Improvements in and connected with Lifts and Hoists.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Mar., 1896
Complete. Specification Left, 7th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 6th Feb., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Lifts and Hoists.
We, HENRY CLAUDE WALKER and CHARLES WILLIAM HILDRED both of.
the Newington Iron Works, Falmouth Road, London S.E., Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in and connected with lifts and hoists and
has reference more especially to automatic devices in connection with the controlling
apparatus whereby greater safety and convenience are attained. It consists of
safety devices in connection with the doors or barriers giving access to the lift
and of attachments to the controlling gear as hereinafter more fully described.
In carrying out one part of our invention we employ one or more electric
circuits controlled by switches or the like placed conveniently near the doors gates
or Larriers in the well or enclosure giving access to the cages and operate them
therefrom. In this circuit or circuits which are supplied with electricity
from batteries or other sources we place one or more solenoids or their
equivalents arranged to lock and unlock the starting or controlling mechanism.of'
the lift in some convenient manner. When all the doors gates or barriers.
(hereinafter called indiscriminately "the doors") are shut the starting or
controlling mechanism is arranged to be free and may then be operated in any
convenient manner. The switches are preferably placed against some part of the
door frame and arranged in such a manner that when the door is shut or fastened
the circuit is broken and the solenoid allows a spring weight or weighted parts to
withdraw a stop or abutment from the controlling gear and allow it to be operated.
On the other hand the opening or unfastening of a door closes the circuit and
energizes the solenoid which replaces the stop or abutment and locks the controlling
gear. The solenoid may be placed on the cage at the bottom or top of the lift
well or in any other convenient place and may operate on the starting rope or other
part of the controlling mechanism.
Combined with the above arrangement we may use spring catches on the doors
to be released by the cage as it approaches and replaced as it departs from these.
doors. We may also fit stops or projections at or near the different floors to act
on a sliding bar on the cage and stop this said cage by arresting the starting rope.
We preferably give this bar a horizontal traverse by means of a hand lever so
that it may be adjusted to be acted upon at will by any of these stops.
In another arrangement which may be used in conjunction with the one
previously mentioned or separately we arrange a switch in some convenient
position to be operated by the ordinary controlling gear and carry wires or cables
up or down the lift well to magnets or solenoids actiog on catches engaging with
the bolts or fastenings of. the doors in such a manner that they cannot be opened
unless the starting gear is in its normal position and the lift therefore at rest.
When this portion of our invention is used in conjunction with the first one we
preferably arrange the latter so that it is operated by the bolting or fastening of
the doors and we arrange the former so that the bolts or fastenings cannot be
released until the litt is at rest.
Dated this Sixth day of March 1896.
HENRY C. WALKER.
CHAS. W. HILDRED.

page_text: Improvements in and connected with Lifts and Hoists.
We, HENRY CLAUDE WALKER and CHARLES WILLIAM HILDRED both of
the Newington Iron Works, Falmouth Road, London S.E., 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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in and connected with lifts and hoists
and has reference more especially to automatic devices in connection with the
controlling apparatus whereby greater safety and convenience are attained. It
consists of safety devices in connection with the doors or barriers giving access
to the lift and of attachments to the controlling gear as hereinafter more fully
described.
The
In carrying out one part of our invention we employ one or more electric
circuits controlled by switches or the like placed conveniently near the doors gates
or barriers in the well or enclosure giving access to the cages and operate them
therefrom. In this circuit or circuits which are supplied with electricity from
batteries or other sources we place one or more solenoids or their equivalents
arranged to lock and unlock the starting or controlling mechanisin of the lift in
some convenient manner. When all the doors gates or barriers (hereinafter called
indiscriminately "the doors") are shut the starting or controlling mechanism is
arranged to be free and may then be operated in any convenient manner.
switches are preferably placed against some part of the door frame and arranged
in such a manner that when the door is shut or fastened the circuit is broken and
the solenoid allows a spring weight or weighted parts to withdraw a stop or
abutment from the controlling gear and allow it to be operated. On the other
haud the opening or unfastening of a door closes the circuit and energizes the
solenoid which replaces the stop or-abutment and locks the controlling gear. The
solenoid may be placed on the cage, at the bottom or top of the lift well or in any
other convenient place and may operate on the starting rope or other part of the
controlling mechanism.
