US2730693A - Elevator signalling apparatus - Google Patents

Description

ELEVATOR SIGNALLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 29, 1953 1N VEN TOR. KM

ZU ZM ATTRNEYS.

Jan. l0, 1956 c. w. LERcH 2,730,693

ELEVATOR SIGNALLING APPARATUS Filed May 29, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Oiice 2,730,693 Patented Jan. 10, 1956 ELEVATOR SIGNALLING APPARATUS Charles W. Lerch, Wilmette, Ill.

Application May 29, 1953, Serial No. 358,428

4 Claims. (Cl. 340-49) This invention relates to elevator signalling apparatus; in particular, it concerns novel automatic apparatus for warning persons waiting for an elevator that passengers will be leaving the car when it stops at a particular floor.

Automatic and semi-automatic elevators are rapidly increasing in popularity. Generally speaking, thanks to the automatic-control mechanisms heretofore invented by persons working in the elevator art, such elevators are as fast in operation as manually operated elevators and are substantially safer, since door operation, floor leveling, etc., are accomplished without being dependent on fallible human judgment.

One important problem encountered in the operation of automatic and semi-automatic elevators, however, is the problem of traffic congestion at oor stops. Frequently, persons seeking to enter a car at a particular iloor find themselves travelling cross-current to passengers on the car who are seeking to leave it, with resulting confusion and delay.

The primary object of the present invention is to solve that problem by providing novel automatic means for warning persons at a floor stop when passengers on the car will be debarking. Thus warned, the persons waiting at the tloor stop can stand clear of the doors and give the debarking passengers an opportunity to get off the car before the waiting passengers enter it.

Traditionally, the function just described has of course been performed by the human elevator operator. The present invention provides effective automatic means for accomplishing the same result.

In broad outline, my invention consists in providing on each floor a distinctive signal, which may, for example, be a light accompanying the usual up-down indicator lights. That distinctive signal, which might be called the debarkation signal, is automatically actuated on a given iloor whenever the car stops at that floor responsively to a signal initiated from within the car. Thus, a passenger desiring to use the car to ride upward from his floor will press the call button in the hallway in the usual manner. If, when the car arrives, no passenger is to get off, the customary up light will tlash, announcing the arrival of the car. If passengers are to debark from the car at that floor, the usual up light will lllash, and in addition the debarkation signal will be actuated, thus announcing the arrival of the car and warning the waiting persons that they must afford clearance for debarking passengers before boarding the car themselves.

Incidentally, while the distinctive debarkation signal may be a special light, such as a blue light, it will be understood that it can take any desired form. For example, the debarkation signal may be a bell or buzzer, or it may consist of an automatic recording playing through a loud speaker and announcing a suitable Warning such as Please stand back, passengers will be leaving the car. In the detailed description of the invention whichfollows, the debarkation signal will be described as a distinctively colored light, but it is to be understood that that is illustrative only. Substitution of a dilerent type of signal is well within the skill of persons familiar with the art.

In the drawing which accompanies this specification, I have shown in diagrammatic form a particular embodiment of my invention, as applied to a modern automatic elevator. I have in the drawing shown as much of the conventional automatic control mechanism as is necessary for an understanding of my invention, and have shown my invention proper primarily by means of schematic diagrams.

In the drawing, Figure l shows a fragmentary perspective View of a portion of an elevator installation, showing the entrance doors on several different floors. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the automatic selector mechanism which is the principal control device in a modern automatic elevator installation. While the control selector is not directly a part of my invention, my invention is in part incorporated in the control selector and functions cooperatively therewith. Fig. 3 is a schematic wiring diagram showing the electrical details of my invention and showing also the manner in which it is coordinated with the conventional automatic controls. Figs. 4 and 5 are schematic diagrams showing respectively typical magnetic control-button devices. They do not of themselves form a part of my invention, but have been illustrated to facilitate understanding of the circuit operation.

Referring now to Fig. l, I have shown herein an elevator car 101, which is mounted in a vertical shaft, supported on suitable cables and powered by a suitable electric motor (not shown). The driving motor is customarily situated in a penthouse or other enclosure above the top of the shaft, and is accompanied by the control selector 102.

