Tower hoist

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CARRYING PERSONNEL UP AND DOWN A TOWER, COMPRISING A SINGLE CABLE HAVING AN UPPER END SECURED IN STATIONARY POSITION TO THE TOP OF THE TOWER AND HANGING DOWNWARDLY THEREAROUND, A PERSONNEL-CARRYING CAR HAVING MEANS GUIDING THE CAR ALONG THE TOWER, A POWER UNIT IN THE CAR AND INCLUDING A PAIR OF CABLE WINDING DRUMS WITH PARALLEL AXES LYING IN A COMMON SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE, SAID DRUMS HAVING OUTER PERIPHERIES IN CONFRONTING RELATION WITH EACH OTHER AND HAVING ANNULAR CABLE GROOVES IN SAID PERIPHERIES AND ALSO HAVING ANNULAR RIDGES BETWEEN THE GROOVES, THE GROOVES OF ONE DRUM CONFRONTING THE RIDGES OF THE OTHER DRUM WHEREBY THE GROOVES OF THE DRUMS ARE IN OFFSET RELATION WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, THE UPPER AND LOWER ENDS OF THE CABLE EXTENDING UPWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY REPECTIVELY FROM SPACED FIRST AND SECOND GROOVES OF THE SAME DRUM, THE CABLE BEING WRAPPED IN CONVOLUTIONS ENCOMPASSING BOTH DRUMS AND LYING IN ADJACENT GROOVES OF THE DRUMS BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND GROOVES, A PRESSURE ROLLER CONFRONTING SAID SECOND GROOVE AND ENGAGING THE CABLE LYING THERIN FOR HOLDING THE CABLE TIGHTLY AGAINST THE DRUM ADJACENT THE DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING END OF THE CABLE, SPRING MEANS URGING SAID PRESSURE ROLLER AGAINST THE CABLE, AND REVERSIBLE ROTARY DRIVING MEANS CONNECTED WITH ONE OF THE DRUMS FOR REVOLVING THE DRUM AND MOVING THE CABLE THEREAROUND.