US3215227A

US3215227A - Elevator drives

Info

Publication number: US3215227A
Application number: US262395A
Authority: US
Inventors: Chester M Macchesney
Original assignee: ELLAMAC Inc
Current assignee: ELLAMAC Inc
Priority date: 1963-03-04
Filing date: 1963-03-04
Publication date: 1965-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 1982-11-02

Description

United States Patent 3,215,227 ELEVATOR DRIVES Chester M. MacChesney, Chicago, Ill., assignor of eightyfive percent to Ellamac Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a

corporation of Illinois, and fifteen percent to Clarence S. Henderson, Miami Beach, Fla.

Filed Mar. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 262,395 9 Claims. (Cl. 187-24) The present invention relates to elevator drives, and more particularly to such drives that may be readily installed in an elevator shaft as a building is being constructed and that may be readily adapted to progressively greater heights of the elevator shaft as the construction of the building progresses.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified elevator drive of the character noted.

Another object of the invention is to provide an elevator that has particular utility in constructing a building and that may be operated either upon a motor basis or upon a manual basis.

Another object of the invention is to provide an elevator drive for an elevator car arranged in an upstanding elevator shaft provided by a building structure, wherein the drive essentially comprises a column carried by the structure adjacent to the shaft and constituting a halfnut, an upstanding member carried by the car and constituting a worm or pinion cooperating with the half-nut, an upstanding element carried by the car and cooperating with the worm, a group of contiguous balls carried by the worm and confined in position both by the half-nut and by the element, whereby at least a part of the weight of the car is supported by the column through a cooperating subgroup of the group of balls, and facility for selectively rotating the worm in either direction so as to cause corresponding upward and downward movements of the car in the shaft.

A further object of the invention is to provide an elevator drive of the character described that further comprises an improved bearing arrangement between the car and the worm so as to facilitate both the ready rotation of the worm and the transfer of at least a part of the weight of the car to the worm and thus to the column without impairing the ease of rotation of the worm.

Further features of the invention pertain to the particular arrangement of the elements of the elevator drive, whereby the above-outlined and additional operating features thereof are attained.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic fragmentary vertical sectional view of building structure defining an elevator shaft and carrying an elevator car and provided with an elevator drive embodying the present invention, this figure presenting a side view of the elevator car;

FIG. 2 is another view of the elements, as shown in FIG. 1, this figure presenting a front view of the elevator car;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged further view of the elements, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, this figure presenting a plan view of the elevator car;

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged fragmentary plan view of the elevator drive incorporated in the elements, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive;

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the elevator drive, this view being taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 55 in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a further enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the elevator drive, this view being taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 66 in FIG. 5.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive, of the drawings, there is illustrated building structure 10 defining an elongated upstanding elevator shaft 11 containing an elevator car 20 and provided with a drive, indicated at 50, and embodying the features of the present invention. As illustrated, the structure 10 comprises upstanding rear wall structure 12 disposed at the rear of the elevator shaft 11, side wall structure 13 disposed at the opposite sides of the elevator shaft 11, and a plurality of substantially horizontal fioor structures 14 arranged in vertically spaced-apart relation. Also, it may be assumed that the building comprising the structure 10 is undergoing construction, and that the front of the elevator shaft 11 is open at each floor structure 14 to accommodate ready access to the elevator shaft 11. Further, the structure 10 comprises a pair of elongated upstanding guideways 15 and a pair of elongated upstanding weight guides 16 both respectively disposed at the opposite sides of the elevator shaft 11 and both respectively rigidly secured to the adjacent side wall structures 13, the weight guides 16 being positioned forwardly of the adjacent guideways 15 in the elevator shaft 11.