Each oor, in addition to having automatically controlled doors 103 and up-and-down signal buttons 104, is provided with indicator-light panels 105. Each of the light panels 105 is provided with an up indicator light 11u, a down indicator light 11d, and a debarkationwarning light 11w.

While persons familiar with the automatic-elevator art are well acquainted with the mechanism of control selector 102, a brief description of the device will be helpful in facilitating an understanding of my present invention. The selector is essentially a miniature elevator having a small car called a crosshead 106, moving vertically on guides 107. The crosshead 106 is moved vertically by means of a mechanical drive comprising a worm 108, bevel gears 109 and 110, sprocket 111, and tape or chain 112. The tape 112 has its terminals connected respectively to the car 101 and the counter-Weight (not shown), and the crosshead 106 is driven by tape 112 in exact synchronism with the car. In other words, when the car 101 is at the top oor, the crosshead 106 occupies a vertical position on guides 107 corresponding in miniature to the top-floor position of the car, and when the car starts downward the crosshead likewise moves vertically, the worm 103 eifecting a great step-down in vertical travel, such that the total vertical distance moved by the crosshead is only a small fraction of that traversed by the car. For each vertical position of the car, however, the crosshead has a counterpart position on the selector 102. FiXedly mounted on its frame in th respective positions corresponding to the various lioors the selector 102 carries a plurality of iloor bars 113, each of which carries a group of spaced electrical contacts 114, mutually insulated from one another. Cooperating with the various electrical contacts on floor bars 113 is a contact panel 115 which moves with and forms an integral part of the crosshead 106. Contact panel 115 carries a plurality of sliding electrical contacts, insulated from one another and spaced for cooperation with the various banks of fixed contacts 114 on the floor bars 113. When the Crosshead moves from one position to another, responsively to movement ofthe car 161, the Contact panel 115 moves vertically with respect to the Vfloor bars 113. Thus, for example, when the car 191 is at the fth floor, the contact panel 115 is in the position at which the electrical contacts which it carries are all touching, and hence in electrical circuit with, the various fixed contacts on the floor bar corresponding to the iifth oor.

It will be understood that the fixed contacts on the various floor bars are so arranged as to form vertical banks of contacts, engaged successively by the moving contacts on panel 115 as the Crosshead moves through its range of vertical movement.

Floor leveling is accomplished by means of leveling cams 116, in cooperation with rollers 117 and suitable control mechanism. Since the leveling cams are not involved in the operation of the present invention, no further description of them need be made.

The number of banks of fixed contacts 114, and of corresponding movable contacts on panel 115, is a matter of choice, depending on the complexity of the system and the character of the functions to be performed. In the present invention, several of the customarily used banks of contacts on the Hoor bars are involved, and, in addition, I employ a separate bank of contacts, together with a corresponding movable contact on panel 115, not found in conventional automatic systems.

With that background description of the operation of an automatic selector, I can now refer to Fig. 3 in which I have schematically disclosed the details of my present invention. n Fig. 3 I have shown a number of banks of the contacts 114, representing a group of typical floor bars on a selector 102. For convenience, I have arbitrarily chosen to represent the floor bars for floors three through seven inclusive. Each of the contacts 114 shown in Fig. 3 is designated by a numeral indicating the lloor and a letter indicating the bank, so that the contact 114 in bank a on the floor bar corresponding to the fifth floor is designated 5(1, and so on. I have shown, in Fig. 3, six banks of hoor-bar contacts, designated a to f inclusive. It will be understood that a particular automatic elevator selector embodying my invention may carry additional banks of floor-bar contacts, but they will be employed in connection with other operations not presently involved and thus need not be shown.

The movable contacts on the Crosshead contact panel 115 corresponding to the respectve banks a to f of the floor-bar contacts are designated ll5a, "ll5b, and

so on.

Bank f is the bank of floor-bar contacts used for control of the up-indicator lights 11u, and the bulbs employed in those lights are schematically indicated on Fig. 3 and designated 111.'. Bank e of the floor-bar contacts is employed in the control of the down-indicator lights 11d, and the bulbs employed in the various downindicator lanterns are shown schematically in Fig. 3 and marked 11a'.

The d bank of floor-bar contacts shown in Fig. 3 is the special bank added by me for use as a part of my invention, and they are employed for control of the debarkation-warning lights 11W. The bulbs used in those lights are schematically shown on Fig. 3 and marked 11u.

