US1866911A

US1866911A - U groove traction elevator

Info

Publication number: US1866911A
Application number: US268113A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bernard A Schroeder
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1928-04-07
Filing date: 1928-04-07
Publication date: 1932-07-12
Anticipated expiration: 1949-07-12

Description

y B. A. SCHROEDER 1,865,911

U GROOVE TRACTION ELEVATOR Filed April '7, 1928 Patented July 12, 1932 PATENT OFFICE BERNARD A. SCI'IROEDER, OF WILME'TTE, ILLINOIS U GROOVE TRACTION ELEVATOR Application filed April 7,

This invention relates particularly to traction elevators of the U-groove type and, more particularly, to an improved hoisting drum having a spiral shaped groove and a means for compensating the longitudinal travel of the cables on such a drum during its operation.

The earlier elevator machines were generally of the winding drum type. The car hoisting cables and the counterweight cables were attached directly to the drum so as to permit one set to wind up on the drum as the other unwound. In recent years, however, traction-ty e elevator machines have found so much avor that manufacture of the former has been practically discontinued.

Traction elevators are divided into two types, known as V-groove and U-groove, deriving their names from the contour of ,1 the groove on the periphery of the drum or traction sheave.

Traction elevators have continuous lengths of cable extending from the elevator car, around the drum, and down to the counterweight. V-groove drums exert a slight Wedging action on the cable and one-half a turn of contact surface with the drum has been found sufficient for small lifts. In higher installations Where the car speed is increased and the wedging action is greater, due to the additional weight of the cables, U-groove machines have been found more satisfactory.

With a U-groove installation, more contact surface is required to give necessary traction between the drum and the cables.

The usual practice has been to provide more surface by installing an idler sheave below the drum and passing the cable up from the car, over the drum, down under the idler sheave, up over the drum again and down to the counterweight. The idler may also act as a deflecting sheave if the width of the shaftway requires one. By the use of an idler sheave, an additional half turn of tractive surface was obtained Without having any longitudinal travel of the cables on the drum.

It is a specific object of this invention to avoid the use of an idler sheave by providing a drum with a spiral shaped groove 1928. Serial No. 268,113.

and to compensate for the longitudinal travel of cables on the drum by moving the drum in the opposite direction to such travel. This compensating movement may be accomplished by means of a screw-shaft separate from machine bearings and carrying none of the weight of the car, counterweight, cables or machine.

Further and more specific objects of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds and by references to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is an elevational view of an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2, an elevational view of another embodiment of the invention; Fi 3, a vertical sectional view taken as indicated at line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 1, a diagrammatic view of the proposed installation; and Fig. 5, a diagrammatic view of the present type of installation.

Referring now to the drawing, Figure 1 illustrates a portion of the equipment of the ordinary gearless traction elevator in which the supporting frame is generally designated by the numeral 10 and the standards by the numeral 11. A shaft 12 is suitably mounted in bearings 13 and carries a drum 14 about which the cables 15 are wrapped substantially one and one half turns.

The shaft 12 and drum 1 1 are actuated by a motor 16 to which the shaft is connected at one end by means of an expansion and contraction mechanism generally designated by the numeral 17. The other end of the shaft 12 projects beyond the adjacent supporting bearing 13. An arm 18 provides at its upper end portion a bearing 19 for the projecting end of the shaft 12, both the shaft and the bearing being threaded whereby rotation of the shaft imparts a longitudinal motion to the shaft relative to the

bearings

13 and 19 in which it rotates. The arm 18 and the bearing 19 do not carry any of the weight or load from the drum M- or the shaft 12 but are provided merely to impart longitudinal movement to the shaft and the drum. By not carrying any of the load to the bearing 19, longitudinal movement of the shaft is accomplished with only a small part of the frictional resistance present where the bearing shaft is threaded.

The expansion and contraction mechanism 17 permits the longitudinal movement of the shaft 12 back and forth as the direction of travel alternates and also transmits the necessary torsional force to rotate the shaft and the drum 14. The mechanism 17 comprises two groups of four levers each, respectively designated as 20 and 21. The levers 20 are fastened at one end to the motor shaft 22 by means of wrist pins 23 and the levers 21 are similarly fastened to the shaft 12 by pins 23. The levers 21 are forked at their outer ends to receive the corresponding end of lever 20. The outer ends of each of the levers 21 are fastened to the outer end of a corresponding lever 20 by a pin 24 thereby making a complete coupling of the

shafts

12 and 22.