The elevator car 20 is of substantially box-like construction, including a floor 21, a roof 22, a rear wall 23 and a pair of opposed side walls 24 and having an open front, whereby a compartment 25 is defined therein that may be employed both for the purpose of lifting the construction workers and light materials of construction employed in fabricating the additional components of the structure 10 as the construction of the building progresses. The rear wall 23 of the elevator car 20 is suit-ably spaced forwardly of the adjacent rear wall structure 12; the side walls 24 of the elevator car 20 are suitably spaced inwardly of the respective adjacent side wall structures 13; and the open front of the elevator car 20 is spaced only somewhat rearwardly of the adjacent edges of the floor structures 14, so as to facilitate ready loading and unloading of the compartment 25 of the elevator car 20. Each side wall 24 of the elevator car 20 rigidly carries upper and

lower guides

26 and 27 that commonly cooperate with the adjacent one of the guideways 15, thereby to insure guided vertical movements of the elevator car 20 in the elevator shaft 11 for the usual purpose.

Preferably, a major fraction of the weight of the elevator car 20 is counterbalanced by a conventional arrangement including a pair of weights 28 respectively mounted in the weight guides 16. Specifically, a transversely extending beam 29 is rigidly secured to the roof 22 of the elevator car 20; and the opposite ends of the beam 29 are respectively connected by a pair of flexible cables 30 to the weight 28, the intermediate portions of the cables being trained over a pair of guide pulleys 31 respectively carried by the side wall structures 13 and commonly positioned well above the roof 22 of the elevator car 20. Of course each guide pulley 31 is mounted for rotation upon the adjacent side wall structure 13, and each cable 31 includes an uprunning section extending from the adjacent end of the beam 29 and a downrunning section extending to the adjacent weight 28. The mode of operation of this conventional counterbalancing arrangement is well understood and is thus not further described in the interest of brevity.

The elevator drive 50 comprises an elongated upstanding column 51 rigidly secured to the central portion of the rear Wall structure 12 and arranged in the elevator shaft 11 rearwardly of the adjacent rear Wall 23 of the elevator car 20; which column 51 includes a plurality of individual sections arranged in an upstanding aligned row, as indicated in FIG. 5, and independently rigidly secured to the adjacent rear wall structure 12 in any suitable manner, not shown. As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 the column 51 comprises a relatively thick central body 52 projecting forwardly from the rear wall structure 12 into the central rear portion of the elevator shaft 11; which body 52 has an elongated upstanding substantially semi-cylindrical recess 53 therein disposed in facing relation with the elevator shaft 11. A plurality of gear teeth 54 are carried by the body 52 within the recess 53; which gear teeth 54 are disposed in an elongated upstanding outer helical path and spaced-apart in the vertical direction by a substantially constant given pitch. Of course, corresponding slots 55 are disposed between the gear teeth 54, whereby the body 52 constitutes a half-nut or split-nut. The teeth 54 and the slots 55 have peculiar profiles due to the use that is made thereof, as explained more fully below, whereby each slot 55 is partially cylindrical in radial section, as clearly shown in FIG. 5.

An upper bracket 61 is rigidly secured to the rear central portion of the roof 22 of the elevator car and an adjacent lower bracket 62 is rigidly secured to the upper central portion of the rear wall 23 of the elevator car 20; which

brackets

61 and 62 are unified into one composite structure by an upstanding element 63 extending therebetween, the top of the element 63 being rigidly secured to the upper bracket 61, as by welding as indicated at 64, and the bottom of the element 63 is rigidly secured to the lower bracket 62, as by welding as indicated at 65; all as clearly shown in FIG. 5. The upper bracket 61 includes a rearwardly extending upper arm 66 projecting toward the column 51; and likewise, the lower bracket 62 includes a rearwardly extending lower arm 67 projecting toward the column 51; which

arms

66 and 67 are disposed in substantially horizontal and parallel positions and in vertical spaced-apart relation, with the upper arm 66 positioned in vertical alignment and in superimposed relation with respect to the lower arm 67. Two vertically aligned openings are respectively formed in the outer end portions of the

arms

66 and 67; in these openings upper and

lower guide bearings

68 and 69, each of the sleeve type, are respectively mounted and secured in place; and in the

bearings

68 and 69, an upstanding spindle 70 is journalled for rotation about its own vertical axis disposed concentric with the upstanding outer helical path of the gear teeth 54 carried by the column 51.

