Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 16th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 14th Apr., 1888
I FÉLIX LÉON EDOUX, of 95 Boulevard Beaumarchais Paris, France Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to hydraulic elevators or lifts and comprises improvements by
means of which the following advantages are obtained.
1st. Perfect equilibrium of the dead weight of the ram and of the cage...
2nd. Exact compensation for the variations of weight of the ram according as it
is more or less immersed in the water.
3rd. Possibility of augmenting the diameter of the ram carrying the cage without
increasing the consumption of water, in case the ram should only have theoretically
a diameter incapable of offering sufficient gurantee of safety relatively to the height
of its stroke.
I will suppose first that the ram is, as ordinarily, closed at the foot.
The cylinder in which the ram slides is secured at its upper end to a metallic
casing having hermetic joints which casing encloses the pulleys over which the chains
of counter weights run.
Below the same casing is also fixed another metallic cylinder similar to that in
which the ram moves.
The lower end of the ram has two lugs to which are attached chains which
pass over the said pulleys and which have at their opposite extremities a counter
weight.
By introducing water under pressure into the apparatus the ram is caused to rise
and consequently the counter weight descends in the second cylinder; and, inversely,
when the water is discharged from the apparatus the ram descends whilst the counter-
weight returns to its original position.
This equilibrating mechanism is completely immersed in water, so that the influence
of this immersion upon the counterweight and chains being taken into consideration,
the conditions of equilibrium can be calculated as precisely as desired.
In the foregoing description I have supposed that the pulleys are placed on the
same side of the ram and that the counter weight is located in a single cylinder

page_text: a
juxtaposed to the principal cylinder but it is certain that these pulleys could also be
placed in the same vertical plane on each side of the latter each of them receiving
chain carrying a counter weight located in a special cylinder. There would be in this
case three cylinders instead of two.
It is also to be understood that the counter weight can be of annular shape to
surround the ram and can be attached to two chains so as to travel in the same
cylinder as the ram. In this case there would be only a single cylinder of suitable
section for the free passage of the various parts. If required the casing enclosing the
chain pulleys can also contain two guide pulleys designed to retain the chains for
attaching the counter weight to the lugs perpendicularly so as not to increase the
diameter of the cylinder.
It is not essential that the counterweight shall be annular, as it may have any shape
if sufficient space is provided for it in the cylinder and if it is guided in its course.
By placing the ram excentrically to the cylinder the space designed for the counter-
weight could be augmented if necessary.
I have described in a general manner these various modifications as my invention is
based upon the complete immersion of the equilibrating mechanism.
It is to be understood that in the above conditions of equilibrium the ram works
through compression; accordingly cases may occur where, by reason of the course,
the pressure of the water and the load to be raised, the section of the piston determined
by calculation is not in proportion to its length and is too weak to offer sufficient
guarantees of safety. To remedy this inconvenience it is necessary that the
diameter of the rod carrying the cage should allow of being augmented without
varying the consumption of water; I accomplish this by means of the following
arrangement.
At the centre of the bottom of the cylinder of the elevator is fixed a metallic tube
the length of which is slightly in excess of the course of the apparatus, and which
terminates above in a kind of cap provided with leather cups. The tubular form of
this central rod is designed to enable the water that may leak through to the interior
of the ram to be discharged through the bottom of the shaft. The rod supporting
the cage is hollow and open at the bottom and fits over these leathers thus moving
between two surfaces one inside and the other outside.
In this arrangement the pressure of the water acts only upon the annular metallic
section of the rod; and if this section be made equal to that which is determined
by calculation for an ordinary ram, a diameter for the rod is obtained that offers
any desired safety without augumenting the consumption of water.
Dated this 15th day of April 1887.

page_text: t
I, FÉLIX LÉON EDOUX, of 95 Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris, France, 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 hydraulic elevators or lifts and comprises improvements
by means of which the following advantages can be obtained.
1st. Perfect equilibrium of the dead weight of the ram and of the cage.
2nd. Exact compensation for the variations of weight of the ram according as it is
more or less immersed in the water.
3rd. Possibility of augmenting the diameter of the ram carrying the case without
increasing the consumption of water, in case the ram should only have theoretically
a diameter incapable of offering sufficient guarantee of safety relatively to the height
of its stroke.
It is well known that most elevators or lifts in use are made of a vertical hydraulic
ram carrying at its upper extremity a cage and capable of rising and descending in
a cylinder provided in a shaft.
In this kind of elevator or lift the weight of the ram and cage is a dead weight
which must be balanced so as to obtain, during the operation, the minimum expenditure
necessary to raise the useful charge.
Various modes of balancing have been employed, but in my opinion none presents
the advantages of that obtained by means of chains passing over guide pulleys and
provided at one of their extremities with a counter weight whilst the other extremity
is connected to the cage.
This system recommends itself because it enables the variations in the load of the
dead weight due to variations in the immerged length of the piston to be accurately
compensated for at any moment of its ascension, and because it possesses the advantage
of being very simple.
But with these advantages it presents some inconveniences.
First, the pulleys being invariably arranged in the upper part of the cage of the
elevator or lift, the chains and counter weight cause difficulties in the construction,
especially in elevators or lifts situated in visible and ornamental walls, such as market
houses, or rooms between the flyers of open-walled stairs.
Moreover, in the very rare but possible case of a rupture of this ram, this vertical
traction exerted by the counterweights upon the cage may be the cause of serious
accidents.
To obtain all the advantages of the balancing by chains and counterweight, and
to obviate at the same time the inconveniences I have arranged these balancing parts
in such a manner as to cause them to act below the ram and to immerse them in the
motive water.
By this new arrangement nothing is changed in the principle of the mode of
balancing by chain and counterweight the parts of which are only displaced, but

