IMPROVEMENTS IN HOISTS OR ELEVATORS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HOISTS OR ELEVATORS."-A com-
munication from abroad by Thomas Silver, of the City and State of
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 22nd July 1872.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HOISTS OR ELEVATORS,"
a communication, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to apparatus for raising and lowering heavy
bodies or objects either vertically or on inclined planes. It will suffice
here, however, to describe it as a hoist or elevator for use in buildings of
various kinds..

page_text: Such apparatus differs from most others in use for like purposes
inasmuch as the weight being raised by it does not rest upon a rope or
chain, the rope, chain, or other device herein-after referred to serving
only to give motion to the mechanism by which the load is moved.
In my improved elevator I employ generally one obliquely set
wheel or disc secured firmly to a shaft or spindle, and having upon its
outer face a screw thread radiating and increasing its radiant in equal
degress at any time in a tangential or rectangular direction from its
axis of motion; this disc is carried by the platform or cage and is
operated by a rope, chain, or other device, with the screw thread or
flange resting upon racks or antifriction rollers arranged at equal
distances from each other to suit the pitch of the screw, and in one side
of the opening in which the cage is to move. The periphery of the
disc is grooved to receive an endless rope for the purpose of giving it
motion, which rope also surrounds a driving pulley. Instead of a rope
or chain a vertical shaft, either feathered or made square throughout its
whole length, passes from the bottom of the elevator, well, or opening
up through the platform or cage, and also through a screw or pinion
which is carried with the cage and gears into the periphery of the screw
disc or other wheel fast upon the screw disc shaft. This screw or pinion
gears into other pinions which carry with them friction discs that are
operated by a bar or handle for the purpose of controlling the movement
of the cage, Antifriction guide rollers are placed at the corners for
maintaining the position and guiding the movements of the platform or
cage. Such rollers work in grooves or ways so that they will bear strain
in opposite directions to counteract the tendency of the top of the cage
to fall from its bearing whilst the bottom is pressing in the opposite
direction. When it is considered desirable racks or antifriction bearing
rollers may be arranged on two sides of the opening in which the
elevator works, a screw disc operating on each; their shafts or spindles
are connected at the inner ends to a ball or universal joint to ac-
comodate their inclined position when rotating. When used on inclines
+
or railway grades the line of antifriction rollers may be arranged between
the two rails, and for the purpose of obtaining strength two or more
screw discs may be placed one before another, and instead of using
ropes, chains, or the shafting above described an engine may be combined
with the cage or platform.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st January 1873.
TO- ALL TO. WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-.
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake,, Her special licence'
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend; within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HOISTS OR ELEVATORS," a communication to me from abroad by Thomas
Silver, of the City and State of New York, United States of America,
Gentleman, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Robert Lake, my executors or administrators, by an instrument.
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,.
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent...
4
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
:
This Invention relates to apparatus for raising and lowering heavy:
bodies or objects cither vertically or on an inclined plane and which

page_text: may be operated by hand, steam, or other power. The said apparatus
may be constructed for use as a lift or elevator in hotels, factories,
warehouses, and other buildings, or may be adapted for mining and
similar operations, and also for moving railway trains upon. steep
gradients.
My said apparatus differs fundamentally from most others hitherto
used for hoisting or other like purposes as follows:-In my apparatus
the load or weight is not borne by a rope, chain, or similar means of
support which when broken will expose the apparatus to the danger of
falling, but is supported by contrivances so constructed and arranged
that in case of an accident to any part of the mechanism the only
inconvenience that can occur will be a brief stoppage in the ascent or
descent of the apparatus.
My said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings,
which I will now proceed to describe.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a lift or elevator for warehouse and
similar purposes constructed according to the said Invention; Figure 2
is a transverse vertical section on the line x, x, Figure 1; Figure 3 is a
horizontal section on the line y, y, Figure 2; Figure 4 is an elevation of
the said apparatus as applied to railway purposes; Figure 5 shews a
portion of the said apparatus detached; Figure 6 illustrates a modifi-
cation of part of the said apparatus. Like letters indicate the same
parts throughout the Drawings.
A, A, are upright posts, which may be of any desired height and
thickness, and must be properly supported and secured within the
building wherein the apparatus is to be used; a is the carriage of my
apparatus wherein the load to be elevated is placed; this carriage may
be of any suitable or desirable construction; at its upper part it is
provided with a light but strong framework, preferably consisting of cast
and wrought-iron bars 6, 6*, arranged as shewn. In suitable bearings b',
supported by this framework, the shaft c is carried in an inclined
position, as clearly shewn in Figure 2; this shaft has securely fixed on
its end the wheel or disc d. The latter has on its outer face a con-
trivance which may be called a tangent screw, or scroll, or volute.
This
scroll e has a uniform increase of radius for each complete turn or part
of a turn around its centre, that is to say, it has the form which would

