Patent GB-213989-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and connected with the controlling of elevators or lifts
IPC: B66B3/00
Filed: 1923-01-12
Abstract: 213,989. Groom, A. C. H. Jan. 12, 1923. Lamp indicators; indicating origin of calls. - A number of lifts, each serving the same series of floors, are partly controlled from a central station through the medium of lights acting as signals. Thus a passenger on any landing ordering a lift does so through the central station, but the passenger in the lift informs the attendant personally as to his destination without the intervention of the central station. The central control is arranged so that the most convenient lift, both in regard to position and direction of movement at the time, can be selected to obey any particular call, thereby minimizing the total distance travelled by the lifts and effecting corresponding economies, in power. The invention is illustrated as applied to four lifts, Fig. 1 showing the board at the controlling station and Fig. 2 the signal lights in the shaft and on the cage. Each lift illuminates automatically a series of lights A<a> at the control station so that the operator can tell at a glance the position of any lift and its direction of movement. Thus the lift illuminates the upper half of the diamond-shaped signals when travelling upwards, and the lower part when travelling downwards. Further, as it passes each floor it switches on the corresponding light and switches off the one, corresponding to the previous floor. Hence from the particular triangles illuminated, the operator can tell the approximate position and direction of all the four lifts. A series of call signals A<b>, one for each floor, are arranged at corresponding levels to the signals A<a> and are operated by passengers on the various landings through the medium of switches A<b> (up) and (down), Fig. 2. As in the case of the signals A<a>, the operation of an (up) signal illuminates the upper part of a call signal A<b> and so on. On receiving the order from the passenger, the operator selects the nearest or otherwise most convenient lift, and proceeds to operate two signalling devices. Taking the pair of switches B<as> and B<bs> corresponding to the particular lift selected, he operates one or the other according to whether the lift is to move up or down. This completes a circuit enabling the lift to move when the attendant starts it, and also illuminates a corresponding light B<a> or Bb on the cage telling the attendant which way to go. At the same time steps are taken to inform the attendant where to stop, by the operation of switches B<cs> or B<ds>. The switches B<cs> are used for the upwardly-travelling lift and B<ds> for the downwardlytravelling lift. The switch corresponding to the selected lift is rotated on a ring of studs representing floors until its position corresponds to the floor from which the call signal was received. This illuminates three stop signals, in the lift shaft at the particular floor selected. Two of these signals B<c> are placed for ready viewing by the attendant, while the third is placed for viewing by the passenger on the landing to indicate that his signal is receiving attention. At a subsequent call signal from an intermediate floor, the switches B<cs> and B<ds> can be manipulated to stop the lift on its way to the originally selected floor. Similar signals Bd are used when the lift is to move downwards. The passenger, when picked up, gives his orders as to destination in the usual way, the attendant on route obeying further stop signals as received. The lift attendant extinguishes the stop signal lights at the floor when he has picked up the passengers. The central operator, after responding to the call, operates a two-way switch A<bs> which switches off the light Ab illuminated by the caller and re-sets the apparatus to receive another call. When the lift is " full " or " empty," the attendant operates switches A<cs> which illuminate corresponding indicators A<c> Ad on the control board. The lift "full" signal may also be used in emergency, when the attendant receives a " clashing " signal from the control station while engaged in executing a previous order. The " up " and " down " signals B<a>, Bb on the cage may be elaborated by providing " express " signals for the various. floors, the ordinary " up and " down " signals being used to intimate to the attendant to stop at all floors.