Elevator – industrial lift truck – or stationary lift for vehicle – Having specific means contacting or on load support for... – Includes movable contact component on support for engaging...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-28
2001-08-14
Lillis, Eileen D (Department: 3652)
Elevator, industrial lift truck, or stationary lift for vehicle
Having specific means contacting or on load support for...
Includes movable contact component on support for engaging...
C187S254000, C187S263000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06273216
ABSTRACT:
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manually actuable emergency release device for an elevator in or at a building, with a cage which is guided by means of movable carrier elements by way of a drive pulley. The drive pulley is driven by means of a drive with an elevator motor and a brake and with or without a gear transmission. The emergency release device consists of a device for producing the operative connection with the elevator drive, a manually operable drive element, mechanical transmission means and operating elements for the remote actuation of the operative connection with the elevator drive.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Various methods and devices are known for an emergency release of passengers from a cage, which is blocked between two storeys, of an elevator. The present invention is proposed for elevator installations which do not have automatic evacuating travel equipment. In such cases the evacuation or the emergency freeing of the confined passengers is carried out by manual release of the brake and turning of a handwheel or of the driven plate at the elevator motor. Such a manual emergency release, however, presupposes good access to the devices to be operated.
In the case of elevators without an engine room or with an engine room with poor accessibility the direct access to the mentioned devices is not guaranteed. Other methods and devices have to be provided for such cases.
European reference EP 0 244 030 discloses manually actuable release and drive equipment for stairlifts and similar transport equipment for persons. In the case of this equipment a handwheel with coupling sleeve can be pushed on a shaft displaceable in longitudinal direction, wherein two bevel pinions are brought into engagement against spring force and an electrical contact is actuated. The brake at the drive motor of the conveying equipment is released at the same time by the thrust movement of the handwheel shaft.
For use of this device a more or less direct access to the drive of the conveying equipment is required. In order to be able to center the coupling equipment without problems, the handwheel shaft must not be very long. On pushing in of the handwheel shaft, the spring force of the displacement shaft with the primary bevel pinion and the release force of the brake release lever of a brake must be overcome. After the completed engagement, the brake release lever catches in a groove of the handwheel shaft and has to keep this in the engaged setting, otherwise the tooth forces in operation have a constantly uncoupling effect.
As the brake in this setting remains permanently released, a self-locking gear transmission is inevitably necessary. Otherwise a dangerous state contrary to specification would arise, because the load carrier or the elevator cage would automatically set into motion, even with small out-of-balance weights between the load carrier and the counterweight, as soon as the brake is released. The prior known equipment accordingly cannot be used for drives with high efficiency and it is also suitable only for small drives with low drive power, low efficiency and good accessibility.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention now has the object of creating an improved manually actuable emergency release device which functions reliably in operation and is easy to actuate and economical to produce.
The emergency release device according to the invention is distinguished by the fact that for the manual movement of the elevator cage by way of the elevator drive a simple, mechanical crank device with a preferably flexible shaft as well as a gear transmission, which can be switched in, are present for the operative connection with the elevator drive. As the switchable gearwheel of this gear transmission is displaceable along its axis, thus along the tooth flanks, without change in the depth of engagement, the gearwheel remains safely in engagement during the release operation.
A flexible shaft or a crank rod can be used as mechanical, flexible transmission means for the movement of the elevator cage.
The mounting of a speed reduction gear is advantageous, for example a crown wheel gear transmission, whereby the torque to be applied to the crank device and thus the loading of the connecting elements, for example a flexible shaft, are reduced.
The use of a crown wheel gear transmission as a switchable operative connection has the advantage that the axis of the engageable and disengageable gearwheel does not necessarily need to lie parallel to the axis of the elevator motor, which would in fact require an unfavourable arrangement of the transmission means. Moreover, a torque transmission, which is free of reaction in the axial direction and the engaging, and disengaging of the operative connection with unchanging depth of engagement are thus possible.
The crank device as well as the operating elements are preferably arranged, as a combination, in an actuation niche, wherein the actuation niche can be provided not only anywhere in the shaft wall, but also on the door front on a storey. In the case of an arrangement in the door front, a partial prefabrication at the factory is possible. The operating elements are distinguished by simple construction.
Operating elements adapted to the purpose are constructed in the form of a first, self-restoring handle at the crank device and a handle remaining in drawn setting. The first handle at the crank device can be constructed as a bicycle brake lever and the second handle has a toggle joint mechanism, in order to retain the drawn setting.
The brake at the elevator drive is released, without auxiliary current source, by way of a cable pull by the first handle on actuation thereof and can be blocked again at any time if the elevator cage, in the case of a large weight imbalance, should move too quickly.
The operative connection with the elevator motor of the elevator drive is produced by way of a second cable pull by the second handle, wherein a cylindrical toothed pinion is then axially displaced until it is in engagement in a crown gearwheel. On actuation of this second detenting handle, the operative connection with the lift drive remains in place and does not have to be kept by permanent expenditure of force.
After the produced mechanical coupling between the toothed pinion and the crown wheel, the manipulation of the emergency release device is confined to the application of torque by one hand to the crank and the drawing of the brake release handle by the other hand.
By the crank device manually set into rotation the cage to be evacuated can be set into motion by way of the toothed pinion engaging in the crown on the drive motor shaft, the gear transmission, the drive pulley and the carrier elements.
At least one checking control directly at the emergency release device and further sequential contacts at the elevator drive and in the elevator control secure a risk-free operation of the emergency release device, especially even in the case of unexpected switching back on of the mains voltage during a release manipulation.
By freeing of the brake release handle and tipping over the toggle lever into the initial setting, the elevator is set in readiness for normal operation again after an emergency release, assuming that in the meantime the cause of the breakdown has been removed.
In the case of activated emergency release device a constrainedly actuated safety contact prevents the normal switching-on of the elevator drive.
In the construction with a crank rod, this is variable in length by means of telescopic construction of a part.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawing and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1315502 (191
Kocher Hans
Wegener Dietrich
Cohen & Pontani, Lieberman & Pavane
Inventio AG
Lillis Eileen D
Tran Thuy V.
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