US1872176A - Operator for elevator gates - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 16, 1932. R. s. PEELLE OPERATOR FOR ELEVATOR GATES Filed May 26, 1931 2 SheetsSheet 1 I I-l v A ATTORNEY.

Aug. 16, 1932. R. s. PEELLE OPERATOR FOR ELEVATOR GATES Filed May 26, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 16, 1932 PATENT oFl-nce ROBERT s. PEELLE, or nonms'nnw Yonx essrenon'ro THE PEELLE coivrrnny, or BROKLN,:1\T'EW YORK, A cannonrron or NEW YORK orEnA'roR-Fon ELEVATOR GATES Application filed i-May *26, 7

My invention relates to" operators for elevator gates, and more particularly to operators for gates upon elevator cars which are operated in conjunction with "doors closing the door opening ot' an elevatorshaft.

it is arommon practice in Warehouses to employ elevator cars, thenp'latform dimensionsof which are sufficiently large to receive one or =more large -vehicles, such 'as mot-or or horse drawn trucks, for the purpose of iconweying the loaded vehicles fromfloor to floor in a building, and permitting a single handling' of the goods whendelivering or'rem'oving same to, or from, the warehouse.

It is also a common practice to provide the elevator shafts in'suchwarehouses with door openings in opposite walls, each opening being closed by independently operable doors, and the elevatorcar being provided, at opposite ends'thereof, with gates'so as to minimize likelihood of accident during the movement of the car. The elevator car controls are-located adjacent one-'endgof the car platform, and withma-nually operative gates and doors, the etliciency of the elevator equipment is reduced if the operator is requiredto travel from one end of thecar'to the other, or the expense of operation of the elevator is increased in=theevent that two men are'employedto operate the car.

' The main purpose of my present invention to provide an electric motor actuated open.

ator for imparting opening and closing movement to the gate as well as tothe doors, so that when'it is desired to apply opening or closing power to any door, opening or closing power will be simultaneously gate.-

"lVliile the circuits to the motors for operating the doors and'the gates are controlled by 'le'penthouse switch, theapplication of power to the motors for opening the-door is controlledby a shaft switch operated -by-a shoe upon an elevator car so as tolimit the apthe door closing an openingat which the elevator'car is situated at'the timethat-th-e pente house switch is closed by a remote Control, such as amannally operative switch in the car itself. Int-hat typeof-elevator where an atapplied to the plication of power to motors operative upon 1931. Serial No. 540,131.

'l-ar manually operative switches are provided atthe diiferent landings, such switches being known as fioor or hall switches.

- v The operator of the invention, as shown in I:

the drawings, is applied to'a counterbalanced elevator door consisting of two sections oppositely movable in the same vertical plane, each of these sections being of substantially :thesame weight as the other, andtlie two sections being connected by a flexible connection passing over a sheave at each side of the door, each sheave forming. a part ofthe operator mechanism and being geared directly to a small individual motor. 7 r

The gate, however, is carried by and movjable with the car, and themotor for operating the same also hasmovement with thercar. With this construction, it is impossible to placethe motor acting upon the gate under the control of shaftswitches at difiierent floors, because of the diificulties electrically, andthe undesirability of providing separate -wiringsystems of the doors and torthe gate.

Wl1ile with an operator embodying the invention, the movement of the door sections "and "the elevator gate issimultaneous, the gate must-have substantially twice the move- .ment ofeit-her doorsection, thus necessitating the continued application of power; to both the doormotors and thegate motor for aniinterval suflicient to ensure the complete opening or closing movement of. the gate.

.This is compensated forby slippage between theflexible doorconnections and thesheave operative: thereon.

This condition also'permits the use ofia 'singledim-it switch carried by the car and co-operating with a shoe carried by theg-ate for theipurpose ofinterrupting theapplic'awtionfof power, not only to the motor opera- ;tive upon the gate, but to the motors opera- ;tive upon the door.

