Improvements in and relating to Electric Elevators.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date claimed for Patent under Sect. 103 of Act,
being date of first Foreign Application (in
United States of America),
14th Mar.,
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 10th Oct., 1892
1892
Complete Specification l'eft, 10th Oct 1892-Accented. 7th Jan., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Electric Elevators.
1, ALONZO BERTRAM SEE, of 1235 Bedford Avenue, and WALTER LINCOLN
TYLER of 1260 Pacific Street, both of Brooklyn, King's County, State of New
York, United States of America, Mechanical Engineers, 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 electric elevators and has special reference to the
mechanism for stopping and starting the same.
The object is to provide means for graduating the motion when stopping or
starting, especially when starting, and therefore to avoid the injurious effect of
We are aware
shocks due to an abrupt stopping or starting of the elevator.
that we are not the first to accomplish this, but we believe our organisation of
elements for the purpose to be more advantageous than any heretofore produced.
Our invention consists, in general, of the combination with a wheel or switch arm
operated from the car, of a pole-changer and circuit-controller operated in succession
thereby and an electro-magnetic apparatus controlling the motor-circuit and itself
controlled by the said circuit-controller.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 represents a plan of the elevator, and hoisting apparatus, and
Figure 2 represents a diagram of the circuits and apparatus comprehended by.
our invention.
In Figure 1, A represents the car, B the drum upon which the cable supporting
the car is wound and unwound, and C represents an electric motor whose shaft c
has a worm gearing directly to a worm wheel on the drum shaft. This gearing is
covered by a box p, and therefore does not shew in the drawings. The drum and
motor are mounted upon the same base D, so as to give the greatest rigidity and to
maintain them constantly in the same relative positions. The connection between
the motor and the drum is ordinarily through the worm and gear, although other
modes of transmission may be employed.
e represents the ordinary check-wheel mounted upon a stud entirely independent'
of the drum or motor. The rim of this wheel is grooved and the ordinary check
rope el passes around it and extends up through the elevator shaft, passing through
the car and over suitable sheaves the rope being an endless one and as usual, under
the control of the operator in the car.
Referring now to Figure 2 this wheel e is shewn provided at diametrically
opposite points with an offset abutment and a metallic spring e³. Below the
wheel and in the same plane with the abutments e is a lever f, of insulating
material, pivoted at f¹ and carrying two metallic arms f. Adjacent to the
extremities of these arms f are three metallic contact pieces 1, 2, and 3,
respectively. This device comprises a pole-changer for reversing the direction of
the current which flows through the motor, as will be presently described. On the

page_text: other side of the wheel, diametrically opposite the pole-changer, are located two
metallic contact pieces g g' respectively, suitably mounted and insulated from each
other. These pieces are located in the same plane with the metallic springs et.
S represents a solenoid placed preferably in a vertical position so that its
armature will be operated in one direction by gravity. This armature is repre-
sented by a, and is pivoted with a cross head one end of which is upon a
continuous strip i, and the other end upon a series of contact plates, which are
terminals of a series of resistance coils. The armature also carries a piston j, which
works in the dash-pot j'.
:
The electric circuits are as follows-Plus and minus signs respectively represent
the supply-mains. They extend respectively to the two arms of the pole changer f..
o o represent the shunt circuit for supplying the field magnets of the motor C..
From contact point 1 of the pole changer a wire 4 leads to a continuous strip i, and
from the last contact point of the rheostat a wire 5 leads to one side of the
armature. From the other side of the armature a wire 6 leads to point 2 of the
pole changer. Points 1 and 3 are electrically connected as shewn. The solenoid S
is in a. branch circuit t, normally open at the points g g'. The first contact piece of
the rheostat is entirely disconnected electrically from the other contacts, so that
when the cross piece is upon it the armature circuit of the motor is open.
P
-
The operation is as follows-When the apparatus is in the position shewn in.
Figure 2, we will assume that the elevator-car has arrived at the bottom of the
shaft and is about to start upward. The operator then pulls down on the check
rope and the check wheel e is turned in the direction of arrow x. The abutment e
strikes the lever fand shifts the pole changer so that the current will travel through
the armature of the motor in a direction the reverse of what it did while the
elevator car was descending. Immediately after reversing the current the contact.
spring on the opposite side of the wheel bridges the points g g' and closes the
circuit of the solenoid. The solenoid then attracts its armature and causes it to
first close the circuit of the armature through the entire resistance of the rheostat
and then gradually cut the entire resistance out and give the entire current to the
motor. This movement of the solenoid armature is comparatively slow, as the
necessity for a gradual movement is greater than in stopping. When the elevator is
to be stopped at an intermediate landing, the check rope is pulled upward a distance
sufficient to open the circuit of the solenoid, but no farther. The armature & then
being released falls by its own weight. Its movement however is less retarded by
the dash pot on account of the valve in the piston, and the resistance is first
thrown into circuit and finally cut out and the circuit quickly opened to stop the
motor. In starting up again, the rope is pulled to complete the solenoid circuit
and the motor starts as before. When the upper end of the shaft is reached and it
is desired to descend, the check rope is pulled up and the wheel rotated until the
other abutment strikes the lever f of the pole changer on the opposite side and
reverses it. Then the continued movement of the wheel brings the other contact.
spring into connection with the points 9 g' and the solenoid circuit is closed.
The motor again starts up as before, but in a reverse direction and the car
déscends. .
The particular advantage of this apparatus for elevator work is that the main
circuit is not directly controlled by the operator in the car, but is controlled
through the contacts 9 g² and the solenoid. The solenoid does not act until the
connection between the contacts g g' is completely broken or perfected and then
the solenoid throws the armature to the full length of the stroke in one direction or
the other. In all other apparatus of this natuře, so far as known to us, the check
rope has been connected in some manner directly with the rheostat lever, so that
inasmuch as the rheostat is not visible to the operator in the car he is liable to
leave the rheostat arm in a position where an arc will be established between it and
one of the contacts and cause a great deal of injury. Such a thing cannot happen
with our apparatus.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. The combination with an elevator car and electric motor therefor, of an
electric circuit supplying current to the motor, an electro-responsive apparatus in a
separate circuit and controlling the motor, a switch controlling the electro-responsive
apparatus, a wheel carrying a device arranged to throw the switch, and connections
from the car to the wheel, whereby the latter may be turned to move the switch,.
substantially as described.
2. The combination of an elevator-car, a motor therefor, a switch and rheostat
in the motor-circuit, a solenoid in a separate circuit said solenoid moving the
switch and rheostat, a retarding device for the solenoid, and mechanical connection
from the car to the switch in the solenoid circuit, whereby the solenoid may be.
controlled.
3. The combination, with an elevator car, and electric motor therefor, of a pole.
changer in the motor circuit, an electro-responsive apparatus in a separate circuit
and controlling the motor circuit, a switch controlling the electro-responsive
apparatus, and a wheel carrying two pairs of devices, one device of each pair
arranged to throw the pole changer and the other device of each pair arranged to
throw the switch, for the purpose set forth.
4. The combination of an elevator car, a motor therefor, a rheostat in the motor
circuit, a solenoid in a separate circuit and operating said rheostat, a retarding
device for the solenoid, a switch in the solenoid circuit, a pole changer in the motor.
circuit, the wheel e, and the rope e¹, said wheel being provided with devices for-
operating said switch and pole changer, substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of October A.D. 1892
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicants.