Patents by Inventor Utz Richter

Utz Richter has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6516570
    Abstract: An elevator hoistway for a multi-storied building which, to create a vertical travel path for an elevator installation, extends through at least one story floor and has at least one hoistway frame which bounds a hoistway penetration aperture in the story floor is to be post-constructionally created in an existing multi-storied building with little building effort and inexpensive means in that the hoistway penetration aperture can be covered by means of a load-bearing floor structure. In this way, and especially in one-family houses, the volume of the elevator hoistway can be used for non-elevator-specific purposes, e.g. as residential space, until the point in time when an elevator is subsequently installed. The hoistway frame itself serves as an interface between the building and elevator fastenings which may be provided for the transmission of forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventors: Christoph Liebetrau, Utz Richter
  • Publication number: 20010003887
    Abstract: An elevator hoistway for a multi-storied building which, to create a vertical travel path for an elevator installation, extends through at least one story floor and has at least one hoistway frame which bounds a hoistway penetration aperture in the story floor is to be post-constructionally created in an existing multi-storied building with little building effort and inexpensive means in that the hoistway penetration aperture can be covered by means of a load-bearing floor structure. In this way, and especially in one-family houses, the volume of the elevator hoistway can be used for non-elevator-specific purposes, e.g. as residential space, until the point in time when an elevator is subsequently installed. The hoistway frame itself serves as an interface between the building and elevator fastenings which may be provided for the transmission of forces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Publication date: June 21, 2001
    Inventors: Christoph Liebetrau, Utz Richter
  • Patent number: 6102163
    Abstract: An elevator system control box is mounted on an elevator car above or below a car door. The mounting position of the control box makes it possible for a service technician to reach elevator drive system components, such as a travel regulation unit, safety circuits, an optional drive regulation unit, a frequency inverter, etc., mounted in the control box conveniently standing at hand or eye level at a floor with the shaft doors opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventors: Christoph Liebetrau, Utz Richter, Kaspar Schindler
  • Patent number: 6035974
    Abstract: A modular, prefabricated elevator includes column-like guide modules (10) extending between a foundation module (13) and a head module (2) and attached to a building by fastening modules (11), and an elevator car (5) that is connected by support cables (3) with counterweights (9) running in the guide modules (10). A stationary drive for the car (5) is in the form of one or two drive modules (12) combined with the head module (2) or with the foundation module (13) and integrated into the modular system in this manner. Through appropriate selection of the number of drive modules (12), the mode of suspension and the motor power, a wide range of use is covered with respect to conveying load and speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Invento AG
    Inventors: Utz Richter, Christoph Liebetrau
  • Patent number: 6032763
    Abstract: A carriage for supporting an elevator car includes a drive unit, a spaced generally parallel support unit and a pair of lower yokes connecting the units. The carriage is movable along a pair of spaced apart generally vertical tracks. The drive unit includes a motor driving a drive axle with a respective drive wheel mounted at each end of the axle which wheels roll along the tracks. The support unit includes a support axle with a respective support wheel mounted at each end of the axle and a clamping device by which friction forces of the drive wheels and of the support wheels are produced on the tracks. The working range of the clamping device can be read off of an indicator. A respective immobilizing equipment is arranged at each side of the lower yoke by which the elevator car can be releasably connected with the track at a desired position along the travel path during assembly of the elevator system and/or during maintenance operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventors: Utz Richter, Christoph Liebetrau, Albrecht Morlok
  • Patent number: 6006867
    Abstract: A guide apparatus for guiding and arresting an elevator running on column-like guides automatically prevents a transmission of guide alignment errors to the car and an unintended engagement of the arresting device. A roller carrier for engaging the guide running surfaces is rotationally movably mounted on the car with a center of rotation at the longitudinal axis of the guide so that the roller carrier can follow a twist of the guide about its axis. The roller carrier also mounts an arresting device which is vertically displaceable in a mounting bracket by contact with a buffer on an abutment attached to the elevator car. In the case of an arresting braking of the car, no force is transmitted to the guide apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventors: Utz Richter, Christoph Liebetrau, Albrecht Morlok, Jurgen Mahncke
  • Patent number: 5833031
    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).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventors: Christoph Liebetrau, Utz Richter
  • Patent number: 5769183
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventors: Utz Richter, Christoph Liebetrau, Albrecht Morlock, Helmut Heizmann, Ortwin Piper
  • Patent number: 5725074
    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).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventors: Utz Richter, Christoph Liebetrau
  • Patent number: 5713432
    Abstract: A drive frame for a self-propelled elevator travelling on guide rail running surfaces (22) includes a car carrying frame (5,14,16,17,18) on which are mounted driving wheels (1) coupled to a drive unit (24) and supporting wheels (2). The driving wheels (1) are rotatably mounted on axle tubes (3) connected to the drive unit (24) and rocker arms (15) pivotally mounted on frame brackets (5). The supporting wheels (2) are rotatably mounted on an axle (12) mounted on axle carriers (4) extending from the frame brackets (5). The driving wheels (1) and the supporting wheels (2) are drawn into contact with the running surfaces (22) by spring cylinders (8) connected between the axle tubes (3) and the supporting wheel axle (12) and extending through lateral passages (13) formed in a frame crossbeam (14) connected between the frame brackets (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventors: Utz Richter, Christoph Liebetrau, Albrecht Morlock, Ortwin Piper, Helmut Heizmann
  • Patent number: 5636712
    Abstract: A friction wheel drive apparatus for a self-propelled elevator car movable in an elevator shaft can be mounted on the top side or bottom side of the car. The drive apparatus is connected with a counterweight by a force transmission device for balancing the car weight and a portion of the conveyed load. The force transmission device is fastened to and guided at the drive apparatus such that a force generated by the counterweight, the weight of the car and the weight of the conveyed load is applied as a contact pressure to urge a friction wheel of the drive apparatus against a travel track surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1997
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Muller, Christoph Liebetrau, Utz Richter, Jurgen Kastle, Albrecht Morlok, Helmut Heizmann
  • Patent number: 5615864
    Abstract: Driving machine for lifts. In this simply and compactly constructed driving machine, damages caused by axle sagging and deformations of teeth, which occur during peak loadings, of a transmission are avoided and for this purpose, in the drive unit of this invention the drive pulley is rotatably journalled on one end of a stationary axle, which in turn is fastened on a bearing block arranged on the base plate of a machine frame with the drive unit including a transmission, an electrical motor, a brake and a rotation transmitter being arranged co-axially overhung or cantilevered at the drive pulley and secured against rotation by two elastic torque stays attached to the machine frame, with adjustable damping elements installed in the torque stays enabling a load-moment-dependent deflection of the drive unit in the sense of rotation and thereby also providing a load measurement at the drive unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1997
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventors: Christoph Liebetrau, Utz Richter
  • Patent number: 5209706
    Abstract: A rubber belt crawler chain for a vehicle is equipped with chain guiding members which are slidingly guided in one another, are each connected with a cross-piece, and accommodate between one another steel cables of a rubber bearing body surrounding the cross-piece. The cross-piece has two clamping elements forming a receiving device for the steel cables between one another, in which groove-shaped guides for the cables are arranged in one clamping element, and are covered in a web-shaped manner by the other clamping element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1993
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. H.C.F. Porsche AG
    Inventors: Utz Richter, Jurgen Hawener, Volker Kramer, Friedrich Depfenhart