US3085699A - Motor hotel - Google Patents

Description

April 16, 1963 s B. BAYLINSON MOTOR HOTEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 23, 1958 ,nnuunnnnju"m""um l/ldlllllflll INVENTOR S. BRIAN BAYLINSON iiiiJ ATTORNEYS- April 16, 1963 s B. BAYLINSON MOTOR HOTEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 23, 1958 AMP.

INVENTOR S. BRIAN BAYLINSON ATTORNEYS.

tates nite This invention relates to a combined multi-storied building and multi-storied garage, and particularly to a combined multi-storied hotel and garage.

The past fifteen years have seen a marked increase in the use of the motor car by the American public. Along with this increase has arisen a new form of lodging known as the motor hotel or motel. The motel has gained wide acceptance by motor tourists because of the convenience of parking the automobile right outside of the door to the travelers lodgings, which permits the traveler to pack and unpack his own car as he sees fit. This introduces an element of privacy and also eliminates the need for using a bellboy or other assistance which is invariably expensrve.

As a result of the wide use of motels by motor travelers, the conventional urban lodging establishments, particu larly hotels, have been steadily losing this large segment of potential business. Motels are now readily available on the periphery of all major cities and for the motor tourist he generally prefers to use the motel and then to drive in and out the nearby city rather than to use a hotel in the city which would necessitate his incurring large garage expenses, tipping of bellboys, and so forth.

In an attempt to curtail this decline in hotel business with motor tourists, there have been a few American hotels which have had garages built immediately adjacent the hotel property. Although this diminishes the drawbacks of the urban hotel for the motoring tourist, it does not eliminate these drawbacks. This is particularly true since in all such establishments access can only be gained to the automobile by the tourist going to the ground floor of the adjacent garage, thus necessitating his travelling back and forth a considerable distance. Naturally, the presently standard form of motel is not feasible for location on urban property as such an establishment is usually only one story and occupies a great deal of land for the number of rooms available. With the cost of urban real estate such a construction is naturally not economically justified.

The major object of the present invention is the provision of a multi-storied hotel having parking facilities integrated therewith, which parking facilities are readily available to the hotel guest.

A more general object of the present invention is the provision of a multi-storied building having a multistoried garage associated therewith, and access being afforded to the garage at each story of the building.

Another object of the present invention isthe provision of a multi-storied hotel having a multi-storied garage associated therewith, and access being afforded to the garage from the hotel at each story.

Still another object of the present invention is the pro vision of a multi-storied hotel having a multi-storied mechanical parking device associated therewith, the parking device having storage bins for automobiles on each floor, which bins are inaccessible to the hotel guests, and the device further having receiving ports for automobiles on each floor, which receiving ports are readily accessible to the hotel guests from the same floor of the hotel.

Yet a further object of the present invention is the provision of a multi-storied hotel having a multi-storied mechanical parking device associated therewith, the parking device having storage bins for automobiles on each floor, which bins are inaccessible to the hotel guests, and the device further having receiving ports for automobiles 3,-85,699 Patented Apr. 16, 1963 on each floor, which receiving ports are readily accessible to the hotel guests from the same floor of the hotel, and closure means which are normally closed to prevent guests from gaining access to other than the receiving ports, and means out of control of the guests for opening said closure means.

The above and other objects, characteristics and features of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

lln the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a typical floor of a hotel having an integrated mechanical parking device associated therewith;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of control apparatus for opening and closing gates in front of the receiving port.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the structure shown therein includes a multi-storied building, such as a hotel 10, having immediately adjacent thereto a garage 12, preferably of the mechanical type. The hotel 10 has exterior fire resistant walls 14 and particularly a fire resistant wall 16 extending between the hotel 10 and the garage 12. The particular design of the hotel forms no special part of the invention except as otherwise noted. As shown herein, the hotel is divided into a plurality of rooms 18 to which access is provided by means of corridors 20 and doorway passages 22. However, in accordance with the present invention, the hotel is a multistoried hotel here shown as being made up of eight stories or floors.

