Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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The present invention relates to a transport system for
a stairway elevator havin~ a platform, seat, or the like that is
used to accommodate the load as weIl as a drive system that
moves with the load having at least one drive wheel that engages
like a pinion in a notched rail that is arranged alon~ the path
of the transportation system and which matches the drive wheel.
A number of already familiar transport systems are used
for transporting or moving loads. In this connection, the so-
called stairway elevators are achieving increasing importance;
these are intended to enable a handicapped person to negotiate
a difference in level which is bridged by means of a stairway,
using a device similar to an elevator. The handicapped person
can be moved together with a wheel chair or else he or she
can occupy a seat that is installed on the stairway elevator.
DE-OS 26 32 684 descr~bes a transportation system which
in practise and under certain circumstances has proved to be
entirely satisfactory for use in a stairway elevator. Using this
familiar transport system it is possible to cope with three
dimensional changes in direction and very sharp corners on the
transportatlon path, characteristics which are nearly always
required in a stairway elevator. Such changes in direction are
brought about by the use of a tube in which a cable that is
moved by a drive wheel is accommodated in such a manner as to be
free of contact and which at the same time functions as a guide
tube for the stairway elevator and which can bear the load. In
order that the movement of the cable can be transmitted to the
load that is to be moved the guide tube is provided with a
continuous longitudinal slit through which a connector protrudes
to the outside of the tube, this being secured to the cable
and which can engage in a plate that bears the load. However,
mention must be made of the fact that the cable is provided with
slides at intervals along its length in order to ensure that the
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cable is ~uided within the ~uide tube in such a manner that no
contact exists between these two elements.
In addition to the above mentioned advantage that very
tight c~rners can be negotiated, which will be required, for
example, in the case of spiral staircases, or stairways which
continue through several stories, it is also advantageous that
the actual drive is fixed to the drive wheel and does not move
with the load. This means that the actual space requirement for
the stairway elevat~r itself is kept to a minimum since the drive
unit does not need to be installed on the elevator. This also
eliminates the problem of arranging for a power supply to the
"co-travelling drive" on the stairway elevator.
In practice however, these advantages are balanced out
by some disadvantages. In particular, the friction o~ the slide
elements on the inner wall of the guide tube causes some
difficulties. Since this friction occurs primarily in curves,
it will of course increase as the number of curves grows greater
so that ever more powerful and thus more costly power units are
required. In addition, the tractive effort increases so that for
reasons of safety it is necessary to use stronger and more costly
cables in the guide tube.
For this reason, stairway elevators have already been
constructed in which no cable is used for transferring the
motion and in which in place of this, the power unit "co-travels"
with the load. In a known transport system for such a stairway
elevator a rail is laid-along the transport path with the notched
rail, that is to say along the length of the stairway; the drive
wheel, which is in the form a pinion, engages in this notched
rail. It is obvious that using such a solution the friction in
the drive system is completely independent of the length of the
system and the number of curves in it. However, it is unfortunate
that this advantage also entails the disadvantage that no sharp
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curves can be ne~otiated u$in~ the notched rail. If, na~ely,
the radius of the cu~ve ~s very small there is no more meshing
on the notched rail at this point. For thls reason the notched
rail must also be laid on the outer side of the stairway, that
is to say on the wall side opposite the hand rail since the
curves are extremely sharp on the inner thand rail) side. If
after having reached one floor the second portion of the stairway
is joined to the first portion of the s~airway the hand rail will
as a rule turn through a very sharp curve through an angle of
approximately 180. However, the notched rail cannot follow such
sharp curves.
