U.S. patent number 3,633,904 [Application Number 05/002,557] was granted by the patent office on 1972-01-11 for rotary elevator observation tower.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Sanseiyusoki Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Masayoshi Kojima.
United States Patent |
3,633,904 |
Kojima |
January 11, 1972 |
ROTARY ELEVATOR OBSERVATION TOWER
Abstract
A rotary elevator observation tower. A tower body has an
elevator body mounted on the outside thereof for vertical movement
on the tower body. An annular observation room is mounted on the
elevator body and rotatable therearound at an inclination to the
horizon. An annular platform is provided at the bottom of the tower
which is also inclined at the same angle, and surrounds the
observation room when the observation room is at its lowest
position.
Inventors: |
Kojima; Masayoshi
(Toyonaka-shi, JA) |
Assignee: |
Sanseiyusoki Co., Ltd. (Osaka
City, JA)
|
Family
ID: |
21701331 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/002,557 |
Filed: |
January 13, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
472/2; 52/31;
52/65 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63G
31/02 (20130101); B66B 9/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B66B
9/00 (20060101); A63G 31/02 (20060101); A63G
31/00 (20060101); A63g 001/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;272/6,7,16,17,42,43,46,48,50,51 ;182/141,148 ;187/12 ;104/53,56,57
;52/31,65,116 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Pinkham; Richard C.
Assistant Examiner: Stouffer; R. T.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In a passenger-carrying combined elevator and rotary observation
enclosure having passenger ingress and egress means and mounted on
a vertical centrally disposed tower, the improvement comprising an
annular-shaped observation enclosure with means for rotatably
mounting said enclosure at a fixed nonvariable predetermined
inclined angle relative to the horizon upon an elevatable but
nonrotatable elevator body disposed concentrically within said
annular enclosure; means mounting said elevator body concentrically
and coaxially around said central support tower; means for
selectively elevating and lowering said elevator body and the
attached observation enclosure; and cooperative means on said
elevator body and said enclosure for selectively revolvably
rotating said enclosure around said elevator body and tower at said
fixed inclined angle and independent of said means for elevating
and lowering said elevator body.
2. The combined elevator and rotary observation enclosure as
defined in claim 1 further comprising a boarding and disembarking
platform at the base of said tower and having a common ingress and
egress surface of substantially fully angular configuration, said
surface being inclined relative to the horizon at the identical
angle as that of said observation enclosure; said surface being
located so as to be closely adjacent the outer periphery of said
observation enclosure and at a predetermined level relative thereto
to facilitate safe passenger ingress and egress when said enclosure
is in a stopped and fully lowered condition and irrespective of the
stopped state of revolution thereof.
3. The combined elevator and rotary observation enclosure as
defined in claim 2 wherein said observation enclosure is of
generally doughnut shape and has an equatorial division line
through its major annular dimension constituting a generally medial
orientation plane by which said observation enclosure is inclinedly
oriented, and further having a generally upright central axis
normal to and centrally intersecting said inclined orientation
plane, said upright axis being inclined relative to the center
vertical axis of said support tower; said equatorial division line
serving to further define said enclosure into lower and upper
portions, the upper portion of which comprises transparent viewing
panels or sections, at least some of which are selectively openable
and closeable to permit said ingress and egress relative to said
platform surface and observation enclosure.
4. The combined elevator and rotary observation enclosure as
defined in claim 2 wherein said enclosure is divided into passenger
compartments and provided with seating means.
5. The combination as defined in claim 2 wherein the means for
nonrotatably mounting said elevator body include fixed vertical
guide rails on at least two circumferentially spaced portions of
said tower's outer periphery, and antifriction means on said
elevator body complementally coacting with said rail means.
6. The combination as defined in claim 2 wherein said support tower
has a hollow central portion and said means for elevating and
lowering said elevator body and its rotatably attached observation
enclosure comprises a primary and secondary power source of which
means are provided for selectively connecting said secondary source
into the system only in emergency conditions in the event of a
failure of said primary power source, a power drive train connected
with a main drive pulley means, a plurality of drive cables
operably connected at one end with said elevator body and extended
up the center of said tower and trained over a support pulley means
mounted in the upper end of said tower and then connected at their
other cable ends to counterweight means having suitable guide means
within said tower for vertically guiding said counterweight
means.
