Gravity brake
Abstract
A mechanical gravity brake that prevents hoisted loads within a shaft from free-falling when a loss of hoisting force occurs. A loss of hoist lifting force may occur in a number of situations, for example if a hoist cable were to break, the brakes were to fail on a winch, or the hoist mechanism itself were to fail. Under normal hoisting conditions, the gravity brake of the invention is subject to an upward lifting force from the hoist and a downward pulling force from a suspended load. If the lifting force should suddenly cease, the loss of differential forces on the gravity brake in free-fall is translated to extend a set of brakes against the walls of the shaft to stop the free fall descent of the gravity brake and attached load.
- Inventors:
-
- Santa Fe, NM
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 874142
- Patent Number(s):
- 6325184
- Assignee:
- The Regents of the University of California (Oakland, CA)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B66 - HOISTING B66B - ELEVATORS
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- gravity; brake; mechanical; prevents; hoisted; loads; shaft; free-falling; loss; hoisting; force; occurs; hoist; lifting; occur; situations; example; cable; break; brakes; fail; winch; mechanism; normal; conditions; subject; upward; downward; pulling; suspended; load; suddenly; cease; differential; forces; free-fall; translated; extend; set; walls; stop; free; fall; descent; attached; /188/187/
Citation Formats
Lujan, Richard E. Gravity brake. United States: N. p., 2001.
Web.
Lujan, Richard E. Gravity brake. United States.
Lujan, Richard E. Mon .
"Gravity brake". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/874142.
@article{osti_874142,
title = {Gravity brake},
author = {Lujan, Richard E},
abstractNote = {A mechanical gravity brake that prevents hoisted loads within a shaft from free-falling when a loss of hoisting force occurs. A loss of hoist lifting force may occur in a number of situations, for example if a hoist cable were to break, the brakes were to fail on a winch, or the hoist mechanism itself were to fail. Under normal hoisting conditions, the gravity brake of the invention is subject to an upward lifting force from the hoist and a downward pulling force from a suspended load. If the lifting force should suddenly cease, the loss of differential forces on the gravity brake in free-fall is translated to extend a set of brakes against the walls of the shaft to stop the free fall descent of the gravity brake and attached load.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2001},
month = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2001}
}