Improvements in Safety Looking Devices for Elevators and Elevator Doors.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th July, 1896-Accepted, 3rd Oct., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety Looking Devices for Elevators and Elevator
Doors.
I, JOHN DAVIS CONNER, residing 2319 North 31st Street, City of Philadelphia,
County of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Elevator Builder do declare the nature of the said invention to be described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention has relation to a device for preventing the starting of an elevator
car or platform, while a door or gate at the entrance to a hatchway or elevator
shaft is open or unlatched.
The principal objects of my invention are first, to provide a simple, durable and
effective locking device for elevators and elevator doors or gates to prevent the
starting of an elevator car or platform while a door or gate leading to the entrance
of a hatchway or elevator shaft is either wholly or partly open; second, to provide
a safety locking device for elevators and elevator doors or gates adapted to be
located adjacent to the right or left-hand end of a sliding door closing the hatchway
opening or landing and designed to positively lock the controller rope or cable from
movement by the engagement of a device with a rack or friction means carried by
the cord or cable extending through the hatchway and suitably connected with the
main shifting apparatus, so that when said cable or rope is locked the main shifting
apparatus will also be locked so that the shifting of the car from one landing to
another in the hatchway or elevator shaft is entirely prevented; and third, to
provide a mechanism of the character described having a locking device located
adjacent thereto and provided with a pawi adapted to be engaged by a saddle of
said mechanism and a cam or incline on the underside of a car to positively lock
and hold the same and prevent movement of the door until the actuating rod of
said mechanism is operated to release the controlling rope or cable, thereby insuring
positive action of said mechanism to prevent starting of the elevator car or platform,
while the door or gate leading to the hatchway or elevator shaft is either wholly
or partly open.
My invention stated in general terms, consists of safety locking devices for
elevators and elevator doors or gates constructed and arranged in substantially the
manner hereinafter described and claimed.
The nature, general features and scope of iny invention will more fully understood
from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings
forming part hereof, and in which―
Figure 1, is a front elevational view of a door leading to an elevator shaft or
hatchway in a closed position and in connection therewith is illustrated one form of
the locking mechanism embodying main features of my invention.
Figure 2, is a similar view in broken section of a door leading to a hatchway or
elevator shaft and a modified form of mechanism for controlling the locking of
said door and preventing a car being shifted while the door is wholly or partly
open, said locking mechanism being located near the left of the elevator shaft or
hatchway.
Figure 3, is a front elevational view in detail of a positive frictional grip
mechanism as a modification of locking the controlling rope or cable to prevent
movement of the elevator when the door has been shifted to an open or substantially
unlocked position.

page_text: Figure 4, is a top or plan view, of the underside of a car with a 'cam or incline
provided thereat adapted to engage the stud of a pawl locking device to be employed
in connection with said safety locking mechanism to positively lock the door leading
to the hatchway or elevator shaft during the ascent or descent of the car to a position
adjacent to the opening closed normally by the door; and
Figure 5, is a side elevational view in detail, showing the position of said pawl
locking device adapted to be engaged by the cam or incline of the car and also
showing the recessed or offset end of the saddle of said safety locking mechanism
adapted to be brought into engagement with said pawl locking device and back-stop
for limiting the range of movement of the stud of said device in one direction.
Referring to the drawings, A represents an elevator shaft or hatchway closed by
sliding door A'. a, is a cross-beam supporting the flooring of one landing or
story of a building, and a', as illustrated in Fig. 4, is the bottom of a car, to which
is applied on the underside thereof an incline or cam a, of preferably the shape or
configuration illustrated in section in Fig. 5, of the drawings.
a
Referring now to the mechanism of my present invention, C represents the safety
locking mechanism, comprising the lever c, pivoted to a bearing plate e, secured in
any suitable manner to the beam a. The free end of said lever is provided with a
roller c. Fulcrumed to the lever at 10 is an oppositely inclined link c, resting in
a recessed and offset saddle D, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The
saddle D, has extending through the body of the same a rod e, which is held in
bearings, and e³, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, of the drawings. This rod
has mounted thercon a coiled spring f, engaging at one end the rear wall of said
saddle and at the other end abutting against a flanged sleeve or collar f, extending
through the bearing e. This rod e, is rigidly secured in Fig. 1, to the body of the
saddle D, while in Fig. 3, it is in sliding engagement therewith. The bearing e,
is provided with a plate e, and in sliding engagement therewith is a tapering
slotted locking jaw e, in the slot of which engages the knob e, formed on the end
of the rod e, and mounted on this rod is an adjustable collar e', between which
and said jawe is located a coiled spring e8, whereby through said collar said spring
may be maintained always in required compression on said rod. is a rack
afforded a range of movement in a guide-way elo. The rack e has plain surface
extremities e and e", with eyes for receiving and securing at each of the ends
wire or cable h, leading to a complemental rack either above or below the same
adapted to be connected with similar mechanism, as described, located adjacent to
the opening of a hatchway or elevator shaft about another landing or story of the
building. I is a pawl locking device pivotally connected to a bearing-plate i,
which is secured to the beam a. This plate is provided with a back-stop, for a
purpose to be presently more fully explained. The lower end of the pawl locking
device I, has a stud i, and a curvilinear base which is adapted to ride the incline
or cam a³, of the car, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5., In the illustration
of Fig. 1, the mechanism is shown in normal position, that is, with the door closed
and the rack and jaw es disengaged to permit of the shifting of a car or platform
within the shaft or hatchway so as to afford a landing at the opening. In the
operation of the door A¹, shifting the same to the right as illustrated in Fig. 1, the
roller e, connected with the lever is depressed into the opening a provided in
the beam a and the roller may then ride on the bottom of the door A and in such
movement it causes the link to actuate the saddle D of the rod e, and thereby
compresses the springs and e. At the same time the jaw e engages positively
with the teeth of the rack e. The offset part d', of the saddle is not in engage-
ment with the pawl, of the locking device I, because the cam a³, has shifted the
same into the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5, the stud, of said device
riding on the incline or cam a', of the car as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5. The car
is thus locked from further movement when the floor of the car is on a plane with
a landing of the hatchway or elevator shaft closed by the sliding door A' and
which by the foregoing operation has been slid to right to afford passengers
opportunity to alight or freight to be delivered from the car to the landing or floor

