Otis Elevator Company

Neil R Baldwin

Paul A Stucky

John P Wesson

William A Veronesi

Leroy H Favrow

Douglas E Logan

Anton I Lavrentyev

Robert J Haas

An elevator door assembly includes a rail and at least one roller that rolls along the rail to move a door between opened and closed positions, for example. A resilient track is provided on the rail that facilitates more efficient roller movement and increases the longevity of the assembly. In one example, the resilient track includes several pieces of flexible material that are snapped in place onto the rail. In another example, the flexible track is supported on the rail using a spray coating technique.

Elevator roller guide and rail 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

A load bearing member, such as a polymer cord reinforced belt, includes at least one element of a different material having a characteristic that distinguishes it from the polymer fibers that make up the strands of the cord. The element of second material has a configuration that is repeated along the length of the load bearing member. The configuration of the second material element provides a readily detectible indication of localized strain on the load bearing member. As the load bearing member is strained over time, the configuration of the second material element is also altered. Analyzing the configuration of the second material element along the length of the load bearing member provides information regarding the condition of the belt.

Elevator load bearing assembly having a detectable element that is indicative of local strain

An elevator load bearing assembly, such as a polymer cord, reinforced belt, includes at least one element of a ferromagnetic material associated with each cord that comprises one or more non-ferromagnetic materials. The ferromagnetic element is associated with the cord such that a physical characteristic of the ferromagnetic element changes responsive to strain on the non-ferromagnetic fibers. In one example, the ferromagnetic element is a steel wire that breaks in areas that are strained, caused by bending fatigue, for example. Detecting a number of changes (i.e., breaks) in the ferromagnetic element along the length of the load bearing assembly provides an indication of the belt condition.

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Manchester, CT, United States of America

Neil R Baldwin