', namely by the cams operating in
an opposite direction upon the exhaust plugs E E¹.
The motions of the spindle P are in the same direction for each admission of
pressure to the respective rams B and A and in an opposite direction for their
respective admission to exhaust.
To control at top and bottom of the stroke the run out of the ram A tappet motion
may be applied the said tappet motion being operated either by the moving ram A_or
in cases where cages are used by tappets attached to a controlling cord or rod. The
object of this tappet motion is to ensure the valve being gradually shut off at top and
bottom of stroke; for instance if the attendant at the drum or cord for working the
valves by operating the cams should keep the valve open to pressure, over lifting
would result whereas the tappets would reverse the motion of the cams against the
resistance of the attendant's hand..
Figure 5 represents in vertical section and Figure 6 in plan an arrangement of
four slides which may be used in place of the valve arrangement Figures 3 and 4.
The slides in this arrangement are made to automatically cover the communicating
ports to the rams B and A by the pressure water acting upon the area of the respective
spindles D D¹; E E' as shown at R R¹. As these slides are caused to open the ports
to admit the pressure to the rams B and A or to put them to exhaust by the action of
a pair of double cams 00' fixed upon the spindle P operated in precisely a similar
manner to that described for opening the plug valves Figures 3 and 4 I do not consider
it necessary to further explain the same.
The actuating cams may either be fixed above or below the plugs or slide
spindles.
The inlet K is connected to the supply main and the inlet L to the exhaust. The
inlet M communicates with the ram B and the inlet N with the ram A.
The arrangement of my invention for facilitating access to the internal gland S of
the lift is represented, in Figures 1 and 2 where T is the sliding stuffing box
surmounting the cylinder A' and capable of being fixed thereto and detached there-
from by fastenings at U which when unfastened and attached to the ram head V by
means of chains or links can be raised by the moving ram A by admitting pressure
to the fixed ram B as represented in Figure 2. After the sliding stuffing box T has
been thus raised it can be suspended from the collars W, W on the guide bars A*
either by catches attached to the ram head V or by suspending links or chains. When
the sliding stuffing box T has thus been raised and suspended the internal gland S of
the lift can be examined and repacked or repaired without disturbing the outer gland
as before described.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as my
invention of "Improvements in hydraulic multiplying chain lifts"
First. Obtaining three powers from a single moving ram in hydraulic multiplying
chain lifts by constructing combining and working the parts of the lifts substantially
in the manner herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the
accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. The system of valves herein before described and illustrated in Figures 3
and 4 of the accompanying drawing to be used for working hydraulic multiplying
chain lifts the said system of valves consisting essentially of four plugs partially
balanced by hydraulic pressure actuated by cams under the control of a single cord
or lever for the purpose and substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
Thirdly. The system of slides herein before described and illustrated in Figures 5
and 6 of the accompanying Drawing to be used for working hydraulic multiplying
chain lifts the said system consisting of four slides automatically closed by the
water pressure and operated by cams substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated.
Lastly. The construction of the sliding stuffing box herein before described and
illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawing for facilitating access to
the internal gland of the lift the said sliding stuffing box being capable when
detached from the cylinder of the lift of being raised with the moving ram and
suspended to the ram guides substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated thin Thistes fund da
A1007