US1735153A - Door-operating device for elevators - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 12, 1929.

Original Filed June 10, 1927 2 Shets-Sheet 1 75 Pressure PP'I INVENTOR Edgar /7 Boufon Nov. 12, 1929. E. M. BOUTON DOOR OPERATING DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS Original Filed June 10, 1927 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 INVENTOR fq'gar' /1 Bac/fon.

Patenfe d Nov. 12, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE EDGAR M; BOUTON, OF EAST PITTSBURGH,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR` TO WESTING- HOUSE ELEGTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA DOOR-OPERATING DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS Application filed June 10, 1927, serial vide a device for Operating closures enployed in connection with road vehicles, elevator cars or other vehicles, wherein the door will he' automatically opened when the car arrives adjacentthe closure or while the car is approaching the closure but is yet a short distance therefrom, but is preparing to stop.

Another object of my invention is to provide a` device for Operating elevator doors automatically by the juxtaposition of the car and the door, wherein no mechanieal interconnection between the car and the dooroperatingdevice is necessary.

My device is described with reference to the acconpanying drawing; wherein Fignre 1 is a diagrammatic plan' View of one form of ny door-opening mechanism shown in operative relation with an elevator' car;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic View showing the interconnection'between the control apparatus' for the elevator' and the door-opening device, for severalfioors; and

Fig. 3-is a diagrannatic view of another form of my door-opening device. WVith reference to Fig. 1, an elevator ca 10 is illustrated as Operating in a hatchway 1.1, defined by the side walls 12 and 13, respectively. The car 10 is of the usual type, Suspended upon a cable 14, attached to the 40 car at land passing over a hoisting drum D to a counterweight CW (Fig. 2). The reference mineral lrepresents the door sill at one of the fioors served by the elevator car 10 for which adoor 17 and a front wall 18 act 45 as one complete side of the elevator enclosure. A track 19, ofthe type usually provided for elevator doors, supports a pair of hanger rollers 20-and 21, respectively, attached by hangers 22 and 23 to the door 17, upon which 50 the door may be readily moved from its illus- No. 197525; R'cewed June 27, 1929.

trated closed position to an open position rep resented by the dotted line 24;

The door is illustrated as being formed of a plote-like member 25, having outwardlyturned flanges 26, -27` and28, forming an edge around three side's of thedoor structure. A series of openings 29 containing glass or other transparent material, through which a .View

of the interior of the shaft' may be had, may

be provided in the main'body of' the door 25, guided in a suitable runway or slot 30 in the door sill or plate 16.-

Attached to the door, as by a screw-eye 31, is a cable 32, which extends over a' sheave 33, nounted upon the front wall of the hatchway,

and extending to a relatively heavy weight 35, v

to which it is attached, as by a screw-eye 36. The weight is of suchsproportions that the weight tends to maintain the door in a closed position forclosing the opening defined by the dotted`1ine37 inthe front' wall 18.

Attached to the other side of the door 17, as by a screw-eye 38, is a cabie 39 which passes over a sheave* 40, mounted on the front wall 18 of the hatchway, to a relatively small weight 41., to which it is attached, as by a screw-eye 42.

The sheave 40 has attached thereto, in any suitable manner, a gear-wheel 43, representcd as being a toothed pinion, and the sheave and pinion are so constructedas to move as a unit.

Mounted uponthe front wall 18 of the hatchway is a cylinder provided with an inlet 46 for compressed air or other suitable compressed fluidand provided, near its upper end, with anexhaust ort 47. Mounted within the cylinder is a pston 48 Secured to the lower end of a rod 4:9. The upper end of the rod carries a gear rock 50.

The gear rock 50 is so guided by suitable brackets 51 and 52 as to constantly engage the pinion 43. A pipe or other suitable conduit 53 is connected to the inlet46 of the oylinder 45 and extends toapair of valves 54 and 55. v

The valve 55 is' of the. normally-closed type and has its inlet connected, as by a ipe or conduit 56, to a source of compresseduid suppiy (not shown). e valve 54 is of the normally open type and has its inlet connected to the pipe or conduit 5 3 and its *outlet connected to a conduit 57, which is open to the atmosphere. Both of the valves 54 and 55 have their Operating mechanisms connected to avrod 58 in such manner that depression of the rod 58 simultaneously opens the valve 55 and closes the Valve 54.

