Abstract: A safety plank assembly for mounting on a bottom of an elevator car in a traction-type elevator system includes a pair of parallel extending plank beams connected by a cross support member. A rope sheave is rotatably mounted at each of opposed ends of the plank beams to define a diagonal rope path through the assembly for underslung support of the elevator car. Traction weights and balancing weights can be attached to the beams and provision is made for mounting safety equipment.

Abstract: A self-balancing synchronization assembly has a support beam pivotally mounted on a guide rail adjacent a hydraulic elevator jack. A synchronization bracket is pivotally mounted at one end of the beam and a pair of synchronization cables is connected between the bracket and a telescoping part of the jack. A return cable is connected between the other end of the beam and the hoistway pit to balance the load and includes a turnbuckle for retensioning the synchronization cables. A second synchronization bracket can be pivotally mounted at the one end of the support beam to synchronize a three-stage jack.

Abstract: A safety plank assembly for mounting on a bottom of an elevator car in a traction-type elevator system includes a pair of parallel extending plank beams connected by a cross support member. A rope sheave is rotatably mounted at each of opposed ends of the plank beams to define a diagonal rope path through the assembly for underslung support of the elevator car. Traction weights and balancing weights can be attached to the beams and provision is made for mounting safety equipment.

Abstract: A wear detector for a suspension rope having a plurality of load bearing strands covered by a sheath includes a sensor at a surface of the sheath. The sensor senses a characteristic of the rope representing a predetermined amount of wear of the sheath. The sensed characteristic can be electrical contact with the strands, distance from the surface of the sheath to the strands, or change of color of the sheath surface.

Abstract: A self-balancing synchronization assembly has a support beam pivotally mounted on a guide rail adjacent a hydraulic elevator jack. A synchronization bracket is pivotally mounted at one end of the beam and a pair of synchronization cables is connected between the bracket and a telescoping part of the jack. A return cable is connected between the other end of the beam and the hoistway pit to balance the load and includes a turnbuckle for retensioning the synchronization cables. A second synchronization bracket can be pivotally mounted at the one end of the support beam to synchronize a three-stage jack.

Abstract: A wear detector for a suspension rope having a plurality of load bearing strands covered by a sheath includes a sensor at a surface of the sheath. The sensor senses a characteristic of the rope representing a predetermined amount of wear of the sheath. The sensed characteristic can be electrical contact with the strands, distance from the surface of the sheath to the strands, or change of color of the sheath surface.

Abstract: A plunger guide for a telescopic jack in a hydraulic elevator includes a crenelated guide rail with a top surface, two opposing side surfaces which are perpendicular to the top surface, and first and second flanged projections respectively projecting from the first and second side surfaces. The plunger guide also includes a support having a bracket and a lateral segment which connects the bracket to the plunger to be guided. The bracket includes a first set of bearings arranged for gliding on the top surface of the guide rail, a second set of bearings for gliding on both side surfaces of the guide rail, and a third set of bearings for gliding on a bottom surface of each of the first and second flanged projections which faces away from the top surface.

Abstract: A hydraulic elevator having a hydraulic jack which acts directly on the elevator car. To reduce the amount of building work associated with this elevator concept, the hydraulic jack projects through the car floor into the car. The jack and the car are fastened together at the car floor by a supporting plate attached to the jack cylinder. If the jack is fitted with a mechanical synchronization device, the ends of the ropes or chains which until now have been fastened to the building also pass upwards through the car to a crossbeam to which they are fastened.

Abstract: An elevator car having a clutch pivotally carried by a car door and biased to an operative position in which drive rollers of an adjacent hatch door may be engaged by "open" and "close" vanes. A first parallelogram linkage operates the close vane in direct response to car door position, in a direction opposite to initial car door opening movement. A second parallelogram linkage, associated with the open vane, is operated when the open vane contacts a hatch door roller at the start of door opening, to unlock the car door by retracting a plunger from an opening in the car door sill. The car door clutch bias may be manually overcome by authorized maintenance personnel, to disengage the car door from a hatch door.

Abstract: An elevator system including a door post having inner and outer sides, and a hall lantern assembly fixed to the inner side. The door post includes a jamb defining upper and lower openings, and the hall lantern assembly includes upper and lower lenses which are resiliently biased to project through the upper and lower openings, respectively, in operating positions of the lenses. The upper and lower lenses have service positions achievable by depressing a lens against the bias, and then slidably moving the lens in a vertical direction, with the service positions of the upper and lower lenses enabling the hall lantern assembly to be serviced through the upper and lower openings in the jamb.