" c The invention consists primarily ,in an operator torelevator gates embodyingthere- "in the combination with an elevator car, a

camcarried thereby, a counterbalance'd elevator door mounted 'in an elevator shaft, 'fiexible connections between thefsections of said door, electric motor actuated sheaves over which said connections pass respectively, and a vertically slidable gate mounted upon the elevator car, of electric conductor lines passing vertically through the shaft, electromagnetic pole changing switches controlling the circuit to said conductor lines, a remote manually operative switch mechanism for actuating said magnetic switches, branch lines leading from said shaft conductor lines to the motors of said motor actuated sheaves, a shaft switch adapted to be actuated by a cam upon an elevator car controlling the circuit to said branch lines, an electric motor actuated sheave operative upon said gate, and branch lines extending from said shaft lines, movable with the elevator car and connected with the motor of said last named motor actuated sheave, whereby with the actuation of said pole changing switch mechanism, power may be selectively applied to any door in the elevator shaft, and be simultaneously applied to the motor actuated sheave operative upon said gate; and in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts as are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view illustrating, in elevation an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 upon a larger scale; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic showing of the electrical conditions in the operator.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the platform of an elevator car is shown at 10, and one of the side walls of said car at 11. A door opening in an elevator shaft having lintel 12, sill 13 and jambs 14 is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings; Closing this opening is a counterbalanced door of the usual construction, having an upper section 15 and a lower section 16 mounted upon a vertically extending guide or track structure 17. i

' Mounted upon this guide or track structure is a fitting 18, having mounted therein a small electric motor 19 and a sheave 20, one shroud 21 of which is in the form' of a spur gear enmeshed with a small gear 22 upon the'motor shaft. This motor driven sheave mechanism is duplicated upon opposite sides of the doors, and the flexible connections 23 connecting the opposite sides of the door sections 15 and 16 pass about these sheaves. It'is to be noted that the use of which will more fully appear hereinafter.

Carried by each guide rail structure adjacent the sill 13 is a truck bar stop 24 adapted to engage the truck bar of the lower door section, when this bar is substantially flush with the sill 13, and arrest further movement of both of the door sections 15 and 16.

The construction heretofore described, has been used by me prior to the present invention, and it is not my intention to claim same herein, except as a part of a combination in conjunction with the elevator car gate and the means for opening and closing employed for both the elevator door and the gate, and being so arranged that while opening or closing power may be selectively applied to any door in a shaft, the gate will be opened or closed together with the opening or closing of any selected door.

The gate mechan sm in detail will now be described. It consists of a guide or track structure 25, supported from the platform 10 and each s de wall 11 adjacent one or each end of the elevator car. Slidably mounted 1 upon such guide or track structures is a vertically sliding gate 26 consisting of an angle metal frame 27, the opening of which is closed by wire mesh suitably braced in any desired manner. Each guide structure is composed of a Z-bar 28 carrying an angle metal bar 29. The Z-bar 28 is rivetted or welded to the side wall 11 and extends upwardly beyond the said side wall'and the upper end of the angle bar 29. The side bars of the angle metal frame 27 carry an angle bar 30, one flange of which projects between, and is guided by, spaced flanges of Z-bar 28 and the angle bar 29, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3.

Adjacent the top of the side bars of the gate frame 27 are angle brackets 31 by which the supporting chains 32 for the gates are attached to the gate.

The gate 26 may be of any desired height, but it is obvious that whatever its height, it must have a vertical movement substantially equalling the height of the door opening, which movement is twice that required of either door section 15 or 16. It is for this reason that the Zbar'28 is extended well above the top of the car, since with the opening movement of the gate, the bottom rail of the frame 27 is brought substantially flush with the top of a car.

