Improved Apparatus for Operating the Valves of Elevators or Lifts.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 18th July, 1890-Accepted, 23rd Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Operating the Valves of Elevators or Lifts.
WILLIAM PARKER GIBSON of 15 Queen Street in the City of London Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a means for operating the valve or other device which
controls the movements of an elevator car by means of combined mechanical and Ruid
(pneumatic or hydraulic) connections, it being the object of the invention to provide
a simple, reliable and economical apparatus by which the valve or other device for
controlling the movements of the car can be operated by fluid pressure derived
from the car by the compression of a collapsible bulb and which shall at the same
time provide means by which the valve or other device can be operated positively
by means of mechanical connections in case for any reason the fluid connections
should fail to operate satisfactorily at any particular time.
The two valves of the auxiliary valve mechanism are connected either directly or
through the medium of levers to the lower ends of a pair of ropes which are suspended
from the top of the elevator shaft. By drawing upward upon the respective ropes the
valves are operated so as to cause the car to move in reverse directions or come to
rest, according as is desired.
Located in any convenient position, preferably at the top of the shaft, is a stationary
deflecting pulley which occupies a position between the ropes with its opposite sides
in close proximity to the respective ropes. Located upon the opposite sides of the
respective ropes are a pair of movable deflecting pulleys which occupy a position either
above or below the stationary pulley and are each carried upon one arm of a bell-
crank lever the opposite arms of the levers being acted upon by a pair of expansible
bulbs or sacks which are supported upon suitable brackets or other stationary supports
and communicate through small tubes with similar expansible bulbs or sacks carried
by the car. The top bulbs are so constructed that they will normally remain in a
collapsed or comparatively collapsed condition, while the bulbs carried by the car are
so constructed that they will normally remain in an expanded or comparatively
expanded condition.
The tubes may be composed entirely of flexible material as, for example, india
rubber, or they may be in part of rigid material, as lead or other metal, those portions
of the tubes which connect with the car being, however, flexible for a sufficient length
to permit the car to have the required travel.
The movable deflecting pulleys are so arranged that when either pulley is moved
inward from its normal position it will press upon the corresponding rope, and deflect
it inward over the stationary pulley so as to draw upward upon the rope and operate
the corresponding valve of the auxiliary valve mechanism.
The bulbs and the tubes connecting them are preferably filled with air, but may be
filled with any other fluid or liquid as, for example, oil or glycerine. If a liquid is
used it will of course preferably be of such a nature as not to readily congeal
by cold.
The operation of the apparatus when thus organized is as follows:--
To cause the car to niove in either direction the attendant will press upon the
proper one of the bulbs upon the car so as to collapse or partially collapse the same
and thereby drive the fluid out of the bulb into the pipe an out of the pipe into the
top bulb thereby expanding the latter bulb and rocking a lever so as to cause the
movable pulley to deflect the corresponding rope, as the case may be, and operate
the corresponding valve of the auxiliary valve mechanism to cause the car to move in
the required direction.
In the ordinary working of the elevator the apparatus that has been described

page_text: will be all that is required for controlling its movements, but it will in practice
usually be preferable to provide means by which, in case the fluid connections
become temporarily disordered or fail to operate, the attendant can have positive
mechanical control of the valves of the auxiliary valve mechanism. To provide
for this the ropes are preferably arranged to pass through or adjacent to the car,
and the car is provided with two stationary deflecting pulleys arranged upon
opposite sides of the respective ropes and with a third movable deflecting pulley
arranged between the ropes and either above or below the stationary pulleys. The
movable pulley is carried upon an arm which projects from a shaft mounted in
the side of the car and having a hand lever by which it can be rocked so as to
move the pulley in either direction and and thus deflect either one of the ropes.
The term "uid" as herein used is adopted for convenience and is to be under-
stood as including both gases and liquids, such, for example, as air and water, oil or
glycerine.
The term "bulb" as applied to the collapsible and expansible devices is also used
merely for convenience and is to be understood as including any form of collapsible
and expansible device by which pressure can be transmitted from the car to the
column of fluid and from the column of fluid to the deflecting pulleys.
Dated this 18th day of October 1889
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Operating the Valves of 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 a means for operating the valve or other device which
controls the movements of an elevator car by means of combined mechanical and fluid
pneumatic or hydraulic connections, it being the object of the invention to provide a
simple, reliable and economical apparatus by which the valve or other device for
controlling the movements of the car can be operated by fluid pressure derived from
the car by the compression, of a collapsible bulb and which shall at the same time
provide means by which the valve or other device can be operated positively by means
of mechanical connections in case for any reason the fluid connections should fail to
operate satisfactorily at any particular time.
In the accompanying drawing
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an elevator car equipped with means for operating
the valve or other device which controls the movements of the car, according to the
present invention.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged, horizontal section taken on the line 2 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 3 of Fig. 1.
Fig. is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modification which will be hereinafter
explained.
Referring to said Figures it is to be understood that A represents an elevator car of
the ordinary form, and B its hoisting cable. The valve or other mechanism which
controls the movements of the car is operated by hydraulic pressure which is controlled
by an auxiliary valve mechanism C.
The valve mechanism C may be of any suitable form for the purpose so long as it
provides means for controlling the movements of the main valve or other mechanism
which controls the movements of the car so as to cause the car to move in either
direction or be brought to rest at the will of the conductor.
The two valves a 6 of the auxiliary valve mechanism are connected either directly
or through the medium of levers to the lower ends of a pair of ropes DE which are
1

