US1873765A - Elevator car signal device - Google Patents

Description

Filed Nov. 21, 92

D. W. HUGHES ET AL ELEVATOR CAR SIGNAL DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M A I 2L 3 29 E .v// 28 L4 32" ATTORNEYS ELEVATOR CAR SIGNAL DEVICE Filed Nov. 21. 1927' zsheets-sheet 2 0 341 C) K 47 I F5 3 C) 36/ 36 ill/r 2 Q czcqgw I 0 36" 38 l NV TO 57 g%z?% &

' ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 23, 1932 Dawn w. humans, or mmxmm aim cnmns E. ELLIS, m, on NEW Yemen. 1., p assmnons, BY unsrm ASSIGNMENTS, ro wnsrmonousn' macrrmc ELEVATQBOOI- v, PANY, orcmcaeo, ILLINOIS, a; conroaArIonorILL-mom 1 ELEVATOR can SlfGNAL DEVICE.

mam filed n vember 21; 1927. sca to. 234,552.

I This invention relatesto elevator signal devicesand has particularreference to operatorssignal' devices placed in the interior of an elevator car; In theoperation of ele:

vators of the'usual type, it'is the customary practice for the several passengers to call the oornumbers to which they wish to be carried and the operator bears these floor numbers inmindand subse uently stops the car 1 at therespective floors w ich have been called in orderto discharge the; passengers. In addition to this procedure, theoperatoris obliged to comply with visual 'or' audible sig nals-in the car which indicate that persons are waiting to be taken aboard theear at certain other floors.v This confusing procedure frequently causes the operator to inadvertently ass 'some of the floors which have been cal ed by the several passengers, especially during rush hours when the car isfilled and many floors have been called so that he must reverse the'car and return to these called floors in order to discharge the'pass'e'ngers. This is attended by considerable confusion and loss of time, and frequently causes failurein theproperope'ration of many of the elevator dispatching and signallingisystems which depend for their proper operation upon the theory that all elevator carsin' the bank will proceed continuously in the same direction during each upward and downward trip,a's well as those'systems which operate upon the premise that all cars maintain a relative distance between each other within certain limits so that a slow car, in falling behind schedule, disturbs thewhole signalling system unless that caris lockedout of the system the moment it falls, behind-schedule by more than a certainpredetermined distance ortime. 3 j, g y It is the principal object of this invention to provide anielevator car signal device which is controlled jointly by the operator and in synchronism with the movement ofthecar, and which is drivenin acc ordance with the movementiof the car forproducing signals for the operator in order to remind him of the particular floors which have been called by the several passengers in the car." This signal operates independentlyof all other signalling apparatus pertaining to the car and is auxiliary thereto so that it may be readily installed in all types of elevator systems and cars.. I The newisignal' deviceis placed in each elevator car withinconv'enient reach and in view of the operator. A sequential series of push buttons are -provided, one for each of the several floors, each of these buttons being adapted to make, and maintain electrical contact with a corresponding energizedsegment of a commutator upon pressureapplied by'th'e'oper'ator to a particular-push button corresponding to a particular floor when a I passenger calls that floor. A series' of brushes are driven along this commutator in synchronism-w'ith themovement of the car, one of these brushesbeingjspaced ahead of the relative positionofthe carwith respect to the commutator, so asto give a signal when the 'carapproaches within a predetermined distance, say two floors, of the floor at which the "car is to stop for discharging the pass'em ger who called that floor, A second brush follows the'first brush andgives a second signal when the car reaches a position nearer the signalled floor than the position at-which. the first sign'al was given, say one floor. Ac-

cor'ding'ly, the first signal is intended to advise the operator at which floor he is to stop and to slow down, whereas the second: signal advises th operator that he is nearing the proper floor. Inasmuch as onlythose commutator segmentswhich have been placed in circuit by the operator whenhe pressed the push buttons corresponding to the called floors are energized, the signals willonly be given 'for those floorswhichhave been called.

