Abstract: In a hydraulic elevator, in which fluid is pumped to and from a tank into a piston to raise and lower the car, the flow of fluid is controlled by an apparatus which includes an electric motor that opens and closes a single valve to control the motion profile of the elevator car.

Abstract: A plurality of stairs are interconnected and propelled in a racetrack pattern between two floors of a building. The stairs are guided on rails and provide moving staircase sections for passengers to stand on for transport between the floors. The stairs move flatly in line with each other beneath the floor level in going from one of these staircase sections to the other. The stairs are interconnected and mounted on the rails in such a way that they can rotate relative to each other so that they can turn in going from one staircase section to the other.

Abstract: An elevator door operator includes a motor which drives a worm gear. This worm gear controls the motion of a block which contains retractable members that engage rollers on the hall door, and which engage a block which is connected to the car door. When the car doors are fully closed, these members are fully retracted.

Abstract: In elevator systems where the stop and/or slowdown operations are preset for maximum car velocity the stopping and/or slowdown operations are delayed in proportion to the variation from maximum car velocity in order to compensate for the shorter stopping distance required when the car is moving slower than that maximum velocity. Motor speed is sensed within a revolution to provide a signal which manifests the motor speed. This signal is referenced to a second signal which reflects the motor speed for maximum car velocity. The difference between the two signals is a third signal which is used to control delay circuits which delay transmission of stop and/or slowdown signals to the brake and motor in a prescribed relationship to the magnitude of the difference between the two signals.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing digital signals signifying the angular position in each revolution and the number of revolutions of a shaft which rotates a plurality of times. The apparatus includes two rotary position transducers which are coupled to each other and to the shaft. Both of these transducers rotate a plurality of times in response to the rotations of the shaft, one of the transducers rotating at a different speed than the other. Each transducer produces signals which are individual to the respective transducer and are the same for each rotation of the respective transducer.

Abstract: Microwave signals are injected at one end of a slotted waveguide containing a shorting stub which is moved along the length of the waveguide. The distance to the shorting stub is determined from the comparative phase characteristics of the injected signals reflected back from the shorting stub.

Abstract: A control panel is attached to one wall of an elevator cab and selected elevator control buttons are located on a panel surface which is oriented upward and a cab display is located on a higher surface which is oriented downward, to permit passengers to easily reach the buttons and observe the display.

Abstract: A centrifugal pump for pumping fuel to a gas turbine engine is equipped with a start injector and a run injector. The pump has a single fuel output nozzle from which fuel goes to the engine. It also has several other nozzles from which fuel goes to the start injector. The flow through the injector draws fuel from the engine fuel supply and raises the pressure on a pump inlet, thereby raising the pressure in the pump outlet nozzle. The run injector receives bypass fuel flow from the engine and uses it to draw in engine fuel which is supplied together with the bypass fuel to a pump inlet nozzle. The run injector increases the fuel pressure in that inlet. The start injector operates during starting and the run injector is inoperative at that time. When the engine speed reaches a minimum level for sustained engine operation, the start injector is inoperative and the run injector is operating.

Abstract: A position encoder for providing signals that reflect the position of an object is contained in a housing which can be rotated back and forth to update the encoder. The encoder comprises a sun gear and a planet gear, and these gears are connected to an object. From the rotation of these gears, those signals that reflect the position of the object are generated. Rotating the case causes the gears to rotate relative to each other and to sensors which produce the signals. By rotating the case back and forth between reference and update positions, those signals are generated and the encoder is thereby updated without moving the object.

Abstract: Between floors or landings the elevator car door may be opened allowing passengers to open the hall door. To prevent this from occurring, a stop apparatus is attached to the car door and hall door. This apparatus allows the car door to only be opened to a certain minimum acceptable distance when the car is above a predetermined distance above the landing.

Abstract: In a counterflow heat exchanger a manifold is attached at two points to the ram and bleed closure bars. The bleed closure bar defines a bleed inlet from the manifold and is constructed to reduce the mechanical stresses in the ram closure bar between those attachment points.

Abstract: A homodyne laser of a first frequency is conically scanned on a surface from an elevated position and the beam is scattered by the surface. A return beam is formed from this scattered beam and is mixed with a single side band suppressed carrier laser beam at an offset frequency, producing an electrical signal whose frequency shifts from the offset frequency in proportion to the velocity relative to the surface. That shift is a function of the scan position and the direction of movement. Velocity components of the signal reflecting drift velocity and heading velocity are resolved from this signal by referencing it to the scan position at drift and heading positions. The signal component reflecting elevation velocity is resolved by removing those scan dependent components.

Abstract: A relay is activated by an A.C. signal that is supplied through two toroids, connected in series to a signal source. The signal is inductively coupled through each toroid and each toroid is controlled by a corresponding microprocessor. A voltage is applied to each toroid to drive it into a saturated state in which the signal is not transmitted through the toroid. The microprocessor supplies a signal to its respective toroid to drive it out of this saturated state. Both microprocessors simultaneously provide a signal that activates the A.C. signal source. Power to the relay is automatically discontinued if either microprocessor fails to provide the required coupling signals to the A.C. source or its respective toroid.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed whereby a sudden perceptible resistance is applied to the accelerator pedal of an automobile vehicle when the intake manifold vacuum pressure level decreases below a preselected pressure. A pneumatic motor is operated by a throttle valve that mixes the ambient and manifold vacuum. The motor controls the relative position of a helical spring relative to the throttle control and allows the throttle control and spring to engage abruptly when the manifold vacuum pressure is below the preselected level and withdraws the spring from contact with the throttle control when the manifold vacuum pressure exceeds that pressure level.

Abstract: An elevator car blocking apparatus is disclosed. A small, portable blocking apparatus is initially strapped to the elevator guide rail. It includes a roller and a retainer on which the car rests when it is blocked. The roller is forced between the rail and a retainer to block the car. The roller position between the rail and the retainer can be adjusted to allow the apparatus to be shifted easily on the rail.

Abstract: Transducers are located between the elevator cab and the supporting frame at points which lie along a line that passes through the cab center of deflection. These transducers produce an analog output whose magnitude varies proportionally with the force applied through the transducer to the cab. The outputs of the transducers are summed together and their actual sum corresponding to the empty car condition is subtracted from the sum of the outputs and the remainder is multiplied by the actual ratio between car weight and the sum of the transducer outputs. This yields the cab load.