US2938603A - Elevator apparatus - Google Patents

Description

May 31, 1960 R. F. LOUGHRIDGE ELEVATOR APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 6, 1958 u M D T I NR H N U I O L 1 T W E B m I Y B 3 6 5 7 5 z B m a 9 I 6 3 9 7 ATTORNEY May 31, 1960 R. F. LOUGHRIDGE ELEVATOR APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 6, 1958 INVENTOR. ROBERT F. LOUGHRIDGE ATTORNEY May 31, 1960 R. F. LOUGHRIDGE ELEVATOR APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed 001:. 6, 1958 INVENTOR.

ROBERT F. LOUGHRIDGE ATTOENEY United States Patent .0

. ELEVATOR APPARATUS Robert F. Loughridge, 2343 Winton Terrace W.,

Fort Worth, Tex.

Filed Oct. 6, 1958, Ser. No. 765,537

. 15 Claims. (Cl.18729) Myinvention relates to elevator apparatus andparticularly to apparatus, equipment, arrangements and mechanism especially adapted for controlling elevators of the hydraulic lift type.

The general object of my invention is to provide improved apparatus and arrangements for controlling hydraulic elevators. 'More specifically, it is an object of my invention to provide elevator selector apparatus which is simple, reliable, easy to maintan, effective, and economical to manufacture and install.

Another object of my invention is to provide elevator selector cam and cam mounting apparatus which is simple, reliable, effective, easy to maintain, and economical to manufacture and install. I

Another object of my invention is to provide improved, simple, and effective elevator selector cams and selector cam adjusting arrangement.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved elevator cam striker and switch actuator structure and arrangement.

These and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description taken in accordance with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective orientation view showing an elevator utilizing the various features of my invention in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view, partially fragmented, showing the cam and cam' mounting apparatus and arrangement in accordance with a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspectiveview showing the selector mountedto the upper'left backside of the elevator car sling;

Fig. 4 is a section view taken at line IV-IV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged front elevational view of acam mounted between a pair of cam support tapes;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of 5;:

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section-view taken at line VII VII of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a partially exploded perspective view of the selector apparatus in accordance with a preferred em, bodiment of my invention;

Fig- 9 is a partially exploded perspective view of the stepping wheel portion of the'selector and its associated mechanism;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the assembled selector, partially in section and with the cover removed; V

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary section view taken at line XI-XI of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged side elevational view of a selector switch and switch actuator; i

Fig. 13 is an enlarged longitudinal section view of the switch actuator of Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a schematic circuit diagram showing a por tion of a basic control system; and,

2,938,603 Patented May 31, 1960 Fig. 15 is a schematic circuit diagram showing another portion of a basic control system.

Referring now to the drawings, thereis shown in Fig. l a typical elevator car 11 fitted and fixed within a conventional sling 13 made up of structural metal members including a pair of parallel, spaced channel members extending transversely across the top of the car and usually referred to as the cross-head 15. The elevator is, of course, within a hatchway 17, which is fitted with the usual guide rails 19 centered on opposite sides thereof. The elevator is powered by a hydraulic jackhaving a plunger 21 the upper end of which is centered on and fixed to the underside of the sling 13. The plunger is extensible out of the jack cylinder (not shown) which is located and extends downward below first floor level. The car sling 13 is held against laterallmovement by the guide shoe assemblies 23, one of which is fixed between the cross-head members 15 adjacent each end thereof. The guide shoe assemblies may be of a convention type, forming no part of the present invention, and therefore will not be described in detail herein. The guide shoe assemblies of course are adapted for cooperation with the guide rails 19. v

The primary features of the present invention involve the selector assembly and the selector cam and tape assembly. The selector assembly is contained within a housing which may be about 4 /2 inches square and 14% inches long.' The housing may be made longer if required by the number of floors to be served. The selector housing includes a chassis portion 25 and a cover 27 (see Fig. 3). A bracket (not shown) is adjustably fixed to the lower side of one cross-head member 15.

adjacent its end, and the selector assembly chassis 25 is fixed to the bracket by means of bolts (not shown) inholes 29. The selector assembly includes two sub-assemblies, namely, a stepping wheel sub-assembly 31 and a control switch sub-assembly 33. sub-assembly includes a stepping wheel 35 which rotatesv a cam shaft 37 on which there is mounted a cam 39 for each floor to be served by the elevator, and a switch 41 associated with each cam 39. The control switch subassembly 33 includes four control switches 43, which are herein termed the down-stop switch, the up-stop switch,

the down-level switch, and the re-level switch.