page_text: suspended from the top of the elevator shaft. By drawing upward upon the respective
ropes the valves a b are operated so as to cause the car to move in reverse directions
or come to rest, according as is desired.
Located in any convenient position, preferably at the top of the shaft is a
stationary deflecting pulley 2 which occupies a position between the ropes DE
with its opposite sides in close proximity to the respective ropes. Located upon
the opposite sides of the respective ropes are a pair of movable deflecting pulleys 3
which occupy a position either above or below the pulley 2 and are each carried
upon one arm of a bell-crank lover 4, the opposite arms of the levers being acted
upon by a pair of expansible bulbs or sacks 5 which are supported upon suitable
brackets or other stationary supports and communicate through small tubes 6 with
similar expansible bulbs or sacks 7 carried by the car.
The bulbs 5 are so con-
structed that they will normally remain in a collapsed or comparatively collapsed
condition, while the bulbs 7 are so constructed that they will normally reinain in an
expanded or comparatively expanded condition. The tubes 6 may be composed
entirely of flexible material as, for example, india rubber, or they may be in part
of rigid material, as lead or other metal, those portions of the tubes which connect
with the car being, however, flexible for a sufficient length to permit the car to
have the required travel. The deflecting pulleys 3 are so arranged that when
either pulley is moved inward from its normal position it will press upon the
corresponding rope D or E, and deflect it inward over the stationary pulley 2 so
as to draw upward upon the rope and operate the corresponding valve of the
auxiliary valve mechanism. The bulbs 5, 7, and the tubes 6 connecting them are
preferably filled with air, but may be filled with any other fluid or liquid as,
for example, oil or glycerine. If a liquid is used it will of course preferably be
of such a nature as not to readily congeal by cold.
The operation of the apparatus when thus organized is a follows:
To cause the car to move in either direction the attendant will press upon the
proper one of the bulbs 7 upon the car so as to collapse or partially collapse the
same and thereby drive the fluid out of the bulb into the pipe 6, and out of
the pipe 6 into the bulb 5, thereby expanding the latter bulb and rocking the
lever 4 so as to cause the pulley 3 to deflect the corresponding rope D or E as the
case may be, and operate the corresponding valve of the auxiliary valve mechanism
to cause the car to move in the required direction. To cause the car to move in
the opposite direction the attendant will press the other bulb 7 with the same
result.
The deflecting mechanisir. composed of the pulleys 2, 3, will preferably be
located at the top of the elevator shaft, as shown in Fig. 1, but it may be located
upon the car, as shown in Fig. 4. In such case, of course, the ropes D, E, will
pass through or adjacent to the car so as to be in proper position with relation
to the deflecting pulleys.
In the ordinary working of the elevator the apparatus that has been described will
be all that is required for controlling its movements, but it will in practice usually be
preferable to provide means by which, in case the fluid connections become temporarily
disordered or fail to operate, the attendant can have positive mechanical control of the
valves of the auxiliary valve mechanism. To provide for this the ropes D, E, are
preferably arranged to pass through or adjacent to the car, and the car is provided
with two stationary deflecting pulleys 8 arranged upon opposite sides of the respective
ropes and with a third movable deflecting pulley 9 arranged between the ropes and
either above or below the pulleys 8. The pulley 9 is carried upon an arm 10 which
projects from a shaft mounted in the side of the car and having a hand lever 12 by
which it can be rocked so as to move the pulley 9 in either direction and thus deflect
either one of the ropes D, E. By this means in case the fluid connections fail to
operate, or in case of an emergency, the attendant can by operating the hand lever 12
control the valves of the auxiliary valve mechanism positively. In the ordinary
operation of the elevator, however, the lever 12 and the deflecting pulleys 8, 9, will
remain idle.

page_text: "
The term " fluid
as herein used is adopted for convenience and is to be understood
as including both gases and liquids, such for example, as air and water, oil or
glycerine.
The term "bulb" as applied to the collapsible and expansible devices 5, 7, is also
used merely for convenience and is to be understood as including any form of
collapsible and expansive device by which pressure can be transmitted from the car to
the column of fluid and from the column of fluid to the deflecting pulleys.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
The combination with the elevator car and the auxiliary valve mechanism for con-
trolling its movements, of ropes suspended from the top of the elevator shaft and
connected to said auxiliary valve mechanism to operate the same, a deflecting
mechanism consisting of deffecting pulleys for deflecting said ropes to cause the car to
move in opposite directions, expansible bulbs connected to act upon said deflecting
mechanism to deflect the respective ropes, collapsible bulbs carried by the car, and
tubes containing a fluid and connecting the bulbs upon the car with the respective
bulbs of the deflecting mechanism, substantially as described.
ليود
1000
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Applicant's Agent.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Applicant's Agent.