Combined with the above arrangement we may use spring catches on the doors
to be released by the cage as it approaches and replaced as it departs from these
doors. We may also fit stops or projections at or near the different floors to act on
a sliding bar in the cage and stop this said cage by arresting the starting rope.
We preferably give this bar a horizontal traverse by means of a hand lever so that
it may be adjusted to be acted upon at will by any of these stops.
In another arrangement which may be used in conjunction with the one
previously mentioned or separately we arrange a switch in some convenient position
to be operated by the ordinary controlling gear and carry wires or cables up or
down the lift well to magnets or solenoids acting on catches engaging with the
bolts or fastenings of the doors in such a manner that they cannot be opened unless
the starting gear is in its normal position and the lift therefore at rest. When this
portion of our invention is used in conjunction with the first one, we preferably
arrange the latter so that it is operated by the bolting or fastening of the doors
and we arrange the former so that the bolts or fastenings cannot be released until
the lift is at rest.
The accompanying drawings show various ways in which we carry out our
invention. The same letters recurring in different figures indicate the same or
corresponding parts.
•
Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically the electrical connections

page_text: apparatus.
perspective lew of a double hinged door fitted with the double locking
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 show electrical contact making pieces connected with the latch
of an ordinary hinged door.
Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 show in detail a double locking apparatus similar to the one.
fitted to the door in Fig. 2.
Figs. 10, 11 and 12 show a modified arrangement suitable for sliding gates of the
"Bostwick" and other types.
Fig. 1 shows a lift well with cage A and three doors B fitted with locking"
apparatus operated by two electric circuits. One which energizes a solenoid C is.
controlled by switches et placed at each of the doors of the well and connected up
in parallel. The other energizes solenoids or magnets d placed in series and
controlled by a double switch D actuated by the starting gear of the lift or some
part moving in unison therewith. These two circuits may be used combined as..
shown or either independently. The solenoid C is shown acting on a bolt forming
a continuation of its core and moving it into a slot in a bar e connected with the
controlling ropes E but it may act through levers or other mechanism. The
switches care arranged to be operated by the closing or fastening of the doors B
in such a manner that the circuit is broken when the said doors are secured and
the weight C releases the bolt from the bar e. When the doors are unfastened
the circuit is completed and the bar e firmly locked. This prevents the starting
of the lift when any of the doors B are unfastened.
The small solenoids d when energized lock the doors B or their fastenings. They
are placed in series and controlled by a switch D operated by a pin d or other
attachment connected to the controlling rope E. With this arrangement the
doors B are locked when the controlling rope is moved in either direction from its
normal position to put the lift into motion. The solenoid C may be put in any
convenient position. It may in some instances be placed on the cage to act on
stops or the like on the rope at each floor.
Fig. 2 shows to an enlarged scale a double door similar to those shown in Fig. 1.
The handle shoots a bolt / which enters a casing F containing a switch and
solenoid performing the functions of land d, Fig. 1. These are shown in detail in
Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9.
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 show a hinged latch G such as is commonly used to fasten
hinged doors of lift wells but fitted with a contact making appliance for operating
the solenoid C, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view and Figs. 4 and 5 end
elevations with the catch in and out of gear respectively. The catch 9 is hinged.
at g and provided with a spring g' which presses it against a contact piece g³ when
the latch G is withdrawn as in Fig. 5. The action of fastening the door causes.
the latch G to press out the catch g and break contact as in Fig. 4.
Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 show a switch and fastening suitable for doors bolted or
secured at the top similar to those shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 6 is a side
elevation with the cover shown in section. Fig. 7 is a sectional plan on X X
Fig. 6 looking downwards. Fig. 8 is a sectional plan on X X Fig. 6 also looking...
downwards. Fig. 9 is a sectional side elevation on X2 X2 Fig. 6. The switch is
arranged to be fixed to the door frame immediately over the door B so as to
receive the bolt. The switch orm H is preferably of insulating material having
a brush piece engaging with contacts. It is mounted in a carrier
suitably pivotted. A spring plunger ³ presses the brush between the contacts
when the bolt is withdrawn. The arm H is mounted in the carrier with play
between two projecting pieces so as to allow a light spring 6 to quickly break
contact at h. The door bolt f¹ when shot lifts the arm H away from and so
breaks the circuit of the solenoid C, Fig. 1. The bolt is here shown with a
slot or recess suitable for engaging with a sliding catch i which is moved one
way by the solenoid d and the other way by a spring . The lower part of the
casing is fitted with a stop J having a horn or projection j passing out through a
bole in the cover and a spring . This arrangement is only necessary for double.

page_text: folding doors. The switch is mounted in such a position that while the operating
bolt when placed on the leaf B2 of the door enters freely, the projection j of
the stop J comes against the other leaf B' of the door. When the doors are open
the spring j' forces the stop J across the opening through which passes the bolt fl
and causes the projecting end j to protrude through the casing. If the leaf B
should inadvertently be closed before leaf B', the bolt f' cannot be shot because
the stop J covers the opening through which it must pass and the lift cannot be
started. The closing of the leaf B causes the stop to be forced into the position
shown and the other leaf B2 can then be closed and the bolt shot. The catch i
with its solenoid and attachments may be omitted if desired.
In single doors the switch may be placed at the side of the door frame instead
of the top and the bolt shot horizontally.
Figs. 10, 11 and 12 show an arrangement more particularly applicable to
"Bostwick" and other sliding gates and doors usually provided with a lock K and
latch k. Fig. 10 is an elevation with the cover in section. Fig. 11 is a sectional
plan on X3 X3 Fig. 10 looking downwards and Fig. 12 a sectional plan on X X³
looking upwards. The switch arm H contacts and springs are similar to those
in Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 and bear the same letters of reference. The arm H is moved
by a stud or bar & attached to the gate. The latch k enters the casing and drops
into the position shown locking the gate. It may be locked in turn by a solenoid
arranged as in Figs. 6 to 9 or a mechanical gear operated by the cage. For
instance a lever L moving about a vertical axis has at one end a bowl / engaging
with a cam plate or inclined plane on the cage and at the other end a piece
engaging with the latch k. When the cage is opposite any particular door the
bowl is pushed back withdrawing the piece so that the latch k may be
disengaged and the door opened. When the cage moves away a spring restores
the lever to its normal position as shown.
We have arranged the door switches e to break circuit when the doors are
bolted as this is the normal condition and least consumption of current will be
occasioned thereby but the operation might be reversed if desired so that the
locking gear is put in by the weight and released by the solenoid. In Fig. 2 we
have shown a sliding bolt operated by the cage in addition to the electric gear but
this may be omitted if desired as it forms no part of the present invention.
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. A locking arrangement for the controlling gear of lifts operated by a solenoid
or the like controlled by the opening and closing or securing of the doors in the
lift well substantially as described.
2. A locking arrangement for the doors of lift wells controlled by the gear
which controls the lift mechanism substantially as described.
3. The construction and arrangement of catch with contact making and breaking
device as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings and substantially
as described.
4. The construction and arrangement of switch and fastening as shown in
Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawing either with or without the sliding
catch and stop J and their attachments substantially as described.
5. The construction and arrangement of switch and fastening as shown in
Figs. 10, 11 and 12 of the accompanying drawing with or without the mechanical
locking lever L and its attachments substantially as described.
Dated this 7th day of December 1896.
HENRY C. WALKER.
CHARLES W. HILDRED.