Abstract: Apparatus for determining the position of an elevator car within a hoistway that includes a code rail containing optically readable indicia that is being mounted within the hoistway adjacent to the path of travel of the car. At least one camera is mounted upon the car for movement therewith for scanning the code rail indicia and providing data indicative of the car's position to the car controllers.

Abstract: Each elevator corridor of an elevator system has a transponder beacon disposed near each access to the corridor, each potential passenger, including regular tenants and visitors, carries a responder, such as an RFID responder, so as to provide an indication of entrance into and exit from the elevator corridor. Passengers that are not visitors have a history developed as to the likely travel route of each passenger as the passenger enters the elevator lobby; that is, whether the passenger is likely to take the elevator at this time, or likely to exit the elevator corridor to some other facility. Entered calls can be cancelled if the passenger leaves the lobby, and passenger travel patterns are updated with each passage through the elevator lobby.

Abstract: A personal remote control device exchanges electromagnetic transmissions with an elevator system, each transmission including the identification number of the device, whereby requests for elevator service made by means of the device are unique to that device, and requests can be made by the device to cancel or change any request for elevator service which has previously been made. The remote control device may either be verbal, communicating with the user by means of speech synthesis and voice recognition, or the device may utilize switches, displays or other mechanisms for interaction with the user.

Abstract: A safety control arrangement for escalators includes a detector for generating a trigger signal, and a microprocessor connected to a memory. A serial data communications bus connects the detector to the processor. The memory includes toggling and interrogating routines which permit verifying proper operability of the detector.

Abstract: A cab having a wheeled carriage fixed thereto is moved between rails on an elevator car frame and similar rails on a wheeled bogey. The ends of the rails are scarfed in a complimentary fashion so as to provide a temporary half-lap joint between the rails of the bogey and the rails of the car frame. Motion is provided by linear motors having active primaries disposed on the car frame and the bogey and passive secondaries disposed on the cab carriage. Motor control is in response to position signals provided by magnetostrictive linear displacement transducers. The cab carriage includes rollers on vertical axes which contact the insides of the rails for guidance. The cab carriage wheels and rollers are disposed in pairs separated sufficiently so that at least one roller and one wheel of each pair is in contact with a full rail as the carriage crosses the rail joints between the car frame and the bogey.

Abstract: A control or detection arrangement for escalators, moving walks and the like includes a detector, an encoder unit connected to the detector, a wireless transmitter connected to the encoder unit, a wireless receiver, a decoder unit connected to the wireless receiver, and a microprocessor connected to the decoder unit. When an unsafe condition is detected by the detector, the encoder unit generates a trigger signal having at least one unique identifier for the detector. When received, the signal is passed by the decoder to the microprocessor which causes generation of a command signal to, for example, stop motion of the escalator. Alternatively, the inventive arrangement operates according to continuous or periodic transmission modes, which permit the arrangement to monitor operability of the detector, encoder unit, transmitter, receiver and the decoder unit.

Abstract: An improved escalator 10 which incorporates a device 58 which monitors the speed of an escalator handrail 12. The escalator having a handrail and a transmission unit 14. The device cooperates with a portion of the transmission unit that moves at the same speed as the handrail. Various details are developed which facilitate the monitoring of the handrail speed. In one detailed embodiment, the device includes a plurality of targets 60 and a sensor 62 which is not interfered with by the handrail.

Abstract: A start up check relay is energized whenever escalator motor motive power is interrupted. The start up check relay checks speed and non-speed-dependent safety circuit components to determine whether these safety circuit components have all come to an escalator start up state. When the start up condition of these safety circuit components has been verified the circuit allows power to be applied to the escalator motor. When power is applied to the escalator motor, a start up delay timer is energized and the start up check relay is de-energized. When speed-dependent components of the escalator have come to operating speeds, the start up delay timer will be de-energized, and the escalator will continue movement in its normal operating mode provided that all safety circuits are fully operational.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting an irregularity in the frequency of steps passing a particular point within a passenger conveying device is provided, comprising an apparatus for sensing the presence of an axle attached to the step without contacting the axle or a roller attached thereto.

Abstract: An induction proximity sensor 26 is wider than a normal gap between moving escalator steps 10, 12 so that the inductive proximity sensor 26 is always in front of one step or another and provides a constant signal, when steps 10, 12 are passing the inductive proximity sensor 26, and stops the steps 18, 12, 14, 16 when the inductive proximity sensor 26 detects no steps.

Abstract: Motion of the moving handrail of an escalator or moving walkway is interrupted in the event that a foreign object is carried into the handrail reentry housing area on the handrail. Handrail movement stops independently of movement of the conveyor steps, so that the handrail will stop even as the steps are still decelerating as a result of an appropriate signal from a reentry housing foreign object sensor. The handrail will be reset for further motion after the steps stop but will not commence further movement until the steps are intentionally restarted.

Abstract: An optical fiber (28) disposed at the entry edge (32) of an escalator handrail guard (22) receives light from an LED (38), the magnitude of which is sensed by a detector (40), the output of which is compared (48) to determine whether its magnitude is sufficient to indicate the lack of intrusion of objects into the guard (22); if not a relay (56, 58) will drop power to the motor (62).

Abstract: An improved keyswitch circuit for an escalator or moving walkway senses the normal (center or lateral) position of the keyswitch and, if the keyswitch does not return to its normal position after a selected event such as a selected normal starting interval, then the safety circuit is opened and the escalator or moving walk is stopped; the escalator or moving walkway can be restarted only after first returning the keyswitch to its normal position.