Abstract: A direction indicating device (4) for elevators is built into the door frame (3) near a floor door (1). The device (4) consists essentially of a retaining element (9), an up-direction arrow (10) and a down-direction arrow (11). In order to make the indicating device direction arrows (10, 11) visible from possibly all positions or viewing angles of the passengers on the floor, the device (4) is arranged on the door frame (3) three dimensionally with the direction arrows (10, 11) mounted on the front wall (14) as well as on the side wall (15) of the door frame (3). For further improvement of the visibility, another indicating device (4) can be arranged in a similar manner on the other side of the door frame (3). With the arrangement of this indicating device (4) on both sides of the floor door (1), a practically total visibility of the direction arrows (10, 11), through almost 180 degrees in the hallway, is assured.

Abstract: A system and method for optimally allocating elevator cars of an elevator group to serve downpeak traffic. The system monitors a "snap shot" of pending down hall calls and forms groups based upon an initialized floor separation value or response range. If the number of groups formed is greater than the number of available elevator cars in the elevator group, the system increments the floor separation value by "+1" and regroups the "snap-shot" of pending down hall calls. This procedure may be repeated until the number of formed groups is equal to or less than the number of allocable elevator cars. The system may then allocate each formed group to a respective available elevator car to serve the downpeak traffic.

Abstract: With this safety equipment in a multimobile elevator group, collisions between cars (C1 . . . CN) operating in the same shaft (1) can be prevented. For this purpose, each car (C1 . . . CN) is equipped with a safety module (10). In order not to cause any collision in the case of a stop command of a car (C1 . . . CN), the safety module (10) must know the positions and speeds of the other cars (C1 . . . CN) at all times. A decision module (12) integrated into the safety module (10) processes the travel data received by way of the communications system (11) and decides whether a car (C1 . . . CN) may or may not stop. Furthermore, the decision module (12) determines the braking behavior of a car (C1 . . . CN) (normal stop, emergency stop or triggering of the car-catching device).

Abstract: Method and device for stopping of an elevator cage due to a deviation of the elevator position, acceleration, or speed from a travel curve in excess of a certain predetermined safety margin. Travel parameters, computed by the elevator control, may be passed on to a drive control of a cage drive for moving and positioning of the elevator cage, and may also be passed on to a drive control of a reference drive for moving and positioning a trigger part. Accordingly, each of the elevator cage and the trigger part may be driven by individual discrete drivers, but, due to each driver receiving the same travel parameters, the elevator cage and the trigger part move in synchronization. The trigger part may be coupled to the elevator cage to be movable when the elevator cage deviates from the computed travel curve. When the deviation from the travel curve exceeds a predetermined safety margin, the trigger part may actuate a safety switch to stop the cage or reference drivers or to arrest movement of the elevator cage.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating function signals to an elevator controller for controlling an elevator car (1) at terminal landings in a building includes an upper cam (3) and a lower cam (4) for mounting on a wall (2a, 2b) in an elevator shaft (2) at a top landing and a bottom landing respectively, an upper switch (5) and a lower switch (8) for mounting on the elevator car and for connection to a source of electrical power (12) and an interface circuit (10) connected to the switches. The interface circuit (10) has a lower limit relay coil (16), an upper limit relay coil (27), normally closed up relay contact sets (17,19,35) and normally closed down relay contact sets (24,28,30) which cooperate with the switches (5,8) for generating upper and lower limit function signals to control car travel and upper and lower slow down signals to control car speed.

Abstract: Cable-clamping device for a synthetic fiber cable. A cable-clamping device for highly loaded synthetic fiber cables for elevator installations, wherein the cables can tolerate only small lateral pressures, the device including at least one retaining drum firmly connected with the elevator car and the elevator counterweight, with the retaining drum having several adjacent cable grooves, whose groove courses end or run out adjacently to the other for the running-off of the cables, with the cable grooves becoming progressively narrower in their cross-section starting at the entry of the loaded cable, with up to four and more retaining drums being arranged, one behind and beside the other, in this manner, wherein the run-off regions of the cable grooves point towards one another in order to avoid a fanning-out of the cables in front of the drive pulley.

Abstract: A friction wheel door drive for a sliding door for lifts consisting of at least one rectilinearly or curvilinearly moved door leaf (1), which is suspended of guide rollers (3) and is guided at a guide (2) is presented. At least one of the guide rollers (3) is formed as a motor roller (3') moving the door leaf and in the form of an outside rotor motor. The motor may be either a direct current motor with permanent magnets in the outside rotor and electronic commutation or a polyphase induction motor with a laminated outside rotor having a short-circuited winding and a laminated inner stator with a polyphase alternating current winding. Force transmission between the motor roller (3') and a running roller (3") may be provided by a transmission (18), between motor roller (3') and running roller (3") is possible.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring a load in an elevator cage supported by a carrying frame. The elevator cage movable relative to the carrying frame and to an elevator shaft. The elevator cage may rest on spring elements, which bear on the carrying frame. A belt, which may guided by a pair of deflecting rollers, may be mechanically coupled with the elevator cage. The movement of the elevator cage may be transmitted to the belt, which drives a pulse generator coupled to a first deflecting roller. When the load within the elevator cage changes, the spring elements may be compressed to a greater or lesser extent according to their spring characteristic. Accordingly, the elevator cage may move relative to the carrying frame, and the movement may be detected by the pulse generator and translated into a travel signal. An evaluating unit may be utilized to convert the travel signal into a load magnitude for influencing a motor current.

Abstract: A device for monitoring the positioning an elevator cage within an elevator shaft. A light curtain with several light beams extends over a length of a cage threshold and along a height of a cage door. The light curtain may be produced by a first transmitter strip and a receiver strip and may be utilized as a security device to block operation of the elevator cage when persons or objects are in a region of the cage doors or story doors. Each light transmitter may lie opposite a respective light receiver so that each light beam from each light transmitter may be incident upon a respective light receiver. A pivotable masking plate may be mounted on a receiver strip side of a story threshold to project into the light curtain such that at least one light beam may be incident upon the masking plate instead of its respective light receiver. The interrupted light beam may be indicative of the actual position of the elevator cage.

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 apparatus for determining when a synthetic fiber cable for an elevator is ready for replacement is disclosed. The apparatus includes at least one voltage detection unit for detecting a voltage in at least one carbon fiber of the synthetic fiber cable and at least one threshold device for determining when the detected voltage exceeds a predetermined voltage threshold. The detected voltage is dependent upon the integrity of the portion of the synthetic cable and exceeding the predetermined voltage threshold is indicative of a failure of the at least one portion of the synthetic cable. The apparatus also includes a device for disabling the elevator when a predetermined number of the at least one threshold device determine that the at least one carbon fiber of the synthetic fiber cable has failed. The synthetic fiber cable includes a plurality of strand layers and at least one carbon fiber, each strand layer including a plurality of strands of synthetic fibers, such as aramide.

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 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 drive system for lifts uses a single-sided flat permanent magnet linear synchronous motor. A secondary element equipped with permanent magnets is located along the shaft and a primary element provided with coils is mounted to the cage. The primary element moves with the cage along the secondary element arranged along the shaft. The secondary element also serves as guide element for the primary element. Bearings mounted to the primary element maintain a constant air gap between the secondary element and the primary elements. With this compact drive system, the needed energy demand of the weight of the drive can be kept small. In addition, the dimensions of the lift shaft can be reduced to a minimum by the resulting compact mode of construction of the drive particularly when strong permanent magnets are used.

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 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: 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 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.