US1904008A - Electrical interlock - Google Patents

Description

Apnl 18 1933' R. s. PEELLE ELECTRICAL INTERLOCK Original Filed April 27, 1928 ENTOAR ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 18, 1933 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE'r ROBERT S. PEELLE, OF HOLLIS, NEWv YORK, ASSIGOR TO THE PEELLE COMPANY, F1

BB-OGKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPGRATION OF NEW YORK ELECTRICAL INTECRLOCK Application filed April 27, i928, Serial No. 273,851. Renewed Gctober 28, 1932.

My invention relates to electrical interlocks, and more particularly to a mechanism `of this kind which is operated as a result of the movement of the door in connection with which it is used, and has associated therewith a lock member operative'to prevent the opening of a door at any time excepting when a car is in a predetermined position in relation to said lock member and the door controlled thereby.

It is a common practice to close door openings of elevator and other shafts, such as duinbwaiter shafts, by means of a. vertically slidable panel or panels. The most common door of this type, consists of two sections,

having at each side flexible connections running from one section to the other section and passing over sheaves so as toca-use simultaneous vertical movement of both sections in opposite directions. Single panel slide-up and slide-down doors are sometimes used however, my invention being applicable to any door having vertical movement irrespective of the detailed construction of this door.

The object of my present invention is to provide an electrical interlock wherein, when the door is in the closed position, the locking mechanism will be operative to prevent not only the opening of the door but the actuation of the interlock in a manner to interrupt the circuit to the motor actuating the elevator or dumbwaiter car, until the latter reaches a position adjacent the door controlled by said lock member.

In an installation of doors of the type to which my invention may be applied, there is ordinarily a series of door openings in the shaft, each of which is equipped with an interlock embodying the invention so as to permit the operation of the car only when all doors in the shaft are closed.

The lock mechanism embodied in the structure of my invention is automatic in all of its operations, the means carried by the'car co-operating therewith for the purpose of permitting the opening of a door being disengaged from this mechanism until opening movement is imparted to the door, or until the door is completelyclosed. This condition avoids the actuation of the locking mechanism of each door as a result of the travel of the car as the latter passes each opening closed by a door. Y.

lhile the locking mechanism of my invention is operative at all times excepting when an` elevator car is adjacent thereto, to prevent the opening of the door, there is, under normal conditions, no interlocking relation between the latch mechanism and the keeper member of the door, these parts coming into the operative relation to prevent movement of the door only in the event of an attempt to open the door. In fact, the keeper member and the latch member are soV constructed'that when the door is fully closed, the means co-operating with the car to permit the opening of the door is? normally so positioned as not to. be engaged by the car during the travel thereof. Since the switch mechanism of the electric interlock is actuated as a result of the movement of a door panel, and since it is essential to maintain a closed circuit by this mechamember of thisV Y nism during a short movement of the door 'section necessary for the actuation 0f the cooperating lock mechanism, Iprovide a special construction of electric interlock switch mechanism control to meet the conditions of actual use, although the general construction and arrangement of the switch mechanism is old in the arts. L

The invention consists primarily in a device of the character described embodying therein the combination with a vertically slidable door, of'a switch mechanism including cooperating movable and fixed Contact members, and means acting to normally-disengage said contact members, an oscillatory latch member associated with said switch mechanism, and a keeper bar immovably secured to and movable with said slidable door adapted to actuate said movable contact member and t'o be operatively engaged `by said latch member; and in such other novel features of construction and combination ofparts, as are hereinafterset forth and described, and more particularlypointed out in the claims hereto appended. Referring to the drawing, Y K Fig. l is a view of a fragmentary portion of a door structure embodying oppositely and vertically movable panels, and having associated therewith an electrical interlock embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof partly in section; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Likenumerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the accompanying drawing, the invention is illustrated in connection with a dumbwaiter door structure, but is equally applicable to elevator doors by a mere change in the dimension of parts and increased strength of the materials used. While it is shown as being operable upon the upper door section, which is preferable because the locking of this section will prevent any movement of the lower section when oppositely sliding sections are used, it is apparent that by merely reversing the whole attachment when assembling in relation to the door ystructure it may be also used in connection with a lock bar upon this lower section. lVhatever its manner of use, the operative effec-t, and the results secured, will be the same.

" VIn the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, 10 indicates the upper secside of the door is shown at 12. This contop of the block 22.

struction is merely typical of one construction of door with which the lock of my invention may beused.

The door sectionslO and 11 are mounted in suitable guideways 13 within a shaft in which a car 14 moves upwardly or downwardly. (See Fig. 3.)