If the second signal is maintained while the car'is standing at a floor, theoperator is advised that the next. succeeding floor had also 'beencalled'. The new signal has especial ad:

vantage in elevator systems in which-automatic 'floorlandingor levelling devicesare used for bringing'the cars tothe exact floor level within the operating zone of the automatic floor landing or levellingjdevlce, in that the operator initiates movement to stop upon observing the first signal and allows the car to coast into the floor landing orlevelling device -zone, whereupon the floor landing or levelling device appropriates the control of the car to bring it to the level of the called floor, thus making ordinary elevator systems semi-automatic in operation. A disconnect device accompanies the brushes and operates in accordance with their movements to break the contact of the several buttons with their corresponding commutator segments after the car has passed the particular floors corresponding to those buttons, thus extinguishing the signal after the car has passed the called floor. It is also preferred that a light or other floor number signal be energized for each floor which the car passes so that the operator and the passengers will always know the relative position of the car merely by ob.- serving the car position signal. This pro; vision is of especial advantage in instances where completely closed elevator cars are employed where the floors cannot be observed from within as the car passes them.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the elevator car signal device of this "invention shown in connection with an elevator car;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the elevator car signal device; V

Figure 3 is an outside view of the device as it appears within the elevator car; and

Figure 4 illustrates the means employed for adjusting the floor signal brushes.

In these drawings numeral 10 designates an elevator car carried by cable 11 which passes over driving sheave 12, then over idler sheave 13, back over another sheave adjacent to driving sheave 12 and connected at its free end to counter weight 14. The car 10 is operated by the usual manual controller 16, whereas the signal indicator of this invention may be conveniently placed at A within ready reach and view of the operator.

Idler sheave 13 drivesaselfsynchronous,stepby-step, or like type of electrical transmitter 16 by means of shaft 17 connected thereto. Tlie mechanism of device is shown in an enlarged diagram to the right of the car 10 in Fig. 1. This transmitter 16 is electrically connected by conductors in a slack cable 13 tn a receiver motor 19 carried by the elevator car 10, so that the rotation of receiver 19 is synchronous with the rotation of idler sheave 13, and consequently is also synchronous with or proportional to themovements ofthe elevator car 10 in either direction. Theshaft 20 of receiver motorv is connected to unaligned shaft 21 through a slip coupling 23, so that a relative movement between shafts 20 and 21 is possible under certain conditions without damage to the driving or driven parts. Shaft 21 is provided with a leadscrew 22 and upper and lower stops 24 and 24, respectively. nut 25 is mounted upon lead screw 22 so as to move axially along the screw upon rotation of the latter by receiver motor 19. Mounted upon and movable with nut 25 is a brush carriage 26 and a second brush carria e 27.

Brush carriage 27 is provide with brushes 28 and 29 which are maintained in sliding contact with conductor bars 30 and 31, respectively, which are connected to the respective positive and negative leads of any suitable source of current, such as the usual lighting circuit of the elevator car. Brushes 28 and 29 are connected to and energize electric light globe 32 also mounted upon carriage 27, which is adapted to move as the car 10 moves so as to be positioned successively behind a EIies of lenses 33, which successively repre: sent the several floors of the building in which the elevator isoperated. These lenses 33 may be provided with the numerals of the several floors which they correspond so that the relative position of the car may be ob,- served at all times by the passengers as well as by the operator, merely by glancing at the particular lens which is illuminated by light 32. These lenses 33 are suitably mounted in openings formed in the cover 34 of the housing 35 which contains all or the majority of the mechanism comprising the device of this invention.

Brush carriage 26 is provided with a vertical cross arm 36 having vertical slots 36 and 36 at opposite sides of the carriage, as shown in F igs 1 and 4. Adjustably mounted in slot 36 are a pair of brushes 37 and 37/ while brushes 38 and 38 are similarly mounted in slot 36-. These brushesv normally engage commutator 39 which consists of a plurality of commutator segments 40 insulated from each other, and mounted upon i a strip of insulating material 41 suitably secured in housing 35 as shown in Fig. 2. Each of commutator segments 40 is provided with a contact 42 which is normally spaced from a co-operating contact 43 mounted on a leaf spring 44 and controlled by a push button 45,. This push button is provided with a slot or notch which is engaged by a laterally movable keeper 46 when push button 45 is pressed to make connection between contacts 42 and 43. Keeper 46 is slidably mounted in a pair of frames 47 and 48 attached to the cover 34 of housing 35, and is normally constrained toward the left, as seen in Fig.2, by spring 49. and is projected toward the left by this spring when it is released by pressure upon push button 45, since the keeper may then engage the slot or notch in button 45 and hold it in advanced position so as to maintain the connection between contacts 42 and 43. Contacts 43 are connected in parallel to a bus bar 50 connected to the negative side of the electrical supply line, as shown in Fig. 1, and when engaging contacts 42 are effective to prepare the corresponding signal circuits. v i

