# US 11,440,774 B2 · Elevator roping sway damper assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,774 B2 - Document ID: US11440774B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/870,961 - Filed: 2020-05-09 - Published: 2021-11-11 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-05-09 - Assignees: Otis Elevator Company - Applicants: Otis Elevator Company - Inventors: Cuauhtemoc Castro Inzunza; Michael J. Tracey; Patricia Derwinski - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440774B2 ## CPC - B66B 7/046: {Rollers} - B66B 7/06: Arrangements of ropes or cables - B66B 7/068: {Cable weight compensating devices} - B66B 7/1246: {specially adapted for guides} - B66B: ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS ({apparatus for raising or lowering persons on theatrical stages or the like A63J5/12} ; funicular railbound systems with rigid ground-supported tracks and cable traction, e.g. cliff railways, B61B9/00; arrangements of ammunition handlers in vessels B63G3/00; hoists, lifts, or conveyors for loading or unloading in general B65G; braking or detent devices controlling normal movements of winding drums or barrels B66D; ship-lifting devices E02C; garages for many vehicles with mechanical means for lifting vehicles E04H6/12; hoists for feeding ammunition or projectiles to launching apparatus or to loading mechanisms F41A9/00) ## Abstract An illustrative example embodiment of an elevator rope sway damping assembly includes a plurality of sway dampers having a width and a length. An actuator device selectively causes movement of the sway dampers in a direction transverse to the length between a first position where the sway dampers are spaced apart by a first distance and a second, sway-damping position where the sway dampers are spaced apart by a second, shorter distance. The actuator device provides an indication when the sway dampers are in the first position. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An elevator rope sway damping assembly, comprising: a plurality of sway dampers having a length and a width; and an actuator device that selectively causes movement of the sway dampers in a direction transverse to the length between a first position where the sway dampers are spaced apart by a first distance and a second, sway-damping position where the sway dampers are spaced apart by a second, shorter distance, the actuator device providing an indication when the sway dampers are in the first position, wherein the actuator device includes a plurality of sheaves and a band that wraps at least partially around the sheaves, at least one of the sheaves rotates to cause movement of the band, and the sway dampers are supported for movement with the band between the first and second positions in response to rotation of the at least one of the sheaves. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the sway dampers comprise elongate cylindrical bumpers, and the length is greater than the width. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The assembly of claim 2, wherein the sway dampers comprise rollers supported to rotate about an axis along the length. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator device causes linear movement of the sway dampers between the first and second positions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the band has a length that is oriented perpendicular to the length of the sway dampers. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator device includes a plurality of mounting brackets secured to the band; and the sway dampers are supported on the mounting brackets. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one of sheaves rotates in a first direction to move the sway dampers toward the first position and in a second, opposite direction to move the sway dampers toward the second position. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The assembly of claim 7, wherein the actuator device comprises a biasing mechanism that includes a weight associated with at least one of the sheaves, and gravity urges the weight to cause rotation of the at least one of the sheaves in the first direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator device includes a biasing mechanism that biases the sway dampers into the first position. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator device includes at least one detector that detects when the sway dampers are in the first position and provides an output indicating that the sway dampers are in the first position. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) An elevator system comprising: the assembly of claim 1, an elevator car situated in a hoistway, a plurality of suspension members supporting the elevator car, and a controller that controls movement of the elevator car, the controller using the indication from the actuator device for controlling movement of the elevator car in a portion of the hoistway that includes the sway dampers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The elevator system of claim 11, wherein the controller prevents the elevator car from moving into the portion of the hoistway when the sway dampers are not in the first position. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The elevator system of claim 11, wherein the controller adjusts a motion profile of the elevator car for moving through the portion of the hoistway when the sway dampers are in the second position. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The elevator system of claim 13, wherein the elevator car includes an external surface oriented at an oblique angle relative to a direction of movement of the elevator car; and the external surface is configured to engage the sway dampers and move the sway dampers toward the first position as the elevator car moves into the portion of the hoistway that includes the sway dampers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The elevator system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sway dampers includes a plurality of sets of sway dampers, each set of sway dampers is in a different vertical location along the hoistway, and the controller controls the sets of sway dampers to selectively move the sway dampers between the first and second positions based, in part, on a location of the elevator car in the hoistway. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The elevator system of claim 11, wherein the length of the sway dampers is transverse to a height of the hoistway; the sway dampers extend from one side of the hoistway toward a center of the hoistway; and the actuator device moves the sway dampers in a direction parallel to the side of the hoistway when moving the sway dampers between the first and second positions. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The elevator system of claim 16, wherein the length of the sway dampers are horizontal, and the actuator device moves the sway dampers linearly and horizontally between the first and second positions. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The elevator system of claim 11, wherein the elevator car has a depth, a width and a height; and the first distance between the sway dampers in the first position is greater than the depth and greater than the width. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The elevator system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of suspension members are situated near a center of the hoistway; a first one of the sway dampers and a second one of the sway dampers are situated on opposite sides of the suspension members to prevent sway in a first direction when the first and second sway dampers are in the second position; a third one of the sway dampers and a fourth one of the sway dampers are situated on opposite sides of the suspension members to prevent sway in a second direction when the third and fourth sway dampers are in the second position; and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.