US568345A - Safety-cushion for elevators - Google Patents

Description

(No-M6361.)

' J. GILPIN 8v 0. HELMIGK.

SAFETY CUSHION FOR ELEVATORS No. 568,345. Patented Sept. 29, 1896.

Enn-

H ll/EN TOHSUJ/ WITNESSES I i v ATTORNEYJ :r NORRIS PETERS cu, Puma-um NITED STATES I ELI J. GILPIN AND OLIVER HELMIOK, OE FOXVLER, INDIANA.

SAFETY-CUSHION FOR ELEVATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 568,345, dated September 29, 1896.

Application filed February 12, 1896- Serial No. 579,029. (No model.)

To (all 11/71/0772, it may concern:

Be it known that we, ELI J. GILPIN and OLIVER HELMIoK, citizens of the -United States, and residents of Fowler, county of Benton, and State of Indiana,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Cushions for Elevators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof, in which similar letters of referen'ce indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to an improved safety-cushion for elevators, and has for its object to so construct a cushion as to render it adaptable for taking the impact of an elevator-car in case of its accidentally dropping. The device will be of sucha flexible character as to prevent a sudden stopping of an elevator-car, whereby passengers therein will not receive any injurious results.

The invention will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically set forth in the annexed claims; and the accompanying drawing, showing a vertical elevation of the lower portion of an elevator-shaft having our improvement contained therein, will illustrate the invention, in which we primarily provide a supplemental well A, which will be located upon a vertical line with the shaft of the elevator and immediately below the lower floor at which the elevator-car is adapted to land. The said well A will comprise four solid walls a, and it must be strong enough in construction to bear a considerable pressure of compressed air in the event of the elevator accidentally falling.

In the lower portion of the well A and resting upon the bottom thereof is a flexible inflatable bag B, which is provided with a valve 1), adapted to feed air thereto. This said bag may be inflated under pressure by means of any suitable pump and it will be constantly maintained in an inflated condition.

Resting upon the upper surface of the bag B is a platform 0, which is preferably bound around its four edges by a rubber binding 0,

which willmaintain it in air-tight engagement with the walls of the well A, which said walls must be perfectly smooth, and they are preferably supplied with a metallic lining ct.

Resting upon the platform 0 is a series of springs D, which springs are preferably coiled springs of a conical contour, but any other suitable form of spring may be employed. Other coiled springs D are then built up in a vertical series to a height equaling the depth of the pit between the platform 0 and the upper edge of said pit.

- To hold the springs together, we provide between each set thereof auxiliary platforms 0, and a similar platform 0 rests upon and is secured to the upper set of springs, whereby a spring-cushion is formed, which, in combination with the air tank or bag B, will form a very flexible base for the elevator-car to strike in the event of its accidentally dropping.

The ordinary vertical guides for the elevator-car E should extend to the bottom of the pit, and its floor e should be provided with a projecting flange c in order to supply a large area, which will tend to compress air within the well A while the elevator-car is in the act of falling.

To prevent rebounding of the elevator-car to any great height, we provide upon the inner walls of the well A spring-catches a which are maintained in a normally-extended position by springs a The flange e of the floor e of the elevator-car depresses the said catches upon the downward movement of the elevator-car,b ut upon the rebou nd the catches will engage with the flanges e and prevent further upward movement of the elevator-car.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv 1. The combination with an elevator-shaft of a supplemental well, an inflated bag in said well, and a platform and a series of springs resting on said bag, said platform being fitted by air-tight joints to the inner wall of the well, substantially as shown and described.

2. A safety attachment for elevator-shafts comprising a solidly-built supplemental well located beneath the lower landing of said shaft and an inflatable bag and an air-tight platform and a series of springs and auxiliary platforms, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of a solidly-built supplemental well located beneath the elevatorshaft and having an inflatable bag and airtight platform and a series of springs and platforms therein, and spring-pressed catches projected inwardly from its Walls; with an elevator-car having projecting flanges upon its floor,substantia11y as shown and described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention We have signed our names,

in presence of two Witnesses, this 7th day of February, 1896.

ELI J. GILPIN. OLIVER IIELMIOK.

\Vitnesses:

GEO. DUCHARME, T. P. GRAY.

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