Raising and Lowering Machinery.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Nov., 1886.
Complete Left, 26th Aug., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 27th Sept., 1887.
Raising and Lowering Machinery.
I, JOHN HASTIE, of Kilblain Engine Works, Greenock, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to apply improvements to or in connection with
frictional brakes used in raising and lowering machinery of various kinds, with the
view of rendering such machinery more easily and certainly controllable, and especially
so as when lowering a weight to automatically prevent it from running down
uncontrolled.
In carrying out my Invention I may use a differential brake of a well known kind
which is self-holding when in perfect order, but which as ordinarily arranged is liable
to get into a condition in which it will not act properly or with certainty; my im-
I arrange
provements are however, also applicable to other arrangements of brakes.
the parts through which the brake lever is moved for the purpose of lowering a weight
so that the winding barrel or any shaft which is turned by the descending weight,
neutralises the movement applied to the brake lever, the arrangement being such that
the operator attending to the lowering of the weight has to continue renewing the
movement as long as the weight has to descend, the descent being automatically stopped
almost immediately on his ceasing to do so. The operator has consequently not only to
start the lowering action but to continue to act during the entire descent.
In steering
engines and other machines a variety of mechanical devices are in use for obtaining
a similar automatic action; and any suitable one of such devices may be used for
the purposes of my present Invention. I will however by way of example describe a
simple and convenient arrangement for the purpose. A shaft with a handwheel on
its outer end is provided for moving the brake lever being connected to it so as to
move it in both directions and bas on it a worm or screw which gears with a worm-
wheel on the winch shaft or on any shaft which is turned by the descending weight.
When the handwheel is turned the shaft moves longitudinally in consequence of the

page_text: action of the worm on the teeth of the wormwheel the movement being in the direction
for shifting the brake lever so as to free the brake strap and allow the weight to
descend. On the weight descending, however, the worm wheel turns and acting on
the worm like a pinion on a rack tends to move the worm shaft in the direction for
putting on the brake. As long as the descent is to continue the operator continues to
turn the worm shaft to an extent corresponding to that of the reverse action of the
wormwheel and whenever he discontinues to do so the brake becomes at once put on
by the action of the wormwheel. The wormwheel is by preference not fixed on its
shaft but is connected to it by a frictional clutch or by a ratchet wheel and pawl or
equivalent device so as not to interfere with the action when raising or winding.
Dated this Twenty-ninth day of November 1886.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: Improvements in or Connected with Frictional Brakes for
Raising and Lowering Machinery.
I, JOHN HASTIE, of Kilblain Engine Works, Greenock, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, 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, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to apply improvements to or in connection with
frictional brakes, used in raising and lowering machinery of various kinds, with the
view of rendering such machinery more easily and certainly controllable, and especially
so as when lowering a weight to automatically prevent it from running down
uncontrolled.
In carrying out my present invention I may use a differential brake of a well known
kind which is self-holding when in perfect order, but which as ordinarily arranged
is liable to get into a condition in which it will not act properly or with certainty; my im-
provements are, however, also applicable to other arrangements of brakes. I arrange
the parts through which the brake lever is moved for the purpose of lowering a weight
so that the winding barrel or any shaft which is turned by the descending weight
neutralises the movement applied to the brake lever the arrangement being such that
the operator attending to the lowering of the weight has to continue renewing the
movement as long as the weight has to descend, the descent being automatically
stopped almost immediately on his ceasing to do so. The operator has consequently
not only to start the lowering action but to continue to act during tho entire descent.
In steering engines and other machines a variety of mechanical devices are in use for
obtaining a similar automatic action; and any suitable one of such devices may be
used for the purposes of my present Invention.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood I hereunto append two sheets of explanatory drawings to be
hereinafter referred to and showing two examples of apparatus made with my
improvements.
