IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR LIFTING OR HOISTING "
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Thomas trading as Thomas Thomas and Sons of
Cardiff in the County of Glamorgan Manufacturer for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR LIFTING OR HOISTING "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Thomas at the
Office of the Cominissioners of Patents on the 28th April 1883.
THOMAS THOMAS, trading as Thomas Thomas and Sons, of Cardiff in the County
of Glamorgan, Manufacturer IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR LIFTING OR
HOISTING
My Invention relates to those parts of machinery for lifting or hoisting by which
the arresting, starting and reversing of the motion of the machinery are effected,
and my said Invention consists of the construction and combination hereinafter
described of the parts of an adjustable belt shifter for shifting the driving belts
from the fast to the loose pulleys of the driving mechanism or the reverse; and
also of the construction and combination hereinafter described of the parts for
operating the belt shifter and also of automatic stopping gear for arresting the
motion of the machinery at the proper times.
I will just describe the construction of the adjustable driving belt shifter and
parts connected with it.
The belt shifting bar carrying the two belt forks, is situated parallel to the axis
of the fast and loose pulleys, a fast pulley being arranged between two loose
pulleys and two driving belts being used for rotating the fixed pulley in opposite
directions as usual. The said belt shifting bar has a longitudinal to and fro motion
in its brackets or bearings which are fitted upon and are capable of adjustment in
semi-circular slotted seats in the frame plates of the lift or hoist, the said seats
being concentric with the pulley shaft. The ends of the belt shifting bar pass
through glands in the adjusting brackets and each bracket has two screw bolts
which pass through the slots in the slotted seats described. By moving the
brackets in their semi-circular seats, the said brackets can be adjusted to suit the
inclination of the driving belts. After adjustment, the brackets are fixed by
FD037

page_text: tightening or driving home screw nuts on the ends of the screw bolts of the
brackets. One end of the belt shifting bar is screwed and on the said screwed end
a pinion, having a screwed bush, works. This pinion is enclosed in a jaw on one of
the fixing brackets so that the said pinion is prevented from travelling laterally by
the said jaw. Gearing with the pinion is a spur wheel which works loosely upon 5
the projecting end of the pulley shaft On the said spur wheel is a double sheave,
and around the outer sheave a rope passes. By this means the spur wheel may
be rotated by an attendant from any floor of the building for starting the machine.
The inner sheave of the double sheave is for the purpose hereinafter explained.
When the spur wheel is rotated in one or other direction, motion is given to the 1
pinion on the screwed end of the belt shifting bar and the said pinion acting as a
screw box causes a longitudinal motion in one or other direction to be given to the
belt shifting bar.
By the traversing motion of the belt shifting bar in one direction, its forks are
made to transfor one of the driving belts from the fast pulley to one of the loose
pulleys so as to arrest the motion of the machine; the further notion of the bar in
the same direction starting and reversing the motion of the machine by bringing
the other or cross belt from the other loose pulley on to the fixed pulley. The
same Action takes place when the belt shifting bar is moved in the other direction.
The automatic gear for working and arresting the motion of the belt shifter is
constructed as follows:-
One end of the drum shaft is screwed with a fine scrow thread, and on the
said screwed end a sheave having a screwed bush, has a traversing or longitudinal
motion The said sheave works between an adjustable screw nut on the outer end
of the screw and a fixed collar near the bearing of the drum shaft. When the
drum shaft sheave reaches either the collar or the adjustable screw nut it has a
rotatory motion communicated to it, which is transmitted by an endless driving
rope to the inner sheave described on the pulley shaft in connection with the belt
shifter.
The action of the mechanism is as follows:
Supposing the drum shaft is revolving in the direction proper to raise the load,
the drum shaft sheave is held stationary by its driving rope and acting as a screw
box slowly advances inwards upon the screwed end of the drum shaft until it abuts
against the collar on the said shaft
The sliding motion of the sheave being now arrosted it partakes of the rotatory
motion of the drum shaft, its rotatory motion being transmitted through the
driving rope to the driving shaft sheave. The motion of the last named sheave is
transmitted through the spur wheel and pinion described to the belt shifting bar
and the driving bolt on the fast pulley is moved outo one of the loose pulleys and
the inachino comes to rest. In order to restart the machine and reverse its motion,
the attendant gives rotation to the driving shaft sheave by the rope hereinbefore
described, the said driving shaft sheave being rotated in such a direction that the
belt shifting bar is moved in the samo direction as that by which the machine was
brought to rest. By this further motion of the belt shifting bar, the other or cross
belt is moved from one of the loose pulleys on to the fast pulley and the machine
is started in a reverse direction, the other belt remaining on the loose pulley on to
which it was transferred for stopping the machine As the drum shaft now rotates
in an opposite direction to that first described, the drum shaft sheavo retires from
the collar and now slides outwards upon the screwed end of the drum shaft until
it reaches the adjustable screw nut, when its sliding motion being again arrested it
partakes of the rotatory motion of the said drum shaft.
