Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 9th July, 1898
I, HEINRICH KURTZIG, of Inowrazlaw, Prussia, in the Empire of Germany,
Manufacturer, 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 a safety device for lifts and is intended to prevent a lift
from falling to the ground with full force in the event of the band, cord or the
like breaking, and the catching device not acting from any reason.
For this object the lift is provided, at the corners of its bottom part, with
buffers which coincide with a similar number of buffers arranged on the ground
or ficor of the lift shaft, and which receive the shock of the falling lift striking
thereon. As however the lift in consequence of the spring rebound would again
be thrown upwards, care is taken also to provide a retaining device which at the
first rebound retains the lift on the ground.
This improved safety device is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure is an elevation of a lift fitted with the safety device;
Figures 2, 2 and 3 are details.
On the floor of the lift a buffers k k¹ are arranged which coincide with buffers i i¹
at the bottom of the lift shaft. If the rope or band break, the lift will fall down
through the different floors. The buffers will however absorb the dangerous
shock, or at least so diminish it that violent shakings which might produce the
breakage of bones or fractures of the skull or the like are avoided.
The lift would however spring up again on encountering the buffers In order
to prevent this, a bar b provided with several catch teeth e is arranged in the centre
of the guide frame. A pawl or bolt ffl engages with these teeth on each side
under the action of a spring as soon as the lift cage encounters the buffers ii¹.
The bolts ff are contained in a case ggl and springs press the bolts ff' con-
stantly together, said springs being compressed on bars h between the bolts and
the wall of the case g and g¹ respectively. If the lift cage encounter the buffers ii,
the taper ends e of the bar b will first force the bolts ff apart and said bolts will
then immediately close above one of the ratchet teeth and retain the cage and
prevent it springing up again.
In order that the cage may again be released from this position, the rod b is
revolubly mounted in guides or supports cd. By means of a handle it may be
turned 90° so that it assumes the position shown in Figure 2. In this position
the compressed buffer springs may exert their upwardly directed pressure thus
drawing the barb out from between the bolts.
The arrangement hereinbefore described has for its object to increase safety in
the case of lifts which are provided with safety appliances or clutch devices and is
not intended in any way to replace the ordinary stop or clutch devices. It is
generally intended to be employed in combination with the latter as a further
means of safety adapted to come into action only in those cases where the other
devices fail.

page_text: 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. A safety device for lift cages which are provided with buffers on the floor
or bottom which consists of a rod (b) provided with ratchet teeth (e) which is
attached to the bottom of the cage in such a way as to be forced between spring
bolts (ff) fixed in the bottom of the lift shaft, upon the cage falling, which bolts
prevent the bar and with it the lift cage from springing up again under the action
of the buffer springs substantially as herein before described.
2. A safety device for lift cages such as described characterised by the toothed
bar (b) being revolubly arranged in bearings or supports with the object of
enabling its ratchet teeth to be disengaged from the bolts, so that the lift cage
may be again released under the action of the buffer springs for a movement
upwards, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 25th day of April 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.