Patent GB-587984-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in door-operating mechanisms for lift doors and the like
IPC: B66B13/12
Filed: 1944-09-13
Abstract: 587,984. Door-operating mechanism. EXPRESS LIFT CO., Ltd., and KRUGER, S. Sept. 13, 1944, Nos. 17480/44 and 11152/45. [Class 65 (i)] [Also in Group XXX] In a lift system of the kind wherein means is provided for coupling the lift cage door to a landing door to permit simultaneous operation of the doors when the cage reaches a landing, the said means comprises a member which is thrust forward from the cage door into wedgelike engagement with a corresponding grooved block or the like on a landing door when the car reaches the desired landing level, the said member being retained in the retracted position by power operated means carried by the cage, and being thrust forward into engagement with the grooved block by spring means when released by the said power operated means. Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 6 show the application to a lift installation in which the cage 1 and each of the landings is provided with a door comprising a pair of centre-opening interconnected sliding door panels 2, 3 respectively these doors being operated by a reversible electric motor on the cage which, through a belt drive and reduction gearing, rotates a crank 4, Fig. 3, coupled by a rod 5, lever 6, and link 8 to one of the cage door panels 2. The coupling between the rod 5 and lever 6 is preferably a ball catch release of the type described in Specification 572,189. The panels 2 hang from carriages 12 on an overhead track 13 and are interconnected by belts 14 passing round pulleys 15. The means for coupling the cage and landing doors comprises a wedge member 34 which is pivotally mounted by links 36.on a base plate 27 secured to one of the panels.2 whereby it can be projected outwardly to engage a grooved block 38 fixed to a landing door panel. Movement of the member 34 is controlled by a solenoid 17 on the cage which is coupled by a rod 17<1> and lever 19 to a rod 24 mounted in guides 25, 26 on the plate 27 and pivotally connected at 31 to a swinging link 32 coupled to a rod 33 secured to the wedge 34. When the solenoid is de-energised, the end 20 of the lever 19 is raised and through a spring 30 pressing upwardly on a bush 28 secured to the rod 24, the member 34 is raised towards the landing door to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 6. On re-energising the solenoid, the end 20 of the lever 19 is depressed and with it the rod 24 whereby the member 34 is swung downwardly towards the cage to the full line position in Fig. 6. In this position of the lever 19 a pin 22 thereon engages behind a block 28 on one of the carriages 12 to lock the panels 2. When the wedge 34 moves into the groove of the block 38 its upper end 34<1> engages a roller 44 on a lever 43 pivoted at 41 on a bracket 42 secured to a landing door panel to thrust upwards a rod 45 engaging a lever 46 and disengage a locking beak 48 from a stop 49 fixed to the landing door frame and open contacts 51 in the circuit of the cage motor and signal unlocking of the doors. The opening of these contacts may also serve to initiate energisation of the motor of the door operating means. A rod 15 Fig. 3, pivotally connected at 6<1> to the lever 6 is connected to the operating arm 16 of a switch in a casing 16<1> whereby the switch is opened immediately the door panels begin to open, thus preventing accidental projection of the wedge 34 and/or driving of the cage away from the landing with the doors open. In any emergency, the landing doors may be unlocked by inserting a key in a hole 54 Fig. 4, in the door panels 3, the end of the key engaging a collar 55 on the rod 45 to raise the locking lever 46. Also, if one set of doors become jammed when the landing and cage doors are connected, they may be disconnected by inserting a key in a hole in a panel 2 to depress the rod 33 and retract the wedge 34. In another embodiment shown in Figs. 7, 8 the cage door panels 57, Fig. 8, are operated by a reversible electric motor 60 which through a belt drive 61 and reduction gear, rotates cranks 62 coupled by rods 64 to door panel carriages 66 provided with rollers 67 cooperating with a track 68. The rods 64 are preferably of the emergency release type employing a spring loaded catch such as is described in Specification 579,228. A two-armed bracket 70 on one of the cranks is provided with cams 71 which co-operate with arms 72 of electric switches in a box 73 when the cranks are in the door fully-closed or fully-opened positions to switch off the motor 60. The means for coupling the cage and landing doors comprise members 87 mounted on each of the carriages 67 which may be projected forward to engage grooved blocks 95 comprising spaced members on a plate 99 secured to each of the carriages 96 of the landing door panels 58. Each member 87 is supported by a pivoted link 86, Fig. 7, and an arm 85 of a bell crank 84. When it is desired to drive the cage to another landing, on the appropriate button in the cage being depressed, the motor 60 is energised to rotate the crank 62 to close the door panels. Completion of this is signalled by contacts on the cage being closed by bridge pieces on the carriages 66. Closing of these contacts effects energisation of a solenoid 80 whereby a lever 81 is raised to rotate the bell crank 84 and retract the member 87 against the action of a spring 89 on a rod 91 and uncouple the cage and landing door. At the same time a lever 100 having its roller 111 previously engaged by the member 87, is rotated by a spring 112 whereby its upper end 115 falls into the path of a stop 116 on the landing door frame to lock the landing door and at the same time close contacts 114 to signal such movements and permit the control system to drive the cage to the desired landing. When the cage is again brought to rest, the solenoids 80 are de-energised causing the levers 81 to occupy a position whereby the cage doors are no longer locked by a stop 117 and the wedges 87 are thrust forward by the springs 89 to engage the blocks 95. The landing doors may be unlocked when a cage is not present at that landing by inserting a key in a hole 118 to engage a push rod 120 connected to the plate 99 so that when the key handle is depressed the rod 120 is raised against a hook-shaped part 121 on the lever 100 to rotate the latter and remove its upper end 115 from the stop 116. Fig. 13 shows a modified form of grooved block comprising spring-controlled elements 12 which are pivoted on plates 124 secured to the landing door and provided with renewable insertions 125.