Cooperating with the selector assembly, is the selector cam and cam support assembly, which includes a plurahty of tapes 51, upper and' lower tape support brackets 53, 55, a tension spring 57 for each tape, downstop cams, up-stop cams 61, down-level cams 63, re- 67. The tape level earns 65, and stepping wheel cams support brackets 53, 55 each comprise a main member 69 (seeFig. 4), four spacers 71, .a pair of clamp plates 73, and a hanger member 75. The parts of the tape support brackets are made of flat steel bar material.

The main member 69 in each case lies fiat against the back side of the guide rail 19 at one end portion, and extends outwardly from the guide rail and perpendicular to it. The clamp plates 73 each contact the front side of the guide rail flanges 77. A bolt 79 through each clamp plate 73, spacer 71, and main member 69 causes the main member in each case to be clamped securely and rigidly to the guide 'rail 19. The hanger in each case is held in spaced relation to the free end portion and on thefront side of the main member by means of a bolt 81 ateach end, which bolt passes through the hanger, a spacer 71, and the main member 69. The upper hanger is provided with upturned hooks 83 spaced longitudinally of the hanger at intervals which will provide the desired tape spacing. The lower hanger is pro vided with holes 85 which are spaced longitudinally at the' same intervals as the hooks 83; The'upper tape" The stepping wheel 7 support bracket 53 should be mounted on the rail 19 at a point about three feet below the crosshead 15 when the car 11 is at the lowest landing. In the usual installation, there are six tapes required, as will be hereinaftermore fully explained. The tapes 51 may be ordinary commercial banding-tape of the type commonly used in packaging heavy. items for shipment A com mercial type banding tape about one half inch wide by about 4 inch thick, having a corrosion resistant; coat ing, has proved satisfactory for the purposes of 'rny invention. The tapes 51 are each 'precut'to the length required for a particular installation and have a hole punched adjacent each end. Each tape is packaged in a roll for shipment to the installation'site. At installation the free'e'ndof the tape of each roli is hooked to a' corresponding hook 83 on the upper tape srippiort bracket hanger, and the. tapes are; uni-oiled"down the elevator hatchway. A tension spring 57 is provided tor. each tape 51. Each tension spring 57 is simply a he l.- ical coil spring having a hook o n each Springs having an overall length of about 6 inches at rest with a tension of approximately five pounds per inch have been found to, be satisfactory in practice. Each spring 57 is hooked at its lower end in a hole 85 of the lower hanger and at its upper end in.the hole in the lower end of a respective tape 51. TheIlewer tape support bracket, 55 is readily adjusted on the rail 19 to accomplish the desired degree. of spring tensioning, The; degree of spring, tensionis not critical; however, it is desirable that the springs. be tensioned just sufliciently to positively space the lower ends of the tapes 1 and prevent. any of them from swinginglloosely. The spring tensioning arrangement compensait v for minor differencesin tape lengths, makin'git unnecessary that the set of tapes for a particular installation be cut to precise- 1y the same length.

There is provided a set of cams for. each floor level. Each setwill normally consist of a. stepping wheel cam 67,.down-stop. cam 59, up-stop cam 61, 'dowmlevel cam 63, and re-levelcam 65. The downstop, tip-stop, downlevel and re-levelcams are all identical, except forlength. The down-stop, up-stop, andfre-level cams may have a length of aboutQS. inches overall. Theovlerall length of the down-leveljcam 63 will depend upon maximum down carspeed; for a down car speed of 150. feetfper minute this overall length should. be aboutf26v inches. These cams are preferablymade ofmaterial to the; trade as Formica, whichfis a tough hard laminar-structure of paper or clothand a phenolic resin. The Formica usedfis" about' 4 inch thick and is cut in strips, about 1%. inches wide' Each cam, is made. up o f a pairof identical Formica piec es 87,- 8 9. (seeEigs. 5, 6 and 7) placcdback to back. Eachcampieceihas aoneto four flat taper 91 at each end (see Fig. 6), or in; other words,

