Abstract:
An apparatus or tool for installing an elevator hoist machine to a support at the top of the vertically extending guide rails. The apparatus includes means for imparting vertical movement to the hoist machine and horizontal movement thereto at the upper ends of the guide rails to enable hoist machines to be installed in areas with limited ceiling height.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to elevator hoisting machines and more particularly to an apparatus or tool for installing an elevator hoist machine in an elevator hoistway typically on the upper terminal end of the guide rails in an elevator hoistway.  
           [0002]    The prior art discloses certain apparatus capable of mounting an elevator hoist machine in the vicinity of the ceiling of an elevator hoistway wherein the clearance between the ceiling and the support for the hoist machine is minimal.  
           [0003]    A publication number 2000034072A of a Japanese patent application number 10203378 discloses a mounting device for an elevator hoisting machine equipped with a loading space part mounted with a hoisting machine, a load lifter consisting of a counterweight frame extendedly installed in a position lower than the loading space part. A winch is provided in the lower part of the hoistway to effectively lift the load lifter and the hoisting machine up to the vicinity of the ceiling of the hoistway. When the hoisting machine is lifted up to the vicinity of the ceiling of the hoistway by means of suitably provided lifting ropes, interference between other members is avoided.  
           [0004]    Other means for installing hoist machines in elevator hoistways permit the hoisting and positioning of the machine from lifting beams above the supporting structure and lifting attachments above the bottom of the machine.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The present invention relates to an apparatus for installing an elevator hoist machine in an elevator hoistway capable of lifting the machine in an open elevator shaft area between guide rails with means to position the machine over supporting structure of the top of the rails.  
           [0006]    The apparatus or tool for installing an elevator hoist machine to a machine support affixed to generally vertically extending guide rails within an elevator hoistway, comprises a carriage for conveying the hoist machine with an associated elevator hoistway; a support for the carriage, the support including a generally horizontally extending beam member, the beam member extending outwardly into the elevator hoistway and terminating in spaced relation from the guide rails, wherein the carriage may be selectively positioned on the support; and an attachment assembly for attaching the support to a hoist for imparting selective vertical movement of the carriage and the support along the guide rails within any elevator hoistway to deliver a hoist machine to position of use on the machine support. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    The above, as well as other advantages of the present invention, will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective of a guide rail structure for an elevator in an elevator hoistway showing an apparatus containing the features of the invention for installing an elevator hoist machine to a machine support affixed to the upper end of generally vertically extending guide rail assembly. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0009]    Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a tool for installing elevator hoist machines in an elevator hoistway. The tool or system has been found to be particularly useful to lift, lower, and position a hoist machine in a hoistway that does not have a conventional machine room.  
         [0010]    The illustrated embodiment consists of a structural frame  10  adapted to be assembled around an elevator guide rail  12  designed to extend vertically within an elevator hoistway. The elevator guidance system may be of the type manufactured and sold by Schindler Elevator Corporation and designated as a tri-rail elevator guidance system. In such a system, the structural frame  10  is assembled around the three rails of a tri-rail elevator guidance system.  
         [0011]    The main frame  10  includes vertical upright members  14  and guide shoes  16 . The guide shoes  16  typically interface with the guiding surfaces of the rails  12  to provide for relative vertical movement of the upright members  14  on the guide rails  12 . The main frame  10  also functions as a guide means for the carriage  22  and includes spaced apart guide members  18  connected to the vertical upright members  14  and containing guide shoes  20  coupled thereto for relative horizontal movement thereon.  
         [0012]    A hoist machine carriage  22  is connected to the guide shoes  20 . The carriage  22  includes horizontal base members  24  coupled to the guide shoes  20 , upstanding vertical members  26 , and an upper frame  28  integral with the upper ends of the vertical members  26 . The carriage  22  is provided to support a hoist machine  30 . The hoist machine  30  includes a base  32  to be permanently affixed to a machine support  34  mounted on the upper terminal ends of the guide rails  12 . In order to impart vertical movement to the main frame  10  and the associated hoist machine carriage  22 , there is provided an attachment means in the form of a beam  36  which extends below and is affixed to the spaced apart guide members  18 .  
         [0013]    It will be appreciated that initially the main frame  10  and the hoist machine carriage  22  are positioned at a lower level in the associated elevator hoistway to receive the hoist machine  30 . The hoist machine  30  is typically positioned on the carriage  22  so that only minimal movement thereof will be required to effect proper alignment of the base  32  and the support  34 . Once the hoist machine  30  is suitably positioned on the carriage  22 , hoist ropes, not shown, are connected to the cross beam  36  and the entire main frame  10 , the carriage support  22 , and the hoist machine  30  are lifted to the uppermost position illustrated in FIG. 1. When the assemblage reaches this position, machine carriage  22  is caused to be slid horizontally over the horizontal guide members  18  to a position where the base  32  of the hoist machine  30  is superposed over the support  34  and the attachment holes are aligned. Finally, the main frame  10  is lowered slightly allowing the entire load of the hoist machine  30  to be carried by the support  34 , and the machine carriage  22  is caused to be slid horizontally away from guide rails  12  and lowered to a lower position.  
         [0014]    The aforedescribed system may be effectively utilized to lift, lower, and position an elevator hoist machine into operative position on the upper terminals of guide rails in an elevator hoistway which does not have a conventional machine room. Guidance for the system is typically achieved by the rails of a previously installed elevator guide rail system. Also, the system permits the location or placement of an elevator hoisting machine in the open elevator shaft area between the guide rails and provides a means to shift the position of the machine laterally over the machine supporting structure at the top of the guide rails. Further, the system may be satisfactorily used in low overhead shaft conditions where conventional hoisting means would require building alterations and could not be employed.  
         [0015]    In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.