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Kaye v. Rob Roy Hosiery Co.

4 N.Y.S. 571 Court N.Y. Gen. Term Decision date 1889-02-07 English

Delivered by Landon, J.

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p. 571
Kaye v. Rob Roy Hosiery Co.
(Supreme Court, General Term, Third Department.
February 7, 1889.)

Headnote

Master and Servant—Negligence—Defective Appliances.
In an action by one employed to operate an elevator, against Ms employer, for injuries caused by the elevator falling, a verdict for plaintiff on the ground that defendant was negligent in using such an elevator cannot be sustained where the-cause of the accident is not shown, and it appears that the elevator was of a style long and widely used; that it was selected, after careful consideration, because of its high reputation for safety; that it was made of the best materials, in the best style, for a first-class price, and by manufacturers of high reputation, by whom it. was also placed in operating condition in defendant’s building; and that it was in. constant use, both before and after the accident, without other accident or inter- • ruption.
Appeal from circuit court, Bensselaer county.
Action by John B. Kaye against the Bob Boy Hosiery Company. Judgment, on a verdict for plaintiff, for $3,000, defendant’s motion to set the verdict aside denied, and defendant appeals. The action was for injuries alleged to have been received by plaintiff by the fall of an elevator in defendant’s factory. Plaintiff was in defendant’s employ as operator of the elevator. His duty required him to ascend and descend with it. While thus engaged, the elevator fell with him, causing the injuries. He charged that the elevator was of defective device in its appliances for safety. The elevator moved in a well, reaching from the top of the building, which was four stories in. height, to the bottom of the cellar. This well- had four solid brick walls, in two opposite corners of which were upright posts reaching from top to bottom, along each of which an iron rail was fastened, the rails forming the tracks or guides of the elevator, and having teeth or sockets into which an automatic safety-clutch attached to the car could spring. The elevator was lifted and lowered by means of a cable, which was attached to its top, and extended thence over a pulley at the top of the well; thence horizontally to another pulley; then down to the third floor, where it was attached to a drum, which, being revolved by an engine, wound up the cable, and lifted the elevator, or unwound it, and let it descend by its gravity. Plaintiff did not. have any control of the engine, but could reverse or suspend the operation of the elevator machinery. The safety clutch was devised to keep the car from falling, in case of any failure of the cable to hold it. It did not work upon the occasion of the accident. Ho other negligence was proved than that which was imputable from the selection and use of a car with such appliances. The cause of the fall of the elevator was not clearly shown.
Argued before Learned, P. J., and Landon and Ingalls, JJ.
Henry A. King, for appellant. Charles E. Patterson, for respondent.

The jury have, in substance, found that the elevator car fell because the end of the cable by which it was raised and lowered became unfastened upon the revolving drum upon .which the cable was coiled and uncoiled in order to move the car up and down, thereby leaving the car without support; and also because the automatic safety-clutch on the sides of the car—a sort of dog and jacket device—failed upon this occasion to work and hold the car, as it was expected to do in case the cable became unfastened or slack. The verdict also condemns the method of fastening the end of the cable to the-drum as unsafe, and the safety-clutch as unreliable as a safeguard against, possible failures in the cable, and convicts the defendant of negligence in using the elevator thus devised and constructed.

p. 572
We do not think the verdict should be upheld. The evidence is abundant and uncontradicted that the elevator was of a plan and style approved by long and ample use in many other manufacturing and business buildings in vaiious parts of the land; that its selection was carefully considered by the defendant, and made because of its high reputation for excellence and safety; that it was made and placed in operating condition in its building by manufacturers of large experience and high reputation in that respect; that it was in fact manufactured of the best materials, and in the best style of workmanship, and for a first-class price; that previous to the accident it had been daily in constant successful operation without accident, or any interruption which would reasonably cause apprehension of any imperfection in device or safeguards against accident; that immediately after this accident its safe working was resumed without necessity for alteration or repair. Under the authorities, the defendant, as the employer of the plaintiff, discharged the duty incumbent upon it to furnish a machine reasonably safe and suitable, such as is ordinarily used in the business, and which is in good repair. Hickey v. Taaffe, 105 N1. Y. 26, 12 N. E. Rep. 286 ; Burke v. Witherbee, 98 N. Y. 562 ; Marsh v. Chickering, 101 N. Y. 396 , 5 N. E. Rep. 56 .

The pláintiff lays stress upon the fact that the end of the cable upon the revolving drum was not so attached as to be absolutely fastened, but was purposely so attached as to be self-detached in certain conditions of the appliances, and that this removable or loosening device was an apparent defect. It is difficult, without the aid of a diagram or model, to explain the method and working of this attachment. There was a fork-shaped fixture like the letter “U” at the end of the drum. Into this the end of the cable was placed, a knot being in the extreme end of the cable, so that the tension upon the ■cable would draw the knot against the sides of the fork, and hold the cable firmly in it so long as the tension existed and the elevator worked in the usual way. The cable extended from the top of the elevator car to the top of the well, thence over a pulley, and then down, through the floors to the drum. This forked attachment upon the drum was so devised that in case control of the elevator should be lost the end of the cable would in certain conditions automatically fall out of the fork, the cable would be loosened, and the car would not be pulled through the roof, or crushed against it at the top of the well, as would happen unless the cable should be unloosened. This method of attachment and detachment was regarded by the manufacturer and the users of this elevator as one of its most valuable features. In case the cable ■should become loose, or break or slacken, then the safety-clutch in the sides ■of the car, which was so contrived as to be held back from the teeth or sockets in the two upright iron rails or tracks which extended from the top to the bottom of the well, would then be released, and would spring out and enter these sockets, and hold the car and keep it from falling. This safety-clutch was in like manner approved by its successful operation, and in the judgment •of users and manufacturer.

The testimony on the part of the plaintiff showed that in some other styles ■of elevators the cable was clamped fast to the drum, and opinions were given that this was the safer way. But these witnesses did not take into account the danger of pulling the elevator up over the pulley at the top of the well, in ■case of any accidental loss of control over the upward movement of the elevator.

The defendant, in selecting this elevator, endeavored to obtain one which had proper and efficient safeguards against its being cabled too high, and against its falling. The opinions of fault-finders after the accident as to the merits of the two systems of cable attachment in no way disprove that abundant care was used by the defendant before the accident. There was much discussion upon the argument as to the probable cause of this accident. The jury evidently attributed it mainly to the slipping of the cable out of its fork

p. 573
attachment. We are unable to say from the evidence that the jury were wrong. If they were right, then the reason why the safety-clutches did not work must have been because they were out of order. But they do not appear to have been found out of order. It is not needful to discuss the question. For the reason that the defendant was not shown to have failed to use all the care his duty required, the motion for a nonsuit should have been granted. The judgment should be reversed, the motion for a new trial granted, costs to abide the event. All concur.

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