Abstract: A coaxial engine starter comprises an electric motor including a yoke, an armature and a hollow armature shaft, an output shaft arranged coaxially with the armature shaft, a planet reduction gear mechanism disposed between the armature shaft and the output shaft for reducing a rotational speed of the armature shaft and rotating the output shaft at a reduced rotational speed, an electromagnetic switch having a plunger ganged with a rod for selectively coupling the output shaft to the planet reduction gear mechanism, a front bracket including an internal gear of the planet reduction gear mechanism and a bearing receiving a radial load and bolt means for securing the front bracket, the electromagnetic switch and the yoke of the motor to an engine bracket, all together.

Abstract: In an energy efficient hydraulic elevator driving system, a substantially constant amount of pressurized fluid is displaceable within a closed system between two hydraulic jacks with a piston-cylinder combination interconnected by a piping system. The translational movement of a shaft engaging the piston in the first cylinder is transmitted through fluid to the second cylinder to effect movement of the hydraulic jack for lowering and raising the elevator car. A counter-weight is provided at the opposite end of the shaft which constantly compresses the pressurized fluid in the first cylinder and balances the weight of the elevator car which is supported by a hydraulic jack plunger. Therefore only a relatively small amount of additional energy is necessary to lower and raise the elevator car.

Abstract: A machine set (1) consists of a water-driven turbine (11) and a generator (12) coupled thereto. The generator feeds a network of constant frequency (3) via a frequency-controlled converter (2). The speed reference value (n*) of the machine set is given by means simulating turbine characteristics (4) in dependence on two characteristic quantities (a.sub.o or .PHI.) with optimum efficiency and is finely optimized (n) preferably by a maximum power-point control (5). The upper and lower water level (L.sub.u, L.sub.H) can be preset, in a single or double-action controlled turbine (11) additionally by a control device (6) if one of the two characteristic quantities (a.sub.o or .PHI., respectively) is used as a control signal for the nozzle orifice or the aperture at the guide wheel or rotor.

Abstract: An elevator control switch and position indicator assembly for mounting on a panel comprises a piezoelectric element and a control circuit connected to the element for generating an elevator control pulse in response to an output signal from the element. A push button assembly is arranged such that when the push button is operated, a force is applied to the piezoelectric element, and the push button assembly is restrained so that it can only deflect the element a predetermined distance sufficient to produce an output signal. The assembly further comprises an integral indicator device for providing an indication to the operator that an elevator control signal has been generated. The invention also can be configured to provide an indication of the position of an elevator car.

Abstract: A hydromotive machine apparatus comprises a bulkhead assembly comprised of an array of water tubes connected to each other with their longitudinal axes in parallel to provide the bulkhead as a relatively light and strong, truss-like integral unit providing a plurality of water flow paths through it. A plurality of submersible hydraulic electromotive machines, which may be generators and/or pumps, is mounted on the bulkhead assembly with runners of the machines disposed within respective water flow paths provided by the water tubes. The apparatus may include a trash screen mounted thereon, and/or valves associated with the water tubes to control the flow of water therethrough.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a three-phase inverter supplying the a.c. motor of an elevator, the inverter having a power stage implemented with semiconductor switches, and the apparatus comprising an electronic control unit for producing a velocity reference value and a tachometer generator for producing an actual velocity value, voltage measuring elements for measuring a.c. voltages at the inverter output, and pulse width modulators and drivers for controlling the semiconductor switches in the inverter's power stage with control signals derived from the pulse width modulators. With the apparatus of the invention, fast control of the control voltage is achieved. Moreover, simpler voltage measuring elements may be used instead of current measuring elements.

Abstract: An elevator system contains a group of elevator cars. A group controller contains signal processing means for controlling the dispatching of the cars from a main floor or lobby in relation to different group parameters. During up-peak conditions, each car is dispatched from the main floor to an individual plurality of contiguous floors, defining a "sector". Sectors are contiguous. The number of sectors may be less than the number of cars. Floors that constitute a sector assigned exclusively to a car are displayed on an indicator at the lobby. Sectors and cars are selected for assignment in a cyclical or round-robin sequence. If the next car selected is not available for assignment, another car is selected. If no car calls are made to the floors in the sector that is assigned to a car, the next sector is selected. The floors in the sector assigned to a car are displaced to direct passengers to the car.