thecam surface istaperedfroma line beginning one inch from] the. end .on one, side to a line, containing. the end onthe other side. Onecampiece Silis provided with fourholes which are drilled and countersunk, while the other carn, picce 87.has .four: corresponding holes which are drilled and tapped. These holes are arranged in pairs, with each pairlon a lineperpendicular to the cam lengthand located about two inches-fromthe end of the cam piece. Each holeis located so that its outer edge is substantially inch from theside edgeof thecam piece; Eachpainof cam pieces 87, 89 .is-clamped .toge'thei' by means of serews 9 4 in the holes. It is ap-. parenti that the provision oi'and the location of clamping screws 9'4 makes it easy to give the tapes proper spacing and alignment in assembly. Also, the sets of camsclamped to thetapes greatly enhances the; lateral stability of the tape and cam assembly, A representative set of cams is shown in ,placeonthe tapes 51 in Fig. 6." If the tapes are considered as being numbered oneto si rtrorn rightto leftin .Pfig. 6, then. .the cambetween tapes 1 and 2 is the re-level cam 65; between tapes 2 and 3 is the down-level cam 63; between tapes 3 and 4 is the up-stop cam 61; and between tapes 4 and 5 is the down-stop cam 59. The various cams are clamped onto the tapes 51 in the approximate proper position after the tapes are installed, and then finally adjusted when the elevator is in actual running condition, as will be hereinafter more fully explained. It is apparent that the cams may be easily and readily adjusted up or down on the tapes, and that they also serve to hold the tapes in proper spacing alignment. It should be noted also that there is a simple one to one ratio between cant linear adjustment and elevator movement. The step ping wheel cams 67 are each made up of a pair of Formica half-round bars about one half inch in diameter and clamped between tapes 5 and 6 by means of screws.

Tmning new to the selector assembly and referring partic larly to Figures 8, 9 and 10, it will be seen that the seleotorchassis 25- is a single. piece of sheet metal having a bottom 93, and a back 95, with a front flange 97 extending upwardly from the bottom front edge, and. with a top flange 99 extending forwardly from the back top edge; The selector assembly-cover, also made ofv sheet metal, has atop 1.01, a side 103, andends Hi5. The cover 27, fits; onto the chassis 2 5.forming a closed, rectangular, box housing, the cover being removably fixed to the ohassisby means ofsheet metal, screwsv (not shown) which passthrough aligned holes 10"], 109 in, the cover top and the chassis top flange, and through holesv 111-, 113 in the chassis front flange which match slots in the lpwer edgeofthe cover side 103. A pair or. identical s bstantially rectangular control. switch assembly sup port plates 115, 117 are fixed in spaced parallel relation tqthe back and bottorn 93 of thc chassis 25. One plate 11 7 i s in a plane which passesthrough the chassis back and bottom and perpendicular thereto and adjacent theright end thereof (asseen in Fig. 6), while the other plate'is in a plane. spaced from the first a distance by a distance substantially equal to the width of the con trol switch subassembly 33. v

The control switch sub-assembly as hereinbefore mentioned includes four switches 43 arranged side, by. side witheach pair of adjacentswitches held" apart by a rectangular spacer block 121. The spacer blocksare preferably made ot Formica andthe same width as the switche s, Apair of spaced parallel holes 123 extend through assembly of switches and spacer blocks, the as sernbly being mounted between the. support plates 1.15,

1 1 7;with a pairot' rods,12 5 passing through aligned holes 127 in the plates and through thesaid spaced parallel holes. 123 M the, assembly 33 The rods 125,-arc threaded at their end portions and nuts 129 are-threaded ontn the rods to holghthe control switch sub-assembly firmly in position, Each control -switchdli is. provided: with an actuator arm 131 to the end portion of which there is nt daa ac uat r ie ima h has k 95 is provided with a first rectangular opening 135 wliichcxtends j'thQdiS iZtllQfibQiWflED the support plates 115, 117 in width and is just. higher than-the length of a switch. When the control switch sub-assembly 33 is mounted in position on-the chassis 25, the switch actuator arms.131 andla ctuator. pieces 133 extend through the opening 135. The details and functions of the control switches-43 will hereinafter be more .fully explained.

As hereinbefore. mentioned, the'stepping wheel assembly 31 includes the stepping wheel 35, a plurality of earns 39, a cam shaft 37, and a plurality of switches 41, There is acam and a switch for each floor to be served bythe elevator, the assembly shown being, for a six-fioor installation. The, assembly is supported on-the chassis by stepping wheel assembly support member 137inthe form of a..wide -sheet metal strip formedin Ushape and having a baclc139, a right side 1511. and a left sidel43, theright side beiagahjacent the 'st'epping'wheel'f-as shown in the drawings," Thesupportfmeniber 137;i sfixed atits back- 139 to the left side of thef chassis back 95 by means of bolts (not shown) passed through holes 145 in the chassis 'back 'rnatching holes 147 in the support member back 139,

