Abstract: Safety equipment, in the form of an arresting device with triggering equipment for an elevator cage, which runs in rail guides and is for the conveying of persons and/or goods, which safety equipment stops the elevator cage when the permissible speed of travel in upward direction and in downward direction is exceeded, wherein a trigger lever connected the limiter cable is effective in both directions of travel. Known arresting devices are arranged functionally mutually opposite on support brackets and a double arresting device for both directions of travel is formed in this manner. The triggering of the corresponding arresting device separately in direction of travel takes place by way of some new parts which are incorporated between the arresting devices and the known triggering system consisting of speed limiter, limiter cable with tensioning weight and trigger lever.

Abstract: An elevator safety brake is provided comprising two cantilevers, a pivot, a spring, and a hold-off-engagement linkage. In one embodiment, the hold-off-engagement linkage is comprised of two upper struts, and two lower struts. When it is desired to slow or stop the elevator via the safety brake, the lower struts move from a first position in which the lower struts are substantially in alignment with one another and the cantilevers are in an open position, to a second position in which the lower struts are not substantially in alignment with one another and the cantilevers are in a closed position. When the cantilevers are in the closed position, the spring exerts a force via the cantilevers on the guide rail in order to decelerate the elevator.

Abstract: A braking device is described for an elevator having a governor that actuates above a tripping speed for braking an elevator car or counterweight that is guided on a vertical guide rail. The braking device includes a unitary safety housing attached to the elevator car or counterweight and at least partially surrounding the guide rail. The safety housing is expandable and has opposite, facing wedge guides on opposite sides of the guide rail. A pair of wedges are included, each being received between the guide rail and one of the wedge guides. An actuator is linked with a governor and the wedges for driving the wedges into the safety housing, forcing the safety housing to expand and produce a clamping force on the guide rail, in response to actuation of the governor.

Abstract: A stacker crane comprising a trolley movable above the ground, a generally vertical rigid mast depending form the trolley, an assembly including a frame moveable along the mast, and a load engaging mechanism mounted on the frame, an adaptor plate mounted on the frame for vertical movement relative thereto, and a brake mechanism including a housing fixed against vertical movement relative to the plate, a brake member which is supported by the housing and which engages the mast to prevent downward movement of the housing relative to the mast consequent to undesirable downward movement of the assembly relative to the mast, and a shock absorber which is fixed relative to one of the adaptor plate and the frame, which engages the other of the adaptor plate and the frame and which stops downward movement of the frame relative to the adaptor plate over a predetermined distance.

Abstract: A safety gear e.g. for an elevator car or counterweight, comprises at least one wedge chamber (8) and at least one working wedge (9) acting on an elevator guide rail (30) and activated by a transmission element. For each working wedge (9), the safety gear has at least one counter wedge (10) moving along guide surfaces (14 and 39) provided in the wedge chamber (8). The counter wedge (10) of a working wedge (9) is on the same side of the guide rail as the working wedge (9) in question.

Abstract: An overspeed brake mechanism for a storage and retrieval vehicle (SRV). The brake mechanism includes wedges acting between a brake block attached to the load carriage of the SRV and a rail fixed to the mast of the SRV. The wedges are biased into braking engagement with the mast and are held out of braking engagement under normal operating conditions by a solenoid acting through a linkage system, the solenoid being de-energized by a control system responsive to an overspeed signal from a tachometer generator on the load carriage and having its input member in engagement with the mast. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, permanent magnets embedded in the wedges bias the wedges away from contact with the rail to prevent inadvertent engagement of the brake system while maintaining the wedges in position for rapid engagement.

Abstract: A braking device for an elevator, wherein a cage moves along a guide rail. The braking device includes a wedge braking device a speed governor and a linking mechanism. The wedge braking device includes a resilient support member, a pair of wedge guides provided inside the resilient support member and a pair of wedges. Each wedge is provided between the guide rail and the wedge guides. The wedges are pressed against the guide rail by the wedge guides by biasing force generated by the resilient support member, thereby stopping the cage by a first frictional force resulted between the guide rail and the wedges. The wedge braking device further includes a releasing mechanism for releasing the resilient support member such that the wedges separate from the guide rail when releasing force is generated.