Improvements in Suspended Lifts or Hoists.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 16th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1896
Improvements in Suspended Lifts or Hoists.
I, WILLIAM ARTHUR KER of Kingdon Road, West Hampstead, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in suspended lifts or hoists actuated by
hydraulic steam or other engines, electric or band power; but is more especially
suitable to the two last named.
My invention has for its object the reduction of the high velocity of the motor
of one of the types named above, to the low velocity of the lift cage; and the
obtaining of a smooth running lift, all toothed, worm, and screw gearing being
dispensed with.
For convenience I will describe my invention with reference to an electrically
driven lift.
I mount two driving wheels upon a shaft placed above the lift and turning in
suitable bearings. One or more endless ropes passes over the larger of these two
driving wheels, and down under a pulley or pullies secured to the lift cage.
The endless rope then passes up to the smaller driving wheel, on the opposite
side thereof to that on which it leaves the larger wheel, passes over the smaller
wheel to a suitable guide pulley, passes over the guide pulley, round a pulley or
pullies turning on a shaft or shafts fixed to a suitable balance weight, which may
be made of such a weight as to. nearly balance the cage, or it may be made heavier
than the cage so as to also balance a portion of the load to be lifted. The rope
then passes over a suitable guide pulley or pullies to the larger of the two driving
wheels again.
The shaft upon which the driving wheels are mounted is connected, either
directly or in any convenient way with the electric motor which gives the power
necessary to work the lift and raise the load.
When it is desired to set the lift to work, an electric current is supplied to the
motor in any suitable and convenient way, and the motor revolves causing the shaft
and driving wheels, which are securely fixed to the shaft, to revolve, and the rope
to be wound up or paid out as the case may be.
When running in one direction, the motor in one revolution causes the larger
driving wheel to wind up a portion of rope equal to the circumference of the
larger driving wheel, and causes the smaller driving wheel to pay out a portion of
rope equal to the circumference of the smaller driving wheel; the cage therefore
is raised a distance equal to half the difference between the circumference of the
larger driving wheel, and the circumference of the smaller driving wheel, the
balance weight being lowered a similar distance.
When running in the opposite direction, the motor will similarly cause the cage
to be lowered, and the balance weight to be raised.
By suitably proportioning the driving wheels any desired speed of travel of the
cage may be obtained, or any desired load may be lifted.
To enable the rope to obtain sufficient grip of the driving wheels, two or more
of each size of driving wheel may be used, and guide pullies provided to lead the
rope round them before it passes away to the balance weight. By this means any

page_text: desired surface of contact between the driving wheels and the rope may be
obtained.
In place of the driving wheels, drums may be used on which the rope is wrapped
one or more times, to obtain sufficient surface of contact.
In place of an endless rope two separate ropes may be used, one for the cage,
and one for the balance weight. In this case instead of the driving wheels drums
are used.
One end of each rope is secured to the larger drum, the ropes passing round it in
opposite directions.
The other end of each rope is secured to the smaller drum, the ropes passing
round it in opposite directions.
Each rope is so wound on the drums that as it is wound up on one drum, it is
paid out by the other, and vice versa.
Instead of placing the motor and gearing above described above the lift, it may
be placed below, or in any convenient position, the ropes being led to the cage and
balance weight over guide pullies.
In another arrangement of my invention I connect the cage directly to the
balance weight by one or more ropes passing over one or more pullies placed
overhead. The motor and gearing described above I place below in any
convenient position, the endless rope passing up to the pullies on the cage and
balance weight.
By this arrangement the dead weight of the cage and balance weight is taken by
the ropes overhead, the endless hauling rope below taking only the stress due to
the load placed in the cage.
When this arrangement is adopted I prefer to secure the pullies to the cage or
balance weight by means of a spring attachment, in order to keep the endless
hauling rope taut; and I so arrange it that upon the hauling rope becoming
slack or breaking, the spring attachment causes dogs or grippers to grip the
guides either of the balance weight or of the cage, and so arrest the motion of
the cage.
With any of these arrangements I may use a brake to bring the cage to rest,
actuated either by hand in any convenient way, or arranged to be applied by
gravity or a spring, and to be released by an electro magnet as soon as a current of
electricity passes to the motor.
Dated this Fourteenth day of February 1895.
