IMPROVEMENTS IN ELEVATING APPARATUS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Doctor of Laws, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELEVATING APPARATUS."-A communi-
cation from abroad by Charles du Bois, of Fishkill Landing, New
York, United States of America, Civil Engineer.
Sealed the 23rd May 1873, and dated the 4th April 1873.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Haseltine at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 4th April 1873, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton Build-
ings, London, Doctor of Laws, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ELEVATING APPARATUS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant
unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters

page_text: Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has
been communicated to me from abroad by Charles du Bois, of Fishkill
Landing, New York, United States of America, Civil Engineer.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Haseltine, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal, fully
describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the accompanying Drawings forming a part of
this Specification :—
The object of this Invention is to permit the weight of articles which
are to be transferred from an upper to a lower point to be wholly or in
part counterbalanced, so as to diminish the amount of power required
to withstand or overcome the force of gravity and render the operation
comparatively easy.
The said Invention consists in self-balancing carriages provided with 1
reservoirs for the reception of water, sand, and the like, in combination
with suitable apparatus for supplying these articles to the said reservoirs
at points within the travel of the carriages, and for receiving the same
from the said reservoirs at other or higher points, substantially as and
for the purpose herein-after specified.
The principle involved in the said Invention is applicable in various
ways and by means of a variety of apparatus, but as its operation would
be the same under any circumstances, but two forms of mechanism are
required in order to thoroughly illustrate the same. For convenience I
have selected and will describe below an inclined and a vertical elevator
containing these improvements.

page_text: A, A, represent the rails of a double track railway resting upon and
secured to a suitable support B, which has any desired inclination from
a horizontal line. The said rails are arranged parallel with each other
and at such a distance apart as may be found most convenient.
Upon each track is placed a four-wheeled car or carriage C of such
construction as to best adapt it to the requirements of the service, which
car has attached to its upper end a rope or chain D that passes upward
to the upper end of the track, around a grooved wheel E and thence
downward to the car C placed upon the opposite track to which the rope
is attached. The wheel E corresponds in diameter to the distance
between the centres of the tracks and revolves in a plane parallel to the
surface of the said tracks, transversely and longitudinally; it is placed
at a height therefrom corresponding to the points at which the rope D is
attached to the cars; it will therefore be seen that the rope will pass
upon or leave the periphery of said wheel in the same line, whatever the
position of the cars, longitudinally upon the tracks. This arrangement
is what is commonly known as self-balancing, as by it the weight of one
car is counterbalanced by that of the other, so that in order to move
them upon their tracks it is only necessary that a sufficient force should
be exerted to overcome their inertia and the friction of the mechanism.
When it is desired to move articles from the upper to the lower end
of the incline, one of the cars is moved to the point desired and loaded,
and its speed down the track controlled by means of a brake F, which
operates upon the wheel E or upon a second wheel E¹ secured to or upon
one side of the same. In order that the weight of the load may be
counterbalanced a tank G is placed beneath the platform of each car;
upon the side adjacent to the opposite track it is provided at its lower
end with a discharge spigot H and at its upper end with a funnel I.
At or near the lower end of the incline and between the tracks is
placed a reservoir or tank K, which is elevated upon suitable supports,
its bottom being above the open end of the funnel I when the car is at
its lowest point. A spigot or valve L is provided within each side of the
said tank for the purpose of allowing its contents to be discharged into
said funnels.
The water is admitted to the tank of the lower or empty car in a suffi-
cient quantity to nearly counterbalanco the weight of articles placed
upon the upper car, leaving a sufficient difference in favor of the latter

page_text: to overcome the friction of the machinery and cause the loaded car to
move slowly down the incline. Upon reaching the upper end of the
incline the contents of the weighted tank are discharged through the
spigot H into the open end M of a pipe m that extends downward to the
reservoir K, into which the water descends by the force of gravity to be
again used as occasion requires. It will be seen that by this arrange-
ment no loss or waste occurs in the counterbalancing fluid except from
evaporation, and that by tightly enclosing the tanks and reservoir 'such
loss may be reduced to so small a percentage as to become an item of no
importance.
In Figure 4 this Invention is shown in its application to a building
where the carriage is to be in a vertical direction. The cars O are sus-
pended from opposite ends of a rope D, that passes around a grooved
wheel E, and they travel between suitable tracks or rails A. The reser-
voirs G are placed beneath the platforms and are each provided with a
discharge spigot H and a receiving funnel I. The supply tank K is
placed at or near the lower end of the tracks, and is provided with a pipe
m, which extends vertically upward, and at each floor is furnished with a
funnel-shaped opening M. A spigot L at the lower end of the tank
allows the contents of the same to be discharged into the car reservoirs.
As the movement of the cars is in a vertical line, it is necessary that
the spigot L and funnel M should be constructed to be capable of
turning to one side in order to permit the corresponding parts of the
car reservoir to pass. This result is accomplished by attaching these
parts to a barrel N, which has a taper interior opening that fits over a
corresponding plug O attached to or upon the pipe m. A washer P
placed above and beneath the said plug and barrel, and a nut Q screwing
over the pipe and bearing against the said washers, ensures the relative
positions of the parts and allows the degree of pressure between their
conical bearing surfaces to be adjusted to produce a water-tight joint.
An opening o, corresponding in size and vertical position to the inner
end of the funnel or spigot, is provided in and through the plug in such
a position radially, as to cause it to coincide with the openings of the
said spigot or funnel whenever the latter parts are turned outward so as
to discharge water into or receive it from the car reservoirs. The device
thus constructed is operated in the same manner as that before described,
each part in one performing a like office to that performed by the corre
sponding part in the other.

page_text: The principle involved in this Invention is capable of a wide and
general application, and from its use a material saving is effected in the
cost of handling heavy articles, which require to be lowered from one
point to another.
Having thus fully set forth 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, two self-balancing cars or
carriages provided with reservoirs for the reception of fluid, sand, and
the like, in combination with suitable apparatus for supplying such
articles to the reservoirs at points within the travel of the said cars and
for receiving the same from the said reservoirs at other or higher points
as herein set forth and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Third day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
WM. ROBT. LAKE.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.S.)