US738176A - Operating mechanism for elevator-doors. - Google Patents

Description

NO. 738,176. Y I PATEN'TED SEPT. 8, ,1903.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ELEVATOR DOORS.

APPLICATION rum) 0017. 1901.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1;

m: NORRIS vzYzRs co. worcxumo, msumcmu, o c

No. 738,176. PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903.

F. K. PASSETT. OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ELEVATOR DOORS.

APPLIUATION FILED OUT. 7. 1901.

N0 1.40pm.. N 3 SHEETS-SHEET z.

vll igw PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903.

P. K. PASSBTT.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7. 1901.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ELEVATORDOORS.

N0 MODEL.

THE mama PETERS co wnoroumo. \usuwuww. mic

Mwovay %M -UNTTED STATES I Patented September 8, 1903 PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS K. FASSETT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO OTIS ELE- VATOR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEFV JERSEY.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ELEVATOR-DOORS.

LJPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,176,'dated September 8, 1903.

Application filed October 7, 1901. Serial No. 77,840, (No model.

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS K. FAssETT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, haye invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Mechanism for Elevator-Doors, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of operating devices for elevator-doors in which the doors are opened and closed by a power-driven mechanism which is engaged with and disengaged from the doors for that purpose at will by means controlled by the operator in the elevator-car. In Letters Patent of the United States No. (M9362, granted to me on May 15, 1900, I illustrated and described elevatordoor-operating devices of this general char acter in which the doors were operated by cone-wheels carried by vertically-disposed power-driven shafts constantly revolving in the same direction and adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from friction-rails upon the elevator-doors by means controlled by the operator in the elevator-car.

It is the object of my present invention to dispense with the vertically-disposed powerdriven shafts and cone-wheels of my former mechanism and to open and close the elevator-doors by means of a novel arrangement of power-driven wheels turning on horizontal axes and adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from friction-rails upon the elevator-doors. Its novelty will be hereinafter set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical section of part of an elevator-car and the inclosing casing of the elevator-shaft in which the car travels. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the part shown in Fig. 1, viewed from a position within the elevatorcar and looking toward the door in front of the car; Fig. 3, a front elevation of part of the elevator-car; Fig. 4, a detailed elevation of a pair of the friction-wheels for opening and closing the elevator-door at one of the landings and parts codperating with said wheels; Fig. 5, a top plan view, partly in section, of the parts shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6, a middle vertical section of some of the parts shown in Figs. 4 and 5; Fig. 7, a cross-section of the friction-rail of Figs. 4. and 5; Fig. 8, a diagrammatic view illustrating means for driving the pairs of friction-wheels at a plurality of doors in the casing of an elevatorshaft on different floors of a building; Fig. 9, a perspective detail of a pair of the friction-wheels and the belt for driving them, and Fig. 10 an alternative arrangement for driving said Wheels.

The same letters of reference are used to indicate identical parts in the several views.

As shown in Fig. 2, each door A has secured to and projecting upward from the hangers at its upper corners the supportingarms B B, which carry a horizontal frictionrail O, secured to the upper ends of said arms. Secured in fixed position to a suitable part of the elevator-inclosure above and adjacent one of the upper corners of the door is a baseplate D, Figs. 4, 5, and 6, provided at its 0pposite sides with upwardly-projecting ears E, in which is supported a transverse pin F, upon which is mounted a rocking frame or cradle G, having secured in its opposite ends, parallel with its fulcrum-pin F, a pair of stub shafts or spindles H, having mounted side by side upon their projecting outer ends a pair of friction-wheels I 1. These wheels of each pair (there being one pair of wheels at each door) are driven in opposite directions by any suitable means, as hereinafter described, and cooperate with the friction-rail O of the elevator-door A to shift the latter in opposite directions. The rocking frame G is provided at its middle with a recess to receive the lever J, which is fulcrumed at its lower end upon the pin F and at its upper end is bent inwardly toward the elevator-shaft, as

a vertically-projecting ear N, formed upon the frame G for the purpose. A coiled spring 0, seated in a bore or housing extending upward into the frame G from its bottom at the right of its fulcrum-pin F, Fig. 6, yieldingly holds the parts in the normal position there shown, with the stop-screw Pat the left-hand end of the frame in contact with the baseplate D, the opposite end of the frame being provided with similar stop-screw P to limit the movement of the frame in the opposite direction. The spring 0 is a Weaker spring than the spring L, so that when the upper end of the lever J is swung to the right the frame G will.be rocked against the resistance of the spring 0 without materially compressing the spring L, the latter serving as a yielding cushion between the lever and frame for the purpose hereinafter explained.