The garage 12 as shown herein is a mechanical garage having a right hand bank of storage bins 24, a left hand bank of storage bins 26, and a passageway 28 extending between the left and right hand banks in which a vertically and horizontally movable elevator 30 is disposed. One example of the type of garage eminently suited for this purpose is the mechanical parking device shown and described in US. Patent No. Re. 23,962, issued to L. K. Sanders et al., on March 8, 1955, for Automobile Parking Elevator. Such a parking device comprises a vertical structure 29 mounted on tracks 31 to render said structure movable horizontally. The elevator 30 is carried by the structure so that it will move with the structure horizontally. A suitable motor 33 drives wheels 39 mounted on thebottom of the structure in order to impart the horizontal movement. The elevator is also movable vertically in any conventional manner as for instance in response to operation of a motor 37 carried on the elevator floor 32. A dolly 34 is disposed on elevator floor 32 and may be moved horizontally onto and otf of the elevator floor and into and out of the bins 24 and 26 by means of a motor operated pulley arrangement controlled by an operator carried by the elevator. Moreover, carried by the dolly is a vertically movable jack frame 35 which may be moved vertically by a plurality of hydraulically actuated jacks controlled by the operator to raise and lower an automobile overlying the dolly. If a more detailed description is desired, reference may be had to the above referred to Sanders et al. patent. With a garage of this type, the storage bins 24 and 26 are open at the surface facing the passageway 28 and it is therefore extremely undesirable and hazardous to have any unauthorized persons, such as hotel guests, in or near the storage bins.

To obviate this possibility and to provide ready access of the hotel guest to his automobile, each floor or story of the garage is provided with receiving ports 36, here shown as three in number. The receiving ports are located in the right hand bank of bins as viewed in FIG. 2, immediately adjacent wall 16, and these ports are deeper than the storage bins 24 for a reason which will become more apparent as this description proceeds. To separate the receiving ports from the storage bins, a wall 38 is provided. Communicating with the receiving ports on each floor is a corridor 40 defined by a fire resistant wall 43 and a wall 44 extending between the corridor 4i) and the mechanism passageway 28. Corridor 40 is in communication with a vestibule 42 by means of an open portal 45 and vestibule 42 is in communication with the corridor 20 by means of a portal 46 in wall 16. Vestibule 42 is provided with an open window 47 to the out-ofdoors whereby to actually make vestibule 42 equivalent to a breeze-way or a sheltered but not enclosed passage. This provision is made in part so that the entire combination will conform to the fire laws of many US. cities without the need for expensive fire doors. Of course, if desired, fire doors may be used.

As stated above, the storage bins 24 and 26 open onto the elevator passage 28. This same opened end is necessary for the receiving ports 36 to permit the easy access of the dolly 34 into and out of the ports. However, in accordance with the present invention, the open ends of the receiving ports 36 are closed by movable closure means, here shown as horizontally movable gates 48, which extend from floor to ceiling and which are normally closed. With the gates 48 normally closed, no person can gain access to the elevator passage 28 through the receiving ports, thus eliminating the possibility of a guest falling into the elevator passage 28.

The control of the gates is preferably effected by the elevator operator although this control may be elfected remotely from the ground floor G or may be completely automatic. Any suitable means for opening the gates to provide access for the dolly to any one of the three storage bins 36 may be employed. For instance, push buttons on the elevator side of columns 50 may be associated with motor means for each of the gates 48 to open and close them. In lieu of push buttons, sonic, supersonic or radio actuated apparatus may be employed. As shown herein by way of example, a photoelectric device is employed to actuate the gates 48. The photoelectric control apparatus is diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 4. This apparatus includes a lamp L mounted on the elevator, the lamp L being controlled by a switch S to energize or deenergize the lamp over the circuit extending from a terminal BX of a suitable A.C. source, through the switch S and the filament of the lamp L, to the terminal NX of the source of AC. power. Switch S is, of course, also mounted on the elevator. Associated with the lamp L is a suitable photocell PC for each gate which is aligned with the lamp L when the elevator is properly positioned for moving the dolly 34 into or out of the associated receiving port 36. Photocell PC is connected to the input terminal of an amplifier A whose output is supplied to a relay PCR. Relay PCR controls the energization of a motor M which drives a gate 48 through a pinion 52 driven by the motor and a rack 54 mounted on the top of the door. Cooperating with relay PCR in the control of motor M are two limit switches LSO and LSC. Limit switch LSO is normally closed but is open when gate 48 is in its full open position. Limit switch LSC is normally closed but is open when gate 48 is in its fully closed position.