Carried by the Z-bar 28 adjacent the top thereof is a fitting 33, having mounted therein a small motor 34k and a sheave 35, one shroud 36 of which is in the form of a spur gear enmeshed-with a gear 37 upon the motor shaft.

counter .12 haft switch has line, and a contact With the 26, only one motorized sheave is required, and consequently the "other fiex ible 'conneceon 32 passedQover "an idle sheave mounted upon the other 4 structure 25, and is connected wit-ha .ve ght'll-slidable in ah'ousing 42 suitably braced from the outside of the opposite de wall 11 oi the car.

By this ai noted, no mo track of parts, it will he the operator are exposed wit-l hecar so to be'endangered by vehicles passing between the car and a floor. 'lhe weights and their hous ngs and chain when li is open-are protected bythe side w.- s ll, and the 1110 561 well ahove-the'top L iz-ed sheav s positioned or" the ca. 7

It will be noted that-while the axis of the motorized door sheaves 20- extend at right gles to the wall of the elevator shaft, that the axis of the motorized gate sheave and of the idle sheave 40 extend at right angles to the wall of thesha'ft in a manner to per mit a proper locating of the weight housings while bringing the motor and its sheave close to the sidewall ll. v y

The space available for the motor 34, sheaves E35 and 40, the counterwe tghts 38 and 41 and the housings 39' and 42, is very limited requiring the detailed structural characteristics arrangement of these parts above referred to;

Located in thepenthouse, or in any other d sired ccessihle position, is a switch panel ying an opening magnetic switch'mechal. a closing magnetic switch mechanism 44. Electrical mains are shown at '45, 4G and 47 and are connected .Jy branch lines 418, 49 and5O with fixed contacts 51, 52 of the opening switch echanism. The movable contacts 54, 55and-56 of this mechanism are in electrical connection with uncommt ors 57, 58 and 59 oi the shaft conductor :line. 1 ading from the conductor 59 to each or the motors 3.9 is a branch line 60.

- Arranged in the shaft is a shaft switch '61 adapted to carried by and movable with'the car.- This two pairs of fixed contacts, one contact of one pairbeing connected-by the lead 63 with the conductor 570i theshai't of theother pair being connected by the line 64 with the conductor 58. The other contact of one of 'saidp'airs'is con nected by the lead with one motor terminal, while the remaining contact of the other pair is connected by the lead 66 with the 7 remaining motor contact. The-three con- 'tacts ofthe' motor 34 are connected by'branch which magnet is connected be actuated by a shoe orcain '62 lines '67, 68 "and 69 with the conductors 59, 57 and '58 respectively. 7

"Each of th'emotors 19 and84is aspecial'ly constructed three-phase inductive motor'having a rotating field so as to permit the reversal of the direction'ofrotation of'the'motor by a'reversing of two of the three phases of the current source.

It will be noted that while the circuits to each motor l9' a'recontrolled by the switch 61, that the circuits to themotor 84 are con- 7 trolled solely by either theopening switch 43 or the closingswitch 44. This arrangein'ent permits the selective application of power tothe' motors operative upon any door of the shaft, but assures the operation 7 of the gate irrespective of the operation of any selected door. At the same time, the application of power'to the motors at any door will result in the simultaneous application to the motor of the gate, whetherthe power be applied for the purpose of opening or closing the doors, and that the gate will 'have'niovement in the same direction as the upper door section of the door.

I The fixed contacts 70, 71 and 7 2 are in direct electrical connection with the mains 45, 46 and 47, and the movable contacts 73, 74 and 75 of said switch mechanism are in electrical connectionthrough the-leads 76, 77 and 7 8 with the shaft conductors 58, 57 and 59 respectively. By this arrangement, the closing of the switch 44 will place the mains45 and 46 in electrical connection with the conductors 5'8 and 57 respectively, while the 6105- ing of the switch 43 will place the mains 45 and 46 inelectricalconnectionwith the conductors 57 and 58. This shifting of thelines 57a'nd 58 will have the same operative efiect as to each of the motors 19' and'34.

