Guide rope stabilizer

Claim 2

In a system for moving an elevator car vertically along a shaft, said system comprising elevator guide rope means extending substantially along the vertical length of the shaft and anchored at its extreme ends, and car guide means secured to said car and passing over said guide rope means; means for stabilizing the position of said guide rope means including first and second flexible leaf means fixedly secured at one of their ends at a predetermined location in the shaft transverse to said rope guide means, the free ends of said flexible leaf means having cutouts formed therein for receiving said guide rope means when in a first normal position, and being radially movable when contacted by said car guide means toward a second flexed posItion in which the free ends of said leaf means are spaced from said guide rope means, thereby to permit said car guide means to pass by said stabilizing means.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1, in which the free ends of said leaf means are in a substantially abutting relationship, said cutouts, when said leaf means are in said first normal position, forming an opening closely surrounding and thereby stabilizing said guide rope means.

Claim 4

The system of claim 2, in which said resilient leaf means comprises first and second pluralities of laminated flexible leaf members, each fixedly secured at opposing ends thereof, and each having said cutout formed in the free ends thereof.

Claim 5

The system of claim 1 in which said resilient leaf means comprises first and second pluralities of laminated leaf members each fixedly secured at opposing ends thereof, and each having said cutout formed in the free ends thereof.

Claim 6

The system of claim 4, in which said pluralities of laminated leaf members are vertically spaced in said shaft and have their free ends, when said leaf members are in their said first position, in an overlapping relationship.

Claim 7

The system of claim 4, further comprising relatively thin lubricating members interposed between at least two adjacent ones of said leaf members.

Claim 8

The system of claim 3, further comprising relatively thin lubricating members interposed between at least two adjacent ones of said leaf members.

Claim 9

In a system for controlling the movement of an elevator car vertically along a shaft, guide rope means vertically extending along said shaft and anchored at the upper and lower ends thereof to define a vertical course for said car and having a tendency of swinging away from a perfectly vertical orientation, guide shoe means carried by said car and passing over said guide rope means, and fixed guide means positioned in said shaft for receiving said guide shoe means; means for stabilizing said guide rope means when said guide shoe means approaches said fixed guide means, said stabilizing means comprising, first and second sections of laminated flexible leaf members, means mounting opposing ends of said leaf members in said shaft transverse to said guide rope means, the free ends of said leaf members being normally in a first horizontal position in which they enclose and thus stabilize said guide rope means against swinging away from a vertical orientation, said leaf members being free to flex radially downward when contacted by said guide shoe means, thereby to permit said guide shoe means to pass thereby, and to return to said first normal position to once again enclose said guide rope means after said guide shoe means no longer contacts said leaf member free ends.

Claim 10

In a system for controlling the movement of an elevator car vertically along a shaft, guide rope means vertically extending along said shaft and anchored at the upper and lower ends thereof to define a vertical course for said car and having a tendency of swinging away from a perfectly vertical orientation, guide shoe means carried by said car and passing over said guide rope means, and fixed guide means positioned in said shaft for receiving said guide shoe means; means for stabilizing said guide rope means when said guide shoe means approaches said fixed guide means, said stabilizing means comprising, first and second sections of laminated flexible leaf members, means mounting opposing ends of said leaf members in said shaft transverse to said guide rope means, the free ends of said leaf members being normally in a first horizontal position in which they enclose and thus stabilize said guide rope means against swinging away from a vertical orientation, said leaf members being free to flex radially downward when contacted by said guide shoe means, thereby to permit said guide shoe means to pass thereby, and to return to said first normal position to once again enclose said guide rope means after said guide shoe means no longer contacts said leaf member free ends.

Claim 11

In the system of claim 8, cutouts formed in the free ends of said leaf members to define, when said leaf members are in their normal position, an opening through which said guide rope means is passed.

Claim 12

In the system of claim 9, thin lubricating members sandwiched between adjacent ones of said leaf members.

Claim 13

The system of claim 8, in which the free ends of said leaf members in said first and second sections are in a substantially abutting relationship with one another.

Claim 14

In the system of claim 11, cutouts formed in the free ends of said leaf members to define, when said leaf members are in their normal position, an opening through which said guide rope means is passed.

Claim 15

The system of claim 8, in which said first section of leaf members is vertically spaced from said second section of leaf members, and has its free ends partially overlapping the free ends of said second section.

Claim 16

In the system of claim 13, cutouts formed in the free ends of said leaf members to define, when said leaf members are in their normal position, an opening through which said guide rope means is passed.

Claim 17

The system of claim 8, wherein a third section of laminated leaves is provided spaced vertically from said first and second sections and substantially horizontal tHerewith, said third section being oriented at substantially right angles to said first and second sections.