Improvements in Hydraulic Elevators.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1893-Accepted, 15th July, 1893
UUMI
Improvements in Hydraulic Elevators.
I, SAMUEL AUSTIN WORCESTER, a citizen of the United States of America,
esiding at Butte City, County of Silver Bow, State of Montana, Mechanical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
ame is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
he following statement :-
Figure 1 represents a view of the elevator car and the devices for operating the
CUMI TIMIE DIMULTICATION.
Improvements in Hydraulic Elevators.
I, SAMUEL AUSTIN WORCESTER, a citizen of the United States of America,
residing at Butte City, County of Silver Bow, State of Montana, Mechanical
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 :-
Figure 1 represents a view of the elevator car and the devices for operating the
controlling rope :
Figure 2 a side elevation of the main cylinder and the valves connected
therewith;
Figure 3 a view of the valve arrangement enlarged;
Figure 4 a detail sectional view of the main and controlling valves;
Figure 5 a plan view of the main-valve and connections, the controlling valve
being removed;
Figure 6 an end view of the main and controlling valves; and
Figures 7 and 8 vertical sectional views of the controlling valve taken at right
angles to each other.
Figures 9 and 10 are diagrammatical views showing the various relative positions
assumed by the main and controlling valves.
The nature and objects of the invention fully appear in the course of this
Specification.
Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates the elevator car which is
suspended in the usual manner in the shaft. Pivoted at its lower end at a suitable
place in the car is a lever 2 which carries a loose pulley 3 at a suitable point
between its ends, over which pulley the controlling-rope 4 runs. The upper end of
this lever is held in its adjusted position by means of a movable bolt 5 adapted to
engage any one of a series of notches formed in blocks or collars 6 secured
adjustably (by means of set-screws or otherwise) upon a stationary quadrant 7 in
the car.
There is one block for each floor of the building and they are numbered
to correspond with the different floors, the first one to the right being numbered to
correspond to the first floor, the second to the second floor of the building, and so
on from the right to the left end of the quadrant. The controlling-rope is secured
at its upper end to one of the beams at the upper end of the shaft and at its lower
end is connected to the horizontal arm of an angle-lever 8 which is connected to
the valve mechanism, as hereinafter described, the rope being normally drawn taut
and the longer arm of said lever being drawn down by means of a weight 9, or
other device, secured to the end of the longer arm. The rope passes loosely over a
pair of separated pulleys 10 journaled at one side of the car and is carried over the
pulley on the lever to form a lateral loop in it, whereby the weighted arm of the
lever may be readily raised or lowered by moving the lever in the car to the left or
to the right on the quadrant, the two levers moving in unison, as is evident.
It will be observed that the rope, with exception of the looped portion, is always
in a perpendicular position in the shaft and that the movement of the car up or
down does not affect the position of the levers as the rope passes freely over the
pulleys. The notched blocks are made adjustable on the quadrant to compensate
for the slack that may take place in the rope and also in order that they may be
made to accurately correspond to the different floors in the building in which the
elevator is erected. Of course, the notches may be stationary if desired, as the
slack or lengthening of the rope may be compensated for in some other way.
counterbalance the weight of the rope and connected parts, so as to enable the
To

page_text: operator to readily shift the lever, a strong retracing coil-spring 11 connects the
operating lever to a stationary part of the car, as shown in Figure 1, the action of
this spring being to counteract the tendency of the weight and rope to pull the
lever to the right. One or both of the ends of this spring are adjustably secured
in order that its counterbalancing tendency may be varied to suit the exigencies of
each particular case.
