Patents by Inventor Richard N. Fargo

Richard N. Fargo has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11718505
    Abstract: A suspension member for suspending and/or driving an elevator car of an elevator system includes a plurality of tension members extending along a length of the suspension member including a plurality of fibers extending along the length of the suspension member bonded into a polymer matrix. A jacket substantially retains the plurality of tension members. The suspension member is configured to be deformed at a suspension member end to allow for installation of the suspension member end into a termination assembly of the elevator system. A method of installing a suspension member of an elevator system into a termination assembly includes deforming a suspension member end and reforming it to a selected shape, inserting the suspension member end into the termination assembly and curing and/or hardening it, and applying a load thereto or to the socket or the wedge to secure the suspension member end in the termination assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Richard N. Fargo, Mark R. Gurvich, Richard J. Ericson, Douglas E. Logan, John P. Wesson, David Wayne Mckee, Wenping Zhao
  • Patent number: 11661306
    Abstract: An elevator system includes an elevator car; a guide rail; and a linear synchronous reluctance motor including: a primary circuit having a plurality of primary poles and windings about the primary poles; a secondary circuit having a plurality of secondary poles; the primary circuit coupled to one of the elevator car and the guide rail, the secondary circuit coupled to the other of the elevator car and the guide rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Richard N. Fargo
  • Publication number: 20220388811
    Abstract: A load bearing member for a lifting and/or hoisting system includes a plurality of tension members arranged along a width of the load bearing member. Each tension member includes a plurality of load carrying fibers arranged to extend in a direction parallel to a length of the load bearing member and a matrix material in which the plurality of load carrying fibers are arranged. The load bearing member further includes a lateral layer and a jacket material at least partially encapsulating the plurality of tension members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: Wenping Zhao, Daniel A. Mosher, John P. Wesson, Paul Papas, Gopal R. Krishnan, Brad Guilani, Richard N. Fargo
  • Patent number: 11447368
    Abstract: A load bearing member (30) for a lifting and/or hoisting system includes a plurality of tension members (32) arranged along a width of the load bearing member. Each tension member includes a plurality of load carrying fibers (34) arranged to extend in a direction parallel to a length of the load bearing member and a matrix material (36) in which the plurality of load carrying fibers are arranged. The load bearing member further includes a lateral layer (40, 42) and a jacket material (50) at least partially encapsulating the plurality of tension members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Wenping Zhao, Daniel A. Mosher, John P. Wesson, Paul Papas, Gopal R. Krishnan, Brad Guilani, Richard N. Fargo
  • Patent number: 11434104
    Abstract: A safety actuation device for an elevator system including an elevator car and a guide rail includes a safety brake disposed on the car and adapted to be forced against the guide rail when moved from a non-braking state to a braking state. An electronic safety actuator is operably connected to the safety brake. The electronic safety actuator includes at least one sensor configured to monitor one or more parameters associated with a ride quality of the elevator car.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Richard N. Fargo
  • Patent number: 11124386
    Abstract: An adjacent safety configuration for an elevator includes a second pair of safeties displaced from a first pair of safeties by at least 0.1 seconds of travel time at a rated speed of the elevator. An adjacent safety configuration for an elevator including a second pair of safeties displaced from the first pair of safeties to provide a predetermined time period before the second pair of safeties pass over a point on a guide rail previously passed over by the first pair of safeties to permit the guide rail surface to decrease by a predetermined temperature. A method of spacing an adjacent safety configuration for an elevator system including de-rating a pair of trailing safeties with respect to a pair of leading safeties as a function of a rated speed of the elevator and a spacing between the pair of trailing safeties and the pair of leading safeties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Richard N. Fargo, Duan Liang, Tahany Ibrahim El-Wardany, James M. Draper, Xiaodong Luo, Joe J. Liou
  • Patent number: 11014782
    Abstract: An elevator system includes one or more elevator cars configured to travel along a hoistway. One or more rails extend along the hoistway and are operably connected to the one or more elevator cars to guide the one or more elevator cars along the hoistway. Each rail of the one or more rails includes a plurality of rail segments arranged end to end. Each rail segment is affixed to a hoistway wall to transfer vertical loads from the rail segment to the hoistway wall. Each rail segment is secured to the hoistway wall via a plurality of rail support brackets. The vertical loads are transferred from the rail segment to the hoistway wall via at least one rail support bracket of the plurality of rail support brackets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Richard N. Fargo, Walter Schmidt
