US2903092A - System for converting an operator-staffed signal-controlled elevator system into a passenger-operated automatic system - Google Patents

Description

P 8, 1959 L. J. STEVENS 2,903,092

SYSTEM F OR CONVERTING AN OPERATOR-STAFFED SIGNAL-CONTROLLED ELEVATOR SYSTEM INTO A PASSENGER-OPERATED AUTOMATIC SYSTEM Filed Oct. 15, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 10- H 14- 1% Mi LBJ 16: 7 3 3 D 4 A J a l; l; 27 E s 21 243 27g 25; 2a; 26 Fig.1.

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Sept. 8, 1959 L STEVENS 2 903,092

SYSTEM FOR CONVERTING AN OPERATOR-STAFFED SIGNAL-CONT OLLED ELEVATOR SYSTEM INTO A PASSENGER-OPERATED AUTOMATIC SYSTEM Filed 15. 1957 3 ShGBtS-5h86t 2 SELECTOR SE n m1 i, 271g. 5.

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' 1.50 J. STEVEN ATTOR/VEX P 8, 1959 J. STEVENS 2,903,092

SYSTEM FOR CONVERTING AN OPERATOR-STAFFED SIGNAL-CONTROLLED ELEVATOR SYSTEM INTO APASSENGER-OPERATED AUTOMATIC SYSTEM Filed Oct. 15, 1957 3 Sheet's-Sheet 3 .I'HA I v i 1 D W i I P24,

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INVENTOR.

LEO J. STEVENS 2,903,092 Patented Sept. 8, 1959 United States Patent ()fiice SYSTEM FOR CONVERTING AN OPERATOR- S'I-AFFED- SIGNAL-(TONTROLLED ELEVATOR SYSTEM AUTOMATIC SYSTEM Leo J. Stevens,.San Francisco, Calif.

Application october 15, 1957, Serial No. 690,351

13 Claims. (Cl. 187-29) This invention relates to a system for converting an operator-stalfed signal-controlled elevator system into a passenger-operated: automatic system.

Signal-control systems have been in use for more than thirty years, and have proved quite successful so long as a. responsible elevator operator runs the elevator. The systems provide hall buttons at each floor and car buttons inside the car; the signals made by pressing these buttons result in stopping the car at the proper floors. The car automatically decelerates, levels, stops, and opens its owndoor. The principle duties of the elevator operator are tostart the elevator after each stop at a floor; tostart itonly after all those leaving the car are safely out and all. new passengers are safely aboard, so that the doors may safely be closed; and to release the starting lever after the elevator has accelerated to a desired point. In: addition, he may have to reopen partly closed doors tov avoid accidents or to let a last-minute passenger aboard. The car automatically slows itself down, levels, and opens the door at the floors for which either a hall button or a car button has been pushed.

Recently, insistence by tenants on better service than has been given by operators, together with the high wage cost of. elevator operators, the absenteeism problem, and labor trouble has compelled many buildings to convert to automatic systems but heretofore conversion of highspeed elevators has been very expensive. The large elevator companies have insisted that old-type signal-controlled systems were not capable of practical conversion into automatic systems.' They have insisted that the entire controlandsignal systems must be rebuilt. One reason. given for. this insistence was that the newer automatic systems operate on low-voltage, while the old signal-control systems use high-voltage, and the two systems cannot. be operated together, but while this is true, it is. not determinative. Another and seemingly more cogent reason given was that there was no systematic foolproof way to make the conversion. In many ofiice buildings, complete conversion costs about forty thousand dollars per elevator, even when. the old elevator cage, motors,- and mechanical parts of the shaft are used in the new system, because all the old control and signal system is thrown away and a new one installed.

The present invention solves this conversion problem at a. cost or roughly one-eighth that required previously. It uses the same circuits as the old signal-control system and effects the conversion to automation by building certain. new elements into the system at key points. As a result of this invention, a foolproof passenger-controlled elevator can easily be provided from a previously nonautomatic signal-controlled elevator.

' Signal control, of course, is quite old; an example is shown inReissue Patent No. 16,297, and many other old patents relate toit, most of them now expired. The complete control. system is complex, but it is well known in the art, and most of it is unafiected by the present invention. Therefore, it need not be illustrated and described in detail. A good description of such a system INTO A.v PASSENGER-OPERATED is given in Electric Elevators by F. A. Annett, published by McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., second edition; particularly in chapter XVI, entitled Unit Multi-Voltage Signal Control with Micro-Leveling. This invention, of course, is not limited to use with the exact system there described; it is applicable to any signal-control system, and the system described herein is only an example.

The invention will be described as though there is only one elevator in the building, although it may also be used in a multi-elevator system, with its scheduling system, reversals, changeovers, and various other refinements. This assumption simplifies description.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will ap pear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof given in accordance with 35 USC Sec. 112.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagram of an electrical circuit used in the hall-button portion of a signal-control system, as adapted to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a hall-button arrangement and closely associated circuit portions for one hall button, as used in the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram in straightline form of the control circuits for an elevator system embodying this invention; that is, for converting a conventional signalcontrolled elevator system to a passenger-controlled, socalled automatic elevator system.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of a selector mechanism showing only certain parts particularly concerned with the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a partly schematic, partly representational view of the control panel in an elevator car.

Fig. 6 is a panel of selected portions of the circuit for a signal-controlled elevator showing additional connections provided by the present invention, the additions being in heavy lines.

Fig. 7 is a simplified diagram of the accelerating circuits in a signal control system, showing addition of the relay that opens the starting circuit, the addition being shown in heavy lines.

The invention may be understood best by considering the following important phases: (1) how the elevator is started when it is at a home landing and a would-be passenger presses a hall button at some other floor; (2) how a passenger who has boarded the car and selected a floor starts the elevator; (3) how the starting circuit works in both phases (1) or (2) or both; and (4) how safety precautions protect the passengers.

This operation is considered in connection with a signal-control elevator of the type previously described. Such an elevator is capable of high-speed use in an office building and is not like the ordinary automatic elevators of apartments or lower-class office buildings, which move very slowly and which stay at the floor where the last passenger gets off until somebody, by pressing a call button, calls the elevator to another location.

The problem of calling an elevator from its home landing to another floor In a manually-controlled signal system the car may have a series of lights to indicate which floor is calling the elevator, or it may have a buzzer to let the operator know that some floor is being called. As an alternative, in a multi-elevator system where there is an elevator starter, the lights may be on a board in the lobby of the building and all elevators may be controlled by the starter. In either event, the elevator stays at a home floor, (which will usually be the lobby except around closing time, when it may be the top floor, to bring people down) except when someone either enters the elevator and asksfor a floor or when someone pushes a hall button at some IflOOI'. When an operator is present, he can see for himself or be informed by the starter when it is time to make a run away from the home floor to the other extreme floor and then to come back, answering all calls en route. The need can be determined by his actual inspection. However, this is not true in the automatic elevator, and so the first problem that one meets in adapting the con ventional signal-control system to an automatic operation is to reconcile the provision of a home fioor at which the elevator normally stays with simultaneous assurance that the elevator will move when it is called to pick up calls from the various floors. in the home floor system, the elevator will normally complete its cycle of movement, say from the ground floor to the top tfloor and back, stopping only sufiiciently to take on and let off passengers, ending at the ground floor and staying there until called or entered by a passenger who wants to go up. This first problem is how to get the elevator to start from the home floor for, once the elevator starts, the conventional signal-control system will stop the elevator at the floor where the call button was pressed.

