Improvements in Apparatus for Operating Elevators or Lifts.
Year: 1889

page_text: te of Application, 31st Dec., 1889-Accepted, 10th May, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Operating Elevators or Lifts.
I, WILLIAM PARKER GIBSON of 15 Queen Street in the City of London, 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 :-
--
This Invention relates to improvements in auxiliary valve mechanisms for controlling
the movements of the main valve of an elevator mechanism.
The cylinder of the elevator mechanism with which the improvements of the
present invention may be combined may be of either the vertical or the horizontal
type.
In the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of an elevator mechanism of the vertical
type equipped with my auxiliary valve mechanism.
Figure 2 is a vertical section upon the line 2 of Figure 3 illustrating on 'a
larger scale the construction of the auxiliary valve mechanism and its operating
connections.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 4 is a plan view partly in section, and Figure 5 a bottom view with the
bottom plate removed, illustrating a modified form of auxiliary valve mechanism
hereinafter described; and
Figure 6 is an irregular vertical section of the same.
In said drawings it will be understood that the elevator therein illustrated, which
is of the type known as a hydraulic elevator; has the usual power cylinder A
and power piston B, provided with the usual supply, discharge and circulating
pipes C, D, E, the discharge pipe D communicating with a discharge outlet F in the
lower end of a valve casing G, containing the main valve H and valve rod I, the upper
end of which rod carries a piston J working in a small cylinder K mounted upon
the valve casing G; the several parts of the elevator mechanism thus briefly referred
to being constructed and arranged in the usual manner.
The upper end of the cylinder K communicates by means of a pipe L with a
chamber a formed in a casing enclosing the auxiliary valve mechanism. The lower
end of said cylinder also communicates through a pipe M with a second chamber b
within said casing. The chambers a bare both normally in communication with a
supply chamber c receiving its water supply from a supply pipe N connected directly
or through the medium of the circulating pipe E, with the supply pipe C. The
chamber c has passing through it a valve rod d carrying at its lower end a valve e
controlling communication between the supply chamber c and the chamber b, and
also carrying a second valve f controlling communication between said supply chamber
and the chamber a. Communication between the chamber a and an exhaust chamber h
located below it is controlled by a valve i the rod j of which is slotted and receives
the end of a lever k fulcrummed at y, the opposite end of which lever is slotted
and loosely connected to the valve rod d, as shown best in Figure 2. Commu-
nication between the chamber b and a discharge chamber ? located above it is controlled
by a valve m the rod n of which passes to the outer side of the valve casing directly under
the free end of a T-lever g fulcrummed at x by which lever said valve rod and valve
are depressed to open communication between the chamber b and its discharge
chamber. The other or slotted end of said lever is also loosely connected to the
valve rod d. The pressure of the water will always tend to close the valves i and
this may be aided by springs, as shown, if preferred. The discharge chamber I is
provided with a discharge pipe P coupled to a discharge pipe Q leading from the
m,

page_text: discharge chamber to the discharge outlet F. The valves i m will normally close
communication between the chambers à 6 respectively and their discharge chambers.
The valves fe will normally be in such position as to permit communication between
the supply chamber c and the chambers a b respectively. The supply valves are so
arranged relatively to each other that the depression of the discharge valve m to open
the chamber to the discharge also operates to raise the valve e to cut off com-
munication between the supply chamber c and the chamber b. When the discharge
'valve is raised the chamber a will be opened to the discharge outlet and the
supply chamber c cut off from communication with the chamber a. The lever k
and T-lever are so connected to the valve rod d that the rocking of the lever g to
depress the rod d will at the same time rock the lever k and through the rod raise
the valve to open communication between the chamber a and the discharge
chamber h; the connected ends of the levers k and g being slotted to permit a slight
amount of lost motion between them.
a
The operation of the auxiliary valve mechanism when thus organized is as follows:
Let it be assumed that the parts are in the positions in which they are shown in
the drawings, i.e.in their several normal positions, and that the piston B is at its
lower limit of movement, with the main valve H in its central position. To cause
the proper movement downward of the main valve H to permit the circulation of
water from the upper to the lower end of the cylinder A the attendant in the car will
draw the hand rope O upward around the pulleys, and thereby rock the lever g and
cause its free end to depress the valve rod n and its valve m and thus open com-
munication between the chamber and the discharge outlet, and at the same time
raise the valve eto shut off communication between the chamber 6 and the supply
chamber c. The water then entering the chamber will therefrom through
pass
the pipe L to the upper side of the piston J, which it will then force downward, the
water upon the under side of the piston being expelled from the cylinder K through
the pipe M to the chamber b and thence to the discharge chamber through the
valve m and discharge. pipe P. This downward movement of the piston J will be
continued until the valve H has been moved downward a sufficient distance to open
communication between the upper and lower end of the cylinder A and thus permit
the circulation of the water from the upper to the lower side of the piston B.
When it is desired to stop the movement of the piston B the operator will draw upon
the hand rope O in the reverse direction, that is upward around the pulley t and thus.
raise the discharge valve i and lower the supply valve and open communication
between the chamber a and the discharge Q, and also open communication between
the chamber band the supply chamber c and at the same time shut off communication
between the chamber a and the source of supply, the valve m when relieved from the
pressure of the lever g rising and shutting off communication between the chamber b
and the discharge. The operation will then be reversed, water entering the lower end
of the cylinder K and forcing the piston J upward and expelling the water from the
upper side of said piston through the pipe L to the chamber a and thence through
the discharge chamber to the discharge pipe Q. This upward movement of the
piston J will be continued until the valve H has been raised to its central position
when, the circulation of the water from the upper to the under side of the piston B
being prevented, the piston B will be brought to rest. To cause the piston B to
descend the upward movement of the piston J will be continued until the valve H has
been raised sufficiently to open communication between the discharge pipe D and the
discharge outlet F, when the piston will descend.
To stop the piston J and main valve H in any position it is only necessary to
release the hand-rope. The pressure of the water will then cause the valves i m to
resume their normal positions and move the valve rod d to its mid position so as to open
both valves ef. The exhaust from both sides of the piston J will then be closed and
the induction to both sides of said piston will be open, thus holding the piston. J
Fin equilibrium.
Referring now to Figures 4, 5 and 6 the construction therein illustrated will be

