Abstract: In apparatus for dispersing cages and keeping them on standby during a period of light traffic, a memory device stores information as to a floor where the cage was dispersed and kept on standby in a preceding cycle of the period of light traffic, and a dispersive standby floor for a succeeding cycle is set different from the dispersive standby floor of the preceding cycle. Accordingly, the standby floor is automatically altered every dispersive standby cycle, and the dispersive standby floors can be prevented from being unevenly assigned.

Abstract: In an auxiliary device driving motor, at least one of spring pressure to brushes and material of the brushes in contact with a commutator of said d.c. motor, an armature winding and a field winding is changed to obtain output characteristic in which current at non-load revolution is reduced and the engine is started within a high output region of the output characteristic while the auxiliary rotating machine is driven within a low power region.

Abstract: A control apparatus for an A.C. elevator wherein regenerative power produced from an induction motor is consumed within the motor. In case of causing the induction motor to generate a braking torque, current to be supplied to the induction motor is controlled in accordance with a current command value having a frequency which does not generate regenerative power and an amplitude which is based on a torque command. Thus, the regenerative power is prevented from arising in the slowdown mode and unloaded operation of the elevator, and a good controllability is attained without spoiling a comfortable ride.

Abstract: In an apparatus for automatic floor arrival at the time of service interruption in an A. C. elevator which is operated by an A. C. variable-voltage and variable-frequency control; when a slip frequency value during acceleration is at least a predetermined value, a burden raising mode is decided to switch running directions. Thus, in case of performing a rescue operation at the time of the service interruption, a load torque can be simply and reliably detected from the slip frequency value, and the elevator can be operated in a burden lowering direction.Another construction is such that slip frequency values during acceleration are integrated, and when the slip frequency integration value is at least a predetermined value, a burden raising mode is decided to switch the running directions.

Abstract: In an elevator having destination buttons provided on halls of a plurality of floors for appointing destination floors requested by waiting passengers, an operating apparatus for controlling operations of the elevator which is capable of tracking movement of waiting passengers that have depressed the destination buttons. Upon detecting that a passenger has gotten into the cage, only the destination call requested by this passenger is automatically registered as a cage call, whereas the destination call of a passenger not having gotten into the cage is cancelled. A destination call requested by a passenger is also cancelled under the condition that this passenger has egressed from the elevator hall.

Abstract: An elevator system in which hall calls from an independent inconspicuous riser (IR) are handled by the same dispatcher as hall calls from the normal hall call riser. Each floor of the building is assigned its own unique timing scan slot position for detecting normal hall calls, with the number of scan slots being at least twice the number of floors in the building. IR calls appear in scan slot positions for floors which are not in the actual building, and the dispatching function treats the building as though it had twice its actual number of floors. A car on IR duty translates its advanced car position into the imaginary portion of the building, before sending its advanced position signal to the dispatching function. When a car on IR duty receives an assignment from the dispatching function, its associated car controller translates an assignment for a fictitious floor to an actual floor of the building, and it utilizes its actual advanced car position in the process of serving the IR call.

Abstract: An AC marine propulsion system which provides a constant continuous rated horsepower availability at the standard rated engine RPM, over the full useful operating range of the propeller. A prime mover diesel engine is operated at its continuous rated speed to provide for maximum fuel efficiency. An alternator connected to the prime mover is driven at a speed which is higher than the standard rated alternator speed, thus producing higher than standard rated voltage and frequency. The combination of prime mover and alternator provides for an optimum system mass to power ratio. An AC motor is coupled through a gearbox to a fixed pitch propeller system. A frequency converter is dispsoed between the alternator and AC motor. Propeller RPM is controlled by changing the frequency of the voltage supplied to the AC motor.

Abstract: An elevator system includes a digital selector system with position indicators in the hatch to provide signals indicative of nearest floor and signals when the car is level with a floor. At initiation of a run, the nearest floor is selected as target floor, and target distance, stored as an absolute distance between floors, is retrieved. Target distance is decremented as the car moves, by signals from a pulse generator. At periodic time intervals, ideal velocity is read from an acceleration look-up table, and used, along with the actual instantaneous target distance, to calculate a slowdown profile of velocity and distance for decelerating the car to the contract deceleration rate. The calculated profile is compared with a stored deceleration look-up table to determine critical car distances for making stopping decisions. The target floor and target floor distance advance, at critical car distances, one floor at a time until a stop call is received at a target floor.

Abstract: There are disclosed method and apparatus for the production of electrical power from high altitude winds. A kitecraft (12) secured to a ground tether (14) supports a cylindrical drum (10) rotatable about a horizontal shaft (60). The drum comprises a plurality of wheels (24) interconnected by airfoils (26) positioned about the cylindrical surface of the drum. Wind action on the airfoils rotates the drum about the horizontal shaft and turns generators (50) to provide electrical power. The kitecraft (12) and drum (10) assembly is constructed to the maximum practical extent from tension members to reduce weight.