so the support member sides'141', 143 extend forwardly of the chassis back '95. The earn shaft 37 is simply a rod, having it turned down portion 149 at one end, which portion receives a positioning; gear 151. The position ing gear is a short length of' six 'toothgear rod which makes a pressed fit on the turneddown portion-149 of the cam-shaft 37. The stepping wheel 35 and the cams-39 are made of, Formica, 'pfef erably a cloth base type. The cams 3 9 are identical, each being in the form of a short cylinder which may be'about V2 inch long and one inch in diameterfandf each having a transverse notch 153 cut into its peripheral surface. 'Each cam 39 is further provided with-an axial opening 155 to fitthe cam shaft 37, as well as a threaded radial opening 157 communicating with the 'axial opening and with the cam peripheral surface. The "stepping wheel 35 is;in the form of short cylinder having integral rectangular projections 159 extending radially outward from its'peripheral surface, the projections being 60 apart and-six in number. The width of the projections and length of the cylinder may be about /z inch, withrthe cylinder diameter being about 1% inches, the length of theprojections being about inch, and their thickness about 4 inch. The stepping wheel 35 is provided with an axial opening 161 to fit the cam shaft, and a threaded radial opening 163 communicating between the axial opening and the peripheral surface of the cylinder; A pair of aligned holes 165 are provided, one in each side of the support member 139, which holes are sized to receive and provide bearing support for the cam shaft 37. The cam shaft is journalled :on nylon bearings which are supported in the holes 165. These holes 165 are located atthe upper rear regionof each side 141, 143, sothat the cam shaft 37 will be parallel to the chassis back 95, and the cams 39 and stepping wheel 35 will be properly located, as will be hereinafter more fully described. v In assembly,a spacer washer 167 .is placed on the cam shaft 37 adjacent the pos'itioninggear 151, then the. shaft 37 is inserted in thebearing (not shown) through the bearing hole 165 in the left side 143, then the cams 39 are placedcn the shaft, then the shaft is inserted in the bearing (not'shown) through'the. bearing hole 165 in the right side 141,;then a second spacer washer 169 is placed on the shaft, followed by thestepping wheel. The cams 39 and the stepping wheel 35 are fixed in desired position on the shaft by means of set screws .171 inserted in the radial threaded openings 1 57, 163. The chassis back 95 is provided with a rectangular opening 173 of sufiicient width and height to allow the stepping wheel 35 to protrude throughthe chassis back 95. Each switch 41 of the stepping wheel sub-assembly 33 is provided with an actuator armf1175' which mounts an actuatorroller 177 at its end. Each switch 41 is .also provided withv transversely extending parallel mounting holes 179 adjacent its rear side. A rectangular Formica spacer 18 1 is provided between each switch. Each spacer has mounting holes 183 aligned with the switch mounting'holes 179 and located so that the spacer. 181 will extend about /2 inch rearwardly of the switch 41. The support member 137 is also. provided with holes .185 in 'each sidev which align withithe switch andspacer'holes 179, 183 so that the switch assembly, 33,wil1 be held in proper relation to the cams 39. In assembly, a pair of rods 187, threaded at their end portions, are passed through the respective aligned holes of.. the support member 137, switches 41, and spacers 18'1, and the switch assembly 33' is clamped between ,the support sides 141, 143 by nuts 189 on the rod. ends, drawnup against the respective support membersides. H u

about 7 piece 133 is not in contact All of the switches 41, 43 in the selector assembly are of a conventional commerciallyavailable type and known to the trade as Micro-switches. Such switches are characterized by the fact that the switch contacts will snap from open to closed position and vice versa within a very small range of actuator arm movement. The switches used inthe selector are of the single pole, double throw variety having a lead from each fixed contact and one from the moveable contact brought out to respective terminals 191 at the back of the switch. The actuator arm 131 is pivoted on a fulcrum at the lower front of the switch, so that its free end, and the actuator roller 177 or actuator piece 133 are at the upper front portion of the switch. The actuator arm 131 is biased outwardly from the switch front by a helical compression spring 193. For the case of the stepping wheel sub-assembly switches 41, the normally closed contact is used, while for the case of the control switches 43, the normally open contact is used. The actuator rollers 177 of the stepping wheel sub-assembly switches 41, of course ride on the periphery of the associated cams 39. This means that at all times except when a roller is within a cam notch 153, the switch actuator arm 131 is held so that the contact being used is in the open position, and closes when the actuator arm is released into the cam notch. The sides of the cam notches 153 extend radially, with the included angle being and the base of the notch extends tangentially and is about A inch long. The switch actuator rollers are A inch in diameter.

For the case of the control switches 43, the contacts used are open except when cammed to the closed position. The actuator piece 133 for the control switches 43 is made of Formica, designated by the manufacturer as type CH-93, which has a cloth or fabric base and is graphite impregnated. The actuator piece has a generally triangular shape, with a notch 195 at the base and with the apex rounded. The actuator piece 133 is mounted at the end of the actuator arm 131 by means of a U shaped bracket 197, with the bracket base being bradded to the arm, and the piece being clamped between the bracket sides by a brad 199 extending through the bracket sides and the piece. A small block or pad of felt material 201 is interposed and clamped between the notch 195 in the actuator piece base and the actuator arm 131, so that the with the arm. The felt pad 201 serves a double function as a sound deadener and as a lubricant reservoir. The combination of the pad 201 and piece 133 makes the camming action of the piece and its associated cam essentially noiseless.

