Hydraulic drive for operating an elevator

Elevator hydraulic drive means comprising:

• a. a single hydraulic ram housing disposed inside the shaft of an elevator on one side of the load-lifting member thereof,
• b. said housing including a pair of vertically disposed straight housing portions and an arcuate bend portion connecting the lower ends of the straight portions,
• c. a first one of the straight portions extending upwardly along the path of ascent of the load-lifting member and having an axial slot in the wall thereof,
• d. piston means slidably mounted in the other straight portion,
• e. carrier body means slidably mounted in the first straight portion including carrier arm means extending outwardly through said slot for supporting said load-lifting member,
• f. universally flexible thrust-transmitting strand means cooperating at one end thereof with piston means and at the other end thereof with the carrier body means for transmitting thrust force in directions parallel to and transverse to the axis of the cylinder portions,
• g. said strand means having a cross-sectional linear dimension effective to be contained between opposing sides of the housing, and
• h. said piston means being axially movable in opposing directions within the housing causing corresponding axial movement of the carrier body means in opposing axial directions within said first straight portion thereby causing vertical movement of the elevator.

Elevator hydraulic drive means adapted for disposition inside the shaft of the elevator on one side of the load-lifting member thereof, said drive means comprising:

• a. a hydraulic ram cylinder including a pair of vertical straight cylinder portions and an arcuate bend portion connecting the lower ends of said cylinder portions, a first one of said straight cylinder portions extending up the path of ascent of the load-lifting member and having an axial slot in the wall thereof;
• b. A hydraulic ram piston slidably mounted in the other straight cylinder portion;
• c. a carrier body slidably mounted in said first straight cylinder portion and including a carrier arm that extends radially outwardly through said slot and supports the load-lifting member of the elevator;
• d. universally flexible thrust-transmitting strand means cooperating at one end with said piston for transmitting thrust force in a direction parallel to and transverse to the axis of the cylinder portions;
• e. said thrust-transmitting strand means including a train of cylindrical members, metal ribbon means and support means and extending through said arcuate end portion and cooperating at its other end with said carrier body;
• f. said cylindrical members being horizontally arranged and contiguously hingedly interconnected and having convex ends in sliding contact with, and the configuration of said ends corresponds with, the internal radius of the internal surface of said hydraulic ram cylinder;
• g. said cylindrical members having aligned diametrically extending slots intermediate their ends and a radial access opening which extends orthogonally from said slot to the peripheral surface of said cylindrical member;
• h. said metal ribbon means being connected at one end with said pistons and extending through said aligned slots and being connected at its other end with said carrier body;
• i. said support means being mounted in and having the same radius of curvature as said arcuate bend portion and extending into said access recesses for supportably guiding said metal ribbon means as said flexible strand means travels through said arcuate bend portion;
• j. said piston being movable in opposing directions within said other straight cylinder portion causing corresponding movement of the carrier body in opposing directions within said first straight cylinder portion.

Elevator hydraulic drive means adapted for disposition inside the shaft of the elevator on one side of the load-lifting member thereof, said drive means comprising:

• a. a hydraulic ram cylinder including a pair of vertical straight cylinder portions and an arcuate bend portion connecting the lower ends of said straight cylinder portions;
• b. a first one of said straight cylinder portions extending up the path of ascent of the load-lifting member and having an axial slot in the wall thereof;
• c. a hydraulic ram piston slidably mounted in the other straight cylinder portion;
• d. a carrier body slidably mounted in said first straight cylinder portion and including a carrier arm that extends radially outwardly through said slot and supports the load-lifting member of the elevator;
• and
• e. universally flexible thrust-transmitting strand means cooperating at one end with said piston for transmitting thrust force in a direction parallel to and transverse to the axis of the cylinder portions, said strand means extending through said arcuate bend portion and cooperating at its other end with said carrier body;
• f. said thrust-transmitting strand means including a plurality of members having a diameter corresponding with the internal diameter of said hydraulic ram cylinder to form opposing surface portions in sliding contact with the inside surface of the ram cylinder for transmitting a load force in a direction transverse to the axis of said cylinder;
• g. said members having a further curved bearing surface portion for transmitting a load force in a direction parallel to the axis of said cylinder;
• h. said piston being movable in opposing directions within said other straight cylinder portion causing corresponding movement of the carrier body in opposing directions within said first straight cylinder portion.