Abstract: A co-generation plant module system having a fluid tight housing with an internal chamber formed by a top wall, a bottom wall and side walls. A prime mover, such as an internal combustion engine, has its drive shaft connected to an electricity generator and both of these components are mounted on a sub-frame that would allow them to be raised up out of the internal chamber for servicing. An exhaust gas heat exchanger is mounted in the chamber and this is connected to the internal combustion engine. Air and fuel are supplied from outside the housing to the internal combustion engine. The exhaust gas leaving the exhaust gas exchanger is vented to the outside of the housing. The electricity generated by the generator is also connected to the outside of the housing. A layer of insulation of a predetermined R value insulates the walls of the housing.

Abstract: Elevator commands, such as car calls, are entered through a wireless, hand-held transmitter. A command is received and registered as if it were directly entered on the car-operating panel. Transmission of some calls is delayed after the call is entered on the transmitter.

Abstract: A blade pitch angle control system for a wind turbine includes an improved control means (95) for providing a minimum pitch angle reference signal indicative of desired blade pitch at wind velocities less than rated. The control means includes means (35 and 30) for providing signals indicative of generated (output) power or torque and the rotational frequency of the wind turbine rotor. The output and rotor speed signals are input to a function generator which, in response to such signals, provides a signal indicative of the minimum pitch angle.

Abstract: An elevator control receives car calls for certain floors which are subject to a restriction of operation, but does not prevent the storage of these car calls. The car calls subject to the restriction of operation are only served during the trip in the opposite direction, if a load increase has been detected by a load measurement device during the change in the direction of travel. The restriction of operation is only cancelled during a predetermined time interval dependent on the movement of the car door and simultaneous occurrence of a load change caused by added travelers. Two storage cells are connected to the car call circuits for the car calls subject to the restriction of operation where an entered call, during a cancelled restriction of operation, is stored in the first storage cell and, during the restriction of operation, is stored in the second storage cell.

Abstract: A period of time required since the output signal of an acceleration detector for detecting an earthquake exceeds a first set level, until it reaches a second set level greater in value than the first set level, is measured, and a calculation is executed on the basis of the measured value thereby to predict the scale of the earthquake, and a resetting period of time since an elevator is brought to a stoppage operation due to the earthquake, until the stoppage operation is released, is calculated on the basis of the predicted scale of the earthquake. Thus, the period of time till the reset is automatically set is variable according to the scale of the earthquake.

Abstract: The wind energy conversion system includes a wind machine having a propeller connected to a generator of electric power, the propeller rotating the generator in response to force of an incident wind. The generator converts the power of the wind to electric power for use by an electric load. Circuitry for varying the duty factor of the generator output power is connected between the generator and the load to thereby alter a loading of the generator and the propeller by the electric load. Wind speed is sensed electro-optically to provide data of wind speed upwind of the propeller, to thereby permit tip speed ratio circuitry to operate the power control circuitry and thereby optimize the tip speed ratio by varying the loading of the propeller. Accordingly, the efficiency of the wind energy conversion system is maximized.

Abstract: A traction elevator system having an elevator car and a counterweight. Counterweight derailment, such as due to an earthquake, is detected via a vertically oriented wire strung tautly in the hoistway, a metallic ring on the counterweight which encircles the wire, control connected to the wire for detecting contact between the ring and wire, and a switch on the counterweight which enables the control to detect contact between the ring and wire only after predetermined abnormal horizontal movement of the counterweight.

Abstract: An alternating current having a variable voltage and frequency which is converted by an inverter is supplied to an induction motor for driving an elevator so that a speed command value is decreased and the output frequency of the inverter is decreased at the energy saved operation. Thus, energy saved operation may be accomplished without adversing the efficiency even if the speed of the cage is decreased. Since the output voltage of the convertor is increased simultaneously with this, the power factor is improved so that saving in energy is furthermore enhanced.

Abstract: An aerogenerator or wind motor comprises a variable pitch propeller rotor. It comprises compensation means (13) which are sensitive to the deceleration of the rotor to automatically exert on each blade (3), in case of deceleration of the rotor, a force which is substantially equal and opposed to the perturbating force generated by the kinetic energy of the rear or unbalanced mass of the blade.

Abstract: An elevator system, and method of operating same, having a plurality of elevator cars for serving hall calls registered from the floors of a building. All of the up and down service directions from the floors are continuously assigned to the elevator cars, whether or not they have an active registered hall call associated therewith, with the assignments being made according to predetermined averages which uniformly spread the actual and prospective work loads among the elevator cars. The hall calls are timed. A timed-out call, i.e., a call registered for a predetermined period of time, is given preferential treatment, without significantly disturbing service to other registered hall calls, by assigning the floor and service direction associated with the timed-out call to an additional car which is not already assigned to a timed-out call. The additional car is selected on the basis of its having the lightest work load schedule of all of the elevator cars conditioned to serve the timed-out call.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for recovering energy from elevator apparatus and utilizing the recovered energy for useful purposes. This is accomplished by selectively coupling a hydraulic pump to the elevator drive when surplus energy is available thereby to pump and store pressurized fluid in accumulator devices. Such fluid, when above a predetermined pressure, is utilized to deactivate electrically driven units and drive the same by hydraulic motors supplied with fluid from the accumulator devices. Additional energy is recovered from heat present in the hydraulic fluid down-stream from the hydraulic pump and utilized beneficially.