Figure, 1, on sheet, 1, of the accompanying drawings is an end elevation showing
parts of a winch in which the brake is applied directly to the winding barrel or to a
pulley fixed on the same shaft and figure, 2, on sheet, 2, is an end elevation of a
winch in which the brake is applied to a pulley on a shaft geared to that of the
winding barrel. In these figures the same reference numerals are used to mark the
same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
In the arrangement shown in figure, 1, the end disk, 3, of the winding barrel has
applied to it a brake strap, 4, consisting of two segments jointed together and having
their other ends connected by links, 5, 6, one of which is adjustable to arms, 7, 8, of å
weighted bell crank lever fixed on a shaft or spindle, 9. This shaft, 9, passes through
a bearing in the end frame, 10, of the winch and has fixed on it on the outer side of that

page_text: frame a third lever arm, 11. One arm, 7, of the bellcrank lever to which the brake
strap, 4, is connected is longer than the other, and as the barrel rotates in the
direction of the large arrow when the weight descends the friction of the disk or
pulley, 3, on the strap tends to make it move in the same direction and to impart
movement to the bellcrank arms, 7, 8. In consequence of the difference in the lengths
of these arms the action tightens the brake strap the longer arm, 7, drawing round one
end of the strap more than the shorter arm, 8, yields or gives to the other end of the
strap, as is well understood, the action constituting the self-holding feature of such
brakes: The third lever arm, 11, is forked and its ends engage between collars, 12, on
a shaft, 13, carried in bearings, 14, on the frame, 10. The shaft, 13, can move on end
in its bearings, 14, and has fixed on it end of it a handwheel, 15, (or it might be a
winch handle). A worm, 16, is formed or fixed on the shaft, 13, and gears with a
wormwheel, 17, on the shaft, 18, of the winding barrel. When the shaft, 13, is
turned in the direction of the small arrow on the handwheel, 15, the worm, 16, by its
action on the wormwheel, 17, (supposed to be stationary) makes the shaft, 13, move
towards the left hand and draw over the lever, 11, thereby making the bellcrank arms,
7, 8, move so as to relieve the brake strap, 4. The weight then descends and causes the
winding barrel to turn in the direction of the large arrow; and the wormwheel, 17,
moving with the winding barrel acts on the worm, 16, so as to tend to move it
and the shaft, 13, towards the right hand and thereby cause the brake to be put on
again. If the weight is to continue to descend the operator must continue to turn the
shaft, 13, sufficiently to neutralise the action of the wormwheel, 17, on the worm, 16,
as on his discontinuing to do so the brake will be immediately applied by the automatic
action and the further descent of the weight thereby stopped. The operator has thus
complete control, and, whilst requiring to use very little force to turn the shaft, 13,
can cause the weight to descend just as far as he pleases. If the worm wheel, 17, is
fixed on the shaft, 18, the worm shaft, 13, must be turned by hand in the opposite
direction to that of the small arrow when a weight is being raised. I however prefer
to have the worm wheel, 17, loose on the shaft, 18, and to fix it thereon when required
by means of a frictional or other suitable clutch shown as made with handles, 19. Or
in some cases the wormwheel, 17, may have in connection with it a ratchet wheel and
pawl or equivalent device, which without any adjustment of parts will allow of raising
or winding without turning the wormwheel.'
In the modification shown in figure, 2, on sheet, 2, whilst the worm wheel, 17, is on
the shaft, 18, of the winding barrel, and the worm, 16, and shaft, 13, are arranged in
connection with it as in the first modification, the brake strap, 4, is applied to a pulley, 20,
on a separate shaft, 21, which is geared to the winding-barrel shaft, 18. The
weighted bellcrank arms, 7, 8, to which the brake strap, 4, is connected are formed in
the same piece with the arm, 11, which is acted on by the worm shaft, 13, and this
piece is centered on a stud, 22, fixed in the frame, 10.
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 :-
Combining with frictional brake of raising and lowering machinery, automatic
controlling gear in which an action produced by the descending weight causes the
application of the brake on the discontinuance of a relieving action worked by hand
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this Twenty-fifth day of August 1887.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.