US1477156A - Elevator-car leveler - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 11 1923.

E. B. THURSTON ELEVATOR CAR LEVELER Filed Oct. 4. 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 11 1923.

E. B. THURSTON ELEVATOR CAR LEVELER Filed Oct 4, 1920 5 SheetsSheet 2 affoznug Dec. 11, 1923.

E. B. THURSTON ELEVATOR CAR LEVELER -Filed Oct. 4, 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 anemic Dec. 11 1923.

E. B. THURSTON ELEVATOR CAR LEVELER Filed Oct. 4, 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Dec. 11, 1923. 1,477,156

E. B. THURSTON ELEVATOR CAR LEVELER Filed Oct. 4, 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jn uento'a Patented Dec. 11, 1923.

UNITED STATES ERNEST THURSTON, OI TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE HAUGHTON ELEVATOR &

1,477,156 PATENT OFFICE.

MACHINE 00., OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ELEVATOR-CAR LEVELER.

Application filed October 4, 1920. Serial No. 414,439.

I! '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERNEST B. THURSTON,

a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio, have invented new and useful Elevator-Car Levelers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to controlling a driving means for short travel distances.

This invention has utility as a car leveler as to landings, in connection with interlocking or cut-out and cut-in means for the normal driving of an elevator car.

Referring to. the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a wiringdiagram showing an embodiment of the invention in connection with an alternating electric current driven elevator having an automatic gate opener and a. cut-in switch for operating the elevator car motor adjacent a landing;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with gate opening control with a pedal; Fig. 2 is a view on a enlarged scale of features shown in the lower left hand corner of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the pedal gate control switch:

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram of an embodiment in which the power gate actuation is controlled manually;

Fig. 4 is a. view on an enlarged scale of features shown in the lower left hand corner of Fig. 4;

Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram of an embodiment, showing a range of operation for cutting in the motor in connection with a cutout as to a gate landing, regardless of the landing gate being operated.

An elevator car 1 is herein shown as carrying a controller 2 manually operable. This controller 2 has its central or main line 3 extending by lower over-travel hatch limit switch 4 normally maintained closed by spring thence by line 6 past upper overtravel hatch limit switch 7 to line 8 connected to power supply line 9.

Assuming that the car motor controller 2 is shifted to move the elevator car 1 upward in the well, the controller 2 will be shifted to the terminal 10, which, may thus connect through line 11 past final upper hatch limit switch 12, to line 13, to coil 14 of the main switch 15. to line 16 from the direction switch coils.

For effecting upward travel of the car 1,

the car controller 2 is further shifted to terminal 17 which is connected by line 18 past final upper hatch limit switch 19, to line 20, to coil 21, thence to line 16. The coil 21 of up switch 22 accordingly ma be energized in parallel with the coil 14 o the main switch 15. There may be now thrown simultaneously not only the main switch 15 but the up switch 22. This permits the three phase alternating current supply line to energize the elevator motor. The main supply line 9 extends to the main switch 15, which in closed position allows current to flow to line 24' to one coil of car motor 25. As the main switch 15 is closed, the supply current from line 26 ma flow by this switch 15 and line 27 to the c osed switch 22 and thence by line 28 to the motor 25. Main supply line 29 is connected by the closing of the switch 22 with power line 30 to the motor 25, thereby getting the three phases of the alternating electric current to this car motor 25.

As herein shown the slip ring alternating current motor 25 is provided with a starting resistance 31 interposed between the brushes of this motor. The cutting out of this resistance is effected automatically by an accelerator motor 32 mounted on the shaft 33. This accelerator motor shaft has cams 34, 35, thereon and also a disc 36 carrying therewith a fixed lug 37, which in the course of 180 travel may strike an abutment 38 on a fixed support. Connected to the lug 37 on the disc 36 is a dash pot 39, leakage to which may be adjusted by a valve 40, thereby regulating the drag or retarding movement of this accelerator motor 32. When the controller 2 on the elevator car 1 is thrown to energize the main switch 15 and the up direction switch 22, a power current is supplied from the line 24 by line 41, and from the line 28 by line 42, as well as from the line 30 by line 43, to the three phases of this accelerator motor 32. Accordingly this accelerator motor 32 is energized simultaneously with the energizing of the main elevator motor 25. The cam 34, by action of the accelerator motor, first cuts out a portion of the resistance 31, and then by further movement the cam 35 cuts out additional resistance 31.

