US1635586A - Signaling system for elevators - Google Patents

Description

July 12, 1 27. 1,635,586

W. 5. SMITH v SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR ELEVATORS 1 Nov. 2;. 1922 Patented July 12, 1927.

i UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

WILLIAM s. SMITH, or" CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR ELEVATORS.

Application filed November 23, 1922. Serial No. 602,759.

I This invention relates to av signaling systern for electrically controlled .elevators,

' hoists and dumb-waiters.

.The main object of theinventlon is the provision of a simple, inexpensive, reliable and efficient signaling system which will indicate atall times the stage of operation or inoperation of the, elevator or hoist.

Other objects of the invention will be more specifically set forth and described hereinafter. 1

My invention in its preferred embodiment contemplates the provisionof a plurality of 2 groups of lights indicating various phases of operation of the elevator car or hoist,

,each group comprising a light at each floor landing and all the lights in each group'having the same distinctive color. The first group is designed to indicate whether or not the car is in operation and all the lights in this group remain illuminated onlyso long as the car is in motion." The second-group indicates the limit of movement of the car and :iS so arranged that when the car is started towarda certain floor, the light or this group on that particular floor only is illuminated until the car reaches its destination'and the door at that landing is opened.

The third group indicatesthat the car has arrived at its destination or 1 is at a landing and all the lights in this group remain illuminated untilthe door atv the landing is opened. The'fourth group indicates whether 7 or not the system is out of operation and all are lighted whenever andso long as it is out of operation. Preferably these latter lights should be red in'color as a warning to one attempting to use'the system.

In the accompanying drawings, illustratingthe preferred embodiment of my inven-' tion, is shown a diagrammaticview of asignaling system embodying my inve'nt 'on applied" to an electrically controlled elevator system; the latter system, being shown in 'lightlines, and the former system in heavy lines. I

In "the drawings, the apparatus is shown as actuated by a direct current, but, with proper modifications all of which will be apparent to one familiar with theqart, the

system may be used in connection with an alternating current. Although the elevator system 18 shown as hav ng three stations or floors it is apparent that this number may be increased or decreased as desired.

For purposes of illustration, I have shown my invention applied to an electrically controlled eievator system, which system may be briefly'deseribed first. Referring to the drawings, the positive and negative supply lines are designated as 3 and 4 respectively and5 is the armature of a motor, shown as a shunt motor, having a field coil 6 connected to the said supply lines by conductors 7 and 8 respectively. A circuit across the line through conductors 10 and '11 having starting'resistance 12 is provided for operating as motor, this circuit being closed and opened. by a reversing switch to be hereinafter described.

The operation of the motor though the reversing switch is controlled from the various floors or stations by push-buttons 14, 15 and 16, one at each floor and when'the elevator car carries passengers a similar series of push buttons 17, 18 and 19 is installed in the car. The hoistway doors, one on each floor, may be provided with contacts, 20, 21

"and 22 respectively, all included in the push- -button circuits, so that unless all the hoistway doors are closed the system is out of operation.

Arranged to be operated by the pushbutton circuits are a series of floor magnets 24, 25 and26, corresponding in number to j atedand the actuating coils being each includedin' circuit with its respective pushbutton so'that the operation of a push-button energizes its respective actuating-coil only.

Whenever a push-button at a floor landing is operated, it closes a circuit from the main 3, through conductor 34, door contacts 20, 21 and 22, conductor 35, retaining coils lid 31, 32 and 33, thence through the actuating coil corresponding to the push-button actuated, through one of the conductors 36, 37 or 38, to the push-button operated and through conductor 39 to the negative side of the line. An adjustable resistance 4:0 may be included in the conductor to permit of convenient adjustment of the current in the retaining coils.

The magnets, 21. 25 and 26 carry contactmembers 11, 42, and 13 respectively adapted to engage pairs of contacts -14: and 15, 16 and -17 and 18 and 19, respectively, to close various control circuits which direct the current to the reversing switch in such manner as to start and to stop the motor as desired. The control circuits are divided into two groups, one to cause the car to descend and the cthcr to ci'i ect its ascent.

In the first group of control circuits are arranged the contacts 14, 4-5, 16 and 17 and switches and 51 and in the second group the contacts 16, -17, 18 and =19 and switches 52 and 53. The switches are operated by a suitable controller or member 54 which moves on a screw-rod 255 in synchronism with the car and as shown in the drawing moves to the right when the car is ascending and to the left when it is descending.