  • Patent number: 10906782
    Abstract: An elevator system includes a hoistway and an elevator car positioned in the hoistway and configured to travel along the hoistway. The elevator car includes an elevator car door. A door operator assembly is fixed in the hoistway at a landing floor and includes a sensor to sense presence of the elevator car at the landing floor; and a door operator mechanism to open both the elevator car door and a landing floor door when the sensor senses presence of the elevator car at the landing floor. A light source may be fixed at the hoistway and a light transmitter is positioned at the elevator car to gather light from the light source and output the light into an interior of the elevator car. A ventilation system may be fixed at the hoistway and is interactive with the elevator car to condition an interior of the elevator car.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Richard N. Fargo, Daryl J. Marvin
  • Patent number: 10894696
    Abstract: A belt for an elevator system including a plurality of tension members arranged along a belt width and a jacket material at least partially encapsulating the plurality of tension members defining a traction surface interactive with a traction sheave of an elevator system and a back surface opposite the traction surface. The back surface includes a belt guide feature extending along a belt length and interactive with a complimentary guide sheave feature of a guide sheave of the elevator system to orient the belt to a selected location during operation of the elevator system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Brad Guilani, Richard N. Fargo, Daniel A. Mosher
  • Patent number: 10865071
    Abstract: A method and system for managing an elevator system (10), includes providing a plurality of elevator cars (14) to travel in a hoistway (11), and selectively introducing and removing at least one of the plurality of elevator cars (14) to and from the hoistway (11) via a loading station (50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Randall Keith Roberts, Zbigniew Piech, Adam Marian Myszkowski, Cezary Jedryczka, Wojciech Szelag, Tadeusz Witczak, Enrico Manes, Richard N. Fargo, Bryan Robert Siewert
  • Patent number: 10850944
    Abstract: A suspension member for suspending and/or driving an elevator car of an elevator system includes a plurality of tension members extending along a length of the suspension member including a plurality of fibers extending along the length of the suspension member bonded into a polymer matrix. A jacket substantially retains the plurality of tension members. The suspension member is configured to be deformed at a suspension member end to allow for installation of the suspension member end into a termination assembly of the elevator system. A method of installing a suspension member of an elevator system into a termination assembly includes deforming a suspension member end and reforming it to a selected shape, inserting the suspension member end into the termination assembly and curing and/or hardening it, and applying a load thereto or to the socket or the wedge to secure the suspension member end in the termination assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Richard N. Fargo, Mark R. Gurvich, Richard J. Ericson, Douglas E. Logan, John P. Wesson, David Wayne Mckee, Wenping Zhao
  • Publication number: 20200346896
    Abstract: A suspension member for suspending and/or driving an elevator car of an elevator system includes a plurality of tension members extending along a length of the suspension member including a plurality of fibers extending along the length of the suspension member bonded into a polymer matrix. A jacket substantially retains the plurality of tension members. The suspension member is configured to be deformed at a suspension member end to allow for installation of the suspension member end into a termination assembly of the elevator system. A method of installing a suspension member of an elevator system into a termination assembly includes deforming a suspension member end and reforming it to a selected shape, inserting the suspension member end into the termination assembly and curing and/or hardening it, and applying a load thereto or to the socket or the wedge to secure the suspension member end in the termination assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Richard N. Fargo, Mark R. Gurvich, Richard J. Ericson, Douglas E. Logan, John P. Wesson, David Wayne Mckee, Wenping Zhao
  • Patent number: 10766739
    Abstract: An assembly 28 for actuating and controlling braking of a car of an elevator system is provided. The assembly includes at least one braking device 20 mounted on the car, supported between the car and a hoistway for movement with the car within the hoistway, and configured to apply a braking force to the car. The assembly also includes at least one corresponding actuator 34 supported by the hoistway and configured to selectively engage the braking device to prevent movement of the car.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Richard N. Fargo, Xiaodong Luo, Enrico Manes
  • Patent number: 10745247