Brush carrier 26 is provided with brushes 51 and 52 which contact with conductor bars 53 and 54, respectively. Conductor bar 53 is connected through a colored lamp 55, whichmay be red for example, to,the positive side of the electrical supply line. Conduc'tor bar 54 is similarly connected through electric lamp 56, whichmay be green for example, to the positive side of theelectrical supply line, thisiline being controlled by a switch 57 provided in housing 35, whereby, the electrical connections of the device may be disconnected by the operator. Brushes 37 and 38 are connected to brush 51 while brushes 3'7" and 38' are connected to brush 52. Accordingly, when the circuit is made from the positive side of the electrical supply line through conductor bar 53, brush 51, brush 37, commutator segment 40, contacts 42 and 43, which are closed by pressure hitVr ing been applied to button by the operator, andbus bar to the negative side of the electrical supply line, red lamp will be illuminated. Similarly, whenibutton 45 is pressed by'the operator, the circuit will be completed from the positive side of the electrical supply line through conductor bar 54, brush 52, brush 37', commutator segment 40, contacts 42' and 43', and bus bar:

50 to the negative side of the electrical sup ply line, whereby green lamp 56 is illuminated. Brushes 37 and 37' lead when the elevator car travels upwardly, whereas brushes 38 and 38' lead when the car travels downwardly, and are energized with such segments of commutator 39 as have been ene'rgized by their corresponding buttons 45 which have been pressed by the operator.

Nut 25 carries athird arm 58, as shown in Fig. 2, this arm being provided with a roller, cam or the like, 59, which moves with nut 25 in a vertical path adjacent the ends of keepers 46. When the buttons corresponding to the keepershave not been actuated by the operator, the keepers remain in their normal retracted position and roller 59 passes them freely as it advances in proportion to the motion of the car. However, when certain of the buttons, such as those designated 45 and 45' in Fig. 1, have been actuated, they are locked in advanced position by their keepers 46 and 46' while these keepers are simul taneously moved toward the lift'bytheir springs 49 so that they project into the path of-roller 59. Accordingly, as roller 59 passes these propecting keepers, it forces them toward the right against' the pressure of springs 49 and out of the notches 'of buttons 45 and 45, whereby the latter are released and return to their normal position, while at the same time contacts '42 and-43 and 42 and 43 are separated to break the circuit through the green and red lights. As

illustrated i'nFig. 1, contacts 42' and 43" will be released and green light56 extinguished first, since the car is travelling upwardly and keeper46"is engaged by' roller 59 first. The adjustment of "electrically paired brushes37 ,1 38, and 37' and 38', upon cross arm 36 of brush carriage 26 so'as to be spaced ahead of the relative position of the car which is represented' by-light 32,'depends u'ponthenorrnal operating speed of the" par: ticular elevator car to'which the signal device is to be applied,"since the operator must be advised of the called floor a suificient distance or time "before the car reaches that floor so as to readily bring the car to rest at" that floor, or, if floor lock devices are used,'to bring the car nearly to full stop within the zone of operation of the floor *lock device, whereupon the floor lock temporarily app'ro priates the control of the car to bring it to the floor level. The distance fromthe. called floor atwhich the car operator mustv shut oil the controller in order to stop the car at'th'a't floorvaries for difierentmakes of elevator systems. Forjexamp'le, for one typeof ele vator system, in which the carsnonnally travel at the speed of six hundred'feet" per minute, it is necessary'to'shut" ofi the" power whenthe cars reacha'point from 20 to12 feet ahead of the called floors in order to bring them to full stop at those floors. ,For'an other type of system operating at thesame approximate car speed, one floor and ten feet is required whereas in two other Y elevator systems which operate cars at approximate normal speeds of seven hundred feet per minute, stopping sp'a'ces of from '25 to 15. feet ahead or onefloor andf15 feetahead are ne'c es'sary, and thelike; 1accordingly,the spacing of commutator brushes 37,37 and'38, 38'.