7. The combination as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for
rotatably mounting said observation enclosure on said elevator body
comprise frame means on said elevator body defining an annular
pathway disposed at the predetermined angle of inclination of said
observation enclosure, said annular pathway having a radially
upright circumferential surface and lower and upper planar surface
means; a complementary annular framework for complemental
disposition within said pathway and having a plurality of outwardly
radial extending connecting arms connected to the inner periphery
of said annular enclosure; fixed annular rail means and
complementally engaging antifriction rollers operatively mounted on
said pathway surfaces and on said complementary annular framework
to facilitate relative rotation of said enclosure and elevator
body; an annular ring gear fixedly mounted on said complementary
annular framework and a separate drive motor and drive train means
including a drive gear disposed to peripherally engage with and
rotate said annular ring gear to impart revolving rotation to said
observation enclosure.
8. The combination as defined in claim 7 further including means
for conducting electrical power into said enclosure including
annular electric power supplying sliprings and sliding electrodes
cooperably mounted on said elevator body framework and on said
complementary annular framework rotatable within said annular
pathway of said elevator body.
Description
This invention relates to a rotary elevator observation tower to be
provided at a tourist resort.
In case of the conventional tower of this kind, an observation room
was simply provided at the top thereof or the observation room was
rotated at best, involving inconvenience of having to make use of a
staircase to climb up and down the tower.
The first object of the invention is to remove the inconvenience of
having to climb up and down the tower making use of a staircase by
providing an observation room which climbs up and down along the
tower, thereby obviating the defects of the conventional tower.
The second object of the invention is to enable those who are
inside the observation room to observe the surrounding scenery as
they sit by arranging the said observation room in an annular
shape, the said observation room itself climbing up and down along
the tower.
The third object of the invention is to incline the rotary surface
of the observation room against the horizon so that the scenery
seen from the observation room may be inclined at various angles
according to the rotation of the observation room, thereby giving
those inside the room an impression as if they were enjoying
scenery from an airplane, which is different from the view seen
from an observation room which is either stationary or rotating
horizontally.
The fourth object of the invention is to give the observation room
a doughnut shape so as to obtain an observation room of an
extremely novel appearance as if it were a space station.
The foregoing objects are attainable by the combination and
operation of each part constituting the invention, and the
embodiment thereof will be made clear by the detailed description
set forth hereinunder and in reference to the annexed drawing, of
which:
FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the observation tower of the
invention.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinally sectional elevation of the essential
part of the observation tower of the invention with omission in
part.
FIG. 3 is a longitudinally sectional elevation on a magnified scale
of the elevator part of the observation tower of the invention.
FIG. 4 is a longitudinally sectional view on a magnified scale of
the observation room of the observation tower of the invention.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view on a magnified scale showing the
driving apparatus mechanism at the base of the tower.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional elevation of the upper machinery room
of the observation tower of the invention.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view on a magnified scale of the tower
body of the observation tower of the invention.
The invention consists of a cylindrical hollow tower body 11
erected on the ground; an elevator body 12 climbing up and down
along the outside of the said tower; an annular observation room or
enclosure 13 rotatably fitted to the outside of the said elevator
body; and a driving apparatus for those parts.
The tower body 11, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is erected in the
center of the area enclosed by cylindrical circumferential wall 14
provided on the ground.
The upper edge of the foregoing circumferential wall 14 is
inclined, an annular platform 15 being provided on the said
inclined circumferential wall 14. The lower part of the said
platform 15 is communicated with an intermediate stage 16, a
staircase 17 being provided on one side of the intermediate stage
16, an operation room 18 being provided on the said stage 16.
Furthermore, handrails 19 are provided along the external
peripheries of the foregoing platform 15 and the intermediate stage
16 as well as on both sides of the staircase 17.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the elevator body 12, consisting of
globular external walls provided with an annular opening which is
loosely and vertically fitted to the tower body 11, is arranged on
the outside of an elevator frame 20 which is elevatably fitted to
the tower body 11, the said external walls consisting of
semiglobular upper and lower walls 21, 22 fixed to the elevator
frame 20 and an annular wall 23 revolvably fitted between the said
walls 21, 22.
The foregoing elevator frame 20 is composed by fixing the upper and
lower ends of a plurality of stays 24 arranged in parallel with the
tower body 11 to upper and lower annular frames 25, 26 surrounding
the tower body 11, an upper bracket 27 and a lower bracket 28 being
fixed to the outside of each stay 24, each of the brackets 27, 28
being formed in different sizes, a plurality of wheels 29, 30 being
appropriately fitted by means of bearings to the lower external end
of each upper bracket 27 and the upper external end of each lower
bracket 28 in such a manner that the said wheels 29, 30 will
revolve at an incline against the horizon and along the
circumference surrounding the tower body 11.