How pressing a hall-button starts an elevator that is at its home landing First assume that a would-be passenger is in the hall of some floor of a building having a single signal-control elevator which is operated according to the system of the present invention. It will be assumed that the ground floor is the home landing. By way of example, Fig. 1 shows a hall-button circuit for a building shown with five floors; the four lowest floors have up-buttons 10, 11, 12, and 13, respectively, while the four highest floors have down-buttons l4, l5, l6, and l7, respectively. These are conventional and are part of the existing signal control system. As usual, the pressing of any one of these buttons will energize a holding relay 2t 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27, that acts on a conventional selector mechanism to cause the elevator to stop at that floor.

The operation of an up-button 11 is shown in Fig. 2. Closing the button lift energizes the relay 21, which closes a switch 28, completing a stopping circuit on a conventional elevator selector (some elements of which, but not these, are shown in Fig. 4) to cause the elevator to stop at the fioor where the button is located. Pressing an up-button 11, 12, or 13 causes the elevator to stop at the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th floors only when moving up, not when moving down. When the elevator does stop, a contact on the selector energizes a reset relay 29, which cancels (opens) the switch 28, so that the elevator will not be brought to or stopped at the same floor again until its hall button or its car button has once more been pressed. All this part is conventional in signal-control elevators.

It is also conventional to provide a single hall-button relay HB, which is in series with all the buttons 19 through 17 and is normally used to energize a buzzer or other signal in the elevator when any hall button is pressed. Conventionally, this is its sole use-to attract the attention of a personal operator. Thus, pressing any one of the hall buttons Jill, ll, l2, 113, 14, 15, 16, 17 energizes the associated relay Z0, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 in the normal manner and also energizes the HB relay.

The present invention makes novel use of the hall-button relay HB to start the elevator without any operator. In this invention another pair of contacts is added to the HB relay, and energization of the HB relay, instead of merely actuating a buzzer also closes these contacts. Such closure initiates action best understood by considering the straightline diagram of Fig. 3, showing the principal elements of the automatic circuit. When the circuit is arranged for automatic operation, a key switch 30 (bottom line) is closed, energizing a relay AU which closes and holds closed all the contacts AU. For manual operation, the key switch 30 is opened and all the contacts AU are open also. Note that the present invention pro- 4 vides for conversion of the elevator from manual operation to automatic operation, or vice versa, merely by throwing the switch 30 one way or the other.

On the top line 31 are the normally open contacts HB, which are added in this invention and are closed momentarily by energization of the relay HB. In series with the contacts HE is another relay HBH, which I call the hall button hold relay, another new element in the present invention. The relay HBH is energized whenever (I) the elevator is on automatic (AU contacts closed) and (2) any hall button at any floor is pressed.

Energization of the HBH relay in line 31 closes two respective pairs of contacts HBH, one in each of lines 32 and 33. With the HBH and AU contacts closed in line 32, current passes through a relay D, energizing it, since the only other element in the series, a selector switch Sel D in line 32, is normally closed. Energization of the relay D closes contacts D in line 32, thus holding the relay D closed after the hall button has been released, for upon such release the relays HB and HBH are de-energized. Thus the circuit in line 32 is self-holding.

The circuit in line 33 is similar to that in line 32. A selector switch Sel U is normally closed; so "when the contacts HBH and AU in line 33 are closed, a relay U is energized, closing contacts U in the same line and holding the relay U closed.

Energization of the relays D and U in lines 32 and 33 also closes respective contacts D and U in line 38a and keeps them closed as long as the relays D and U are energized. As will be explained later in the section on Starting the car, when either contact D or U in line 38a is closed, the starting cycle of the elevator will be initiated. So, in our example, when the elevator is at its home landing on the first lloor and the U button on the second floor is pressed, the elevator will close its doors and go to the second floor, stop, take on the passenger who selects a floor, deliver him to his floor, and go on to the top floor. Then it returns to its home landing. If, on the other hand, the person operating the hall button presses the D button 14 on the second floor, the elevator will leave the first floor, go to the top floor, open its doors there, close them, and then go down to the second floor to pick up the passenger and carry him to the first floor. When the elevator picks up any one at any floor, it cancels the button which he pressed, in the manner explained above in connection with Fig. 2.

The selector switches Sel U and Sel D The purposes of the selector switches Sel U and Sel D in lines 32 and 33 are (1) to prevent the car from repeating the cycle once it reaches the home landing, unless there has been a signal that has not been answered, and (2) to catch and retain calls from floors that have been passed during the cycle. Thus, when the elevator has left its home landing on the ground floor, the relay Sel U is momentarily opened, dropping out line 32 and de-energizing the relay U therein; when the elevator has gone to the top floor, its selector mechanism (Fig. 4) opens the relay Sel D, just as the elevator leaves the top floor, dropping out line 33 and de-energizing the relay D therein. If there are no further calls on U buttons after the elevator has left the ground floor and no other calls on D buttons after the elevator has left the top iloor, the elevator will stop at the home (ground) floor and not go anywhere until another button is pressed. However, any U signal pressed after the car leaves the first floor and any D signal pressed after the car leaves the top floor will send the car up again on another cycle. Thus the elevator will never miss a call; though when a signal is given ahead of the car and after de-energization of the Sel U or D switch, the elevator may go through a null cycle, stopping only at the top floor momentarily, since the relay at the floor making the call is canceled when the elevator stops at that floor in answer to that signal.

In. signal. control systems having high call return (i.e:, theelevator returns to the home floor afteranswering the most distant call), the top location of the Sel D relay is obviously unsuitable. It may either be omitted, or it may be placed just above the Sel U relay (see dotted lines in Fig. 4) so that it is opened just before the elevator moves into the home floor. The same system may be used in other systems or similar adaptations may be made, as desired. Any conventional type of selector mechanism. may be used in conjunction with the invention. The selector Sel shown in Fig. 4 is preferably of a conventional kind, operated by a steel tape connection in: the elevator or by other means. The normally closed switches Sel D and Sel U are one-Way switches, having hinged arms.

The further detailed explanation of the starting operation, 'which may be initiated by pressing any hall button, is deferred until the operation inside the car is briefly considered.

How a passenger entering the elevator at the home landing starts the car The floor selection mechanism in a signal-control car consists of. a row of buttons with one button for each floor. This is conventional and is not illustrated. When such an elevator is rtm by an operator, the operator asks each passenger his floor and then punches the button corresponding thereto. Obviously, this function can as well be taken over by the passenger in an automatic elevator and every passenger will naturally punch the floor to which he wishes to go. This operation, so far as selection of the floor is concerned, remains unchanged and the floor selection mechanism also remains unchanged.