must be adjustedforieach make of elevator system to account for theirtrespective car speeds and momentum. I

Let it be-assumed. for purposes of illustration thatit is necessary to shutoff the power two floors ahead of the calledfioorv in order to bring'the carto rest at that floor. iiB rushes 37'and 38'arethen adjusted in slots 36 and 36", respectively, so that the vertical distance' between each brush and light 32, which represents the relative position of the car, is two of commutator segments 40, each of which represents the floor of the buildin g'. Brushes 37 'and 38 are adjusted in their re spective slots 36 and 36 so that thespaces between themand light 32 equivalent to its one commutator segment: space, representing one floor of the building, 7 I

' In the operation ofthe signal device of this invention, let it be assumed .that two passengers-in elevator. car 10 call floors seven and eight when the car starts upwardly. The operator'thenpresses buttons 45" and 45 core responding-to floors seven and eight,'r'espec-' tively, as marked on the cover 34 of the signal device mounted at 16 in the car. As buttons 45 and 45 are pressed they cause contacts 42 and 43 and 42, 43 to engage energizing commutator segments 40 and 40, while keepers 46 and 46, respectively, are projected to the left by their springs 49 so that they engage the notches of buttons 45 and 45 to hold them in their advanced position, while at the same time the left-hand ends of keepers 46' and 46 are projected into the normal path of roller or cam 59 of brush carriage 26. As the car moves upwardly, transmitter 16 is rotated by idler sheave 13, so as to simultaneously rotate receiver 19 in synchronism with the movements of car 10. This rotation is transmitted to shafts 20 and 21 and screw 22, causing nut 32 and brush carriages 26 and 27 to travel upwardly at a rate proportional to the upward rate of travel of car 10. Light 32, in moving with carriage 27, flashes successively through lenses 33 corresponding to the successive floors, so that the operator and the passengers can observe the position of the car, merely glancing at the particular lens 33 which is illuminated.

As the car reaches the fifth floor, leading brush 37 engages energized commutator segment 40, thereby completing the circuit through brush 51, conductor bar 53 and red light 55 placed at the top of the signal box, thereby informing the operator that he is two floors away from called floor seven, and that he must shut off the power in order to bring the car to rest at floor seven. As the car proceeds, second brush 37' also passes upon energized commutator segment 40 as brush 37 passes therefrom, whereby the circuit is made through brush 52, conductor bar 54 and green light 56, thereby advising the operator that he is one floor away from the called floor seven. These signal lights and brushes may also be arranged so that the first light warns the operator that he is approaching the called floor, while the second light will inform him when to shut off the power. Inasmuch as button for floor eight has also been pressed, red light 55 again flashes immediately as brush 37 passes upon segment 40 and at the same approximate time that green light 56 flashes, thus informing the operator that he must stop the car at the next succeeding or eighth floor also.

As the car is brought to rest at the seventh floor to discharge the passenger who called that floor, roller 59 of the brush carriage engages the projecting end of keeper 46', moving it toward the right to release button 45, whereupon the circuit through red light 55 is broken and button 45 is reset. While standing at the seventh floor, the operator observes that green light 56 has remained lighted since its brush 37 has passed upon energized segment 40. He is then reminded that he must stop at the eighth floor and that he may not put on full speed since he has only one floor to go and only one floor length in which to bring the car to a stop, whereas two floors are necessary in which to stop the car when it is travelling at normal full speed. Again, as the operator stops the car at the eighth floor to discharge the passenger who called that floor, roller 59 engages the projecting end of keeper 46 to unlock button 45 and extinguish green light 56, red light 55 having been previously extinguished as leading brush 37 moved from the last energized commutator segment 40.

In proceeding downwardly on the return trip the same procedure takes place, except that leading brush 38 for red light 55 and second brush 38 for green light 56. appropriate the commutator segments which may have been energized by the operator when he presses buttons corresponding to called floors. Over-running stops 24 and 24' are provided at the upper and lower end of screw 22, which are adapted to be engaged by nut 25 if the car should happen to overrun its normal travel in either direction. If nut 25 engages e ther one of these stops, slipping takes place in slip coupling 23, so that no breakage can result in the signal device mechanism. Inasmuch. as the brushes 37, 37 and 38, 38 lead the brush carriage 26 representing the position of the car, a number of dead commutator segments are provided at each end of commutator 39 so as to provide a support and smooth continuous path for the brushes.