By reference to Figs. 4 and 5 it will be understood from the foregoing description that when the lever J is swung to the right and the frame G rocked in that direction until the wheel 1 contacts with the under side of the friction-rail O of the door the revolution of said wheel in the direction of the arrow will shift said rail and door to the right and that when the lever J is then swung back to the left and the frame G rocked to disengage the wheel 1 from the rail 0 and engage the wheel I therewith the revolution of the latter wheel in the direction of the arrow will shift the rail and door back to the left. For the purpose of regulating the speed of the opening and closing movements of the door and causing it to move slowly at the beginning and ending of its movement in each direction and more rapidly during the intermediate portion of its movement I provide each of the wheels I and l with two frictionsurfaces (1 hof different diameters. The friction-surfaces a of larger diameter cooperate directly with the under sides of the body of the friction-rail C, while the latter is provided at its opposite ends with depending side extensions O, which cooperate with the frictionsurfaces b of smaller diameter on the respective Wheels. The under side of the body of the rail 0 is slightly cut away opposite the depending side extension O, as shown in Fig. 2 and also indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4, so that when the smaller diameter of either friction-wheel is engaged with the under surface of the depending side extension 0 its larger diameter will not engage the under surface of the body of the rail. Under this construction and arrangement when the lever J is swung to the right in Fig. 4 and the frame G rocked to throw the left-hand wheel I upthe rail and door have traveled to the right until the extension 0 clears the friction-surface b of the wheel I, the larger diameter a of said wheel will engage the under side of the body of the rail 0 and carry the door on toward the right with a more rapid movement. As the rail and door approach their limit of movement toward the right the cut-away portion of the under side of the rail 0 at its lefthand end will come opposite the wheel and the depending side extension 0 of the rail will come in contact with the smaller frictionsurface 5 of the wheel and carry the door on to the right at a reduced speed, and it will come to rest, when the end of the rail entirely clears the wheel without shock or jar. Upon swinging the upper end of the lever J back to the left and permitting the spring 0 to return the frame G to the position shown in Figs. 4 and 6 the smaller friction-surface b of the right-hand wheel I will be engaged with the side extension 0 at the left-hand end of the rail 0 and start the rail and door back toward the left with a slow movement, and as soon'as such side extension clears the wheel the larger diameter a of the wheel will contact with the under surface of the body of the rail and move the door on more rapidly toward the left, and when it approaches the end of its movement the side extension 0 at the right-hand endof the rail will come into contact with the smaller diameter 1) of the wheel and carry the door onward at a reduced speed until the end of the extension 0 clears the friction-surface b and the door comes to rest with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 4.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that during the movements of the door in both directions the friction-wheel is held up in contact with the surface of the friction-rail with a yielding pressure due to the action of the spring L in the movement of the door in one direction and to the action of the spring 0 during its movement in the opposite direction, so that any vertical movements of the door due to irregular surface of the track-rail upon which its supporttug-rollers travel or other cause will be compensated for and a uniform and uninterrupted contact of the friction -wheels with the friction-rail, and consequent uniform and regular movements of the door by said wheels be produced.

