Abstract: A system and a method for removing NOx from an internal combustion engine exhaust stream at lower temperatures, and releasing the NOx back into the exhaust stream at higher temperatures, includes an occluder with an adsorbent able to selectively adsorb NOx at temperatures below a predetermined temperature and desorb NOx at temperatures above the predetermined temperature. The system includes an engine control module that operates the engine during cold operation so as to produce an increased ratio of NO2/NO.

Abstract: An appendable elevator for the transport of persons and goods can be attached to an outside surface (2) of a wall (16) of a building (1) and includes a self-driven car (5) which runs on a pair of vertically extending guide modules (10). The guide modules (10) are attached at lower ends to a foundation module (12) and at upper ends to a shaft head module (13) to form an inherently stiff and transportable frame. Counterweights (18) are mounted in the guide modules (10) and are attached to the car (5) by cables (19) which engage deflecting rollers (14) mounted on the shaft head module (13). Fastening modules (11) are attached to the guide modules (10) and telescopically mount shaft doors (22). Drive wheels (7), supporting wheels (8) and guide rollers (9) as well as wiring and control equipment are mounted in and on the car (5) to form a prefabricated elevator system which is attached by extending the fastening modules (11) into contact with the building (1).

Abstract: An oscillation damper is mounted on an end face of a free end of a drive shaft which drives an elevator drive pulley and is driven by a drive unit gear. The oscillation damper includes a mass which is connected to the drive shaft by a spring such that when the oscillation damper is excited at the natural frequency of the damper, it oscillates in opposite phase and endeavors to compensate for the exciting force.

Abstract: A reflector mounted in an elevator shaft and having coded symbols in two tracks in the region of a stopping floor is read by detectors on the car for bridging door contacts when the car is in the arrival region and the resetting region of the stopping floor. The symbols are detected and evaluated by a two-channel evaluating circuit having optical transmitters for illuminating the tracks and charge-coupled device sensors for detecting the reflected images. A pattern recognition logic system and computers for each channel recognize patterns in the images for generating car position and speed information and for actuating relays to bridge the door contacts.

Abstract: A solar collector includes a copper plate and copper tubes for the collection and harnessing of solar energy. The copper tubes are thermally coupled to the copper plate by a copper alloy fillet. The copper tubes, the copper plate and the copper alloy fillet preferably are brazed in a controlled atmospheric furnace at a temperature in the range from approximately 1700 to about 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. The solar collector includes a housing for the plate and the tubes having two side walls, two end walls, a rear wall and a removable cover closing an open front side of the housing. One of the end walls and each of the side walls have a slot defined therein generally parallel to a plane of the rear wall for releasably receiving the cover which is formed of a glazing material. A solar collector according to this invention provides enhanced thermal conductivities, increased durability and the concomitant advantages associated with improved manufacturing economies.

Abstract: A drive unit (1,41,51) for a self-propelled elevator car (30) which travels along a pair of guide rails (27) is connected with a car-supporting structure (16) by rocker arms (15) and contact pressure springs (29). An electric motor (2,3,26,31) is coaxial with a wheel shaft (8) which extends therethrough and has a pair of drive wheels (10) mounted at the ends thereof. The motor housing (31) is connected to the axle tubes (11) by releasably attached motor flanges (12). The motor (2,3,26,31) drives the wheel axle (8) in rotation through a speed-reducing planetary gear (33) and a brake (32,34) which prevents rotation of the wheel axle (8) can be released selectively. An auxiliary drive (35,36,37) mounted on the motor (2,3,26,31) selectively rotates the wheel axle (8) in response to a power failure.

Abstract: A lower leg assembly includes laceration indicators at a knee joint and at a front of a tibia. The tibia is connected to a thigh of a dummy by a pivot arm and a potentiometer is provided for measuring relative motion between the tibia and the pivot arm. A damper is positioned between the tibia and the pivot arm. A load cell is connected between the tibia and a lower leg to ankle connector. The connector is pivotally connected to an ankle joint and the ankle joint has a ball which cooperates with a socket formed in a foot assembly to simulate the range of motion of a human foot-ankle joint. Cushions are provided at the connector to ankle joint connection and the ball to socket connection to return the ankle and foot to a neutral position.

