US1731789A - Best available cop - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 15, 1929. cIE. w 1 131,18

ELEVATOR SIGNAL SYSTEM Filed Dec. 14, 1928 I 1 INVENTQR; Q

CAR/POM 0/29. BY

hr A EY.,

Patented a. 15, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v CARROLL E. ORR, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 ELEVATORS SUPILES COM PAN Y, INCL, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY ELEVATOR SIGNAL SYSTEM Application filed December 14, 1928. Serial No. 326,062.

This invention relates to elevators and particularly to'signaling means whereby persons desiring to make use of any one of a group of elevators may register a call for the nearest elevator and receive in return a signal upon its approach.

The invention in certain of its )hases consists in certain improvements an additional features of novelty to the system disclosed in the Smalley & Reiners Patent #826,752 and in the application for United States Letters Patent filed by William F. Bcatty on October 31, 1925, bearing Serial #65,?)19.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide means operative as an incident to the stopping of an elevator at any floor to produce a signal for that floor independently of the usual signal registering means, and to cause such a result to be effected without the possibility of interruption in the energization of such signal already produced through the instrumentality of the said usual signal registering means.

With these and other objects in view the invention will be described in its preferred embodiment with respect'to the accompany,

ing drawing, which may aid in the under standing thereof.

In the drawing, which is a schematic illustration of the electrical circuits and parts involved when the invention is applied to a plurality of elevators serving a plurality of floors, reference characters A and B designate respectively two elevators of a group of any desired number serving any desired number of floors, three of which are indicated by the numerals V, VI and VII,'the floor lanterns for such floors being indicated by the reference characters 5AU, '5A D, (SAU, GAD, 'ZAU, 7A1), 5BU, 513D, GBU, GED and 7BU and 713D. Signal sending devices in the form of the usual push buttons are indicated at 5U, 5D, 6U. 6D, 7U and 7D. The customary signaling devices for the benefit of the operator of the elevators are indicated at AL and BL respectively. The means for causing the operation of the stop signals both within and without theelevator at a predetermined time in response to the operation of the push buttons may take any wellknown form, but as illustrated herewith comprise the usual commutator mechanism involving a plurality of brushes traveling over associated segments and'strips in synchronism with the travel of the associated elevators but at a proportionately reduced speed; the various brushes, strips and segments involved, in thedownward travel of elevator A being indicated'by reference characters 45, 46, 58,73, 24,55, 56, 57. and 74 respectively and those involved in the downward travel of car B being. indicated by a similar showing at the right of the drawing.

In the circuits of the up push buttons and stop signals are the signal operating and reset magnets, the down magnet groups for the three floors illustrated being designated collectively by the reference character M. In the cars A and B are the usual transfer and cutout switches operated by the buttons l0 and 11 respectively. However, it will be seen as the description progresses that these transfer and cutout switches which are normally closed need not be considered as a part of the present inventionat least in its normal operation. They are preferably used to provide means for simultaneously transferring waiting passenger signals to the other cars and at the same time obliterating all the advance signals for the car whose switch is thus operated. The principal novel phases of the invention will now be described. Reference character 12 indicates an electromagnet or'relay adapted to be energized at all times while the elevator hoisting motor for car A is in operation. This may be accomplished by the use of any of the devices illustrated for a similar purpose in the drawings of the Andren Patent No. 1,109,950, or any equivalent thereof'which is of common knowledge capable of substitution therefor;

energized to release the brake upon starting the hoisting motor.

Coil 12 preferably has associated therewith contacts adapted to be bridged by he armature 15 when the latter is attracted by the energiapt ipn of the said coil. 16 designates a resistance; unit which may be inserted in the circuit passing through the electro-magnetic relay 17, Which circuit is shown tapped from thehigh voltage leads designated by the character's .H. V. With this arrangement it is apparent that the relay 1 will be energized at all times while the contacts at 15 are bridged-in other words at all times while the car A is in motion.

Ass ciate- 1 wi t re ay is a armhi 'l ii'r hel 'i s ihs m he e c nt c member's 9 a 52 mme e mad therefrom whenever the relay l' is energized. h e contact. me er 19 an 2 rm Per 1 1s b anch o rcu l di g f m he Y9 -"ge'. s a l t the ear i s sqa ustin s p he h Q h iit tQ f car A the p 'r os' hi irhi wil r rsehfi prsar- ASSOC i 3,td Witl1 the relay 22 is the armature'26 a da'pted to brid e the contacts 2'4 and 28 and to be lifted tnerefroln upon energizatioiYofthe relay 22. These contact manage? 'and 28 control a circuit/ to the relay'3 0 which in'turn has associated therewith an armature 31 adapted to rest upon the contacts 32 and 33 upon the de-energization of the saidrelay 30. Resistancesffor the circuits just described are indicated at 3d, 35 and'36; Relay mechanism for car B similar to'that ju'stdscribed with're'ference to car A is indicated by' the reference characters l0, 41,42 and 43 in the drawing, it being understood that every car of the system'is provided with similar mechanism for the purpose' now to be described.