The bell-crank lever 8 is pivoted upon the rear end of the main operating
cylinder 12 which is provided with the usual piston, cross-head and operating ropes
and pulleys, and is connected in the usual manner to the cylinder 13 of the main-
valve. The shorter, vertical arm of the lever 8 is pivotally connected by means of
a rod 14 to a vertical pivotal lever 15 about midway its ends, the upper end of this
lever 15 being pivotally connected by a rod 16 to the upper end of a bell-crank 17
pivoted on the forward end of the main-cylinder. The horizontal arm of this
lever 17 is provided with a roller 18 which works in a long inclined slot in a slide 19
which is mounted in suitable ways and rollers on the side of the cylinder and
secured at its forward end to the cross-head of the main-piston, so as to move in
unison with the same. The lower end of the lever 15 (which lever is supported by
the rod 14, this od being supported by a headed bolt or pin 14ª secured on the
main cylinder and working in a slot in the rod) is pivotally connected to a rod 20
which in turn is adjustably connected to a short vertical lever 21 pivotally supported
on the valve rod 22 of the main valve 13. The upper end of lever 21 is connected
by a link 23 to a slide 24 adapted to operate the valve controlling the admission of
water to the ends of the main-valve cylinder 13. This slide 24 works in suitable
ways 25 on the upper side of the valve cylinder 13 and it is provided with a
horizontal slot extending nearly its entire length, said slot being divided into two
parts about midway its ends, one part being in a higher horizontal plane than the
other art and connected to by a short inclined portion, the slot being of the
same width throughout its length. The slide works through a vertical slot in
the lower end of the vertical valve cylinder 26 bolted to the cylinder 13, the wear
of the slide being compensated for by an adjustable plate 27 carried by the
cylinder 26 and bearing against the upper edge of the slide, suitable set-screws and
inclined lugs being provided to adjust it accurately against the slide. Working in
and accurately fitting the slot in the slide is a roller 28 journaled in the lower
bifurcated stem 29 of the vertically working valve 30. This valve 30 works in the
vertical cylinder 26 and is constructed of an axial bolt screwed into the part 29 and
carrying a series of three pistons 31, 32, 33, separated by interposed cast spools on
the bolt and accurately fitting the cylinder. The lowest piston which is secured
on the bolt just above the part 29, serves simply as a stuffing-box to prevent leakage
of water through the lower end of the cylinder, while the other two pistons when
the valve is raised, as in Figure 4, serve to cover the ports 34 and 35 formed in the
cylinder. The upper part of the valve cylinder 26 is enveloped in a cylinder or
jacket 36 which is rigidly secured to the cylinder and has its upper end closed by a
removable screw-plug 37. The ports 34 and 35 are respectively connected to the
cylinder 13 near its respective ends by independent pipes 38 and 39. Supply
pipes 40 and 41 lead into the valve-cylinder, the former at a point above the port 34
and the latter at a point below the middle piston 32, this latter pipe communicating
with an annular port 42 formed in the cylinder below the port 35. The two supply
pipes 40 and 41 are joined to a common pipe 43 which is provided with a globe-
valve 44 and communicates with the supply-port 45 of the main valve cylinder 13.
Communicating with an exhaust port 46, formed in the valve-cylinder between
the ports 34 and 35, is an exhaust pipe 47, which is provided with a globe-valve 48
and communicates with a pipe 49 which latter pipe communicates with a branch
pipe 50 leading into the exhaust port 51ª of the main-valve.
The main-valve in cylinder 13 is constructed of four pistons 51, 52, 53 and 54,
which are secured and properly spaced on the stem or rod 22 by suitable cast
sleeves or spools. The end piston 51 works between the pipe 39 and exhaust-port 51
and the other end-piston 54 works between the supply-port 45 and the pipe 38

page_text: When the car is at rest at any point in the shaft, the valves and other parts are
in the position shown in Fig. 4, that is, the roller 28 attached to the controlling-
valve 35 is in the inclined portion of the slot in slide 24 and the pistons of the valve
cover the ports 34 and 35 and the two intermediate pistons 52 and 53 of the main
valve cut off communication between the main supply and exhaust passages and the
passage 55 leading into the cylinder. The valves and connected parts are always
in these positions when the elevator car is at rest, no matter at what point in the
shaft the car may be.
In the position shewn in Fig. 1, the car is at rest at the third floor of the building.
To descend, the operator simply disengages the lever from the block No. 3 and
moves it to the right and engages it with notch No. 2 or No. 1, according to which
of these floors he desires to stop at. Thus moving the lever to the right permits
the weighted arm of lever 8 to descend until the rope is drawn taut, which action
serves to push the rod 14 forward and swing the lower end of lever 15 forward, the
pivotal connection at the upper end of this lever 15 serving as its fulcrum in this
movement. As this lever swings forward it carries with it, to the position shown
in Figure 9, the slide 24 of the controlling valve through the medium of the
rods 20 and 23 and the vertical lever 21 fulcrumed on the main-valve rod 22,
thereby causing the roller on the controlling valve to pass into the lower part of
the slot and draw said valve down to the position shown in Figures 7 and 8, which
movement of the valve puts the supply pipe 40 into communication with the pipe 38,
leading into the forward end of the valve-cylinder 13 and the exhaust port 46
into communication with the pipe 39 leading from the rear end of the cylinder.
