The elevator is a staple part of our lives nowadays

The elevator is a staple part of our lives nowadays. We use it constantly to go up and down floors and never really think about the mechanics of the device, unless maybe we have just watched a movie in which an elevator had a prominent feature. In reality, however, they are very interesting devices, as the best Passenger Elevator companies in New York City will tell you. By definition, an elevator is an enclosure or platform that can go up and down within a vertical shaft. It is designed to move freight or people. Within the shaft, you will find the motor, operating equipment, cables and various other accessories.

In combination with an elevator well having track members arranged longitudinally thereof, and a car arranged to travel in said well, and having suspension cables, of a brake mechanism carried by said car and adapted to frictionally engage said members, automatically acting means causing said brake to become operative to stop the car on breakage of said cable, and means actuable from the interior of said car for repeatedly and momentarily releasing said brake mechanism to permit gradual controlled descent of said car to a landing should said brake have acted to stop said car between landings, the length of time of such momentary release being out of control of the operator.

In combination with an elevator well having track members arranged longitudinally thereof, and a car arranged to travel in said well, and having suspension cables, of a brake mechanism carried by said car and adapted to frictionally engage said members including electrically actuated releasing mechanism, automatically acting means causing said brake to become operative to stop the car on breakage of said cable, and means for momentarily and repeatedly supplying electrical energy to said brake mechanism when said brake is applied to permit gradual controlled descent of such car to a landing should said brake have acted to stop said car between landings, the length of time of such momentary supply of electrical energy being out of control of the operator.

In the conventional traction elevator the brake, which is electromechanically operated, is located in the machining room, where it is attached to the drive. As a result, the braking force is limited by the traction between the cables and the drive. In an abrupt stop the drive may "slip traction", reducing the braking force significantly.

The elevator safety, a separate stopping device, is located on the elevator car. Generally consisting of a wedge device, a safety rapidly engages the elevator rail to stop the elevator car. The safeties are usually progressive; that is, they progressively reach a maximum tolerable acceleration rate. Safety operation is typically controlled by an elevator governor, which, generally speaking, is a mechanical 'evice that is connected to the elevator car and which, upon sensing elevator car overspeed, provides a mechanical pull (actuation) to the safety, causing it to engage the rail.

In combination with an elevator well having track members arranged longitudinally thereof, and a car arranged to travel in said well and having a suspending cable, of a brake mechanism carried by said car and adapted to frictionally engage said members and including electrically actuated brake-releasing mechanism, a switch for controlling electrical energy to release said brake and movable between two spaced off positions and having an on position intermediate to said spaced positions, and operator-actuable means actuable to throw said switch from one to the other of said spaced positions and momentarily close said switch at said intermediate position whereby said brake may be repeatedly and momentarily released to permit gradual and controlled descent of said car should said brake have acted to stop said car between landings, said switch being out of control of said actuable means while passing through said intermediate on position, whereby the operator is unable to hold said switch in on position.

In combination with an elevator well rail, of a brake adapted to be carried by a car movable through said well, said brake having a pair of spaced friction shoes arranged one on each side of said rail, and a third shoe opposite an end wall of said rail, and means for pressing all of said shoes against said rail and for releasing all of said shoes therefrom.