Abstract: An elevator installation includes an elevator car located in a hoistway and having a floor, and a rear wall extending upward from the floor. A counterweight is located in the hoistway adjacent to the rear wall of the elevator car. An underslung sheave assembly is located generally below the floor and preferably forms a V-shaped configuration that operatively engages the elevator car. A drive machine is mounted in the upper portion of the hoistway, and a drive sheave operatively engages the drive machine and is located above the counterweight, with the drive sheave having a front edge. A deflector sheave is also mounted in the upper part of the hoistway generally below the drive sheave and has a rear edge that vertically overlaps with the front edge of the drive sheave.

Abstract: A remote brake release for elevator drive machine brakes includes a release lever attached to a shaft coupled by a clutch to a bellcrank. The clutch is normally engaged and can be a spring clutch or a friction type disc clutch. Movement of the lever to rotate the shaft moves the bellcrank which is coupled to a brake release mechanism. A solenoid is actuated to disengage the clutch preventing release of the brake. The solenoid can be connected to a control circuit responsive to a speed of rotation of the drive machine motor.

Abstract: An elevator car operating assembly is of a modular construction which allows customization of the assembly for a given installation. An inner frame is provided upon which the car operating controls are mounted. The inner frame is constructed to mount a variety of controls in predetermined positions. The controls are mounted thereon as appropriate for the elevator installation. A circuit board mounts to a rear face of the inner frame, and interfaces with the controls assembled on the inner frame. The circuit board preferably is pre-fabricated to interface with each operating control which can be mounted to the inner frame. An insert is located on a front face of the inner frame. The insert is customized to the installation, and has apertures aligned with the operating controls utilized; the remaining component-mounting apertures on the inner panel are covered by the insert, whereby a finished appearance to the assembly is provided.

Abstract: A guide rail system for guiding an elevator car or a counterweight in an elevator shaft includes a pair of .OMEGA.-shaped guide rails (1, 2) having adjacent ends connected by a connecting element. The guide rails (1, 2) have a hollow cylinder-shaped rail body (3) with a pair of flat ends (4, 5). The connecting element includes a tube-shaped connecting member (6) inserted into the rail bodies and a base plate (7, 7a, 7b, 7c) placed under the free ends (4, 5) and attached thereto by fasteners (12). A wedge body (10, 10a, 10b) on the base plate (7, 7a, 7b, 7c) extends into an opening (11, 15) formed in the connecting member (6) to expand the connecting member into locking engagement with the guide rails (1, 2).

Abstract: An apparatus for generating function signals to an elevator controller for controlling an elevator car (1) at terminal landings in a building includes an upper cam (3) and a lower cam (4) for mounting on a wall (2a, 2b) in an elevator shaft (2) at a top landing and a bottom landing respectively, an upper switch (5) and a lower switch (8) for mounting on the elevator car and for connection to a source of electrical power (12) and an interface circuit (10) connected to the switches. The interface circuit (10) has a lower limit relay coil (16), an upper limit relay coil (27), normally closed up relay contact sets (17,19,35) and normally closed down relay contact sets (24,28,30) which cooperate with the switches (5,8) for generating upper and lower limit function signals to control car travel and upper and lower slow down signals to control car speed.