As stated before, the principal functions of the operator always were to start the car off from each floor where it had stopped (being careful to let the passengers on and off and not to close the door on them) and then to release the starting switch after the elevator had accelerated to the desired point. To start the elevator, he closed a handle H (see Fig. 5) to the left and then, after holding it there for a few moments, to permit adequate acceleration, released it. During the time the handle H was moved to the left, contacts. 45 and 46 were bridged by a quadrant 47, connecting lines 35 and 36 to energize a door-closing circuit and mechanism to close the doors. Continued movement of the handle as shown in Fig. 5 results in the quadrant 47 bridging the contacts 48 and 49 and this was used to close the starting circuit (Fig. 6) which in turn energized the starting motors to start the car and start the elevator motors in their accelerating. The elevator operator held the handle H in this position until, in his judgment, there had been sufficient acceleration as a result of the accelerating mechanism in the car, and then he would release the handle H, and the elevator would continue on its way until it reached a floor indicated either by one of the hall buttons or by one of the car buttons (that is, the floor selectors inside the car).

If the operator had started to close the door and noticed that someone was coming, he could quickly reverse the handle H to the right where the quadrant 47 would bridge the contacts 50 and 51 to actuate a dooropening circuit across lines 34 and 36 and energize mechanism that would open the door. (See Figs. 3 and 5.) Thus, there is a question both of starting the elevator and of safety. The safety question will be dealt with later; the starting actuation will be considered in this section as it concerns actuation from inside the car While the actual starting circuit will be explained in the next section. Particularly to be considered is how a passenger starts an elevator that is at the home landing.

In the present invention, the elevator is arranged so that (1) a passenger may start the car once he is aboard or (2) at any floor other than the home landing an automatic time delay system will start the car anyway under normal circumstances, whether there is a passenger in the car or not.. The present invention makes use of the car panelv shown in Fig. 5, but it preferably removes Now consider lines 34, 35, and 36. It will be seen that, in line 34; there is a door-open relay D02 and, in"

line 35, a door-close relay DC. These are conventional, as is their connection in series with the respective signalcontrol contacts DOSC and DCSC. These contacts, DOSC and DCSC, are bypassed by the line 36, or' by the quadrant 47' during manual operation.

In my new automatic system, the two relays DO and DC are respectively connected to the line 36 by a pushbutton switch DO and a push-button switch DC, both at the panel in the car, where they replace the handle H,' which may be removed. A normally closed safe-edgeswitch SE (which is opened only when a safe-edge relay SE in line 39 is energized) is in parallel with the switch DO, while a normally open starting switch ST is inparallel with the switch DC; their purposes will be explained later. In this invention also, a new relay, which I call a door-close auxiliary relay DCA, is placed in line 35" in parallel with the already-present door-close relay' DC. Also, in series with both the relays DC and DCA, is a normally closed timer switch T whose function will be explained later.

In my converted-to-automatic elevator,.when a passenger enters the car on the home landing, he selects a floor by pushing the proper car button (just as the elevator operator used to do for him in a signal-control system), and then he may start the car by pushing on the doorclose button DC. This closes the circuit through the relays DC and DCA, energizing both of them; When there are several passengers, all the floor buttons are normally pushed before pushing the door-close' button DC. This enables accumulation of several passengers and of different floors before the elevator starts.

When the button DC is pushed, the closure of the relay DC operates in the usual manner to cause door machinery to closethe door. Door closure is not further illustrated; since. his well known in the art. However, in addition, the door-closing auxiliary relay DCA closes' its contacts DCA in lines 37 and 380, which normally will start the car, in the manner now to be explained.

Starting the car As started earlier, the car will be started either by a passengers pushing, a hall button or by a passengers pushing the door-close button DC from inside the car. In the case of the hall button, there need be no one in the elevator, and the elevator is moved to approach. the floor where the hall button is, from the proper direction, and then stops and opens its doors. In all events, however, the starting mechanism works very similarly, for, as will be seen, the three contacts which act to start the elevator are all in parallel with each other.

Closure of the contacts DCA in line 37 energizes a car button hold relay CBH, which is self-holding by virtue of closing its normally open contacts CBH in parallel with the contacts DCA and in series with itselfl This car button hold relay CBH is also in series with two normally closed selector switches CBHU and CBHD, as well as the automatic switch AU. The selector switches CBHU and CBHD are used to determine whether the home landing of the elevator is the ground floor or the top floor and to make certain that the elevator will run through any cycle until it reaches its home landing; explanation of their operation will be deferred.

When the CBH relay is energized, the contacts CBH in line 38b are also closed. These are in parallel with the contacts D and U in line 38a, which are closed by the relays D and U in lines 32 and 33 respectively, upon energization of the hall button hold relay HBH in line 31. It will be seen that lines 38a and 38b are in series with a pair of normally-closed timer operated switches T and T and that their circuits (including the timers T and T are in parallel with the contacts DCA and ST in line 380. The contacts DCA are closed by energization of the relay DCA in line '35, while the contacts ST are closed upon energization of a starting relay ST in line 38, which is therefore self-holding.

A normally closed switch E is in series with the starting relay ST and the three parallel lines 33a, 38b, and 380. Its function will be explained later. Also in series with the starting relay ST is a safe-edge switch SE whose contacts are closed when the relay SE in line 39 is energized, the contacts SE in line 34 being then simultaneously opened.

The signal-control elevator already has a delay mechanism that assures that the elevator will not start moving until the door has been fully closed. This is shown in Fig. 6, where elevator gate contacts 53 and shaft gate contacts G are closed respectively by closure of the elevator doors and by closure of the shaft doors. Until both of these are closed, the starting mechanism will not act to start the elevator but, as has been explained, due to the holding relay, the elevator will be started as soon as the doors close. Therefore, when the doors close, the already energized self-holding starting relay ST starts the car, as indicated in Fig. 6, lines 61, 62 and 63. When any selected speed of acceleration is reached, (e.g., the second) the switch E is automatically opened and the starting relay ST is opened.

An example of how the switch E may be operated is shown in Fig. 7, in which all the circuit elements are old in a signal-control system, except for the addition of the relay E. Upon starting, the contacts IHa close the relay 1, which in turn closes the contacts 1, resulting in energization of the relay D representing the first stage of acceleration. The relay D closes the contacts D, resulting in energization of the coil E through a reactance coil, giving a short time delay. The closure of E similarly energizes the relay F and this, in the arrangement shown herein, at the same time closes the parallel coil E. In other words, the coil E is energized by the energization of the relay E. The coil E then opens the normally closed contacts 38 of Fig. 3. The precise location of the coil E may be changed from circuit to circuit. For example, where there is a basement run from the first floor down, the second or third stages of accelera tion will never be reached, so that in that case E is certain to be energized by the first stage of energization) as by the coil D directly. The actual circuitry can vary from elevator to elevator, depending upon the manufacturer and model of the elevator, but so far as this in-- vention is concerned, the important thing is the inclusion of means such as the relay E into the acceleration circuits, so that at some selected stage of acceleration the starting circuit is opened.