This motion being transmitted through the driving rope, driving shaft sheave
and gearing described to the belt shifting bar, a return traversing motion is given
to the said bar and the machine is again brought to rest; restarted by hand and
the motion reversed, as hereinbefore described It will thus be understood that so
long as the drum shaft sheave is traversing between the collar and the scrow nut
-

page_text: on the shaft, the belt shifter is inoperative, but as soon as the said sheave reaches
either the screw nut or the collar, rotatory motion is communicated to it and the
belt shifter is operated upon and the machine brought to rest, the restarting of tho
machine being effected by hand as before explained.
By adjusting the position of the screw nut on the screwed end of the drum shaft,
the arresting of the motion of the machine, when the load has reached the desired
height or has descended the required distance, can be determined with great
nicety
The construction of the belt shifter hereinbefore, described may be used apart
from the automatic stopping gear hereinbefore described. When the belt shifter is
Gused alone, stops are fixed on the belt shifting bar to limit iti range of action

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Thomas in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd October
1883.
THOMAS THOMAS trading as Thomas Thomas and Sons of Cardiff in the County
of Glamorgan, Manufacturer "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR LIFTING OR
HOISTING"
My invention relates to those parts of machinery for lifting or hoisting by
which the arresting, starting and reversing of the motion of the machinery are
effected; and my said invention consists of the construction and combination
hereinafter described of the parts of an adjustable belt shifter for shifting the
driving belts froin tho fast to the loose pulleys of the driving mechanism or the
reverse and also of the construction and combination hereinafter described of the
parts for operating the belt shifter and also of the automatic stopping gear for
arresting the motion of the machinery at the proper times.
I will first describe the construction of the adjustable driving belt shifter and
parts connected with it.
The belt shifting bar carrying the two belt forks is situated parallel to the axis
of the fast and loose pulleys, a fast pulley being arranged between two loose pulleys
and two driving belts being used for rotating the fixed pulley in opposite directions
as usual. The said belt shifting bar has a longitudinal to and fro motion in its
brackets or bearings which are fitted upon and are capable of adjustment in semi
circular slotted seats in the frame plates of the lift or hoist, the said seats being
concentric with the pulley shaft. The ends of the belt shifting bar pass through
glands in the adjusting brackets and each bracket has two screw bolts which pass
through the slots in the slotted seats described. By moving the brackets in their
semi-circular seats, the said brackets can be adjusted to suit the inclination of the
driving belts. After adjustment, the brackets are fixed by tightening or driving
home scrow nuts on the ends of the screw bolts of the brackets. Ono end of the
belt shifting bar is screwed and on the said screwed end a pinion having a screwed
bush works. This pinion is enclosed in a jaw on one of the fixing brackets so that
the said pinion is prevented from travelling laterally by the said jaw. Gearing
with the pinion is a spur wheel which works loosely upon the projecting end of
the pulley shaft. On the said spur wheel is a double sheave (a single sheave may
however be used in place of the double sheave) and around the outer sheave a ropo
passes. By this means the spur wheel may be rotated by an attendant from auy
floor of the building for starting the machine. The inner sheave of the double
sheave is for the purpose hereinafter explained. When the spur wheel is rotated
in one or other direction, motion is given to the pinion on the screwed end of the
belt shifting bar and the said pinion acting as a screw box causes a longitudinal
motion in one or other direction to be given to the belt shifting bar.
By the traversing motion of the belt shifting bar in one direction its forks are
made to transfer one of the driving belts from the fast pulley to one of the loose
pulleys so as to arrest the motion of the machine, the further motion of the bar in
the same direction starting and reversing the motion of the machine by bringing
the other or cross belt from the other loose pulley onto the fixed pulley. The
same action takes place when the belt shifting bar is moved in the other direction.