Abstract: A travel blocking apparatus is mounted in an elevator shaft to block travel of an elevator car or a counterweight into a temporary working space such as, for example, an elevator shaft pit or head. One or more travel blocking devices selectively pivot into the travel path of the car or the counterweight to block further travel in the desired direction. During each travel of the car away from the protected area, the travel blocking devices are retracted and upon each stop of the car are tilted to the blocking position. These movements of the travel blocking devices are sensed by safety switches to continuously check the functional capability of the travel blocking apparatus. An unlatching and release device positioned above the shaft door must be actuated by a key to open the shaft door, whereby a memory circuit is actuated further interrupting safety circuits. The memory circuit must be reset by a key switch in the machine room in order for the elevator car to resume operation.

Abstract: An appendable elevator system includes an elevator car guide structure having two column-like guide modules (10) on which a self-propelled car (5) runs. The guide modules (10) are constructed as a plurality of extruded lightweight metal tubular sections including planar running surfaces (16, 25, 29, 30) for contact with guide rollers (9) and wheels (7, 8) of the car (5), anchoring grooves (33, 34, 35, 36), guide grooves (31, 32) and a brake arm (37) formed on an exterior thereof. An interior of the guide module (10) receives a counterweight (18) guided by the guide grooves (31, 32) and a buffer (44, 45, 46) and is accessible for assembly and maintenance through a removable maintenance lid (43). The sections of guide modules (10) are connected with one another and with a foundation module (12) and with a shaft head module (13) by groove strips (40), connecting straps (41) and screws (42) which engage the anchoring grooves (33, 34, 35, 36).

Abstract: An apparatus for scanning and illuminating elevator car call button switches includes an individual switch and illumination circuit for each floor served by the car and a control circuit connected in a row/column matrix with the individual circuits for scanning for actuated switches and illuminating push buttons associated with registered calls. Each individual circuit has a switch module which responds to scanning signals from the control circuit by generating a switch actuated signal when the call button switch located therein is actuated. The control circuit generates illumination signals to each individual circuit for which a call has been registered to activate LED's and light the associated push button. The control circuit generates the scanning signal, reads the switch actuated signals and generates the illumination signals during separate timed cycles.

Abstract: A method of assembling a two-chamber component includes radially deforming an outer chamber to permit an inner chamber, which includes a fusible plug, to be inserted into the outer chamber. The inner chamber includes a fusible plug that extends radially away from the outside surface of the inner chamber. The fusible plug has a length that is greater than the radial distance between the inner and outer chambers. By radially deforming the outer chamber, it is possible to insert the inner chamber until the plug is radially and axially aligned with a radial opening in the outer chamber. Once the inner chamber is in proper position, the radial deformation is undone and the plug protrudes through the radial opening in the outer chamber, thereby permitting fluid communication from the inner chamber that is isolated from the contents of the outer chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for controlling an elevator brake assembly (1) includes a control circuit (CM) for selectively connecting an electrical power supply (28) to a brake armature coil (9) to move an armature plate (4) between a brake actuated rest position against a brake friction lining (5) and a brake released hold position adjacent a brake housing (2). The control circuit (CM) applies a first voltage to the coil (9) to move the armature plate (4) against a force applied by a spring (3) from the rest position to the hold position in response to a signal on a brake pick signal line (BP). The control circuit (CM) applies a second voltage to the coil (9) to control the movement of the armature plate (4) by the spring (3) from the hold position to the rest position in accordance with a predetermined velocity versus distance curve to achieve minimum impact on the lining (5) at the rest position.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing a speed limiter in an elevator installation includes a drive wheel engaging a cable groove of a cable guide roller in the speed limiter. The drive wheel is rotated by rotational device having a speed control for linearly increasing the speed of rotation of the cable guide roller until the speed limiter is triggered. The rotation of the drive wheel is detected by an evaluating device attached to the rotational device and having an opti-electronic system for generating a light beam toward reflectors on the drive wheel and detecting reflected light beams. The triggering instant of the speed limiter is detected by an acceleration sensor connected to the evaluating device which then calculates the triggering speed from the speed of the drive wheel at the triggering instant.

