US1518313A - Safety lock for elevators - Google Patents

Description

w. E. DAY

SAFETY LOCK FOR ELEVATORS Filed Aug. 21, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a Q a Q INVENT WALLACE E. DAK

A77OENEYS.

Dec, 9, W. E. DAY

SAFETY LOCK FOR ELEVATORS Filed Aug. 21, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNl/E/VTG/Q WALLACE .5. DAY.

Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES.

PATET WALLACE E. DAY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO SPENCER ELEVATOR 00., OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, FIRM COMPOSED OF FRANK M. SPENCER.

SAFETY LOOK FOR ELIE VA'IOTEML Application filed August 21, 1922. Serial No. 583,173.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALLACE E. DAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety Locks for Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to elevator construction, and particularly pertains to safety means therefor.

At the present time it is legally required that the doors of elevator hatchways shall be equipped with locking devices havin such a relation to the control mechanism the elevator as to make it impossible to open a hatchway door except when the elevator has stopped at a floor or to start the elevator before the door of the hatchway is closed. It is the principal object of the present invention, therefore, to provide automatic means especially adapted for normally locking elevator hatchway doors, and which will operate with the elevator car control in a manner to insure that the control mechanism will remain inoperative until the hatchway door has been properly closed and locked.

The present invention contemplates the use of a lock mechanism carried on the frame of the hatchway door, and receiving a latch member carried by a door, said mechanism incorporating electrical means in circuit with the control mechanism of the elevator whereby the presence of the latch in locking position within the lock will permit the elevator motor circuit to be completed.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view showing the wiring diagram with which the present invention is concerned.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in vertical section and elevation showing the lock mechanism.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in horizontal section showing the switch of the lock mechanism.

Referring more particuarly to the drawing indicates an electric hoisting motor by which the elevator is raised and lowered. This motor is initially controlled by direction switches 12 and 13. A main line starting relay 14 is also provided and is interposed between the direction switches and floor and car switches. The floor switches are indicated at 15 andare shown as being controlled by a floor control drum 16, which may be of any preferred construction. Floor push buttons are indicated at 17 and will permit the usual circuit to be closed in order to bring the elevator to a particular floor. All of the relays and switches so far described are of standard construction. The present invention, however, is more particularly concerned. with a lock mechanism 18 by which the various control circuits may be made and broken incident to the opening and closing of the hatchway door, and the presence of the elevator at any particular floor.

'The lock mechanism comprises a case 19 within which an electromagnet 20 is carried. The core 21 of this magnet has an armature 22. This member is in the form of a plate, and is carried by the lever arm 23, which arm is pivoted upon a pin 24. The pin 24 extends through bosses 25 projecting from'the side of the case 19. Extending at right angles to the lever 23 and adapted to move therewith is a latch finger 26. This finger has an engaging lug at its outer end, which may interlock with a similar lug carried by a latch arm 27. The arm 27 is supported. upon a floor door by which the hatchway is closed and which latch may move horizontally to project through an opening 29 in the wall of the lock case. An outwardly extending arm 30 is provided, and is intended to move with the arm 23 and the latch finger 26. In fact, as here shown, these three members are integral and swing around the shaft 24. Carried by the downwardly projected member 30 are a pair of contact fingers 31 and 32. These members extend horizontally and have curved forward ends for a purpose which will be hereinafter set forth. It is desirable to vertically adjust the contact members, and for that reason they are pivotally carried upon pins 33, which are supported by b-rack .ets 34. The brackets are mounted upon an arm 30, but are insulated from each other as well as the member 30. Lugs 35 are formed integral with the contact arms 31 and are acted upon by expansion springs 36 which are disposed around adjusting screws 37 we tending through the lugs 35 and into threaded openings of the brackets 34. A contact plate 38 is adapted to normally engage the upper faces of the two contact members 31 and to complete an electrical circuit from one contact member to the other. This plate is carried by an insulating block 39, .WhiQh block is secured to the elevator door and projects through the opening 29' in the lock case when the door is closed. Attention is directed to the fact that the initial'engag'emer t of the plate 38 with the contact finger 31 takes place slightly after the interlockng e gagement of e membe 2 w h i)? latch finger 27. i