The automatic gear for working the belt shifter and arresting the motion of the
machinery is constructed as follows:-One end of the drum shaft is screwed with
a fine screw thread and on the said screwed end a sheave having a screwed bush
has a traversing or longitudinal motion. The said sheave works between an

page_text: adjustable screw nut on the outer end of the screw and a fixed collar near the
bearing of the drum shaft. When the drum shaft sheave reaches either the collar
or the adjustable screw nut, it has a rotatory motion communicated to it which is
transmitted by an endless driving rope to the sheave described on the pulley shaft
in connection with the belt shifter.
The action of the mechanism is as follows:-Supposing the drum shaft is
revolving in the direction proper to raise the load, the drum shaft sheave is held
stationary by its driving rope and acting as a screw box slowly advances inwards
upon the screwed end of the drum shaft until it abuts against the collar on the
said shaft. The sliding motion of the sheave being now arrested it partakes of
the rotatory motion of the druin shaft its rotatory motion being transmitted through
the driving rope to the driving shaft sheave. The motion of the last named sheave
is transmitted through the spur wheel and pinion described to the belt shifting bar
and the driving belt on the fast pulley is moved onto one of the loose pulleys and
the machine comes to rest. In order to restart the machine and reverse its motion
the attendant gives rotation to the driving shaft sheave by the rope herein before
described, the said driving shaft sheave being rotated in such a direction that the
belt shifting bar is moved in the same direction as that by which the machine was
brought to rest. By this further motion of the belt shifting bar the other or cross
belt is moved from one of the loose pulleys onto the fast pulley and the machino is
started in a reverse direction, the other belt remaining on the loose pulley onto
which it was transferred for stopping the machine. As the drum shaft now rotates
in an opposite direction to that first described the drum shaft sheave retires from
the collar and now slides outwards upon the screwed end of the drum shaft until
it reaches the adjustable screw nut when its sliding motion being again arrested it
partakes of the rotatory motion of the said drum shaft. This motion being trans-
mitted through the driving rope driving shaft sheave and gearing described to the
belt shifting bar, a return traversing motion is given to the said bar and the
inachine is again brought to rest, restarted by hand and the motion reversed as
herein before described.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation; Figure 2 in plan and Figure 3 in end
elevation, machinery for lifting or hoisting containing my improvements; Figure 4
represents a portion of Figure 1 and Figure 5 a portion of Figure 2, drawn to a
larger scale; Figure 6 represents the belt shifting bar and parts connected with
it drawn to the same scale as Figures 4 and 5 and Figure 7 represents one of the
belt shifting forks and one of the fixing brackets of the belt shifting bar.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the drawing.
The belt shifting mechanism and the automatic gear are shown in connection
with a hoisting machine where two driving belts, one being crossed as usual are
used, one belt being used for raising and the other belt for lowering the load, tho
said two driving belts being employed in connection with two loose and one fast
pulley.
I will first describe the adjustable driving belt shifter and parts connected
with it.
c is the belt shifting bar carrying the belt shifting forks if the said bar c being
situated parallel to the pulley shaft p carrying the fast pulley p³ and the loose
pulleys p³, p. The said belt shifting bar c has a longitudinal to and fro motion
given to it in the manner herein after explained. The said bar c is square through
the greater part of its length but the end d is cylindrical and a quick threaded
screw is cut upon it. Upon the square part of the bar c the belt shifting forks fif
are fitted being secured thercon by set screws as represented in Figure 6. The
belt shifting bar c is supported in adjustable brackets or bearings b, bt, one at each
side of the machine. The brackets b, b' work in semi circular slotted seats at a, a²
nade in the frame plates k, k supporting the pulley shaft p. The said somi-.

page_text: circular slotted seats a, a³ are concentric with the pulley shaft p as seen in
Figure 4, and in the said slotted seats the brackets b, binay be adjusted. The
slotted seats a, a consist of a seini circular slot a at the sides of which facings a², a³
are made. In the slot a the middle of the bracket fits and the curved flanges of
the bracket work upon the facings a², a² of the slot.