The operation of the control apparatus is as follows: When the elevator has been properly positioned opposite one of the gates 48, the operator closes switch S to energize lamp L. The light from lamp L falls on photocell PC to actuate the photocell and thereby cause it to put out a signal which is amplified by amplifier A and is supplied to relay PCR to energize the relay. With relay PCR energized, it picks up and closes a circuit which may be traced from terminal BX over front contact a of relay PCR, through limit switch LSO which is closed, through the winding of motor M from left to right, and over front contact b of relay PCR to terminal NX. Accordingly, the motor will be energized and will turn pinion 52 which is in meshed relation with rack 54 and thus will move gate 48 to its open position. As the gate moves into its open position limit switch LSO becomes open, thereby opening the energizing circuit and deenergizing the motor with the gate 48 open. After appropriate operation of the dolly, as will be described in more detail hereinafter, the operator will either open switch S to turn off lamp L or in lieu thereof, will move the elevator out of registry with open gate 48. In either event, the light source will be cut olf from photocell PC which will discontinue putting out a signal. Accordingly, relay PCR will become deenergized and will release to thereby open its front contacts a and b and close its back contacts a and b to thus establish a reverse energizing circuit for motor M. This energizing circuit may be traced from terminal BX, over back contact a of relay PCR, through motor winding M from right to left, over limit switch LSC which is closed at this time, and over back contact b of relay PCR to terminal NX. Accordingly, motor M will rotate in a reverse direction to thus cause the pinion and rack arrangement 5254 to move gate 48 towards its closed position. As the gate moves into its closed position, limit switch LSC becomes open, thus deenergizing the second energizing circuit for motor M and the system is thereby restored to its original condition with the gate 48 closed.

Although the control apparatus just described is simple and convenient, other control apparatuses may be employed for effecting the above described operation. The important factors in the apparatus described are first, that the gate 48 is normally closed and second, that the appara tus is arranged to operate on a safe failure basis. That is, in the event that any element of the apparatus fails, the gate 48 will either be kept in or returned to its closed position. Moreover, the gates cannot be controlled by guests as the actuating switch S is inaccessible from ports 36.

The projected manner of use of the disclosed structure will be as follows: The guest will drive in at street level where an entranceway is provided for his car to be driven into one of the left hand bins 26 on the ground fioor G. The car at this time is loaded. The guest will leave the car, locked preferably, and will go to the front desk to register. At the front desk the guest will register and be assigned a room and this room assignment will be relayed to the operator of the parking device. For instance, let it be supposed that the guest is assigned a room on the fourth floor. The operator will move elevator 30 into registry with the open end of the bin in which the guests car is disposed on the ground floor G and will then move the dolly off the elevator and under the car C. With the dolly under the car C, the jack frame will be actuated to move upwardly and thereby raise the car so that the wheels thereof are disposed off the floor. The dolly is then again actuated to return it to the elevator floor 32 along with the ear C. The operator then moves the elevator both horizontally and vertically so as to bring it into registry with one of the receiving ports 36 on the fourth floor. At this time all of the gates 48 are closed. The operator then closes the switch S on the cab to energize lamp L and thereby actuate the photoelectric apparatus to open one of the gates 48 in front of the receiving ports 36 on the fourth floor. When the gate opens in accordance with the aforedescribed operations, the operator actuates mechanism for moving the dolly off the elevator and into one of the receiving ports 36. This movement is preferably a few feet longer than movement into the storage bins so as to provide a passageway 56 between the automobiles in the receiving ports and the gates 48. The jack frame is then actuated to drop the car onto the floor of the receiving port and to disengage the dolly from the automobile. The dolly is then moved back onto the elevator and lamp L is darkened to thus actuate the control apparatus to restore gate 48 to its closed position. This entire operation will take no more time than it will take the guest to arrive at the fourth floor. He may then go to the receiving port where his car is located and unload the car gaining easy access to the car through the portals 45 and 44, the vestibule 42, and the passageways 4i) and 56. To facilitate the guests unloading of the car, suitable carts 58 may be stored in the vestibule for the guests use. The guest will then unload his car or as much of it as he desires, and take his belongings to his room by means of the cart and then unpack. He may then call down to the garage to inform them that the car has been unloaded and that he has no present need of it.

The operator will again move the elevator car into registry with the receiving port 36 in which the guests car is disposed and he will again actuate lamp L to cause gate 48 to open, always being certain that no guest is in the receiving ports before opening the gate. The dolly 44 will then be moved under the car and the car will be lifted by the jack frame. The dolly is returned to the elevator floor 32 and the elevator is moved into registry with an empty storage bin 24 or 26 where the car will be deposited for storage until needed. In the event that the guest finds that he has not fully unloaded the car, a mere call to the operator of the parking device will bring prompt response for returning the car from the storage bin to a receiving port on the guests floor so that the guest can again gain access to the car.