An inductor Operating mechanism (SO is of the type described with reference to a relay structure in a copending application of H. WV. lVilliams, Serial No. 190A82, filed May 11, 1927 and assigned to the VVestinghouse Electric 85 lianufacturing Company. This type of mechanism may be briefiy described as comprising an electro-magnetic coil 61 mounted upon supports 62-and having a pair of armature members 63 pivoted upon the core 64 ofthe magnet coil 61. The operation of this mechanism is such that the energiz ation of the coil 61 produces no e'ective movement of the armature members 63 until a magnetizable plate 65 carried by the car, is in the position illustrated by dotted lines 65', i. e., adjacent to the projecting ends 66 of the armature member, at which time the armature is rotated in a clock-wise direction about the core 64.

To the upper portion of the armature member 63 is connected a suitable bar 67 projecting upon opposite' sides of the armature member 63. One end of the bar 67 has at- 58 *for the valves 5& and 55. Through the i other end 69 of the bar 67, a rod projects downwardly toward the upper portion 28 of the door. 17. u v

The upper flange 28 of the door 17 projects slightly beyond the edge 26 of the door and is provided with a suitable slot 72 through which the extreme lower end of the rod 70 projects. The rod 70 is suitably guided by a supporting strap 73.

The purpose of the rod 70 and its engagement with extension 71 of the fiange 28 is that of providing a mechanical lock or latch to prevent opening of the door unless the inductor mechanism 60 is energized and the plate' is adjacent thereto. u

Mounted upon the elevator, in a suitable position, is a bracket 75 to which is attachcd the magnetizable inductor plate 65. The relative mounting of the plate 65 and the inductor Operating mechanism 60 should be such that, when the car is level with the floor, the platc (55 should be just oppc'ite the mechanism 60; the position shown by the dotted lines 65'. This position of the plate will cause the inductor-operating mechanism GO to unlatch and initiate the opening of the door only at such times as the car is level with the floor. However, the plate may extend slightly in advance of this position relative to the direction of movement of the elevator c thus causing the door to start opening when .generator G.

shunt-wound type, including an armature indicated as .L and a Shunt-field winding MF.

Directly couplcd to the armature M' of the driving motor M is the armature G' of a The generator G is of the compound-wound type comprising an armature indicated as G', a series eld-winding GSF, a shunt-field-winding GF and a demagnetizing-.field-winding GAF'. The armature Gr' of the generator is connected in loop-circuit with the armature EM of the elevator hoisting motor EM. A Shunt-field winding EMF is provided for the hoisting motor EM. Directly coupled to the armature EM' of the hoisting motor EM is a hoisting drum D over which the cable 14, which supports the elevator car 10, passes to a suitable counter-weight CW. A car switch CS is illustrated for controlling the direction and speed of the elevator hoisting motor EM through the agency of suitable directionalrelays 1 and 2 and a speed relay 3 which operate to vary the direction and the value of the current which passes through the generator shunt field winding GF.

The controlling system just described is substantially identical with that disclosed in my' copending application, Serial No. 731921,

filed Aug. 14, 1924 and assigned to the Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Company, wherein holding circuits for the up-and-down-direction switches 1 and 2 are maintained closed through the contact members I of an inductor landing relay I', in such manner that the elevator, having once been started, continues in operation until the inductor landing relay I' passes amagnetizable inductor plate l" located in the hatchway at a predetermined distance away froni the floor level. At such time, the inductor relay I' will operate to open the holding circuit for the up or down direction switch 1 or 2, respectively,

'which is in operation at the time. This system of control is no part of my present invention except in so far as it relates to the connection of the door Operating relays DR and DR'.

The door operating relay DR is of the nornally-closed-contact type and has its coil in series relation with any one of the generator or motor circuits which must be closed only when the elevator is moving. In the embodiment of my invention shown, the relay DR has its coil connected in series relation with the generator-shunt-field winding GF. A second door relay DR' is`illustrated as being of the normally-cl0sed-contact type and has its coil in series relation with contact members on the car switch CS so arranged, that when the car switch CS is moved from the neutral or off position, the circuit to the relay DR' is completed.

