Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6446763
-
Patent Number
6,446,763
-
Date Filed
Wednesday, July 19, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, September 10, 200221 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A hoist tool for lifting a machine assembly in an elevator to an installation position is mounted to a machine beam which also supports the machine assembly. The hoist tool is thus mounted in a location where it does not require any additional axial space. Preferably, the hoist tool is mounted to one lateral side of the machine assembly, and within an axial extension of the machine assembly downwardly from the machine beam into the hoistway.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to mounting structure for an elevator installation hoist tool that requires less space than the prior art.
Elevators are utilized in most modern buildings which extend upwardly for more than a few stories. An elevator typically includes a cab which is movable within a hoistway. A motor and pulley arrangement, known as the machine, is mounted near the top of the hoistway, and drives a cable to move the elevator cab upwardly or downwardly in combination with a counterweight. Historically, the machine is mounted in a machine room above the hoistway. Typically, machine beams define an upper end of the hoistway and a plate is mounted on a vertically upper surface of the machine beams. This plate supports the machine, and defines a lower surface of the machine room.
A hoist tool is necessary for lifting the machine upwardly into the machine room during initial installation of the elevator. Moreover, the hoist tool is typically left adjacent the machine room, in case it ever becomes necessary to move the machine back downwardly for replacement or repair. Typically, a crane-like apparatus is mounted in the machine room.
More recently, the assignee of the present application has developed an improved location for the machine which requires less space. It is desirable to more efficiently utilize space in a building, and the requirement of a large machine room near the upper end of the building may sometimes be undesirable. Thus, elevators have been proposed wherein the machine is supported to hang downwardly from the machine beams, and toward the hoistway. However, there has been no proposed hoist tool for lifting the machine to this upper location that would not require additional space. Using additional space for the hoist tool would in some respects reduce the benefits of having the machine hang downwardly from the machine beams.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a disclosed embodiment of this invention, a hoist tool for lifting the machine upwardly through the hoistway of an elevator is mounted to the machine beams which support the machine once it is lifted through the hoistway. More particularly, the hoist tool is preferably mounted at a side of the machine in the hoistway such that it does not require additional axial space within the building. In a most preferred embodiment, machine beams support the machine at an upper surface and the machine hangs downwardly from the machine beam. The hoist tool also hangs downwardly from the machine beam, and to one lateral side of the machine. Although it is preferred that the hoist tool be mounted to a machine beam, it is also within the scope of this invention that the hoist tool be mounted to some other mounting structure, but still positioned within the axial length of the machine, and to the side of the machine.
In further details of this invention, the hoist tool incorporates a motor driving a cable for lifting the machine. A pulley sheave is mounted on the machine beam and the cable moves over the pulley sheave, and is connected to a lift point also on the machine beam. The cable extends over two pulley sheaves mounted on a frame for supporting the machine. Through this structure the machine is lifted by the hoist tool.
These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a view showing the mounting of a machine.
FIG. 2
shows the machine and frame mounted to a machine beam.
FIG. 3
is a detail of one side of the arrangement of FIG.
2
.
FIG. 4
is a cross-sectional view along line
4
—
4
as shown in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 5
is a schematic view showing the mounting of the hoist tool and the machine assembly to the machine beams.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
An elevator system
18
is shown in
FIG. 1
having a machine assembly
19
. The machine assembly
19
incorporates the machine including a motor
20
and a pulley sheave
21
for driving a cable
22
. As is known, the cable
22
will extend within a hoistway
23
and lift the cab
24
, once the machine assembly
19
is operational. The cab
24
and cable
22
are shown schematically in this figure, as this figure shows the movement of the machine assembly
19
. Typically, the cab
24
would not be connected to the machine during this step.
The machine assembly
19
incorporates not only the motor
20
and pulley sheave
21
, but also frame sides
26
. A plate
27
extends laterally between the frame sides
26
and actually supports the motor
20
and pulley sheave
21
. The plate
27
extends into the plane of this figure, and a second set of frame sides is at an opposed end of plate
27
. The details of the motor
20
and pulley sheave
21
are shown somewhat schematically, and it should be understood that the machine will also typically include other equipment such as a brake, etc.
Pulley sheaves
28
are mounted in each of the side frames
26
and receive a cable
30
. The cable
30
extends under the pulley sheaves
28
and across the lateral width of the machine assembly
19
.
A machine beam
32
extends laterally across the hoistway
23
. A hoist tool
35
includes a mounting bracket
34
extending downwardly from the beam
32
. A hoist motor
36
is mounted in the bracket
34
. A pulley sheave
38
is also mounted within the bracket
34
, and a pulley sheave
40
is mounted on the beam
32
. The cable
30
extends from the motor
36
around the sheave
38
and upwardly over the sheave
40
, and then to the sheaves
28
. From the opposed pulley sheave
28
, the cable
30
extends upwardly to a fixed point or lift point
42
on the beam
32
. The cable
30
also extends around a pin
44
on the beam
32
.
When the machine assembly
19
is being installed into the elevator
18
, the motor
36
is driven to lift the machine assembly
19
upwardly. Assembly
19
is then mounted to the beam
32
. Once the machine assembly
19
is mounted to the beam
32
, the hoist tool
35
still typically remains in the elevator
18
. As can be seen, the bracket
34
is fixed by bolts
37
to the beam
32
.
