Patent GB-1015539-A (GB)
Title: Parking equipment
IPC: E04H6/42
Filed: 1964-03-31
Abstract: 1,015,539. Mechanical garages. HITACHE Ltd. March 31, 1964 [April 5, 1963], No. 13216/64. Heading B8E. Parking equipment comprises an outer structure 1, Fig. 2 (not shown), a plurality of parking cages C 1  . . . C 16  (only C 1 , C 2 , C 9 ,'C 10 , being shown) arranged in vertically spaced relation in the structure 1, means for driving the cages for endless circulation, a predetermined position in the structure 1, e.g. the lowermost position at an entrance and exit to the structure, at which an automotive vehicle enters and leaves the cages, full-empty detecting means operative in response to stoppage of any one of the cages at the predetermined position for detecting presence or absence of a vehicle in the cage, memory means for storing a memory of what is detected by the detecting means and means for altering the memory if necessary in dependence upon what is detected by the detecting means when the latter acts again on the same cage. The cages are suspended on an endless chain 2 passing over sprocket wheels 4, 4<SP>1</SP> and driven by a gear 3. The full-empty detecting means are photo-electric means PH 1 , PH 2 , PH 3 , Fig. 4 (not shown), disposed at the predetermined position in the structure, auxiliary relays P 1 , P 2 , P 3  of the photo-electric means being diagrammatically shown in the circuit diagram, Fig. 5. The memory means are keep relays K 1  - - - K 16  which are energized when excited at the side A thereof, held in the energized state even when the excitation at side A has ceased and deenergized when excited at the side B thereof. K 1a  . . . K 16a  and K 1 b ... K 16b  are auxiliary contacts of the relays K 1  . - K 16 . The suffixes a and b denote normally open or closed contacts, respectively. Contacts PH 1a , PH2 a  and PH 3 a are closed when the beams of the respective photo-electric means are intercepted. F 1  - - - F 16  are full-cage indicating lamps which are lit when the respective keep relays are energized and E 1  - - - E 16  are empty cage indicating lamps which are lit when the keep relays are de-energized. S 1  ... S 16  are relays which are closed when the respective cages C 1  - - - C 16  are at rest in the predetermined position. G is a full-cage detecting relay having auxiliary contacts G a  G b  and is connected to the keep relays through contacts of the relays P 1 , P 2 , P 3  so that it is energized only when a vehicle is in its normal position in a cage. A contact 10b is closed only when the cages are not moving. In operation a car entering one of the cages, e.g. cage C 1 , at the predetermined position energizes the relay G through a circuit of (+ )-10b, P 2a -P 1b1 -P 3b1 -G-(-) and contact Ga is closed to energize the keep relay K 1  through a circuit (+)-10b-Ga-S 1a1 -K 1 -(-) resulting in the lamp F 1  being lit. The keep relay remains energized until the car is removed from the cage C 1  when the relay G is de-energized with the resultant closure of the contact Gb. The contact P 1b2  does not close until the car is completely free of the cage at which time the keep relay is de-energized through a circuit ( + 1)-10b-Gb-P 12b -P 3b2 -S 1a2 -K1-(-)