The drum 14 has a spiral groove 25 formed in its outer periphery in which are shown six separate cables 15, each wrapped substantially one and one half turns about the drum. One end of the cables 15 leads downward through an opening 27 in the frame 10 to the top of the elevator car 28, shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4. The other end of the cable 15 leads to the deflecting sheave 29 and down to the counter weight 30 also shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4. In the position shown in Fig. 1, the elevator car 28 has reached its topmost position and the drum 14 and the shaft 12 have reached their extreme position of movement to the left caused by the rotation of the shaft 12 in its threaded bearing 19. The pitch of the screw 31 in the end of the shaft 12 is made the same as the pitch of the spiral groove 25 so that the cables 15 remain continuously in the same vertical plane and the travel of the cables in the groove 25 is thus compensated for.

As the motor 16 actuates the mechanism 17 to rotate the shaft 12 and the drum 14 in anti-clockwise direction, viewed from the right end of the shaft, the elevator is raised and the shaft and drum travel to the right an amount equivalent to the pitch of the groove 25 and the screw 31. Continued rotation in the same direction will cause the cables 15 to travel to their extreme left position in the groove 25 and the shaft 12 and the drum 14 to move the maximum amount to the right and the mechanism 17 to move to its position of maximum contraction as shown in dotted lines.

In Figure 2 is shown another embodiment of the invention in which the motor 16 and drum 14 are mounted adjacent to each other on the shaft 12. The shaft 12 is supported by the

standards

35 and 36 carried by the frame or base 37. A sub-base 38 provides a support or track on which the base 37 travels on rollers 49 positioned between the base 37 and the sub-base 38. Longitudinal channels 50 formed in. the bottom of the base 37, provide races or runways for the roller bearings 49. The threaded bearing 39 loosely fits and provides a control for the longitudinal movement of the shaft 12. The roller bearings 49 provide for the movement of the base 37 with the shaft 12, the weight of all of the elements supported on or suspended from the base, being carried by the rollers with a minimum of frictional resistance.

The outer end of the shaft 12 projects beyond the standard 35 and is threaded to engage a similarly threaded bearing 39 in the top of a standard 40. The standard 40 is mounted upon the sub-base 38. The other end of the shaft is mounted in the standard 36 in a thrust bearing 41. A brake 42 is positioned between the standard 36 and the drum 14. The drum 14 is provided with a spiral groove 25 of the same pitch as the screw 43 in the end of the shaft 12 and in which six cables 15 are wrapped for substantially one and one half turns as in the embodiment of Fig. 1. The cables 15 extend downwardly through an opening 44 in the base 37 and a corresponding opening 51 in the sub-base 38. Upon actuation of the drum 14 by the motor 16, as described in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the same compensation for the travel of the cables 15 in the groove 25 occurs by reason of the travel of the entire base 37 carrying with it the motor and drum whereby each of the cables remain in their respective vertical planes. The bearing 39 and the shaft 12 are so constructed and arranged that no weight is carried by the hearing, all of the weight of the moving parts as well as the weight of the car 28, the cable 15 and counterweights 30 being carried by the frame or base 37.

Obviously, certain changes may be made and different combinations made of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the kind described, a base member, a sub-base member, a driven shaft, bearing supports in which said shaft is rotatably mounted, said bearing supports being fixedly mounted on the base member,

means preventing longitudinal movement of the shaft in its bearing supports, and a bearing fixedly mounted on the sub-base member, said bearing loosely fitting and having a threaded connection with the shaft, and said base member being supported upon and movable relative to the sub-base member.

2. In apparatus of the kind described, a base member, a sub-base member, a driven shaft, bearing supports in which saidshaft 1' is rotatably mounted, said bearing supports being fixedly mounted on the base member, means preventing longitudinal movement of the shaft in its bearing supports, a bearing fixedly mounted on the sub-base member, said bearing loosely fitting and having a threaded connection with the shaft, said base member being supported upon and movable relative to the sub-base member and roller bearings positioned between the lower face of the base member and the upper face of the sub-base member.