Abstract: An elevator cab, and methods of constructing same, in which sections of a drop ceiling with integral lighting are factory assembled. The sections of the drop ceiling are brought to a job site and assembled in the elevator cab after the cab enclosure, which includes side walls and a canopy, has been assembled on a platform in a hatchway. First and second side sections or assemblies are suspended from the canopy via quickly coupled sections of hanger strap assemblies, and an intermediate or center section, which may include more than one assembly, is then positioned and supported by the first and second side assemblies. The assemblies which make up the center section of the drop ceiling are leveled via thumb screws accessible through an emergency opening in the canopy, and the assemblies of the center section are fixed to the side assemblies, also via thumb screws accessible through the canopy opening.

Abstract: An elevator cab having a platform, upstanding wall panels on the platform which define an enclosure having an opening, a door mounted to open and close the opening, and a strike post assembly for the door. The strike post assembly, which includes an inner stationary post and an outer post coupled together to define a vertically extending enclosure, includes hall lanterns mounted in the enclosure, and resilient door stops or bumpers mounted on the outer post. The outer post holds the lenses for the hall lanterns without apparent fastener hardware, and it further functions as a removable cover for the hall lanterns, while concealing a single vertical column of fastener hardware which fixes the outer post to the inner post behind the resilient door bumpers.

Abstract: An elevator cab having a drop ceiling suspended from the cab canopy. The drop ceiling includes a skeleton frame and a plurality of metallic pan members carried by the frame. Each pan member includes a sheet metal member having a lower decorative side viewable from inside the cab, and an upper side having reinforcing and stiffening brackets to which one or more down lights are attached and centered over openings in the sheet metal member. The upper side also carries slidable clip members along the edges of the sheet metal member, with the clip members, when actuated from a retracted to an extended position, securing the pan member to the frame by sandwiching a frame element between the lower sheet metal member and the upper clip members. The sheet metal members of the pan members butt tightly together to conceal intermediate angle members of the frame, and the outer edges of the pan members conceal perimetrically arranged angle members of the frame.

Abstract: An elevator cab having a drop ceiling which includes a frame and hanger straps for supporting drop ceiling panels. The hanger straps have first ends pivotally attached to the frame, and they pivot from a low profile shipping position to an extended operating position. The second ends of the hanger straps, when in their operative positions, extend through first openings in the cab ceiling or canopy, with the second ends having tab portions which are bent to secure the second ends of the hanger strap to the canopy. The tabs are bent by an installer from a position inside the elevator cab by use of a tool which is disposed through second openings in the canopy.

Abstract: An elevator cab in which emergency lighting is concealed until it is required to be utilized. When the normal electrical power supply to the cab fails, the emergency lighting is automatically pivoted from a concealed position behind an inconspicuous wall plate to an exposed position which projects the lens of the emergency lighting fixture into the cab through the opening previously closed by the inconspicuous wall plate. In the exposed position, the emergency lighting is energized by an emergency power supply, with the emergency power supply also automatically becoming available when the normal power supply fails. In a preferred embodiment, the emergency lighting is located in the return, directly above the car station, and below the transom.

Abstract: An elevator cab, and method of assembling same, including upstanding wall members on a platform, with the upstanding wall members having upper edges which support a canopy. The canopy is constructed of at least two metallic panel members having adjacent edges which are bent into complementary bend configurations which form an interlocking joint when one bend configuration is pivoted about the other bend configuration.

Abstract: A lightweight elevator cab constructed essentially of aluminum, including upstanding side, rear and front wall portions. Perimetrically flanged, rectangularly shaped aluminum wall panel members have their adjacent flanged edges joined together to form a side wall portion, and in most cases the rear wall portion as well. The rear wall may also be constructed essentially of glass panels, if desired. The lower flanges of the aluminum wall panels are attached to a support platform, and the upper flanges support a canopy formed of aluminum honeycomb sandwiched between two flat aluminum sheet members. The cab front includes a stationary aluminum portion which forms a wiring duct, and an aluminum swing return panel punched to receive car fixtures. The car door includes front and back perimetrically flanged aluminum pan members telescoped snugly together with a reinforcing rib of one pan in contact with the opposing pan member.

Abstract: An elevator cab having a plurality of retractable pad buttons which are actuatable between retracted and advanced positions. In the retracted position, a head portion of the pad button is flush with the inner surface of a wall member of the cab, and in the extended position the head portion extends into the cab to provide buttons for supporting protective pads.

Abstract: A method of constructing a mitered, unwelded architrave. Two right angle frames or brackets are constructed, each having first and second legs disposed 90.degree. relative to one another. First and second post sections and a head section are formed with elongated recesses, and appropriate ends mitered. The post and head sections are telescoped on to the two brackets and secured thereto, such that the frames support the architrave at each right angle corner, maintaining tight, butted, aligned miter joints without welding.

Abstract: A coreless, fireproof, hung panel assembly which includes a metallic sheet panel member having first and second major sides, stiffened by a plurality of metallic rib members on the second side. A plurality of metallic support members on a wall cooperate with certain of the metallic rib members, such that that panel member is securely and tightly held against the wall. The first side includes a decorative film, or laminate, suitably fixed thereto.