The new signal device provides a very effective reminder of the called floors for the elevator car operator so that elevator systems of all types provided with this device may be operated more efiiciently and expeditiously and with improved passenger service. By providing these signal devices on elevator systems using floor landing and levelling devices for bringing the several cars to the level of the called floors, the operation of these systems may be improved and made semi-automatic, without incurring the expense and employing the complicated mechanisms used in the automatic or semi-automatic elevator control mechanisms in current use. Inasmuch as the device operates wholly independently of the other signal apparatus of the elevator system, complications do not attend its use and it does not interfere with the other signal apparatus. l/Vhile certain particular mechanisms and connections have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that it lies within the scope of the invention to change and modify such mechanism and connections as requirements may demand.

We claim:

1. In a signalling system for an elevator car operable past a plurality of floors, an elevator car, a signal carried by said car for indicating that a stopis to be made, a circuit for energizing said signal,'a push-buteach floor, said push buttons being lineally arranged on the panel in a consecutive row corresponding to the consecutive floors, a carposition indicator on the car, means for mounting said car-position indicator for lineal movement in juxtaposed relation to said push-button panel whereby its osition relative to the respective buttons wi 1 be indicative of the position of the car relative to the corresponding floors, and means for actuating said ear position indicator in accordance with the movements of the car.

2. In a signalling system for an elevator car operable past a plurality of floors, an elevator car, a signal carried bysaid car for indicating that a stop is to be made, a circuit for energizing said signal, a push-button panel mounted on said car, a plurality of pushbuttons one of which corresponds to each floor, said push buttonsbeing lineallyv 'i arranged on the panel in a consecutive row corresponding to the consecutive floors, each of said buttons being so connected into the signal circuit that it is adapted to partially complete the circuit when moved to its circuit-closing position, a floor selector means carried by the car comprising a member movable lineally over a predetermined path adj acent said push buttons, means for moving said selector meansto a position along said path representing the position of the car with respect to sai d floors and elements disposed adjacent said predetermined path for completing the signal circuit when said movable member attains a position where the signal circuit has been partially completed bya corresponding push button, a car-position indicator actuated by said floor selector and mounted adjacent said push-button panel whereby its position relative to the push buttons may be readily compared and will be indicative of the position of the car relative to the floors.

3. In a signalling system for an elevator car operable past a plurality of floors, an elevator car, a signal carried by said car for indicating that a stop is to be made, a circuit for energizing said signal, a push-button panel mounted on said car, a plurality of push buttons mounted on the panel, one for each of said floors, each of said buttons being so connected into the signal circuit that it is adapted to partially complete the circuit when moved to its circuit-closing position, a floor-selector means carried by'the car including a member movable over a predetermined path representing the position of the car with respect to said floors and elements disposed adjacent said predetermined path for completing the signal circuit when said movable member attains a position where the signal has been partially completed by a corresponding push utton, a car-position indicator actuated by said floor selector and mounted adjacent said push-button panel whereby its position relative to the push buttons may be readily compared and will be indicative of the position of the car relative to the floors, and means actuated by said floor selector for restoring each depressed push button individually as the car arrives at the corresponding floor.

4. In a signalling system for an elevator car operable past a plurality of floors, an elevator car, a signal carried by said car for indicating that a stop is to be made, a circuit for energizing said signal, a push-button panel mounted on said car, a plurality of push buttons mounted on the panel, one for each of said floors, each of said buttons being so connected into the signal circuit that it is adapted to partially complete the circuit when moved to its circuit-closing position, a floor selector means carried by the car including a member movable over a predetermined path representing the position of the car with respect to said floors and elements disposed floor selector for restoring each depressed push button individually as the car arrives at the corresponding floor.

5. In a signalling system for an elevator car operable past a plurality of floors, an elevator car, a signal carried by said car for indicating that a stop is to be made, actuable means carried by the car and individual to said floors for preparing circuits for the signal, and floor-selector means onsaid car, operable in correspondence with the position of said car for completing the circuits which have been prepared for said signal upon the approach of the car to an floor for which one of said actuable means as been actuated, said floor selector means including a member positioned for engaging and restoring each actuable means as the car approaches the

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