Carriedby, and' movablewith, thecar is a switch mechanism lv 79 having a manual u operative Vopening'switch 80,0ne of the fixed contacts of which is connected by the lead 81 with one of the fixed contacts of the limit switch 82, the other fixed cont-act of said circuit'switch being connected by the lead 83 with 'one terminal of the'winding of the magnet of the switch 43, the other terminal of by the-leads 84, 85 and;48 with the main '45. The other fixed contact of'the' opening switch is connected by the leads 86 and .50'with the main 47. JAlso included inthe switch 79 is a manually operative closing switch 87, one fixed con tact of which is connected with the lead 86, "and the other fixed contact of which is connected by the lead 88 with one'terminal-of the-winding of the magnet of the closing switch 44,"the otherterminal ofwhich'win'ding is connected through the leads and '48 with the main 45.

Each ofthe switches 48 and 44 is normally open, while the limit switch 82 is normally closed.

80. The closing of position, thus 7 de-energizing The limit'switch 82 is mounted upon the guide or track structure adjacent the mo torized sheave 35, and therefore is movable with the car so as to be operative as to any door in a shaft as well as to the gate.

Carried by one of the angle brackets 31 is a cam 89 positioned adjacent thetop of the gate in a position where it will engage and actuate the limit switch substantially simultaneously with the completion of the upward or opening movement of the gate.

The operation of the herein described mechanism is substantially as follows Normally, all of the doors in an elevator shaft are closed, and the gate 26 is also closed. This condition continues so long as the elevator car is having movement. When a car is stopped at any floor in a shaft, the cam or shoe 62, shown conventionally in 4, is in the operative relation to the shaft switch 61 so that said switch is, or may be, closed so as to place the motors 19 in electrical connection with the shaft conductors 57 and 58, the conductor 59 being in direct electrical connection with said motors at all times.

The cam 62 may be either a fixed cam or a receding cam, as desired, since the closing of the switch 61, of itself, will not result in the application of power to said motors 20.

With the switch 61 closed, opening power may be applied to that door adjacent which the car is at rest, by closing the opening switch this switch closes the circuit from the lines and 47, which circuit includes the winding of the magnetic switch 43 and the contacts of the limit switch 82. The energizing of the magnet 43 actuates the movable contacts 54, and 56 so as to close the circuit to the shaft conductors 57 58 and 59 thus energizing the motors 19, and the motor 34. There is a continued application of power to each of said motors until the gate 26 has completed its full opening movement. i

As heretofore pointed out, the duration of the run of the motors l9, necessary to effect a full opening movement of the counterbalanced elevator door, is only approximately one-half of that required to effect a full opening movement of the gate 26. Nevertheless, the magnetic switch mechanism 43 must be held closed until the gate has attained its full opening movement, or for a sufficient interval to permit the development of moving inertia of the door sections and of thegate to complete the opening movement.

By using the limit switch 82 in the circuit controlled by the opening switch 80, for energizing the winding of the magnetic switch 43, this circuit will be automaticallyinterrupted when the gate 26 has reached its full open the magnet 43 andpermitting the automatic opening of the circuit to the shaft conductors 57, 58 and 59. In this manner, the application of power to the motors 19 is controlled by the movement of the gate 26 during the opening movement of the door and of the gate. Consequently. power is applied to the motors 19 for an interval in excess of that required to fully open the elevator door, the motors 19 running idly following the complete opening movement of said door. The chains or other flexible connections 23 have no movement, while the motors 19 are thus running idly, slippage occurring between said connections and said motors to permit the mode of operation above described.

The above mode of operation is made possible because of the engagement of the truck bar of the lower door section 16 with the 24, since when the lower door to rest, the connections 23 are relieved from the load of this section, which load is essential to ensure the movement of the doors by the sheaves 2O.- lVith a door operator of the type herein described, the traction between the sheaves 20 and the connections 23 is developed as a result of the substantially balanced loads upon opposite ends of said connections, the door sections 15 and 16.

