ELEVATOR ROPE END DEVICE AND ROPE DEVICE

Abstract

 An elevator rope terminal apparatus can be coupled to a rope terminal of an elevator rope. The elevator rope has: a core rope; and a plurality of outer layer strands that are disposed on an outer circumferential portion of the core rope. The rope terminal apparatus has: a socket; and a sleeve that is fixed to an end portion of the core rope and that is disposed inside the socket. A socket tapered aperture that has a tapered cross section is disposed on the socket. A sleeve outer circumferential surface that has a tapered cross section that holds end portions of the outer layer strands against an inner wall surface of the socket tapered aperture is disposed on the sleeve.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to an elevator rope terminal apparatus that can be coupled to a rope terminal of an elevator rope, and to an elevator rope apparatus that is formed by coupling a rope terminal apparatus onto an elevator rope.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] In many conventional elevators, elevator ropes that include eight or six strands have been used. In order to prevent early abrasion and breakage of the elevator ropes and sheaves around which the elevator ropes are wound, diameters of sheaves have been set to greater than or equal to forty times a diameter of the elevator ropes.

[0003] In contrast to this, reductions in the number of ropes and reductions in the diameters of the sheaves have become desirable in recent years due to improvements in elevator rope strength and resistance to bending fatigue. Because of this, elevator ropes have been proposed in which diameters of the wires that constitute the strands are reduced by increasing the number of strands, and mounted surface areas are increased by stratifying cross-sectional constructions.

[0004] In conventional elevator rope terminal apparatuses, on the other hand, sockets are fixed to rope terminals by a Babbitt metal filling method or a sleeve pressure welding method. In the Babbitt metal filling method, end portions of all of the strands are folded back to form a single bundle and inserted into a tapered aperture inside the socket, and then molten Babbitt metal is poured inside the tapered aperture and hardened. In the sleeve pressure welding method, a sleeve on an outer circumferential portion of which a tapered portion is formed is pressure welded to a rope terminal, and the tapered portion of the sleeve is fitted into the tapered aperture of the socket (see Patent Literature 1, for example).

[0005] 

[Patent Literature 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-211857 (Gazette)

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0006] In conventional rope terminal apparatuses that use the Babbitt metal filling method such as that described above, if the number of strands is increased, a considerable amount of time must be spent on the operation of bending the end portions of the strands, and the sockets must also be increased in size in order to insert all of the bent end portions of the strands. In conventional rope terminal apparatuses that use the sleeve pressure welding method, if the rope diameter is large, large pressure welding devices are required, raising costs for the pressure welding devices, and also making it necessary to secure large work spaces at rope installation sites.

[0007] The present invention aims to solve the above problems and an object of the present invention is to provide an elevator rope terminal apparatus and a rope apparatus that can prevent increases in socket size and also enable sockets to be coupled easily to rope terminals.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an elevator rope terminal apparatus that can be coupled to a rope terminal of an elevator rope that has: a core rope that includes a plurality of core rope strands; and a plurality of outer layer strands that are disposed on an outer circumferential portion of the core rope, wherein the elevator rope terminal apparatus includes: a socket that has a socket tapered aperture that has a tapered cross section; and a sleeve that has: a sleeve outer circumferential surface that has a tapered cross section that holds an end portion of the outer layer strands against an inner wall surface of the socket tapered aperture; and a core rope insertion aperture into which an end portion of the core rope is inserted, the sleeve being fixed to the end portion of the core rope and disposed inside the socket tapered aperture.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an elevator rope apparatus including: an elevator rope that has: a core rope that includes a plurality of core rope strands; and a plurality of outer layer strands that are disposed on an outer circumferential portion of the core rope; and a rope terminal apparatus that is coupled to a rope terminal of the elevator rope, wherein: the rope terminal apparatus includes: a socket that has a socket tapered aperture that has a tapered cross section; and a sleeve that has: a sleeve outer circumferential surface that has a tapered cross section; and a core rope insertion aperture into which an end portion of the core rope is inserted, the sleeve being disposed inside the socket tapered aperture; an end portion of the outer layer strands is held between an inner wall surface of the socket tapered aperture and the sleeve outer circumferential surface; and the sleeve is fixed to an end portion of the core rope.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] 

Figure 1 is a side elevation that shows part of an elevator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a cross section of an elevator rope from Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation that shows a coupling portion from Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a front elevation that shows the coupling portion from Figure 3 when viewed from a direction of Arrow IV;

Figure 5 is a side elevation that shows an intermediate state when coupling the coupling portion to an elevator rope from Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a side elevation that shows a coupling portion of an elevator rope apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

Figure 7 is a front elevation that shows the coupling portion from Figure 6 when viewed from a direction of Arrow VII;