The resulting necessity of having to lay the notched rail
that is so favourable because of the friction the fact that it has
to be considered, on the outside of the stairway entails yet
another disadvantage. Very frequently doors leading to various
rooms are located on the outer side in the individual floors,
however, both for practical reasons as well as for the resulting
hazard it is not possible to allow the notched rail to pass the
door openings at ground level. For this reason, the transportation
route must of necessity be broken at these places. For this
reason, the familiar transport system using a pinion and a notched
rail can for the most part only be used for negotiating a single
story and even this can only be done with the provision that the
associated stairway is as far as is possible straight and
describes no sharp curves. The familiar transport system thus
cannot be used for stairways which extend over several floors.
In summary it can be said that the familiar conventional
transport systems can be classified in two distinct types. The
first type present no problem in the case of sharp curves as a
result of the guide tube although friction does cause considerable
difficulties. These difficulties can be eliminated using the
second type which has a pinion and a notched rail however they do
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entail the disadvant~ge that the transport path can contain no
sharp curves. Thus the problem rematns that the advantayes
of the two different transport systems are mutually exclusive
and that up to the present it has been impossible to combine
them.
The present invention provides a transport system for
a stairway elevat~r with which even sharp curves can be
negotiated with friction that remains independent of the length
of the path.
According to the present invention there is provided
ln a transport system for a stairway elevator with a platform,
seat, or the like used to accommodate a load as well as a drive
system which is moved together with the load having at least
one drive wheel that engages pinion-like in a notched rail arranged
along the transport path and which matches the drive wheel, the
improvement in which the meshing between the drive wheel and
the notched rail is to a great extent formed in such a manner
as to be independent of direction.
Thus, according t~ the present invention meshing
between the drive wheel an-d the notched rod is such as to be
largely independent of direction. The transportation system of
the present invention results in a secure and positive transmission
of force that is for all practical purposes completely independent
of direction so that even very sharp curves can be negotiated.
In principal the point of departure is the basic concept
of a transport system using a pinion and a notched rail, this
being particularly favourable with regard to friction. However,
the invention entails the not inconsiderable advantage that by
taking such a system as a basis even the-sharp curves that are
in practice required can also be negotiated, which is not possible
using conventional transport systems having a pinion and a notched
rail. As a result of the preferably spherical meshing that is
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to a large e*~ independent of direction it has been possible
~t for the first time to lay the notched rail on the inner side
V
of the statrw,ay and thus negotiate several stories continuously
by using a notched rail and at the same time avoid the above-
described disadvanta~es.
In a suitable configuration of the transport system
of the present invention the notched rail is formed as the guide
rail in the sense of the guide tube that has already been
described above. Thus the advantages of both familiar transport
systems can be combined with each other thereby and their
disadvantages simultaneously avoided. The meshing according to
the invention can be effected by spherical teeth on the drive
wheel and appropriate circu~ar depressions in the guide rail.
These depressions are extended into slots in the areas of the
curves. Another possibil~ty for the meshing is that the spherical
teeth can be arranged on the guide rail, the drive wheel then
being provided ~ith suitably shaped circular cutout portions.
The use of a further guide, which can in similar manner
be formed as a rail in addition to the guide rail in a vertical
plane and at a parallel distance from the guide rail is
especially advantageous. In this manner a vertical side wall can
be provided having on one side the platform which is used to
accommodate the load and having on the other side the drive
wheel, this being securely held by the two guides and guided
along the transport path. In a particularly useful configuration,
of the transportation system of the present invention the drive
wheel is arranged above the upper guide rail thus bears the
side wall and the load whereas the lower end of the side wall
can rest'upon the lower guide, The drive wheel can also be
arranged beneath the upper gulde rail and thus work from below
with the guide rail in order to transmit force. In this case
in a useful configuration the side wall is supported by at least
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one conical roller that rolls on the upper side of the upper guide
rail. In addition it is advantageous that at least one conical
roller is provided at the lower end of the side wall. The side
wall resting horizontally on the lower guide through the medium
of this roller.