The circuit for relay DR extends from line conductor Ll through either conductor 90 or conductor 91, (dependent upon which directional switch is in operation) contact members la or contact membersva, conductor 92 or conductor 93, the coil of relay DR, conductor 94, generator-shunt-field-winding GF and resistor R, conductor 95 or conductor 96,

contact members lb or contact members 26 and thence, by way of conductor 99 or conductor 98, to line conductor LQ. It will be observed that the holding circuits previously described for the direction switches 1 and 2 maintain current through the generator Shunt field winding GF and, consequently, through the coil of relay DR. This relay DR will, therefore, be de-energized only when the directional switches are de-energized and the car is decelerating to make a stop at the next floor. The circuit for relay DR' extends from line conductor Ll, through conductor 99', coil of relay DR', conductor 100, through either conductor 101 or conductor 102, car switch CS and conductor 103 to line eonductor L2. i

The circuit for the inductor-operating mechanisms for the doonopening devices eX- tends from line conductor Ll through conductor 104, contact members of the relay DR, conductor 105, contact members of the relay DR', conductor 106 and through the coils of the inductor Operating mechanisms 83, 8 1 and 85 by way of conductors 107 and 108 and thence, through conductor 109, to line conductor LQ.

The operation of the form of the device illustrated in F igs. 1 and 2 is as follows:

Assuming the car 10 to be traveling upwardiy, the up-direction-switch 1 is closed, energizing relay DR, by way of the circuit previously traced for this relay, and the car switch CS completes a circuit for relay DR', by way of conductor 102 etc., as previously described for this relay. lVhen the car switch CS is centere'd or moved to neutral position to make a stop at the next floor (for example the second floor), the circuit for relay DR' is broken and as the car slows down in its approach to the 2nd. floor, (under the oper-- ation of the inductor landing relay I'), the opening of up-direction switch 1 de-energizes the relay DR. .A circuit is thus completed for energizing the coils of the inductor- operating mechanisms 83, 84 and 85.

F or the purpose of illustration, theinductor-Operating mechanism shown in Fig. 1, generally indicated by the reference nuneral 60, may be assumed to be the particular operating mechanism 84 shown in Fig. 2. As the car approaches the End. floor and the inductor plate 05 arrives at the position indicated at 65', the energized inductor-operating mechanism 60 moves the armature (33 about its pivot, thereby lifting the red 70 to unlatch the door at 71 and 72, and depress the rod 58, thereby opening valve and closing valve 54. This operation 'of the valves 54 and 55 admits the compressed fluid to the lower portion of the cylinder and projects the pisten 48 and gear rack upwardly, thereby rotating the gear-wheel 43 and the sheave 40. Through the agency of the cable 39, the rotation of the sbeave 40 draws the door toward the left, against the normal force exerted by the Weight 35. The purpose of the weight 41 is to produce sufticient friction between the cable 39 and the sheave 40 to overcome the resistance of the weight- The door is thus opened.

As long as the car stands at the floor with the inductor plate adjacent the armature 623, the fiuid pressure will be maintained in the cylinder 4:5 and the door will remain open. As soon, however, as the car switch is moved from the neutral position, the relay DR' will be energized, breaking the energizing circuit for the inductor magnet 61, and, through the consequent operation of the valves 54 and 55, the pressure from the supply will be cut off and the pressure in the cylinder will be exhausted through the exhaust pipe 57. The extension 71 of the fiange 98 is shown as angled slightly downward. Thus, as the door is drawn to the right by force of the weight and the release of the pressure from the cylinder 45, the extension 71 will lift the rod slightly and allow it to drop into engagement with the slot 7 2. This action locks the door in closed position.

A manual latching mechanism is illustrated at 110, which may be rendered oper-.

ative When it is desired to prevent the operation of the door, until the attendant on the car has performed some manual operation thereon, as by manually retracting the latch handle 111.

It will be noted that the connection of the relay DR in circuit with the generator-shunt field winding GF will prevent the closing of the inductor-operating mechanism circuit in the case of a high-speed elevator Wherein the slow-down distance is greater than the distance between adjacent fioors, and the car switch must be centered at a point more than a fioor away from the floor at which the car is to stop. In such a system, the centering of the car switch, for example, for a stop at the third floor, must occur at a time when the car has not yet passed the second-floor door and were not some means, other than the til the car has reduced its speed to such de-- gree that it may stop accurately at the next floor to be approached.