When it is desired to close the door and the gate, it is merely necessary for the attendant to close the switch 87, thus energizing the winding of the magnet 44 and actuating the movable contacts 73, 74 and 75 in a way to apply potential to the shaft lines 57, 58, and 59 reversing the polarity of the lines 57 and 58 in a manner to impart a reverse rotation to the motors 19 and 34. The circuit controlled by the switch 87 does not include a limit switch, but the application of potential to the motors 19 is possible only as a result of the closingof the switch 61.

It will be noted that the motor 34 may be energized entirely independently of the switch 61, either to open or close the gate.

The free running of one chain 32 over the motor actuated sheave 35 permits the control of the movement of the gate in a manner to avoid possible injury to anyone positioned below the gate. In fact, movement of the gate in either direction may be readily restrained by merely grasping the gate, and this may be done without subjecting the motor to the likelihood of damage thereto.

In the construction shown, both the elevator door andthe gate may be manually actuated in the event of failure of the motive powerfor the motors 19 and 34.

The conductors 67, 68 and 69, as well as the connections 83, 86 and 88, are contained in a cable having movement with the car.

a As heretofore pointed out, the motor 34, the chains 32, the counterbalancing weight and the weight boxes are all positioned outside of the side wall 11 of the elevator car so as notlto be subjected to likelihood of breakage or disarrangement by vehicles car only, and. occupy but: a few inches; of

space. I v

The construction described ensures the simultaneous application of power to both the doors and the gate through asingle manually operative switch mechanism,,thus precluding possibility of the failure of. theattendant to properly actuate'both. of these safeguards. I

If an attendant should manually open or close either the doors or the gates, power may nevertheless be applied to the other for the purpose of opening or closing it.

It isv not my intention to limit the invention to the precise details of construction shown in the accompanying drawings, it being apparentthat such may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is H 1. An operator for elevator gates embodying therein the combination with an elevator car, a cam carried thereby, a counterbalanced elevator door mounted in an elevator shaft,

I flexible connections between the sections of said door, electric motor actuated sheaves over which said connections pass respectively, and a vertically slidable gate mounted upon the elevator car, of electric conductor lines passing vertically through the shaft,

electro-magnetic pole changing switches controlling the circuit to said conductor lines, a remote manually operative switch mechanism for actuating said magnetic switches, branch lines leading from said shaft conductor lines to the motors of said motor actuated sheaves, a shaft switch adapted to be actuated by a cam upon an elevator car controlling the circuits to said branch lines, an electric motor actuated sheave operative upon said gate, and branch lines extending from said shaft lines, movable with the elevator car and connected with the motor of said last named motor actuated sheave, whereby with the actuation of said pole changing switch mechanislm'power may be selectively applied to any door in the elevator shaft, and be simultaneously applied to the motor actuated sheave operative upon said gate.

' passing vertically through the shaft, elect-romagnetic pole changing switches controlling the circuit to said conductor lines, a remote control for said pole changing switches ineluding a manuallyoperative opening switch, a normally closed limit switch, and electrical conductors from a source including the winding of one of said magnetic switches, said limit switch and said manually operative switch, branch lines leading from said shaft conductor lines to the motors of said motor. actuated sheaves, a shaft switch adapted to be actuated by a cam upon an elevator car cone trolling the circuits to said branch lines, an

elect to motor actuated sheave operative upon:

said gate, branch lines extending from said shaft lines, movable'wit-h the elevator cal and connected with the motor of said last named motor actuated sheave, whereby with the actuationof said pole changing switch.

mechanism, power may be selectively ap- 7 interrupted toward the completion of the opening movement of the gate.