Thus, the door-closure DC switch actuates the relay' DC to close the doors, and actuates the relay DCA, which actuates the relay ST to start the elevator after the doors are closed. The relay ST is self-holding (in place of an operator having to manually hold the handle in the start position) until a desired state of acceleration is reached, at which time the relay is automatically opened by the opening of the normally closed contacts E. When the contacts E open, the starting relay ST is de-energized as is its circuits (lines 61, 62 and 63), and the other contacts have no effect until the elevator stops once more, at which time, when the elevator is fully stopped, the contacts E are once again closed.

Safety features The normally open safety edge contacts SE in series with the starting relay ST are closed by, and held closed so long as, a safety edge relay SE in line 39 is energized.

The relay SE in line 39 is in series with a normally closed switch EYE and a normally closed switch DSE. The switch EYE is actually an electric eye circuit with a light source on one side of the door and a photocell on the other; the circuit is normally closed when the light beam strikes the electric eye; but the circuit is opened when the light beam is broken. It can be and is intended to be broken by a person passing through the door; so long as people stand in the door or pass through the door, the light beam will be broken, holding the relay SE de-energized. Opening the relay SE has the effect of closing the contacts SE that bridge lines 34 and 36 so as to open the doors. Once the light again strikes the beam, the coil SE will be energized.

If, however, the switch contacts DSE are opened, they will have the same effect as the switch EYE in de-energizing the coil SE. The DSE contacts are mechanical safe-edge contacts in the door rubber, well known in the art; when the door begins to close, any mechanical force placed on the door edge, as by its striking a persons hand or leg or any other solid object before it reaches its closed position, opens the switch DSE, tie-energizing the relay SE and closing the contacts SE between the lines 34 and 36 in line 38, so that the elevator cannot be started and so that the door is re-opened.

Line 4% has three segments t ila, 49b, and 40c in parallel, including relays T T and T which respectively operate timer switches T T and T 3 in line 39. Timer T is provided to insure that the door will open all the way. Timer T is provided to give a short delay (one or two seconds) after the door has opened before it can be closed by the automatic door-closure system, which operates on all except the home floor. T is controlled by safe-edge contacts and its purpose is to give a time delay before the door can be closed after it has been opened due to actuation of either of the safety switches EYE and DSE.

The door open circuit D0 in line 4% is closed upon energization of the door open pilot relay in line 69 (which is not the relay D0 in line 34). The contacts D0 are in series with a timer relay T and when closed energize the timer relay T Energization of the timer relay T opens the timer switch T in line 35; after the door is fully open a limit switch open limit rear in line 63 causes the timer coil T to bleed off over a predetermined interval of time, which may be as small as one second. This prevents the door from closing as soon as it opens, even when someone has pressed one of the hall buttons or immediately presses the door-close button. Thus the timer coil T must bleed oil before the door close switch DC will actuate the relays DC and DCA in line 35, and close the door. The details of the door circuit D0 of line 46a are shown in line 663 of Fig. 6.

In line 4912 a timer relay T is connected in parallel with a brake circuit, shown in Fig. 6, so that when the elevator brake is energized, the timer T is also energized and prevents the starting coil ST (line 33) from being reenergized when the contacts E are closed during deceleration. When the brake is set, the timer T will start to bleed, over a set interval of time, and will prevent the elevator door from closing and the machine from starting, until that interval of time has elapsed. This is to let people get on or elf the elevator. Bic-energization of the relay T in the line dill) closes the switch T in line 38. The timer T can be bypassed by manually pressing the push button DC so that a remaining passenger can start the elevator as soon as the unloading and boarding at any floor have been completed.

A safe-edge contact SE and a timer relay T 3 are in series in line the so that when the relay SE in line 39 is de-energized the contacts SE are closed and a timing cycle begins. The timer relay T when energized, opens the contacts T in line 38 to permit people to pass by the electric eye and to allow a short elapsed time after tl e' passing before the doors close on them. This timer T Atall floors (except the home floor when there are no calls on the board), the elevator will start automatically when timer relays T T and T are de-energized, so that the timer switches T T and T .are all closed in line 38; For then the contacts SE will be closed and at least one of contacts U andD (line 38a) and CBH (line 38b) will be closed. That means that, once the elevator leaves the home floor, it is not necessary for any passenger toagain press the DC button,- though he may achieve slightly speedier operation by doing so.

The exact operation depends on the circumstances. Suppose, for example, that one passenger enters the car at the home landing, which we will assume is the ground fioor, presses the car button for some upper floor and then presses the push button DC. By doing this he closes the CBH relay (line 37) and its CBH contacts in lines 37 and 38b. The doors close and the car starts, going to the selected floor, where the doors open and the passenger gets out.- When the door is open, the timer coil T of line40a bleeds out, and the switch in line 35 closes. Soonthereafter the timed switch T in line 38 closes. Unless-one of the electric eye circuits and the mechanical safe-edge switches EYE and DSE are opened, the switch T -in line 38 remains closed and the contacts SE are also closed. Therefore, since the CBH contacts in line 38b are closed, the relay ST is energized, closing the contacts ST bridging the lines 35 and 36, closing the doors and sending the elevator up (unless a high-call return circuit is in use, in which case the elevator will go down). The elevator goes tothe top floor, opens and closes as before, andthen goes down-to the home floor. As it approaches the home floor, the switch CBHD on the selector (Fig. Sand line 37 is momentarily opened, thereby turningthe-circuit off, and the elevator stays at the home landing until boarded or called. (The switches CBHU and CBHD are hinged-to operate in only one direction.)

If no passenger boards the elevator and the car is started by a call from one of the hall buttons, the relay HB closes contacts HB in line 31, energizing the relay HBH. The relay HBH closes contacts HBH in lines 32 and 33, energizing the'self-holding relays D and U, and closes the contacts D- andU in line 38a. This energizes the relay ST in line 38, closing contacts ST bridging lines 35 and 36 and energizing relays DC and DCA in line 35. This closes the doors and starts the car, audit also closes the contacts-DCA in line 37, energizing the self-holding relay CBH, closing the CBH contacts in line 38b. Thus, the car is brought back to its home landing by the CBH system-even after the selector switches Sel D and Sel U have opened the relays U and D.

A few additions to the already-present circuit, necessitated by conversion to automatic Fig. 6 shows several segments of the elevator circuit for a signal=control elevator, showing additions made by the presentinvention in heavy lines andthe old elements in light lines. Thus, in the top line 60 is shown the addition of the timer relay T to the door-openingcircuit illustrating how it ties in with the conventional circuit elements for opening the door and assures that the door will reach its proper position. The timer T is in parallel with the door-open relay, door-open resistance DOR, a pilot switch P, and associated elements, and in series with the open limit rear switch for the door, so that when the door is once fully open, both the door-opening mechanism and the timer T are de-energized.