According to the position of the load in each case, thus
according to the position of the wheel chair on the platform
of the side wall, the center of gravity will be adjusted, in most
instances this will be d~splaced from the middle. This results
in turning moments that must be taken up by the two parallel
guide rails. This presents no problem in the rising or falling
portions of the path although these turning moments can be
effective in a prejudicial manner in the case of horizontal
movement thereby resulting in the danger that the lower non-
driven portion of the side plate can remain stationary thereby
tilting the elevator in a dangerous manner. In order to provide
assistance a useful configuration of the invention that the
lower guide, at least on the horizontal sections engages with an
auxillary drive wheel in the same way as the upper guide rail,
this auxillary guide rail being coupled synchronously with the
upper drive wheel and moves synchronously with it. In this
manner, a safe and even motion is ensured even in the horizontal
sectors.
The present invention will be further illustrated by
way of the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Fig. 1 is a simplified perspective drawing of astairway elevator accord~ng to one embodiment of the present
invention;
~ igs. 2 and 3 are side and end views of a side wall
of a stairway elevator configured witr.ou' a platform with a drive
wheel arranged above the guide rail;
Figs. 4 and 5 are side and end views according to Figs.
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2 and 3, with a drive wheel arranged beneath the upper guide
rail;
Fi~s. 6 and 7 are side and end views according to Figs.
2 and 3, with the guide rail formed with spherical portions;
Fig. 8 is a plan view of a guide rail according to
Fig. 7 thatin an arc shape;
Fia. 9 is a cross section of a portion of the drive
wheel accordin~ to Fig. 7;
Figs. 10 and 11 are side and end views according to
Figs. 2 and 3 with an upper guide rail configured as a tube and
with a drive wheel arranged beneath the upper guide rail;
Fig. 12 is a detail of the guide rail according to
Fig. 11; and
Fig. 13 is a plan view of a guide rail according to
Fig. 12 in an arc shape.
The stairway elevator 1 shown in Fig. 1 includes a
side wall 2 as well as a drive system which is not illustrated
in order to move the side wall 2 along the 2 guide rails 6 and 8,
these being arranged on the inner side of the stairway. ~t its
2 B~ lower end the~Di~r~ 2 is provided with a platform 4 upon which
a wheelchair (not shown) for a handicapped person may stand.
In order that the s'airway elevat~r 1 takes up as little room as
possible when not in use, the platform 4 can be folded up into a
position in which it is parallel to the side wall 2. For the
remainder safety plates can be arranged at the forward and rear
transverse sides of the platform 4, (these not being shown), it
being possible to adjust thesè obliquely upwards in order to
prevent a wheelchair located on the platform 4 rolling off the
platform 4 accidently. These safety plates can be adjusted and
brought into a horizontal position so that when a certain floor
is reached the wheel chair can be moved off the platform 4.
The stairway elevat~r that is shown is provided with a
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so-called ~'co~tra~ellin~ drive"~ i.e, the drive srvstem is
arranged directly on the stairway ele~ator 1. A cable drum can
be provided in n alroady ~amili-- manner in order to supply
energy to the power s~stem; however, this has proved to be
some~hat less ~han suitable in practice. For this reason, in a
useful manner a battery (not shown) is provided on the stairway
elevat~r 1, this being used to provide energy to the drive system.
Finally, mention should be made of the fact that the controls,
upwards or downwards, and stop, are arranged on the'upper end
10~ of the side wall 2 on the side facing the platform where they
are readily accessible to a handicapped person located in a wheel-
chair on the platform 4.