To ex lain the purpose and the functioningof t e system a typical operation will be followed through. Let it be supposed that car A is descending and push button 6D has been pressed by a person waiting at thesixth floor. Let it further be supposed thatseginent 4.5 represents the sixth floor pick-upsegment on the .down side of the commutator for car A and segment 46 the sixth floor reset se 'ment for the down direction of travel. lhe operation of the push; button 6D will close a circuit to the magnet GM passing irom the battery 47 1 hrough the said magnet and the switch operby the button 6D.

The encrgization of magnet 6M which is thus produced causes finger 4:9 to make contact withjthe mercury cup 50 so as to perrnit a circuit to be closed from the negative side of thehigh voltage source of current through conductor 51, cup 50 and finger 49, conductor 52 and 53, current conductingseg inent45, thence through one of the pairs of spanning brushes indicated at 55, 56 and 57 to the segment 58 and thence by conductor 59 to the lantern GAD, thence back to the positive feed by way of conductor 62, normally closed cutout switch 63 and conductor 64. This circuit is first closed, it will'be understood, by the leading pair of brushes of the cpnni-iutator for car A, the closure taking place u on the arrival of car A (which is assume to be the nearest car travelin downwardly) 'within the predetermined istance of the sixth floor. In'this respect the operation is similar to that preferred in the art whenever the system disclosed in the aforesaid Smalley Reiners patent is used. Fur thermore, as is usual in the aforesaid Smalley ne sy tem, the sig al cf an A is energized upon the approach of n o to a point within h pr de mined zone o the S th floor through the. instrumentality f h r dging m b r 6 n th urreh conductingstrip 66, these ppe nting to close a c rcuit to t a qresaid ishal". p lle wit he r u rea threes the segm 5 nd lan ern QAD.

During normal operation, that is to. say while a car is tr'ayelingin either direction, its relay units corresppnding to those indicated at. 2, 17, 22 and 30 with reference to car A will remain in the condition in which these un ts appe in th draw This. whenever car A is i i-motion the bridging members 5 a 2. r zi cheek-a a in n sition W l he h i eih m mh rs- 18. nd 31 are n ui p n n wh ch, as sh wn- Thcrcfore in heeveht tha c r- A passes the Sixth ne ithen stoppi g t n c up h P r ing a that item who had pr viously registered ghel th ough-the instepme a y of bu ton 1 h 'sis l thus res tered remain potentially operable lay-the n pp oa ng e (W B n t e present instance) inasmuch as the circuit to, the re-' storing magnet 6R will remain open at the contacts 32 and 33 notwithstanding its closure at another point by the operation of the traveling bridging member- '-F() at the moment of passing the sixth floor.

Such automatic transfer of the stop signal initiated by the pressing of button 61) willcontinue until a car stops to answer the call, it being understood that all connnutator-s are cross-connected in a manner similar to the cross-connections indicated for the commutators of cars A and B. As soon as another carstops at the sixth floor its bridging member corresponding to the member 31 shown with reference to car A will cause a closure of the restoring circuit in conjunction with the operation of the associated commutator, thereby restoring the mercury finger 45k to its no.r-. mally raised position. Such closure is brought about by the electrical interc0nnection of the relay units of each group in. such a way that the stopping of the associated elevator -vzhether or not a signal for a stop has been previously registered-causes each of the units of the r'elay'group to reverse its position. Thus, for-example, after car A stops at the fifth door to let a passenger off, and even though no signal has been registered by the signal sending'means for the fifth floor, the immediate resu lt, occurring as an incident to or a condition precedent to such stopping, (dependent upon the particular form of mechanical equivalent employed in place of the relay 12) \villbe the de-energization of the relay 17 and the consequent bridging of the contact members 19 and 20 by the armature 18. Such bridging of the contacts 19 and 20 operates to immediately close a circuit to the floor lantern 5AD in shunt with the circuit (which may or may not have been previously closed on such occasion) through the pickup segment 73 and including the current conducting strip 24, the circuit being traceable as follows: from the positive side of the high voltage source through conductor 64, normally closed cutout switch 63, conductor 62, lantern 5AD, conductor 72, segment 73, thence across the bridging member 74 to strip 24, thence by way of conductor and contact members 19 and 20 to the negative side of the high voltage source of current.