Lines 61 and 62 in Fig. 6 show a starting circuit conventional in a signal-control elevator, though not the only such circuit that is applicable, with only the additional provision of the start switch ST which, like the contacts ST'bridging lines 35 and 36, is closed by the relay ST in line 38. In the ordinary operator-run elevator there is no 10 such switch ST; the quadrant is used in its place to bridge the contacts 48'and 49.

Line 63 is another part of the start circuit also afiected by thestarting relay ST, which closes the contacts ST in line 63. Line 63 includes the gate contacts 53 and G that delay the actual starting until the doors are closed.

Thebottom lines 64 and 65 show'how timer relay T ties into a typical brake circuit for thecar. Allthe circuit is conventional except for the addition of the timerrelay T Scheduling In multi-elevator system's, scheduling is considered a necessity. There are many scheduling machines of a' wide variety on the market, and any of these can be adapted for use in the system I have just described. In line 33 I have shown two normally closed pairs of contacts SCU and SCD, which are respectively connected to any type of scheduling device that may be desired. I only illustrate the particular connection because this is all that is changed from what is wellknown in the art.

Summary of starting the elevator As will now be evident, if the elevator is stationary on the home floor it can be started either by passengers entering on the home floor, pressing their proper floor-selector buttons, andthen pressing'the door-close button, or it can be started by anyone on any other floor pressing a hall button. In any" event, relays" are closed which actuate and close one or more of the three contacts D, U, or CBH'in lines 3811 and 38b and closure of D and U results in closure'of CBH; Any one of these will then start the elevator by energizing the starting coil ST. However, if the safe-edge is broken by'a breaking'of the electric eye beam or by contact with the'door, in any event the door will be opened by the effect'of the safe-edge relay'SE. Also, the starting cannot unduly hasten the car on because of the timers T T and T all of which have to be closed before the car will actually start. As the circuits show, however, the holding relays HBH and CBH permit this to take place.

Location of the home landing is determined by the switch 70shown'in line 37, whichis thrown across one of the two relays CBHU or CBHD; The result of this will be to determine whichfl'o'or will be the home floor, the bottom floor or the top floor. This may beselected by the elevator engineer at any time or it can be con nected up to a clock for automatic actionat certain times of the day. Once an elevator cycle is started, theelevator will aways return to the home landing;

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present invention makes it possible to have an elevator of highspeed signal control type run'without any operator merely by placing" in a few key circuits. Thus the passenger or would-be passengers at the floors can start the elevator, and safety is assured to those'who'aretryin'g to get in or out of the elevator, whether either started by someone inside or outside the car. The timing mechanism assures that the car will not get stuck" on anyintermedia'te floor but will continue on to the homingfioor and that it will continue its full circuit. Even if one'of the buttons is pressed behind the car before the car has completed its full circuit, it will start anothercircuit to pick up those buttons so that it will operate'continuo'usly so long as that is happening; However, whennofurther operation is required, it will remain at the home floor until there is an actual actuation.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, many changes in construction and widely diflYering embodiments and application'sof theinvention will suggest themselves Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense'limiting;

I claim:

11 In a signal-control elevatordesigned primarily for manual operation and having an elevator car with doors and floor selector means, floor buttons for calling said car, a call relay energized by any of said floor buttons, 21 door-closing relay, door-opening means, a starting circuit, and a selector mechanism for stopping the elevator at called and selected floors, the combination therewith of the following so as to convert said elevator to automatic passenger-initiated operation: a manual switch in said elevator for energizing said door-closing relay; a selfholding relay in series with said starting circuit and energized upon energization of each of said call relay and said door-closing relay, so as to bypass said manual switch by a closed circuit; means for opening said self-holding relay when said elevator attains a predetermined speed; homing means to return said elevator to a home floor after being moved away therefrom; and timer means energized by said door-opening means for preventing energization of said door-closing relay during a timed interval and then energizing it so that said self-holding relay is energized to start said elevator when said doors are closed; whereby pressing a floor button or said manual switch will start said car from its homing floor and cause it to move to another floor therefrom and to return to said home landing, while making such stops as are called for by said floor buttons and said floor selector means, at each said stop said timer means serving, after due delay, to start said car again.

2. In a signal control elevator designed primarily for manual operation and having an elevator car movable in a shaft, doors therefor, floor selector means inside said car, hall buttons on each floor for calling said car, a hall button relay energized by any of said hall buttons, a door-closing relay, door-opening means, a starting circuit, and a selector mechanism for stopping the elevator at called floors, the combination therewith of the following so as to convert said elevator to automatic passengerinitiated operation: a manual switch in said elevator in series with said door-closing relay for energizing it; three self-holding relays, a first one energized upon energization of said hall button relay, a second one energized upon energization of said door-closing relay, and a third one in series with said starting circuit and energized upon energization of either of said first and second ones, so as to bypass said manual switch by a closed circuit; means associated with said selector mechanism for opening said first self-holding relay when said elevator leaves a homing floor and opening said second self-holding relay upon approach to said homing floor; means for opening said third self-holding relay after said elevator has started; and means actuated by said door-opening means for pre venting door closure and starting until a timed interval has passed, whereby pressing a hall button or said manual switch will start said car on a cycle moving from its homing floor to the farthest floor therefrom and returning to said home landing, while making stops therebetween as called for by said hall buttons and said floor selector means.

3. In a signal control elevator designed primarily for manual operation and having an elevator car movable in a shaft, doors therefor, floor selector means inside said car, hall buttons on each floor for calling said car, a hall-button relay energized by any of said hall buttons, a door-closing relay, door-opening means, a starting circuit, and a selector mechanism for stopping the elevator at called floors, the combination therewith of the following so as to convert said elevator to automatic passengerinitiated operation: an auxiliary relay in parallel with said door-closing relay; a manual switch in said elevator in series with said door-closing relay and said auxiliary relay for energizing them; three self-holding relays, a first one energized upon energization of said hall button relay, a second one energized upon energization of said auxiliary relay, and a third one in series with said starting circuit and energized upon energization of either of said first and second ones, so as to bypass said manual switch by a closed circuit; means associated with said selector mechanism for opening said first self-holding relay when said elevator leaves a homing floor; means associated with said selector mechanism for opening said second selfholding relay upon approach to said homing fioor; means for opening said third self-holding relay when said elevator attains a predetermined speed; a time-delay relay energized by said door-opening means for preventing energization of said door-closing relay and said auxiliary relay during a timed interval and then energizing them so that said third self-holding relay is energized to start said elevator when said doors are closed; whereby pressing a hall button or said manual switch will start said car from its homing floor and cause it to move to the farthest floor therefrom and to return to said home landing, while making stops therebetween as called for by said hall buttons and said floor selector means, at each stop said time-delay relay serving, after due delay, to start said car again.

