A New or Improved Elevator Means and Elevator-railroad and Safety Cable-grip.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 13th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 12th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Elevator Means and Elevator-railroad and
Safety Cable-grip.
I, WILLIAM JOHN BREWER Civil Engineer, c/o Walter Alfred Barlow
Consulting Engineer, 7 John Street Bedford Row, London W.C. do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a New or Improved Elevator Means and Elevator-
railroad and Safety Cable-grip and consists in means for enabling a very steep line
of rail being made use of, such as for use upon, steep hills without having recourse
to curves or winding track.
In combination with the car wheel-track I provide an "idle-line" which may be
of a headed rail with sufficient depth of web for the purpose or it may be an
"idle-cable" stretched from point to point and lying longitudinally with the
track.
A cable grip device is employed with these means and with the hauling chain or
rope so as that should any accident occur to the hauling means the grip device will
automatically come into operation and have effect upon the "idle-rail" or "idle-
cable."
When the idle-cable is used it is kept in proper longitudinal direction by pulleys
arranged in vertical plane below the body of the car the said idle cable being
carried over and under, or vice versa, of the said guiding pullies so keeping the.
cable sufficiently taut and in direction for the grip to act should the hauling
means fail.
If however the headed rail is utilised the pulleys will be arranged to travel
upon the rail so as to keep the safety-grip in position for immediate operation.
The cable grip consists of scissor like double jaws with centre stud or pivot upon
which the jaws articulate.
The one pair of jaws are fitted as brake-blocks or grippers with spring means
for holding the grip in applied condition normally-but when the working is
proceeding in proper manner the haulage rope is to keep the gripping jaws in open
condition as follows:-
The other end-jaws are fitted with rollers in horizontal plane and over these
rollers the haulage cable is to be carried.
It will be obvious that the tension upon the hauling cable when operating will
cause the scissor like arms or jaws to turn upon their articulation pivot and open
the jaws carrying the grip or brake device, bringing them out of operation; but,
assuming a cessation of working, the normal condition will be reassumed and the car
or elevator will be held securely.
This can be applied to steep grade railways and elevators or lifts for domestic o
other purposes.
"

page_text: A New or Improved Elevator Means and Elevator-railroad and
Safety Cable-grip.
I WILLIAM JOHN BREWER care of the Firm of Thacker and Company, of
87 Newgate Street in the City of London 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 New or Improved Elevator Means, Elevator
Railroad and Safety Cable Grip and consists in means for enabling a very steep
line of rail to be made use of such as may be employed upon steep hills or inclines
without having recourse to curves or winding track.
In combination with the car wheel track I provide an "idle line" which may be
of a headed rail with sufficient depth of web for the purpose or it may be an idle
cable stretched from point to point and lying longitudinally with the track.
I also provide a gripping device which will automatically come into operation
upon the idle line to prevent a too rapid descent of the car or cars in case of
accident to the hauling means. When an idle cable is employed it is maintained
in the required longitudinal direction by pulleys arranged in a vertical plane below
the body of the car, the said idle cable being carried over and under or vice versa
of the said guide pulleys or rollers so as to maintain the cable sufficiently
taut and in direction for the gripping device to act should the hauling means fail.
If, however, a headed rail is employed the pulleys will be arranged to travel upon
the rail so as to keep the safety gripping device in position for immediate
operation.
The gripping device consists of scissor-like double jaws with centre stud or pivot
upon which the jaws are articulated as will be hereinafter described. One pair of
jaws thus formed are constructed so as to act as brake blocks or grippers with a
spring device for holding the grip normally in contact with the rail or cable.
When however, the car or cars is or are being hauled in the usual manner the
haulage rope maintains the brake or gripping jaws open and out of contact with
the idle rail or cable. This is effected by the jaws at the opposite end of the safety
gripping device being fitted with rollers or pulleys placed in the horizontal plane
and round these rollers the haulage cable passes.
And in order that the said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
to more fully describe the same & for that purpose shall refer to the several figures
en the annexed sheet of drawings, the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all figures.
Figure 1 of the drawings shows a side elevation of the car track and car
provided with the idle cable and safety gripping device constructed according to
this invention.
Figure 2 represents a plan of the said gripping device drawn to a larger scale,
the dotted lines showing the jaws in their normal or gripping position, and
Figure 3 represents a side elevation of the said safety gripping device.
In these drawings A is the car, B the hauling cable, C the idle cable, D the
pulleys to keep the idle cable in position, E the scissor-like jaws forming the gripping
device and the pivot upon which the jaws work. G are the brake blocks or
Burfaces provided on one pair of jaws and H the horizontal rollers in the opposite
pair of jaws around which the hauling cable passes, while I l' are springs for
operating the gripping device.
In the drawings these springs are shown of helical form, the one I being shown
in compression owing to the pull on the hauling cable and the other I¹ being
shown in tension so as to close the brake jaws on the idle rail or cable when the

page_text: pull on the hauling cable is released. I do not limit myself to this form of
spring.
It will be obvious that the tension upon the hauling cable when operating.
will cause the scissor-like arms or jaws to turn upon their pivot and open the jaws
carrying the brake blocks or devices, so bringing them out of operation: but with
the cessation of working the said jaws will reassume their normal position in
contact with the rail or idle cable and the car will be held securely.
This safety gripping device may also be applied to steep-grade railways, elevators,
lifts and the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
In an elevator means, elevator railroad or the like the employment in combination
with an idle rail or cable of a safety gripping device, the said device consisting of
scissor-like arms or jaws E pivoted at F and provided with springs II', brake
blocks G and rollers H in such a manner that the pull or tension of the hauling
cable maintains the jaws having the brake blocks out of contact with the said rail
or cable, but when such pull ceases the said brake blocks will be forced in contact
with the idle rail or cable by the action of the springs substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
13/3/1894.
WILLIAM JOHN BREWER.