Abstract: Elevators operating in hoistways serving landings at different floor levels of multi-story buildings are each provided with a compensation or comp sheave engaged in the lower bight of the rope, at the lower end of the elevator hoistway, with all or most of the weight of the comp sheave and its bearings and support assembly being carried by the lower rope bight, providing traction and transmitting tension force to the rope. The comp sheave assembly may include a motor drive machine and brake, providing traction drive at the lower hoistway end, and the consequent tension control can replace the elevator's conventional counterweight. An adjustable comp sheave support assembly achieves tension adjustment in the rope, reducing rope tension when desired, and readily adjusting rope tension for quick releveling of the elevator to compensate for loading changes as they occur.

Abstract: Elevator velocity profile generation is based upon combining an open loop, least time profile for acceleration with a precision closed loop, phase plane control for deceleration. The deceleration phase-plane velocity profile is generated as a modified mirror image of the acceleration profile, and transition from open loop control is within ride quality constraints. Adaptive control permits operating a drive unit closer to its limits without danger of overloading under worst case conditions, which account for a small percentage of the time. Thus, smaller drive units can be used in a given application with minimal impact on performance.

Abstract: An elevator control system wherein signals between fixtures and the controller are provided in time-division, half-duplex multiplexing protocol is disclosed. Remote stations (64, 150) serialize multiple fixture inputs (66-69) and outputs (106-109) and are characterized for response during particular time slots by binary address means (84). A master station (90) serializes multiple controller inputs (102-105) and outputs (93-96) and is responsive for all time slots in either a transmit or receive mode. A portion (82) of the controller (78) provides clocking (76) and dynamic addressing (98) for the system.

Abstract: A plural elevator system having a group controller for controlling the joint response of a plurality of elevator cars to the needs of a building, employs a microprocessor-based group controller for providing up peak, down peak and other zone-controlled elevator functions. The group controller provides a variable interval between dispatching of elevator cars from the lobby during up peak, the dispatching interval being controlled by the approximate round trip time of an elevator being dispatched from the lobby in serving the car calls registered within it and returning to the lobby, or the average of the approximate round trip time for two or three most recently dispatched elevator cars. The dispatching interval is determined by the approximate round trip time divided by the number of elevator cars serving the up peak traffic.

Abstract: Apparatus for generating dispatching signals for a group of elevators operating between two terminals. The dispatching signals are generated at intervals computed in accordance with an estimated number of passengers the next car to be dispatched from each terminal will carry. This estimate is based on the actual number of passengers carried by previously dispatched cars. By functioning in this manner the apparatus distributes the passengers between the cars.