A member or pinion 71 is rigidly affixed to the intermediate portion of the spindle 7 0 and arranged between the

arms

66 and 67; which member 71 has a substantially cylindrical outer surface in which there is formed a substantially helical groove 72, thus defining thereupon a thread 73 including a plurality of turns disposed in an upstanding inner helical path concentric with the vertical axis of the spindle 70 and with the upstanding outer helical path of the gear teeth 54 carried by the column 51, the turns of the thread 73 being disposed in spacedapart relation in the vertical direction by the given pitch of the gear teeth 54. The opposite ends of the member 71 are substantially annular and are disposed substantially normal to the vertical axis of the spindle 70; and upper and lower thrust bearings 74 and 75, each of the roller-bearing type, are respectively arranged in surrounding relation with the spindle 70 immediately adjacent to the upper and lower ends of the member 71. Thus, the upper bearing 74 is disposed between the upper end of the member 71 and the immediately adjacent lower surface of the upper arm 66 and the lower bearing 75 is disposed between the lower end of the member 71 and the immediately adjacent upper surface of the lower arm 67. Hence, the portion of the weight of the elevator car 20 that is not counterbalanced by the previously described counter-balancing arrangement, a minor fraction of the weight of the elevator car 20, is transferred directly from the upper arm 66 of the upper bracket 61 through the upper thrust bearing 74 to the upper end of the member 71 independently of the spindle 70.

Further, the drive 50 comprises a group of contiguous balls 76 carried by the member 71 and including a plurality of turns arranged between the turns of the thread 73 and in the helical groove '72; which balls 76 are disposed in an upstanding intermediate helical path concentric with both the upstanding outer helical path of the gear teeth 54 and the upstanding inner helical path of the thread turns 73. More specifically, a first subgroup of the group of balls 76 disposed on the left-hand side of the member or worm 71, as shown in FIG. 5, project radially outwardly from between the thread turns 73 and into engagement with the slots 55 disposed between the adjacent ones of the gear teeth 54 carried by the column 51, and a second subgroup of the group of balls 76 disposed on the right-hand side of the member or worm 71, as shown in FIG. 5, project radially outwardly from between the thread turns 73 and into engagement with the element 63. The upstanding element 63 is substantially semi-cylindrical, whereby the interior thereof provides a corresponding cavity 63a facing the adjacent second subgroup of the group of balls 76. Thus, the balls 76 are held in place in the helical groove 72 by the cooperation of the gear slots 55 in the column 51 with one side of the member 71 and by the cooperation of the semi-cylindrical surface 63a of the element 63 with the opposite side of the member 71. The first subgroup of the group of balls 76 disposed in the gear slots 54 and positioned on the left-hand side of the member 71, as shown in FIG. 5, act between the thread turns 73 and the gear teeth 54 engaged thereby to transfer the support of the member 71 and the portion of the weight of the elevator car 20 that is not counterbalanced to the column 51 in any vertical position of the elevator car 20 in the elevator shaft 11.

