the top of the tower and under the skip floor,

From these sheaves, the

cable ran down outside of the tower (parallel to the main hoist cable)

to the skip hoisting machine mounted on the ground near the main hoist-

ing machine.

The hand winch and accessories, located in the tower cab, consisted of a lightweight spur-gear, hand-cranked portable winch, equipped

with a brake, and with a capacity of 650 feet of 3/16 inch wire rope.

The accessories consisted of mounting brackets for the winch and guides
and sheaves for the wire rope.

Considerable study and investigation was given to safety devices
for the skip hoist, Various passenger and freight elevator manufacturers were consulted, with the final conclusion that standard type instantaneous safety rail grips and standard type overspeed governors as
manufactured and used by the Kimball Elevator Company would be most
adaptable and satisfactory for application to the skip hoist. The
overspeed governor required some minor modifications toqerate the
instantaneous safety grips, as applied to the skip hoist platform. Be-

cause no standard device was available, a broken rope device for opera-

ting the safety grips was designed by H& N. This device consisted of
a spring loaded idler sheave held in normal position by tension on the
hoisting cable.
In the event of a break in the cable, the spring lifts
the idler sheave and actuates the instantaneous safety rail grips. All
of these safety devices proved very satisfactory in drop tests which
were made before shipment overseas. Standard elevator-type bronze
guide shoes were used to guide the skip platform on the guide rails.
Figure 5.11-1 shows detail of a safety rail grip, and Figure 5.11-2
shows the overspeed governor used in 200 foot and 300 foot towers.

The skip hoist platform (elevator cab) had to be designed to

accommodate the safety devices, guide shoes, and limit switch strikes.
The floor and railing of the skip were substantially the same as that
used for Sandstone, but the overhead frame was designed to open the
trap door in the tower house floor when the skip came up through the
floor and to provide support for a controller in the skip. The hoist
rigging for the skip hoist was mounted entirely below the house floor
so that the entire floor area would be clear when the trap door was

closed.

tower.

Figure 5.11-3 shows the skip hoist cab assembly for a 300 foot

Because many safety features were of a new design, a requirement
was set up in the specifications that a section of guide rails 30 feet

high be erected and the skip platform mounted thereon to test the safety
devices, Drop tests were made and the safety grips, overspeed governor,
and broken rope device were individually tested to the complete satisfaction of the Sandia representative, the AEC Contract Administrator,
and H & N designing engineers,
The hoist rigging for the main hoist was mounted on the structural
A-frame above the tower house so that the load block could be raised
entirely above the roof, Figure 5.11-4 shows the main hoist sheave
assembly and cable arrangement for a 300 foot tower,
5-132

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