IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFTS OR HOISTS FOR WAREHOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS "
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Brown Dansken, of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFTS
OR HOISTS FOR WAREHOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Brown Dansken
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd February 1883.
ALEXANDER BROWN DANSKEN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFTS OR HOISTS FOR WAREHOUSES AND OTHER
BUILDINGS"
This Invention has for its objects to increase the safety of lifts or hoists in ware-
houses and other buildings, and to lessen the facilities for the spread of fire afforded
in existing arrangements by the shafts. or vertical passages in which the lift or
hoist cages work.
In carrying out the Invention there is provided for each of the openings formed
through the floors of a building for the passage of the cage, a horizontal movable
shutter or pair of shutters, and the cage is formed or provided with parts for acting
directly or indirectly on the doors so as to open each door as the cage approaches it
either from above or from below, the doors being arranged to close again automati-
cally after the passage of the cage.
The details of the apparatus may be varied but in a simple and convenient modi-
fication, a single door is used at each floor opening, and is arranged to move under
the floor at the front or side of the opening, being mounted on small wheels which
run on rails formed by angle iron fixed to the joists or beams of the flooring, the
angle iron serving also to strengthen the joists at the sides of the opening. For
opening the door the cage has fixed to its top and bottom, frames formed with
inclined bars which as the cage approaches a door act like wedges on antifriction
rollers fitted to the inner edge of the door and open it. The lowest points of the
inclined bars on the underside of the cage and the highest points of the inclined
bars on the top of the cage are at the back or side opposite to the place into which
the door is moved when open; and the suspensory rope of the hoist is by preference

page_text: placed at the same part of the cage, the cage being of course suitably guided. The
suspensory rope may however be placed at or near the middle of the cage but in
that case a slot must be formed in each door to allow of its passing.
Where convenient each door may be in two halves arranged to move in opposite
directions when opening, in which case the wedge like frames on the cage require
to be made double and with their points at the middles, whilst the suspensory rope
will be in the middle. The door or doors may be made to close after the passage
of the cage by means of weighted cords or by springs; or a slight inclination may
be given to the rails on which each door runs so that it may close by its own weight.
Where it is inconvenient to arrange for the receding of the door under the flooring
it may be arranged to move above the floor, in which case it is preferred to have a
fixed platform over the space into which it recedes, such platform having an inclined
front or sides or both to connect it with the general floor level.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Brown Dansken in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th August 1883.
ALEXANDER BROWN DANSKEN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LIFTS OR HOISTS FOR WAREHOUSES AND OTHER
BUILDINGS
"
My said Invention has for its objects to increase the safety of lifts or hoists in
warehouses and other buildings, and to lessen the facilities for the spread of fire
afforded in existing arrangements by the shafts or vertical passages in which the
lift or hoist cages work.
In carrying out my Invention there is provided for each of the openings formed
through the floors of a building for the passage of the cage, a horizontal movable
shutter or pair of shutters, and the cage is formed or provided with parts for acting
directly or indirectly on the shutters so as to open each shutter as the cage
approaches it either from above or from below, the shutters being arranged to close
again automatically after the passing of the cage. The details of my improved
apparatus may be varied to suit different requirements and situations.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append two sheets of explanatory drawings
to be hereinafter referred to and representing various modifications of my improved
apparatus.
Figure, 1, on sheet, 1, of the accompanying drawings is a horizontal section and
figure, 2, is a corresponding sectional plan; of one modification of my improved
apparatus. Figure, 3, is a sectional plan of a second modification; figures, 4, and
5, are a horizontal section and a sectional plan of a third modification; and
figures, 6, and 7, on sheet, 2, are a horizontal section and a sectional plan of a
fourth modification, figure, 8, being a horizontal section as at right angles to
figure, 7. Figures, 9, and 10, show my apparatus as adapted to what are known
as fire-proof floors, figure, 9, comprising two vertical sections as at right angles to
each other, and figure, 10, being a sectional plan. In these drawings the same
reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are
repeated.
In the first modification, shown in figures, 1, and 2, a single door or shutter, 11,
is used at each floor opening and is arranged to move under the floor, 12, at the
front of the opening, being mounted on small wheels, 13, which run on rails, 14,
formed by angle iron fixed to the joists, 15, (or it might be to beams) of the
flooring, 12, the angle iron, 14, serving also to strengthen the joists at the sides of
the opening. For opening the door or shutter, 11, the cage has fixed to its top and
bottom, frames formed with inclined bars, which, as the cage approaches a door act
like wedges on antifriction rollers, 16, fitted to the inner edge of the door, 11, and
open it. In figure, 1, at 17, there is shown a portion of the wedge frame at the
bottom of a cage which is supposed to be descending and to be just commencing to
act on and open the door, 11. In this modification the lowest points of the inclined
bars or wedge frames on the underside of the cage and the highest points of the
inclined bars or wedge frames on the top of the cage are at the back or side
opposite to the place into which the door or shutter, 11, is moved when opened;
and the suspensory rope, 18, of the hoist is placed at the same part of the cage, the
cage being of course suitably guided.
The suspensory rope, 18, may be placed at or near the middle of the cage, but in
that case a slot, 19, must be formed in each door or shutter, 11, to allow of its

page_text: passing; as shown in figure, 5. Where there are two suspensory ropes, 18, to the
cage as shown in figure, 3, two slots, 19, must be formed for them in each door or
shutter, 11.
Where it is inconvenient to arrange for the receding of the door or shutter, 11,
under the floor, 12, it may be arranged to move above the floor as shown in
figure, 4; in which case I prefer to have a fixed platform, 20, over the space into
which the door or shutter, 11, recedes, such platform, 20, having an inclined
front, 21, or sides or both to connect it with the general floor, 12.
Where convenient each door or shutter, 11, may be in two halves as shown in
figures, 6, 7, and 8, the halves being arranged to move in opposite directions when
being opened; in which case the wedge like frames, 17, at each end of the cage
have to be made with two inclined parts meeting at middle points. There may be
a single suspensory rope, 18, at the middle of the cage; or there may be two
suspensory ropes, 18, as shown in figure, 7, each half door or shutter, 11, being
formed with a slot, 19, to allow of the passage of the rope.
In the "fire-proof" arrangement shown in figures, 9, and 10, the door or
shutter, 11, is made of iron, and the recess or space into which it moves when
opened is covered with an iron plate. The bottom flanges of the girders which
support the arched brickwork serve for the wheels of the door or shutter to run
upon.
In any of the modifications the door or doors, 11, may be made to close automa-
tically after the passing of the cage, by means of weights, 22, connected by
cords, 23, passing over pulleys to the door or doors; or springs may be used instead
of the weights; or a slight inclination may be given to the rails, 14, on which each
door, 11, runs, so that it may close by the action of its own weight.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated but that what I believe to be novel and
original and claim as the Invention secured to me by and in terms of the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is:
1. The providing of lifts or hoists for warehouses or other buildings with
horizontally movable doors or shutters at the openings through the several floors,
and the fitting of the cages of the lifts or hoists with wedge frames or equivalent
appliances for opening such doors or shutters, the parts being arranged and
operating substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
2. The arrangement of horizontal doors or shutters for lifts or hoists, on wheels
running on horizontal or nearly horizontal angle-iron rails fixed to the flooring
joists or beams substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
In Witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Brown Dansken, have hereunto
set my hand and seal this eighteenth day of August in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty-three.
Witness
EDMUND HUNT
Patent Agent
Glasgow,
.
A B DANSKEN. (L.S.)