Considering now the general mode of operation of the drive 50, rotation of the spindle 70 in one direction about its vertical axis causes corresponding rotation of the member 71 and the balls 76 carried thereby, so as to effect relative rotation of the balls 76 in the upstanding intermediate helical path, with the result that the reaction of the balls 76 upon the gear teeth 54 lifts the member 71 in the vertical direction imparting corresponding upward movement to the elevator car 20 in the elevator shaft 11. On the other hand, rotation of the spindle 70 in the other or opposite direction about its vertical axis causes corresponding rotation of the member 71 and the balls 76 carried thereby, so as to effect relative rotation of the balls 76 in the upstanding intermediate helical path, with the result that the reaction of the balls 76 upon the gear teeth 54 lowers the member 71 in the vertical direction imparting corresponding downward movement to the elevator car 20 in the elevator shaft 11. Incident to rotation of the member 71 in either direction, the individual balls 76 rotate about their own centers, producing a rolling action between the thread turns 73 and the gear teeth 54 in order to minimize friction in the drive 50 so as to facilitate easy operation of the elevator car 20 in its movements in the vertical direction in the elevator shaft 11. Of course, the gear teeth 54, the balls 76 and the thread 73 carry a suitable lubricating grease, so as further to minimize friction in the drive 50. In the drive 50: the column 51 carrying the gear teeth 54 serves as a worm gear having an infinite radius and is thus a rack carrying helically disposed teeth 54; and the member 71 carrying the helical array of balls 76 serves as a pinion c0- operating with the worm gear or rack defined by the column 51 as noted above. Hence, the drive 50 is fundamentally of the worm gear type.

The extreme upper end of the spindle 70 carries a worm gear 80 securely fastened thereto by an associated key 81; which worm gear 80 is arranged on the top surface of the arm 66 carried by the upper bracket 61. A substantially horizontally disposed shaft 82 is suitably tor.

journalled in bearings carried by the upper bracket 61; which shaft 82 has a pinion or worm 83 rigidly aflixed thereto by a key 84 and disposed in meshed relation with the worm gear 80. The extreme inner end of the shaft 82 projects beyond the upper bracket 61 and has a bevel gear 85 rigidly afiixed thereto; which bevel gear 85 meshes another bevel gear 86 rigidly affixed to a shaft 87 that is journalled in a bearing 88 carried by the roof 22 of the elevator car 20, as indicated in FIG. 3; and the extreme outer end of the shaft 87 has rigidly affixed thereto a sprocket 89 that is employed for a purpose more fully explained below. Thus, it will be understood that rotation of the shaft 62 in opposite directions causes corresponding rotations of the spindle 70 through the worm- ,Worm gear drive 83-80; the shaft 62 may be selectively directly rotated in opposite directions; and the shaft 62 may be selectively rotated in opposite directions through the bevel gears 85-86 by corresponding opposite rotations of the shaft 87 by such rotations of the sprocket 89.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the shaft 82 may be selectively rotated either by motor facility or by manual facility. More particularly, the extreme outer end of the shaft 82 is connected by a gear box 90 to a motor 91, the gear box 90 being of the speed-reduction type, and the motor 91 preferably comprising an electric drive mo- A manually rotatable handwheel 92 is arranged within the compartment 25 of the elevator car 20 and rotatably mounted upon the rear wall 23 thereof; which handwheel 92 carries a sprocket 93 that is aligned in the vertical direction with the sprocket 89 carried on the outer end of the shaft 87; and which sprockets 89-93 are interconnected by a suitable sprocket chain, indicated at 94 in FIG. 2.

Thus, the shaft 82 may be selectively rotated by selective energization of the up and down windings,

not shown, of the electric motor 91, in an obvious manner. Likewise, the shaft 82 may be selectively rotated by selective manual rotation of the handwheel 92, via the

elements

93, 94, 89, 87, 86 and 85, in an obvious manner. While the drive 50 is normally operated by the electric drive motor 91, the important point is that the same can be operated by the handwheel 92; which arrangement is very advantageous, since the fundamental utility of the elevator car 20 illustrated is rendered dur ing the construtcion of the building incorporating the structure 10.

As the construction of the building progresses it is only necessary fundamentally to lengthen the column 51, the 'guideways 15, the counterbalancing weight guides 16, and the counterbalancing cables 30, in order to render elevator service to the additional upper floors of the structure 10. Of course, the mountings for the pulleys 31 of the counterbalancing arrangement are also elevated from time to time, as the construction of the building proceeds,

as it is obvious that the pulleys 31 must be mounted above the top floor that is served by the elevator car 20. Since,

the column 51, and the

elements

15 and 16, are fabricated in sections, the assembly of additional such sections into the elevator shaft 11 is accomplished in an obvious and ready manner.