    Abstract: A guidance mechanism for an elevator car is constructed and arranged to move along a lane defined at least in-part between two opposing first and second lane structures of a stationary structure. The guidance mechanism includes a first support structure supported by the first lane structure. The first support structure includes a first retainer face disposed between the elevator car and the first lane structure that substantially faces the first lane structure, and is spaced from the first lane structure. A first retention device of the mechanism is disposed, at least in part, between the first retainer face and the first lane structure. The first retention device is supported by the elevator car and is constructed and arranged to contact the first retainer face for limiting lateral movement of the elevator car away from the first lane structure and toward the second lane structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Tadeusz Pawel Witczak, Richard N. Fargo, Enrico Manes, Zbigniew Piech, Bruce P. Swaybill, Richard J. Ericson, Xiaodong Luo, Adam Marian Myszkowski
  • Patent number: 10689226
    Abstract: An elevator car travels in a lane (113, 115, 117) of an elevator shaft (111). A linear propulsion system imparts force to the car (214). The system includes a first part (116) mounted in the lane of the shaft and a second part (118) mounted to the elevator car configured to co-act with the first part to impart movement to the car. Car state sensors (360a-c) are disposed in the lane and determine a state space vector of the car within the lane. A sensed element (364) on the car is sensed by the plurality of car state sensors when the car is in proximity to the respective car state sensor. A control system (225) applies an electrical current to at least one of the first part and the second part and the plurality of car state sensors communicate with the control system and the linear propulsion system to provide state space vector data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Peter DePaola, Jr., Richard N. Fargo, David Ginsberg, Dang V. Nguyen, Shashank Krishnamurthy
  • Patent number: 10589963
    Abstract: A safety gear alignment system for an elevator system includes an elevator shaft and an elevator car having an interior region and disposed in and moveable within the elevator shaft. Also included is an upright structure operatively coupled to the elevator car, the upright structure defining at least one aperture. Further included is a safety gear member having a brake and a frame, the frame operatively coupled to the upright structure. Yet further included is at least one access region defined by the frame of the safety gear member, the access region accessible from the interior region of the elevator car and wherein measurement between the frame and a guide rail of the elevator shaft is made for alignment of the safety gear member relative to the guide rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Justin Billard, Andrés Monzon, Richard N. Fargo, Nicolas Fonteneau
  • Patent number: 10587180
    Abstract: An illustrative example embodiment of a method of making a rotary magnetic drive member includes establishing a plurality of magnet retainers on a rod using an additive manufacturing process. Magnets are inserted between the retainers with magnetic poles of axially adjacent ones of the magnets oriented with like poles facing toward a portion of one of the retainers between the adjacent ones of the magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Richard N. Fargo
  • Patent number: 10508004
    Abstract: An elevator system includes an elevator car for travel in a hoistway; a stator positioned along the hoistway; and a magnetic screw assembly coupled to the car, the magnetic screw assembly coacting with the stator to impart motion to the elevator car; the stator including a service section having a plurality of poles to coact with the magnetic screw assembly; the stator including a transfer station section, the transfer station section of the stator including a plurality of stator permanent magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Richard N. Fargo
  • Patent number: 10421642
    Abstract: An elevator component separation assurance system includes a controller, and a brake controller. The controller includes an electronic processor, a computer readable storage medium, a safety motion state estimator, and a safety assurance module. The safety motion state estimator is configured to identify velocity and position of each one of a plurality of elevator components. The safety assurance module is configured to select a separation map from a plurality of pre-pre-programmed separation maps for each one of an adjacent component pair of the plurality of elevator components for initiating a Ustop that maintains elevator component separation. The brake controller is carried by each one of the plurality of elevator components, and is configured to actuate a secondary brake upon detection of a loss of communication with at least a portion of the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Randall Roberts, Richard N. Fargo, David Ginsberg
  • Patent number: 10421640
    Abstract: An illustrative example elevator brake device includes a housing that supports a brake member. The brake member has a braking surface. The brake member is moveable between a disengaged position and an engaged position. A plurality of buckling beams are situated to urge the brake member to apply a braking force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Richard N. Fargo