Simultaneously with the throwing of-the up direction switch 22 there is permitted a flow of current from the line 30 by line 44 to main coil of brake 46 to release the spring .set brake 46, the current for this coil 45 being completed by line 47 back to line 28. Accordingly the brake 46 releases the shaft 48 of the main elevator motor 25 so that there may be driving of drum 49, having cable 50 to car 1. This cable extends around the drum 49 to a counter-weight 51 in a well.52 in which the car 1 is operated in its up and down travel as actuated by the elevator motor 25.

Should the motor 25 speed up excessively, there is a cut-out for two phases of the motor, operating automatically. This is effected by line- 53 from line 16 to speed control switch 54 on the shaft 48 of the main motor 25. As this speed control or fly ball governor switch is open, the current is broken to line 55 extending to upper overtravel switch 56 and thence by line 57 through lower over-travel switch 58 and thence by line 59 to emergency switch 60 in the car 1, past" this normally closed switch 60 by line 61, connected to switch 62, past switch 62 by line 63 and line 64 to the power supply line 26. Accordingly a speed opening of the switch 54 deenergizes direction switch 22 as well as the main switch 15, to cut out phases 28 and 30 of the elevator motor 25 and thus stop said motor. It is accordingly seen that these switches 54, 60, 62, as well as switches 56 and 58, must be closed before the main switch coil 14 and the direction switch coil 21 may be energized as the current for energizing said coils passes by the line 53 to the switch 54.

In the elevator well 52 are disposed cams 65. Carried by the car 1 is a pivoted arm 66, normally thrown, by spring 67, to have roller 68 thereon ride against the cam 65 in passing such cam. This causes the arm 66 as a lever to overcome resistance of spring 69 and close the switch 62. In normal elevator car travel this closing of the line does not aflect the coil 14 or the direction coil 21 for there is a bypass from the emergency switch 60 to the line 70, to gate switch 71 and then past these gate switches 71 and by way of line 72 to gate machine terminal 73, which machine, while the car 1 is in operation, is in closed position, as shown in Fig.

1. With any landing door open, the switch 71 thereat is openprecluding energizing of main or direction switch coils. Accordingly this terminal 73 is on contact 74 of the gate machine and the current may pass from this terminal or contact 74 to contact 75 by way of terminal 76 and line 77 to supply line 64, then to power line 26.

Extending from the main line 3, which goes to the controller 2 on the car 1, is line 78 to switch 79, which, in the motor starting operation of the accelerator motor 32, is closed to make contact or permit current flow by way of line 80 to coil 81 of relay 82.

armac The current through the coil 81 is completed by line 83 to line 84 and gate machine terminal at closed position of the gate by way of the line 77 and the line 64 to the power line 26. This lifting action of the relay coil 81 per- This lifting action of the relay coil 81 per mits current flow in the coil 81 to be maintained even should the switch 79 be opened, for this is a bypass from line 78, by line 85 to relay contact 86 and line 87 to the coil 81. Accordingly the accelerator motor 32 may swing back' in its automatic recover after a stopping of the motor 25 by throwing the controller 2 to off position and open the switch 79 with the relay 82 held closed. This means that in normal travel of the car 1,

with the controller 2 on, or in driving position, the relay 82 is set. When thecontroller 2 is thrown off, the accelerator shaft 33 will roll back to starting position, but in so doing,

the relay 82 is held in position by the coil 81, for energizing current is maintained by way of line 83 as to the coil 81 which in the thrown position of the relay 82 may have current supply from the line 78 by way of the line 85, the contact 86, and the line 87, notwithstanding the switch 79 moves to lower position. When the switch 79 has come to lower position, current from the line 78 may pass by the line 88 and the switch 79 to the line 89 by way of contact 90 and line 91. As the car 1 is stopped adjacent a landing, such stopping of the car 1 will cause the lever 66 to ride on the can 65 and switch 62 isso thrown'into closed position that current may flow from the line 91 by way of the line 92, into coil 93 to the line 83 thereby throwing gate-opening switch 94, so that power supply from power supply lines 9 and 26 may flow respectively by way of lines 95, 96, and switch 94 to power supply lines 97.