The result is the operation of the. floor lantern SAD to announce the stopping of the car A at the fifth floor to any persons at that floor who may not have registered a signal but nevertheless may desire the use of the elevator. In this respect the result is similar to that obtained by the use of the instrumentalit-ies disclosed and claimed in the aforesaid Beatty application Serial No. 65,919; but the present invention improved upon the Beatty arrangement by causing the restoration of the signal sending mechanism to inoperative condition to depend upon the prior completion of the shunt circuit to the floor lantern passing through the strip 24this being the circuit just traced. Making the restoration so dependent upon the prior completion of this shunt circuit. eliminates all danger of a temporary cxtinguishment of the floor lantern between the restoration to open condition of the normal lantern circuit passing through the pick-up segments of the commutator-which restoration takes place upon the arrival of the restoring brush 70 on the corresponding reset segment-and the closure of the shunt circuit through the strip 24:. Such temporary obliteration of the signal at the floor will inevitably occur frequently, thereby causing an appearance of defective circuits and a flickering action on the part of the floor lantern, unless means are provided for making impossible any cancellation of the normal signal sending circuit until completion of the auxiliary shunt circuit through the strip 24. The manner in which this is accomplished by the invention disclosed herewith is as follows.

the

Inasmuch as the relay 22 depends for its energization on the closure of a circuit pass ing through the contact members 19 and 20, this relay 22 is not energized until the bridging of the said contacts by the armature 18. Now, since the floor lantern 5AD is imme diately included in circuit with the contacts 19 and 20 when they are bridged by the armature 18, it isvapparent that the relay 22 and the lantern 5A1) are in parallel circuits which are simultaneously closed. Consequently it is positively established that the lantern SAD will be energized by means of this fparallel circuit through the strip 24 with rst energization of the relay 22, and certainly before the-relay 22 has exerted its full magnetic .efiect upon the armature 26 to withdraw it from the members 27 and 28 on which it normally rests.

Now until the armature 26 is thus withdrawn from the contacts 27 and 28 the relay 30 remains energized and hence the circuit to the restoring magnet 6R remains open at the contacts 32 and 33; this circuit being closed only by the dropping of the armature 31 pursuant to the de-energization of the relay 30. which in turn is brought about after the rais ing of the armature 26 previously described. It is therefore apparent that no energization of the restoring magnet 6R can occur until after the energization of the floor lantern SAD. The same sequence of operation occurs for each floor at which an elevator is stopped through the operation of the corresponding means for the other floors and other e evators. possibility'of flickering of the floor \lanterns'or temporary extinguishment thereof between the restoration of the normal push button controlled signal sending circuits and the establishment of the shunt circuits which are independent of the push button) is therefore eliminated.

The above-specification and the annexed drawings are to be considered only as illustrative of what I deem the preferred embodiment at this time. The invention is not limited to this specific form or to any particular combination or application of the parts, but embraces all modified forms and constructions within the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, the ready adaptability of this invention to systems differing from the aforesaid Smalley & Reiners system (such as the system of the Bassett Patent No. 1,666,589 for example) will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In an elevator signaling system, a pinrality of cars each serving a plurality of floors, individual landing signals at each floor for each car for indicating the direction of movement of said cars, controlling means including passenger controlled means at each floor common to all cars for preparing said said car cont-rolled means and operable .in respouse to some act-performed incident to the loading or discharge ofipassengers a car at flo'onior operating'tllelandingignal 1,173 wee previousoperation of said last-namedmeans for restoring to nonsignaling condition the passenger controlled means at such floor if in signal preparinfi position. v

Signed at Ho oken; the eountypf Hud- December A.D.1 S?28 I j V Y CARROLL E. ORR.

at-such-fioor' for that catgiand dependout for its operation-up ontlie' pievious-operation of said last-named meansforrestoring to non-signaling condlitionfthe 'passengefomitrolled means atsuch floorifinsigual preparing' position. 1

2. In an elevator signaling'system, -'a plurality of cars each serving a plurality of floors, individual landing. signals iat each floor for each ean.for'-'indicatimg the direction of movement of said oars, Controlling means including passenger controlled means at each floor common'to all cars tfor preparing said signals for energization, car controlled means individual tosaid oars-and operable by and in nccordance with movements of the associated car and cooperating with :an operated pmenger controlled means for'energizi'ng the-signal forisalid can: :upon approach of said car to thesignaled (floor; means oooperating with-said car controlled mneans 'andoperable'i-n responseto some aotipeiformel incidentto the loading or dischange of-pa'ssengers on a car of any floor for operating the'rlanding signal at vsuch floor. 01" lthatrea-r -nnd means dependent for "its operation upon-the previous operationo-fsaid last-named means for restoring ton'on-fsignaling condition the passenger oontrolledm'eans at-sudh floor if in signal prep'aning position m'nd fofr'mai ntaining said passengers continued-means inoperaltive 'un-tiltlhejcar has left thefioor. e

3; In an elevator signaling system,-a phira-lit y of Fears eachiscrving ,a pliiralityof fioois, individual --.landing signals at each floor for each car for indicating the direction of movement of, cans, controlling means including passenger controlled means -at'each floor, common to all'cars, for preparing said signals for energi'zatioin, caroonhrol-led means individual to said cars and operablelby' and in accordance with movementsoi the associated car and cooperating with-an operated passenger controlled means tor renngizing the signo] for said car upon approach of saidcar no the signal floor, means individual to said cars for controlling the movements -'ofits associated ca-r, and means cooperating with said car controlled means and operable in response to movement of said ear-controlling means to a position to stop the car atany'floor for operating the landing signal for such floor, and means dependent for its operation upon the son and State of New Jersey, this 13th day of 170

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