In the above description, it is to be noted that with the gates 4% closed, there is no danger of the guest finding a gate open and perhaps stumbling into the elevator passage 28. Moreover, with the elevator controlled by an operator carried by the elevator car, the operator has the opportunity of surveying the situation in the receiving ports 36 before opening any of the gates 48 and thus being certain not to open gates when any guest is present in the receiving port area.

While this description has been made in connection with a mechanical parking device of the type referred to in the above mentioned Sanders patent, it will be clear that other suitable parking devices may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Moreover, a ramp garage can be employed in connection with this invention if desired.

While I have herein shown and described the preferred form of the present invention and have suggested several modifications thereof, various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A multi-story motor hotel, comprising a mul-ti-story hotel having rooms on each story above the ground story thereof, and a multi-story mechanical garage comprising a multi-story bank of bins for receiving automobiles, a horizontally and vertically movable elevator for moving an automobile into registry with a preselected one of a number of bins in said bank, and means for moving automobiles onto and off of said elevator and into and out of said bins, said bank of bins comprising at least one receiving port on each story above the ground, a storage bin adjacent thereto, and means for preventing access from said receiving port to said storage bin, and access means on each story above the ground from and to said receiving port on the associated story of the garage and to and from the associated story of the hotel.

2. A multi-story motor hotel, comprising a multi-story hotel having rooms on each story above the ground story thereof, and a multi-story mechanical garage comprising a multi-story bank of bins for receiving automobiles, a horizontally and vertically movable elevator for moving an automobile into registry with a preselected one of a number of bins in said bank, and means for moving automobiles onto and off of said elevator and into and out of said bins, said bank of bins comprising at least one receiving port on each story above the ground, a plurality of storage bins on each story, and means for preventing access from said receiving port to said storage bins, and access means on each story above the ground from and to said receiving port on the associated story of the garage and from and to the associated story of the hotel.

3. A multi-story motor hotel, comprising a multi-story hotel having a plurality of rooms on each story thereof above the ground floor, and a multi-story mechanical park-ing garage, said garage comprising a first bank of bins adapted to receive automobiles, said first bank of bins being immediately adjacent said hotel and including at least one receiving port on each story above the ground story, a plurality of storage bins on each story above the ground story, and means for preventing access to said storage bins from said receiving ports, a second bank of bins in spaced confront-ing relation to said first bank of bins, said first and second banks defining therebetween a passageway, said bins being opened on said passageway to provide access thereto, an elevator disposed in said passageway for carrying automobiles to and from said bins, means for moving said elevator vertically and horizontally, and means for providing access to and from each story of said hotel and from and to said receiving port on said corresponding story of said garage.

4. A multi-story motor hotel, comprising a multi-story hotel having a plurality of rooms on each story thereof above the ground floor, and a multi-story mechanical parking garage, said garage comprising a first bank of bins adapted to receive automobiles, said first bank of bins being immediately adjacent said hotel and including at least one receiving port on each story above the ground story, a plurality of storage bins on each story above the ground story, and means for preventing access to said storage bins from said receiving ports, a second bank of bins in spaced confronting relation to said first bank of bins, said first and second banks defining therebetween a passageway, said bins being opened on said passageway to provide access thereto, normally closed openable closure means overlying the opening in said receiving ports on said passageway, an elevator disposed in said passageway for carrying automobiles to and from said bins, means for moving said elevator vertically and horizontally, and means for providing access to and from each story of said hotel and from and to said receiving port on said corresponding story of said garage.

5. A multi-story motor hotel, comprising a muIti-story hotel having a plurality of rooms on each story thereof above the ground fioor, and a multi-story mechanical parking garage, said garage comprising a first bank of bins adapted to receive automobiles, said first bank of bins being immediately adjacent said hotel and including at least one receiving port on each story above the ground story, a plurality of storage bins on each story above the ground story, and means for preventing access to said storage bins from said receiving ports, a second bank of bins in spaced confronting relation to said first bank of bins, said first and second banks defining therebetween a passageway, said bins being opened on said passageway to provide access thereto, normally closed openable closure means overlying the opening in said receiving ports on said passageway, a plurality of means, one for each closure means, for moving their associated closure means to and from its closed position and from and to its open position, means for actuating each of said moving means,

r said actuating means being inaccessible from said receiving ports, an elevator disposed in said passageway for carrying automobiles to and from said bins and ports, means for moving said elevator vertically and horizontally, and means for providing access to and from each story of said hotel and from and to said receiving port on said corresponding story of said garage.