4. In a signal control elevator designed primarily for manual operation and having an elevator car movable in a shaft, doors therefor, floor selector means inside said car, hall buttons on each floor for calling said car, a door-closing relay with associated door-closing machinery, a door-opening relay associated with door-opening machinery and a circuit therefor for opening the appropriate doors at each stop of the elevator, an elevator starting circuit, elevator accelerating means, elevator braking means and a circuit therefor, and a selector mechanism, the combination therewith of the following so as to convert said elevator to automatic passenger-initiated operation; a normally open manually operated switch for said door-closing relay; a self-holding relay in series with said starting circuit; means for energizing said self-holding relay upon actuation of any hall button or of said doorclosing relay so as to close a circuit segment bypassing said manual switch; a normally closed safety relay adapted to be opened upon the presence of a passenger across an open door, so as then to open said starting circuit and to actuate said door-opening relay; timer means for energizing said door closing means and said starting circuit after a timed interval at every floor except a home landing, except when said safety relay is opened; and means actuated by said elevator accelerating means at a predetermined speed for opening said self-holding relay.

5. In a signal control elevator designed primarily for manual operation and having an elevator car movable in a shaft, doors therefor, floor selector means inside said car, hall buttons on each floor for calling said car, a door-closing relay with associated door-closing machinery, a door-opening relay associated with door-opening machinery and a circuit therefor for opening the appropriate doors at each stop of the elevator, an elevator starting circuit, elevator accelerating means, elevator braking means and a circuit therefor, and a selector mechanism, the combination therewith of the following so as to convert said elevator to automatic passenger-initiated operation; a first self-holding relay; means for energizing said first self-holding relay upon actuating of any hall button; means associated with said selector mechanism for opening said first self-holding relay when said elevator leaves a floor selected as a home landing; a normally open manually operated switch for said door-closing relay; a second self-holding relay energized upon energization of said door-closing relay; means associated with said selector mechanism for opening said second self-holding relay upon approach to said home landing; a third self-holding relay in series with said starting circuit and energized by either of said first and second self-holding relays so as to close a circuit segment bypassing said manual switch; timer means for energizing said door closing means and said starting circuit after a timed interval at every floor except the home landing; and means actuated by said elevator accelerating means at a predetermined speed for opening said starting relay.

6. In a, signal. control elevator designed primarily for manual operation and having an elevator car movable in a shaft,. doors therefor, floor selector means inside said car, hall buttons on each floor for calling said car, a doorclosing relay with associated door-closing machinery, a door-opening relay associated with door-opening machincry and; a circuit therefor for opening the appropriate doors at each, stop of the elevator, an elevator starting circuit, elevator acceleratingv means, elevator braking means and a circuit therefor, and a selector mechanism, the combination therewith of the following so as to convert said elevator to automatic passenger-initiated operation; a

first self-holding relay; means for energizing said first selfholding relay upon actuating. of any hall button; means associated with said selector mechanism for opening said first self-holding. relay when said elevator leaves a floor selected as a home landing; a normally open manually operated switch for said door-opening relay; a, normallyopen second manually operated. switch for said door-clos ingrelay; a second self-holding relay energized upon energization of said. door-closing relay; means associated with said selector mechanism for opening said. second selfholding relay upon: approach. to said home landing; a third self-holding relay in series with said starting circuit and energized by either of said first and second. self-holding relays so as to close a circuit segment bypassing said. second manual switch; a normally closed safety relay adapted to be opened upon the presence of a passenger across an open door, so as then to open said starting circuit and to actuate said door-opening relay; timer means for energizing said door closing. means and said starting circuit after a timed interval at every floor except the home landing, except when said safety relay is opened; and means actuated by said elevator accelerating means at'a predetermined speed for opening said starting relay.

7. In a signal control elevator designed primarily for. manual operation and havingan elevator car movable in a shaft, doors therefor, floor selector means inside said car; hallbuttons on each floor for calling. said car, a hall button relay energized by any of said ball buttons, a doorclosing relay, door-opening means, a starting circuit, and a selector mechanism for stopping the elevator at called floors, the combination therewith of the following so as to convert said. elevator to automatic passenger-mitiated operation: a first self-holding relay energized upon en ergization of said hall button relay; means associated with said selector mechanism for opening said first self-holding relay when said elevator leaves a homing floor; an auxiliary relay in parallel with said door-closing relay; amanual switch in said elevator in series with said door-closing relay and said auxiliary relay for energizing them; a second self-holding relay energized upon energization of said auxiliary relay; means on said selector for opening said second self-holding relay upon approach to said homing floor;-a third self-holding relay in series with said starting circuit and energized upon energization of' either of said: first and second self-holding relays, soas to bypass said manual switch by a closed circuit; means toopen said third self-holding relay when the elevator attains a predetermined speed; a time-delay relay energized by said door-opening means. for preventing energization of said door-closing relay and said auxiliary relay during a. timed interval: andv then energizing. them so that said third selfholding relay is energized to start said elevator When said doors are. closed; whereby pressing a hall button or said manual switch will start said car from its homing floor and cause it to move. to the farthest floo'r therefrom and to'return to said home landing, while making stops therebetween as called for by said hall buttons. and. said floor selector means, at each stop said time-delay relay serving, after'due delay, tostart' said car again.

8. In asignal control elevatordesignedprimarily for manual. operation and having an elevator car movable in a; shaft, doors: therefor, floor selector means inside said car, hall buttons on each floor for calling said car, a hall button relay energized by any of said hall buttons, a door-closing relay with associated door-closing machinery, a door-opening relay with associated door-opening machinery and a circuit therefor for opening the appropriate doors at each stop of the elevator, an elevator starting circuit, andya selector mechanism, the combination therewith of the following so as to convert said elevator to automatic passenger-initiated operation: a first switch closed by said hall button relay; a hall-button-hold relay energized by closure of said first switch to. close asecond switch; a first self-holding relay energized by closure of said second switch to close a third switch; means associated with said selector mechanism for opening said first self-holding relay when said elevator leaves a home landing; an auxiliary relay in parallel with said door-closing relay for opening, when energized, fourth and fifth switches; a normally-open manual switch in series with said door-closing relay and saidauxiliary relay for manually energizing them; a second self-holding relay energized by closure of said fourth switch to close a sixth switch; means associated with said selector mechanism for opening said second self-holding relay upon approach to said' home landing; a self-holding starting relay in se-. ries withsaid third and sixth switches, which are parallel with each other, said starting relay closing a seventh switch in series with said door-closing relay and said auxiliary relay and in parallel with said manual switch; and timer means for energizing said door closing means and said starting circuit after a timed interval at every floor except the home landing unless said safety relay is opened.