Improvements in Suspended Lifts or Hoists.
I, WILLIAM ARTHUR KER, of 2, Kingdon Road, West Hampstead, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention 40
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in suspended lifts or hoists whether
actuated by hydraulic, steam, electric or hand power; same being more particu-
larly applicable for use with those worked by electric and hand power. One of 46
the objects of the present invention is the reduction of the high velocity of the
motor, in the case of an electrically worked lift or hoist, to the low velocity of
the lift-cage, and to obtain a smooth running lift; all gearing, such as toothed,
worm and screw gearing, being dispensed with.
In the drawings appended hereto, I have for convenience illustrated my invention 50
in connection with an electrically driven lift.

page_text: Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a race view and a corresponding plan of one
mode of carrying my invention into effect; Fig. 3 being a side view of the balance
weight and its appurtenances employed in this construction.
Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively an elevation and a plan of a modified construction;
Fig. 6 being a detached view of the balance weight.
Fig. 7 is a face view and Fig. 8 a corresponding plan illustrating another mode
of working.
Fig. 9 is a side view of the lift-cage (same being also applicable in respect of
Figs. 1 and 4) showing the means for automatically arresting its movement in the
event of the rope breaking or slackening.
Figs. 10 and 11 are respectively a face view and a vertical section of the balance
weight employed in this construction.
Fig. 12 is a side elevation and Fig. 13 a corresponding plan of a brake designed
for employment with appliances of the kind herein referred to and actuated by
means of an electro-magnet.
Upon a shaft A mounted in suitable bearings above the lift-cage B, are keyed
two driving wheels C, D. Over the larger of these wheels C, an endless rope or
ropes E is or are passed, saine being led over a guide pulley à down under the
diagonal pulleys b, c carried by the lift-cage B. From the pulley c the rope E
passes to the smaller driving wheel D, over that wheel, over the guide pulley d to
a pulley F in connection with a balance weight G. The rope then passes over a
guide pulley d back to the driving wheel C. The balance weight G may be
so arranged as to balance or nearly balance the cage, or in some instances it may
be heavier than the cage in order to balance the latter and also a portion of
the load to be lifted. The driving shaft A which carries the wheels C and D is
connected, either directly or in any other convenient manner, with an electric
motor from which the power necessary for working the lift and raising the load
is derived.
When
In order to start the lift, an electric current is supplied to the motor, thus
causing the same to revolve; the motion being transmitted to the driving shaft A
and the driving wheels C, D, whereby the rope is either wound up or paid out
according as the driving wheels revolve in the one direction or the other.
the lift is ascending, the motor, in one revolution, causes the driving wheel C to
draw in or wind up a portion of the rope E equal to the circumference of that
wheel; the driving wheel D at the same time paying out a portion of the rope
equal to its circumference. The cage is thus raised a distance equal to balf the
difference between the circumference of the wheel C and that of the wheel D, the
balance weight G being correspondingly lowered. When running in the opposite
direction, the motor will revolve in the reverse direction, with the result that the
cage B will be lowered, and the balance weight G raised."
By varying the relative diameters of the driving wheels C and D, the speed of
travel of the cage may be correspondingly varied, and the lifting of any desired
load accomplished. In order that the rope may grip sufficiently on the driving
wheels, two or more such wheels may be employed, arranged side by side; guide
pulleys being also provided if necessary to lead the rope round the driving wheels
before it passes to the balance weight. By these means a greater surface of
contact as between the driving wheels and the rope may be obtained as found
desirable.
Instead of the wheels C, D, drums may be used; the rope E when drums are
used being wound round the same one or more times with a view to obtaining
additional surface of contact, and, in substitution for the endless rope, two separate
ropes may be employed, one serving to suspend the cage, while the other serves
to support the balance weight. In the latter case also either wheels or drums
may be employed as found expedient. I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate
the arrangement when two ropes are used as same will be apparent on reference
to the drawing with the aid of the following description. One end of each rope
secured to the larger drum, the ropes passing round that drum in opposite
is

page_text: directions; the other ends of the ropes being similarly passed round and secured to
the smaller drum. Each rope should be so wound on the drums that as it is
wound up on one drum it is paid out by the other drum, and vice versa, both drums
being caused to revolve in the same direction.