page_text: described. As shown therein the lower half of the valve casing contains a supply
chamber c and a discharge chamber p, said supply and discharge chambers com-
municating with chambers a b arranged transversely thereof in the upper half of the
valve casing and corresponding to the chambers a 6 heretofore described. The
chambers a b, like those of the previous construction, are provided with pipes L M
respectively, which communicate with the upper and lower end of the cylinder K
respectively. The supply chamber c is provided with a supply pipe N and the
discharge chamber with a discharge pipe Q. As in the former construction the
supply chamber c is normally in communication with the chambers a b and the discharge
chamber p out of communication therewith. In this instance the two chambers a b
have a common discharge chamber p. Communication between the supply chamber c
and the chambers a b is controlled by means of valves fe respectively, corresponding
as to function to the valves fe of the previously described organization, and com
imunication between the chambers a band the discharge chamber p is controlled by
means of valves im respectively, corresponding to the valves i m heretofore described.
The supply and discharge valves of each of the chainbers a bare loosely connected to
the slotted ends of a lever q, fulcrummed at z, and the rod d of each of the supply
valves fe is extended and upon the exterior of the casing is loosely connected to
the slotted end of a bell-crank lever r, to the other end of which is connected the
hand rope O of the elevator. The valves fe are held in their raised or normal
position by the pressure of the water confined within the chambers a b respectively.
The operation of the organization is substantially the same as that just described.
When it is desired to raise the piston B the attendant will through the hand rope O
rock the bell-crank lever r of the valves e m so as to shut off communication between
the supply chamber c and the chamber b and open communication between the latter
and the discharge chamber p. The pressure of the water upon the under side of
the piston J of the cylinder K being thus relaxed the pressure of the water upon
its opposite side will force it downward, expelling the water from its under side
through the pipe M to the chamber 6 and thence to the discharge chamber p
pipe Q. To move the piston J in the opposite direction the operation will be
reversed, the chamber a being opened to the discharge and closed to the supply
chamber and the chamber 6 closed to the discharge and opened to the supply
chamber
and
The auxiliary valve mechanisms of the present invention are capable of use in
connection with apparatus other than that of the specific construction shown and
described.
It is also to be remarked that the auxiliary valve mechanisms described may be
used in connection with elevators operated by appliances other than those described,
as for example, by electro-magnets.
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. The combination with the cylinder K and piston J, of the valves fe controlling
the flow of water to the opposite ends of said cylinder and normally in position to
open the supply to both ends of said cylinder, and the separate discharge valves i m
normally maintained in position to close the discharge from both ends of said cylinder,
substantially as described.
2. The combination with the cylinder K and piston J, of the valves fe controlling
the flow of water to the opposite ends of said cylinder and normally in position to
open the supply to both ends of said cylinder, and the discharge valves i m normally
maintained in position to close the discharge from both ends of said cylinder, and
the levers k g connected to each other and to the valves e fand also acting upon the
rods of the valves im to control all of said valves, substantially as described.
3. The combination with the main cylinder and piston of a hydraulic elevator and
the main valve H for controlling the movements of the piston, of the cylinder-K

page_text: having a piston J connected to operate said valve H, and the valves fe controlling
the flow of water to the opposite ends of said cylinder and normally in position to
open the supply to both ends of said cylinder, and the separate discharge valves i m
normally maintained in position to close the discharge from both ends of said cylinder,
substantially as described.
Dated the 31st day of December 1889.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.