In the drive 50: the

elements

51, 71 and 76 are formed of suitable steel; the gear teeth 54 carried by the column 51, and the thread turns 73 carried by the member 71 are suitably ground and polished; and the balls 76 preferably comprise hard, polished and preformed highly accurate anism of the basic construction and arrangement of the drive mechanism 50, as described above.

In view of the foregoing it is apparent that there has been provided an elevator drive of improved and simplified construction and arrangement, and that essentially comprises an elongated upstanding column carried by the elevator shaft and carrying gear teeth and of rack-like form, a member carried by the elevator car arranged in the elevator shaft and carrying a thread and of pinionlike form, a group of contiguous balls carried by the memher and disposed in a helical-like array .and cooperating between the gear teeth and the thread turns, and facility carried by the elevator car and operatively connected to the member for selectively rotating the same so as to impart selective upward and downward movements to the elevator car in the elevator shaft.

While there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

I 1. In an elevator including structure defining an elongated upstanding shaft, a car arranged in said shaft, and means mounting said car upon said structure for guided vertical movements along a predetermined path in said shaft; the combination comprising an elongated upstanding column carried by said structure adjacent to said shaft and extending therealong substantially the entire length of the path of movement of said car, said column having an elongated upstanding substantially semi-cylinder recess therein disposed in facing relation with said shaft and extending substantially the length thereof, a plurality of gear teeth carried by said column within said recess and disposed in an elongated upstanding outer helical path and spaced-apart in the vertical direction by a given pitch, a bracket carried by said car adjacent to said column, an upstanding spindle carried by said bracket and mounted thereupon for rotation about its own vertical axis disposed in a position concentric with said upstanding outer helical path, an upstanding member carried by said spindle and rotatable therewith, said member having an upstanding substantially cylindrical outer surface concentric with the vertical axis of said spindle and projecting radially outwardly therefrom into said recess, a thread carried by said member on said outer surface and including a plurality of turns disposed in an upstanding inner helical path concentric with said upstanding outer helical path and spaced-apart in the vertical direction by said given pitch, an upstanding element carried by said bracket and positioned on the side of said member opposite to that of said column, said element having an upstanding substantially semi-cylindrical cavity therein disposed in facing rela tion with said thread, said bracket carrying said spindle and said member and said element being movable in the vertical direction with said car in said shaft and relative to said column, a group of contiguous balls carried by said member and including a plurality of turns arranged between said thread turns and disposed in an upstanding intermediate helical path concentric with both said upstanding outer helical path and said upstanding inner helical path andspaced-apart in the vertical direction by said given pitch, a first subgroup of said balls disposed on one side of said member projecting radially outwardly from between said thread turns and into engagement with the slots between the adjacent ones of said gear teeth and a second subgroup of said balls disposed on the opposite side of said member projecting radially outwardly from between said thread turns and into engagement with said element within said cavity, whereby the balls in said group are held in position between said thread turns for rotation with said member and for individual rotation thereof between said thread turns, said first subgroup of balls acting between said thread turns and the adjacent engaged ones of said gear teeth effecting at least a partial support of said car by said column in any vertical position of said car in said shaft, whereby rotation of said spindle in one direction effects upward movement of said car in said shaft and rotation of said spindle in the opposite direction effects downward movement of said car in said shaft, and drive means carried by said car for selectively rotating said spindle in either direction.

2. The elevator combination set forth in claim 1, wherein said drive means essentially comprises a motor mounted upon said car and provided with a reversible drive part that may be selectively rotated in opposite directions, and an operative connection between said drive part and said spindle.

3. The elevator combination set forth in claim ll, wherein said drive means essentially comprises a handwheel mounted within said car for manual rotation in opposite directions, and an operative connection between said handwheel and said spindle.

4. The elevator combination set forth in claim 1, wherein said drive means essentially comprises an electric drive motor mounted upon said car exteriorly of the compartment therein and provided with a reversible rotor, a first drive connection between said rotor and said spindle, a handwheel mounted upon said car interiorly of the compartment therein and rotatable in opposite directions, and a second drive connection between said handwheel and said spindle.