3. In apparatus of the kind described, a sub-base member, a base member mounted upon and movable relative to the sub-base member, a driven shaft, a cable drum fixedly mounted on the shaft, bearing supports upon which the shaft is rotatably mounted, said bearing supports being fixedly mounted on the base member, means preventing longitudinal movement of the shaft in said supports, and a bearing fixedly mounted on the subbase member, said bearing loosely fitting and having threaded connection with the shaft, whereby rotation of the shaft operates to move the base member, shaft and drum, longitudinally of the shaft.

4. In apparatus of the kind described, a sub-base member, a base member mounted upon and movable relative to the sub-base member, a driven shaft, a cable drum fixedly mounted on the shaft, bearing supports upon which the shaft is rotatably mounted, said bearing supports being fixedly mounted on the base member, means preventing longitudinal movement of the shaft in said sup ports, a bearing fixedly mounted on the subbase member, said bearing loosely fitting and having a threaded connection with the shaft and roller bearings positioned between the lower face of the base member and the upper face of the sub-base member.

5. In apparatus of the kind described, a sub-base member, a base member mounted upon and movable relative to the sub-base member, a driven shaft, a cable drum fixedly mounted on the shaft, bearing supports upon which the shaft is rotatably mounted, said bearing supports being fixedly mounted on the base member, means preventing longitudinal movement of the shaft in said supports, a bearing fixedly mounted on the subbase member, said bearing loosely fitting and having a threaded connection with the shaft operable to move the base member, shaft and drum longitudinally of the shaft when the shaft is rotated and driving mechanism fixedly mounted upon the base member operable to rotate the shaft.

6. In apparatus of the kind described, a sub-base member, a base member mounted upon and movable relative to the sub-base member, a driven shaft, a cable drum fixedly mounted on the shaft, said drum having a helical groove in its outer periphery, bearing supports upon which the shaft is rotatably mounted, said bearing supports being fixedly mounted on the base member, means preventinglongitudinal movement of the shaft in said supports, a bearing fixedly mounted on the sub-base member, said bearing loosely fitting and having a threaded connection with the shaft, and roller bearings positioned between the lower face of the base member and the upper face of the sub-base member.

7. In apparatus of the kind described, a sub-base member, a base member mounted upon and movable relative to the sub-base member, a driven shaft, a cable drum fixedly mounted on the shaft, said drum having a helical groove in its outer periphery, bearing supports upon which the shaft is rotatably mounted, said bearing supports being fixedly mounted on the base member, means preventing longitudinal movement of the shaft in said supports, a bearing fixedly mounted on the sub-base member, said bearing loosely fitting and having a threaded connection with the shaft, the pitch of the shaft and fixed bearing being the same as that of the helical groove, and roller bearings positioned between the lower face of the base member and the upper face of the sub-base member.

8. In apparatus of the character set forth, a shaft, a cable drum fixedly mounted on said shaft, bearing supports in which the shaft is rotatably mounted, a motor having its axis of rotation in alignment with the shaft for rotating said drum through the medium of said shaft, and means external of said bearing supports for moving the shaft and drum longitudinally as the shaft is rotated.

9. In apparatus of the character set forth, a shaft, a drum fixedly mounted on said shaft, bearing supports in which the shaft is rotatably mounted, means for moving said shaft and drum longitudinally as the shaft is rotated, driving means, and connecting means between said driving means and said shaft whereby the shaft is moved relative to said driving means while rotated thereby.

10. A device of the character set forth in claim 9, in which the connecting means comprises an expansion and contraction mechanism having at least one pair of links, one of said links being pivotally connected to the shaft and the other pivotally connected to the driving means while both of said links are pivotally connected to each other.

11. In combination: a shaft provided with a drum having a helical peripheral groove, smooth journals for said shaft, a motor casing and rotor for driving said shaft having its axis of rotation in alignment with the axis of said shaft, a thrust bearing for preventing longitudinal movement of said rotor within said motor-casing, means external of said journals for shifting said shaft longitudinally during the rotation thereof, a brake adapted to restrain rotation of said shaft,

and a cable in frictional engagement with a portion of said peripheral groove.

12. In combination: a sub-base member, a base member movably mounted on said sub-base and affording journals for a shaft, a shaft provided with a cable drum journaled in said base member, means for rotatin said shaft, and means for moving said shaft angitudinally with respect to said sub-base in timed relation to the rotation of said shaft.

13. A device as specified in claim 12, in which the base member is anti-frictionally supported on the sub-base by means of a plurality of roller bearings.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

BERNARD A. SCHROEDER.