Mounted adjacent the meeting line of the two sections 10 and 11 when the door is closed, is a switch housing 15 having a flange 16, by means of which it is secured in relation to the rail structure and to the wall of the shaft. v Y

Carried by and insulated from this housing are two spaced contact members 17 and 18 co-operating with which is a movable bridge contact member 19, slidably mounted upon a stem 20 of a plunger 21. This plunger is of insulating material and the contact members v17 and 18 are carried by an insulating block 22, a suitable insulating lining 23 being provided for the housing 15 adjacent this block. The casing 15 has opposite bearing openings forV the insulated plunger 21 and the lower end of the stem 20. A lined guide plate 24 for the stem 20 is secured to the Encircl.' ng the stem 20 and secured thereto is a spring 25 bearing against the movable contact member 19, which spring not only imparts movement from the stem 2O to the contact member 19, but permits movement of said stem after the engagement of said contact member 19 with the fixed contact members 17 and 18.

Acting upon the under face of the contact member 19 and seated in a spring seat formed in the block 22, is a restoring spring 26 having the normal function of moving the movable contact member 19 away from the fired contact members 17 and 18, and through the spring 25, of moving the plunger 21 outwardly of the housing 15.

The above construction establishes a condition where the contact member 19 will be automatically disengaged from the contact members 17 and 18 when'the plunger 21 is free to move outwardly of the casing 15 as a door is opened, and will have movement with said plunger 21toward vsaid fixed contact members 17 and 18 as a door is closed. By this condition, when the plunger 21 is free to have movement outwardly of the casing, the circuit controlled by the contact.

members 17, 18 and 19 will be opened, but when the plunger 21 is forced inwardly of said housing, said circuit will be closed.

The circuit controlled by the contact members 17, 18 and 19 is that utilized for imparting movement to the car, and hence the switch mechanism may be so actuated as to prevent the application of power to the car except when the doors are in the fully closed posit-ion. ThisV is the function of the ordinary electrical interlock and no claim of invention is made thereto.

The purpose of the present invention, is to so combine an'interlock having the above characteristics with a locking mechanism that when the doors are in the closed position and the interlock is so set as to close the circuit for operating the ear, this condition cannot be disturbed unless the car is at an openinO closed by the door with which the interlock is associated. y

To secure this result, l provide a latch lever y27 pivotally mounted upon the housing 15 of the interlock, which lever is provided with a hooked end 28 having a bevel 29 at the end of one arm thereof, and an offset member 30 carrying an impact roller 31 at the other end thereof. The offset member 30 is pivoted at 32 to one arm of the latch lever 27 and is adjustable about this pivot by means of the set screws 33 and 34.

` Carried by the door section 10, is a keeper bar 35 so formed as to pass about the guide rail structure 13 and be brought into engaging relation with the latch hook V28 and the plunger 21, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

By this construction, downward movenient of the door section 10 will, when the door is fully closed, force the plunger 21 inwardly of the housing l as a result of the engagement of the keeper bar 35 therewith, and at the same time will bring thiskeeper bar into operative relation with the hooked end 28 of the latch lever 27. If the hooked end 28 were to be engaged with the keeper bar .35, the impact roller 31 would be positioned inwardly of the shaft to an extent to be engaged by a cam or striker plate 36 occupying a fixed position on the car. With this arrangement, as the car progressed upwardly or downwardly through the shaft, each latch mechanism would be actuated thus causing noise and an undue wearrof parts.

To avoid this condition, my invention con`l templates a construction in which, while the keeper bar upon the closing of the door, will be brought into the operative relation to the latch member, the latch member will not be -f permitted to engage said keeper bar unless an attempt be made to open the door, The construction is such that when the door is closed, the hooked end 28 of the latch member will be out of engaging relation with the keeper bar 35 and the impact member 31 will be out of engaging relation with the cam or striker 36 upon the car. With the initial opening movement ofthe door, however, the hook 28 will immediately be engaged with the keeper bar 35 unless movement of the impact member 31 is prevented by the presence of the cam or striker meme ber 36 in its path, which can occur only when a car is at the opening adjacent which the latch mechanism under consideration is situated. Y