Abstract: The control method concerns a reversible electrical machine capable of working either as a generator (alternator) or as a motor intended for a motor vehicle, this machine comprising an armature winding (4) and an inductor winding (1), the inductor (1) being controlled by a regulator (2a) during operation in the alternator mode. During operation in the motor mode the supply voltage for the armature (4) and or the excitation (1) is controlled so as to obtain the desired torque-speed characteristics.

Abstract: A starter motor control device comprising a starter motor for starting an engine, an auxiliary switch which can interrupt the energization to the starter motor, a circuit for detecting the rotation speed of the engine or other mechanism related to the rotation speed of the engine to output a signal for preventing the starter motor from being conversely driven by the started engine, a circuit for restraining the starter motor from being energized again for a predetermined time just after the energize to the starter motor is cutoff, a first detecting means having a first set value for judging the voltage at an auxiliary switch driving terminal of a switching element for driving the auxiliary switch, a second detecting means having a second set value for judging the voltage of the auxiliary switch driving terminal, and a circuit for determining the operation of the switching element based on the judgements given by the first and the second detection means.

Abstract: A wait time prediction apparatus for an elevator which takes into consideration the difficulty in measuring actual waiting times of individual users for the group supervision of the elevator and provides apparatus to record the registration time of each call and the number of getting-on persons corresponding to the call, to accumulate such records so as to provide a function defining the average number of passengers getting on the elevator corresponding to each call registration time, and to integrate the function with respect to the call registration times for a predetermined period of time and to use the result as a predictive summation of the actual waiting times of the individual passengers getting on an elevator which serves a call after a predetermined time from the registration of the call, which cannot be directly measured.

Abstract: Electricity is generated in an arid environment using an open duct such as a canyon that is closed at one end and open at the other by erecting an air dam at the open end of the canyon and locating an air turbogenerator in the base of the dam. The air in the canyon is cooled by spraying water into the air as it enters the canyon, the cooled air flowing downwardly toward the base of the dam and through the turbogenerator.Preferably, the air dam is a flexible curtain, covering the outlet of the canyon, and suspension means are provided for suspending the flexible curtain at its top. The suspension means include supports built into the canyon above the top of the curtain, the support preferably being a suspension cable suspended between towers on opposite sides of the canyon such that the top of the flexible curtain is supported by support cables carried by the suspension cable.

Abstract: Electrical power is generated by means of an hydraulic air compressor that produces compressed air from a water stream. The compressed air is delivered directly to burners of a turbine without significant additional compression and after preheating using waste heat from the turbine exhaust. The turbine is used to drive a conventional electrical generator for producing power.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing pre-travel energy to an electrical elevator drive includes a load cell assembly for sensing the actual suspended weight of an elevator car and its passengers and a microprocessor which utilizes logic subroutines to manipulate this load data and data from a distance tachometer and car mounted sensors. The subroutines include an initializing subroutine which determines the empty car weight and balancing torques at the limits of travel, a normalizing subroutine which normalizes this data and determines the actual weight of the car and passengers and a rope compensation subroutine which calculates the torque required to balance the weight of the cables suspended from the elevator car. From the foregoing data, the microprocessor provides a pre-travel electrical signal to the elevator drive which corresponds to the torque level required to maintain the elevator car stationary during the interval between release of the brake and application of drive pattern power.

Abstract: A method for assigning hall calls to a plurality of elevator cars on the basis of the estimating the time of arrival (ETA) of each elevator car at the floor of the hall call to be assigned. A new hall call is assigned to the car having the lowest ETA. A previously assigned hall call is reassigned to a car having a lower ETA than the car presently assigned to serve the call when the lower ETA is lower by a value T. The average call waiting time (AWT) is calculated using a selected period of time to tabulate the number of calls and cumulative call waiting time, and this calculated value is compared with the desired AWT for the elevator system. The value of T is changed when the calculated and desired values of ETA have a predetermined relationship.