The cams 39 of the stepping wheel assembly 31 are positively and accurately positioned at each step by coaction of the positioning gear 151and a spring biased roller device 203. This device (see Fig. 11) includes a pair of spaced parallel rollers 205 journalled on shafts 207 carried by fork members 209 which are fixed to respective arms 211 which are pivoted on a strap mounting bracket 213 and which are biased toward each other by a spring (not shown). The mounting'bracket 213 is fixed to the left end 143 of the stepping wheel assembly support member 137 by means of screws 215 in holes 217 beneath the cam shaft 37. The rollers 205 of the positioning device 203 seat'themselves between pairs of adjacent teeth on opposite sides of the positioning gear 151 each time the stepping wheel 35 moves to a different step, thus providing the cam shaft 37 with six discrete and precise positions, so that the stepping wheel 35 will always cause the proper switch 41 to be actuated at the proper time.

As hereinbefore mentioned, the selector assembly is mounted toa' bracket (not shown), which is adjustably fixed to the lower side of one cross-head member 15 adjacent the end thereof. The position of theselector chassis 25 is adjusted so that the actuator arms 131 of the con trol switches 43, and the stepping wheel 35, are substantiallycentered between the respective pairs of tapes 51-,

and so that the control switch actuator pieces 133 and the stepping wheel projections. 159 have the desired degree of spacing from their associated cams. Aback-UP member 219 in the form of a flanged sheet metal channel is fixed to the back 95 of the selector chassis25 by means of bolts 221 through holes 223 in the member flanges and in the chassis back 95, after the selector assembly has been positioned. The back-up'mem'ber 219 together with a portion of the chassis back 95, forms-aguideway for the tapes 51 and carris. The opposing surfacesofthe guideway are padded with belting material 225. Three-ply cotton belting'material has been found to be satisfactory for the purpose. The space between "the opposing pad surfaces may be about /8 inch, and the length of the guideway may be about 8 /2 inches. When a carnenters the guideway it will be-backed up by the back-up member 219 so that it cannot move away from the actuatorpiece 133 or stepping wheel 35 beyond a desirable distance. The guideway also-acts to'dampany tendency of'the tapes 51 to develop excessive swaying motion 'and keeps the tape assembly laterally centered. Wiring conductors .227 are brought from the terminals 191 of the selector switches into a conduit 229 which is attached to the selector chassis bottom 93 and extends to an appropriate terminal box.

The relation of the control switches 43 and the stepping wheel switches 41 to the elevator-control system is shown in simplified schematic form 'by Figures 1-4 and 15. In Fig. 14 there is shown a power bus 231 (which maybe connected to a conventional 220 volt source, not shown) having one side common and grounded at233. The control switches are connected in series with the operating coils of respective relays across the bus. These relays, represented by blocks 235, 237, 239, 241, may betermed the up-stop, down-stop, re-levcl, and down-level relays, being actuated by a respective control switch of the corresponding designation. Each relay may have a number of contacts depending upon the relative complexity of the specific elevator system. The up-stop and down-stop relays each have one set of contacts connected in the stopstart circuit of an electric motor 243 which is mechanically coupled to drive a hydraulic pump 245. The contacts are arranged so that the motor circuit will be opened when either the up-stop switch or the down-stop switch is actuated to the closed position. The pump hydraulic output is connected via a conduit to the elevator jack 247. The output hydraulicline of the jack is connectedthrough a main valve 249, designated as Vm to a reservoir251. the output line of which is connected .to the pumpinput. The main valve is bypassed by a levelling valve 253, designated V1.

In Fig. 15 thereis'shown apower bus 231 (which may be connected to a conventional 220 volt source, not shown) having one side common and grounded at 233. The stepping wheel switches 41 (some of which are not shown, for simplicity) are each connected in series with the operating coil of a respective stepping switch relay 255 across the bus. There is one relay for each floor to be served by the elevator system. These relays are represented by blocks designated R1 through R6. Each stepping wheel relay 255 may have a number of contacts depending upon the specific system with which they are used. The relays are shown connected to a block 257 labelled position indication, since that is their primary function. For example, they may among other things operate lights behind the flow indicator strip in the elevator car. A stepping wheel relay 255 is energized when the corresponding stepping wheel switch 41 is cammed to the closed position.