The n'odification shown in Fig. 3 substitutes an electro-motor-operating' mechanism for the compressed air or compressed fluid device of I `ig. 1. The door weights, track and shcath structure are identical with the parts illustrated in Fig. 1. In this form of my invention, however, an inductor relay 150 is substituted for the inductor-operating mechanism shown in Fig. 1, and Controls a relay 151, "This rela-y 151 operates the latching niechanism 152 and also controls a circuit to a motor 153. e

The sheave wheel 4-0, in this modification, is provided with a worm wheel 154, engaged by a worm 155 fixed upon a shaft 156,1nountcd in suitable hearing members 157 and 158. Upon the right-hand end of the shutt 156 is one portion of a magnet clutch 159, the other portion 160 of which is fixed upon the sha'ft 161 ot the moter 153. The right-hand end ot' the motor shaft 161 carries a brake drum 162, against which a spring-pressed friction brake 163 exerts its prcssure. The brake is provided with a magnetic releasing coil indicated at 164. The operation of this form of the invention is as follows:

'The energizing magnet of the inductor relay 150 is energized in the manner illustrated tor the inductOr-operating mechanism' in Fig. 2. As the car approaches the floor, the inductor plate arriving adjacent the relay 150, eauses the relay to close its contact members 165, completing a cireuit' for the relay 151 extcnding from line conductor L1 through conductor 166, contact members 165 of relay 150, conductor 167, coil of relay 151 and conductor 168 to line conductor L2. Relay 151 eloses its contact members 169 and eompletes a eireuit tor a relay 170 extending from line conductor Ll, through conductors 171 and 172, coil of relay 170, conductor 173, a normally-closed trip switch 174, conductor 175, and contact members 169 of relay 151 to line conductor L2. A parallel circuit 'for the magnetic clutch 160 extends from line conducto; Ll, through conductors 171, 172, and 176, magnetic clutch 160, conductors 177 and 1.75 to line conductor L2. ot the clutch 160 eitects the engagement of the shatts 161 and 156, The motor 153 is energized through the operation of relay 170 by way of a circuit which extends from line The energization conductor Ll through conduct'ors 171 and 178, not or"153-,. conductor: 179,. the contact members of relay 170 and conductors 180 and 175, Whence circuit is completed to line' conductor L2, as previously traced. The

brak coil 164: is connected in Parallel relation to the circuit for' the motor 15`3. Thus,

the brake is released andthe motor is started, driving' the sheave 40 through the operation of the worm-wheel 154 and the worm 155; thereby drawing the door tothe left. Then thedoor moves to the left, a pin 181 mounted on the door engages and opens the trip switch 174, .as the door arrives at, its extreme open position. The opening ofthe switch 174 deenergizes the n1otor'153' and the brake coil' 165, and the brake 163 maintains the shaft ot the motor stationary. Consequently, the* door'remains in its open' position until the inductor-relay 150' and the re1ay^151` are d'eenergized and open the eircuit to the magnetic clutch, at which time the weight 35 draws the door to its right-hand' closed position.

A dash-pot 182 is m'ounted upon the door' for engagenent with a piston 183 as the door reaches its extreme open' position, for the purpose of eushioning the Shock' of stopping the door at its open position.

In both illustrated forms of the device, the door is opened through the agency of a driv-- ing device which is frictionally engaged with the door. In this manner, should, some defeet in the apparatusprevent the door from: openmg, the only eftect produced' would` be that of a slippage between the cable'and its associated sheave. y by the pull of a weight, there is` no danger of serious injury to persons caught between the door and the door rame as the door closes, since all that would occur in such event would be that the door would stop moving. In botli forms oithe invention, the door is maintained open until the car starts away from thefloor,

at which time the door will automatically' close.

The apparatus shown and described is illustrative only and' the essentials of my invention may be embodied in many other forms. I do not, therefore, desire tobe limited' to the specific details illustrated, except as de fined in the appended claims.

I claim as my' inventi onz' 1. In a den'ee for Operating elevator doors,

a hatchway having a plurality of openings' therein, closures for said' openings, means Since' the door is closed normally biasing said closures t'o closed po-- an elevator car operable between a plurality of floors, a door' for each of said floors, a doorclosing means normally biasing said doors to closed position, door-opening means for moving said doors to open position against the force of said biasin'g means, means at each of said doors for actuating said dooropening means for that door, and means car ried by said car magnetieally cooperating with said actuatng means for Operating said actuatin means' when said car arrives adjacent sai door.'