Further details of the stairway elevator described
above are given below in which connection for reasons of clarity
the platform 4 wh'ich is located at the lower end of the side wall
2 is not shown in remaining illustrations. In the embodiment
of the invention accordlng to Fig. 2 and 3 the side wall 2 is
; guided by the upper guide rail 6 and the lower guide rail 8 in
which connection the upper guide rail 6 bears the vertical load
of the side wall 2 through the drive wheel 10 and thus carries
' this. It can be seen that driven drive wheel 10 and the upper
guide rail 6 work together in the manner of a pinionand a guide
rail. Unlike the formerly familiar arrangements meshing
however, is to a large extent independent of direction this
being achieved in this embodiment by the fact the round formed
upper guide rail 6 like the lower guide rail 8 is providea on its
upper side with spherical teeth 12 these engaging in the matching
cutout portions 14 of the drive wheel 10 thus permitting a
transfer of force that ls to a large extent independent of
direction. The two guide rails 6 and 8, which, as is seen from
Fig. 1, run along the total transport path parallel to each other
can for this reason in an advantageous manner describe very sharp
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curves, this being impossible to achieve with conventional notched
rails.
The drive wheel 10 that is provided with the circular
cutout portions 14 is carried by an upper back plate 16, this
being secured to the side wall 2 in such a manner as to rotate
about an axle 18. In order to achieve safe guidance of the side
wall 2 along the two guide rails 6 and 8 two conical rollers 20
are arranged on a lower back plate 22 through which the side wall
2 rests on a horizontal direction on the lower guide rail
8. By means of the rotatable mounting of the back plate 22 this
placed in relation to the upper back plate 16 in a cutout portion
of the side wall 2 means that the two conical rollers 20 can
follow every chan~e in direction of the transport sector
determined by the two guide ratls 6 and 8. This means that
in each case a positive drive that can cope with curves is in
each case ensured by means of the illustrated "tooth-meshing".
Unlike the above describe~versions~Figs. 4 and 5 show
the drive wheel 10 beneath the upper guide rail 6 and thus the
spherical teeth 12 are located on the under side of the guide
rail 6. ~n this case, naturally, the drive wheel 10 cannot bear
the side wall 2 and for this reason the two upper conical
rollers 26 are provided, these lying on top of the guide rail
6 where they can roll. In order to be able to bear the load
cau~ed by the side wall 2 safely, the two conical rollers 26 are
arranged at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the side
wall 2. As can be seen, the two conical rollers 26 are carried
by a carrier 28 which is also secured to the upper back plate
16 in such a manner as to be able to rotate around the
previously mentioned axle 18 on the side wall 2 so that the two
conical rollers can roll on the upper guide rail 6 even when the
angle of incline of the two guide rails changes. The lower end
of the side wall 2 rests in the previously described manner over
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the two conica1 rollers 20 on the lower guide rail 8.
In a further exemplary version according to Figs. 6 and
7 meshing which is independent of direction is achieved by
the fact that the upper guide rail 6 is provided with enlarged
portions 32 which form the teeth and engage in correspondingly
shaped cut-out portions 32 of the drive wheel 30. In the drawing
the drive wheel 30 is arranged above the guide rail 6 and in
this case it is expedient that a sliding guide is provided in the
form of a ~hrust plate 36 the support of the lower area of the
side wall 2 on the lower guide rail 8 is achieved in the previous-
ly described manner through the two conical rollers 20. Of
course in this exemplary version 2 it is possible for the drive
wheel 30 to be arranged beneath the upper guide rail 6 when it
must be ensured that the side wall 2 can be borne a suitably
formed thrust plate arranged above the guide rail 6. Mention
should also be made to the fact that the spherical enlarged
portion 32 can be formed by spherical bodies fixed to the guide
rail 6.
Figs. 8 and 9 clarifies the relationships that occur
when the guide rails 6 and 8 describe a curve. The points of
contact 40 between the spherical enlarged portions 32 and the
drive wheel 30 are shaded. The center fully shaded ball transfers
the turning moment o~ the drive wheel 30. If a constant radius
curve is used for a change in direction and the throat angle A
is properly selected the shaded points of contact will result on
the spheres that precede and follow and center sphere, these
points of contact holding the drive wheel 30 laterally stable
with the cut-out portions 34 and ensure a constant and even change
in direction. It must be recognized that using this arrangement
it is possible to describe relatively sharp curves so that the
two guide rails 6 and 8 can be laid on the inner side of the
sta~rway where expertence has shown that very sharp curves will
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be required. The deeper inner curve the spheres adjacent to the
center sphere engaae along the side shoulders the more they will
assume the same direction. The converse applies that the further
leave the sloped shoulders the more deviant the direction can be.
