A Duplex Reciprocating Safety Lift.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 25th June, 1889-Accepted, 28th Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Duplex Reciprocating Safety Lift.
We, CHARLES WILLIAM MACLEAN of Walsh Street, South Yarra in the Colony of
Victoria, Engineer ALEXANDER WILSON of the "Strand," Williamstown in Victoria
as aforesaid Engineer and ROBERT LEWIS JOHN ELLERY of the Melbourne Observatory
in Victoria as aforesaid Astronomer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention consists in the arrangement side by side in a suitable shaft of two
multiple floor cages the floors of each being arranged in series one above the other and
with one less floor than the number of floors in the building in which the lift is placed
the distance between the cage floors being approximately equal to the height between
the adjoining floors of the building.
Each multiple floor cage is supported directly upon an hydraulic ram located in a
pit below the basement or lowermost floors of the building and the hydraulic pressure
exerted in such rams is derived preferably from a double acting hydraulic ram
worked by a gas engine or other motor or if desired the cage rains may be worked
by pressure fed from a high pressure hydraulic main.
Each cage has a continual intermittent motion imparted to it the one ascending
while the other is descending and both stopping simultaneously for a given time when
the uppermost floor of the one cage is level with the top floor of the building and the
lowermost floor of the other cage is level with the bottom floor of the building
and consequently the intermediate floors of the cages level with each other
and with the flats or floors of the building they are designed to reach.
An open passage way is provided between the cages such extending the whole
height of each cage while a portion of each floor of the cages leading to
such passage is in the form of a flap hinged to open upwards only, so as to prevent the
possibility of accidents to passengers by their being crushed between the floors; also
over the doorway passage leading from the cages to the flats of the building safety
doors are provided which close immediately the cage moves from the flat.
By this construction of lift passengers are raised by each cage the height of one
floor at a time when they step while the lift is at rest on to the other cage which in a
similar manner takes them the height of the next floor and so on until the desired
floor is reached and vice versa when descending with the lift. By the continuous
action of the lift electric call bells and such devices are dispensed with as also the
services of an attendant on the lift and further perfect safety is ensured by reason of
there being no overhead suspension and safety gears and by the fact of each multiple
floor cage being supported on a short stroke hydraulic ram with few breakable parts.
Dated this 29th day of September 1888.
J. C. MEWBURN,
169, Fleet Street, London, Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Duplex Reciprocating Safety Lift.
We, CHARLES WILLIAM MACLEAN, of Walsh Street, South Yarra in the Colony of
Victoria, Engineer, ALEXANDER WILSON of the "Strand," Williamstown in Victoria, as
aforesaid, Engineer and ROBERT LEWIS JOHN ELLERY of the Melbourne Observatory
in Victoria, as aforesaid Astronomer, 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 lavention of a duplex reciprocating balance safety lift is constructed and

page_text: arranged to act continuously one cage or set of cages ascending, while the other cage
or set of cages descend and vice versa.
In our multiple floored system both, sets of cages stop simultaneously for a pre-
termined period of time upon reaching the respective floors or flats of the building.
The continuous action with intermittent pause' is effected by automatic gear thereby
dispensing at pleasure with the' use of an attendant.
The appliance for communicating the necessary hydraulic pressure is for use
principally where a reliable water pressure is not assured, it is direct acting and so
arranged that the whole of the moving parts of the duplex lift are perfectly balanced.
The required power may be produced by any motor or by direct hydraulic pressure
when such is available and desired.
The lift may either be equal to the height of one floor only or to the height of
the entire building and may either be constructed with duplex reciprocating cages
corresponding in number to one less than the number of floors in any building
or with one cage to each ram rising and descending alternately to or from
the ground floor and conveying passengers to or from any of the intermediate
floors between the upper and ground floor of any building. As an alternative for
the latter, one cage may work the upper part and the other cage the lower part
of the building meeting simultaneously at a central flat. The first mentioned .or
short duplex lifts are arranged side by side in a suitable shaft or space each with a
series of floored cages; ranged one above the other according to the number of floors
in the building in which the lift may be placed. The distance between such floors
is approximately equal to the floors of the building. An open space is provided
between these cages extending throughout their entire height in which space and forming
the platform for transit to and from the several cages are hinged safety flats opening
upwards. The entrances to the cages from the several floors of the building are
guarded by means of pendant doors opened and closed automatically, an automatic
semaphore is also provided to each floor indicating the up and down going lift.
further arranged that pendant doors be placed between the cages opening and closing
automatically to guard such openings when the cages are in motion.