As can be appreciated from
FIG. 2
, the machine assembly
19
has now been mounted, such as by bolts
46
extending into bolt holes in the beam
32
. The hoist tool
35
can be seen to be mounted to the lateral side of the machine assembly
19
, and within an axial length of the machine assembly
19
defined extending along the hoistway
23
.
As shown in
FIG. 3
, the bracket
34
may be formed of sheet metal, and supports the motor
36
. Again, bolts
37
support the bracket
34
on the beam
32
. Bolts
46
fix the machine assembly
19
frame sides
26
to beam
32
.
While the hoist tool
35
is shown mounted to the machine beam
32
, within the scope of this invention, the hoist tool
35
could be mounted to a wall or other support structure other than the beam
32
. In such an embodiment, the hoist tool
35
is still preferably to a lateral side of the machine assembly
19
, and within the length of the machine assembly
19
. However, it should be understood that the preferred embodiment mounts the hoist tool
35
to the machine beam
32
.
FIG. 4
shows hoist tool
35
. As shown, there are bolts
37
at two spaced locations along the frame of the hoist tool. There is further a bottom plate
52
making the bracket
34
rigid. As also shown, the motor
30
extends forwardly of the bracket frame
34
.
FIG. 5
is a schematic view roughly along the same direction as FIG.
4
. As shown, the bracket
34
has its bolts
37
fixed to both of a pair of machine beams
32
and
54
. As is shown, the bolts
37
are attached to a bottom face
56
of the c-shaped beams
32
and
42
. Similarly, further into the plane of the paper in
FIG. 5
, portions of frame sides
26
are fixed by bolts
46
to the rear surface
58
of the c-shaped machine beams
32
and
54
. As can be appreciated from the combination of the
FIGS. 1-5
, the present invention thus incorporates the hoist tool in a relatively small space.
A preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed; however, a worker in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.
Claims
- 1. An elevator assembly comprising:a machine beam extending through a lateral width; a machine assembly including a lift motor for lifting an elevator cab and a frame mounting said lift motor, said machine assembly being supported by said machine beam; and a hoist tool including a motor for lifting said machine assembly upwardly through a hoistway to a support location on said machine beam, said hoist tool fixed to said machine beam.
- 2. An elevator assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein both said machine assembly and said hoist tool are mounted to hang downwardly from said machine beam.
- 3. An elevator assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein said hoist tool drives a cable arranged around pulley sheaves to lift said machine assembly, and at least one of said pulley sheaves being mounted on said machine beam.
- 4. An elevator assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein said cable for lifting said machine assembly is fixed to said machine beam at a lift point, and further extends around said pulley sheave on said machine beam, then around a pair of spaced pulley sheaves on said machine assembly, and is then fixed to said lift point.
- 5. An elevator assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein said pair of spaced pulley sheaves are mounted on respective sides of a frame in said machine assembly, and said lift motor being mounted on a plate extending laterally between said side frames.
- 6. An elevator assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said hoist tool is mounted on a bracket, said bracket being attached to said machine beam.
- 7. An elevator assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein there are a pair of machine beams, with said machine assembly being fixed to both of said pair of machine beams, and said hoist tool further being fixed to both of said machine beams.
- 8. An elevator assembly comprising:a machine beam extending through a lateral width; a machine assembly including a lift motor for lifting an elevator cab and a frame mounting said lift motor, said machine assembly being supported by said machine beam; and a hoist tool including a motor for lifting said machine assembly through a hoistway and to a support location on said machine beam, said machine assembly being mounted to hang downwardly from said machine beam for an axial distance into said hoistway, and said hoist tool being mounted to a lateral side of said machine assembly and at least partially within said axial distance of said machine assembly hangs into said hoistway.
- 9. An elevator assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein said machine assembly and said hoist tool are both fixed to said machine beam, and said hoist tool driving a cable arranged around a pulley sheave mounted on said machine beam, said cable being fixed to said machine beam at a lift point, and said cable extending around a pair of spaced pulley sheaves on said machine assembly intermediate said pulley sheave on said machine beam and said lift point.
- 10. A method of lifting a machine assembly through a hoistway to a mount location in an elevator assembly, said method including the steps of:(1) providing a hoist tool including a motor and being mounted adjacent an upper end of a hoistway, and providing a machine assembly having a lift motor for driving an elevator cab, said hoist tool being operably connected to lift said machine assembly; (2) mounting said hoist tool to a machine beam to hang downwardly from said machine beam; (3) utilizing said hoist tool motor to lift said machine assembly through said hoistway to an upward position, and then attaching said machine assembly to said machine beam, and said machine assembly also being mounted to hang downwardly from said machine beam.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5000292 |
Chapelain et al. |
Mar 1991 |
A |
6006865 |
Ammon |
Dec 1999 |
A |
6193017 |
Koster |
Feb 2001 |
B1 |
Foreign Referenced Citations (7)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0 375 208 |
Jun 1990 |
EP |
02089791 |
Mar 1990 |
JP |
4-324478 |
Feb 1992 |
JP |
7-237847 |
Sep 1995 |
JP |
8-2850 |
Jan 1996 |
JP |
9-272671 |
Oct 1997 |
JP |
11-322230 |
Nov 1999 |
JP |