The r versing-switch, which may be of any suitable design, is illustrated diagrammatically in the drawing as made up of two magnets 55 and 56, each provided with necessary contacts for closing the motor circuit. The magnet 55 is included in the first group of control circuits and the magnet 56 is in the second group. The former magnet carries contact-pieces 5S and 59 which, when tiie magnet is energized, are moved into engagement with contacts 60 and 61 and 62 and 63 respectively to close the motor circuit and to admitcurrent to the motor in such manner as to cause the car to descend. Similar contactpieces 64 and 65 are, by the operation of magnet 56, thrown into engage ment with contacts 66 and 67 and 68 and (39 respectively thereby closing the motor circuit in such a way as to cause the car to ascend.

The control circuits may be arranged in any suitable manner and one such arrangement is shown in the drawings. From the positive main 3 all the control circuits use a common conductor up to the contacts 44, etc. comprising conductor 3%, door contacts 20, 21 and and conductor 70 which is connected to contacts at-il, i6 and 48. Between the contact members 4.1, l2 and 13 and the switches 50. 51, 52 and 53 the circuits are both parallel and common; contact 45 being connected by conductor 72 with switch 50 which in turn connected to switch 51 by conductor 78; contact -17 being connected by conductor 7 3 to contacts 80 and 81 and contact 19 being connected by conductor 74 to switch 53 which is in turn connected to switch 52 by conductor 79. Conductors 72 and '43 are in the lust or down group of circircuits uses a connnon conductor 76 from contact 83 through magnet, 56 :and conductor 77 to the negative main 1. In the drawings the ca r is shown at the second floor with both switches 51 and 52 open and therefore the operation of a push-button at the second floor produces no efl'ect because no control circuits can be closed through those switches. Switches 50 and are shown closed, however, and the operation of a pushbutton at either the first or second floor will close a control circuit and start the car.

In order to prevent interference with the movement of the car before it has reached its destination by the pressing of a. second push-button. the actuating coils 28, 29 and 30 and push-buttons are short circuited while the motor is in operation, leaving the retaining coils 31. and 33 in the circuit. This is accomplished by providing contacts 8T and 85 adapted to be engaged by contact members 58 and 6 1- respectively of the reversing switch; said contacts being connected to conductor 35 at point 86 by conductor 87.

The foregoing controlling system for electric elevators is fully shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,228,075 issued to me lviay 29, 1 917, to which reference may be made for a more complete description of the same and its mode of operation.

The novel features of my invention reside in the signaling system, one embodiment of which is shown for illustrative purposes only as applied to the foregoing controlling system.

The first group of signals is designed to indicate whether or not the car is in operation or motion and for this purpose any suitable means may be provided whereby these signals are controlled by the motorcontrolling means. One such means is shown in which the reversing switch is utilized for this purpose. The three lamps 88, 89 and 90 of this group. one at each floor station, are placed in series in a circuit comprising a conductor 91 from the main 3, lamps 88, 89 and 90, conductor 92 either contact 93 member 64: or contact 94 and contact member 58 to conductor 11 and to the negative main 4. Suitable resistance 95 may be ineluded. This circuit is closed whenever the reversing switch is operated to start the motor and is opened when the motor stops. The result is that so long as the motor 0pcrates and the car is in motion, all of the said lamps are lighted. As soon asthe car reaches its destinat-ionandcomes to a stop all of thelights go out." i 1 The second group of signals which indicate the destination of the car is preferably operated by the control-circuits of the elevator system since but one lamp is lighted 111 respectively.- From the main 3 a conto contacts 106,108 and 110. 113, 114 and 115 of this ductor 112 runs The three lamps 1 group are connected by conductors 116, 117

' operation is as lishing a control circuit through conductor 72 thereby energizing the relay magnet 100 and 118 respectively to contacts 107, 109 and lllrespectively. A common conductor 120 including a resistance 121 connects the three lamps to the conductor 122 and main 4. The

follows. Suppose the pushbutton 14 onthe lower floor or 17 in thecar be operated, the -magnet 24 is closed estabwhichcauses the-contact-piece 103 to engage contacts 106-and 107. This closes a circuit from the main 3 through conductor v112, contact 106, contact-piece 103, contact 107, and conductor 116, lamp 113,'conductors 120, re-

' sistance 121, conductor 122 to the main 4.