Figure 8 is a side elevation that shows an intermediate state when coupling the coupling portion to an elevator rope from Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a side elevation that shows a coupling portion of an elevator rope apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

Figure 10 is a front elevation that shows the coupling portion from Figure 9 when viewed from a direction of Arrow X; and

Figure 11 is a front elevation that shows a coupling portion of an elevator rope apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1

[0011] Figure 1 is a side elevation that shows part of an elevator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the figure, a rope connecting portion 1 is disposed, for example, on a car, a counterweight or an upper portion of a hoistway, etc. (Moreover, in the case of the upper portion of the hoistway, Figure 1 is inverted vertically.) An elevator rope 2 that suspends the car and the counterweight inside the hoistway is connected to the rope connecting portion 1 by means of a rope terminal apparatus 3. A rope apparatus is configured by coupling the rope terminal apparatus 3 to a rope terminal of the elevator rope 2.

[0012] The rope terminal apparatus 3 has a coupling portion 4, a linking pin 5, a rod portion 6, a spring seat 7, a main nut 8, a locknut 9, and a helical compression spring 10. The coupling portion 4 is coupled to the rope terminal of the elevator rope 2. The rod portion 6 is linked to the coupling portion 4 by means of the linking pin 5 so as to enable pivoting. The rod portion 6 passes through the rope connecting portion 1.

[0013] A screw threaded portion 6a is disposed on an opposite end portion of the rod portion 6 from the coupling portion 4. The spring seat 7 is penetrated by the screw threaded portion 6a. The main nut 8 and the locknut 9 are screwed onto the screw threaded portion 6a and restrict displacement of the spring seat 7 away from the rope connecting portion 1. The helical compression spring 10 is disposed between the rope connecting portion 1 and the spring seat 7.

[0014] Figure 2 is a cross section of the elevator rope 2 from Figure 1. The elevator rope 2 has: a core rope 11; and a plurality of outer layer strands 12 (twelve in Figure 2) that are disposed on an outer circumferential portion of the core rope 11. The outer layer strands 12 are twisted together on the outer circumferential portion of the core rope 11.

[0015] The core rope 11 has: a center strand 13 that is a core rope strand that is disposed centrally; and a plurality of inner layer strands 12 (six in Figure 2) that are core rope strands that are twisted together on an outer circumferential portion of the center strand 13. The strands 12, 13, and 14 are each configured by twisting together a plurality of steel wires.

[0016] Figure 3 is a side elevation that shows the coupling portion 4 from Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a front elevation that shows the coupling portion 4 from Figure 3 when viewed from a direction of Arrow IV. The coupling portion 4 has: a cylindrical socket 15; and a sleeve 16 that is disposed inside the socket 15. The socket 15 has a socket tapered aperture 15a that has a tapered cross section. The diameter of the socket tapered aperture 15a is reduced continuously toward one end portion of the socket 15.

[0017] The sleeve 16 has: a sleeve outer circumferential surface 16a that has a tapered cross section; and a sleeve tapered aperture 16b that has a tapered cross section that functions as a core rope insertion aperture into which an end portion of the core rope 11 is inserted. The sleeve 16 is disposed inside the socket tapered aperture 15a.

[0018] End portions of the outer layer strands 12 are unraveled from the outer circumferential portion of the core rope 11, and are held between the inner wall surface of the socket tapered aperture 15a and the sleeve outer circumferential surface 16a. The end portions of the center strand 13 and the inner layer strands 14 are unraveled and folded over, and are accommodated inside the sleeve tapered aperture 16b. A Babbitt metal 17 that functions as a fusing metal is fused inside the sleeve tapered aperture 16b. The sleeve 16 is thereby fixed to the end portion of the core rope 11.

[0019] A core rope fastener 18 that fastens an outer circumferential portion of the core rope 11 is disposed on a portion of the core rope 11 that is led out from the sleeve 16. An elevator rope fastener 19 that fastens an outer circumferential portion of the elevator rope 2 is disposed on a portion of the elevator rope 2 that is led out from the socket 15.

[0020] Next, a method for coupling the coupling portion 4 to the rope terminal of the elevator rope 2 will be explained. First, the rope terminal of the elevator rope 2 is inserted through the socket 15. Next, a predetermined length of the end portions of the outer layer strands 12 is unraveled and laid out straight.

[0021] The end portion of the exposed core rope 11 is subsequently inserted into the sleeve 16. Next, predetermined lengths of the end portions of the center strand 13 and the inner layer strands 14 are unraveled. The end portions of the center strand 13 and the inner layer strands 14 are then accommodated inside the sleeve tapered aperture 16b while folding them back. The molten Babbitt metal is subsequently poured inside the sleeve tapered aperture 16b and hardened. The end portion of the core rope 11 is thereby fixed to the sleeve 16. Figure 5 shows the state at this time.

