Patent ID: 9428365
Filing Date: 2016-08-30
CPC Classification: B66B

Claim Text:
1. An elevator assembly, comprising: a hoistway having a bottom surface; an elevator car configured to move in the hoistway having a frame member; at least one toe guard panel that is moveable between a first position and a second position, in the first position the toe guard panel is situated to provide a vertical surface beneath the elevator car and the toe guard panel has an end at a bottom of the toe guard panel, the end being spaced a first distance from the elevator car, in the second position the toe guard panel is situated with a second, shorter distance between the end and the elevator car; a moving mechanism coupled with the toe guard panel for selectively moving the toe guard panel from the first position into the second position; and an instigator member situated in a selected vertical position above the hoistway bottom surface and above the end of the toe guard panel to interact with the moving mechanism to begin movement of the toe guard panel from the first position when the frame member of the elevator car is approximately at the selected vertical position; wherein the moving mechanism comprises a cable that pulls the toe guard panel toward the second position responsive to interaction with the instigator member; and wherein the moving mechanism comprises a hook near one end of the cable and the instigator member comprises a catch member that catches the hook as the elevator car frame member descends toward the selected vertical position, the hook remaining on the catch member as the elevator car frame member descends beneath the selected vertical position such that the cable continues to pull the toe guard panel away from the first position as the elevator car frame member descends beneath the selected vertical position.