Elevator system with temporary hoistway structure and method for use thereof

Claim 2

An elevator system within a building framework having a plurality of horizontal structural first members defining a vertical air shaft and several floor levels, said elevator system comprising an elevator car having a safety mechanism mounted thereon; a pair of guide rails each extending said several floor levels for guiding said elevator car; each said guide rail comprising a plurality of interconnected rail sections; said elevator car safety mechanism operating in the event of an overspeeding condition and applying vertical forces to said guide rails; and a plurality of pairs of substantially parallel horizontally disposed, vertically flexible second members, each pair of said second members mounted on a pair of first members at a different one of said several floor levels, each member of each pair of said second members being in substantial vertical alignment with and having its longitudinal axis substantially in the same plane with and parallel to that of the corresponding members of the other such pairs thereby forming two sets of said members, each set of vertically aligned second members being connected to and interconnected by a different one of said guide rails, thereby forming a temporary hoistway structure; said temporary hoistway structure distributing vertical forces applied to said guide rails to a plurality of said structural members on several of said floor levels.

Claim 3

An elevator system in accordance with claim 1, including a buffer assembly having a buffer frame with a buffer mounted thereon and rail engagement means releasably engaging said buffer frame to said guide rails, said buffer assembly being held in engagement with said guide rails at a predetermined vertical location thereof whereby forces exerted on said buffer in the event of overtravel of said car are applied to said guide rails.

Claim 4

An elevator system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said rail engagement means includes a pair of safety blocks, each cooperating with a different one of said guide rails, each safety block including a cavity having an inclined surface and receiving the guiding web of its associated rail, a roller retained in each of said cavities and wedged between the guiding web of its associated rail and said inclined surface thereby holding said buffer assembly in engagement with said guide rails at said predetermined vertical location.

Claim 5

An elevator system in accordance with claim 3, wherein each said rail engagement means includes a spring biased lever arm pivotally connected at a point intermediate its two ends to said buffer frame and a linkage connected at one end to its associated roller and at the other end to said lever arm whereby said roller is urged into engagement with its associated inclined surface and guide rAil web.

Claim 6

An elevator system within a building framework having a plurality of horizontal structural members defining a vertical air shaft and several floor levels, said elevator system comprising an elevator car; a pair of rails extending vertically said several floor levels for guiding said elevator car; each said pair including a plurality of interconnected rail sections; a plurality of frames, each having a pair of vertically flexible members, each of said frames secured to those horizontal structural members defining a different one of said several floor levels and having its vertically flexible members disposed in substantially the same relative position to the longitudinal axis of said air shaft, each similarly disposed flexible member of said frames being interconnected by one of said vertically extending rails, thereby forming a temporary hoistway structure; and a buffer assembly, including a buffer frame and a buffer mounted on the top thereof, attached to said rails, said buffer assembly transmitting to said rails vertical forces exerted on said buffer in the event of overtravel by said car, said temporary hoistway structure distributing vertical forces applied to said rails to a plurality of said structural members on several of said floor levels.

Claim 7

An elevator system within a building framework having a plurality of horizontal structural members defining a vertical air shaft and several floor levels, said elevator system comprising an elevator car; a pair of rails extending vertically said several floor levels for guiding said elevator car; each said pair including a plurality of interconnected rail sections; a plurality of frames, each having a pair of vertically flexible members, each of said frames secured to those horizontal structural members defining a different one of said several floor levels and having its vertically flexible members disposed in substantially the same relative position to the longitudinal axis of said air shaft, each similarly disposed flexible member of said frames being interconnected by one of said vertically extending rails, thereby forming a temporary hoistway structure; and a buffer assembly, including a buffer frame and a buffer mounted on the top thereof, attached to said rails, said buffer assembly transmitting to said rails vertical forces exerted on said buffer in the event of overtravel by said car, said temporary hoistway structure distributing vertical forces applied to said rails to a plurality of said structural members on several of said floor levels.

Claim 8

An elevator system in accordance with claim 5, wherein said buffer assembly includes a pair of rail engaging means mounted one on each side of said buffer frame, each said rail engaging means releasably attaching said buffer assembly to an associated rail.

Claim 9

An elevator system in accordance with claim 6, wherein securing means secures each of said frames to its associated horizontal structural members and establishes an active span for each of the vertically flexible members of said frame, said active span determining the amount the member deflects under a given amount of force applied thereto through its associated rail, each rail being connected to its associated flexible members at substantially the midpoint of the active span of each.