The water from the supply passage 38 then flows in in front of the end piston 54
and forces the main-valve to the left the desired distance, the water in the rear end
of the cylinder behind piston 51 being forced out through pipes 39, 47, 48 and 50
into the main exhaust passage 51ª. As the main valve moves to the left, piston 52
uncovers the desired area of the exhaust port and permits the water from the
passage 55 leading from the main-cylinder 12 to escape at the desired speed, and

page_text: as the water escapes the main piston in cylinder 12 moves inwardly and permits
the elevator car to descend the desired distance.
The main valve continues to move to the left and the slide 24 is forced back into
its central position, whereby the controlling valve is thereby raised far enough to
close ports 34 and 35, whereupon the main-valve is momentarily stopped by the
closing of pipes 38 and 39, as is evident. The slide 24 is thus forced to the right,
while the main-valve is moving to the left, by means of the long slide 19, which
operates through the medium of the bell-crank 17, rod 16, lever 15, rods 20
and 23, and lever 21, this latter lever being fulcrumed on the rod of the main-
valve.
The slide 24 does not stop at its central position but by the continued descent of
the car continues to move to the right until it passes its central position (see
Figure 10), whereupon the pistons of the controlling valve are raised above their
respective ports by the passage of the roller 28 into the higher portion of the slot,
whereupon the supply-pipe 41 is put in communication with the left end of the
main-valve cylinder through pipe 39, and the right end of the cylinder is put in
communication with the exhaust pipe 47. The supply pressure is thus removed
and put upon piston 51, which moves the main-valve back to its central position
and thereby stops the elevator-car, shutting off the exhaust port 51° from the main
cylinder. While the main-valve is thus returning to its central position, the
slide 24 is slowly returning to its central position, through the medium of the
lever 21, (the pivot on the rod 20 serving as its fulcrum) and the rod 23. This
function of the parts 21 and 23, in utilizing the return movement of the main-valve
to return the slide to its central position, is not effected by the continued slow
movement to the right of the rod 20, as this rod is connected to the lever 21 at such
a point that the slide will be compelled to move in the opposite direction from
rod 20, as shown in Figure 10. The relative movement of the parts may be nicely
adjusted and regulated by the adjustable connection between the rod 20 and
lever 21. The parts are so adjusted that the controlling valve will be brought
down so as to entirely cover the ports 34 and 35 just as the main-valve reaches its
central position, whereby both valves will automatically come to rest and the car
stopped at the desired floor.
To ascend the operator in the car simply throws the lever 2 over to the left and
engages it with the notch corresponding to the floor he desires to stop at, whereupon
the weighted arm of the lever 8 will be raised and the slide 24 will be thrown, by
the intermediate connections described, the desired distance to the right, which
action will raise the controlling valve and put the exhaust pipe 47 in communication
with the pipe 38 and the pipe 39 will be put in communication with the lower
supply-pipe 41, whereupon the main-valve will be forced, in the manner described,
to the right far enough to put the supply port 45 into communication with the
cylinder port 55 and thereby permit the supply water to flow into the main
cylinder and force the piston thereof outwardly. As the piston moves outwardly
and the car ascends, the long slide 19 moves outwardly and by means of the
bell-crank and connections already described, pushes the slide 24 back past its
central position, lowering the controlling valve and causing the main-valve to
return to its central position and bring all parts to the position shown in Figure 4,
as described in descending.
It will be observed that when the slide 24 is moved sufficiently, the main-valve
moves or follows in the same direction till it strikes the cylinder head and is held
in that position by the pressure froin the controlling valve. Merely closing the
controlling valve will not operate the main valve but will absolutely prevent any
movement of the main-valve, there being no escape for the water held between the
end piston and the cylinder heads except by the operation of the relief valves 57
which can occur only at two extremes of the elevator's travel and should occur if
they are properly adjusted only in case of accident to the controlling gear, as
hereinafter set forth. The main valve is always moved or held by pressure from
-the controlling-valve except in case of a remotely possible accident.