98, which together with power supply line 99, from the power main 29 may operate motor 100.

This elevator gate operating motor 100 is thus energized, and tends to rotate the shaft 101, which is released for such rotation by brake coil 102, releasing the normally spring set brake on this shaft 101. This coil 102 is between energizing lines 97, 98, to motor 100. As this shaft 101 also drives gate opening cam 104, operatively connected to countor-weighted line 105, extending to pulley 106 there passes running line or cable 107, over this pulley 106 connected at one end to car gate 108, while the other end portion of this running line cable 107 passes to connection 109 at the lower side of the car 1. In such travel to the lower part of the car 1, this cable passes over fixed pulley 110 near the bottom of the elevator well 52. As the elevator gate 108 is lifted by the action of this gate motor 100 automatically when the controller 2 is thrown to central or off position, this gate 108 is thrust outward by cam 111 so that projection 112 on the gate 108 is engaged with projection or In 113 on the landing gate 114 thereby causing a lifting of the landing gate. Attached: to the top of the landing gate is cable 115 passing over fixed pulle 116 on to counter-weight 117. As the lan ing gate 114 lifts it opens switch 71. This operation of the gate motor 100 1n operating the gate 114 for opening the landing gates of the elevator car also, 111 op erating the gate contact mechanism 103, breaks the circuit which includes the switches 71 of the landin gate 114. The length of the gate machine contact, with which the line 84 is in contact of the gate control mechanism is such that current in energizing the coil 81 may keep alive until the gate is open or nearl open. Then the breaking of the current t rough the line 8 1 deenergizes the coil 81 of the relay, thereby cutting out the relay or dropping the relay switch. The automatic gate opening occurs only when the car 1 is stopped with the cam holding the switch 62 closed.

When the passenger has been allowed to enter the car, or the freight or other material has been removed or taken into the car 1 the gates of the landing and of the car may be closed by operating gate machine controller 118 on the car 1 to which extends from the line 3 of the controller 2, a line 119 to contact 120, thereby permitting current flow through line 121 to energize coil 122 of gate closing switch 123, thence by line 124 to contact 124',-terminal 76, and the lines 74, 6 1, 26, to reverse the current to the motor 100 and oppositely operate the gate machine tothereby lower the car gate 108 and simultaneously allow'the landing gate 114 also to be lowered.

Should the occasion arise for the operator to reopen the gate without the car passing away from the landing, this ma be controlled manually. As before note opening, upon reaching a landing, is automatic. This manual control of opening of the gate is efi'ected by throwing the gate controller 118 in one direction, so that current supplied from the line 3 may flow from the line 119 to line 125, and thence by the line 91 by the switch 62' and the line 92 to energize the coil 93 of opening switch 94 and thereby allowing the gate machine motor 100 to operate to open the gates. The ates may be closed by throwing the control er 118 in the opposite direction as hereinbefore described. A-very desirable and important feature connected with this wiring diagram of an alternating current electric motor, is, that when the gate is automatically opened,

7 this opening of the gate automatically may occur before the car 1 has reached an actual landing position, but when a car is approaching alanding position remoteness of this position for gate opening may be de- 'termined by the length of the cam 65. In

practice it may be four or five inches on either side of the floor upon which landing is to occur. As stated, the opening of the ates does not occur unless the controller 2 is thrown to central or off position, because the accelerator motor 32 is holding the switch 79 to preclude current flow from the line 88 to the gate openin switch 94.' With this leeway-away from the anding, permitted by the cam for the automatic opening of the gates, there may be occasion to bring the car to an actual true landing level, and this can bedone independently of the cut-out or interlocking switches 71 of the landing doors when the cam 65 is holding'the switch 62 closed. The gates or doors break the lines energizing the main and direction switch coils, but for the bypass of switch 62. As-

