Abstract: A brake apparatus engages and locks a piston of a hydraulic elevator drive carrying an elevator car or a cable pulley. Attached at the upper end of a hydraulic cylinder guiding the piston is a beam on which are pivotally mounted at least two brake arms at pivot points. The brake arms are pivoted by a slidable plunger toward and away from the piston. Each brake are carries a brake lining having a shoulder formed on an inwardly facing surface providing a transition from a piston contact portion to a recessed portion of the surface. The shoulder is positioned in the same generally horizontal plane as the brake arm pivot point for initially engaging the surface of the piston to reduce forces transmitted through the brake arms during engagement and disengagement.

Abstract: In a factory prefabricated drive system conversion unit for the handrail of an existing escalator, the drive system conversion unit includes a channel member adapted to be fixedly connected to an existing escalator structure, with a rotatable friction wheel being mounted between the channels and driven via a chain drive, having a plurality of pressing rollers, and a lever-operated tensioning device, with a set of cluster rollers, having a plurality of rollers, being mounted on a cluster roller base plate arranged on each side of the friction wheel, and also including a handrail turn around with a clamped roller chain having a plurality of both roller and chain links, as well as end pieces and intermediate guide members. Directionless cluster roller bases as well as directionless channels can also be utilized to simplify and speed up the conversion operation.

Abstract: An apparatus for preventing the car door section of an elevator car from being opened when the elevator car is not located at an authorized landing zone in the elevator shaft. A car door locking device includes a locking mechanism connected to and movable with the car door section. The locking mechanism has a first member, a second member, and apparatus for connecting the second member for limited guided movement with respect to the first member between a locked position and an unlocked position. A spring is provided for normally urging the second member toward the locked position with respect to the first member. A first stop is attached to and movable with the second member. A second stop, fixed in position with respect to the car door section, is provided for selectively engaging the movable stop.