page_text: In starting the car either up or down, the distance through which it travels in
attaining its full speed, may be regulated by the valve 44 in the supply pipe 43,
as it is evident that the suddenness of the start will depend altogether upon the
speed with which the main-valve is moved. On the other hand, the suddenness of
the stopping of the car may be readily regulated by adjusting the rod 20 up or
down upon the lever 21, (a slot being provided in the latter for this purpose) as it
is evident that the suddenness of the arresting movement whether the car be moving
up or down will be determined by the rapidity with which the main-valve is
returned to its central position. To give the lever 21 a long throw and thereby
return the valve quickly and arrest the car more suddenly, the rod 20 is adjusted
upwardly while to provide for a longer and more gradual stop it is adjusted
downwardly as is evident.
The advantages of an elevator of this character are apparent. The operator in
this car in starting simply has to adjust the controlling-lever in the notch
corresponding to the floor he desires to stop at whereupon the car without any
further attention or manipulation starts gradually and moves to the desired floor
and accurately and automatically stops there, where it is held by the controlling
mechanisin, creeping up or down from leakage being prevented as the slightest
leakage affects the valve gear. This is the essential feature of the invention and
I desire, inasmuch as it is broadly new, not to be confined to the construction
shown and described.
Another essential feature is the safety-devices on the cylinder of the main-valve
and operated by the movement of the long-slide 19, these devices operating as
follows:
In
In case an accident to the mechanism should prevent the main-valve being
moved back to its central position at the desired stopping point and the car should
travel to the top or bottom of the shaft one or the other of the dogs 65 on the
long-slide (according to which direction the slide is moving) would strike the arm
and, through the medium of the rod 63, lever 62 links 61 and the yoke, force one
of the safety or relief valves inwardly and put that end of the valve-cylinder in
communication with the exhaust pipes 49 and 50 and allow the pivoted lever 62 to
shift the main valve to its central position and thereby stop the elevator.
descending the left stop 65 will strike the arm 64 and cause the yoke 59 to be
drawn to the left, thereby opening the relief valve at the forward end of the
cylinder and permitting the lever 62 to force the main valve to its central position.
In ascending the right hand dog strikes the arm 64 and the operation of the
parts is reversed as is obvious. The lever 62 being pivoted midway its length
on the stem of the main valve it will not interfere with its operation in the
least, as the link connection of the lever to the yoke will permit the valve to move
freely without operating the yoke.
It' evident from the foregoing that my invention is not confined to the specific
construction shown, as the same may be varied without departing from the spirit of
the invention in the least. Another important feature of this invention is its
capability for practically unlimited speed. The speed of all other elevator having
an automatic stop for each floor is limited to the rate at which it is safe to strike
tappets or other devices attached to the controlling ropes or valve gear, whereas
this valve-gear has no striking contacts (excepting the safety-stops, which strike
only in case of accident a remote contingency) which renders possible any safe
speed and almost any amount of careless handling without damage to the gear.
This capacity distinguishes this invention from all others known to the art.
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 combination of an elevator-car, a main-cylinder and piston, a main-valve
cylinder connected to the maiu-cylinder and provided with a valve controlling the

page_text: admission of water to the main-cylinder, a controlling-valve connected to this main
valve and controlling the movements of the same, means on the car for operating
this controlling-valve, and a series of levers connecting the controlling valve and
the controlling mechanism to the main piston, so as to be operated automatically
thereby, substantially as described.
2. The combination of a main-cylinder and elevator-car and connections, a main-
valve connected to the main-cylinder, a controlling valve controlling the movements
of the main-valve, connecting devices between the controlling valve and main-
piston so as to be operated automatically thereby, and controlling devices on
the car for shifting the controlling valve, substantially as described.
3. The combination of a main-cylinder, elevator car and connections, a main-
valve connected to the main-cylinder and governing the admission and egress of
water, a controlling valve for shifting the main-valve, controlling devices on the
car for shifting the controlling valve, and connecting devices between the main-
valve and controlling-valve and the piston of the main-cylinder whereby the
controlling valve and main valve will be operated automatically by the main piston,
substantially as described.
