US2100882A - Elevator gate - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 30,1937. I C:l TAM$|TT 2,100,882

'IIII I m1 11 1 i 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 30, 1937. J. c. TAMslTT ELEVATOR GATE Filed April 27, 193e Patented Nov. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES EmvA'ron. GATE Joseph C. Tamsitt, Aurora/Ill., assigner to Richards-Wilcox Manufacturing Company, Aurora, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application April 27; 1936, Serial No. '116,536

s claims.

The present invention relates generally to gates and particularly to gates for elevator cars or cabs, and the principal object of the present invention is the provision of a exible gate of the picket type that is adapted to be moved away from the elevator car opening and around the corner and along one side of the ca'r itself.

Heretofore, gates of this general construction have usually been made up of a plurality of ally in the nature of rods and metallic hinges, all supported for individual pivot movement from suitable hangers movable along a track carried by the car. While such gates have` generally been fairly satisfactory, they are relatively heavy, expensive, involve many pivoted parts, hinge pins, and the like, and, moreover, have been noisy in operation.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is the provision of a gate for an elevator car in which the picket members are rigidly connected with the associated hanger members and are connected together for relative folding or hinging movement, so as to pass around the corner of the car, by one or more non-metallic exible belts or bands which are securely clamped to the individual picket members. Such belt or band means, according to the principles of the present invention, is in the nature of a relatively sturdy band or bands of rubber and fabric or the like, which, while securely holding the picket members in proper position, possesses sucient flexibility so that all articulated joints, hinge pins and the like can be eliminated, rendering the gate light in Weight and smooth and silent in operation, but without detracting from either the appearance or the strength of the gate.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of improved guide means for a gate of this character, involving nonmetallic members carried at the lower end of each of the picket members and movable in a suitable channel guideway in the car. Since the lower members, movable in the associated guideway, are nonmetallic, very little if any noise is created by the opening and closing of the elevator car gate.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved picket member for said gates, specifically a hollow rod of suitable cross section receiving a hanger strap at its upper end and carrying a nonmetallic guide member at its lower end disposed within the hollow picket member.

These and other objects and advantages of the (cl. -asi-a6) present invention, will be apparent to .those skilled inthe art after a considerationofthe following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, taken in conjunctionwiththeaccompanying drawings illustrating such embodiment. l

In the drawings: l

Figure l is aperspective view of an elevator car y or cab equipped with a gate constructed accordpivoted or hingedly connected members, genering to the principles ofthe present invention;

Figure 2 is a section taken through the gate substantially along the line 2-2 ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is, a horizontal section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken through a portion of the elevator car or cab substantially along the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing a modified form oi?l gate picket construction; and

Figure 6 is a section taken along the line 6--6 of Figure 5. A

Referring now to the drawings, more particularly to Figure l, the elevator car or cab is indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral I and includesa roof 2, side panels 3 and 4, and a iioor or bottom 15, of a more or less conventional construction. The floor 5 includes a guide chanynel 1, which will be referred to later, and the side panel 4 includes a section 4a disposed at the front side of the car'and to one side of the opening 8 in the front of the car by which access to the latter is had. Across the top of theopening 8 and along the upper portion of the side panel 4 of the car are angled plate sections Il and I2 to which the supporting track is fastened.

The elevator gate is indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 20 and includes a track 2| supported in any suitable manner on the elevator car or cab and a flexible picket section 22 including vertical members connected together by flexible bands 23, which may be formed of rubber and fabric or the like. The track construction, best shown in Figure 2, includes a plurality of brackets 25, each in the form of a bracket plate 26 secured by rivets 21 or the like -to the angle members II and l2 and serving to support a track rail 28 in spaced relation by means of a spacer sleeve 30 secured to each of the bracket plates 2 6 by means of arivet 3| or the like. 'Ihe supporting edge 32 of the track rail 28 is rounded as best shown in Figure 2,- and as best shown in Figure 1, stop lugs 35 and 36 ,are provided at the ends of the track rail 28,1;.the latter being disposed over the cab opening 18 andbentsoastolie alongthe upper edge oi' the side panel 4.

The iiexible picket section 22 includes a plurality of vertical picket members, each rigidly connected at its upper end to a supporting hanger member 4I. As best shown in Figure 2, the preferred form of hanger includes a strap which has an inwardly bent lower section 4l rigidly secured to the upper end of the associated picket member 30 by any suitable means, such as screws 42, and above the strap section 4I the hanger is bent as at Il and at its uppermost end terminates in an inverted U-shaped yoke 4l, the terminal end Il of which extends downwardly and lies substantially in or adjacent the plane of the picket member 33 and the lower picket receiving portion Il of the hanger strap. 'I'he inverted U-shaped yoke section Il carries a bearing rivet 5I which, in turn, supports the inside and outside cones 5| and l2 upon which the top roller 53 of the hanger is rotatably mounted, as by anti-friction ball bearings Il. 'Ihe bottom roller I is supported on a rivet Il similar to the rivet Il mentioned above, the rivet il also supporting inside and outside cones 02 and I3 upon which the roller 6l is mounted for rotation, as by ball bearings Il. The upper or top roller l has a curved load supporting surface which cooperates with the curved load receiving edge of the track rail Il, while the lower roller has a deeper flange and functions principally to keep the hanger in position on the track. Each of the hangers 4l, both end and intermediate hangers, is of the same construction as described above, and hence further description is not necessary.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 3, the several vertical picket members II are. solid in cross section, as best shown in Figure 3, and are preferably formed of aluminum, so Ias to be strong but light in weight, but any other metal may be used if desired.;`