Claim 10

A traction elevator system for transporting construction workers into the unaligned steelwork of a building under construction, said building having a steel framework with horizontal structural members defining a vertical air shaft and several floor levels, said elevator system comprising an elevator car; a pair of car guide rails for guiding said elevator car; each said car guide rail comprising a plurality of interconnected rail sections; a counterweight; a pair of counterweight guide rails for guiding said counterweight; traction drive means for driving said elevator car and said counterweight; a plurality of substantially identical rectangular frames, each having first and second opposite sides, each of the first opposite sides of each frame having vertically flexible channel members atop thereof, the second opposite sides of each frame joining their respective first opposite sides at the front and rear thereof, a pair of rail mounting brackets for said counterweight guide rails mounted on the rearward side of each frame, first securing means attaching each channel member to the top of its respective first opposite side and maintaining a predetermined amount of separation therebetween throughout a described length, said amount of separation and said prescribed length establishing the amount of vertical flexure, each said channel members undergoes in response to a given amount of vertical force applied thereto, second securing means attaching each of said rectangular frames to the horizontal structural members at a different one of said several floor levels, each of said rectangular frames being disposed in substantially the same orientation relative to the longitudinal axis of said air shaft; mounting means connecting one of said car guide rails at substantially the midpoint of the prescribed length of each channel member on each side of said frames, thereby interconnecting said channel members on each side by said car guide rails, the vertical flexibility of said chaNnel members being so related to the elongation of said car guide rails that vertical forces applied to said rails are distributed through said frames to a plurality of horizontal structural members on several of said floor levels; means mounting said counterweight rails on said rail mounting brackets, thereby interconnecting said rearward sides of said frames by said counterweight guide rails; and car and counterweight buffer assemblies, each positioned between its respective guide rails and held in releasable engagement therewith, each of said buffer assemblies having a buffer mounted atop a substantially rectangular buffer frame at the corners of which, and extending outwardly therefrom, are notched guide shoes for cooperation with the respective guide rails; each buffer assembly including a pair of rail engagement assemblies, one mounted at each upper corner of its respective frame, each rail engagement assembly comprising a safety block having in the outer face thereof a roller retaining cavity receiving the guide web of its respective guide rail, a roller within said cavity, a lever arm pivotally connected at a point intermediate its ends to said buffer frame, a linkage rod, one end of which is connected to said roller and the other end of which is connected to one end of said lever arm, the other end of said lever arm being spring biased, thereby urging said roller into engagement with its respective guide rail web and one of the walls of its cavity; and an engagement releasing bracket mounted on said buffer frame for holding said roller out of engagement with its guide rail web against the tension of said spring biased lever arm.

Claim 11

A traction elevator system for transporting construction workers into the unaligned steelwork of a building under construction, said building having a steel framework with horizontal structural members defining a vertical air shaft and several floor levels, said elevator system comprising an elevator car; a pair of car guide rails for guiding said elevator car; each said car guide rail comprising a plurality of interconnected rail sections; a counterweight; a pair of counterweight guide rails for guiding said counterweight; traction drive means for driving said elevator car and said counterweight; a plurality of substantially identical rectangular frames, each having first and second opposite sides, each of the first opposite sides of each frame having vertically flexible channel members atop thereof, the second opposite sides of each frame joining their respective first opposite sides at the front and rear thereof, a pair of rail mounting brackets for said counterweight guide rails mounted on the rearward side of each frame, first securing means attaching each channel member to the top of its respective first opposite side and maintaining a predetermined amount of separation therebetween throughout a described length, said amount of separation and said prescribed length establishing the amount of vertical flexure, each said channel members undergoes in response to a given amount of vertical force applied thereto, second securing means attaching each of said rectangular frames to the horizontal structural members at a different one of said several floor levels, each of said rectangular frames being disposed in substantially the same orientation relative to the longitudinal axis of said air shaft; mounting means connecting one of said car guide rails at substantially the midpoint of the prescribed length of each channel member on each side of said frames, thereby interconnecting said channel members on each side by said car guide rails, the vertical flexibility of said chaNnel members being so related to the elongation of said car guide rails that vertical forces applied to said rails are distributed through said frames to a plurality of horizontal structural members on several of said floor levels; means mounting said counterweight rails on said rail mounting brackets, thereby interconnecting said rearward sides of said frames by said counterweight guide rails; and car and counterweight buffer assemblies, each positioned between its respective guide rails and held in releasable engagement therewith, each of said buffer assemblies having a buffer mounted atop a substantially rectangular buffer frame at the corners of which, and extending outwardly therefrom, are notched guide shoes for cooperation with the respective guide rails; each buffer assembly including a pair of rail engagement assemblies, one mounted at each upper corner of its respective frame, each rail engagement assembly comprising a safety block having in the outer face thereof a roller retaining cavity receiving the guide web of its respective guide rail, a roller within said cavity, a lever arm pivotally connected at a point intermediate its ends to said buffer frame, a linkage rod, one end of which is connected to said roller and the other end of which is connected to one end of said lever arm, the other end of said lever arm being spring biased, thereby urging said roller into engagement with its respective guide rail web and one of the walls of its cavity; and an engagement releasing bracket mounted on said buffer frame for holding said roller out of engagement with its guide rail web against the tension of said spring biased lever arm.