It is
The attached drawings Figs. 1 to 20 both inclusive illustrate our said invention.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of our multiple floor duplex reciprocating balance
safety lift arranged in a shaft formed in a building. Fig. 2 a side elevation of the
same lift.
Fig. 3 is a plan section through a a Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 represents a front elevation or entrance to the lift at the several landings.or
floors shewing also the pendant doors for closing the several entrances while the lift is
in motion.
Fig. 5 and 5 show respectively a front and a side elevation of the arrangement of
doors which are designed to close the passage ways between the multiple floor cages.
Figs. 6 and 7 represent a front and a side elevation of our duplex reciprocating safety
balance lift such as 'designed to traverse the entire or half the height of building, the
cages being supported on two balance and one actuating ram. Fig. 8 shews a view of
means of arranging the entrance doors to cages in pairs.
Figs. 9 and 10 are designs. shewing side elevation and plan both partly in section
of the short lift hydraulic apparatus through which is produced by means of a motor
the necessary alternating hydraulic pressure for working the cage rams or pistons as
the case may be, and also providing for the required stops, when the cages are opposite
to each other at the various floors.
Fig. 11 is a plan of the hydraulic alternating- supply valve for Tams of either short
or long lift.
Fig. 12 is a central section taken on line 6 b, Fig. 11, and Fig. 13 a section at
right angles to Fig. 12 on line cc Fig. 11.
Fig. 14 shews a section of bottom end of cage hydraulic cylinder furnished with a
safety valve to prevent the possibilty of the rain travelling beyond its fixed limit.
Fig. 15 is a sectional view of the upper and lower. ends of the hydraulic cylinders
shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.

page_text: Fig. 16 is a plan of hydraulic cylinders shewn in Figs. 6 and 7' and Fig. 17 a
curtailed front elevation and sectional view of Fig. 16.
Fig. 18 illustrates portions of the semaphore.
Fig. 19 shews a front elevation of a multiple floored duplex reciprocating balanced
safety lift having. inner transferable cars upon each floor and with the necessary
transfering gear. By this arrangement passengers are raised the whole height
without changing cars.
Fig. 20 is a horizontal section at rr
Fig. 19:
In Figs. 1 to 5 which shew the several views of the multiple floor duplex recipro-
cating safety lift, A and B are the multiple floor cages arranged side by side in the
lift shaft C. Each cage is shewn with four floors A¹ A* A3 and A and B1 B2 B3
and B respectively such floors forming a means of access to and from the five
floors CCCC and C of the building. D are hydraulic cylinders seated on
girders D. D are the hydraulic rams upon which the cages A and B are secured.
D3 is the hydraulic pressure feed pipe and D' the discharge pipe from the cylinder.
E is an hydraulic alternating supply valve and F a turbine governor for controlling
the outlet F of exhaust pipe D. G, are the pendant doors for closing the
entrance H to the.cages at the intermediate floors and G¹ represents separate doors
all of which are balanced to close upwards and are automatically opened at the
required floors by the downward movement of the cages.
All pendant doors have hinged flaps opening upwards on their upper edges, which
form gangways when level with floors to prevent possibility of accident through
meeting with obstructions.
B are the doors arranged in the passage way A³ between the cages. These
doors are also provided with hinged flaps at upper edges to form gangways and
are so arranged that the cages open and shut them automatically.
A and B are the portions of the cage floors leading to the passage way A° which
are hinged to open upwards with a similar object to that of the hinged flaps. The
semaphore is arranged in the central panel between the two entrances to the cages and
it consists of two vertical rods R R centred at the ends of a short beam lever R¹
which in turn is pivotted on a fixed framing and this lever has tappet projections R³
on it at its extremities while the rods have semaphore arms R³ on them at each floor
so that the down going cage contacts with the tappets to move the indicator arms
to exhibit which cage is going "up" and which "down" as shewn in Figs. 4
and 18.
