APEX ELEVATORS™

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                 (An ISO 9000-2001 Company)
     A Pinnacle in Elevator eXcellence

SPECIALIZED IN MACHINE ROOM LESS LIFTS (MRL), SINGLE PHASE ELEVATORS
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GLOSSARY

Balustrade — the side of an escalator extending above the steps. It includes skirt panels, interior panels, decks and handrails.

Brake — an electro-mechanical device used to prevent the elevator from moving when the car is at rest and no power is applied to the hoist motor. On some types of control, it also stops the elevator when power is removed from the hoist motor.

Brake shoe — moving member(s) of a brake, lined with friction material which, when in contact with the brake drum, holds the elevator at floor level. On some types of control, it will stop the elevator when power is removed from the hoist motor.

Brush — a device, usually of carbon or graphite composition, used to connect a circuit with the rotating or moving portion of a DC motor, generator or other electrical device. It carries current to and from the non-moving parts of connections.

Callback — in contract service, a customer request which requires a check of an elevator other than the regularly scheduled maintenance.

Car (elevator) — the load-carrying unit, including its platform, frame, enclosure, and car door or gate.


Car counterweight — a set of weights roped directly to the elevator car of a winding-drum type installation. In practice, this weight is equal to approximately 70 percent of the car weight.

Car operating station — a panel mounted in the car containing the car operating controls, such as call register buttons, door open and close, alarm emergency stop and whatever other buttons or key switches are required for operation.

Car top inspection station — a control panel on top of an elevator car which, when activated, removes the car from normal service and allows the car to run at inspection speed from the car top station only.

Code — a system of regulations pertaining to the design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of elevators, dumbwaiters, escalators and moving walks. The most widely recognized and used is ANSI A-17.1, sponsored by the National Bureau of Standards, the American Institute   of Architects, The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and published by ASME. It has been adopted by many states. Some states and cities have written their own codes, most of which are based on the ANSI A-17.1.

Controller — a device, or group of devices, which serves to control, in a predetermined manner, the apparatus to which it is connected.

Counterweight — a weight which counterbalances the weight of an elevator car plus approximately 40 percent of the capacity load.

Cylinder — the outermost lining of a hydraulic jack.

Direct current (DC) — an electric current flowing in one direction only and substantially constant in value.

Door lock — any type of mechanical lock designed to prevent the opening of a hoistway door from the landing side.

Door operator — a motor-driven device mounted on the car which opens and closes the car doors.

Drive machine — the power unit which applies the energy necessary to raise and lower an elevator, material lift, or dumb waiter car or to drive an escalator, an inclined lift or a moving walk.

Drive sheave — the grooved wheel of a traction-type hoisting machine over which the hoist ropes pass, and by which motion is imparted to the car and counterweight by the hoist ropes.

Escalator — a power-driven, inclined, continuous stairway used for raising or lowering passengers.

Firefighter's service — a device or group of devices which provide: (1) a signal for immediate recall to a designated landing in order to remove cars from normal use, and (2) to permit special operation for firefighters or other authorized emergency personnel.

Geared traction machine — a traction machine in which the power from the motor is transmitted to the drive sheave through reduction gears.

Gearless traction machine — a type of elevator hoisting machine on which the hoist ropes pass over a traction drive sheave which is an integral part of the armature. Called gearless because no geared reduction unit is utilized.

Generator — an electromechanical device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy (usually direct current).

Governor — (1) a mechanical speed control mechanism. For elevator, it is a wire-rope driven centrifugal device used to stop and hold the movement of its driving rope. This initiates the activation of the car safety device. It opens a switch which cuts off power to the drive motor and brake if the car travels at a preset overspeed in the down direction. Some types of governors will also open the governor switch and cut off power to the drive motor and brake if the car overspeeds in the up direction. (2) on escalators, a direct-driven centrifugal device which, when activated by overspeed, cuts off power to the drive motor and service brake.

Governor rope — a wire rope attached to an elevator car frame that drives the governor and, when stopped by the governor, initiates setting of the car safety.

Guide rails — steel T-section with machined guiding surfaces installed vertically in a hoistway to guide and direct the course of travel of an elevator car and elevator counterweights.

Hall lantern — a corridor mounted signal light indicating than an elevator car is approaching that landing and the direction in which the car is to travel.

Handrail — (1) the moving handhold provided for escalator passengers which moves over the top of the balustrade and newels; (2) a railing serving as a support.

Handrail guard — a guard, usually made of rubber, that fits over the outside of the handrail at a point where the handrail enters or leaves the balustrade; it is designed to keep a person's fingers out of the handrail opening.

Hoistway — a shaftway for the travel of one or more elevators, dumbwaiters or material lifts. It includes the pit and terminates at the underside of the overhead machinery space floor or grating, or at the underside of the roof where the hoistway does not penetrate the roof.

Hydraulic elevator — a power elevator where the energy is applied, by means of a liquid under pressure, in a cylinder equipped with a plunger or piston.

Layout — a scaled mechanical drawing showing dimensioned plan views and elevations of an elevator hoistway and machine room to indicate space conditions, pertinent dimensions, sizes and location of components of the installation.

Leveling — the movement of an elevator toward the landing sill when it is within the leveling zone. When the word leveling is used, the inference is that the process of attaining a level or stop position (the platform level with the landing sill) is performed completely automatically.

Machine room — the space in which the driving machine for an elevator or group of elevators, dumbwaiter, escalator or group of escalators is located.

Main (car) guide rails — steel T-sections with machined guarding surfaces installed vertically in a hoistway to guide and direct the course of travel of an elevator car.

Overspeed governor switch — a part of an escalator machine. It is actuated by centrifugal force and trips a switch when the motor speed has increased 20 percent over its rated name plate speed.

Preventive maintenance — inspections, tests, adjustments, cleaning and similar activities carried out on elevator and escalator equipment with the intention of preventing malfunctions from occurring during operation. It is designed to keep equipment in proper operating order and is done on a schedule basis. It is also referred to as schedule maintenance.

Relay — an electric device that is designed to interpret input conditions in a prescribed manner and after specified conditions are met, to respond and cause contact operation or create change in associated electric control circuits.

Roller guides — guide shoes which use rollers that rotate on guide rails rather than sliding on the rails.

Sheave — a wheel mounted in bearings and having one or more grooves over which a rope or ropes may pass.

Specifications — a detailed itemized description of the plans, materials, dimensions and all other requirements proposed for the installation of the equipment.

Step — the moving platform on which an escalator passenger rides.

Top-of-car inspection station — controls on the top of the car used by an elevator constructor to operate the car at inspection speed. It provides a means of operating an elevator from on top of the car at slow speed during adjustment, inspection, maintenance and repair.

Traction machine — an electric machine in which the friction between the hoist ropes and the machine sheave is used to move the elevator car.

Traveling cable — a cable made up of electric conductors which provides electrical connection between an elevator or dumbwaiter car, or material lift, and a fixed outlet in the hoistway or machine room.
 
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