suming it is desired to bring the car up a 1 little closer to the floor, the controller 2 is thrown to the contact 10 for energizing the main switch coil 14.- and then to contact 17 for energizing the up direction switch coil 21. This means that power supply current from power supply line 9 may pass by line 8, upper over-travel switch 7, the line 6, by way of lower over-travel switch 4 and line 3 to the controller 2, thence by terminal 17 through line 18 to upper over-travel switch 19, by the line 20V to the coil 21 of the up direction 22, by line 16to line 53 past speed regulator switch 54, to line 55, past upper over travel switch 56, by way of line 57, past lower over-travel switch 58to line 59, past emergency switch 60 in the car 1 and closed switch 62, as closed by the cam 65, to; line 63 and thence'by line 64 to the power supply line' 26. This coaxing or inching of the car to the landing is permitted in either direction as long as the cam 65 permits energizing current to flow to the direction switch coils for the main elevator motor 25. Immediately the inching or coaxing of the car for leveling goes away from the landing to such an extent that the cam 65 is clear of roller 68, there is at once an opening of the switch 62 thereby deenergizing the main and direction switch coils. Before again starting the car 1 it is now necessary to close the gate interlock 71' which may be effected by the gate controller 118 in the car, operating to actuate the gate machine motor to close the elevator gate on the landing as well as the one on the elevator car.

In lowering the elevator car 1, the main elevator controller 2 is operated in the reverse direction from that for operating the car in the up direction and this acts to control downward direction switch 126 for reversing the current to the main motor 25 and thereby effects a reverse direction of the operation for lowering the car 1 in the elevator well 52. This switch 126 accordingly acts identically for down direction travel as does the switch 22 for up direction travel and is controlled by the rocking of the controller 2 on the car 1 in the "opposite direction from that efiecting the operation of the switch 22.

In the disclosure of the apparatus of the embodiment as brought out in Fig. 2 there is not automatic operation for opening the gates at a landing. This opening at a landin is effected by the pressing of a pedal 124 in the car 1. This pedal 12? is pivotally mounted on hearing 128 to the car 1 and its depression throws switches 62 and 90 to bring about the manually controlled operation of operating the gates by line 6 making the connection with the gate opening machine. Due to this control there is omitted the relay of the apparatus of Fig. 1. This pedal is only operable to effect openings of the gates when the car is in position so that the depressing of the pedal 12'? throws the lever 66 against the cam 65 to then rock the lever 66 and close the switches 62 and 89. Otherwise there is not a gate opening. Accordingly the range of control is the same as in Fig. 1 and there may be the inching or coaxing of the car to a landing level in the same way as in Fig. 1.

In the simplified showing of Fig. 4 there is no pedal or automatic operation for opening the gates but a manual opening is permitted only when the car is in a landing position or in range of the landing as shown by the length of cam 65. This omits the accelerator motor 32 as edecting control through the relay of Fig. 1 and the interlock of Fi 2.

In the installation of the wiring diagram as shown in Fig. 4:, notwithstanding that it is simplified as to the mode of gate control, requiring a manual operation for throwing in the gate machine motor 100 for opening as well as for closing the gates within a certain range of the floor or landing, so that there may be, in this range, a control of the car 1 in actually bringing this car 1 to the landing or starting the car away from the landing for this short distance until the gate is closed or until the ate is open as the case may be. However, t e car 1 may not get beyond the control distance of the cam with the gate open. This is a feature permitting a saving of time in high speed passenger operations so that the operator of the car through the controller 118 may be closing the gate at the same time the car is getting under way through the controller 2 or the operator may open the gate at the same time that he is bringing the car to a stop at a landing. This time saving advantage is true of all the embodiments herein disclosed.

The showing in Fig. 5 is still more simplified in that here there is not interconnected any power using machine with the gate device. In this installation the gates may be tarmac operated by manual means or any other means. The showing is such that it need not be interconnected. In the previous disclosures of Figs. 1, 2. and 4, the gate opening machine has been connected or interlocked with other apparatus. Herein with this de vice of Fig. at once the controller 2 is thrown to central position. the ates may be opened and while the gates are being 0 ened the car controller 2 may be shifted to ring the car to a landing position in controlling motor 25. (lontrariwise. the car 1 may be started away from a'landing while the gates are closing. However, the distance of such car travel is limited here by the cam 65 as in the other instances.