Abstract: An elevator system contains a group of elevator cars. A group controller contains signal processing means for controlling the dispatching of the cars from a main floor or lobby in relation to differnt group parameters. During up-peak conditions, each car is dispatched from the main floor to an individual plurality of contiguous floors, defining a "sector". Sectors are contiguous. The number of sectors may be less than the number of cars. Floors that constitute a sector are assigned exclusively to a car and are displayed on an indicator at the lobby. Sectors are selected for assignment according to preset order (e.g. numerical). Cars are selected for assignment to a selected sector according to a preset order (e.g. numerical). If no car calls are made to the floors in the sector that is assigned to a car, the next sector is selected along with the next car according to that order.

Abstract: A method of assigning hall calls to a plurality of elevator cars in an ETA strategy in which up hall calls are scanned upwardly and down calls downwardly. A hall call floor at which the scan has stopped for the purpose of assigning or reassigning a hall call at the floor is called a "scan floor". The floor of the advanced position of the car being considered for assignment is called the "AVP floor". In order to favor the clustering of closely adjacent stops in a given car, and thus minimize car bunching, when a car has an intervening stop between the AVP floor and the scan floor, either the travel distance between the AVP floor and the scan floor, or the travel distance from an intervening stop to the scan floor, is used to develop a dynamic bias for the ETA of the associated car. The dynamic or variable bias is inversely proportional to the travel distance, i.e., the number of floors, between the relevant floors.

Abstract: This invention relates to an elevator signal transmitting equipment characterized in that a shielding body of a magnetic shielding material envelops a transmitting line laid along a shaft through which a cage travels and a portion of a coupling device extending toward said transmitting line, the transmission and reception of signals being realized through the magnetic coupling between said transmitting line and said coupling device to control the operation of said cage, a path through which a part of said coupling device travels being left not enveloped.

Abstract: A hydraulic elevator system includes a hydraulic jack for raising and lowering the car and a distributed intelligence microprocessor control system, containing a number of subsystems, each having designated control responsibilities. A door operator microprocessor subsystem initiates stored open and close cycles responsive to external commands. A selector microprocessor subsystem determines target floor and distance values, produces slowdown interrupt signals when the car nears a target floor, and produces levelling signals for stopping the car at a landing. A car logic controller includes a microprocessor for issuing run commands to a relay-based power controller, issuing door open and door closed commands to the door operator microprocessor, issuing run signals to the selector microprocessor, and controlling elevator slowdown. A serial communications link is provided among the various microprocessors in the system.

Abstract: A hydraulic elevator system for monitoring a cold oil thermostat mounted on a hydraulic oil reservoir to prewarm the oil prior to passenger service by recirculating the oil in the reservoir through a pumping path which goes past up and down valves, thus bypassing the hydraulic jack. A control circuit including a microprocessor generally controls all car and corridor functions and is photo-coupled to the thermostat for an input signal which interacts with a program module in a random access memory which is run in sequence by the microprocessor. The program module provides a minimum timer phase for pump motor energization which is short but normally adequate to circulate the oil to standard minimum operating temperature before the sequencing activates a maximum timer phase which is cumulative in time for continuous bypassing until shutdown. The tiered total timer counting thus prevents overtemperature problems to avoid damage to the pump motor windings if the thermostat fails and also prevents recycling.

Abstract: An elevator control system with a local area network on the traveling cable and distributed control circuit safeguard for loss of remote microprocessor control with a car door open when floor releveling distance exceeds the landing zone limit. The elevator control circuit is interactive with the car driving apparatus and with the car door circuit so that when the driving apparatus for the car is leveling the car for passenger load weight gain or loss, the car door is signaled to remain open in the zone of the target floor so long as the distance that the car moves is within the elevator safety code requirements. A time delay relay interfaced with an output channel circuit of the microprocessor times out to stop car driving apparatus if the distance limit is exceeded.