Automatic guard for elevators.

Application filed April 22, 1911. Serial No. 622,743.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Frederick Jira, subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing in the city and county of San Fran₅ cisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Guards for Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatically op10 erable gates for guarding sidewalk elevators.

The invention has for its object the provision of a reliable, automatically operable, substantial apparatus for preventing acci- ; dents around the openings provided for side15 walk or other elevators.

The invention consists of the parts and the combination and construction of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompany20 ing drawings, in which—

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section through the automatic gates and elevator. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view showing in elevation the gate-operating mechanism..

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, 2 represents a form of cover for elevator openings when the same are erected in sidewalks and other places. Transversely disposed between hinged cover sections 2 are vertically movable grated guards 3, forming a means for protecting the end opening between the ends of the cover 2. When the cover, which may be in two parts, is in the open position, the guards 3 are projected 35 vertically upwardly automatically by a suitable form of mechanism here represented as including gears 4 secured upon shafts 5, which gears mesh with racks 6 attached to the frames of the guards 3—3.

Mounted upon each of the shafts which are arranged parallelly beneath the sidewalk or superstructure indicated at A, are drums 7, upon which may wind flexible connections 8, having suspended from their lower ends 45 counterweights 9, sufficiently heavy to actuate the guards 3.

The normal relation of the cover members 2 and the end closures or guards 3 is indicated in Fig. 1, and the guards 3 are pro50 jected upwardly automatically as the sections of the cover 2 are elevated.

Vertically movable in the opening formed in the sidewalk or structure A, is a suitably constructed elevator car 10 guided along 55 suitable ways 11, and which is provided at opposite edges with dogs 12, adapted to en gage cam arms 13, mounted upon pivots 14, and which have locking ears 15 engaging inclined projections 16 formed upon slides 17.

The slides.-17 are guided in suitable bearings go 18 and are provided at their lower ends with pins or studs 19, upon which are slidable the short ends of levers 20, fulcrumed at 21. The ends of the levers 20 engaging the pins 19 are slotted, as at 22, to permit the levers 65 to oscillate upon their fulcrums 21, and thus actuate gear segments 23 formed on the opposite ends of the levers 20, and which are m engagement with pinions 24 on the shafts 5.

In operation, as the elevator car 10 moves ₇₀upwardly the dogs 12 will engage their, respective cams 13 and swing the locking ears 15 out- of engagement with the projections 16 of the slides 17. Immediately following the release of the locking ears 15, projec- 75 tions 25 arranged in a lower plane than the dog 12 and attached to the elevator than the dog 12 and attached to the elevator car 10, move into engagement with lugs 26 formed on the upper ends of the slides 17 80 so . that, as the elevator 10 continues its upward movement the slides 17 will be. lifted and the levers 20 rocked about their fulcrums so that the segmental racks 23 will actuate shafts 5, thus revolving the master 85 o-ears 4, which, through the instrumentalities of the racks 6, results in the depression or lowering of . the end guards or gates 3 3. The gates 3 will have been moved to a position so that their upper edges are below the 90 level of the sidewalk or structure A by the time the upper surface or floor of the elevator car 10 becomes even with the same. As the elevator is lowered, the weights 9 automatically actuate, through means of the 95 shafts 5 and the master gears 4, the gates 3

For the purpose of restraining the gates 3 in their lowermost position when the elevator car 10 is to be depressed for the last time during a certain operation, or for the 100 last time during the day, I provide latches 27 pivoted at 28 above the upper ends of the slides 17, and which latches are adapted to be tilted beneath the transverse projections 26 on the upper ends of the slides .17, 105 thus preventing the weights 9 from pulling the gates 3—3 upwardly, as they would do if the latch devices were not interposed to prevent the downward movement of each of the slides 17 as the elevator car descends. 110 Preferably the latches 27 are provided with long arms 29 which project slightly up2

1,008,917 wardly when the latches 27 are turned down to retain the slides 17 in their uppermost positions so that when the sectional covers 2 are lowered they will strike the upwardly 5 projecting arms 29 of the latches 27 and automatically throw the latches backwardly to release the slides. 17. This is a very important· feature inasmuch as it makes the unlatching of the gates automatic so that 10 they can instantly project upwardly between the ends of the cover 2 when the sections are first opened.