Abstract: A method for controlling a sliding door system determines the masses and the frictional forces of all movably interconnected parts of the sliding door system. The system has a door leaf which is moved in an opening learning travel and a closing learning travel and guided without drive over respective first and second test sections. First and second energy balances are determined from the detected speed and distance travelled data of the first and second test sections respectively. The energy balances equate the kinetic energy at the beginning of a test section with the kinetic energy at the end of the test section plus the frictional energy plus the potential energy of a closing weight connected to the door leaf. The potential energy is added with a positive sign for opening travel and a negative sign for closing travel. The dynamic mass and the mean frictional force of the sliding door system can then be determined from the first and second energy balances.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting and signaling the function and the status of an electronically actuated two-circuit safety disk brake for elevators includes an axially moveable spring centering bolt and a sliding block attached to each of a pair of brake shoes for actuating position sensors. A force imbalance due to breakage of a brake pressure spring displaces the spring centering bolt from its neutral position and actuates a microswitch of a first position sensor by way of sliding block attached to the bolt to generate a signal to a monitoring circuit. A double switching arm formed on the sliding blocks attached to the brake shoes signals not only the normal closure and opening movements of the brake, but causes, on exceeding an admissible wear of the brake lining for the first time, an alarm switching cycle of a microswitch of a second position sensor.

Abstract: An apparatus for clamping a tubular object includes an elongated band having an outer surface, an inner surface, a free end and an opposite end. An open ended slot is formed at the free end and a tightening ear is formed adjacent the opposite end of the band. A step is formed between the tightening ear and the free end with a first tongue for cooperating with the slot. A second tongue is formed at the opposite end and the clamping apparatus is assembled by overlapping the free end with the opposite end and fixedly attaching the second tongue to the outer surface of the band. The assembled band extends in a continuous ring with the first tongue received in the slot to form the inner surface into a substantially gap-free surface for contacting the tubular object encircled by the clamping apparatus when the tightening ear is deformed to reduce the diameter of the ring.

Abstract: In an elevator system with the immediate allocation of the floor calls, car calls are processed according to an algorithm implemented in a process computer. A preliminary processing of the car calls occurs upon entry of each of the car calls and a final processing occurs before the car call destination floor. A car call with a destination floor which coincides with the destination floor of an allocated call is allocated immediately during the preliminary processing. If there is no coincidence, the car call is shortened by one floor and registered. A car call registered during the preliminary processing is allocated with its original trip length during the final processing if there is coincidence with a destination floor of an allocated call. If no coincidence exists, the car call is allocated with a new destination floor which depends upon the allocated calls before and/or after the original car call destination floor.

Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting the toe-in for a vehicle front axle assembly includes a fixture having a pair of clamps for engaging the axle spindles. The fixture is adjustable to accommodate different length axles and one of the clamps is rotatable to accommodate the toe-in setting. A position indicator is attached to one of the clamps and a position sensor is attached to the other clamp for generating an actual value signal representing the toe-in setting. A bar code reader scans labels on the axle parts to generate an identification signal to a computer. The computer compares the actual toe-in value signal with a desired toe-in value associated with the identification signal in storage to determine whether the axle is "good" or "bad" and generate an appropriate visual display. A label with manufacturing data is printed and attached to "good" axles.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus which modifies a video signal such that a conventional video monitor reproduces a normal picture from the modified video signal, whereas a videotape recording of the modified video signal and subsequent playback thereof produces disturbances in the displayed picture. Predetermined portions of the video signal are identified and copy protection signals are added thereto. The signal mixing and delaying characteristics of a videotape recorder comb filter are exploited to modify, produce and relocate synchronization and burst interfering copy protection signals added to an original videotape recording.

Abstract: A door drive apparatus with a locking mechanism for elevator doors permits the opening of the car door situated in the region of a floor together with a coupled-on shaft door, driven automatically in the normal case or manually in the case of a power failure. If the elevator car is situated outside a floor region, the car door remains locked. A control cam mounted at the upper end of a car door leaf is connected with a door drive by a belted drive means and causes a low-jerk opening and closing of the car door at the closing end of travel. The control cam is connected by a pull rod to an entraining member parallelogram for the coupling of the shaft door to the car door. A locking mechanism on the upper end of the same door leaf has an actuating roller which is actuated by a double lever connected to the control cam and the pull rod for the unlocking when the car is located in the door opening region of a floor.