In any case using the described meshing it is possible to select
the cut-out portions 34 of the drive wheel 30 and ~he spherical
enlarged portions 32 in such a manner that on one hand the
transfer of talk is guaranteed and on the other that there is
sufficient lateral stability of the drive wheel 30 in the curves.
It must also be pointed out that Fig. 8 the area of sliding
friction is numbered 50 and the area of rolling friction is number
38.
In the version shown in Fig. 10 and 11 the drive wheel
42 is provided with spherical teeth 44 and these engage in the
depressions 46 of the guide rail 6 the later is here formed as a
hollow tube so that the previously mentioned depressions 46 are
formed by holes in the wall of the tube. Because the drive wheel
42 is located on the lower side of the guide rai`l 6 two conical
rollers 26 are also provided here and these bear the side wall 2.
Naturally it is also possible here to arrange the drive wheel 42
above the upper guide rail 6 as is shown in Fig. 12.
~ ig. 13 shows the relationships in the curves with the
version according to Fig. 12. As in Fig. 8, the points of contact
48 between the drive wheel 42 and the guide rail 6 are shaded.
The talk of the drive wheel 42 is transmitted by the middle
completely shaded spherical teeth 44, whereas the points of contact
of the immediately preceding and following teeth 44 provide
the lateral stability of the drive wheel 42.
The basic principle of a spherical meshing that is to a
great extent independent of direction underlies all the
exemplary versions which have been described. This meshing is
effected by means of round of spherical teeth that fit into
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suitable cut--out portions. Despite the possibility created
thereby o permittin~ sharp cur~es in the transport path this also
provides the i~portant advantage that friction that is ~enerated
is completely independent of the length of the transport path
and of the number of curves in it. Thus, a positive transfer
of force makes it possible to negotiate several stories with a
stairway elevator which is also characterized by quietness
of operation.
The parallel guide rails 6 and 8 do not of course always
follow an inclined path; ln many instances there are also
horizontal stretches to be negotiated. It has been shown that
the safe guiding of the stairway lift in a horizontal sector is
frequently a cause for difficulties since the center of gravity
of the arrangement is very often shifted from the middle accord-
ing to the position of the wheel chair on the platform 4. This
plays no role when the two guide rails are inclined; on the
contrary, this frequently results in very good stability of the
stairway lift 1. However, in the case of a horizontal stretch
a danger may result that the lower undriven portion of the side
plate 2 is inclined to remain stationary which will of course have
a prejudicial effect. In order to eliminate this difficulty,
according to further advantageous development of the invention,
the lower guide rail 8 is also provided with spherical teeth or
with cut-out portions in the same manner as the other guide rail,
at least in the areas of horizontal stretch~s and is also provid-
ed with an auxillary drive wheel so that there is also a drive
on the lower ~uide rail 8. In order to achieve the synchronous
and equal motion between the upper and the lower drive wheels
that is necessary, they are both coupled at a ratio of 1 to 1
(this not bein~ shown in the illustrations). In this manner
the stairway elevator 1 can also be kept stable on horizontal
stretches.
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~ h,e exemplary yersion shown in the drawings require
in each case only ~n additional drive wheel 10~ 30 or 42
respectivel~, Naturally, it is also possible to use several
drive wheels, For the remainder mention must also be made
of the fact tha,t a new type of transport system can be used
advantageously for a stairway lift but is not necessarily
restricted to this. Thus, for example, it is also possible that
transport systems can also be used in a monorail overhead railway
or in a cog railway.
Finally, mention should be made of the fact that for
reasons of clarity in the drawings, only the drive wheel and not
the complete drive system is shown in the drawings.
!
, 30
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