To secure the above conditions, I provide the latch lever 27 with a cam member 37 positioned below the hooked end 28 of the latch lever a distance in excess of the depth of the keeper member 35 and so located that when the doors are in the fully closedposition, the projecting end of said keeper bar 35, by engagement with said cam, will force the arm of the latch lever 27 carrying the hooked end 28 inwardly of the shaft to an extent to position the impact member 31 toward the wall of the shaft and out of the path of the striker or cam 36 upon the car. The latch lever cam 37 does not interlock with the keeper bar 35 of the door section carrying same, and hence a limited opening movement of the door is permitted, which movement, however, is insutlicient to cause the breaking of the circuit controlled by the contact members 17, 18 and 19. l

Acting upon one arm of the latch lever 27 is a spring 38 having a normal tendency to impart such movement to the latch lever 27 as will engage the hooked end 28 thereof with the keeper bar 35 when these parts are in the proper co-operating relation and force the impact member 31 inwardly of the shaft in the path of movement of the striker member or cams 36 upon the car.

lever cam member 37, thus It is desired to'emphasize that when the door is in the closed position, the hooked -end 28 of the latch lever 27 isout of engaging relation with the keeper bar 35, and that the impact member 31 is out of the path of the striker member. or cam 36, and yet with the parts in this vposition it is impossible to open the door except to an extent insutlicient toV actuate the interlock unless the striker member or cam 36 is in aposition to Vbe engaged by the impact member 31.

The reason for the above will `more fully appear with a detailed description of the mode of operation of the mechanism herein described, which follows In the accompanying drawing the door is shown in the fully closed position. Itwill be noted `that when in this position, the keeper bar 35 is engaged' with the plunger 2l, the

weight of the door holding the springsv and 26 .under compression and the contactV members 17, 18 and 19 in engaging relation so asto close the circuit controlled thereby. Said keeper bar is also engaged with the latch hooked end 28 of said lever at one side of the plane of movement of the keeper bar 35, and the impact member 31 at one side of the plane of` movement of the striker or cam 36 carried by the car 14. Of course the spring '38 will be under tension at all times. With the above conditions, it will be noted that the elevator car may. pass any door in a shaft withoutrhaving any voperative eifect upon the locking mechanism of that door, and that there is no restraint upon'opening movement of the door so far as the interlocking of parts is concerned. vIn fact to all intents and purposes the door is not locked but will be locked onlyy in the event of an f attempt to open the door when a car is not present at the opening closed thereby. 'For example, if with the relation of parts as shown in Fig. 2 in full lines, the opening of the door be attempted, the keeper bar 35 in j its upward movement will be disengaged from the latch lever cam member 37 and permit the spring 38 to rock the latch lever so as toy bring the hooked latch member 28 into the path of movement of, and engagement with, said keeper bar and'thus prevent further'opening movement of the door, the latch lever assuming the position shown in dotted lines. It will be. noted that the striker or cam 36 carried by the car 14 is not in the operative relation to the impact member 31 and hence permits this movement of the latch lever 27.

The movement of the keeper bar 35, before its engagement rwith the hooked end 28 of the latch lever 27, is insuficient to permit movement of the plunger 21 outwardly of thehousing 15 to an extent to disengage the contact members 17, 18 and 19.

If, however, the striker or cam 36 is in positioning the free Cil

the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, movement ofthe latch lever 27" is prevented, owing to the engagement of the impact member 3l with the striker or cam 36. Hence when the elevator car is properly positioned in relation to the door structure so that the opening of the door cannot result in the e2:- posure of the shaft from the floor side of the shaft opening in a manner which might result in an accident, the door may be opened.

The interposition of the striker or cam 36 in the path ofmovement of the impact member 31 does not in any sense release the lock upon the door, but merely prevents the setting of the lock.

A striker or cam 36 is used upon the car 14: so that if a door is not fully closed, but the hooked member 28 of the latch lever 2 7 is nevertheless engaged with the keeper bar 35, there will be no interference withV the travel of the elevator or dumbwaiter car.

The locking mechanism and its appurtenances are in their entirety within the shaft and inaccessible from the Yfloor side of the shaft opening, and hence cannot be interfered with.

The interlock of the invention may be effectively used with one or more shaft openings, although equipment of this kind is usually employed only when there are a considerable number of openings in a shaft and when power operated cars are used.