In order to mechanically hold the parts in desired relation to each other when the elevator car has passed from register with any particular floor a weighted arm 3 0 is provided. This arm is fixed upon a pivotedshaft 41 on the outside of the lock case, and carries a roller 42 at its up er end. The roller stands in the path 0 a track member not shown in the drawing, but which member is carried by the elei ato'r car, and will swing the arm e0 in the direction of the arrow -awhen the car con ers to any particular floor. An o positely extending lever at?) is also fixefon the shaft 41 so to operate in unison with the arm 40. This lever i3 normally presses against a pin 44 and is actuated by'a weight 45. The pin slides horizontally through an opening in the side of the h rbage and presses against the downwardly projected arm 30 to mechanically hold the "2 6 in engagement with'the latch 27 The wiring arrangement of the present invention isused on all standard electric elevator constructions, but i'n' 'order to more clearly disclose the operatic thelinyeir tion 'a circuit will be descrr ldr Electric current is delivered thro' l ghlfi d wires 16 and' l'i. These wireSare"'confro-lled iby main switch 48 The circuit the cohtinh( is alo lg wires 49 and 50. The 49"0i1- nects at 51 with a wire lead to a or direction switch 12. cnrrentftlfen passes through the motor lO and along wires I58 and 69. This circuit then .conti along a wire 52 to the main control switch ii, and when this switch is cl'osed 'will be completed along conductor through the switch 48 and to the wire 56. Wired? also connects with the wire .54 which is secured to contact finger 31 of the lowermost lock' mechanism. circuit may then be completed through the plate BB eng'a Q- ing this finger, thencethrough finger 32 to a wire 55. This wiring intended place the contact fingers '31 and"82of the various locks in a series circuit. last contact finger 32 is provided with a conductor 56 leading to the relay coil 5791f the control switch 15;. Circuit through this coll is completed along "wire 58 t6 th'e r nain switch 48. The wire 49 also is led to' the first lock magnet 20. A series of wires 59 are used to place the various lock magnets 20 in a series circuit which is completed by conductor .60 leading to a contact of the control switch 14. This circuit then proceeds through the switch along conductor .61 to one side of the floor coil switches 15. The opposite side oi these switches are separately connected with conductors 62 leading to one side of the various tloor push buttons 17. The opposite sides of all the push buttons are in series and are connected with a l etid wire (33. The wires 62 form common leads for the switches for the floor coils',"fand also for the coils themselves, cir ciiits being completed through separate condiic to rs 64 connected with contact nieml'iors for the floor controller l6, and thence passing through the separate leads (S5 and 66 to the direction switches 12 and 13, respectively. When either of the wires or ()6 has been placed in the circuit, an electric circuit'iri-ll be completed through the respcne magnets of one of the direction switches, and will then proceed along return. wi est? feed wire 50. hen the switch 12 has been placed in operation a circuit ii ill be completed through conductor (to tonne side of the motor .10, and will then proceed along conductor 69 to the switch 12; thereafter passing along conductor 52 to the main switch 14; and thence returning to the opposite lead wire along conductors 5:3 and 58'. WVhen the reversal of direction desired the other direction switch will be actuated and circuit from condiu-tor through wire 70, thence along wire 71 to the chnducto r 69. The return circuit will be completed through conductor (38 to switch in urance flowing along wire 72 to return was 521 The important feature of thc l l sent int ention the fact that the cir- "c i1it't hrough the operating magnet 57 of tn 'cchrror switch will be broken when any sets; contact fingers 31. and 32 of the lock is'ont er contactwith its plate 38, thus lig'reiilri ng'ithe series switch through the lock to th e' magnet 57.

In operation of the lock when the car is at anyparticular floor the arm 40 will be swung in the direction of the arrow --(1-, thus permitting the lock member 26 to swing downwardly in the direction of the arrow 6 This will move the lug at the end of the member 26 from an obstructing position in relation to the lug of the latch 27, and will permimhcdoor to be open when desired. At the same time that the member 26 falls away from the latch due to the relief of ressureupon the pin 44, the contact mem- @531 and 32 will also fall away from the plate 38 This will break the circuit to the -infagnet 57 of the master switch and will malre 'ijt impossible to start the car until the door has been closed. When the door is closed and the car control circuit is closed to Ill) lli'i energize magnet 20 the plate 38 will move to engage the fingers 31 and 32. This will com plete the circuit through the magnet 57 of switch 14 to start motor and to hold the circuit closed until the motor circuit is broken.

The levers l0 at the other floors will at this time be holding the latch members in en aging positions while the lever 40 at the floor at which the car is stopped will be in such a position as to permit the member 26 to stand in a non-engaging position relative to the latch 27. When the car is in motion and as it passes a fioor but does not stop the energized magnets 20 will hold all of the r locks but when a stop is made at a floor the circuit will be broken incident to the interruption of the control circuits and the arms 4-0 must hold the locks closed. However, when the magnets 20 are energized the plate 22 of this particular lock will be drawn upwardly, and will cause the lock member 26 to swing to an obstructing position so that it will be impossible for the latch 27 to be withdrawn. While in this position the control of the car may be operated and the car may be called to any particular floor by closing the circuit through the floor button.

It will thus be seen that by the present arrangement a positive and automatic safety device is provided whereby the doors of an elevator ha'tchway cannot be unlocked except at a time when an elevator is at that particular floor, and furthermore that the car cannot be opera ted except at a time when all of the elevator doors are closed and locked.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the present invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In combination with an elevator car having an electric controlling system, said car being adapted to travel along a hatchway, the latter being provided with doors at various floors, means normally maintaining said doors closed and latched, said means having an electrical control, means whereby said electrical control will be rendered ineffective when the elevator car stops, and mechanical means adapted to be operated by the elevator car for unlatching the door at the floor where said elevator car stops.

2. In combination with an elevator car having an electrical controlling system, said car being adapted to travel along a hatchway, the latter being provided with doors at various floors, a controlling switch in said controlling system, latching means at each floor normally maintaining said doors closed and latched, electromagnets having circuits maintained closed when said elevator car is in operation, said electromagnets maintaining said latching means effective when said car is in operation, mechanical means operated by the elevator car for opening the circuit of said motor controlling switch and the circuits of said magnets when the elevator car stops at a floor, said mechanical means simultaneously rendering said latching means ineffective.

3. In combination with an elevator car, an electric controlling system therefor by which it may be stopped at any of the various floors, the elevator being adapted to travel in a hatchway, the latter having a door at each of the various floors, latch means at each floor adapted to normally maintain said doors closed and latched, electric means associated with the controlling system adapted when said elevator is in operation to maintain the latch means in position and the doors latched, means whereby said electric means will be discontinued when the car is stopped, mechanical means associated with the latch means at each floor adapted to maintain the same in latched position when the elevator is stopped, the stopping of the elevator at a floor causing said mechanical means at that floor to unlatch the door to permit it to be opened? and means whereby the controlling system for the elevator will be rendered inoperative when said door is open.

-WALLACE E. DAY.

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