Abstract: A coupling for causing an elevator car door to engage an elevator hoistway door includes a pair of vanes, each end of each vane pivoted on a link connecting it with the other vane, the links being disposed for rotation between said two vanes on an elevator car door thereby forming a parallelogram. The vanes extend vertically between four rollers which rotate about horizontal axles disposed at the top of the hoistway door, and which provide rotationally stiff coupling. A solenoid actuator can move one vane up to cause the parallelogram to shrink, into an uncoupled position. When the actuator is disenergized, a spring causes the parallelogram to spread so that the vanes are wedged between the rollers and the two doors are coupled together.

Abstract: The door or doors of an elevator are driven through their opening and closing cycles by one or more linear induction motor (LIM) assemblies in which the primary winding component of the LIM assembly is secured to the elevator cab structure and the LIM secondary component is secured to the cab door. If the cab has two oppositely moving doors, there will preferably be two separate motor drives, one for each door. In one embodiment, the motor components are arranged so as to create a normal force which is horizontal; and in another embodiment, the normal force created is vertical. A primary motor mount bracket is used which secures the primary winding component to the overhead component of the cab structure.

Abstract: A coupling for causing an elevator car door to engage an elevator hoistway door includes a pair of vanes, each end of each vane pivoted on a link connecting it with the other vane, the links being disposed for rotation between said two vanes on an elevator car door thereby forming a parallelogram. The vanes extend vertically between four rollers which rotate about horizontal axles disposed at the top of the hoistway door, and which provide rotationally stiff coupling. A solenoid actuator can move one vane up to cause the parallelogram to shrink, into an uncoupled position. When the actuator is disenergized, a spring causes the parallelogram to spread so that the vanes are wedged between the rollers and the two doors are coupled together.

Abstract: An elevator car door is moved by a variable voltage, variable frequency linear induction motor which is driven open current loop to achieve a desired velocity profile indicated by an incremental linear encoder, with washed out proportional and integral gain. A magnetizing current insufficient to overcome the weight of the door is added in quadrature with the linear force current, and frequency is determined open loop in a predetermined fashion. Pulse width modulation voltage control signals are utilized to apply fixed voltages of correct polarity through a low pass three phase filter to the windings of the motor for correct intervals of time so as to synthesize desired sinusoidal winding currents. A boost of current is provided following each zero crossing of the sinusoidal winding currents to overcome lags therein. A ramp down of voltage avoids dropping the door at the end of door opening and door closing.

Abstract: An elevator car door is moved by a variable voltage, variable frequency linear induction motor which is driven open current loop to achieve a desired velocity profile indicated by an incremental linear encoder, with washed out proportional and integral gain. A magnetizing current insufficient to overcome the weight of the door is added in quadrature with the linear force current, and frequency is determined open loop in a predetermined fashion. Pulse width modulation voltage control signals are utilized to apply fixed voltages of correct polarity through a low pass three phase filter to the windings of the motor for correct intervals of time so as to synthesize desired sinusoidal winding currents. A boost of current is provided following each zero crossing of the sinusoidal winding currents to overcome lags therein. A ramp down of voltage avoids dropping the door at the end of door opening and door closing.

Abstract: An elevator car door is moved by a variable voltage, variable frequency linear induction motor which is driven open current loop to achieve a desired velocity profile indicated by an incremental linear encoder, with washed out proportional and integral gain. A magnetizing current insufficient to overcome the weight of the door is added in quadrature with the linear force current, and frequency is determined open loop in a predetermined fashion. Pulse width modulation voltage control signals are utilized to apply fixed voltages of correct polarity through a low pass three phase filter to the windings of the motor for correct intervals of time so as to synthesize desired sinusoidal winding currents. A boost of current is provided following each zero crossing of the sinusoidal winding currents to overcome lags therein. A ramp down of voltage avoids dropping the door at the end of door opening and door closing.

Abstract: A reciprocating elevator cab door is mounted on a guide track assembly which is fixed to the cab. The cab door is provided with guide rollers which travel along the upper surface of the guide track as the door opens and closes. The door is also provided with at least one upthrust roller which engages the lower surface of the guide track so as to stabilize the door against rocking motion as it moves back and forth over the guide track. The upthrust roller is preferably spring biased against the guide track. Use of the upthrust roller allows greater flexibility of door drive systems.

Abstract: A magnetic coupling device is disposed on an elevator car door in a position to engage a magnetic vane disposed on a hoistway door which is to be opened in unison with the car door. The magnetic coupling unit may comprise either an electromagnet or a permanent magnet and has spring loaded rollers disposed above and below it so as to control the initial force of engagement between the elevator car door and the hoistway door, for smoother door opening operation.

Abstract: A horizontally stiff, but vertically yielding coupling between an elevator car door and an elevator hoistway door includes a brushless torque actuator which rotates a member (disposed on the elevator door) between a first, clearance position and a second, coupling position where it becomes wedged between the walls of a channel disposed on a hoistway door. The member may have rollers to make contact with the walls of the channel, or it may simply have sliding surfaces for contact with the channel.

Abstract: An elevator rotary gate switch has a camming surface which is always in contact with a lead of an electrical circuit during operation. The camming surface has an electrical contact or bridge thereon. The camming surface is attached to a lever which intersects at an acute angle with a roller traveling with an elevator door. The roller forces the lever, and the camming surface thereby, to pivot the lead along the camming surface into or out of contact with the bridge as an elevator door moves into and out of position.

Abstract: An elevator hoistway door lock comprises a rod journaled for rotation on a hoistway door. A pin which extends laterally from the rod engages a lip when the rod is rotated into a locked position by means of its own weight, and optionally a spring. The pin clears the lip when the rod is rotated into an unlocked position by means of a retiring cam disposed on the elevator car. The electrical safety switch contacts are interconnected by a rotating contact disposed on the rod, only when the rod is rotated to place the pin in the locked position.

Abstract: An elevator hoistway door is coupled to an elevator car door so as to be opened and closed in unison therewith by means of a pair of shoes which are mounted on the elevator door and have cammed surfaces that allow the shoes to be spread so as to be wedged within the walls of a channel that is mounted on the hoistway door. The wedging action is caused by a solenoid actuator and the shoes are returned by means of a spring to a rest position in which they have adequate clearance within channels of all of the hoistway doors which the elevator may pass. Advance door opening and releveling is accommodated by means of rollers or sliding contact.

Abstract: An elevator door interlock has a camming surface which is in contact with a lead of an electrical circuit and has a bridge thereon. The camming surface rotates the bridge into contact with the lead if a hoistway door is locked and out of contact with the lead if the hoistway door is not locked.

Abstract: An elevator door interlock has a camming surface which is in contact with a lead of an electrical circuit during normal operation and has a bridge thereon. The interlock rotates the camming surface along the lead to contact the bridge if an elevator door is locked, to not contact the lead if the elevator door is not locked, and to rotate the camming surface out of contact with the leads if the door is missing.

Abstract: An elevator door system utilizes a cam to unlatch hoistway doors. The cam is required by code to have a greater swing motion than is required to unlock the hoistway doors. A mechanism follows the motion of the cam and locks the car doors when the cam is beyond the swing motion required to actuate a hoistway door lock. If the cam operates within the normal swing motion, it is in contact with a hoistway door lock. If the retiring cam is not in contact with the hoistway door lock, the car must not be a safe exiting zone and the car door is locked by the mechanism.