The a bank of hoor-bar contacts is employed in conjunction with the finger-operated control switches located in the elevator car and used for stopping the car at selected iioors. Those switches are generally designated 21 (see Fig. 4), followed on Fig. 3 by the number of the floor with which each is associated. That is, the switch in the car 101 operative for stopping the car at the seventh floor is designated 217, the switch for stopping the car at the sixth floor is numbered 216, and so on. Fig. 4 shows schematically a suitable finger-actuated switch suitable for use in the position of switches 217, 216, etc.

The b 'bank of oor-bar contacts functions in connection with the linger-operated switches used in the various halls for signalling car 161 when it is descending. These down-buttons may be conventional, normally open switches, generally designated 22, followed by the number of the corresponding floor, such as 227, 226, etc., and the letter d standing for down In connection with each down button, a relay generally designated 23 is used (see Fig. 5), the individual relays 23 being numbered in accordance with the same convention, as 2371!, 2365!, etc. Fig. 5 shows schematically the manner in which one of the relays 23 may be Wired.

Bank c of floor-bar contacts functions in connection with the hall switches used for signalling car 101 when it is moving upward. rI'he up buttons, and their corresponding relays, may be structurally identical to the corresponding down" buttons and relays. Accordingly, they are designated respectively l22711, 23711, etc.

Crosshead contact 11511 is connected to the conventional car-control circuits through the winding 33 of a low-resistance relay, having a. pair of normally open contacts designated 33a. The Crosshead contacts 1151) and C are connected to the car-control circuits in the conventional manner.

Crosshead contact 11'd is connected to one of the contacts 34h, -the other contact 3411 being connected through relay winding 34 to one of the contacts 33a. Relay 34, in addition to contacts 34b already mentioned, is provided with another pair of normally open contacts 34a, contacts 34a being connected in parallel with contacts 33a. The other Contact 33a may be grounded and is connected to one side of a suitable voltage source such as transformer 35, the other side of voltage source 35 being connected through contacts 45a to that terminal of winding 34 which is connected to one of the contacts 34b.

The down-indicator lights controlled by bank e and the up-indicator lights controlled by bank L of the contacts 114, operate alternately, so that when the car is rising the down lights do not function, and vice versa. This is accomplished by means of a reversing relay 36, connected into the car-control circuits in the conventional manner. Relay 36 is provided with two pairs of contacts, respectively designated 36d and 3611, arranged so that when one pair ofcontacts is open the other is closed. Crosshead contact 115e is connected through contacts 36d and contacts '45a to the ungrounded side of voltage source 3S, and crosshead contact 115]c is connected to the same point through contacts 36u and 45a.

Contacts 45a are under the control of a relay coil 45 which is connected into the car-control circuits in the conventional way to cause contacts 45a to close any time a stop is initiated and to open when the car starts again.

A suitable D.'C. voltage source 37 vis indicated as a source of energy for actuating the solenoids in the relays 23, one side of voltage source 37 being grounded as indicated, and the other side being connected as shown, to one terminal'ofthe center-tapped solenoid 23a which is carriedin each of the relays 237d, 237u, etc. (See Fig. 5.)

Before describing in detail the'operation of my invention, I shall describe, with reference to Figs. 4 and 5, the operationof'the -finger-actuated switches 21 and the relays 23.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a control switch of the type suitable for use in the car 101 as a floor-stop switch. The linger-button 21a is mechanically pivoted to a permanent-magnet armature 2lb, pivoted at one end and carrying at its other end a movable electrical contact 21C, mounted for cooperation with a fixed contact 21d. Mounted beneath armature 2lb is a solenoid winding 21e, wound on a permanently'nia'gnetized iron core 21j. Core 21f is so polarized that when pivoted armature 2lb Vis pressed into' contact with it,'oppositemagnetic. poles are brought together,'so that the armature 2lb and core Zlf will remain in contact, held by magnetic attraction. Armature 2lb is normally held away from core 213c by a light spring 21g which, however, is too weak to overcome the attraction of elements 2lb and 21f when they are touching one another. The winding 21e is connected to the terminal control circuits in a conventional manner such that when the car reaches the end of its run, in either direction, a current is momentarily passed through winding 21a in a direction opposing and overriding the normal magnetic polarization of core 211. This releases armature 2lb, which then is drawn upward by spring 21g, thus breaking the electrical circuit between contacts 21C and 21d.

