Sheet metal guide rail for an elevator system
AssigneeOtis Elevator Company
InventorJames L. HUBBARD
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A guide rail for an elevator car in a hoistway includes a base connectable with a wall of the hoistway. A web portion is connected to and extends from the base to a rail tip. The web portion includes a closed cross-section defining a web cavity extending along a length of the guide rail. The closed cross-section is formed of a sheet metal material to improve the torsional stiffness of the rail. A filler strip is located in the closed web cavity to prevent damage to the closed cross-section under braking forces applied to the guide rail.
Claims19
A guide rail for an elevator car in a hoistway, comprising:
- a base connectable with a wall of the hoistway;
- a web portion connected to and extending from the base to a rail tip, the web portion including a closed cross-section web cavity extending along a length of the guide rail;
- and
- a filler strip disposed in the web cavity to prevent damage to the web portion under braking forces applied to the guide rail.
An elevator system comprising:
- an elevator car disposed in a hoistway;
- a guide rail extending along the hoistway and in operable communication with the elevator car for guiding the elevator car along the hoistway, the guide rail including:
- a base securable in the hoistway;
- a web portion connected to and extending from the base to a rail tip, the web portion including a closed cross-section web cavity extending along a length of the guide rail;
- and
- a filler strip disposed in the web cavity;
- and
- a braking mechanism in operable communication with the guide rail and the elevator car, the web cavity configured such that braking forces applied by the braking mechanism to the web portion successfully reduce a speed of the elevator car without resulting in damage to the web portion.
A method of forming a guide rail for an elevator car, comprising:
- positioning a filler sheet steel material on a rail sheet steel material;
- feeding the filler sheet steel material and rail sheet steel material together toward a rail forming tool;
- forming the filler sheet steel material and the rail sheet steel material into a guide rail via the rail forming tool, the guide rail including:
- a base connectable with a wall of an elevator system hoistway;
- a web portion connected to and extending from the base to a rail tip, the web portion including a closed cross-section web cavity extending along a length of the guide rail, the base and web portion formed from the rail sheet steel material;
- and
- a filler strip disposed in the closed cross-section of the web cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.