Improvements in Fittings for Automatically Opening, Closing, and Securing the Doors of Lift-wells.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 15th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 21st Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fittings for Automatically Opening, Closing, and
Securing the Doors of Lift-wells.
RICHARD BEETLESTONE, of Willow Cottage, Scotland Green, Ponders End,
in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to effect improvements in the fittings of doors
leading to lifts, whereby such doors are secured while the cages are moving, or
happen to be at different levels to those of the doors so fitted; also for automatically
opening and closing the doors.
I fit sliding doors to each landing in connection with the lift. These doors are
balanced by means of weights, in a manner analogous to sliding window sashes.
The weights are made to slide in grooves, which are inclined inwards towards the
lower ends of the grooves. The sliding doors are fitted in grooves, in which they
slide a certain limited distance. The doors are fitted with self-acting latches,
whereby they are securely locked, when raised to the "shut" position. The doors
are also fitted with other self-acting latches which fall inwards towards the well,
when free. A bar is also fitted across the well below the landing, which presses
upwards the last mentioned latches when the cage is required to descend to the
floor below, thus releasing the door which is down in the grooves, in the " open
position.
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The cage is fitted with self-acting latches, which fall under the balance weights
of the door, when the cage is down. The cage is also fitted with one or more
projecting pin or pins, which unlock the fastenings of the door, when passing the
same.
The operation is as follows:-When the door is down and "open ";-the cage
being in position for entering the same;-the door is held down by its own weight,
the balance weights being sustained by the latches attached to the cage. When
the cage is raised from this position, the weights fall away from the cage latches, in
consequence of the widening of the grooves. The weights then descend and raise
the door, which immediately locks itself in the raised or "closed" position;
securely shutting off all communication between the floor or landing, and the lift
well, until the descent of the cage. When the cage again descends, it first releases
the locks by means of the projecting pins. It then engages the door latches, and
thereby pushes down the door, until the cage is on a level with the landing and
the door is below the same in its grooves; the balance weights being overcome by
the greater weight of the cage.
Each landing is similarly fitted, so that a similar operation takes place, whether
the cage is raised or lowered; each landing being provided with its own automatic
door to guard the lift well.
Dated 15th Anil 1900.
GEO. DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent for Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fittings for Automatically Opening, Closing, and
Securing the Doors of Lift-wells.
I, RICHARD BEETLESTONE, late of Willow Cottage, Scotland Green, Ponders
End, in the County of Middlesex, but now of 183 Graham Road, South Wimbledon,
London, S.W., Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to effect improvements in the fittings of doors
leading to lifts, whereby such doors are secured while the cages are moving, or
happen to be at different levels to those of the doors so fitted; also for auto-
matically opening and closing the doors.
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and
ascertained, reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which
similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is an elevation, showing my invention applied to an ordinary lift, the door
being shown lowered, and the lift in position for entering.
Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the lift in motion, and the door closing the
entrance.
Fig. 3 is a plan, partly in section (drawn to a larger scale).
Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical sectional views of some of the details.
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a is the sliding door, as fitted to each landing in connection with the lift. bare
the balance weights, which balance the door a by means of ropes c c passing over
pulleys d d. These weights slide in grooves ; the lower ends of the grooves
being inclined inwards. The sliding doors a are fitted in grooves a' a', in which
they slide a certain limited distance. Self-acting latches of any convenient form
are fitted to the doors, whereby they are securely locked, when raised to the "shut
position. One form of self-acting latch or bolt is shown at e, (Fig. 3) fitted with a
spring e by which it is driven into a hole in the channel iron g when in position.
ff are provisions on the lift cage for releasing the bolt e, on the downward
motion of the cage, and f¹ fare similar provisions for releasing the bolt é on the
upward motion of the cage. The door a is also fitted with self-acting latches i i,
which fall inwards towards the well, when free. The form of these latches is
shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The latches ii fall inwards towards the well, auto-
matically; the tail being provided to limit the motion of the latch.
The operation is as follows:-When the door a is down and "open," as shown in
Fig. 1, the door is held down by its own weight, the balance weights bb being
sustained by the latches kk (shown in their raised position by dotted lines in
Fig. 1, and lowered in Fig. 2) attached to the Hoor of the cage h. When the
cage is raised from this position, the weights bb fall away from the latches & k
in consequence of the widening of the grooves 6. The weights then descend
and raise the door a to the position shown in Fig. 2. The lowering of the cage
effects the same object by lowering the latches or supports k k. When the door a
is so raised, it immediately locks itself automatically, in the "closed" position,
by means of the bolt e; thus securely shutting off all communication between the
floor or landing, and the lift well, until the cage again arrives at the position
shown in Fig. 1.
When the cage descends it first releases the bolt e, by means of the projecting
pin. It then engages the door latches ii, and thereby pushes down the door a,
until the floor of the cage is on a level with the landing, and the door is below the
same in its grooves; the balance weights being overcome by the combined weights
of the cage and door.
On the cage resuming its downward motion, the bar m throws the latches i i
outwards, and thereby releases the door a from the rollers n n attached to the
cage, thus allowing the weights to raise the door and close the entrance.

page_text: The downward speed of the weights, and consequently the upward motion of the
door, are both regulated by the speed of motion of the cage; the weights resting on
the latches k.
Each landing is similarly fitted, so that a similar operation takes place, whether
the cage is raised or lowered: each landing being provided with its own automatic
door to guard the lift well.
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 improved method of fitting safety doors to lift wells, for automatically
opening, closing, and securing such doors, substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated by the drawings.
2. The general construction, arrangement and combination of the several and
respective parts, together forming my invention of improvements in fittings for
automatically opening, closing, and securing the doors of lift wells, substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
GEO. DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent for Applicant.