For preliminary settings the cams which are fixed to the tapes 51 should be set so that (with the-elevator car at floor level) the lower ends of thedown-stop and down- level cams 59, 63 should be about 18 inches and 2 inches, respectively, above the selector control switch actuator pieces 133, while the upper ends of the tip-stop and re-levcl earns 61, should be about 2 inches and 8 inches, respectively, below theselector control switch actuator pieces- The stepping wheel earns 67 should be located about halfway between adjacent landings and need not be further adjusted, since their exact location is not critical. Final adjustments of the tape/mounted cams are made with the elevator in actual operation. As hereinbefore stated, these cams are readily adjustable up or down the tapes, and there is a simple one-toone ratio between cam linear adjustment and elevator movement.

In operation in a typical elevator system utilizing my invention, first assume that the car 11 is moving up toward a pro-selected floor level, in which case the pump motor 243 is running and both the main valve Vm 249 and the levelling valve VI 253 are closed. As the car moves up the hatchway the stepping wheel 35 will be actuated by the stepping wheel cam 67 for each floor level passed, thus in each case actuating the appropriate stepping wheelswitch 41 which in'turn energizes the corresponding relay 255, the contacts of which set up various car position indication functions. As the car approaches the preselected floor the re-level cam 65 will actuate the re-levcl control switch, but nothing will happen since the motor circuit is already closed. Next, the up-stop cam 61 will actuate the up-stop control switch, which will set up a'time-delay circuit (not shown) to lock out there-level circuits for a short time (usually about five seconds) and also open the motor circuit, causing the car to coast upward. Next, the down-level cam 63 will actuate the down-level control switch to open the levelling valve 253. The momentum of the car will cause it to continue its upward travel sufiiciently far for actuation of the down-level control switch and slightly beyond, then the car will drift downward at a slow speed until the down-level control switch actuator piece goes sufliciently oflt' its associated cam 63 to actuate the switch to the open position, causing the levelling valve 253 to close, stopping the car smoothly at the pre-selected floor level. If for any reason the car should drift downward below the floor level, then the re-level cam 65 will actuate the re-level switch, which will start the motor 243, moving the car upward again, and the stopping and down-levelling operation will be repeated.

Now, asume that the car is traveling downward toward at pre-selected vfloor, Under these conditions, the motor circuit would be open and both the main valve Vm and the levelling valve V1 would be open. Then as the car approaches the pre-selected floor, the down-stop cam 59 will actuate the down-stop switch to close the main valve 249, unlock the levelling valvecircuit, and set up a locking circuit-to keep the main valve closed until the car is ready to start a descent to a lower floorv level. Next, the down-level cam 63 will-actuate the down-level switch, but nothing happens, since the levelling valve 253 is already open. The car decelerates and drifts at reduced speed until the actuator piece of the down-level switch moves off the lower end of the down-level cam 63, causing the levelling valve Vl to close, stopping the car at the pre-selected floor level. If for any reason the car should drift past the pro-selected floor level, then the re-level cycle will occur as hereinbefore described. Of course the stepping wheel 35 will be periodically actuated in elevatordescent to accomplish position indication as hereinbefore described.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the elevator selector cam and cam mounting apparatus and the elevator selector "apparatus of my invention is simple, reliable, eifective, easy to install and maintain, and economical to manufacture. It is to be understood that dimensions given, and the materials named, in the foregoing description'of a specific embodiment of the invention, are for illustrative purposes only. It is further to be understood that specific elevator control system described in elementary form herein is by way of exspasms 9 an'iplev only; and a that various control systems i'alresdy w'ellknown to. those skilled in the art could be used with the apparatus'ofmy invention. "It'is apparentthat the apparatus of my invention may be used with elcctric as Well as hydraulic elevators. Y

.While I have shown my invention in only one form, it will be obvious .to those skilled in the art that it' is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes an dmodi fications without 'departing'from the spirit thereof.

I claim:

ll. Apparatus for mounting cams in an elevatorhatchway which cams are to actuate selector mechanism fixed to the elevator car, said apparatus" comprising a plurality of tapes which are relatively stifif in directions laterally of their width and relatively flexible in directions laterally of their thickness, each tape being of length greater than maximum elevator car travel, means for suspending said tapes in spaced parallel relation within said elevator hatchway, spring means for individually tensioning said tapes, a plurality of-cams mounted between adjacent tapes and fixed theretoin' operative relationship relative to said selector mechanism.

2. Apparatus for mounting cams in an elevator hatchway which cams are to actuate selector mechanism fixed to the elevator car,said apparatus comprising a plurality of 'tapes made of fiat metal banding material, an upper tape mounting bracket, a lower tape mounting bracket means holding one end of said tapes on one of said brackets, a tensioning spring held at one end to the other end of each respective tape, with the free ends of said springs being held on said other bracket, said tapes being held in spaced parallel relation with their flat sides lying substantially in a common plane, and a plurality of cams mounted between adjacent tapes and clamped thereto.