3. In a device for Operating closures associated with vehicles, a vehicle, driving means vtherefor, means for controlling said driving means to start and stop said vehicle, a door, door-closing means normally biasing said door to closed position, normally inoperative means for moving said door to open position against the force of said closin means, and means actuated responsive to the operation of said controlling means to stop said car for actuating said door-opening means.

4. An elevator operable in a hatchway between a pluralty of floors, the hatchway having an opening for each floor, a door for each opening, means for moving said elevator,

means for eontrolling said movmg means to start, stop and vary the speed offsaid elevator, means individual to said doors for opening the associated door, and means operable responsive to the combined operation of said j controlling means to reduce the speed of said elevator preparatory to stopping said elevator at a floor and the arrival of the elevator adjacent the floor for actuating said dooropening means for that floor.

5. In a door-opening device for elevators `'operable between a plurality of floors, an elevater, a door at each of said floors, means for opening` said doors including a magnet normally ineflective when energized to actuate said door-opening means, means for moving said elevator, means for controlling said moving means, to start and sto said elevator, means operable responsive to t ie actuation of said controlling means to cause said elevator t'o sto" for energizing the magnets for all of said cer-opening devices, and means operable responsive to the arrival of thevelevator adjacent any of said doors for rendering the magnet for said opening effective to operate said door-opening means.

6. In a door-opening device for elevators o erable between a pluralit of floors, an elevator, a door at each of sad floors, means for'opening said doors including a magnet normally inefl'ective when energized to actuate said door-opening means, means for moving said elevator, means for controlling said movin g means to start and stop said elevator, including& car .switch and a speed-reducing means, means' operable responsive to the actuation of said controlling means to cause I said elevator to stop and to the actuaton of and operable responsive to the actuaton of said car switch to start said elevator for deu energizing said magnets, and means rendered operative upon deenergization of said magnets for closing said doors.

7 In a door opening device for an elevator car operable. in a'. hatchway past a floor, an elevator member, a hatchway member, a door at said floor, means for opening and closing said door, means for controlling said door opening and closing means 'including a switch and a magnet carried by one of said members, said magnet being normally ineflective when energized to cause actuation of said switch, magnetizable means carried by the other of said menbers for rendering said magnet effective to actuate said switchwhen said magnetizable means and said magnet are brought adjacent each other by the approach of said car to said floor.

S. In a door opening device for an elevator car operable in a hatchway, past a floor, an elevator member, a hatchway member, a door at said floor, means for opening and closing said door, means for controlling said door opening and closing means, including a switch and a magnet carried by one of said members, said magnet; being normally ineffective when energzed to cause actu'ation of said switch, magnetizable means carried' bythe other of said members for rendering said magnet effective to actuate said switch when said magnetizable means and said magnet are brought adjacent each other by the approach of said car to said floor, control means for controlling the starting and stopping of said car, and means operable by actuation of said car control means to stop said car for energizng said magnet.

9. In a door opening device for an elevator car operable in a hatchway past a floor, an elevator member, a hatchway member, a door at said floor, means for opening and closing said door, means for controlling said door opening and closing means, including a switch and a magnet carried by one of said members, said magnet being normally inefl'ective when energized to cause actuation of said switch, magnetizable means carried by the other of said members for rendering said magnet effective to actuate said switch when said magnetizable means and said magnet are brought adjacent each other by the approaeh of said car to said floor, control means for starting and stopping said car, means operable responsive to a reduction of speed of said car and means operable responsive to the combined operation of said controlling means to responsive to a reducton of speed of said car for energizing said magnet.

10. In a door opening device for an ele- Vator car operable in a hatchway past a floor, an elevator member, a hatchway member, a door at said floor, means for opening and closing said door, means for controlling said door opening and closing means, including a switch and a magnet carried by one of said members, said magnet being normally inefi'ective When energized to cause actuaton of said switch, magnetizable means carried by the other of said members for rendering said magnet eectve to actuate said switch when said magnetizable means and said magnet are* brought adjacent each other by the approach of said car to said floor, means for automatically reducing the speed of said car as it approaches said floor, and means responsive to actuation of said speed reducing means for energizing said magnet.

In testimony Whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this Qnd day of J une, 1927.

EDGAR M. BOUTON.

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