When opening a door, very slight movement of the keeper bar 35 beyond the hooked end 28 of the latch lever will result in the interruption of the circuit by the movementofthe Contact member 19 out of engaging relation with the fixed contact members 17 and 18, the spring 26 causing this separation of the contacts as well as the upward movement of the plunger 2l. v

Under normal conditions, the tension of the springs 25 and 26 will be balanced. With the inward movement of the plunger 2l, the tension of the spring 25 will over-balance that of the spring 26, but with the disengagement of the keeper bar 35 from said plunger i 2l, both springs will act to move this plunger upwardly through its stem 20. `The spring 26, however, is relied upon solely to move the contact member 19 away from the contactmembers 17 and 18. Both springs are of fairly light tension so as to avoid any possible movement of the door thereby. rlhe spring 25 is provided merely for the Vpurpose of permitting movement of the plunger in excess of that required to bring the ycontact members into the engaging relation necessary to close the circuit controlled thereby. This avoids any eXtreme nicety in the adjustment of the contacts or in the movements of the plunger under the control of the door section, and at the same time permits that slight movement of the keeper bar which results in the setting of the lock in the manner above .electrical interlock. When so used, the electrical features of the device, as to the lock mechanism `on oneside of the door, may be dispensed Vwith entirely.

The functioning of the lock mechanism of my invention is entirely automatic, being con- -trolledeither by the position of the car in the shaft or by the movements of the door.

When a door is closed, although it is not locked, it cannot be opened except under conditions determined by the location of the car with relation to the opening closed by the door. If it be attempted to open the door when the car is not in the proper position, the locking mechanism, will automatically function to prevent a movement of the door suflicient to permit access to the shaft or to cause the interruption of the application .of power to the car. The arrangement of parts is such that the power for operating the car cannot be interrupted excepting when the car is opposite a shaft opening.

Ordinarily the car equipment is such that the limits of ltravel of the car are predetermined by the character of the installation, or' by its automatic controls, the construction and mode of koperation of the lock mechanism being such that it is especially adapted for use with cars in which the control of the doors is entirely from the floor side of the shaft. Of course the lock mechanism may be effectively used when the car has an occupant or an operator, if it be applied to freight elevator cars, but its special field of utility is in connection with elevator or dumbwaiter equipment where the car is-moved from fioor to floor under hall' controls and the doors are required to be opened from the floor side of the shaft.`

Under ordinary circumstances, the function ofthe device is such that a door may be opened only when the car is at rest adjacent ,the shaft opening closed thereby. lVhile the length of the striker or cam 36 affords a the movement of the door with the movement of the car, the .door at any loor might be opened just as theV car reaches that floor. This, however, will not introduce any factor danger to the one opening the door since the power of the car would be immediately interrupted. Y

The construction and arrangement of parts is such, however, that a large measurev of se Having described the invention,` what I claim as new and desire to. have protected byI Letters Patent, is

l. A device of the character described embodyingtherein the combination with a vertically slidable door, of a switch mechanism including co-operating movable and fixed contact members, and means acting to normally disengage said contact members, an oscillatory latch member associated with said switch mechanism, and a keeper Ybar immovably secured to and movable with said slidable door adapted to actuate said movable contact member and to be operatively engaged by said latch member.

2. A device of the character described embodying therein the combination withl a vertically slidable door, of a switch mechanism -including co-operating movable and iXed Contact members, and means acting to normally disengage said contact members, an oscillatory latch member associated with said switch mechanism, a keeper bar immovably secured to and movable with said slidable door adapted to actuate said movable contact member and to be operatively engaged by said latch member, means tending to normally engage said latch member with said keeper, a cam having movement with a car, and an impact member carried by said latch member and engageable by said cam to prevent the engagement of said latch member with said keeper.

3. A device of the character described embodying therein the combination with a vertically slidable door, of a switch mechanism including co-operating movable and Xed contact members, and means acting to normally disengage said Contact members, a latch member associated with said switch mechanism, a keeper carried by and movable with said slidable door adapted to actuate said movable contact member and to be operatively engaged by said latch member,

controlled by that of the means tending to vnorlilally.'engage said latch member with Y said keeper, a cam having movement with` a car, an Vimpact member carried by said latch member and engageable by said cam to preventthe engagement of said latclrmember with -said keeper, and means engageable by said keeper whereby said latch member,when the door ispclosed, is normally held out of engagement with said keeper, but is permitted to engage said keeper upon opening movement of the doorunless said cam is in the operative relation to said.

impact member, and said impact member is normally held out of the of said cam. Y

1l. A device of the character described em.- bodying therein the combination with a vertically slidable door, a switch mechanismv including co-operating movable and iXed Contact members, means acting to normally disengage said contact members, a keeper carried by and movable lwith said slidableV door adapted to actuate said movable contact member, a latch lever mounted adjacent said switch mechanism having a hooked member at one end adapted to operatively engage said keeper,and a cam adjacent said hooked member also adapted to be engaged# by said keeper and normally maintain said hooked end out of engaging relationtherewith when a door is closed, means tending to normally engage said hooked end with said keeper, a cam having movement with a car, and an impact member carried by said latch lever` and engageable by said cam to prevent the engagement of said hooked end with said keeper, said impact member being normally held out of the path of said cam when the door is closed by the engagement of said keep.- er with the cam upon said latch lever.