The brackets are secured
in the slots à of the slotted seats by means of the screw bolts and nuts at b³. 63
and plates or glands c², c', the flanges of the brackets and plates or glands clipping
and travelling on the parts a², a² of the sents. The construction of the adjustablo
brackets will be best understood by referring to the enlarged views Figures 4, 5, 6
and 7. In securing the two brackets b, b' in their places they are fixed opposite
one another of in the same line so as to secure the belt shifting bar c in a hori-
zontal position. By moving the brackets b, b' in their semi circular seats a, a² the
said brackets can be adjusted with great nicety to suit the inclination of the
driving belts carried by the forks of the said bar. The adjustable bracket b¹ at
one side of the machine is plain and has a square hole'made in it which receives
the square end of the belt shifting bar c tho said bar being by this means prevented
from rotating. The adjustable bracket 6 at the other side of the machine has a
jaw be attached to it between the fork of which jaw a pinion e is fitted.
bush of this pinion e is screwed and works upon the screwed end & of the belt
shifting bar c. By means of the jaw 6 of the bracket b the pinion e is prevented
from travelling laterally. Gearing with the pinion s is a spur wheel g which works
loosely upon the projecting end of the pulley shaft p, or on a cylindrical pro-
longation of the bearing in which the shaft p revolves. By an examination of tho
Drawing it will be seen that the pinion e will always be in gear with the spur
wheel g in whatever position the adjustable brackets b, b' may be fixed in the
slotted seats a, à¹³.
The
On the outer face of the spur wheel g is a sheave h. A rope for operating by
hand the belt shifting mechanism is attached to the sheave h which rope is usually
carried through all the floors of the building as shown at but may be elsewhere
conducted as required. By moving the said rope attached to the sheave h
backwards or forwards the spur wheel g is made to rotate and with it the pinion c
on the screwed end d of the belt shifting bar c and the said pinion acting as a
screw box, and having only a rotary motion, causes a longitudinal motion in one
or other direction to be given to the belt shifting bar c. By the traversing motion
of the belt shifting bar c in one direction, its forks f, f are made to transfer one
of the driving belts from the fast pulley p² to one of the loose pulleys p³ so as to
arrest the motion of the machine, the further motion of the bar o in the same
direction starting and reversing the motion of the machine by bringing the other
or cross belt from the loose pulley on which it rested onto the fast pulley p. The
same action takes place when the bar c is moved in the other direction.
is required to entirely stop the machine, the rope on the sheave h is so pulled as
to bring the forks f, finto the position represented in the Drawing and thereby
place both the driving belts onto the loose pulleys p³, p³. The gearing is generally
proportioned so that from three to four feet pull of the rope is necessary to produce
a travel of the bar c sufficient to shift ono belt off the fixed pulley and the other
belt onto the fixed pulley for reversing the motion of the hoist the stopping of
the hoist being effected by bringing the said rope into an intermediate position.
Whon it
The pinion c when at rest acts as a lock nut upon the bar c and by preventing
its longitudinal motion effectually preserves the driving belts in the positions
to which they have been brought by the actuating rope attached to the shoave h.
When the belt shifting mechanism is used without the automatic gear
hereinafter described stops are fixed on the belt shifting bar c to limit its to and
fro motion.
•
When pulleys of larger or smaller diameter than those represented are used in
hoisting machines tho slotted seats a, a³ of the adjustable brackets b, b' have the
required radius given to them and the diameters of the pinion e and spur wheel g
are arranged accordingly.

page_text: I will now describe the automatic gear constructed according to my invention
for working the belt shifter and arresting the motion of the machinery.
The said
is the winding drum, the shaft of which is prolonged beyond one of its
bearings. The prolonged part of the shaft is marked and is screwed with a
fine screw thread. On the said screwed end of the drum shaft z, a sheave y,
having a screwed bush, has a traversing or longitudinal motion.
sheave y works between a fixed collar or nut and the adjustable nuts w which
latter may be locked in any required position on the screwed part 2 of the shaft 2.
When the traversing drum shaft sheave y reaches either the collar or the
adjustable screw nuts w, it has a rotatory motion communicated to it which is
transmitted by the rope r to the sheave h on the pulley shaft p. The rope r may
be an endless one, or a rope may be coiled on the sheave h and after being coiled
on the sheave y may be conducted through all the floors of the building or
elsewhere conducted, the rope at passing from the sheave y replacing that
marked which was described as being connected to the sheave h in explaining
the belt shifting mechanism and which last named rope on the sheave h was used
for reversing and stopping the machinery by hand.