9. In. a signal control elevator designed primarily for manual operation and having an elevator car movable in a shaft, doors therefor, floor selector means inside said car, hall buttons oneach. floor for calling said car, a hall button relay energized by any of said hall buttons, a door-closing. relay with associated door-closing machincry, a. door-opening relay with associated door-opening machinery and a circuit therefor for opening the appropriate doors at each stop of the elevator, an elevator starting circuit, elevator accelerating means, elevator braking means, and a selector mechanism, the combination therewith of the following so as to convert saidel'evator to automatic passenger-initiated operation; a first switch closed by said ball button. relay; a hall-buttonhold relay energized by closure of said first switch to close asecond switch; a first self-holding relay energized by closure of said second switch to close a third switch; means associated with said selector mechanism for opening. said first self-holding relay when said elevator leaves a home landing; normally open first manual switch in series with said door-opening relay for manual energization thereof; an auxiliary relay in parallel with said doorclosingv relay for opening, when energized, fourth and fifth switches; a normally-open. second manual switch in series with said door-closing relay and said auxiliary relay for manually energizing them; a second self-holding relay energized by closure of said fourth. switch to close a. sixth switch; means associated with said selector mechanism for opening said second self-holding relay upon approach tov said home landing; a self-holding starting relay in series with said third and sixth switches, which are in parallel with each other, said starting relay closing a seventh switch in series with said door-closing relay and said auxiliary relay and in parallel with said second manual switch; a normally closed safety relay adapted to be. opened upon the presence of a passenger across an open door, so as then to open said starting circuit and to actuate said door-opening relay; timer means for energizing said door closing means and said starting circuit after a timed interval at every floor except the home landing unless said safety relay is opened; and means actuated by said elevator accelerating means at a predetermined speed for opening said starting relay.

10. In a signal control elevator designed primarily for manual operation and having an elevator car movable in a shaft, doors therefor, floor selector means inside said car, hall buttons on each floor for calling said car, a hall button relay energized by any of said hall buttons, a door-closing relay with associated door-closing machinery, a door opening relay associated with door-opening machinery and a circuit therefor, an elevator starting circuit and a selector mechanism for stopping the elevator at called floors, the combination therewith of the following so as to convert said elevator to automatic passengerinitiated operation: first switch means closed upon energization of said hall button relay; a first self-holding relay energized upon closure of said first switch means and in series with a first normally closed selector relay; second switch means closed by energization of said first self-holding relay; means associated with said selector mechanism for opening said first selector relay momentarily when said elevator leaves a homing floor, so as to open said first self-holding relay if it is then energized; an auxiliary relay in parallel with said door-closing relay; a manual switch in series with said door-closing relay and said auxiliary relay for energizing them; a second self-holding relay energized upon energization of said auxiliary relay; means on said selector for opening said second self-holding relay upon approach to said homing floor; third switch means closed upon energization of said second self-holding relay, said second and third switch means being in parallel with each other; a self-holding starting relay in series with said starting circuit and with said second and third switch means; a time-delay relay in series with said door-opening circuit; fourth normally closed switch means in series with said door-closing relay and said auxiilary relay and said manual switch, said fourth switch means being opened for a timed interval on energization of said time-delay relay; fifth normally open switch means closed upon energization of said starting relay and in parallel with said manual switch and in series with the elements with which said manual switch is in series; and means for opening said self-holding starting relay when said doors are opened, so that pressing a hall button or said manual switch will start said car from its homing floor and cause it to move to the farthest floor therefrom and to return to said home landing, while making stops therebetween as called for by said hall buttons and said floor selector means, at each stop said fourth switch means serving, after due delay, to start said car again.

11. In a signal control elevator designed primarily for manual operation and having an elevator car movable in a shaft, doors therefor, floor selector means inside said car, hall buttons on each floor for calling said car, a hall button relay energized by any of said hall buttons, a door-closing relay with associated door-closing machincry and a circuit therefor, a door-opening relay associated with door-opening machinery and a circuit therefor, an elevator starting circuit, elevator accelerating means, elevator braking means and a circuit therefor, and a selector mechanism, the combination therewith of the following so as to convert said elevator to automatic passenger-initiated operation: first contacts closed by energization of said hall button relay; a hall button-hold relay in electrical series with said first contacts and energized by closure thereof and having second and third contacts closed upon its energization; a first self-holding relay energized by closure of said second contacts and in series with a first normally closed selector relay; a second self-holding relay energized by closure of said third contacts and in series with a second normally closed selector relay; fourth and fifth contacts respectively closed by energization of said first and second self-hlding relays; means associated with said selector mechanism for opening said first selector relay momentarily when said elevator leaves the ground floor, so as to open said first self-holding relay if it is then energized; means associated with said selector mechanism for opening said second selector relay momentarily when said elevator leaves the top floor, so as to open said second-holding relay if it is then energized; a normally open door-open push button switch in series with said door-opening relay for energization thereof; an auxiliary relay in parallel with said doorclosing relay; a normally open door-close push button switch in series with said door-closing relay and said auxiliary relay for energizing them; sixth and seventh contacts closed upon energization of said auxiliary relay; a third self-holding relay in series with said sixth contacts for energization upon closure thereof; normally closed home-landing selector means in series with said third self-holding relay adapted to be opened upon approach to the home landing floor so as to open said third self-holding relay; eighth contacts closed upon energization of said third self-holding relay, said fourth, fifth, and eighth contacts being in parallel with each other; a self-holding starting relay in series with said fourth, fifth, and eighth contacts; a double-acting safety relay; normally closed safety-edge contacts in series with said safety relay and normally energizing it; ninth contacts closed upon energization of said safety relay and tenth and eleventh contacts opened thereby, said eleventh contacts being in parallel with said door-open push button switch and in series with said door-opening relay, said ninth contacts being in series with said starting relay; a first timer relay in said door-opening circuit; twelfth normally closed contacts in series with said door-closing relay and said auxiliary relay and said door-close-push-button switch, said twelfth contacts being opened on energization of said first timer relay; a second normally de-energized timer relay in said braking circuit and energized when said brake is on; thirteenth contacts closed during de-energization of said second timer relay and in series with said starting relay and said fourth, fifth, and eighth contacts; a third normally deenergized timer relay in series with and energized by closure of said tenth contacts; fourteenth contacts opened by energization of said third timer relay and in series with said thirteenth contacts and the elements with which they are in series; fifteenth contacts closed upon energization of said starting relay and in parallel with said doorclose-push-button switch and in series with the elements with which it is in series; holding contacts for said selfholding starting relay in parallel with said seventh contacts, said holding contacts and said seventh contacts being in parallel with said fourth, fifth, and eighth contacts and said thirteenth and fourteenth contacts and in series with said starting relay and said ninth contacts; so that pressing of a hall button or said door-close-pushbutton switch will start said car from its home landing and cause it to move to the farthest floor therefrom and to return to said home landing, while making stops therebetween as called for by said hall buttons and said floor selector means, at each stop said time-actuated contacts serving, after due delay, to start said car again; and normally closed sixteenth contacts in series with said starting relay and opened by said elevator accelerating means at a predetermined speed for opening said starting relay.