5. A device of the characted described embodying therein thecombination with a vertically slidable door, of a switch vmechanism path of movement including spaced iixed contacts, a movable i plunger, a movablefcontact carried byy said plunger, means whereby said movable contact will have movement with saidplunger and said plunger may lhave movement in eX- cess of the movement of said movable contact, and means adapted tordisengage said movable contact from said liXed contacts and impart movement to said plunger, .an oscillatory latch member associated with said switch mechanism, a keeper bar immovably secured to and movable with said slidable door adapted to operatively engage said plunger and to'be operatively engaged by said latch member, means tending to nor.-k

nially engage said latch member with .said keeper, a cam having movement with the car, and an impact member carried by said `latch member and engageable by said cam to pre.-j

vent the engagement of said latch member with said keeper.

6. A device of the character described em.-

3.073 bodying ther-ein `50 able with a vertically bodyfingtherein the combination` with -a vertically slidable door,I a switch mechanism including' spaced Xed contacts, a movable ,plunger, a movable vcontact carried by said fplunger, means whereby said movable contact will have movement with said plunger and said plunger may have movement in excess of the movement of said movable contact.I and vmeans adapted to disengage said movable lcontact from said fixed contacts and impart movement to said plunger, a latch lever mounted adjacent said switch mechanism having a hooked member at one end adapted to operatively engage said keeper, and a cam l'5i-"adjacent said hooked member also adapted to be engaged by sai-d keeper and normally maintain said hooked end out of engaging relation therewith when a door is closed, means tending to normally engage said 203hooked end with said keeper, a cam having m-ovement with a car, and an impact member carried by said latch lever and engageable by said cam to prevent the engagement of said 4hooked end with said keeper, said im- 'pact member being normally' held out of the i also adapted to be engaged by said keeper to'normally maintain said hooked end out of engaging relation therewith when a door is closed, means tending to normally engage saidl hooked end with said keeper, a cam 5103 having movement with a car, and an impact member carried by said latch lever and engageable by said cam to prevent the engagement of said'hooked end with said keeper, said impact member being normally held out 455 of the path of said cam when the door is closed by the engagement of said keeper with th-e cam upon said latch lever.

8. A device of the character described em-v bodying therein a keepercarried by and mov slidable door, a-latch lever having a hooked member at one end adapted to operatively engage said keeper, and a cam adjacent said hooked member and also a-dapted to be engaged by said keeper to f normally maintain said hooked lend out of engaging relation therewith when a door is-y closed, means tending to normally engage said hooked 'end with said keeper, a cam having movement with a car,

"6U an arm adjustably mounted in relation to the end of'said lever opposite said hook, and an impact member carried by said arm and engageable by said cam to prevent the engagement of said hooked end with said keeper,

- said impact member being normally held out of theJpath of said cam when the door is closed by the engagement of said keeperwith the cam upon said latch lever.

9. A device of the character described embodying therein the combination with a vertically slidable door, of a switch mechanism including co-operating movable and iXedV contact members, and means acting to normally disengage said contact members, .an oscillatory latch member associated with sai-fl switch mechanism, a keeper bar immovably secured and movable with said slid-able door adapted toactuate said movable contact member and to be operatively 4engaged by said latch member, means tending to engage said latch member with said keeper bar, a member carried by a car, and means engageable with said member, whereby the engagementV of sai-d latch member with said keeper bar is prevented.

l0. A device of the character described embodying therein thecombination with a vertically slidable door, of a switch mechanism including co-operating movable and fixed contact members, and means acting to normally disengage said contact members, a latch member associated with said switch 1nechanism, means carried by and movable with said slid-able door adapted to actuate said movable contact member and to be operatively engaged by sai-d latch member, means tendf ing to engage said latch member with said means carried by andmcvable with the door, means carried by said latch member adapted to engage said means carri-ed by and movable with the door, whereby when sai-d door is fully closed, engagement oi' said latch member with the means co-operating therewith is prevented, and means engageable with a member c-arried bya car, whereby the engagement of said latch member with said means carried by and movable with the door is prevented. Y

In witness whereof I have hereunto aiixed my signature, this25th day of April, 1928.

ROBERT S. PEELLE.

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