3. Apparatus for mounting cams in an elevator hatchway which cams are to actuate selector mechanism fixed to the elevator car,sa=id apparatus comprising a plurality of tapes made of flat metal banding material, upper and lower brackets each adjustably mounted to ahatchway guide rail and extending outwardly therefrom, means holding the upper ends of respective tapes at spaced intervals on said upper bracket, a tension spring fixed to the lower end of eachsaid tape, means holding the lower end of respective springs at spaced intervals on said lower bracket,said tapes being held in spaced parallel'relation with'their'flat sides lying substantiallyin a common plane which is parallel to the adjacent car side, and a plurality of cams mounted betweenadjacent tapes and clamped thereto". f i '4. Elevator selector cam and cam mounting apparatus comprising upper and lower brackets adjustably mounted on an elevator guide r'ailadjace'nt upper and lower ends of the rail and extending outwardly therefrom, a plurality of tapes made of flat metal banding material, means holding one end of said respective tapes at spaced intervals on one of said brackets, a respective tensioning spring fixed at one end to the other end of each said tape, means holding the other ends of said springs at spaced intervals on said other bracket, said tapes being held in spaced parallel relation with their flat sides lying substantially in a common plane, and a plurality of cams, each said cam comprising a pair of symmetrical elements placed in back-to-back relation and clamped between a pair of adjacent tapes.

5. Elevator selector cam and cam mounting apparatus comprising a pair of tapes in the form of flat metalbanding material, means holding said tapes in spaced parallel relation longitudinally of an elevator hatchway with the flat sides of said tapes lying substantially in a common plane, a plurality of cams, each said cam comprising a pair of substantially identical pieces of rectangular material slightly wider than the spacing between said tapes, each said piece having smooth flat front and back faces, each said piece being tapered from its front face to its back face at each end, and means for clamp-' ing said pieces back-to-back between said tapes.

6."Elevator camand cam mounting apparatus comprising a plurality of tapes in the form of flat metal band-.

ing material, means holding said tapes at each end thereof in spaced parallel relation with the fiat sides of said tapes lying substantially'in a common plane, a plurality of cams clamped between each adjacent pair of tapes and located at "spaced longitudinal intervals thereon, each said cam comprising a pair of substantially identical pieces of flat strip material having a smooth front face and a alignment is obtained at each cam location.

7. An elevator selector assembly comprising a chassis having a back and a bottom, a control switch sub-assembly comprising a plurality of switches juxtaposed with a spacer block between adjacent switches, with each said switch having an actuator arm and a cam actuator piece fixed to the end portion of said arm, spaced support means fixed to said back and extending forwardly therefrom, a pair of rods extending through said switches and spacer blocks andfixed at their end portions to said support means, said actuator arms and cam actuator pieces ex tending through an opening in said back, a stepping wheel sub-assembly comprising mounting means fixed to said back 'andjhaving end pieces extending forwardly therefrom, ,a cam shaft journalled on said mounting means and extending parallel to and adjacent said back, a plurality of stepping wheel cams mounted on said shaft between said end pieces, a' stepping wheel mounted on said shaft on the outside of one of said end pieces and extending through an opening in the back of said chassis adjacent said first mentioned opening, a shaft positioning device mounted on said shaft outside the other of said end pieces, a plurality of stepping wheel switches juxtaposed and each having an actuatorarm mounting a roller,

a pair of rods passing through s'aid'switches and said end pieces and fixed to said end pieces so that respective stepping wheel switch rollers cooperate with respective stepping wheel cams. c

8. A stepping wheel sub-assembly for an elevator selector comprising support, means including spaced end pieces, a cam shaft journalled on said end pieces, a plurality of cams mounted on said shaft, one for each floor to be served by the elevator, a plurality of juxtaposed switches, one for each cam, each said switch having an actuator arm spring biased away from said switch mounting a roller at its end portion, means mounting said switches between said end pieces so that each roller engages a respective cam, each said cam being in the form of a short cylinder having a notch in its roller engaging surface allowing said roller to move radially inwardly toward said cam shaft to actuate its respective switch, means for adjustably fixing each said cam to said cam shaft with the notches distributed at substantially equal angles about said shaft, a stepping wheel mounted on one end of said cam shaft on the outside of one said end piece, said stepping wheel having a radial projection for eadl said cam, said projections spaced at equal radial angles about said shaft, a cam shaft positioning device comprising a gear fixed on said cam shaft at the end opposite said stepping wheel, said gear having a tooth for each said cam, a spring biased roller mounted to the end piece adjacent said gear and riding on the periphery of said gear, whereby said cam shaft will be stopped .at a predetermined discrete position each time after saidstepping wheel is actuated.