[0022] From the state in Figure 5, the unraveled outer layer strands 12 are disposed uniformly on an outer circumference of the sleeve 16, and the rope terminal of the elevator rope 2 is pulled inside the socket 15. The end portions of the outer layer strands 12 are thereby fixed firmly into the socket 15 due to a wedging effect between the socket tapered aperture 15a and the sleeve 16.

[0023] Here, in order to make the fixing of the outer layer strands 12 more reliable, it is desirable for at least one of the inner wall surface of the socket tapered aperture 15a or the sleeve outer circumferential surface 16a to be compressively deformed by the outer layer strands 12 such that the outer layer strands 12 bite into the recessed portions that arise due to the deformation. For that reason, it is preferable, for example, to configure the sleeve 16 using a material that has a hardness that is sufficiently less than the material in the wires that constitute the outer layer strands 12 (a material that is softer than the outer layer strands 12), for example, using a mild steel (SS400, etc.).

[0024] In an elevator rope terminal apparatus and a rope apparatus of this kind, because the diameter of the core rope 11 that is fixed by the Babbitt metal filling method is less than the overall diameter of the elevator rope 2, and the number of strands in the core rope 11 is less than the overall number of strands in the elevator rope 2, a compact sleeve 16 can be used, and the core rope 11 can be fixed to the sleeve 16 without requiring many hours of work. Because the outer layer strands 12 can be fixed inside the socket 15 by a wedging effect without requiring bending, increases in the size of the socket 15 can also be prevented.

Embodiment 2

[0025] Next, Figure 6 is a side elevation that shows a coupling portion of an elevator rope apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, Figure 7 is a front elevation that shows the coupling portion from Figure 6 when viewed from a direction of Arrow VII, and Figure 8 is a side elevation that shows an intermediate state when coupling the coupling portion to an elevator rope from Figure 6. In the figures, a coupling portion 4 according to Embodiment 2 has: a socket 15 that is similar to that of Embodiment 1; and a sleeve 21 that is disposed inside the socket 15.

[0026] The sleeve 21 has: a sleeve outer circumferential surface 21 a that has a tapered cross section; and a core rope insertion aperture 21 b into which an end portion of a core rope 11 is inserted. A diameter of the core rope insertion aperture 21 b is uniform over its entire length. The sleeve 21 is disposed inside a socket tapered aperture 15a.

[0027] End portions of outer layer strands 12 are unraveled from the outer circumferential portion of the core rope 11, and are held between the inner wall surface of the socket tapered aperture 15a and the sleeve outer circumferential surface 21 a. An end portion of the core rope 11 is accommodated inside the core rope insertion aperture 21 b so as to remain twisted without being unraveled. The sleeve 21 is pressure welded to the end portion of the core rope 11. The rest of the configuration is similar to that of Embodiment 1.

[0028] In an elevator rope terminal apparatus and a rope apparatus of this kind, because the sleeve 21 is pressure welded to the core rope 11, the core rope 11 can be fixed to the sleeve 21 easily without requiring many hours of work. Since the diameter of the core rope 11 is less than the overall diameter of the elevator rope 2, a compact sleeve 21 can be used and a small pressure welding device can also be adopted. Because the outer layer strands 12 can be fixed inside the socket 15 by a wedging effect without requiring bending, increases in the size of the socket 15 can also be prevented.

Embodiment 3

[0029] Figure 9 is a side elevation that shows a coupling portion of an elevator rope apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention, and Figure 10 is a front elevation that shows the coupling portion from Figure 9 when viewed from a direction of Arrow X. In the figures, a filler layer 22 that is made of a material that is softer than outer layer strands 12 and a socket 15 is disposed inside a socket tapered aperture 15a. The filler layer 22 is disposed so as to cover an inner wall surface of the socket tapered aperture 15a, and has a uniform thickness. The outer layer strands 12 are held between the filler layer 22 and a sleeve outer circumferential surface 16a. The rest of the configuration is similar to that of Embodiment 1.

[0030] In an elevator rope terminal apparatus and a rope apparatus of this kind, because the filler layer 22 is disposed inside the socket tapered aperture 15a, load burden on the outer layer strands 12 and the core rope 11 in the coupling portion 4 is more uniform, enabling high fastening strength to be achieved.

