Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application,, 6th Oct., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 6th July, 1895-Accepted, 24th Aug., 1895
I, SAMUEL GREEN BENNETT, of "The Limes" Windmill Lane, Smethwick,
in the County of Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide protection to the doorways of the cars,
or ascending rooms, and of the well-holes of elevators, by means of an arrangement
of netting which is fitted in the doorways, thus preventing persons falling down the
well-hole.
The netting is constructed in various ways, and may be wholly of cord. Some-
times the vertical rods may be of suitable metal, as iron or biass, attached together
by means of flexible horizontal cords, or by netting of flexible material and of
suntable mesh
In the doorway a suitable framework is fixed, and along top and bottom of the
casing of the framework, poles are fixed by smitable supports On these poles 1
quantity of ings, of any suitable section, are placed, and to these rings the vertical
cords or rods of the netting are attached At one side of the framework the
netting is permanently attached-the netting when extended covering the aperture
of the doorway. The netting remains extended owing to the corners being
attached to cords which pass over pulleys fixed in the top and bottom corners of
the framework the cords being in tension by means of a weight or spring attached
to the ends of same. It will be seen that the netting is thus made to protect the
doorway, and when it has to be drawn back to allow passage through the doorway
this is effected by means of cords suitably fixed to the top and bottom of the
netting.
These cords also pass over pulloys, and the ends are attached to a large drum
fixed many convenient position. To this diuin a short pull-cord is attached, and
when this cord is pulled by the man actuating the car of the eldvator, it obviously
makes the drum revolve, and winds on same the above-mentioned cords, which
withdraw the netting from the aperture, and so long as the pull'cord is retained in
the hand of the operator the doo way remains open; but when the pull-cord is
released the above-mentioned weight of spring immediately causes the netting to
resume its normal position, thus constituting the netting self-closing.
It will thus be seen that the doorway is always covered by the netting, except
when the operator deliberately opens same, and as the netting cannot be interfered
with by any one outside the cage, the possibility of any accident is obviated.
Although m the foregoing Specification the poles on which the rings of the
netting slide are mentioned as being fixed at the top and bottom of the framework,
when the netting is attached to the travelling cai the bottom pole may be dispensed
with, it desued, as it is unnecessary.
Sometimes in order to make the abovementioned pull-cord as short as possible,
it is attached to the periphery of a small drum-this sinall dium: being attached to
the large dium above referred to.
Although I prefer this arrangement of drum. It is obvious that other methods for
winding back the netting may be employed.
By varying the size of this small dium the pullcord can be made any convenient
length, whatever the width of the doorway. Various at rangements of pulleys can
of comse be devised for the purpose of carrying the cords to actuate and close the
netting, depending upon the special arrangements necessary for the car or door ways
of the elevator.

page_text: The netting may also be attached to the poles by any convenient method, so long
as it slides easily along same.
Dated this 5th day of October 1894
Safety Appliances for Elevators.
I SAMUEL GREEN BENNETT formerly of The Limes Windmill Lane,
Smethwick, in the County of Stafford, but now of St. Leonards, Selbourne Road,
Handsworth in the same county, 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
The object of this invention is to provide protection to the doorways of the caus
or cages and of the well holes of elevators by means of an arrangement of netting
or other stable flexible material which is fitted within the doorway and forming
a curtam thus preventing persons falling down the well hole I will proceed to
describe my invention with the assistance of the accompanying drawings and to the
figs. and letters shown therein.
Fig. 1. represents an exterior elevation showing doorway open.
Fig 2. represents an interior elevation of the cal or cage with doorway
closed in.
A. is the curtain composed of netting, canvas, duck or other suitable flexible
material which is carried by any required number of vertical rods B. Consisting
of metal of any kind or of wood or other substances these rods may be enclosed
within pockets in the canvas or other wise attached thereto.