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious to persons skilled in the art that when button 21a has been pressed by an occupant of car 101 it will remain in its depressed condition until the cars upward or downward journey has been completed, at which time it will be automatically released.

In Fig. 5, I have schematically illustrated a relay 23 suitable for use in connection with the various call button switches 227d, 22714, etc. Those push-button switches, exemplified in Fig. 5 by switch 22, may be conventional normally open single-pole switches. The relay 23 consists essentially of a center-tapped, iron-core solenoid 23a, provided with a permanently magnetized armature 23b. Armature 231') may be pivoted at a suitable intermediate point, as shown, and is provided at one end with an electrical contact member 23C, which acts in cooperation with fixed contact member 23d. A suitable compression spring 23e holds armature 231: normally in a position in which contacts 23C and 23d are open.

One terminal of solenoid coil 23a is connected to D,C. source 37, and the other terminal is connected to the appropriate licor-bar contact 114 through the relay contacts 23C and 23d. The center tap of solenoid 23a is connected to ground through the call-button switch 22.

From a study of Fig. 5, the operation of relay 23 will be clear to persons skilled in the art. Momentary closure of switch 22 will cause a current to ow through half of coil 23a in a direction that will magnetize the solenoid core with a polarity to attract the permanently magnetized armature 23b. Once the magnetized armature has come into contact with the core of solenoid 23a, it is held there after switch 22 is opened, the force of magnetic armature 23h overriding the force of spring 23e. Thus contacts 23e and 23d are closed following a momentary closure of switch 22, and they remain closed until a surge of current flows through them via one of the floonbar contacts 114 and its corresponding crosshead contact. When that occurs, the current flows through solenoid 23a in the opposite direction and causes the magnetized armature 23b to he repelled from the core of coil 23a. At that point, armature 23b returns to its normal position under the urging of spring 23e, and contacts 23e and 23d are opened, breaking the circuit.

Operation Having described the apparatus involved, I shall now describe the operation of my invention.

Let us assume that the car 101 is starting upward from the tirst floor, Under those conditions, relay 36 will be in the position indicated, with contacts 36u closed. Assume that a person on the fourth floor wishes to go up. He will press the appropriate button closing switch 2241i, thus closing the electrical circuit through relay 2341i, As the crosshead 106 on selector 102 rises, crosshead Contact 115e will engage floor-bar contact 4c shortly before car ,itil reaches the fourth floor, and the car-control circuits will automatically bring the car to a stop at that door, at the same time actuating relay 45 and closing contacts 45a. Simultaneously, crosshead contact 115]l will engage oor-bar contact 4f and cause the hall lantern 11n on the fourth iloor to light.

Now suppose that in addition to being signalled to stop at the fourth oor by a person in the fourth-floor hall, car 101 has also been ordered to stop at that oor by a passenger in the car. Such order would have been given by pressing the appropriate button inside the car to 'close switch 214. As a result, when car 101 approached the fourth oor, crosshead Contact a would engage floor-bar contact fiez, causing current to flow through coil 33, closing contacts 33a. Closure of contacts 33a energizes coil 34, closing its contacts 34a and 34h, and coil 34 will remain energized so long as contacts 45a are closed.

At the same time contact 115a engages contact 4a, crosshead contact 115d engages contact 4d, so that upon the closure of contacts 34b the exit warning light 11W in the fourth door hall is lighted. As a result, the persons waiting on the fourth floor are not only apprised of the arrival of car 101 by means of the regular uplight liu but are also warned, by means of light 11w, that passengers will be debarking from the elevator on that iioor. After the passengers exited from the car and the waiting passengers have boarded it, car 101 will continue its journey, contacts 45a opening as soon as the car starts. This breaks the circuit to lights 17 and 11W and also breaks the circuit to coil 34, causing contacts 34a and 34th to open.

A similar cycle of events will take place in any other situation in which the car stops responsively to a signal from inside the car, whether the car be traveling upward or downward.