5. The elevator combination set forth in claim 1, wherein said column comprises a plurality of substantially identical sections arranged in an upstanding aligned row and independently rigidly secured to said structure.

6. In an elevator including structure defining an elongated upstanding shaft, a car arranged in said shaft, means mounting said car upon said structure for guided vertical movements along a predetermined path in said shaft, and mechanism acting between said structure and said car to counterbalance a major fraction of the weight of said car; the combination comprising an elongated upstanding column carried by said structure adjacent to said shaft and extending therealong substantially the entire length of the path of movement of said car, said column having an elongated upstanding substantially semi-cylindrical recess therein disposed in facing relation with said shaft and extending substantially the length thereof, a plurality of gear teeth carried by said column Within said recess and disposed in an elongated upstanding outer helical path and spaced-apart in the vertical direction by a given pitch, a bracket carried by said car adjacent to said column, an upstanding spindle carried by said bracket and mounted thereupon for rotation about its own vertical axis disposed in a position concentric with said upstanding outer helical path, an upstanding member carried by said spindle and rotatable therewith, said member having an upstanding substantially cylindrical outer surface concentric with the vertical axis of said spindle and projecting radially outwardly therefrom into said recess, a thread carried by said member on said outer surface and including a plurality of turns disposed in an upstanding vinner helical path concentric with said upstanding outer helical path and spaced-apart in the vertical direction by said given pitch, an upstanding element carried by said bracket and positioned on the side of said member opposite to that of said column, said element having an upstanding substantially semi-cylindrical cavity therein disposed in facing relation with said thread, said bracket carrying said spindle and said member and said element being movable in the vertical direction with said car in said shaft and relative to said column, a group of contiguous balls caried by said member and including a plurality of turns arranged between said thread turns and disposed in an upstanding intermediate helical path concentric with both said upstanding outer helical path and said upstanding inner helical path and spaced-apart in the vertical direction by said given pitch, a first subgroup of said balls disposed on one side of said member projecting radially outwardly from between said thread turns and into engagement with the slots between the adjacent ones of said gear teeth and a second subgroup of said balls disposed on the opposite side of said member projecting radially outwardly from between said thread turns and into engagement with said element within said cavity, whereby the balls in said group are held in position between said thread turns for rotation with said member and for individual rotation thereof between said thread turns, said first subgroup of balls acting between said thread turns and the adjacnet engaged ones of said gear teeth effecting the support of a minor fraction of the weight of said car by said column in any vertical position of said car in said shaft, whereby rotation of said spindle in one direction effects upward movement of said car in said shaft and rotation of said spindle in the opposite direction effects downward movement of said car in said shaft, and drive means carried by said car for selectively rotating said spindle in either direction.