Figs. 6, 7 and 8, illustrate the duplex single cage lifts, J and J' being the cages
shewn supported on the long rods or rams K¹ of the hydraulic cylinders K. Kare
safety valves which prevent the possibility of the rams running beyond their limit
of stroke and E is the hydraulic pressure alternating supply valve. The pendant doors G¹
at lift entrances are shewn connected together in pairs so that when the lower door
is opened by the descending cage the door on upper flat is also opened for the.
ascending cage.
An alternative duplex single cage lift having strokes equal to about half the height
of building may be employed in the following manner :-
One tage works at the upper
half and the other cage at the lower half of the building and the two cages by
approaching and receding from, but not passing, one another, enable passengers to
ascend or descend the whole height of the building by changing cages once iu such
journey at a point where the two cages are arranged to meet.
In Figs. 9 and 10 which illustrate hydraulic apparatus for actuating the cage rams
and for giving them their continuous and intermittent motion L are the hydraulic
cylinders seated on a suitable bed and secured to one another by the rods L. I' is
the ram having a cross head L³ at its centre for connection to the connecting rod L
which is driven by any suitable motor. L' are pipes for conveying hydraulic pressure
from the cylinders L to the cage hydraulic cylinders. In order to produce a pause in
the motion of the cages at the landings or floors we form the stroke of the
rams I longer than is necessary to displace water equal to the cage rains and the

page_text: excess of displaced water is permitted by means of the arrangement of valves to flow
freely from the end of one driving cylinder to the opposite end of the other cylinder
when the cage rams reach the termination of their stroke. The means by which the
pause in motion of the cage rams is effected are as follows:-The ends of the rams L'
are furnished with small plungers M which at the latter part of the rams' stroke close
the apertures leading to cage rams such apertures being provided with leather
packing M¹ also we have a pipe M³ connecting the interior of both hydraulic
cylinders together such pipe baving arranged in it immediately above the longitudinal
and transverse centre of the hydraulic apparatus a duplex valve box N the two
valves N¹ of which are secured upon rods N passing out through suitable glands at
bottom of valve box such rods are attached to a cross head N³ lifted to open the
valves N' at the proper time by the tappet plate N upon the cross head L³ of the
ram L.
In Figs. 11, 12 and 13 is shewn the hydraulic alternating valve E which is designed
for use when hydraulic power is available, by this valve we transfer the pressure
from the hydraulic cylinder under the one cage to that under the other so as to
give the cages the alternate reciprocating motion. E' is the pressure supply inlet
to interior of the valve box E, and E2, E2, the ports leading therefrom to the
hydraulic cylinders under the cages. E and E are the exhaust branches. P is
the central piston valve furnished with leathers for each valve surface and arranged
as shown. P is a cylindrical slide valve for working the central valve P such
valve P¹ being attached to the beam levers P2 which have tappet rods P³ connected
to them which are struck by each cage as it nears the end of its stroke so as to
cut off the pressure supply from the cylinder under the up cage and lead it to the
cylinder under the down cage.
In Fig. 14 is shewn one form of Valve Q for preventing the possibility of the
hydraulic ram exceeling its fixed limit of stroke. This valve is located at lower
end of ram casing and is acted upon by a lever Q1 which in turn is attached to a
connecting rod which extends up the necessary height to enable a carrier on it
to be engaged by a tappet on the cage or ram head when the end of stroke is
reached. Any further movement would open valve Q and relieve the hydraulic
cylinder of its pressure.and so prevent the further upward movement of the ram.
In Fig. 15 is shewn the details of the hydraulic duplex cylinders D for use when
hydraulic
is employed which arrangement is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Dx is
power
the U leather and bush for packing the piston rod, such rod D2 being furnished with
a piston D. One or other of the pistons Ds is acted upon on its upper side by
the hydraulic pressure supply causing it to descend while a liquid confined under the
pistons is forced through the connecting pipo D to raise the piston with its load
in the opposite cylinder which latter is meanwhile relieved of pressure on its upper
surface and vice-versa.