Abstract: A two-channel forked fail-safe light barrier generates shaft position information in the region of the floors for the premature opening of the doors on arrival of an elevator car and includes a cyclical dynamic self-monitoring circuit by means of which a prophylactic fault recognition is possible. The self-monitoring circuit is responsive to the arrival and standstill of the car at a floor and periodically simulates genuine operational sequences as a brief emergence of the switching vane by an optical short-circuit of the fail-safe light barrier. The simulation effects interruption of the light barrier relay power which is, however, shorter than the release time of the relays so that the relays do not release when the circuit is intact.

Abstract: An escalator is formed of a plurality of steps traveling in a continuous conveyor between a pair of spaced apart skirt plates. Each step has lateral safety boundaries attached to the side edges thereof. Spring inserts are positioned between the outermost ribs of the tread plate and the riser of the step to maintain the safety boundaries in contact at all times with the skirt plates. Thus, differences in the distance between the skirt plates and deviations of the travel path of the steps are equalized and the air gaps between the skirt plates and the side edges of the steps are closed at all times. The material from which the safety boundaries are made is selected to provide the lowest possible friction losses and to prevent scraping noises during operation. However, the safety boundaries will wear down before the skirt plates and worn out safety boundaries can be replaced without having to dismantle the corresponding step from the step conveyor.

Abstract: An apparatus for precisely locating a workpiece along a Y-axis of a milling machine worktable includes a fixture body having a generally rectangular cross section and at least one generally planar reference surface. The body has three longitudinally spaced apart apertures formed therethrough for retaining bolts. A nut threadably engages the center bolt and cooperates with an inverted T-shaped slot formed in the workpiece supporting surface of the worktable to clamp the body to the table. The body has a pair of spaced apart channels formed therein each with a longitudinal axis generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the body, the channels being located at associated ones of the other two apertures. A foot having a pedestal portion is located in each channel for engaging a corresponding slot formed in the worktable. The feet are formed with a width corresponding to a width of an opening of the slot in which they are located.

Abstract: An elevator car has a passenger space bounded by a pair of side walls and a ceiling with a fluorescent tube attached to the ceiling and a ceiling frame suspended from the ceiling and supporting translucent filler panels. An opaque middle ceiling strip is attached to the ceiling frame between two of the filler panels and below and in longitudinal alignment with the fluorescent tube. A pair of spot lamps are attached to an upper surface of the middle ceiling strip and are exposed through holes in the strip to illuminate predetermined areas of the side walls containing destination floor actuating elements and information panels for the floors. The middle ceiling strip has one side rotatably attached to the ceiling frame by a hinge connector for providing access to change the fluorescent tube and the spot lamps. The strip also is releasably retained by a locking bar on the other side thereof which engages the ceiling frame and can be released with the aid of a simple tool.

Abstract: A support for mounting a bicycle seat to the upper end of a support post of a bicycle frame includes a lower cradle member and a cooperating upper clamping member which are mounted on the post to hold and permit forward and rearward tilting of the seat. The cradle member has a downwardly opening post receiving slot formed therein having a curved inner wall connected to side walls extending outwardly at obtuse angles of approximately 140.degree.. A support member formed at the upper end of the seat post has a transverse fulcrum line at the juncture of two upper surfaces inclined with respect to one another for tilting the clamping mechanism and the seat. The support member has chamfered edges formed at the ends of the fulcrum line for engaging the side walls of the post slot at diametrically opposed surfaces of engagement to prevent transverse movement of the support and the seat with respect to the seat post.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring force applied to a blank resting on a tool supported by a tool holder includes a tubular piezoelectric body having a central aperture extending between a first end and a second end of the body, a plurality of legs attached to an outer surface of the body and each having a free end extending beyond the first end of the body, and an elongated tube extending through the central aperture of the body, a first end of the tube terminating between the first end of the body and the free ends of the legs. Indica are provided on an outer surface of the tube for indicating the position of the body in a cavity formed in a tool holder. An electrical cable has a pair of conductors electrically connected to the body for generating a sensor output signal. Potting compound is forced through an interior of the tube to encapsulate the legs, the body, the first end of the tube and the cable to retain the apparatus in the cavity.