The numeral 31 designates a rotary frame, annular rails 32, 33
provided on the upper and lower outside thereof being in contact
with the wheels 29, 30, annular rail 34 on the internal periphery
of the rotary frame 31 is borne by a wheel 35 revolvably fitted to
the frame 20 so as to be located at the inner end between the
brackets 27, 28.
At the lower part of the foregoing rotary frame 31 is fixed an
internal gear 36 surrounding the tower body 11, the said internal
gear 36 and each of the foregoing rails 32, 33, 34 being
concentrical.
The numeral 37 designates a machinery chassis fixed to a part of
the frame 20, it being so arranged that the revolution of an
electromotor 38 provided on the chassis 37 is transmitted after
reduced by a speed reducer 39 to a gear 40 engaging with the said
internal gear 37.
As shown in FIG. 4, the observation room or enclosure 13 is in the
shape of a doughnut, comprising a lower half 41 made of steel plate
or the like having a semicircular cross section and has an
equatorial division line through its major annular dimension
constituting a generally medial orientation plane above which there
is an upper half 42 made of transparent material, such as
transparent synthetic resin and the like, having semicircular cross
section, floorboard 43 being provided on the floor inside the lower
half 41, a plurality of seats 44 being appropriately spaced
thereon.
Furthermore, the upper half 42 is radially split into a plurality
of divisions which are openable by the sliding system or the like.
A plurality of arms 45 protruded from the foregoing rotary frame 31
are fixed to the lower half 41 so that the observation room 13 will
rotate together with the rotary frame 31.
On both sides of the external periphery of the tower body 11 are
provided a pair of perpendicular guide rails 46, wheels 47 pivoted
on the inside of the upper and lower annular frames 25 of the
foregoing frame 20 being brought in contact with both sides and the
inside of the said rails 46, so as to guide the frame 20 by the
contact between the rails 46 and the wheels 47.
Adjacent the wheels 47 fitting parts of the annular frame 25 at the
upper end of the foregoing frame 20 are fixed the lower ends of a
plurality of wire ropes 48 respectively, the ropes 48 being wound
round a pair of multigrooved wheels 50 inside a machinery room 49
provided at the upper end of the tower body 11.
As shown in FIG. 6, the grooved wheels 50 are revolvably pivoted by
bearings 54 on the floorboard 51 of the machinery room 50, on the
said floorboard 51 being provided a pair of openings 52 through
which to loosely pass the wire ropes 48 perpendicularly rising from
the elevator frame 20 and another pair of openings 53 through which
to lower inside the tower body 11 the ropes 48 which are guided
downward after passing through the said openings 52 and travelling
round the grooved wheel 50.
From the lower end of the wire rope 48 hung down inside the tower
body 11 is suspended the main counterweight 55 which climbs up and
down inside the tower body 11.
The numeral 56 in FIG. 2 designates an elevator driving apparatus,
the mechanism of which is as shown in FIG. 5.
A multigrooved wheel 59 is revolvably pivoted with a bearing 58 on
the chassis 57, a gear 60 fixed to the axis of the said
multigrooved wheel 59 being engaged with a gear 62 pivoted with a
bearing 61 on the chassis 57, the axis of the said gear 62 being
fixed to the output axis of a worm reducer 62 on the chassis 57,
the input axis of the said reducer 63 being connected with the axis
of an electromotor 64.
To the other axis of the electromotor 64 is fixed a V-pulley 65,
the said V-pulley 65 being linked with another V-pulley 67 fixed to
the axis of an emergency diesel engine provided on the chassis 56
by means of a V-belt 68, so that the grooved wheel 59 can be driven
by the diesel engine 66 in case of emergency, such as power
stoppage and the like, it being so arranged that the axis of the
diesel engine 66 is disconnected from the V-pulley 67 by providing
a clutch at the part of the V-pulley 67.
The foregoing chassis 57, as shown in FIG. 2, is provided at one
side of the lower end of the tower body 11, two grooved wheels 69,
70 which are in parallel with the foregoing grooved wheel 59 being
revolvably pivoted on a machinery frame 71 fixed inside the bottom
of the tower body 11.
