Abstract: A hydraulic elevator system of the type having a vertically travelling car includes a hydraulic actuator means disposed on a side of an elevator shaft and a car suspension means. The concentrated car suspension means comprises rope pulleys, a compensating rope and compensator means disposed laterally to the elevator shaft.

Abstract: Control valve for a hydraulic elevator provided with a speed regulating plug which moves in response to the flow of hydraulic fluid, whereby the position of the speed regulating plug determines the rate of flow of hydraulic fluid into the actuating cylinder of the elevator, and a hydraulic channel system forming an essentially closed loop. The invention achieves a constant rate of deceleration of the elevator regardless of variations in the temperature of the hydraulic fluid by providing the hydraulic channel system with a flow resistance component placed near one end of the speed regulating plug, the setting of the flow resistance component being varied in response to variations in the temperature of the hydraulic fluid.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for the measurement and tuning of an elevator system including at least one elevator having an elevator car and its control and driving equipment. The method uses at least one computer connected to the system. The elevator system is measured and tuned using virtual measuring and tuning components operated by programs of the computer.

Abstract: A device for overvoltage protection of a rectifier bridge feeding a d.c. motor and implemented using fully gate-controlled solid-state switches without zero diodes, and for control of the d.c. motor during emergency braking is disclosed. To protect at least the switches of the rectifier bridge against overvoltages and to control the d.c. motor during emergency braking, the device incorporates a capacitor connected via diodes both to the d.c. circuit and the a.c. circuit and, connected in parallel with said capacitor, a series cirucit of a fully gate-controlled solid-state switch and a resistor, said solid-state switch being controlled by a control unit in such manner that, when the voltage between at least two connections in the a.c. or d.c.

Abstract: To increase the transportation capacity in relation to shaft volume, of an elevator comprising an elevator shaft with guide rails on which the elevator car and its counterweight move, the ropes on which the car and counterweight are suspended, and a traction sheave, whose motion is transmitted to the car and counterweight by the ropes, the rail length provided for the travel of the counterweight is shorter than the rail length provided for the travel of the elevator car.

Abstract: In a procedure for the selection of a bridge or bridge section in a rectifier bridge unit having a bridge or bridge section conducting in one direction and another bridge or bridge section conducting in the other direction, said bridges or bridge sections having solid-state switches, selection of the bridge or bridge section is based on the direction of the actual value of the current when the actual current has an essentially non-zero value, on the reference value of the current when the actual current value is essentially zero and the reference value of the current is essentially other than zero, or, when both the actual and reference values of the current are essentially zero, on a signal controlling the selection of the bridge or bridge section during the zero-current condition, which signal directs the bridge control signals alternatively to either bridge or bridge section. A bridge selector unit includes circuits for implementing this procedure.

Abstract: A procedure for damping the vibrations of an elevator car or part supported by elastic suspension elements comprises the steps of measuring the acceleration of the elevator car or part by means of at least one acceleration transducer, using the output signal from that transducer to control at least one vibration damper, which, in order to damp a vibration, imparts to the elevator car or part a force acting in a direction opposite to the direction of the vibration and substantially simultaneous with it. An apparatus to carry out the procedure is also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention concerns an apparatus for improving the performance of a motor-controlled hydraulic elevator, in which oil is pumped using an hydraulic pump controlled by an electric motor from a container via a main supply duct into a lifting cylinder to move the elevator upwards, and returned in a controlled manner through the pump into the container to move the elevator downwards. In order to improve the loading conditions of the motor during down-travel, the oil pressure in the main duct is reduced to a substantially predetermined constant level by means of a check valve or lowering valve which, to provide compensation for the pressure in the pump, has a feedback connection to the main duct via a pressure compensation valve which controls the volume of flow through the check valve or lowering valve.

Abstract: In an elevator machine consisting of a drive motor, a drive shaft driven by the motor, a traction sheave transmitting the motion to the elevator car by means of ropes and a gear assembly to reduce the rotational speed of the motor for the traction sheave, the gear assembly is located inside the traction sheave, the drive shaft passes through the traction sheave, the drive motor is coupled to one end of the drive shaft and the brake is mounted on the other end on the opposite side of the traction sheave.

Abstract: In an elevator machine consisting of a drive motor, a drive shaft driven by the motor, a gear assembly to reduce the rotational speed of the motor, a brake, and a traction sheave transmitting the motion to the elevator car and counterweight by means of ropes, the drive shaft being supported at its ends by bearings, one of which is constituted by the toothing between the drive shaft and one or more intermediate gears belonging to the gear assembly, the gear assembly is located inside the traction sheave and the bearing arrangement at one end of the drive shaft comprises a self-aligning bearing and a self-aligning coupling between the motor and the drive shaft.

Abstract: A procedure for the tuning of a position controller of an elevator is disclosed wherein an artificial excitation signal is input to the elevator drive system, the response corresponding to the excitation is measured, a mathematical model of the elevator system is calculated, the behavior of the elevator system is simulated, control parameter values minimizing the difference between the target position values and the actual position values are found, individual differences in the vicinity of the ultimate target position are weighted by a large factor, the position control parameter values are reset to optimized values, a real excitation signal is input to the elevator drive system, the model parameters are calculated again, and the above sequence of operations is repeated until the model parameter values and the control parameter values converge.

