Improvements in Lift or Elevator Mechanism.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 2nd June, 1891-Accepted, 18th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lift or Elevator Mechanism.
1. CHARLES WHITTIER of 1176 Tremont Street Boston in the State of
Massachusetts one of the United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to elevator operating mechanism of that class in which
the elevator car or platform is raised and lowered by winding and unwinding
hoisting ropes upon one or more drums mounted upon a shaft provided with a
gear.
The gear upon the drum shaft is rotated in opposite directions by means of a
worm shaft, to which is secured, by an intermediate coupling, the armature shaft
of a reversible electric motor.
The worm shaft referred to, will preferably be provided with a right and left
worm to engage the gear on the drum shaft, and a second gear in mesh therewith,
so as to avoid end thrust of the worm shaft.
This construction of elevator operating mechanism is of a special advantage
where it is desired to economize in space, as the elevating mechanism may be placed
in a substantially small compass, which is a very important factor in buildings in
large cities.
The clevating mechanism may be equipped at a substantially small expense, and
the cost of maintaining the same is reduced to a minimum.
Dated the 23rd of January 1891.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lift or Elevator Mechanism.
I, CHARLES WHITTIER of 1176 Tremont Street Boston in the State of
Massachusetts one of the United States of America, Manufacturer 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 elevator operating mechanism and is herein shown as
embodied in that class of elevators known as the drum elevator.
My invention has for its object to simplify and improve the construction of
elevator operating mechanism, whereby economy in space is obtained, and the
operating mechanism enabled to be placed in a small compass, so that buildings in
large cities, where space is an important factor may be equipped with an elevator
mechanism at small expense, the cost of maintaining the elevator mechanism being
reduced to a minimum.
"In accordance with my invention, the power employed to operate the elevator
mechanism is obtained from an electric motor having its armature shaft detachably
connected directly to an independent worm shaft, preferably provided with a right
and left worm in engagement with two worm gears in mesh with one another.
My invention in elevator operating mechanism therefore consists in the following
instrumentalities, a worm gear, and independent worm shaft provided with a worm
in mesh with the said gear, an electric motor, and its armature shaft connected
directly to the independent worm shaft.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a section to the right of the dotted line a, a, Fig. 2, of a drum elevator
operating mechanism embodying my invention, the case containing the worms and
worm gears being broken out, and
Fig. 2 an end elevation of the motor mechanism shown in Fig. 1, looking toward
the left, both of the drums being shown by full lines.
The case A, of suitable strength, is herein shown as made in two parts a a',
which are suitably joined together in any well known manner, the lower part a of
the said casing being secured to or forming part of the base a².
The case A contains within it, as herein shown, two worm gears a³, a' in mesh
with one another and mounted on shafts aa, having bearings in the sides of the
case A.
The shaft a, as herein shown, is extended beyond the sides of the case A and
has mounted on it at opposite sides of the said case, drums a, a, see Fig. 2, upon
which are wound the usual hoisting ropes, not shown, but which in practice pass
about sheaves at the top of the elevator shaft or well and are secured to the top of
the elevator car or platform.
I have herein shown the shaft a, as provided with two hoisting drums, which are
preferably used in passenger service on account of safety, but if desired only one
drum may be used.
The worm gears a³, a', are engaged by right and left worms b, 1, fast on a worm
shaft having bearings in inwardly projecting hubs 3, 4, forming part of or
secured to caps 6, 6, fastened to the case A as by bolts
The worm shaft is extended through the cap, and is secured directly to the
armature shaft 12 of an electric motor 613 by an intermediate coupling, herein
shown as a flanged hub on the worm shaft, and a flanged hub 10 fast on the
armature shaft which is in line with the said worm shaft, the said hubs being
detachably secured together by bolts, the armature shaft having bearings, as
herein shown, in uprights e, c', secured to or forming part of a base c².
In operation, the electric motor 13 may be supplied with current in any usual or
well known manner, and the polarity of the said current may be changed, in any
usual or well known manner, as by a pole changer, not shown, but which in practice
may be connected to the shipper rope or other usual starting mechanism, to
produce revolution of the armature shaft in opposite directions, to thereby produce
rotations of the hoisting drum or drums in one or the opposite direction, as desired,
to raise or lower the car.
The base of the motor is preferably supported on the base a².
By connecting the armature shaft of the motor directly to the worm shaft as
described, the elevator operating mechanism is made compact in form and occupies
substantially little space, which is a very important factor in buildings in large
cities, and the said operating mechanism may be put in and maintained in operative
condition at a very considerable saving over the ordinary style of elevator operating
mechanism.
In practice, it frequently happens that an armature burns out and must be
replaced, and in order that this change may be quickly effected without disturbing
the remaining parts of the mechanism and without occasioning any great delay
in the operation of the elevator mechanism, the armature shaft is connected directly
to the independent worm shaft by a detachable coupling.
The periphery of the flange hub 6 on the worm shaft is in practice, made wide
enough to be utilized as a brake wheel.
In actual practice, the worm shaft and the connected armature shaft have a very
slight longitudinal motion which acts beneficially upon the surfaces of the commu-
tator and the brushes, and prevents uneven wear of the commutator surface and
thereby obviates sparking at the brushes.
If desired, the two halves of the coupling or the flanged hubs 68, 610, may be
insulated from each other as shown to thus electrically separate the armature shaft
from the motor shaft.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is :-
1 An elevator operating mechanism containing the following instrumentali-
ties, iza worm gear, an independent worm shaft provided with a worn in mesh
with said gear, an electric motor, and its armature shaft connected directly to the
independent worm shaft, substantially as described.
2-In an elevator operating mechanism the following instrumentalities, a worm
gear, an independent worm shaft provided with a worm in mesh with said gear,
an electric motor, its armature shaft, and an intermediate detachable coupling
connecting said armature shaft directly to the independent worm shaft, substan-
tially as described.
-
3 In an elevator operating mechanism, the following instrumentalities, viz.
two worm gears in mesh with each other, a worm shaft provided with a right and left
worm in engagement with the said gears, an electric motor, its armature shaft, and
an intermediate detachable coupling connecting the said armature shaft directly
to the worm shaft, substantially as described.
4 In an elevator operating mechanism, the case A, worm gears in mesh with
one another, located therein and mounted on shafts having bearings in said case, a
worm shaft supported by the said case and having a right and left worm in engage-
ment with said gears, combined with an electric motor, its armature shaft in line
with the worm shaft, and an intermediate coupling, consisting of the flanged
hubs 6, 60, connecting the said armature shaft directly to the worm shaft, sub-
stantially as described.
5 An elevator operating mechanism containing the following instrumen-
talities cia worm gear, an independent worm shaft provided with a worm in
mesh with said gear, an electric motor, and its armature shaft connected directly
with and insulated from said independent worm shaft, substantially as described.
Dated the 2nd day of June 1891.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.