Importance

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Abstract

An elevator system is shown that includes an elevator shaft (12) in building (10) and a plurality of elevator cars (C.sub.1, C.sub.2 and C.sub.3) that are movable up and down within the shaft along vertical axis (20). The elevator cars are independently movable by drive motors (D.sub.1, D.sub.2 and D.sub.3) attached to the cars through hoisting cables (24, 28 and 34). The motors are controlled by motor controllers (MC.sub.1, MC.sub.2 and MC.sub.3) which, in turn are controlled by a computer (62) having as inputs service and destination requests, load weight and car location. Different operating modes are shown (FIGS. 5-8) including one in which serviced floors (F.sub.1 through F.sub.16) are serviced by no more than one elevator car at a time, and the cars travel sequentially from one end floor to the other end floor (FIGS. 5 and 6). Simultaneous servicing of a plurality of different floors is shown (FIGS. 7 and 8) and travel of empty elevator cars to a designated floor without responding to floor calls also is shown (FIGS. 6 and 8). Counterweights (CW.sub.1, CW.sub.2 and CW.sub.3) are attached by cables to the respective elevator cars (C.sub.1, C.sub.2 and C.sub.3), which counterweights travel along a vertical axis (38) laterally displaced from the elevator car axis (20). Shock absorbers (54) are provided for absorbing impact of accidental collision between adjacent counterweights (FIG. 3 ) which shock absorbers include coil springs (58) and dashpots (60).

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First Claim