Abstract: In a method for checking and monitoring the friction between the traction sheave and the suspension ropes of an elevator, the slippage between the traction sheave and the suspension ropes of the elevator is measured, the elevator comprising an elevator machine, a hoistway and an elevator car and a counterweight moving in the hoistway. The rope slippage is measured either periodically by performing test drives or continuously by means of an impulse device placed in the elevator machine and measuring the motion of the tractin sheave, an impulse device monitoring the movement of the elevator car and an impulse device monitoring the load in the car. The data provided by these impulse devices is transmitted to a computer which calculates and monitors the relative slippage between the traction sheave and the suspension ropes of the elevator.

Abstract: A method and device are disclosed for braking a squirrel-cage motor in which the motor is controlled in a manner known per se by means of a voltage converter and a control circuit which switches off the main current to the motor in a braking situation, whereupon a direct current is supplied to the motor windings. To achieve a simple and inexpensive braking control system, the direct current fed into the motor windings is obtained from a rectifier bridge formed in the braking situation via electrical control from certain semiconductor components of the voltage converter.

Abstract: A method for increasing the transportation capacity of elevators in a building involving dividing the elevators (2-7) into two or more groups, each comprising one or more elevators, in such manner that in certain loading situations the groups will temporarily serve different zones (11, 12) of the building (1). Upward peak traffic conditions are detected and the boundaries between zones (11, 12) are determined and maintained by the steps which include:(a) detecting by a peak traffic condition, mainly on the basis of elevator loading time and/or the number of people arriving in an elevator lobby (9) of the building (1).(b) calculating an initial optimal zone boundary value mainly on the basis of traffic statistics and existing transportation capacity.(c) effecting transition of elevator operation to sub-zoning during upward peak traffic.

Abstract: In a method of and apparatus for connecting a storage battery to an elevator inverter, the storage battery being connected to a d.c. circuit of the elevator inverter power stage, a voltage in the d.c. circuit is higher than the battery voltage. Power flows bidirectionally from the storage battery to the d.c. circuit and vice versa. When power is flowing from the storage battery to the d.c. circuit, the battery voltage is matched to the voltage in the d.c. circuit by the aid of a semiconductor switch, by means of which an energy store is charged, and a diode, by which the energy in the energy store is discharged into the d.c. circuit. When power is flowing from the d.c. circuit to the storage battery, the voltage of the d.c. circuit is matched to the battery voltage with the aid of a second semiconductor switch, by means of which the energy store is charged, and a second diode, by which the energy in the energy store is discharged into the storage battery.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for selecting different modes of operation of a means used for counting objects in a given area, such as persons waiting in an elevator lobby. In the method, the movements of the objects are monitored with at least one Doppler radar by observing the Doppler frequencies of the signals reflected by the objects. The method is characterized in that the operation of the means is switched between two modes of operation, so that the mode of operation primarily carrying out the counting of objects on the basis of their stopping and starting is used during a given time interval, and the mode of operation primarily observing merely the movements of the objects is used during another given time interval.

Abstract: A resilient mounting system for an elevator car in a car sling is provided, with the securement of the elevator car being resilient in the lateral direction and substantially more rigid in vertical direction. In prior art elevator car mounting designs, this problem could not be solved simply and efficiently. As taught by the invention, substantially vertically disposed, elongate supporting members are provided with both ends thereof attached to the frame of the car sling or equivalent, the supporting members extending to a securement point on the elevator car in such manner that the supporting members carry at least part of the weight of the elevator car.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a procedure for modernizing the control system of a lift group, in which procedure the group control system coordinating the operation of the lifts is renovated and connected to the already existing lift-specific control system. As taught by the new procedure, for each lift is connected one matching computer between the new group control and the apparatus controlling the functions of the lift, and by the aid of which the lift-specific signals are transmitted to the control of the lift and to the group control.

Abstract: A method of controlling inverting semiconductor switches connected in parallel with rectifying components of a rectifier bridge connected to an a.c. supply network, and a control unit for carrying out the method are disclosed, in which a comparison is made of a voltage proportional to the phase voltage with a reference voltage composed of two voltages, one of which is proportional to that phase voltage which has the highest absolute value and the other of which is proportional to the rectified voltage.

Abstract: In a method for coordinating elevator group traffic in a building with one or more change levels constituting an end station for elevator groups operating above and below the change level, and in order to reduce waiting times in tall buildings, the control of at least some of the elevator groups operating on opposite sides of the change level is subordinated to a centralized control algorithm which, depending on the traffic condition, alters the control parameters for the elevator groups in such manner that, when the main direction of traffic is upwards, in order to serve the passengers of the elevators arriving from one side of the change level, either the elevators operating on the other side are caused to arrive more quickly to the change level to minimize the waiting time for the passengers arriving from the opposite side, and/or the departures of the elevators which have stopped at the change level are retarded to allow the passengers arriving from the other side to get on board, and that when the main d