The lamp 113 on the lower floor and only a that lamp in this gr'oupis lighted by this circuit. If the ush-button on the second floor'be'operat then conductor 73 operates magnet 101 anda circuit is established through conductor '117 to lamp 114 and in case of the third floor,mag-net 102 is Operated by lamp 115 through conductor 118. -These lampsare connected in parallel since only one is lighted at a time. I

When the car arrivesatits destination the control circuit through conductor 72, or 73,

. or 74, as the case may be, is opened by the operation ofswitch 50 or 51 or 52 or 53. @This will permit the relay magnet which has been operated by the closedcontrol circuit to return to inoperative position and to open I the circuit to the destination, lamp which has" been illuminated up' to thatpointr Since it is desirable that this signal should remain illuminated until the door at thatstation has been opened, means are provided for maintaining that circuit closed after the control circuit has been openeduntil the station door is opened. This result is attained by providing a series of retainingcoils 124, 125 and conductorf 74 and a circuit closed to 126101' the relay magnets 100, 101 and 102,

each coil being of sufiicient strength when energized to retain its respective magnet 1n any position 1t may be 111 but not of sufiicieritstrength to operateit. These retaining coilsmay be energized by a circuit across the line from the main 3 through conductor 34, door contacts, 20, 21 and 22, conductor 35, conductor 127, coil 124, coil 125, coil 126, conductor 128, coil 129, conductor 130,

resistance 131, conductor 122 to main; 4. Vhenever one of the relay magnets 100,101 or 102 is operated by a control circuit, the retaining coil is .sufiicient to hold it in operated position after the control circuit is opened and until the station door is opened,

whereupon all circuits are opened and the relay magnet returns to inoperative position.

The third group of signals indicates'that the car has arrived at its destination or is at a landing and all the lamps of this group are lighted and extinguished simultaneously.

This requires that these lamps should be lighted immediately upon the arrival of the car and until the station door has been opened.

One means for accomplishing this end is shown and consists in placing thethree lamps 134,135 and 136 of this group in series in a circuit which is broken at two points and in providing means for closing the circuit at both of these points after the carhas arrived at a landing and until a door is opened. The circuit starts from the main 3 through conductor 34, door contacts 20, 21 and 22, conductor 35, conductor 137 to contact 138 where the first break occurs. It is then resumedat contact 139 from conductor 140 to contact 141 where the second break occurs. The remainder of the circuit is from contact 142 through conductor143, lamps 136, 135 and 134, conductor 144 ineluding resistance 145 and conductor 122 to the main 4. The first break, which is normally open, is adapted to be closed by'a contact piece 146 carried by a magnet 147 when the said mag-netis energized by a coil 148 inconductor 112. This last conductor is included in the circuit for operating the second group of signals and since that circuit is closed as soon as the car starts the magnet 147 is operated at that time to close theffirst break in the circuit for operating the third group andt-he magnet remains operative until a door is opened. Under these circumstances and provided there was no second break in the present circuit, the lamps of the third group would be illuminated at the time the car started. In order to prevent tbis and to have these lamps illuminated only when the car reaches its destination, the second break is provided, which break is normally closed by a contact-piece 149. This contact-piece is carried by a magnet 150 which is energized by a coil 151 in conductor lll 70, which conductor is in the main control circuit. As soon, therefore, as the control circuit has been established by the operation. of a push-button, the magnet 150 is energized by the coil 151 and the contact-piece 149 is raised breaking the circuit to the third group of lamps at the second break. \Vhen the car reaches its destination and stops, the control circuit is opened, the magnet 150 de-energized and the contact-piece 149 drops by force of gravity into engagement with contacts 141, 142, thereby closing the circuit to the third group of lamps and the circuit remains in that condition with the three lamps illuminated until a door is opened.

It will be observed that in the signaling system so far described all of the circuits include the door contacts so that the opening of a door immediately opens all of the circuits which may happen at that time to be closed and causes all of the lights of the first three groups which happen to be illuminated to go out and the apparatus to return to the condition shown in the drawings.