In the doorway of the cage of the elevato a suitable framework C. is fixed and
unming along the top and bottom of the casing of the framework horizontal poles
or guides D. are fixed and retained by suitable supports
Upon these poles a quantity of ungs of any suitable section are placed, and to
these ungs the vertical cords on rods B. of the netting (or other flexible substance
of the curtain) are attached as at E
At one side of the framework C the curtain is permanently attached as at F the
curtain when extended covering the aperture of the doorway as seen in Fig 2.
It will be seen that the netting or other flexible curtain is made to protect the
doorway of the elevator and when it has to be drawn back to allow of passage this
1s effected by means of cords and pulleys as hereafter described. The curtain
remams extended owing to the coinets being attached to the cords which pass over
pulleys J and pulley o drum J' fixed at the top and bottom corners of the frame-
work, the said cords being kept in tension by means of a weight K or spring
arrangement attached to the ends of same. To the pulley or dium Jis attached
a short pull cord and catch piece for manipulating the curtain. In order to
secme and lock the curtain when extended over the opening I form a suitable
catch upon the top end of the vertical bar or rod B neatest to the framework of
the clevator, which catch is caused to work automatically, by reason of its coming
into contact with the melined plane M upon a horizontal rotating bai N. worked
by a lever armı O
OPERATION.
In order to draw aside the netting or other flexible curtain, the attendant places
his hand upon the catch piece 11 of the puli cord and may if desired secure said
catch II in the corresponding catch or holder I which thus retains it in position
until it is released either by the attendant or by a projecting piece I upon the
side of the cage which catches against a portion of a lever H³ as the cage ascends
and descends

page_text: Obviously by pulling the cord and catch H by the attendant actuating the
elevator, the pulley or dium J' is caused to revolve which thus withdiaws the
netting or curtain A across the opening of the door and so long as the pull cord
and catch is retained in the hand of the attendant the doorway remains open, but
when released the above mentioned weight K or spring immediately causes the
netting or curtain to resume its former position thus constituting a self closing
appliance
At the same time as the pull cord 18 manipulated the attendant also actuates the
lever arm by raising the same, which causes the horizontal rod or bar N to
slightly rotate and thus raising the inclined plane at the end thereof and so releasing
the catch upon the vertical rod B and unlocking same when the curtain can be
readily withdrawn.
It will thus be seen that the opening of the doorway is always kept closed with
the netting or other flexible curtain except when the attendant deliberately opens
the same and as it cannot be interfered with by anyone outside the cage, the
possibility of any accident is obviated.
Although in the foregoing Specification the poles upon which the rings of the
curtain slide are mentioned as being fixed at the top and bottom of the framework
when the flexible curtain is attached to the cage the bottom pole may be dispensed
with if desired as it is unnecessary.
Sometimes in order to make the above named pull cord as short as possible
it may be attached to the periphery of a small drum or pulley attached to the
pulley or dium J' before referred to, it may be stated that this pulley or dium J¹
may be longer than shown on than those marked J if desued.
Although I prefer the arrangement of pulleys and drum described it is obvious
that other methods of winding back the flexible curtam may be employed, and by
varying the size of the pulley or drum, attached to J the pull cord can be made
any conrement length whatever the width of the doorway
Various aangeinents of pulleys can of course be devised for the purpose of
cari ying the cords to actuate the flexible curtain depending upon the special
arrangements necessary for the cage or doorway of the elevatoi
The netting or other curtain may be also attached to the poles by any convenient
method provided it will slide easily along same.
I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the heiein described
precise details of construction as they may be varied to suit different requiements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what maune the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim 18-
First. In connection with clevators the special arrangement of curtain composed
of netting or other suitable flexible material in combination with the formation and
arrangement of pulleys on drums and cords for actuating the said cuntain. for the
pun pose as her en set forth and described
Second. In elevators the particular formation and arrangement of the various
parts constituting my invention as berem described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Thud In elevators and in combination therewith the introduction and use of
netting or other suitable flexible material forming a curtain as set forth and
descubed.
Fourth. The general improvement in elevators and the means whereby the same
are carried into eflect or other similar acting means for the purpose herein set forth
and described.
Datad hund...
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