3 In an operator for elevator gates, the combination with electric motor actuated sheaves operative respectively upon a series of elevator doors in a shaft, of an elevator car, a vertically slidable gate mounted there on, a motor driven sheave operative upon; said gate, electric conductor lines passing vertically through the shaft, a shaft switch whereby the power from saidlines maybe selectively applied to the motors adjacent any door in the shaft, electrical connections be-- tween said lines and said motor driven sheave, whereby said sheave will be actuated simul-- taneously with the actuation of the motors operative upon any selected door, electromagnetic polechanging switches controlling the circuit to the conductors of said shaft line, and a remote manually operative switch mechanism for controlling the actuation of said magnetic switches.-

4. In an operator for elevator gates, the

combination with electric motor actuated sheaves operative respectively upon a seriesof elevator doors in a shaft, of an elevator car, a vertically slidable gate mounted there on, a motor'driven sheave operative upon said gate, electric conductor lines passing] vertically through the shaft, a shaft switch whereby the power from said lines may "be selectively applied to the motors adjacent any door in the shaft, electrical connections between said lines and said motor driven sheave, whereby said sheave will be actuated simultaneously with the actuation of the motors operative upon any selected door,

electro-magnetic pole changing switches controlling the circuit to the conductors of saidshaft line, a remote control for said pole changing switches including a manually operative opening switch, a normally closed limit switch, and electrical conductors from a source including the winding of one of said magnetic switches, said limit switch and said manually operative switch, and means carried by the gate co-operating with said limit switch, whereby the circuit to said shaft conductor lines will be automatically interrupted toward the completion of the opening movement of the gate.

5. An operator for elevator gates embodying therein the combination with an elevator car, a cam carried thereby, a counterbalanced elevator door mounted in an elevator shaft, flexible connections between the sections of said door, electric motor actuated sheaves over which said connections pass respectively, and a vertically slidable gate mounted upon the elevator'car, of electric conductor lines passing vertically through the shaft, electro-magnetic pole changing switches controlling the circuit to said conductor lines, a remote manually operative switch mechanism for actuating said magnetic switches, branch linesleading from said shaft conductor lines to the motors of said motor actuated sheaves, a shaft switch adapted to be actuated by a cam upon an elevator car controlling the circuits to said branch lines, means stopping the opening movement of the elevator door, an electric motor actuated sheave operative upon said gate, and branch lines extending from said shaft lines, movable with the elevator car and connected with the motor of said last named motor actuated sheave, whereby with the actuation of said pole changing switch mechanism, power may be selectively applied to any door in the elevator shaft, and be simultaneously applied to the motor actuated sheave operative upon said gate.

6. An operator for elevator gates embodying therein the combination with an elevator car, a cam carried thereby, a counterbalanced elevator door mounted in an elevator shaft, flexible connections between the sections of said door, electric motor actuated sheaves over which said connections pass respectively, means stopping the opening movement of the elevator door, and a vertically slidable gate mounted upon the elevator car, of electric conductor lines passing vertically through the shaft, electro-magnetic pole changing switches controlling the circuit to said conductor lines, a remote control for said pole changing switches including a manually operative opening switch, a normally closed limit switch, and electrical conductors from a source including the winding of one of said magnetic switches, said limit switch and said manually operative switch, branch lines leading from said shaft conductor lines to the motors of said motor actuated sheaves, a

shaft switch adapted to be actuated by a cam upon an elevator car controlling the circuits to said branch lines, an electriomotor actuated sheave operative upon said gate, branch lines extending from said shaft lines, movable with the elevator car and connected with the motor of said last named motor actuated sheave, whereby with the actuation of said pole changing switch mechanism, power may be selectively applied to any door in the elevator shaft, and be simultaneously applied to the motor actuated sheave operative upon said gate, and means carried by said gate co-operating with said limit switch, whereby the circuit to said shaft conductor lines will be automatically interrupted toward the completion of the opening movement of the gate. In witness whereof I have hereunto afiixed my signature this 19th day of May, 1931.

ROBERT S. PEELLE.

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