Accordingly in the disclosures of these several forms of wiring diagrams, there is permitted a control of the elevator car bringing said car to an accurate landing position independently of the position of the gates, Whether opened or closed so far as the car is in a certain determined range or distance of the actual landing to be made. This condition of control interlocking permitting the car to be shifted a short distance without allowing the operator to run a dangerous distance away from the landing, as herein before pointed out, permits a high speed of operation and the operator to definitely locate a landing, and in so doing there is actual taking care of the conditions of varying loads, making the landing accurate for any condition and making it possible for the operator, without any great strain or exceeding skill to work into quite nice opera tion with very little training What is claimed and it desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A motor, a controller for the motor, a member to be driven by the motor in a definite path, and an interlock limiting the controller effectiveness in permitting the motor to drive the member in locating positions for stopping of the member at predetermined positions in said path.

2. A motor, a car to be driven by the motor in a definite path, a controller on the car, and an interlock limiting the controller effectiveness for driving the car in locating positions for stopping the car at predetermined positions in said path.

3. A motor, a, car to be driven by the motor, a controller on the car, cut-out means for the controller, and means controlled by i elevator car in the. well, power means for actuating the car, a controller for the power means, a gate shiftable to permit access to the car from a landing, cut-out means operable by the open gate to render the controller ineffective, and means between the car and well for by-passing the cut-out means.

6. An electric motor, a well having landings, an elevator car in the well, alternating current power means for actuating the car, a controller for the power means, a first switch for cutting out the controller, and a second switch automatically effective within a range of travel of the car for bypassing the first switch for permitting the motor to operate the car.

7. An electric motor, a well having landings, an elevator car in the well, electric current power means for actuating the car, a controller for the power means, a ate to permit access to the car from a lan ing, a switch operable by the opening of the gate to cut out the controller, and a second switch automatically closed by the position of the car adjacent a landing for by-passing the open gate switch to permit the controller to operate the motor.

8. An elevator car landing leveler comprising a motor for the car, a switch opened by the gate to cut out the motor, and a cutin switch adjacent landing position of the car coacting with the car to permit by-passing of the gate opened switch for limited car travel operation of said motor.

An elevator car landing leveler comprising a motor for actuating the car, a

a controller for actuating the car, a switch operable by the landing gate to cut out the controller, and a switch operable by the position of the car to cut in the controller in a limited range of travel for the car adjacent said landing.

10. An elevator car landing leveler comprising a car, a motor for actuating the car, a landing gate for the car, a car controller for the motor, an actuator for the landing gate, a gate controller for the actuator, a cut-out switch for the car controller when the gate controller is operated to open the gate, and a cut-in switch for the car controller dis sed to coact with the car adjacent sai -landing in a range of limited car travel.

11. An elevator car landing leveler includin a motor, in combination with an open ending gate cut-out means forj the motor of a limited car travel cut-in means for the motor.

12. An elevator car landing leveler including a motor, in combination with an open landing gate cut-out switch for the motor of a limited car travel cut-in switch for the motor.

13. Elevator operation apparatus to getthe car under speed embodying a car gate, cut-out means controlled by the gate, and means for bypassing the cut-out meansadjacent the landing for the car.

14. An elevator car, an electric motor therefor, a controller for the motor, a switch permitting limited travel of the motor adjacent a landing for getting the car under way before the gate is closed, and an additional switch connecting the controller up for complete operation when the gate is closed.

15. An elevator shaft having a landing, an elevator car in the shaft, a motor for the car, a controller for the motor including connections from the car to the motor, a landing gate provided with cut-out means for the car motor connections, and coacting means between the shaft and car adjacent a landing permitting limited by-passing of the landing cut-out by the controller connections.

16. An elevator shaft having a landing, an elevator car in the shaft, a motor for the car, a controller for the motor including connections from the car to the motor, a landing gate provided with cut-out means for the car motor connections, a gate operating motor, and coacting means between the shaft and car adjacent a landing permittlng limited by-passing of the landing cut-out by the controller connections and effecting control of the gate operating motor.

17. An elevator shaft having a landing, an elevator car in the shaft, 3. motor for the car, a controller for the motor including connections from the car to the motor, a landing gate provided with cut-out means for the car motor connections, a gate operating motor, and coacting means between the shaft and car adjacent a landing ermitting limited by-passing of the lan ing cut-out by the controller connections and coacting for automatically operating the gate motor in opening the gate.

In witness whereof I aflix my signature.

ERNEST B. THURSTON.

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