'9. Elevator selector and selector cam apparatus comprising a plurality of tapes .in the form of flat metal banding-material, means mounting said tapes in an elevator hatchway and holding said tapes at each end thereof in spaced parallel relation with the fiat sides of said tapes lying substantially in a common plane, a plurality of cams clamped between each adjacent pair of tapes andlocated at spaced longitudinal intervals thereon, each said cam having smooth fiat front and rear faces which are tapered at each end'to the plane of the tapes, a selectorchassis-mounting a-plurality of devices to be actuated by said cams, .said devices including actuators ,,Protruding through an .opening in the .backof said chassis, means mounting said chassis .in fixed relation to the elevator car and with said protruding actuators in ,predetermined spaced relation with respect to the normal plane of said tapes, and atape and cam assembly guideway and'bacl-Gup piece fixed to the back of. said chassis and presenting a plane surface parallel to and spaced from said chassis back .a distance such that when the rear face of a cam passing through the guideway is in contact with said surface, the front face of saidcam is properly positioned with respect to the corresponding selector actuator.

10. An elevator selector control switch actuator and actuator piece of a type wherein said actuator piece is adapted for sliding movement on a cam surface, comprising an actuator arm pivoted adjacent one end on a switch body, means spring biasing said actuator arm in thedirection away from said body, an actuator piece made of laminated sheets in a phenolic resin base and impregnated with graphite, said-actuatorpiece having a base side adjacent said actuator arm and acam surface opposite said base, a notch in said base side, a felt pad in said notch, and means fixing said actuator piece to the free end portion of said actuator arm with said pad interposed between said base and said arm.

11. An elevator selector control switch actuator and actuator piece of a type wherein'said actuator piece is adapted for periodic sliding movement on acam surface, comprising an actuator arm fixed to .a switch body and spring biased in thedirection away from thes witch body, an actuator piece made of graphiteimpregnated material, said actuator piece having a base side adjacent said actuator arm and a cam :surface opposite said base side, means fixing said actuator piece to .saidactuatorarm, and a pad of oil-absorbent .material clamped between the base of said actuator piece and saidactuatorarrn.

'12. Apparatus for mounting'camsinian elevator.'hatchway which cams are to actuate selectormechanismtfixed' totheielevator-car, said-apparatus comprising a plurality of T tapes which are :relatively stiff in :directions laterally of theiriwidth and relatively .flexible in directions laterally of thcir'thickness, each tape being .of length greater than maximum elevator car travel, meansfor suspending said tapes innspaced parallel relation within said elevator hatchwa'y, means for tensioning said tapes, and a plurality-tofcams mounted between adjacent tapes andfixed thereto in operative relationship relative to said selector mechanism.

13. Apparatus formounting cams in an elevator hatchway which cams are :to actuate selector mechanism fixed tothe-elevator 'car, .said apparatus comprising a plurality of tapes which are relatively stiff in directions laterally of their width and relatively flexible in directions laterally of their thickness, each tape being of length greater than maximum elevator .car travel, means .for suspending said tapes vin .spaced parallel relation within .said elevator hatchway, spring .means for individually tensioning said tapes, a plurality of cams mounted between adjacent tapes, each :said cam comprising a pair of symmetrical elements placed in back-to-back relation and fixed between a pair of adjacent tapes.

14. Apparatus for mounting cams in an elevator hatchway which cams are toactuate selector mechanism fixed to the elevator car, said apparatus comprising a plurality of tapes which arerelatively stiff in directions laterally of their width and relatively flexible in directionslaterally of their thickness, each tape being of length greater than maximum elevator car travel, means for suspending said tapes in spaced parallel relation within said elevator hatchwa-y, means for tensioning said tapes, a plurality of cams mounted between adjacent tapes, .each said cam comprising a pair of elements placed in back-to-back relation and fixed between apair of adjacent tapes.

15. Apparatus for mounting cams in an elevator hatchway which cams are to actuate selector mechanism fixed to the elevator car, said apparatus comprising a plurality oftapes which are relatively stiff in directions laterally of their width and relativelyflexible in directions laterally of their thickness, each tape being of length greater than maximum elevator car travel, means for suspending said tapes in spaced parallel relation within said elevator hatchway, spring means for individually tensioning said tapes, a pluralityof .carns, each said cam comprising a pair'of substantially identical pieces of rectangular ma terial slightly wider than the spacing between said tapes, each said piece having-smooth flat front and back faces, each said piece being taperedfrom its .front .face to .its back face at each end, .andmeansforfixing .saidpieces' backvto-back between said tapes.

No references cited.

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