12. In a signal control elevator designed primarily for manual operation and having an elevator car movable in a shaft, doors therefor, floor selector means inside said car, hall buttons on each floor for calling said car, a hall button relay energized by any of said hall buttons, a door-closing relay with associated door-closing machincry, a door-opening relay associated with door-opening machinery and a circuit therefor, an elevator starting circuit, elevator accelerating means, elevator braking means and a circuit therefor, and a selector mechanism, the combination therewith of the following so as to convert said elevator to automatic passenger-initiated operation: first switch means closed by energization of said hall button relay; a hall-button-hold relay in electrical series with said first switch means and energized upon closure thereof and having second and third switch means closed upon its energization; a first self-holding relay energized by closure of said second switch means and in series with a first normally closed selector relay; a second self-holding relay energized by closure of said third switch means and in series with a second normally closed selector relay; fourth and fifth switch means respectively closed by energization of said first and second self-holding relays; means associated with-said selectormechanism for opening said first selector relay momentarily when said elevator leaves the ground floor, so as to open said first self-holding relay if it is then energized; means associated with said selector mechanism for opening said second selector relay momentarily when said elevator leaves the top floor, so as to open said second self-holding relay if it is then energized; a first manual switch in series with said dooropening relay for energization thereof; an auxiliary relay in parallel with said door-closing relay; a second manual switch in series with said door-closing relay and said auxiliary relay for energizing them; sixth and seventh switch means closed upon energization of said auxiliary relay; 2. third self-holding relay in series with said sixth switch means for energization upon closure thereof; normally closed home-landing selector means in series with said third self-holding relay adapted to be opened upon approach to the home landing floor so as to open said third self-holding relay; eighth switch means closed upon energization of said third self-holding relay, said fourth, fifth, and eighth switch means being in parallel with each other; a self-holding starting relay in series with said fourth, fifth and eighth switch means; a normally energized double-acting safety relay; means for opening said safety relay when a passenger is passing through said doors and they are at least partially open; ninth switch means closed upon energization of said safety relay and tenth and eleventh switch means opened thereby, said eleventh switch means being in parallel with said first manual switch and in series with said dooropening relay, said ninth switch means being in series with said starting relay; a first normally de-energized timer relay in said door-opening circuit; twelfth normally closed switch means in series with said door-closing relay and said auxiliary relay and said second manual switch, said twelfth switch means being opened on energization of said first timer relay; a second normally de-energized timer relay in said braking circuit and energized when said brake is on; thirteenth switch means closed during de-energization of said second timer relay and in series with said starting relay and said fourth, fifth, and eighth switch-means; a third normally de-energized timer relay in series with and energized by closure of said tenth switch means; fourteenth switch means opened by energization of said third timer relay and in series with said thirteenth switch means and the elements with which it is in series; fifteenth switch means closed upon energization of said starting relay and in parallel with said doorclose-push-button switch and in series with the elements with which it is in series; holding means for said self holding starting relay in parallel with said seventh switch means, both said holding means and said seventh switch means being in parallel with said fourth, fifth, eighth, thirteenth and fourteenth switch means and in series with said starting relay and said ninth switch means, so that pressing of a hall button or said second manual switch will start said car from its home landing and cause it to move to the farthest floor therefrom and to return to said home landing, while making stops there between as called for -by said hall buttons and said floor selector means, at each stop the time-actuated switch means serving, after due delay, to start said car again.

13. In a signal control elevator designed primarily for manual operation and having an elevator car movable in a shaft, doors therefor, floor selector buttons inside said car, hall buttons on each floor for calling said car, a hall button relay energized by any of said hall buttons, a door-closing relay with associated circuit and doorclosing machinery, a door-opening relay associated with 18 door-opening machinery and a circuit therefor, an elevator starting circuit, a swinging handle inside said car with a quadrant for closing normally open contacts across the door-closing relay circuit when swung to one side and for closing normally open contacts across said starting circuit when swung further in the same direction and for closing normally open contacts across said dooropening relay when swung to the other side; elevator accelerating means; elevator braking means and a circuit therefor, and a selector mechanism, the combination therewith of the following so as to convert said elevator to automatic passenger-initiated operation; first contacts closed by energization of said hall button relay; a hallbutton-hold relay in electrical series with said first contacts and energized by closure thereof and having second and third contacts closed upon its energization; a first self-holding relay energized by closure of said second contacts and in series with a first normally closed selector relay; a second self-holding relay energized by closure of said third contacts and in series with a second normally closed selector relay; fourth and fifth contacts respectively closed by energization of said first and second self-holding relays; means associated with said selector mechanism for opening said first selector relay momentarily when said elevator leaves the ground floor, so as to open said first self-holding relay if it is then energized; means associated with said selector mechanism for opening said second selector relay momentarily when said elevator leaves the top floor, so as to open said second self-holding relay if it is then energized; a normally open door-open push button switch in series with said door-opening relay for energization thereof and replacing said handle, quadrant, and contacts on the door-opening circuit for that purpose; an auxiliary relay in parallel with said door-closing relay; a normally open door-close push button switch in series with said door-closing relay and said auxiliary relay for energizing them and replacing said handle, quadrant, and contacts for both said door-opening and starting circuits for closing said circuits manually; sixth and seventh contacts closed upon energization of said auxiliary relay; a third self-holding relay in series with said sixth contacts for energization upon closure thereof; normally closed home-landing selector means in series with said third self-holding relay adapted to be opened upon approach to the home landing floor so as to open said third self-holding relay; eighth contacts closed upon energization of said third self-holding relay, said fourth, fifth, and eighth contacts being in parallel with each other; a self-holding starting relay in series with said fourth, fifth and, eighth contacts; a double-acting safety relay; normally closed safety-edge contacts in series with said safety relay and normally energizing it, ninth contacts closed upon energization of said safety relay and tenth and eleventh contacts opened thereby, said eleventh contacts being in parallel with said door-open push button switch and in series with said door-opening relay, said ninth contacts being in series with said starting relay; a first timer relay across said door-opening circuit; twelfth normally closed contacts in series with said door-closing relay and said auxiliary relay and said door-close-push button switch, said twelfth contacts being opened on energization of said first timer relay, which takes place when said door-opening circuit is energized; a second normally de-energized timer relay across said braking circuit and energized when said brake is on; thirteenth contacts closed during de-energization of said second timer relay and in series with said starting relay and said fourth, fifth, and eighth contacts; a third normally de-energized timer relay in series with and energized by closure of said tenth contacts; fourteenth contacts opened by energization of said third timer relay and in series with said thirteenth contacts and the elements with which they are in series; fifteenth contacts closed upon energization of said starting relay and in parallel with said door-close-push-button switch and in series with the elements with which it is in series; holding contacts for said self-holding starting relay in parallel with said seventh contacts, saidholdingt contacts andtsaid seventh contacts being in parallel with said fourth, fifth, and eighth contacts and said thirteenth and fourteentth contacts and in series with said starting relay and said ninth contacts; so. that pressing of a hall button or said door-close-push-button switch will start said car from its home landing and cause it to move to the farthest floor therefrom and to return to said home landing, while making stops therebetween as called for by said hall buttons and said fioorselector means, at each stop said time-actuated contacts serving, after due delay, t

to start said'. can again; and normally closed sixteenth contacts in series With said starting relay and opened by said -elevator accelerating means at'a predetermined.

Watson Apr. 26, 1949 2,589,242

Glaser et a1. Mar. 18, 1952..

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