Abstract: A method for performing operationally prescribed brake trials before the departure of a railway train, utilizes an indicating and diagnostic system disposed on board the train and operated by the train driver. Sensors in the braking system of each car bogie supply information signals representing pressures, travels and forces to a bogie processor which is connected with a car processor. The car processors are connected by a continuous data bus line with a central processor. The central processor processes the operational information from the brake system according to a processing program into status reports such as general status indications, fault diagnoses and maintenance instructions. The indications and instructions are visually displayed on a monitor and a printer, and acoustically reproduced by a speech synthesizer through a loudspeaker. The car processors are programmable by means of mobile computers and interrogatable by means of pocket terminals.

Abstract: A vandal resistant push button assembly has a guide ring attached to a mounting plate spaced from a face plate such as an indicating and announcing device or a modular wall assembly of an elevator car. The guide ring has a first shoulder which cooperates with a snap ring engaging a first annular groove formed in the guide ring for retaining the ring in an opening formed in the mounting plate. There is play between the periphery of the opening in the mounting plate and the outer diameter of the guide ring such that the guide ring can be aligned with respect to an opening in the face plate and the snap will cover the gap defined by the play. A push button slidably extends through the guide rings on first and second guide surfaces to actuate a switch and a second shoulder formed on the push button engages a stop surface on the guide ring to prevent further travel in the actuation direction.

Abstract: An elevator car suitable for use by physically handicapped passengers can be selected from a group of elevator cars under the control of a group control wherein call registering and indicating devices positioned at the floors served by the cars include an additional key for activating a switching circuit. The switching circuit is connected to a car load memory and a memory for storing the alighting calls for target floors where passengers are to leave the cars. A first condition is satisfied when there is no alighting call for a car, no exiting passenger to interfere with an entering wheelchair, and a second condition is satisfied when the load, number of passengers, in a car is smaller than a certain load limit value indicating sufficient space for the wheelchair.

Abstract: An apparatus for installing wooden deck planks on a supporting frame of joists has an actuator mounted on a base plate with an output shaft movable between an open position and a closed position. A control device is mounted on the frame for selectively controlling the actuator to move the output shaft. A fixed angle clamp is mounted on the base plate and has a leg for engaging an edge of a first deck plank, a sliding angle clamp is attached to the output shaft and has a leg for engaging an edge of a second deck plank, and a spacer plate is slidably mounted on the base plate between the clamps and has a predetermined thickness corresponding to a desired spacing between adjacent deck planks.

Abstract: A guide bar for an elevator door includes a beam having a plurality of attachment apertures formed therein for the attachment of a guide, sliding or roller. The apertures are arranged in a staggered pattern providing for numerous adjustment possibilities for the guide to accommodate variations between the door and a guide track for the door. The guide is attached to a first horizontal web of the beam and extends into a groove mortised into the door sill, whereby the elevator door is guided at the lower end along a predetermined sliding track. Each aperture is formed from three overlapping circular recesses, the center points of which form an isosceles triangles such that bolt heads of fasteners are supported on at least two thirds of their circumference by the first web. The center points of the recesses of the apertures are staggered with respect to the center points of each of the other recesses in a direction transverse of the first web by a step width to provide a plurality of adjustment possibilities.

Abstract: An apparatus for flame treating an exterior surface of a plastic container such as a barrel includes a carriage mounted on a frame for rotatably supporting a plastic container, a first treatment station attached to the frame for flame treating a facing end of the container and a second treatment station attached to the frame for flame treating the sides of the container. The carriage is attached to a cable driven by a first actuator for moving the carriage from a starting position for loading the container onto the carriage past the first station to the second station and back to the starting position. The carriage, a burner at the second station and a roller for rotating the container at the second station are all adjustable for accommodating various diameter containers.