In Figs. 16 and 17 are shewn the details of the long stroke hydraulic rams K shewn
on Figs. 6 and 7 the two outer of which are used as balance cylinders and the inner
ones are acted on by the pressure supply. In this instance the safety valves K² for
limiting the stroke of the rams are arranged at the end of pressure supply pipe
leading to the hydraulic cylinders, the valve K' therein being lifted by a lever K*
on the cage or ram tending to exceed its limit of stroke. The inner pair of
hydraulic cylinders K, K are connected by the pipes K to the hydraulic alternat-
ing valve E while the outer cylinders are connected to each other in opposite pairs
by the pipes K as shewn. These balance cylinders are kept constantly charged with
liquid to form hydraulic connection.
In Figs. 19 and 20 is shewn the arrangement by which cars are transfered from
one to the other of the duplex lifts at the landings. The action of the hydraulic
apparatus and of each series of semicircular cages S is similar to the other multiple
floor lifts described. The inner cars S¹ are mounted on wheels for transference on
turntables formed by the semicircular floors of cages when they come together as at T
such transference is performed by a centre shaft V which is of a square section at

page_text: the intermediate floors and fits between projections on cars while said shaft is of a
circular section at the upper and lower floors so as not to effect the movement of the
cars thereat. This shaft is rotated one half revolution by suitable hydraulic gear
acting upon it at V' during the pause at termination of each stroke of the lift.
The mode of operation of the multiple floor duplex reciprocating safety lift is as
follows: Passengers on entering the cage are raised the height of one floor at a time
when they step while the lift is at rest, on to the adjoining cage, which in a similar
manner takes them the height of the next floor and so on until the desired floor is
reached and vice-versú when descending with the lift.
With the single cage duplex lift the operation is as ordinarily, the passengers
stepping on to the cage being carried up or down on it until the desired floor is
reached when they step off.
By the multiple floored duplex reciprocating balance safety lift with semicircular
transferable cars, passengers are taken the whole height of the building without
changing cars as such cars are transfered from one side of the duplex cages to the
other at each intermediate landing and consequently continuing their motion upwards
or downwards until the ground or upper floor of the building is reached when their
motion is reversed. Passengers may alight at any floor of the building during the
pause which is allowed for such purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1st. The combination and arrangement of two series of floored cages side by side
in a suitable shaft or space such cages being supported upon short stroke balance
hydraulic apparatus whose lift does not exceed the height between two adjacent floors
of the building in which it is erected, substantially as and for the purpose herein set
forth and in manner illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of our Drawings.
2nd. The combination and arrangement of the parts forming the duplex hydraulic
apparatus for communicating hydraulic pressure alternately to lift rams and for pro-
ducing the necessary stoppage or pause at the floors of the building substantially as
and for the purpose herein set forth and as illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 of our
drawings.
3rd. The combination and arrangement with passenger lifts of a semaphore which
automatically indicates the direction the cages are about to travel substantially as
herein set forth and as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 18 of our drawings.
4th. The combination and arrangement of parts-forming the reciprocating hydraulic
alternating piston valve substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated
in Figs. 11, 12 and 13 of our drawings.
5th. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the duplex hydraulic
balance cylinders designed for use with an hydraulic power supply substantially as
herein set forth and as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 15 of our drawings.
6th. The combination and arrangement of the parts forming the high lift balance
duplex reciprocating safety hydraulic apparatus for single cage lifts the supporting
rams for which rise the whole or half the height of the building floors substantially as
herein described and explained and as illustrated. in Figs. 6, 7, 16 and 17 of our
drawings.
7th. The combination of a small plunger with a hydraulic ram for the purpose of
producing a pause by cutting off the supply to the motive ram substantially as set
forth and as illustrated in Fig. 10 of our drawings.
8th. The combination of a double tappet valve with duplex hydraulic cylinders such
valves being worked by the ram to allow of the liquid passing from the end of one
cylinder to the other during the pause of cage rams substantially as herein described
and as illustrated in Fig. 9 of our drawings.
9th. The combination and arrangement of two series of floored cages as described

page_text: in the 1st claim with the inner.transferable cars continually rising and descending
the whole height of lift substantially as herein described and as illustrated in Figs. 19
and 20 of our drawings.
Dated this 24th day of Tuna 1980
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.