page_text: or vice versa. The jaw illustrated in Fig. 1, is provided with an oblong slot so
that the end of the rod e may have a range of play therein, under the influence of
the springs and e, and at the same time presenting the means, whereby through
the release of the jaw and rack from engagement from one another the rod may
assume a position to the left, as shown in Fig. 1, that is, at the rear end of the
slotted portion of the jaw, and with the traveller roller e, in engagement with
the back-edge of the door A, at the lower end thereof.
The mechanism of Fig. 2, differs from that of Fig. 1, in that the rack and jaw
for positively locking the elevator car or platform, while the door is open, and also
to prevent the shifting of the car while the door happens to be unlatched, is
located on the left hand side instead of the right. In such an instance, the rod.
is cut off beyond the sleeve /, and the lever c, is provided with a projection
forming the same into a bell crank lever, to the free extremity of which levor is
pivoted a rod e, having at its opposite extremity not shown, a mechanism
substantially like that illustrated in Fig. 1, to the right for positively locking said
rack e.
It will thus be observed that the only difference between the mechanism
illustrated in Fig. 3, and that illustrated in Fig. 1, is instead of employing a
rack, and toothed locking jaw e, as positively engaging means to lock the rod e,
two friction jaws e and e", and grip the cable h'; and moreover, upon the rod e,
between the saddle D, and the gripping jaw e, are mounted springs f and e,
abutting against adjustable collars o and o, so as to increase or decrease the tension
under which said springs can be held to position thereon, as well as to compensate
for wear or loss of tensile strength of said springs, due to continuous use of the
devices of my invention.
It will be observed that the fulcrumed lever c and the link c', when actuated to
assume a position by the operation of the sliding door f, to cause the meshing
of the jaw with the rack in Fig. 1, or the two part friction gripping device
of Fig. 3, to engage the cable, it will be absolutely impossible to shift the car,
because the said rack with its cable or wire of Fig. 1, or the cable of Fig. 3,
are directly connected in any suitable manner with the main shifting cord, cable
or device of the car, and hence there is ensured a positive lock or grip through
the intervention of said rod e, under spring tension or compression of said devices."
The racks together with the wire à, constitute controlling connections for the
elevator, inasmuch as these parts either constitute the return connection of the
controlling rope or cable, or are otherwise connected so as to move with
the rope or cable in operating the valve. The same is true of the rope *
shown in Fig. 3.
It will be manifestly obvious that as to minor details of my invention,
modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof,
and hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise
construction and arrangement of all the parts of the same as herein explained and
illustrated in the drawings.
CLAIMS.
Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention, what I claim as
new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is :-
1. In an elevator, the combination with the controlling connection, of a device
adapted to engage said controlling connection, a saddle, mechanism controlled by
said saddle for operating said device, an elevator shaft door, a lever acted upon by
said door, a link pivoted to said lever and resting upon said saddle and adapted to
operate said saddle on the opening of the door, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
2. In an elevator, the combination with the controlling connection, of a device
adapted to engage said controlling connection, a spring, a saddle, mechanism
controlled by said saddle for operating said device against the resistance of said

page_text: spring, an elevator shaft door, a lever acted upon by said door, a link pivoted to
said lever and resting upon said saddle and adapted to operate said saddle in the
opening of the door, substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. In an elevator, the combination with the controlling connection, of a device
adapted to engage said controlling connection, a rod connected with said device, a
spring on said rod adapted to move said device out of engagement with the
controlling connection, an elevator shaft door, a lever acted upon by said door and
a link connecting said lever and rod, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
4. In an elevator, the combination with the controlling connection, of a device
adapted to engage said controlling connection, a rod connected with said device, a
spring on said rod adapted to move said device out of engagement with the
controlling connection, a saddle secured on said rod, an elevator shaft door, a lever
acted upon by said door and a link connecting said lever and saddle, substantially
as and for the purposes described.
5. In an elevator, the combination with the controlling connection, of a rack
carried by said controlling connection, a rod, a locking jaw carried by said rod and
adapted to engage said rack, a spring on said rod adapted to move the locking jaw
out of engagement with the rack, a saddle secured on said rod, an elevator shaft
door, a lever acted upon by said door and a link connecting said lever and saddle,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
6. In an elevator, the combination with the controlling connection, of a device
adapted to engage said controlling connection, a saddle adapted to operate said
device, an elevator shaft door, a lever acted upon by said door and adapted to
operate said saddle, a pawl adapted to lock the saddle to thereby through said
lever prevent the movement of the door, a car, and means carried by said car to
release the pawl when the car reaches the door, substantially as and for the
purposes described.
7. In an elevator, the combination with the controlling connection, of a device
adapted to engage said controlling connection, a saddle adapted to operate said
device, an offset formed on said saddle, an elevator shaft door, a lever acted upon
by said door and adapted to operate said saddle, a pawl adapted to engage the
offset to lock the saddle from movement and to thereby through said lever prevent
the movement of the door, a car, an incline or can carried thereby and a projection
formed on said pawl and adapted to ride on said incline or cam to thereby retract
the pawl from said offset, substantially as and for the purposes described.
Dated this 27th day of July 1896
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.