7. In an elevator including structure defining an elongated upstanding shaft, a car arranged in said shaft, and means mounting said car upon said structure for guided vertical movements along a predetermined path in said shaft; the combination comprising an elongated upstanding column carried by said structure adjacent to said shaft and extending therealong substantially the entire length of the path of movement of said car, said column having an elongated upstanding substantially semi-cylindrical recess therein disposed in facing relation with said shaft and extending substantially the length thereof, a plurality of gear teeth carried by said column within said recess and disposed in an elongated upstanding outer helical path and spaced-apart in the vertical direction by a given pitch, a bracket carried by said car adjacent to said column, an upstanding spindle carried by said bracket and mounted thereupon for rotation about its own vertical axis disposed in a position concentric with said upstanding outer helical path, an upstanding member carried by said spindle and rotatable therewith, said member having an upstanding substantially cylindrical outer surface concentric with the vertical axis of said spindle and projecting radially outwardly therefrom into said recess, a thread carried by said member on said outer surface and including a plurality of turns disposed in an upstanding inner helical path concentric with said upstanding outer helical path and spaced-apart in the vertical direction by said given pitch and terminating adjacent to the upper and lower ends of said member, an upstanding element carried by said bracket and positioned on the side of said member opposite to that of said column, said element having an upstanding substantially semi-cylindrical cavity therein disposed in facing relation with said thread, said bracket carrying said spindle and said member and said element being movable in the vertical direction with said car in said shaft and relative to said column, a group of contiguous balls carried by said member and including a plurality of turns arranged between said thread turns and disposed in an upstanding intermediate helical path concentric with both said upstanding outer helical path and said upstanding inner helical path and spaced-apart in the vertical direction by said given pitch, said balls being trapped between said thread turns and held therein by said element and the associated ones of said gear teeth, a first subgroup of said balls disposed on one side of said member projecting radially outwardly from between said thread turns and into engagement with the slots between the adjacent ones of said gear teeth and a second subgroup of said balls disposed on the opposite side of said member projecting radially outwardly from between said thread turns and into engagement with said element within said cavity, whereby the balls in said group are held in position between said thread turns for rotation with said member and for individual rotation thereof between said thread turns, said first subgroup of balls acting between said thread turns and the adjacent engaged ones of said gear teeth effecting at least a partial support of said car by said column in any vertical position of said car in said shaft, whereby rotation of said spindle in one direction effects upward movement of said car in said shaft and rotation of said spindle in the opposite direction effects downward movement of said car in said shaft, anti-friction bearing structure carried by said bracket and -arranged between said member and said bracket for transmitting at least the partial support of said car to said column independently of said spindle, and drive means carried by said car for selectively rotating said spindle in either direction.

8. In an elevator including structure defining an elongated upstanding shaft, a car arranged in said shaft and means mounting said car upon said structure for guided vertical movements along a predetermined path in said shaft; the combination comprising an elongated upstanding column carried by said structure adjacent to said shaft and extending therealong substantially the entire length of the path of movement of'said c-ar, said column having an elongated upstanding substantially semicylindrical recess therein disposed in facing relation with said shaft and extending substantially the length thereof, a plurality of gear teeth carried by said column within said recess and disposed in an elongated upstanding outer helical path and spaced-apart in the vertical direction by a given pitch, abracket carried by said car adjacent to said column, an upstanding spindle carried by said bracket, upper and lower guide bearings carried by said bracket and respectively surrounding the upper and lower ends of said spindle and mounting said spindle for rotation about its own vertical axis disposed in a position concentric with said upstanding outer helical path, an upstanding member carried by said spindle intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof and rotatable therewith, said member having an upstanding substantially cylindrical outer surface concentric with the vertical axis of said spindle and projecting radially outwardly therefrom into said recess, said member also including upper and lower annular ends respectively disposed below and above said upper and lower guide bearings, upper and lower thrust bearings respectively arranged between said bracket and the corresponding upper and lower ends of said member, whereby said upper thrust bearing is disposed below said upper guide bearing and in surrounding relation with the adjacent portion of said spindle disposed immediately above the upper end of said member and said lower thrust bearing is disposed above said lower guide bearing and in surrounding relation with the adjacent portion of said spindle disposed immediately below the lower end of said member, a thread carried by said member on said outer surface and including a plurality of turns disposed in an upstanding inner helical path concentric with said upstanding outer helical path and spaced-apart in the vertical direction by said given pitch, an upstanding element carried by said bracket and positioned on the side of said member opposite to that of said column, said element having an upstanding substantially semicylindrical cavity therein disposed in facing relation with said thread, said bracket carrying said spindle and said member and said element being movable in the vertical direction with said car in said shaft and relative to said column, a group of contiguous balls carried by said member and including a plurality of turns arranged between said thread turns and disposed in an upstanding intermediate helical path concentric with both said upstanding outer helical path and said upstanding inner helical path and spaced-apart in the vertical direction by said given pitch, a first subgroup of said balls disposed on one side of said member projecting radially outwardly from between said thread turns and into engagement with the slots between the adjacent ones of said gear teeth and a second subgroup of said balls disposed on the opposite side of said member projecting radially outwar-dly from between said thread turns and into engagement with said element within said cavity, whereby the balls in said group are held in position between said thread turns for rotation with said member and for individual rotation thereof between said thread turns, said first subgroup of balls acting between said thread turns and the adjacent engaged ones of said gear teeth effecting at least a partial support of said car by said column in any vertical position of said car in said shaft, whereby rotation of said spindle in one direction effects upward movement of said car in said shaft and rotation of said spindle in the opposite direction effects downward movement of said car in said shaft, and drive means carried by said car for selectively rotating said spindle in either direction.

