Hoist

Claim 1

IN A HOIST INCLUDING AN ELONGATED DRIVEN SHAFT, AN EPICYCLIC REDUCTION GEAR TRAIN HAVING A PLURALITY OF STAGES MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT TO BE ROTATABLE THEREWITH, A CUP SHAPED INTERNAL GEAR MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION RELATIVE TO SAID SHAFT AND ARRANGED IN MESHING RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH STAGE OF SAID GEAR TRAIN, A HOIST DRUM HAVING A LIFTING CABLE ADAPTED TO BE WOUND THEREON AND UNWOUND THEREFROM IN RESPONSE TO THE ROTATION OF SAID DRUM AND SPACED FROM SAID INTERNAL GEAR AND ARRANGED TO COMPLETELY HOUSE SAID INTERNAL GEAR AND SAID GEAR TRAIN, MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE SLOWEST STAGE OF SAID GEAR TRAIN TO SAID DRUM TO SLOWLY DRIVE SAID DRUM ONLY WHEN SAID INTERNAL GEAR IS HELD STATIONARY, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY HOLDING SAID INTERNAL GEAR IN A STATIONARY POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID SHAFT, MANUAL MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID INTERNAL GEAR FOR ROTATING SAME AND THEREBY THE GEAR TRAIN WHEN IT IS NOT HELD IN A STATIONARY POSITION, A SELF-ACTUATING BRAKE COMPRISING A HOUSING, A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR BRAKE DISCS ARRANGED IN SAID HOUSING AND MOUNTED ON SAID DRIVEN SHAFT AT AN END OPPOSITE FROM SAID MANUAL MEANS, ONE OF SAID DISCS BEING MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT TO BE ROTATABLE THEREWITH AND THE OTHER DISC BEING MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT TO FREELY ROTATE ABOUT SAME, SAID OTHER DISC INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRAL CAM DEFINED TO EXTEND OUTWARDLY THEREOF, A SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR CAM DEFINED TO LOCKABLY ENGAGE THE CAM OF SAID DISC FOR AUTOMATICALLY ACTUATING THE BRAKE IN RESPONSE TO THE UNWINDING OF THE LIFTING CABLE CAUSED BY THE DRIVING ACTION OF A LOAD ATTACHED TO THE CABLE AND MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, A RATCHET WHEEL ADAPTED FOR FRICTIONAL DRIVING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DISCS, AND A RESTRAINING MEMBER FOR SAID RATCHET WHEEL SECURED TO SAID HOUSING AND YIELDABLY ENGAGING SAID RATCHET WHEEL TO PERMIT THE WHEEL TO ROTATE IN ONLY ONE DIRECTION, AND MANUAL MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID ROTATABLE DISC FOR ROTATING SAID SHAFT.