page_text: winst preserving the same advantages as regards the precision of the dynamic
equilibrium and the most complete utilization possible of the motive power, I remove
the upper parts of the apparatus from all without occupying a greater surface than that
which is provided for them in the stories.
Its great simplicity distinguishes our new arrangement from the various
combinations devised for the same purpose, which, comprising special parts of
considerable size and weight, encumber in the basement, spaces occupying a very
large surface and height, and the complications of which consume as a complete loss,
a considerable portion of the motive power without effecting the exactitude in the
equilibrium which I realize.
As regards the advantages of the immersion they will be more readily understood
after the description of the invention.
I will suppose first that the ram is, as ordinarily closed at the foot.
The improved lift is represented in the accompanying drawing the figures of which
are hereinafter referred to.
The cylinder in which the ram slides is secured at its upper end to a metallic
casing A Figures 1 and 2 having hermetic joints which casing encloses the pulleys B
"over which the chains of the counterweights run.
: The cylinder C in which the ram D works is in communication with the casing A
with which its two parts are connected.
Below the said casing is also fixed another metallic cylinder E similar to that in
which the ram moves.
The lower end of the ram D has two lugs to which are attached chains which
pass over the said pulleys B and which have at their opposite extremities the
counterweight F.
By introducing water under pressure into the apparatus the ram D is caused to rise
and consequently the counterweight F descends in the second cylinder; and, inversely,
when the water is discharged from the apparatus the ram D descends whilst the
counterweight F returns to its original position.
This equilibrating mechanism as shown is completely immersed in water, this is
where it differs from the upper system of equilibrium, and except that the
influence of this immersion upon the counter-weight and chains having to be taken
into consideration, the conditions of equilibrium are calculated in the same manner and
as precisely as desired.
In the foregoing description I have supposed that the pulleys are placed on the same
side of the ram and that the counter-weight is located in a single cylinder juxtaposed
to the principal cylinder but it is evident that these pulleys could also be placed in
the same vertical plane on each side of the latter Figure 3, each of them receiving
a chain carrying a counterweight located in a special cylinder. There would be in
this case three cylinders instead of two.
It is also to be understood that the counter weight M can be of an annular shape
Figure 4 to surround the ram, and and can be attached to two chains so as to travel
in the same cylinder as the ram. In this case there would be only a single cylinder
of suitable section for the free passage of the various parts. If required the casing
enclosing the chain pulleys can also contain two guide pulleys N designed to retain
the chains for attaching the counterweight perpendicularly to the lugs so as not to
increase the diameter of the cylinder.
It is not essential that the counterweight shall be annular, as it may have any shape
if sufficient space is provided for it in the cylinder and if it is guided in its course. By
placing the ram eccentrically to the cylinder the space designed for the counterweight
could be augmented if necessary.
I have described in a general manner these various modifications as my invention is
based upon the complete immersion of the equibrating mechanism.
The principal advantages of the immersion are the following:-
The axes of the pulleys, being always lubricated by the water, do not run any risk
of grinding the chain, being constantly immersed, undergoes less oxidation than when
exposed to the atmospheric air, and there is no danger whatever of a rupture, the

page_text: action of the medium in which it moves enabling an augmentation of its weight and
therefore of its resistance for supporting an effective lead which the immersion does
not increase. But, even assuming the impossible that the safety of persons shall not
be hazarded in the least, nor material damages caused, since the chain and counter-
weight is connected to the bottom of the cylinder, the ram would be in the condition
of an unbalanced apparatus and would always have its motion subjected to the
regulating action of the valve.
It is to be understood that in the above conditions of equilibrium the ram works
solely through compression; accordingly cases may occur where, by reason of the
course, the pressure of the water and the load to be raised, the section of the piston
determined by calculation is not in proportion to its length and is too weak to offer
sufficient guarantees of safety. To remedy this inconvenience it is necessary that the
diameter of the rod carrying the cage should allow of being augmented without
varying the consumption of water; f accomplish this by means of the following
arrangement, figure 5.
At the centre of the bottom of the cylinder of the elevator is fixed a metallic
tube A the length of which is slightly in excess of the course of the apparatus and
which terminates above in a kind of cap provided with leather cups B. The tubular
form of this central rod is designed to enable the water that may leak through the
part K to the interior of the ram to be discharged through the bottom of the
shaft. The rod supporting the cage is hollow and open at the bottom, and
fits over these leathers thus moving between two surfaces, one inside and the other
outside.
In this arrangement the pressure of the water acts only upon the annular metallic
section of the rod; and if this section be made equal to that which is determined by
calculation for any ordinary ram, a diameter for the rod is obtained that offers any
desired safety without augmenting the consumption of water.
Suppose for example that calculation has determined for an ordinary plunger piston
a diameter of 0.06, the section of which is 0.0028 and that the course is 15 metres;
there would here be an inadmissible disproportion between the diameter and the
length of the rod.
In the improved arrangement fixing the thickness of the metal of the rod at 0·006.
I must have, in order to obtain the section of 0.0028, a mean circumference of 0.466
corresponding to a diameter of 0.1484 that is to say the rod must have 0.1544 external
diameter and 0.1424 internal diameter. It then offers a guarantee of resisting
compression and the consumption of water will be 28 per meter, as it was with the
ordinary plunger piston.
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 :-
First. The improved elevator with lower equilibrating mechanism immersed,
whatever be the shape of the cylinder or cylinders, the casing enclosing the trans-
mission, and the arrangement, in the interior of pulleys, chains, and counterweights,
as above described.
Second. The arrangement of a rod with upper piston fixed to the interior of the
hollow rod carrying the cage, in such a manner as to give this latter the diameter
desired for safety, without augmenting the consumption of water.
Dated this 16th day of January 1888.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.