Otis Elevator Company

Douglas E Logan

John P Wesson

John T Pitts

Richard N Fargo

Mark R Gurvich

Wenping Zhao

William A Veronesi

Richard J Ericson

Hugh James O'Donnell

Mark Steven Thompson

Pedro S Baranda

Richard L Hollowell

Ary O Mello

Kathryn Rauss Sherrick

David Wayne Mckee

James Leo Hubbard

Paul A Stucky

Zlatko Strbuncelj

Leroy H Favrow

Neil R Baldwin

Robert J Haas

William C Perron

Bill Perron

Richard Phillips

Peter Schreiner

Pierangelo Jotti

Hugh J O'DONNELL

Willilam C Perron

Kathryn R Scherrick

Pedro S Barandra

A suspension member for suspending and/or driving an elevator car of an elevator system includes a plurality of tension members extending along a length of the suspension member including a plurality of fibers extending along the length of the suspension member bonded into a polymer matrix. A jacket substantially retains the plurality of tension members. The suspension member is configured to be deformed at a suspension member end to allow for installation of the suspension member end into a termination assembly of the elevator system. A method of installing a suspension member of an elevator system into a termination assembly includes deforming a suspension member end and reforming it to a selected shape, inserting the suspension member end into the termination assembly and curing and/or hardening it, and applying a load thereto or to the socket or the wedge to secure the suspension member end in the termination assembly.

Elevator system suspension member termination

An illustrative method of making a load bearing member for use in an elevator system includes mechanically roughening at least one surface on an exterior of a jacket of the load bearing member to establish a friction characteristic that facilitates engagement between an elevator system sheave and the roughened surface.

Elevator load bearing member having a jacket with at least one rough exterior surface

An elevator load bearing member assembly includes at least one roughened surface () on a polyurethane jacket (). In one example, mechanical roughening is used to roughen the surface () after the jacket has been extruded onto tension members (). In another example, the temperatures used for molding a jacket () are controlled to induce melt fracture and roughen the surface () during the forming process. Other examples include chemically roughening the jacket surface and using localized heating to roughen the surface. The roughened jacket surface improves friction characteristics of a load bearing member assembly.

A load bearing assembly in an elevator system includes a plurality of discernable markings on an external surface of the assembly. A monitoring device includes at least one detector that detects locations of the markings along the length of the assembly. Changes in spacing between markings provides an indication of belt loading conditions and provides an ability to determine a condition of the belt relative to whether a replacement of the belt may be necessary. A variety of markings and a variety of detecting arrangements are disclosed.

Load bearing member for use in an elevator system having external markings for indicating a condition of the assembly

In an elevator sheave for a flat belt, hard, thin surface plating can be applied to enhance durability while maintaining traction.

Elevator sheave for use with flat ropes

In an elevator sheave for a flat belt, the optimum crown height is within a range of approximately 0.033 to about 0.003 times the width of the elevator rope. The optimum radius is in the range of about 16.67 to about 50.00 times the width of the elevator rope. Both the crown height (h) and the crown radius (rc) may be expressed as a function of belt width (Wb). The groove width (wg) is in the range of approximately 1.5 and 2.25 times the width of the belt (Wb). A circumferential surface roughness of about 1.0 to 3.0 is applied. A hard, thin surface coating can be applied to enhance durability while maintaining traction.

Growing community of inventors

Bristol, CT, United States of America

Douglas E Logan