A guide shoe is carried at the lower end of each of the picket members 33, as indicated by the reference numeral 10. Each of the guide shoes 10 consists of a blockof nonmetallic material, preferably a phenolic condensation product, and is rigidly secured to the lower end of the associated picket 39 by means of screws or rivets 1|. 'Ihe members 1I, as well as the members 42, may if desired be self-tapping screws. 'Ihe lower ends of the several bottom guide shoes Il are formed to be movably disposed in the guide channel 1, and as best shown in Figure 4, the guide channel 1 is formed in the floor or platform of the car in any suitable manner. Stop lugs and I6 (Figure 1) are'carried at the ends of the guide channel substantially underneath the stop lugs and 36 on the top rail 2l and cooperate with the end picket members 33 in limiting the open and closed position of the gate 20.

The picket members 39 are connected together for relative movement in spaced relation by` means of y three ilexible bands 23, mentioned above. Each of the belts may consist of 'a band of vulcanized rubber and fabric, somewhat similar to rubber tire stock and possesses considerable strength but is quite flexible, or the bands may be formed of any suitable non-metallic material. The bands 23 are rigidly clamped to each of the vertical picket members 33, or between the pickets if double pickets are used, by any suitable means that insures the ilrm attachment of each of the picket members to the belts. Preferably, as best shown in Figure 3, the bands are clamped thereto by means of clamping bars ing screws Il or the like. When the screws are ven home, the clamping bars firmly hold the ds to the picket members 3l. For those pickets which are disposed adjacent the front panel section la of the car when the gate is open, the clamping bars are replaced by stiffener plates which, in the form illustrated, extend over four of the picket members and are vfirmly secured to each bar by self-tapping screws Il or the equivalent. Since these picket members never pass around the corner of the car, they need not be flexibly connected together for relative movement, but such relative movement isnecessary for the remainder of the picket members, as will be obvious from Figure 1, since this portion of the gate must pass around the corner of the car, being guided in this movement by the upper track rail 2l and the lower guide channel l.

The use of picket members in the form of solid bars may not in all cases be desirable. In Figures 5 and 6 I have illustrated the use of tubular picket members and a somewhat diierent form of connection between the picket members Il and the associated hanger and guide members. -Referring now to Figures 5 and 6, the' reference numeral I. indicates a'tubular picket member of hollow construction, preferably formed of sections Il and l2 fabricated as indicated in Figure 6. 'Ihe hanger unit 'Il is of substantially the same construction as described above, except that Il and self-ta the Aupper inverted U-shaped yoke section hasbeen eliminated and the upper roller I3 supported on one end of a rivet 3l placed at the upper end of the hanger strap Il. The lower end of the hanger-strap OI is bent inwardly, as at l1, and is inserted into the upper end of thehollow tubular picket member Il, and secured therein by rivets or screws 33. At the lower end of the tubular picket, the guide member III, which is preferably formed of the same material as the guide members or shoes 'Il described above, is formed so as to be capable of being inserted into'. the open lower end of the tubular picket member 3|, and secured therein by screws or rivets |02.

'I'he guide shoes Ill move in the guide channel 'I in the floor of the car and serve the same purpose as set forth above in connection with the form of the invention shown in Figure 1. 'I'o facilitate their movement in the guide channel 1, the nonmetallic guide shoes 'I0 and III are both hfivided with rounded corners as indicated at While I have thus shown -and described above the preferred structure embodying the principles of the present invention, it is to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described above, but that, in fact, widely diil'erent means may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of my invention.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In an elevator sate of the around-thecorner type, a plurality of vertically disposed bars spaced apart in the direction vof gate travel, and a plurality of ilexible non-metallic horizontal bands of sound deadening material connected to the bars and having suillcie'nt thickness to maintain the bars in spaced apart relation and to prevent being kinked in operation.

2. In an elevator gate of the around-the-corner type. a pluralityof vertical members spaced apart in the direction of gate travel. a plurality of hori' zontal non-metallic bands of flexible sound deadhaving sui'ilcient thickness to maintain the bars in spaced apart relation, and a stiiener plate for each ilexible band disposed over and serving to connect substantially all of the vertical bars that,

in the open position of said gate, are disposed 5 adjacent the front oi the elevator.

J OSEPI-lly C. TAMSITI.

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