Lift car support

Claim 2

A support structure for a lift car, comprisinga frame adapted to be connected to a lift hoisting mechanism to support the lift car, first and second pairs of parallel rails arranged substantially horizontally in a parallelogram configuration between the lift car and the frame, and first and second sets of followers arranged to roll or slide on said first and second pairs of rails respectively, said lift car being supported from said frame by way of said rails and followers in a manner such that one pair of rails is supported from the other pair of rails by way of at least one said set of followers and can traverse along the line of the other pair of rails, allowing the lift car to move in any horizontal direction relative to the frame, said first pair of rails being mounted on said frame, said second pair of rails being mounted on said first set of followers, and said lift car being mounted on said second set of followers.

Claim 3

A support structure for a lift car, comprising a frame adapted to be connected to a lift hoisting mechanism to support the lift car, first and second pairs of parallel rails arranged substantially horizontally in a parallelogram configuration between the lift car and the frame, said first pair of rails being mounted on the frame, said second pair of rails being mounted on the lift car, and first and second sets of followers arranged to roll or slide on said first and second pairs of rails respectively, said sets of followers being mounted back-to-back in a plurality of bogies, each bogie incorporating one of said first set of followers and one of said second set of followers, four said bogies being provided, located at the corners of said parallelogram, said followers incorporating wheels or rollers having peripheries shaped to engage and follow said rails which are provided with corresponding profiles, and said wheels being provided in tandem pairs in each said bogie, the pair of wheels in said first set of followers being positioned to support the bogie on said first set of rails, and the pair of wheels in said second set of followers being positioned to support said second set of rails on said bogies, said lift car being supported from said frame by way of said rails and followers in a manner such that one pair of rails is supported from the other pair of rails by way of at least one said set of followers and can traverse along the line of the other pair of rails allowing the lift car to move in any horizontal direction relative to the frame.

Claim 4

A support structure for a lift car, comprising a frame adapted to be connected to a lift hoisting mechanism to support the lift car, first and second pairs of parallel rails arranged substantially horizontally in a parallelogram configuration between the lift car and the frame, said first pair of rails being mounted on the frame, said second pair of rails being mounted on the lift car, and first and second sets of followers arranged to roll or slide on said first and second pairs of rails respectively, said sets of followers being mounted back-to-back in a plurality of bogies, each bogie incorporating one of said first set of followers and one of said second set of followers, four said bogies being provided, located at the corners of said parallelogram, said followers incorporating wheels or rollers having peripheries shaped to engage and follow said rails which are provided with corresponding profiles, and said wheels being provided in tandem pairs in each said bogie, the pair of wheels in said first set of followers being positioned to support the bogie on said first set of rails, and the pair of wheels in said second set of followers being positioned to support said second set of rails on said bogies, said lift car being supported from said frame by way of said rails and followers in a manner such that one pair of rails is supported from the other pair of rails by way of at least one said set of followers and can traverse along the line of the other pair of rails allowing the lift car to move in any horizontal direction relative to the frame.

Claim 5

A support structure for a lift car, comprising a frame adapted to be connected to a lift hoisting mechanism to support the lift car, first and second pairs of parallel rails arranged substantially horizontally in a parallelogram configuration between the lift car and the frame, first and second sets of followers arranged to roll or slide on said first and second pairs of rails respectively, and biasing means to bias said first set of followers to a datum position on said first pair of rails, and to bias said second set of followers to a datum position on said second pair of rails, said lift car being supported from said frame by way of said rails and followers in a manner such that one pair of rails is supported from the other pair of rails by way of at least one said set of followers and can traverse along the line of the other pair of rails allowing the lift car to move in any horizontal direction relative to the frame.

Claim 6

A support structure for a lift car, comprising a frame adapted to be connected to a lift hoisting mechanism to support the lift car, first and second pairs of parallel rails arranged substantially horizontally in a parallelogram configuration between the lift car and the frame, first and second sets of followers arranged to roll or slide on said first and second pairs of rails respectively, and biasing means to bias said first set of followers to a datum position on said first pair of rails, and to bias said second set of followers to a datum position on said second pair of rails, said lift car being supported from said frame by way of said rails and followers in a manner such that one pair of rails is supported from the other pair of rails by way of at least one said set of followers and can traverse along the line of the other pair of rails allowing the lift car to move in any horizontal direction relative to the frame.

Claim 7

A support structure for a lift car as claimed in claim 3, wherein said biasing means are arranged to have a relatively small biasing force at positions immediately adjacent said datum positions, increasing with displacement from said datum positions.

Claim 8

A support structure for a lift car as claimed in claim 3, wherein said biasingmeans are adapted to give a very low natural transverse vibration frequency in the order of 1 Hz, of the lift car relative to the frame.

Claim 9

A support structure for a lift car, comprising a frame adapted to be connected to a lift hoisting mechanism to support the lift car, first and second pairs of parallel rails arranged substantially horizontally in a parallelogram configuration between the lift car and the frame, first and second sets of followers arranged to roll or slide on said first and second pairs of rails respectively, said lift car being supported from said frame by way of said rails and followers in a manner such that one pair of rails is supported from the other pair of rails by way of at least one said set of followers and can traverse along the line of the other pair of rails allowing the lift car to move in any horizontal direction relative to the frame, and positive centralizing means to centralize the lift car to a datum position relative to the frame when the lift is stationary, said centralizing means comprising a toggle brace arrangement mounted on said frame, wherein the central knuckle of the toggle is movable transversely by a linear actuator causing the outer ends of the toggle to move toward and away from one another, to and from retracted and extended positions, and wherein said outer ends of the toggle mechanism are provided with engagement means adapted to engage parts of said lift car in the extended position and to disengage therefrom in the retracted position.

Claim 10

A support structure for a lift car, comprising a frame adapted to be connected to a lift hoisting mechanism to support the lift car, first and second pairs of parallel rails arranged substantially horizontally in a parallelogram configuration between the lift car and the frame, first and second sets of followers arranged to roll or slide on said first and second pairs of rails respectively, said lift car being supported from said frame by way of said rails and followers in a manner such that one pair of rails is supported from the other pair of rails by way of at least one said set of followers and can traverse along the line of the other pair of rails allowing the lift car to move in any horizontal direction relative to the frame, and positive centralizing means to centralize the lift car to a datum position relative to the frame when the lift is stationary, said centralizing means comprising a toggle brace arrangement mounted on said frame, wherein the central knuckle of the toggle is movable transversely by a linear actuator causing the outer ends of the toggle to move toward and away from one another, to and from retracted and extended positions, and wherein said outer ends of the toggle mechanism are provided with engagement means adapted to engage parts of said lift car in the extended position and to disengage therefrom in the retracted position.

Claim 11

A support structure for a lift car as claimed in claim 6, wherein said engagement means comprise abutments, V-shaped in plan view, and said parts of said lift car comprise vertical axles on which are rotatably mounted wheels adapted to nestle in said V-shaped abutments in said extended position.