4. The combination of a main cylinder and car and connections, a hydraulic
main-valve connected therewith, a hydraulic controlling-valve connected to the
main-valve and serving to control the admission and egress of the water used to
operate it, means for shifting the controlling-valve, said means being operated both
from the car and the main-piston and consisting essentially of a slotted plate
movable with the main piston and connecting devices, substantially as described.
5. The combination of a main-cylinder and piston the main-valve cylinder connected
thereto, the main-valve in this cylinder, this valve consisting of the end pistons and
the intermediate pistons, a controlling valve connected by independent pipes to the
respective ends of the valve-cylinder, and means for operating said controlling-
valve, said means consisting of a plate movable with the main piston and a series of
connected levers and rods substantially as described.
6. The combination of the main-cylinder and the main-valve cylinder connected
thereto, a hydraulically operated valve in this valve-cylinder, a reciprocating
controlling-valve whose cylinder is connected to the main valve cylinder, a slotted
slide connected to and operating the controlling-valve, means for operating the
slide, said means being connected to and operated by the piston in the main-cylinder
and the main-valve and consisting of a series of levers and rods, substantially as
described.
7. The combination of a main-cylinder, a main-valve connected thereto, a
reciprocating controlling valve whose ports are connected to the main-valve,
a roller connected to the stem of the controlling-valve, a slide provided with a slot
in which said roller works, said slot having two main parts in different planes and a
short inclined portion connecting the ends of the two main parts, and controlling
devices for operating said slide, said devices being positively connected to and
operated by the main piston and main-valve, substantially as described.
8. The combination of a main-cylinder and piston, a main-valve, a controlling
valve, a slide for operating the controlling valve, a lever 21 connected to the stem
of the main-valve and to the slide, an operating rod 20 adjustably connected to
said lever, and means for operating this rod 20 said means being connected to and
operated automatically by the main piston, substantially as described.
9. The combination of a car, a main-cylinder, a main-valve connected thereto, a
controlling valve for the main-valve, a bodily movable pivoted lever 15 connected
at one end to the controlling valve and main-valve, means for bodily shifting this
lever from the car and controlling devices operated by the main-piston and
connected to the end of this lever for shifting it in unison with the movements of
the piston, substantially as described.
10. The combination of a main-cylinder and piston and cross-head, a slide
connected to and moving in unison with the cross-head, this slide being provided

page_text: with an inclined slot, a pivoted bell-crank lever having one arm engaged in this
inclined slot, a main and controlling valve, and devices connecting the controlling
valve to the other arm of said lever, substantially as described.
11. The combination of a car, a main-cylinder, a main valve and controlling-
valve, a movable lever 15 for operating these two valves, an angle-lever 8 having
one of its arms connected to said movable lever between its ends and its other arm
weighted, a controlling-rope connecting the weighted arm to the car, and devices
for raising and lowering the rope, substantially as described.
12. The combination of the main-cylinder and piston, the main-valve connected
to the cylinder, and means for operating the main-valve, a relief-valve in the
cylinder of the main-valve and means for operating it, a movable arm connected to
the means for operating the relief-valve, a movable plate connected to the cross-head
on the main piston rod, said plate carrying dogs adapted to strike said movable
arır, substantially as described.
13. The combination of a main-cylinder and reciprocating hydraulic main-valve,
means for operating this valve, a normally-closed relief-valve at each end of the
cylinder of this valve, a device adapted to operate either of these valves, and
means for automatically operating this device to open one of the valves when the
main-piston nears either extremity of its stroke, substantially as described.
14. The combination of the main-cylinder and piston, the hydraulic main-valve
connected thereto, relief-valves in the ends of the cylinder of the main-valve, a
yoke for operating these valves, lever 62 pivoted on the stem of the main-valve and
connected at one end to the yoke, and a rod connected to the other end of the
lever 62 and operated by the movement of the main-piston, substantially as
described.
15. The combination of the main-cylinder, main-valve and controlling valve, a
slide for operating this latter valve, a system of levers and rods for operating the
slide from the movement of the main piston, and a retracting spring 67 connecting
the slide to a stationary point of the levers as and for the purpose described.
16. The combination of an elevator car and operating-lever therein, and devices
corresponding to the floors of the building, for the purpose described.
Dated this 13th day of June 1893.
S. A. WORCESTER,
By L. W., per F. B.