Abstract: A drive frame for a self-propelled elevator travelling on guide rail running surfaces (22) includes a car carrying frame (5,14,16,17,18) on which are mounted driving wheels (1) coupled to a drive unit (24) and supporting wheels (2). The driving wheels (1) are rotatably mounted on axle tubes (3) connected to the drive unit (24) and rocker arms (15) pivotally mounted on frame brackets (5). The supporting wheels (2) are rotatably mounted on an axle (12) mounted on axle carriers (4) extending from the frame brackets (5). The driving wheels (1) and the supporting wheels (2) are drawn into contact with the running surfaces (22) by spring cylinders (8) connected between the axle tubes (3) and the supporting wheel axle (12) and extending through lateral passages (13) formed in a frame crossbeam (14) connected between the frame brackets (5).

Abstract: An apparatus for attaching a guide rail to a girder in an elevator shaft wall provides for vertical displacement of the guide rail relative to the walls of the elevator shaft. The apparatus includes a U-shaped intermediate plate of corrosion-proof metal positioned between the side surfaces of the flange of the guide rail and a U-shaped support bracket. The support bracket, the intermediate plate and the guide rail flange are held against the girder by a longer leg of a U-shaped rail clamp having a shorter leg attached to the girder. The friction coefficient between the side surfaces of the flange of the guide rail and the U-shaped intermediate plate is greater than the friction coefficient between the intermediate plate and the support bracket, so that when the guide rail is displaced vertically, the support bracket will slide on the intermediate plate.

Abstract: A method of controlling a group of elevators allocates target calls definitively and immediately to the individual elevators for serving the call according to higher rank and lower rank function requirements and these allocations are indicated immediately at the call input floors. A weighted sum corresponding to higher rank function requirements is formed from partial operating costs, this sum is modified into operating costs in the sense of lower rank function requirements by means of variable bonus and penalty point factors and a target call is allocated to the elevator with the lowest operating costs. A target call allocation algorithm with subordinate algorithms for the bonus and penalty point tracking and the costs computation implements this method in a computer. The bonus and penalty point factors are continuously made to follow the traffic volume or the car load group by group or elevator by elevator with the tracking algorithm.

Abstract: A fireproof shaft door for an elevator installation has an improved heat insulation towards the shaft side in the case of a fire at the floor side of the door. A door is filled with heat insulating spaces and heat insulating mat and is positioned at the floor side of a framework which is carried by a door suspension. The framework is horizontally displaceable on a roller and is guided at a lower edge by a sliding guide engaging a recess in a threshold. Horizontal spars, which are provided with ventilation apertures, are attached to the door box at the shaft side. Heat insulating plates are attached to the spares to cover the shaft side of the framework. A first hollow space is formed between the door box and the heat insulating plates and functions as natural chimney in which fresh air circulates. A vertically extending recess is formed in a closing edge of the door box to form a second hollow space in which fresh air circulates when the door is closed.

Abstract: A controller for a vehicle fuel pump electric motor is connected to one or more vehicle sensors for sensing fuel flow demand and pulse width modulating the motor to control the speed. A fuel demand sensor and a triangle generator are connected to a summing controller for generating a pulse width modulated control signal to a driver. The driver has a pair of outputs for generating a pair of complementary pulse width modulated switch signals to a pair of switches whereby the switches are switched on and off alternately. One of the switches is connected in series between a power supply and the motor armature and the other switch is connected across the armature. A crash sensor, such as an inertia switch, is connected to the summing controller for terminating pulse width modulation in the event of a crash. The switch connected across the armature can be turned on to short circuit the armature and quickly stop the motor in the event of a crash.