6. A multi-story motor hotel, comprising a multi-story hotel having a plurality of rooms on each story thereof above the ground floor, and a multi-story mechanical parking garage, said garage comprising a first bank of bins adapted to receive automobiles, said first bank of bins being immediately adjacent said hotel and including at least one receiving port on each story above the ground story, a plurality of storage bins on each story above the ground story, and means for preventing access to said storage bins from said receiving ports, a second bank of bins in spaced confronting relation to said first bank of bins, said first and second banks defining therebetween a passageway, said bins being opened on said passageway to provide access thereto, normally closed openable closure means overlying the opening in said receiving ports on said pasageway, a plurality of means, one for each closure means, for moving their associated closure means to and from its closed position and from and to its open position, means for actuating each of said moving means, an elevator disposed in said passageway for carrying automobiles to and from said bins and ports, means for moving said elevator vertically and horizontally, and means for providing access to and from each story of said hotel and from and to said receiving port on said corresponding story of said garage, said actuating means being disposed on said elevator.

7. A mult-story motor hotel, comprising a multi-story hotel having rooms on each story above the ground story thereof, and a multi-story mechanical garage comprising a multi-story bank of bins for receiving automobiles, a horizontally and vertically movable elevator for moving an automobile into registry with a preselected one of a number of bins in said bank, and means for moving automobiles onto and off of said elevator and into and out of said bins, said bank of bins comprising a plurality of sideby-side receiving ports on each story of length substantially greater than that of the automobiles said receiving ports are adapted to receive, a plurality of side-by-side storage bins on each story adjacent said receiving ports of length substantially the same as that of the automobiles said storage bins are adapted to store, and a wall between said receiving ports and said storage bins to pre vent access from said receiving ports to said storage bins, and access means on each story above the ground from and to said receiving ports on the associated story of the garage and to and from the associated story of the hotel.

8. A multi-story motor hotel, comprising a multi-story hotel having rooms on each story above the ground story thereof, and a multi-story mechanical garage comprising a multi-story bank of bins for receiving automobiles, a horizontally and vertically movable elevator for moving an automobile into registry with a preselected one of a number of bins in said bank, and means for moving automobiles onto and off of said elevator and into and out of said bins, said bank of bins comprising at least one receiving port on each story above the ground, a storage bin adjacent thereto, and means for preventing access from said receiving port to said storage bin, and access means on each story above the ground from and to said receiving port on the associated story of the garage and to and from the associated story of the hotel, said last mentioned means including a vestibule extending between said building and said receiving port and being in communication with the out-of-doors.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,432,132 Sturges Oct. 17, 1922 1,730,645 Cory Oct. 8, 1929 1,830,518 Mason Nov. 3, 1931 1,903,092 Cory et a1 Mar. 28, 1933 1,905,229 James et a1 Apr. 25, 1933 2,676,714 Buranelli Apr. 27 1954 2,763,381 Bowles Sept. 18, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 417,521 Great Britain Oct. 8, 1934

Claims (1)

1. A MULTI-STORY MOTOR HOTEL, COMPRISING A MULTI-STORY HOTEL HAVING ROOMS ON EACH STORY ABOVE THE GROUND STORY THEREOF, AND A MULTI-STORY MECHANICAL GARAGE COMPRISING A MULTI-STORY BANK OF BINS FOR RECEIVING AUTOMOBILES, A HORIZONTALLY AND VERTICALLY MOVABLE ELEVATOR FOR MOVING AN AUTOMOBILE INTO REGISTRY WITH A PRESELECTED ONE OF A NUMBER OF BINS IN SAID BANK, AND MEANS FOR MOVING AUTOMOBILES ONTO AND OFF OF SAID ELEVATOR AND INTO AND OUT OF SAID BINS, SAID BANK OF BINS COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE RECEIVING PORT ON EACH STORY ABOVE THE GROUND, A STORAGE BIN ADJACENT THERETO, AND MEANS FOR PREVENTING ACCESS FROM SAID RECEIVING PORT TO SAID STORAGE BIN, AND ACCESS MEANS ON EACH STORY ABOVE THE GROUND FROM AND TO SAID RECEIVING PORT ON THE ASSOCIATED STORY OF THE GARAGE AND TO AND FROM THE ASSOCIATED STORY OF THE HOTEL.

Images