Thus, with my invention, persons waiting in a hallway for the elevator are always given notice when passengers will be leaving the car at that floor.

As lr stated in an earlier paragraph, the exit-warning lights 11W can easily be replaced by any other desired type of signal, such as a bell or a recorded voice announcement,

It will be obvious to persons skilled in the art that the invention herein disclosed may, if desired, be employed to give notice inside the car, by means of a suitable light or a recorded announcement, when a stop is being made in response to a signal originating at a hall station. No separate wiring diagram of such an arrangement is believed necessary, since it would simply involve placing Athe exit-warning signals inside the car and using, instead of relay winding 33, corresponding relay windings connected in circuit with the crosshead contacts liSb and i155.

While i have in this specification described in considerable detail a typical embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the embodiment described is illustrative only. Many changes in details can be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

i claim:

l. 'in an automatic elevator installation comprising a car, a plurality of floor stations, up and down hall lanterns for each of such floors, automatic power mechanism for moving the car between floor stations, and manually operable switch means within said car for controlling said automatic power mechanism to stop the car at any selected one of said floor stations, the improvement which comprises a passenger exit warning signal located at each of said floor stations, and mechanism operative responsively to an actuation of said switch means within said car to energize such passenger-exit warning signal at the floor station selected by said switch-means actuation during the interval in which said car is approaching and stopping at said floor station, such mechanism comprising also means for de-energizing such passenger-exit warning signal when the car resumes its movement following such stop.

2. In an automatic elevator installation comprising a car, a plurality of oor stations, up and down hall` lanterns `foreach of such oors, automatic power mechanism Vfor moving the car between oor stations, and manually operable switch means within said car for controlling said automatic power mechanism to stop the car at any selected one of said floor stations, the improvement which comprises a passenger exit warning signal located at each of-said oor stations, and electrical relay mechanism operative responsively to an actuation of sain' switch means in said car to energize Stich passenger-exit warning signal at the oor station selected by said switchmeans actuation during the interval in which said car is approaching and stopping at said floor station, such mechanism comprising also means for de-energizing such passonger-exit warning signal when the car resumes its movement following such stop.

3. In an automatic elevator installation comprising a car, a plurality of oor stations, power mechanism for moving the car between floor stations, an automatic selector having a crossbead and loor bars for controlling automatically the operation of said power mechanism, said floor bars having a plurality of banks of electrical contact members and said crosshead carrying a plurality of crosshead contacts each of which is adapted for cooperation with one of said banks of Hoor-bar contacts, and a plurality of manually operable switches within said car, each of which is connected to a Contact in one of said banks of Hoor-bar contacts for stopping said car at any selected one of said oor stations, the improvement which cornprises a passenger-exit electric warning signal at each of said floor stations, each of said passenger-exit warning signals being connected to a contact in another bank of said floor-bar contacts, a relay coil connected in circuit with the crosshead contact which cooperates with said rst-mentioned bank of floor-bar contacts, said relay coil being provided with a pair of contacts operated thereby, and circuit means associated with said relay contacts operative to energize the passenger-exit warning signal at V8 any-particular one of said voor-stations responsively to manual'actuation of'the'aforesaid car switch for such floor station, such passenger-exit warning signal being 'encrgized when said crosshead contacts engage said floorbu' contacts for such `iloor station during movement of said crosshead in said selector, said circuit means coinprising also means for de-energizing such passenger-exit warning signal when the car resumes its movement after stopping at such oor station.

L?. in an automatic elevator installation comprising a car, a plurality of oor stations, up and down hall lanterns for each of such oors, automatic power mcchanism for moving the car between lloor stations, a group of manually operable switch means within said car for controlling said automatic power mechanism to stop the.` car at any selected one of said Hoor stations, and an additional group of manually operable switch means, the switches in said group being respectively situated at each of said oor stations, for controlling said automatic power mechanism to stop the car at any selected one of said iloor stations, the improvement which comprises a passonger-exit warning signal located adjacent each switch in .said last-mentioned group, and mechanism operative responsively to an actuation of one of the manually operable switch means in said other group to energize said passenger-exit warning signal during the interval in which said car is approaching and stopping at a oor station responsively to said actuation, such mechanism comprising also means for de-energizing such passenger-exit warning signal when the car resumes its movement following such stop.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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