Under the foregoing counterweight 55 are fixed the upper ends of a
plurality of wire ropes 72, the said wire ropes 72 being lowered
perpendicularly as shown in FIG. 2, passed round the grooved wheel
69, then passed from under the said grooved wheel 69 on to the
outside of the grooved wheel 59 from the upper side of the said
wheel 59 through an opening 73 provided at one side of the bottom
of the tower body 11, the said wire ropes 72 thus reversed being
passed under the grooved wheel 69 from the lower side of the
grooved wheel 59 through the opening 73, passed to the outside of
the grooved wheel 70 from the lower side thereof, then guided
upward along the inside of the tower body 11.
The wire ropes 72 thus guided upward is passed into the machinery
room 49 through an opening 73 provided on the floorboard 51 of the
machinery room 49, then passed round a pair of grooved wheels 75
revolvably pivoted by bearings 74 on the floorboard 51, the wire
ropes 72 thus reversed by the respective grooved wheels 75 being
guided again inside the tower body 11 through a pair of openings
provided on the floorboard 51, from the lower end thereof being
suspended a secondary counterweight 77 which climbs up and down
inside the tower body 11.
As illustrated in FIG. 7, each three wheels 78 provided at both
ends of the main counterweight 55 are maintained in contact with
rails 79 provided inside the tower body 11, so that the said main
counterweight 55 can climb up and down along the rails 79, guide
grooves on both sides of the secondary counterweight 77 being
slidably fitted to guide rails 80 provided on the main
counterweight 55.
To the elevator frame 20 are concentrically fixed a plurality of
power-supplying sliprings 81 which are concentrical with the rails
32, a plurality of sliding electrodes 82 (FIG. 3) provided on the
rotary frame 31 being made to slide on the foregoing sliprings 81,
the said electrodes 81 being connected with illuminating equipment
or the like provided inside the observation room 13. Furthermore,
cab tire cables for transmitting power to the sliprings 81 and the
motor 38 are so distributed between the elevator frame 20 and the
inside of the tower body 11 as will not interfere the elevation of
the elevator frame 20, though particular description thereof is
omitted here.
A plurality of posts 83 of different heights are erected on the
outside of the lower part of the tower body 11, buffer springs 84
bearing the lower side of the elevator body 12 being provided on
top of the respective posts 83.
It is further so arranged that the angle of inclination of the
observation room 13 and that of the platform 15 be identical so
that embarkation onto the observation room 13 is possible at any
position of the platform 15.
The structure of the observation tower of the invention is as
described heretofore. When the grooved wheel 59 is driven by the
motor 64 as illustrated in FIG. 5 through the reducer 63 and the
gears 62, 60, the wire rope 72 wound round the said grooved wheel
59 is set in motion. For instance, the rope 72 is moved as
indicated by arrow in FIG. 2 and thereby the main counterweight 55
is lowered.
If the main counterweight 55 is lowered as described above, the
wire ropes 48 attached to the weight 55 are lowered, the external
side of the said ropes 48 which suspend the elevator frame 20 on
the outside of the tower body 11 being pulled up consequently, with
the result that the elevator frame 20 is elevated. At this
juncture, the secondary counterweight 77 is also lowered by
approximately same degree as the main counterweight 55, some
disparity between both weights 55, 77 being adjusted without
hindrance by the mutual sliding through the guide rails 79. The
elevator frame 20 can be lowered by reversing the electromotor
64.
As described above, the elevator frame 20 is sent up and down by
revolving the grooved wheel 59 by means of right and reverse
revolution of the electromotor 64, as a result of which the
elevator body 12 climbs up and down along the tower body 11.
If the gear 40 is turned by the electromotor 38 on the chassis of
the foregoing elevator frame 20, the internal gear 36 is revolved,
as a result of which the rotary frame 31 integrated therewith
revolves guided by the wheels 29, 30, 35 of the elevator frame 20.
Consequently, the observation room 13 too which is integrated with
the rotary frame 31 revolves as it climbs up and down together with
the elevator body 12. Since the rotary surface is inclined against
the horizon, those sitting in the seats 44 and viewing the outside
scenery through the transparent upper half 42 of the observation
room 13 have an impression as if they were on an airplane making a
circular ascent or descent while flying at a low altitude. The
invention therefore is completely different from the simple
observation tower of the conventional type.
Furthermore, when the observation room 13 is at its lowest
position, it is supported by the higher springs 84 as illustrated
in FIG. 2, the upper edge of the lower half 41 of the observation
room 13 being slightly higher than the upper surface of the
platform 15. In this state, if the lower half 41 is set free by
sliding the upper half 42, it becomes possible to reach the seats
44 inside the lower half 41 from any part of the platform 15 and
vice versa.
* * * * *