9. The elevator combination set forth in claim 8, wherein said upper and lower guide bearings are of the sleeve bearing type, and said upper and lower thrust bearings are of the roller bearing type.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 790,137 5/05 Karrer 18725 966,231 8/10 Newson 187-25 2,227,111 12/40 Sturm 254-98 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. IN AN ELEVATOR INCLUDING STRUCTURE DEFINING AN ELONGATED UPSTANDING SHAFT, A CAR ARRANGED IN SAID SHAFT, AND MEANS MOUNTING SAID CAR UPON SAID STRUCTURE FOR GUIDED VERTICAL MOVEMENTS ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH IN SAID SHAFT; THE COMBINATION COMPRISING AN ELONGATED UPSTANDING COLUMN CARRIED BY SAID STRUCTURE FOR GUIDED AND EXTENDING THEREALONG SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID CAR, SAID COLUMN HAVING A ELONGATED UPSTANDING SUBSTANTIALLY SEMI-CYLINDER RECESS THEREIN DISPOSED IN FACING RELATION WITH SAID SHAFT AND EXTENDING SUBTANTIALLY THE LENGTH THEREOF, A PLURALITY OF GEAR TEETH CARRIED BY SAID COLUMN WITHIN SAID RECESS AND DISPOSED IN AN ELONGATED UPSTANDING OUTER HELICAL PATH AND SPACED-APART IN THE VERTICCAL DIRECTION BY A GIVEN PITCH, A BRACKET CARRIED BY SAID CAR ADJACENT TO SAID COLUMN, AN UPSTANDING SPINDLE CARRIED BY SAID BRACKET AND MOUNTED THEREUPON FOR ROTATION ABOUT ITS OWN VERTICAL AXIS DISPOSED IN A POSITION CONCENTRIC WITH SAID UPSTANDING OUTER HELICAL PATH, AN UPSTANDING MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID SPINDLE AND ROTATABLE THEREWITH, SAID MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID SPINDLE ING SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL OUTER SURFACE CONCENTRIC WITH THE VERTICAL AXIS OF SAID SPINDLE AND PROJECTING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY THEREFROM INTO SAID RECESS, A THREAD CARRIED BY SAID MEMBER ON SAID OUTER SURFACE AND INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF TURNS DISPOSED IN AN UPSTANDING INNER HELICAL PATH CONCENTRIC WITH SAID UPSTANDING INNER HELICAL PATH SPACED-APART IN THE VERTICAL DIRECTION BY SAID GIVEN PITCH, AN UPSTANDING ELEMENT CARRIED BY SAID BRACKET AND POSITIONED ON THE SIDE OF SAID MEMBER OPPOSITE TO THAT OF SAID COLUMN, SAID ELEMENT HAVING AN UPSTANDING SUBSTANTIALLY SEMI-CYLINDRICAL CAVITY THEREIN DISPOSED IN FACING RELATION WITH SAID THREAD, SAID BRACKET CARRYING SAID SPINDLE AND SAID MEMBER AND SAID ELEMENT BEING MOVABLE IN THE VERTICAL DIRECTION WITH SAID CAR IN SAID SHAFT AND RELATIVE TO SAID COLUMN, A GROUP OF CONTIGUOUS BALLS CARRIED