The shoe or deflector K, which cooperates with the upper end of the lever J to rock the frame G is hung by links Q to a suitable support R upon the top of the elevator-car, Fig. 3, and provided with a laterally-projecting lug or arm S, to which is pivoted the upper end of a rod T, whose lower end passes through the front end of a lever U, Fig. 1, pivoted at its rear end to the under side of the elevatoucar and resting at its forward end upon a spring V, wound around the lower end of the rod T and confined thereon by nuts V. A foot-piece X extends downward through the floor of the car and is pivoted at its lower end to the lever U, by means of which the lever may be depressed by the foot of the operator, and the shoe K thereby thrown outward from its support R (to the right in Fig. 3) into contact with the upper end of the lever J, Fig. 1, and thereby throw the upper end of said lever to the right in Fig.4 and rock the frame G upon its fulcrum-pin F and throw the left-hand friction-wheel I into contact with the friction-rail,with the result above described,andwhen the pressure upon thefoot piece X is relieved a spring Y, connected to the shoe K, will restore the latter to its normal position, withdrawing it from contact with the lever J and permit the spring 0 to rock the frame G back to normal position and carry the right-hand friction-wheel Iinto contact with the friction-rail and return the door. In order to open the door of the elevator-casing at any given floor, therefore, the operator will depress the foot-piece X as the car approaches or reaches such floor, and the shoe K will be projected into contact with the lever J and the latter caused to rock the frame G and open the door, and when the operator removes his foot from the foot-piece X (or when the car passes from the floor without such removal) the shoe K will be withdrawn from contact with the lever J and the frame G will be rocked back to normal position and the door be closed. To enable the door to be held in open position while the car remains at any given floor without the necessity of the operator maintaining pressure upon the foot-piece X, the latter is provided with a shoulder or catch 0, which may be readily engaged with the plate in the floor of the car through which the piece X passes, to maintain the latter and the lever U in depressed position as long as desired.

The rocking frame G is provided at one end with a projecting arm G, carrying a pivoted gravity-latch c, which cooperates with a lug 01 upon the rail C to lock the door in closed position. 'When the frame Gis rocked by the lever J to open the door, the latch c is lifted out of the path of the lug d, and when the door is returned to closed position the lug rides under and lifts the latch and the latter drops down behind it and locks the door. A supplemental lug d is provided at the left of the lug d, Fig. 4, for cooperation with the latch c in event the latter fails at any closing of the door to drop behind the lug d.

As before stated, the friction-wheels for opening and closing the doors may be driven in any suitable manner and by any suitable means. In the present instance I have shown them in the main views driven by endless belts Z, passing over the hubs of the wheels and provided with perforations to cooperate with radial pins projecting from said hubs, Figs. 2, 5, and 9. These endless belts may be arranged, as shown in Fig. 8, where it will be seen they are driven at each floor of the building by a driving-pulley fast upon a vertical shaft A and at their ends opposite such shaft pass over adjustable pulleys B, by which their tension may be regulated. Under this arrangement a single shaft A, extending vertically through the building, will thus suffice to drive all the friction-wheels for all the elevator-doors in the building. The shaft itself may be driven by any suitable power, as by a motor in the basement of the building, as indicated'in Fig. 8;

In Fig. 10 I have shown the two frictionwheels of each pair geared together and driven by a worm D upon a vertical shaft E; but I prefer to employ the belt-drives illustrated in the other views, since it obviates the necessity for employing a separate shaft E for each vertical row of elevator-doors in the building. In the case of elevator-shafts containing only a single car, however, and consequently having only a single Vertical row of doors, the arrangement shown in Fig. 10 may be advantageously employed.

It will be understood that where independent means, such as gravity or springs, is employed for closing the door some of the advantages of my invention may be utilized in the employment of a single friction-wheel cooperating with the friction rail or surface of the door to open the latter.

It is desirable that the pulling side of the belts should run toward the driving-shaft A in all cases and that the slack side of the belts should run toward the idlers. (Shown at the extreme right and left sides of Fig. 8'.) Each of these idlers is provided with a spring, which tends to pull the idler in a direction away from the driving-shaft A, and thereby take up the slack in the belts. These springs need not be of greater strength than that necessary to hold the slack side of the belts reasonably tight; but if the direction of the running of the belts was reversed the springs would have to be of sufficient strength to exert a pull greater than the pull necessary on the belts to operate the doors.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim- 1. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination with a movable frame and its friction-rail, of friction-wheels mounted upon horizontal axes in said frame and means for causing said wheels to alternately engage with the friction rail or surface of the door, substantially as described.

2. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with the laterally-movable door and a friction rail or surface carried thereby, of a pair of friction-wheels mounted upon horizontal axes and rotating in opposite directions, and means for engaging said wheels alternately with the friction rail or surface of the door, to shift the latter in opposite directions, substantially as described.

3. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with the laterally-movable door and a friction rail or surface carried thereby, of a friction-wheel mounted upon a horizontal axis and provided with two frictionsurfaces of different diameters, and means for engaging the friction-rail first with the smaller friction-surface of said wheel, and then with the larger surface thereof, and finally with the smaller surface again, substantially as described.

4. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with the laterally-movable door and a friction rail or surface carried thereby, of a pair of friction-wheels mounted on horizontal axes and rotating in opposite directions and each provided with two frictionsurfaces of different diameters, and means for engaging said wheels alternately with the friction rail or surface of the door, the smaller friction-surface of the wheel being first engaged, and then the larger, and then the smaller again; substantially as described.

5. In elevatondoor-operating mechanism, the combination with the laterally-movable door and a friction rail or surface carried thereby, of a shiftable friction-wheel, means for engaging said wheel with the friction rail or surface of the door with a yielding pressure and adjustable means for limiting the shifting movement of such wheel, substan tially as described.

6. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with the laterally-movable door and a friction rail or surface carried thereby, of a shiftable friction-wheel rotating upon a horizontal axis, means for engaging said Wheel with the friction rail or surface of the door with a yielding pressure, and adjustable means for limiting the shifting movement of such wheel, substantially as described.

7. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with the laterally-movable door and a friction rail or surface carried thereby, of a pair of friction-Wheels rotating in opposite directions, and means for engaging said wheels alternately with the friction rail or surface of the door with a yielding pressure; substantially as described.

8. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with the laterally-movable door and a friction rail or surface carried thereby,of a pair of friction-wheels mounted upon horizontal axes and rotating in opposite directions, and means for engaging said wheels alternately with the friction rail or surface of the door with a yielding pressure; substantially as described.

9. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with the laterally-movable door and a friction rail or surface carried thereby, of a rocking frame or cradle, a pair of friction-wheels mounted on said rocking frame or cradle to engage said wheels alternately with the friction rail or surface of the door; substantially as described.

10. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with the laterally-movable door and a friction rail or surface carried thereby, of a rocking frame or cradle, a pair of friction-wheels mounted on said rocking frame or cradle at opposite sides of its pivot, a spring pressing said rocking frame in one direction and yieldingly holdingit in normal position, a lever for rocking said frame in the opposite direction, and a spring interposed between said lever and frame, whereby the rocking movements of said frame in opposite directions serve to engage the frictionwheels with the friction rail or surface of the door alternately with a yielding pressure;

substantially as described.

11. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with the laterally-movable door and the friction-rail 0 carried thereby and provided with the depending side extension 0 at its opposite'ends, of the pair of friction-wheels I I provided with the frictionsurfaces at bof different diameters, and means for engaging said wheels alternately with the friction-rail, the smaller friction-surface b being first brought into engagement with the side extension 0 at one end of said rail, and the larger surface a of the wheel then engaged with the body of the rail 0, and the smaller friction-surface b then engaged with the extension O' at the opposite end of the rail; substantially as described.

12. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with the laterally-movable door and the friction-rail 0 carried thereby and provided with the depending side extensions O at its opposite ends, of the rocking frame or cradle G fulcrumed at its middle upon a suitable support and carrying the projecting spindles H at opposite sides of said support, the friction-wheelsI I mounted upon the spindles H and each provided with the friction-s11 rfaces (6 Z) of different diam eterscooperating respectively with the friction-rail C and its depending side extensions 0', the spring 0 pressing the rocking frame G in one direction, the lever J for moving it in the opposite direction, and the spring L interposed between the lever and said frame; substantially as described.

13. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with the laterally-movable door and a friction rail or surface carried thereby, of a base-plate D secured to a fixed part of the elevator inclosure and provided with the ears E, the pin F supported in said ears, the rocking frame or cradle G fnlcrumed on said pin, the screws P P at the opposite ends of said frame for limiting its rocking movements, the spindles H supported in said frame upon opposite sides of the fulcrum-pin F, the friction-Wheels I I mounted upon said spindles, the spring 0 pressing the frame G in one direction, the lever J for rocking it in the opposite direction, and the spring L interposed between said lever and frame; substantially as described. Y

14. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with the laterally-movable door and the friction-rail 0 carried thereby reams and provided with the locking-lug d, of the rocking frame or cradle G carrying the friction-wheels cooperating with said rail, means for rocking said frame to engage said wheels with the rail alternately, and the latch 0 carried by said rocking frame and cooperating with the lug (Z upon the rail 0 to lock the door in closed position, substantially as described.

15. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with the'door and its friction-rail, of a pair of friction-wheels located side by side, and cooperating with such rail, and an endless belt passing around one side of one wheel and the opposite side of the other wheel and serving to drive said wheels in opposite directions; substantially as described.

16. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with the door and its friction-rail, of a friction-wheel provided with radial projections, and an endless perforated belt cooperating with said wheel and its projections to drive the wheel, said wheel cooperating with the rail to move the door; substantially as described.

17. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with the door and its friction-rail, of a pair of friction-wheeis located side by side and each provided with radial projections, and an endless perforated belt passing around one side of one wheel and the opposite side of the other wheel and cooperating therewith and with said projections, to drive the wheel in opposite directions, said wheels cooperating with the rail to move the door; substantially as described.

18. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with a plurality of elevatordoors located upon the same floor, of a pair of friction-wheels for each door, a drivingpulley located at one side of the plurality of doors, and an endless belt passing around said driving-pulley and over the opposite sides of the friction-wheels of each pair, to drive the wheels of each pair in opposite directions, substantially as described.

19. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with a plurality of elevatordoors located upon the same floor, of a pair of friction-wheels for each door, a drivingpulley located at one side of the plurality of doors, an adjustable idler-pulley located at the opposite side of said doors, and an endless belt passing around said pulleys and also,

intermediate said pulleys, over the opposite sides of the friction-wheels of each pair, to drive the latter in opposite directions; substantially as described.

20. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with a door and its frictionrail, of a friction-wheel, means for shifting said wheel into engagement with the rail and adjustable means for limiting the movement of such wheel; substantially as described.

21. In elevator-dooroperating mechanism, the combination, with a door and its frictionrail, of a pivoted frame, a friction-wheel arranged to rotate in such frame, means for shifting said frame to cause engagement between such wheel and the rail, and adjustable means for limiting the movement of such frame; substantially as described.

22. In elevator-dcor-operating mechanism, the combination, with a door and its frictionrail, of a pivoted frame, a friction-wheel journaled in such frame and adapted to engage the rail when the frame is shifted or rocked, and an adjustable stop consisting of a setscrew cooperating with said frame; substantially as-described.

23. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with'a door and its frictionrail, of a vertically-movable pivoted frame, a friction-wheel mounted upon a horizontal axis in said frame, and adjustable means for limiting the movement of the frame; substantially as described.

24. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with the door, of a single friction-rail thereon, a pair of friction-wheels rotating in opposite directions, means. for causingengagement between the wheels alternately and the rail; substantially as described.

25. In elevatordoor-operating mechanism, the combination with the door of a single friction-rail thereon, a pair of friction-wheels rotating in opposite directions, and having friction-surfaces at differentdistances from the center, means for causing engagement between the wheels alternately and the rail;

substantially as described.

26. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with a door and its frictionrail having a cut-away portion at one end, of a pair of friction-wheels adapted to. rotate in opposite directions and to cooperate with said rail and means for normally yieldingly holding one Wheel away from cooperative relation with the rail, the other wheel being normally positioned adjacent to the said cut-away portion of the rail; substantially as described.

27. The combination with a support, a sliding door and a friction-rail on said door, of a rotatable Wheel arranged and operating to move said door in one direction by engagement with said rail and a second rotatable wheel arranged and operating to move said door in the opposite direction by engagement with said rail and means for effecting the engagement of the second wheel with the rail and simultaneously preventing engagement of the first wheel therewith, substantially as described.

28. In elevator-door-operating mechanism, the combination, with the door, of a frictionrail thereon, a pair of friction-wheels rotatable in horizontal axes in opposite directions for respectively opening and closing the door, and means for causing engagement between the wheels alternately and the rail, said wheels and the rail having surfaces of engagement of varying distances from the axes of rotation during the movements of the door; substantially as described.

29. In elevator-door-operating mechanism 1 the wheels at different distances from their 10 the combination of the door, a pair of fric- I axes for varying the speed of the door in tion-wheels rotatable on horizontal axes and opening and closing; substantially as dein opposite directions for respectively openscribed. 5 in and closing the door a friction-rail oon- T ne cted to the door and means for causing en- FRAB 018 FASSETT' gagement between the wheels alternately and WVitnesses: the rail, said rail having different friction- S. E. HIBBEN,

surfaces contacting with friction-surfaces on JOHN H. BERKSTRESSER.

Images