The action of the automatic gear is as follows:-When the hoisting machinery
is fixed for use the screw nuts at w are locked in such a position on the screwed
end of the drum spindle that the sheave y in travelling from the collar to the
nuts w will make as many rotations as the drum shaft does in winding a load
from the bottom of the building to the top. Supposing the drum shaft turns
from right to left for raising the load and that the thread on the screw 2¹ is right
handed, the sheave y will be situated at the screw nuts w when the load is at the
bottom of the building and on the drum shaft rotating in the direction indicated,
the drum shaft sheave y being held stationary by its rope r and acting as a screw
box slowly advances in wards upon the screwed end ¹ of the druin shaft and when
the load has been raised to the required height the said sheave y abuts against
the collar on the shaft c¹. The sliding motion of the sheave y being now arrested
it partakes of the rotatory motion of the drum shaft, its rotatory motion being
transmitted through the rope r to the driving shaft sheave h the motion of which
is transmitted through the spur wheel g and pinion e to the belt shifting bar c and
the driving belt on the fast pulley p³ is moved onto one of the loose pulleys p³
and the hoist comes to rest. For the purpose of restarting the hoist and reversing
its motion, the attendant pulls the rope at in such a direction as will give
rotation to the drum shaft sheave y and through it to the pulley shaft sheave h in
the same direction as that by which the hoist was brought to rest. The motion
thus given to the sheave y slightly separates it from the collar x as well as moves
the bell shifting bar c, this further motion of the said bar moving the other belt
from one of the loose pulleys onto the fast pulley thereby starting the hoist in a
reverso direction, the other belt remaining on the loose pulley onto which it was
transferred for stopping the hoist. As the drum shaft z now rotates in an opposite
direction to that first described the drum shaft sheave y retires from the collar x
and now moves outwards upon the screwed end 2' of the drum shaft & and on the
lond descending to its full extent the sheave y reaches the screw nuts w when its
sliding motion being again arrested it partakes of the rotatory motion of the said
drum shaft which motion being transmitted through the rope r, sheave h and
gearing to the belt shifting bar ca return traversing motion is given to the
said bar c and the hoist is brought to rest, restarted by hand and the motion
reversed as hereinbefore described.
It will thus be understood that so long as the drum shaft sheave y is traversing
between the collar and the screw nuts won the screwed end of the shaft, the
belt shifter is inoperative except by hand, but as soon as the said sheave y reaches
either the screw nuts or the collar, rotatory motion is communicated to it and the
belt shifter is operated upon and the machine brought to rest the restarting of the
machine being effected by hand as before explained.
By adjusting the position of the screw nuts won the screwed end of the drum

page_text: shaft, the arresting of the motion of the hoist when the load has reached the
desired height or has descended the required distance can be determined with great
nicety.
The belt shifter herein before described and illustrated may be used apart from
the automatic stopping gear herein before described and illustrated.
When the first motion shaft of a hoisting machine is worked direct from the
cylinder of an engine instead of having the power conducted thereto by belting,
the automatic arrangement on the winding drum shaft and its connections may be
used apart from the belt shifter herein before described and illustrated for the
purpose of regulating at suitable times the driving power. In this case the
sheave y is geared by a rope or other gearing to the engine by which the hoisting
machine is worked.
I have shown at 8 Figure 2 in combination with the hoisting machine, self
sustaining gear but as tho self sustaining gear constitutes no part of my invention
I do not think it necessary to describe the same.
Having now described the nature of my invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed I wish it to be understood that I claim ns my invention of
Improvements in machinery for lifting or hoisting." ;—
"
First. The construction and combination of the parts of the adjustable belt
shifter hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings; that
is to say, supporting the belt shifting bar carrying the belt forks in brackets or
bearings which work in slotted seats concentric with the pulley shaft in the frame
plates of the lift or hoist, the said brackets or bearings being capable of adjustment
in the said slotted seats for the purpose and substantially as herein described and
illustrated.
Secondly-The construction and combination of the parts hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings for operating the belt shifter by
hand; that is to say, the construction and combination of the scrowed end d of the
angular sliding belt shifting bar c the pinion e with screwed bush, enclosed in the
jaw of the supporting bracket and working upon the screwed end and the spur
wheel g and sheave working loosely upon the projecting end of the pulley shaft,
or upon a cylindrical prolongation of the bearing of the pulley shaft, substantially
as herein described and illustrated.
Thirdly The construction and combination of the automatic gear herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings for arresting the motion
of the machinery at the proper times and for restarting the machinery and
reversing its motion when required; that is to say, the construction and combi-
nation of the traversing sheave y with screwed bush, genred to the pulley shaft
sheave h, the screwed ends of the drum shaft z and the adjustable screw nuts w
and collar x between which collar and screw nuts the traversing sheave y works,
the said parts being for the purpose and operating substantially as herein
described and illustrated; also the adaptation of the parts y, z, w and x to hoists
the winding drums of which are driven directly by steam or other power as
herein before described.
-
In witness whereof I the said Thomas Thomas have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Fifteenth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and nighty thron