Elevator system having co-moving and short-length annular-belt for suspending and propelling the carriage

Claim 1

In combination with a towering farm silo and analogous vertically lofty stationary structural environment, an elevator system for traversing a finite-length distance along said structural environment and comprising: A. a lofty framework attached to and transversely offset of the structural environment and having along a vertically linearly extending finite-length distance thereof a lateral width defined by a pair of substantially parallel upright rails, at least one of said upright framework rails being a lugged-rail having along a finite-length distance a finite-number plurality of identical horizontally laterally projecting lugs spaced at liberal-increments which represents an integral multiple of a regular-spacing dimensional value; B. a platformed carriage vertically movably associated along the framework through a connected yoke means that restrains the carriage in the transverse and lateral horizontal directions with respect to said upright rails as a carriage guide means; C. a crawling-propulsion suspension assembly for both suspending and vertically propelling the carriage with respect to the lofty framework, the entire weight of the crawling propulsion assembly being carried by and directly vertically co-movable with the platformed carriage and comprising: i. A vertically elongated short-length annular belt having lugs-engageable openings spaced at a regular-spacing dimensional value therealong, the annular shape being at least partially defined by at least two roller type members respectively surrounding vertically separated horizontal internal axes which lie along a common vertical plane including an upper axis and a lower axis, the annular belt having a lineal frontal-length extending in vertical elevation between said co-planar axes and lying parallel alongside the lugged-rail and having a vertical length sufficiently to simultaneously removably engage at least two laterally projecting lugs; ii. driving means for the short-length annular belt and including a driver-sprocket type roller member having teeth engaged with the short-length annular belt; iii. anti-slack tightening means for the annular belt, and iv. dual-directional powering means for powerably rotating said driver-sprocket and controllable in both angular directions thereby propelling the carriage through the carried annular belt selectively upwardly and downwardly along the lugged-rail; and D. safety-catch means biased against the annular belt to catch against a lugged-rail lug in the contingency of annular belt mis-function.