Instead of the motor and gearing being situated above the lift, the same may
be arranged below, or in any other convenient position, it being understood that
the ropes are led to the cage and balance weight over guide pulleys.
According to the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the lift-cage B is
directly connected with the balance weight G by means of the rope or ropes Ex
which passes over a pulley or pulleys or drums H. The motor and gearing
described with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are arranged below in any convenient
position; the endless rope E passing from the driving wheels C, D to the
pulleys b, c carried by the cage B and to the balance weight G. In this cou-.
struction, the dead weight of the cage B and of the balance weight G are borne by
the rope, or ropes, Ex which travel at a low speed; the endless hauling rope E,
travelling at a high speed, being only subjected to the strain due to the load
placed in the cage. This arrangement greatly extends the "life" of the rope.
In the modified construction shown in Figs. 7 to 11, which is a combination of
the two arrangements previously described, two separate ropes E, Ex are used ;
E being the hauling rope, and E* the rope which carries the cage B and balance
weight G. The motor together with the driving wheels or drums C and D
are disposed at the top of the lift-well; the rope E passing over and under
pulleys C, a, b, c, D, d and the balance weight pulley F, while the rope E* is
secured at one end to the lift-cage B and at the other to a bridge-piece g* carried
by the balance weight G.
In either or any of the arrangements described, I prefer to employ in connection
with the balance weight a spring attachment of the following character, the object
being to maintain the endless rope E taut :-To the weight G is secured a guide G
through which the spindle f of the pulley carrier f₁ passes, the spindle f being
furnished with a spring f, abutting at one end against a stop on the spindle and
at the other end against the guide G*. Piroted in lugs go on the weight G are
suitably arranged cams, dogs or other gripping appliances 9' 9' connected with the
stop by means of links 929. The lift-cage B is similarly provided with a
spring attachment by which dogs or cams are caused to grip or act upon the guide
rails should the hauling rope or suspension rope break or become slack. This
device is clearly illustrated in Fig. 9. In this arrangement the ropes Ex are
divided; two being carried across and down one side of the cage while the other
two are carried across and down the opposite side. Near their lower extremities
each rope is connected with a cam e,e; a spring e', e' serving to thrust the said
cams into contact with the guide rail B°, in the event of the rope Ex breaking or
becoming Black. In Fig. 1, however, where one endless rope is used, the safety-
cam device is maintained out of action by means of a pulley arranged to slide in a
block E°. Upon the slackening or breaking of the endless hauling rope E, the
pulley falls, whereupon the ropes pertaining to the cams e slacken; the springs e
acting as before explained to apply the cams or dogs e.
Upon the hauling rope E or the suspension rope Ex becoming slack or breaking,
the spring for e' (as the case may be) acts to bring the dogs or grippers into
gripping contact with the guide either of the balance weight or of the cage,
whereby the motion of the weight or of the cage is arrested.
With any of the herein-described arrangements, I may use a brake to bring the
cage to rest, which brake may be applied by hand, by gravity or with the aid of a
spring, and be released by an electro-magnet, so soon as a current of electricity
passes to the motor. In Figs. 12 and 13 I have illustrated a brake I, actuated by
the field-magnet of an electric motor, as applied to the driving shaft A. Levers i
pivoted at have arms arranged opposite the pole pieces kk of the electric
motor. Upon the field-magnet of the motor becoming excited, the armns of the
levers are attracted and move towards one another, their opposite arms receding

page_text: from one another and releasing the brake. The springs
hold the brake applied
until the electro-magnet becomes operative in the manner described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :-
1. The improved method of suspending and working lifts or hoists, substantially
as described with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 or to Figs. 7, 8 and 10 of the
accompanying drawings.
2. The improved method of suspending and working lifts or hoists, substantially
as described with reference to Figs. 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
3. In a suspended lift or hoist, the use, in conjunction with the balance weight,.
of automatic arresting mechanism constructed or operating substantially as
described with reference to Figs. 3, 6, 10 and 11 of the accompanying drawings.
4. In a suspended lift or hoist, worked by an electric motor, the employment,.
substantially as described with reference to Figs. 12 and 13, of the electromagnet
of such motor for releasing the brake mechanism and permitting movement of the
lift-cage upon the motor being supplied with electric current.
Dated this 16th day of December 1895.
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agent.