Includes Gear On Support Mating With Stationary Rack Or Chain Patents (Class 187/270)
  • Patent number: 5921351
    Abstract: A passenger conveyor system, such as an elevator or shuttle system, includes a drive system formed from a plurality of sequentially connected belts driven by a machine. Each of the belts is engageable with a car to move the car along a portion of the path, and adjacent belts are interconnected by a transmission. In a particular embodiment, the passenger conveyor system includes a counterweight that is also engaged with the plurality of belts. In another particular embodiment, the passenger conveyor system includes a first portion in which the belt driven car moves vertically and a second portion in which the belt driven car moves horizontally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventor: Helmut L. Schroder-Brumloop
  • Patent number: 5904466
    Abstract: A storage device for card-shaped data carriers has at least one storage unit with a magazine support and a magazine mounted on the magazine support. The storage unit has a support bottom on which data carriers are stacked and has an upper end with a dispensing slot. An individualization roller is positioned at the upper end for removing the uppermost data carrier from the storage unit through the dispensing slot. A transport device for transporting the data carrier exiting from the dispensing slot to a processing unit of a dispenser is provided. A carriage is mounted in the magazine support and vertically slidable in the magazine support. The support bottom is fastened to the carriage. A motor is provided that drives an endless, flexible pulling element connected to the motor, and the motor and pulling element drive the carriage. Two guide pulleys are connected to opposite ends of the magazine support and the pulling element is guided about the guide pulleys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1999
    Assignee: Scheidt & Bachmann GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Miller, Peter Hoffges
  • Patent number: 5782317
    Abstract: A Transport apparatus includes a vertically extending frame, three plate assemblies mounted on the frame and three assembly drives connected to the plate assemblies for vertically moving the plate assemblies in the frame. The frame surrounds a transport column which includes a bottom work position, a middle storage position and a top storage position. Each plate assembly includes a carriage adjacent a side of the frame, a rectangular plate, a hinge between the carriage and plate and a pair of hinge drives for rotating the plate between a horizontal load supporting position in the transport column and a vertical position adjacent the column. The assemblies are lowered to the under position with horizontal plates supporting pallets filled with work parts. After the work parts and pallets are removed, the plates are rotated to the vertical and moved up to storage positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: Master Manufacturers, Inc.
    Inventor: David W. Lutz
  • 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: 5722514
    Abstract: A tray installation rack is used for a test handler to install therein a plurality of trays each of which has a large number of IC devices to be tested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1998
    Assignee: Advantest Corp.
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Kiyokawa
  • Patent number: 5558181
    Abstract: An elevator including a cage disposed in a vertical passage and having a door has a plurality of pinions carried on a pair of substantially horizontal rotary shafts supported along a pair of edges, respectively, of at least the top or bottom of the cage. The shafts extend in parallel to a pair of opposite sidewalls of the passage which lie at right angles to the door. A plurality of vertical racks are secured to the sidewalls of the passage, each engageable with at least one of the pinions. An irreversible driving device is associated with the pinions for rotating them to raise and lower the cage along the racks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1996
    Inventor: Mutsuro Bundo
  • Patent number: 5469936
    Abstract: A support device for an item of retractable street furniture having electrical actuation is provided having a stationary box installed in the ground; moving equipment housed in the box and including a top support plate for supporting the item of street furniture, the equipment being movable between a high position in which the item of street furniture emerges from the box above the level of the ground, and a low position in which the item of street furniture is retracted into the box so that the top portion thereof does not project above ground level; an electrical motor and gear box unit; and a transmission for converting the rotary motion of the motor and gear box unit into translation motion of the moving equipment between its high position and its low position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Inventors: Olivier Lauga, Nicolas Revol, Lionel Murou
  • Patent number: 5452774
    Abstract: A mechanical drive assembly composed of an endless roller chain (78) and notched rail (100) wherein multiple chain rollers (79) engage corresponding rail notches (103 ) to securely interlock drive (38) and rail (100). Drive (38) is equipped with a triple-strand roller chain (78) whose center strand of rollers engage notched bar (102) while outer strand rollers roll across face of pressure plate (50). Drive assembly (38) may be held in a fixed position relative to a static rail (100) by applying a braking force to drive sprocket (76), or it may be moved tangentially to rail (100) by applying torque to drive sprocket (76). Conversely, rail (100) and any structure attached thereto may be held in a fixed position or moved tangentially relative to a statically mounted drive (38) by similar means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1995
    Inventors: Link H. Davis, Henry J. McGinnis
  • Patent number: 5355975
    Abstract: An improved apparatus for providing access to the floors of a building during an emergency such as a fire, the apparatus including a structural support positioned on the exterior of a building and a transport system to transport persons or materials between the floors of the building along such support. The transport system includes a drive system for moving an elevator platform vertically along the support structure. An independent power source and the elevator platform are initially contained within a protective enclosure prior to their desired use. Other embodiments are also disclosed, including an adaption of the apparatus to buildings equipped with setbacks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1994
    Inventor: Charles J. Laurutis