The fourth group of signals is intended to indicate when the elevator control system is out of operation; that is, when a door is opened at a floor landing, for otherwise the control system is always in operation unless there is a failure of current for some reason or other. For illuminating the three lamps, 154, 155 and 156 of this group, I provide a circuit across the line with the lamps ar ranged therein in series. This circuit is from the main 3 through conductor 91, contact 157, contact-piece 158, contact 159, conductor 160, lamps 156, 155, 154, conductor 161, including the resistance 162 to conductor 122 and main 3. In order to keep this circuit open at all times except when a door is opened, the contact-piece 158 is carried by a magnet 164, which magnet is energized by the coil 129 in the circuit of the retaining coils 124, 125 and 126. This circuit is closed whenever all of the doors are closed since it is across the line through the door contacts. So long, therefore, as all the doors are closed the circuit through said retaining coils and coil 129 energizes said magnet 164, raises said contact-piece 158 and breaks the circuit of the fourth group. This condition continues until a door is opened whereupon the circuit through said coil 129 is broken deenergizing the magnet 164 and permitting the contact-piece 158 to drop by force of gravity to close the circuit across the line and to illuminate the lamps of the fourth group, which lamps remain lighted until all of the doors are closed when the magnet 164 is again operated to break the circuit.

Preferably, the lamps of each group should be given a distinctive coloring in order that they may be differentiated from the other groups and any suitable colors may be assigned to the first three groups.

For the fourth-group, however, I prefer a red lamp since that is indicative of danger and the fourth group is a warning that the system is inoperative and should not be interfered with at that time.

The operation of my signaling system is extremely simple and etiicient. Assuming that all the hoistway doors are closed with the elevator at the first floor ready for op oration. No signals are illuminated. A person desiring to use the system on the third floor, for instance, presses the pushbutton on that floor to bring the car to that station. In'imediately the first group of lights is illuminated one at each floor, indicating that the car is in motion. At the same time that light of the second group which is located at the third floor station is illuminated which indicates to the person who operated the push-button that the car is on its way to his floor. When the car reaches the third floor and comes to a stop, all of the lights in the first group go out and all of the lights of the third group are illuminated, indicating to the personon the third floor that the car has arrived at its destination and is awaiting the opening of the door. The person on the third floor upon noticing the illumination of the light of the third group then opens the hoistw ay door and immediately the lights in the third group and the particular light at the floor in the second group are extinguished and all the lights in the fourth group are illuminated indicating that the system so long as the hoistway door remains open is out of operation. hen the hoist-way door is again closed the red lights are extinguished and all of the signals remain unlightcd until some action is taken in the operation of the elevator. The elevator system is ready for use only when there are no signals illuminated. If the red signals are lighted, it indicates that the system is out of operation. If a light of the third group is illuminated at any floor station, it indicates that the car is at some floor station demanding attention, having been called thereto by someone else and that no attempt should be made to operate the system until a hoistway door has been opened.

Although I have shown my signaling system as utilizing lamps to indicate the various phases of operation. it is to be understood that these are merely illustrative since any of the well known forms of indicators such as bells, buzzers or movable mechanical devices may be employed. In some instances, it may be desirable to use bells or other audible signals either alone or in addition to lamps. This is especially true of the second group of signals because in this group only one signal is given at a time and that one on the floor landing to which the car is destined. To facilitate rapid handling of loo the car an audible signal of destination would be found advantageous since it calls attention to the fact that the car is ap-' proaching the floor on which the signal is 5 sounding, and should insure the immediate 1 of being used in connection with various forms of electrical control systems nor to the particular devices and circuits shown and described since it may be embodied in various other forms of construction within the 1 purview of the following claim.

What I claim is: The combination with an electrically con- 'trolled elevator system including parallelv control circuits and a plurality of stations,

of a signal at each station for indicating the destination of the car, a door at each station,

a plurality of parallel circuits each of which includes one of said signals, all of said signal circuits being normally open, a magnet operated switch for each of: said signal circuits for closing the same, a control circuit for each station including the magnet of the magnet operated switch for the signal corresponding to that station, means for opening the control circuit upon the arrival of the car atv the station controlling the car, a means for holding said switch in closed position when moved to this position, a door contact vcircuit common to said parallel control circuits and to said holding circuit including means operated upon opening of any of said doors for opening said control and holding circuits.

In witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand this ninth day of November, 1922.

WILLIAM S. SMITH.

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