page_text: be produced by coiling a cord of uniform thickness upon itself around
a centre or axis. Upon the upright bar fI place the rollers g at a
distance from each other corresponding to the pitch of the scroll or
volute e.
The said rollers are fitted to turn freely on their pins g*. By
referring to Figure 2 it will be seen that the face of the scroll wheel or
disc d is inclined or curved, and that the scroll or volute projects;
therefrom at a right angle to its surface. This peculiar construction of
the disc in combination with the oblique direction of the shaft c has the-
effect of causing the portion of the scroll below the shaft or axis to
project forward between the antifriction rollers g, while the portion
above the said shaft lies back clear of the said rollers.,. The lower outer
surface of the scroll, as shewn in Figure 2, bears upon the rollers g, and
as the disc and scroll rotate in the direction of the arrow, Figure 1, the.
scroll acting on each roller raises the carriage or platform a thereon
while the scroll passes from one roller to the next roller above it,"
raising the carriage with it; and by turning the shaft in the opposite:
direction the scroll in like manner descends from one roller to the next
below it, thereby effecting the descent of the carriage. When the scroll
or volute is accurately formed with its radii increasing in length uni-.
formly, as above described, the movement of the carriage a produced by
the action of the scroll upon the rollers and by the passage of the scroll
from one roller to another will be free from any irregularities or
vibrations, and will be accomplished with the least possible expenditure.
of power.
If desired the form of the scroll may be modified as shewn
in Figure 6. I may form the rollers g entirely of cast iron or other
suitable metal, but I prefer that the said rollers should be constructed as
shewn in Figure 5, that is to say, the body g' is of cast iron, and the
outer portion g² is a ring of box or other durable close grained wood.
The body has a flange g³, and outside of the wood I place a metal ring g*,
between which and the said flange the wood is clamped and secured by:
means of the bolts g³. The wood ring forms the bearing surface for the
scroll, and will be durable and noiseless. When worn it may be readily
removed and replaced by a new ring.
Instead of the series of antifriction rollers g. as above described I may
use a rack or series of teeth properly shaped and pitched to support the.
scroll, and allow the same to turn freely between them and pass from
one tooth to the next above or below it, as above described.

page_text: The wheel or disc d is grooved or channelled on its periphery as
shewn for the reception of an endless rope, belt, or chain h, whereby:
motion is communicated to the shaft c. I prefer to provide the said.
wheel with a wood ring d'in which to form the groove, as shewn. It
will be seen that the rope or chain is passed completely around the
wheel d, and extends upward and downward therefrom to the guide
pulleys i, j, k, l, l, which are supported in suitable bearings or brackets:
secured on the top and bottom of the upright framing. From the lower
guide pulleys the said rope or chain is extended to and around a wheel
or drum on the shaft of a steam engine or other motor. The arrange-
ment of these guide pulleys may be varied according to the position of.
the motor or to suit any particular construction of the framing of the
apparatus or the building wherein it is placed. And if necessary or.
desirable I may dispense altogether with the above-described arrange-
ment of ropes and pullies, and place a steam or other engine or pair of
engines upon the carriage, the said engine or engines being connected
directly to the shaft of the scroll wheel. At the top and bottom of the
carriage or platform a I provide the same on its front and sides with the
antifriction guiding rollers m, m³. The said rollers are arranged to run
upon the ways n, n¹, which may be formed of angle iron or other suitable
material, and are firmly secured to the upright posts A, as shewn in thé
Drawing. These rollers keep the carriage in its proper position, and
ensure its moving freely and smoothly as it rises and descends.
In the apparatus shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, the carriage or platform a
is provided with only one scroll wheel or disc placed at the front of
the said carriage, but if desired I may provide the said carriage with
two scroll wheels, one at the front or one at the back, or one at cach of
the two opposite sides. Both of the scroll wheels must be inclined at
the same angle to the series of rollers on the rack wherein they act to
move the carriage, therefore each wheel or disc must be fixed on a
separate shaft, and the two shafts must be equally inclined downwardly.
toward each other. The two scrolls must be both of the same pitch and.
arranged in the same position upon their shafts, and the two shafts must
be coupled or connected together to keep the two discs always in the
same relative position. For connecting the said shafts I prefer to use a
coupling consisting of a ball embraced by two forks, each of which is
secured to the end of one of the shafts, and the two forks are jointed to
'

page_text: the ball at right angles to each other by pins passed through the same.
But other suitable universal joints or connections may be used if pre-
ferred, or the two scroll wheels or discs might be connected by toothed
gearing properly arranged to cause the two scrolls to work in the
required relation to each other... In this modification, of my Invention -
I prefer to provide both the front and back of the carriage with the
antifriction rollers.
In the application of the said apparatus to railway inclines, as illus.
trated in Figure 4, the series of rollers g, or the rack whereon the scroll
acts, is placed between the two rails r of the railway, the bar or rod
which carries the said rollers being properly secured to the cross tics or
otherwise. The shaft of the scroll wheel or disc d is provided with a
crank d³, which is connected directly to the engine o, the latter being
mounted on the carriage or truck P. If desired, two or more of the said
scroll wheels or screw discs may be used, the same being arranged in
line with each other below the truck. The apparatus thus constructed
forms a locomotive engine, and may either carry a load on its platform
or truck p or be attached to a train of carriages or wagons to be drawn
down the said incline.
up or
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. In a hoisting or elevating apparatus the scroll wheel or disc
arranged in combination with a series of rollers or a rack, and operated
directly by a rope or chain, as herein set forth and for the purpose
specified.
Second. In a hoisting or elevating apparatus the combination of the
antifriction guiding rollers placed at the top and bottom of the carriage
and acting in combination with the aforesaid scroll wheel or disc and
the series of rollers or rack when the said scroll wheel rises and descends,
as herein set forth and for the purpose specified.
Third. The two scroll wheels or discs arranged opposite each other on
the carriage or platform in combination with series of rollers or with
racks, and mounted on inclined shafts coupled together so that the two
scrolls co-operate to raise or lower the carriage, as herein set forth.
A

page_text: Fourth. The combination with the scroll wheel or disc of a steam or
other engine or pair of engines applied directly to the shaft of the said
wheel or disc, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William. Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of January,
in the year of our Lord One. thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
Witness,
W. J. LOWE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London. W.C.
WM. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)