[0031] Moreover, the filler layer 22 can be constituted by a material such as a mild steel or zinc alloy, etc., for example.
A filler layer 22 that has been formed into a cone shape in advance may also be inserted inside the socket tapered aperture 15a, or the filler layer 22 may also be formed by pouring in and hardening a molten material inside the socket tapered aperture 15a.
In addition, the filler layer 22 shown in Embodiment 3 may also be disposed inside the socket tapered aperture 15a according to Embodiment 2.

Embodiment 4

[0032] Next, Figure 11 is a front elevation that shows a coupling portion of an elevator rope apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. In the figure, a plurality of helical grooves 16c (equal in number to outer layer strands 12) that bear the outer layer strands 12 are disposed on a sleeve outer circumferential surface 16a. The grooves 16c are disposed so as to be uniformly spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of a sleeve 16. A cross-sectional shape of a bottom surface of each of the grooves 16c is an arc shape that has a larger radius of curvature than an outer circumferential surface of an outer layer strand 12. The rest of the configuration is similar to that of Embodiment 1.

[0033] In an elevator rope terminal apparatus and a rope apparatus of this kind, because the grooves 16c are disposed uniformly on the sleeve outer circumferential surface 16a, the outer layer strands 12 can easily be disposed uniformly, enabling load to be borne uniformly by each of the outer layer strands 12.

[0034] Moreover, the grooves 16c may also be a rectilinear shape that is parallel to an axis of the sleeve 16.
The grooves that bear the outer layer strands 12 may be also disposed on an inner circumferential surface of the socket tapered aperture 15a.
In addition, the filler layer 22 shown in Embodiment 3 may be also be disposed inside the socket tapered aperture 15a according to Embodiment 4.
The cross-sectional construction of the elevator rope is not limited to the construction shown in Figure 2, and may also have another construction provided that a rope terminal can be divided into a core rope and outer layer strands. For example, the construction may also have three or more layers, or the construction may also include auxiliary strands that have a smaller diameter than outer layer strands and inner layer strands.

Claims

1. An elevator rope terminal apparatus that can be coupled to a rope terminal of an elevator rope that has: a core rope that includes a plurality of core rope strands; and a plurality of outer layer strands that are disposed on an outer circumferential portion of the core rope,
wherein the elevator rope terminal apparatus comprises:

a socket that has a socket tapered aperture that has a tapered cross section; and

a sleeve that has: a sleeve outer circumferential surface that has a tapered cross section that holds an end portion of the outer layer strands against an inner wall surface of the socket tapered aperture; and a core rope insertion aperture into which an end portion of the core rope is inserted, the sleeve being fixed to the end portion of the core rope and disposed inside the socket tapered aperture.

2. An elevator rope terminal apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein the core rope insertion aperture is a sleeve tapered aperture that has a tapered cross section.

3. An elevator rope terminal apparatus according to Claim 1 further comprising a filler layer that is disposed inside the socket tapered aperture, and that is made of a material that is softer than the outer layer strands and the socket.

4. An elevator rope terminal apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein a plurality of grooves that bear the outer layer strands are disposed on the sleeve outer circumferential surface.

5. An elevator rope terminal apparatus according to Claim 4 wherein the grooves are disposed on the sleeve outer circumferential surface in a helical shape.

6. An elevator rope apparatus comprising:

an elevator rope that has: a core rope that includes a plurality of core rope strands; and a plurality of outer layer strands that are disposed on an outer circumferential portion of the core rope; and

a rope terminal apparatus that is coupled to a rope terminal of the elevator rope,

wherein:

the rope terminal apparatus comprises:
a socket that has a socket tapered aperture that has a tapered cross section; and
a sleeve that has: a sleeve outer circumferential surface that has a tapered cross section; and a core rope insertion aperture into which an end portion of the core rope is inserted, the sleeve being disposed inside the socket tapered aperture;

an end portion of the outer layer strands is held between an inner wall surface of the socket tapered aperture and the sleeve outer circumferential surface; and

the sleeve is fixed to an end portion of the core rope.

7. An elevator rope apparatus according to Claim 6 wherein:

the core rope insertion aperture is a sleeve tapered aperture that has a tapered cross section; and

respective end portions of the core rope strands are folded back and accommodated inside the sleeve tapered aperture, and a fusing metal is also fused therein.

8. An elevator rope apparatus according to Claim 6 wherein the sleeve is pressure welded to an end portion of the core rope.

9. An elevator rope apparatus according to Claim 6 wherein at least one of the inner wall surface of the socket tapered aperture or the sleeve outer circumferential surface is compressively deformed by the outer layer strands.

10. An elevator rope apparatus according to Claim 6 wherein the sleeve is constituted by a material that is softer than the outer layer strands.

11. An elevator rope apparatus according to Claim 6 wherein the outer layer strands are disposed so as to be uniformly spaced apart from each other.

Drawing