JP7826166B2 - Rail centering device and rail centering method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a rail centering device and a rail centering method.

When installing an elevator in a hoistway, the guide rails are centered using a rail centering device. Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-222226) discloses the following technology for the rail centering device used in this process: "The rail positioning unit includes a first telescopic section that can extend and retract in a direction toward the rail, and a second telescopic section that can extend and retract in a direction toward the inner wall surface of the hoistway. The rail positioning unit is supported on the inner wall surface by extending the second telescopic section, and separates from the rail fixing unit to grasp the rail and determine the rail position by extending and retracting the first and second telescopic sections." Figure 2 of Patent Document 1 also shows the first telescopic section installed on a work platform, and the base supporting the second telescopic section and the rail centering device installed across the work platform.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-95257

The rail centering device shown in Patent Document 1, as described above, is configured so that numerous components, such as the first telescopic section, the base supporting the second telescopic section, and the rail centering device, are stacked on top of each other on the work floor. These components installed on the work floor become obstacles when workers move around inside the work car or when performing guide rail fixing work, making it difficult for workers to perform rail centering work.

The present invention therefore aims to provide a rail centering device and rail centering method that can improve the workability of guide rail centering work performed by workers.

In order to solve the above problems, for example, the configurations described in the claims are adopted.
The present application includes multiple means for solving the above problems, and one example is a rail centering device for adjusting the position of a pair of guide rails arranged along two opposing wall portions of the inner circumferential walls of an elevator shaft, the rail centering device including an actuator whose both ends can be fixed between one of the wall portions and a work car installed between the pair of guide rails so that the extension/contraction direction is oblique to the wall portions.

This invention provides a rail centering device and rail centering method that can improve the workability of guide rail centering work performed by workers.

1 is a top view showing the overall configuration of a rail centering device according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a rail centering device according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part showing a connecting structure between the work basket and the guide rail. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part showing a fixing structure of a front-rear actuator and a side wall actuator according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing a fixing structure on the base end side of the longitudinal actuator according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view showing a fixing structure on the tip side of the longitudinal actuator according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view showing another example of use of the longitudinal actuator according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view showing the fixing structure of the side wall actuator according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a top view showing another example of centering work using the rail centering device according to the embodiment.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the rail centering device and rail centering method of the present invention, with reference to the drawings.

<Rail centering device>
Fig. 1 is a top view showing the overall configuration of a rail centering device 100 according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the rail centering device 100 according to an embodiment. The rail centering device 100 described using these figures is a device for positioning a guide rail 3 based on a piano wire 2 suspended within an elevator hoistway 1. Such a rail centering device 100 is attached to the guide rail 3 and a work car 4 within the hoistway 1.

In Figure 1, the X direction is the left-right direction (width direction) when viewed from the elevator landing side, and the Y direction is the front-to-back direction (depth direction) when viewed from the elevator landing side. In the figure, the elevator landing side is written at the bottom. Next, before explaining the configuration of the rail centering device 100, the installation environment of the rail centering device 100 will be explained based on Figure 1.

<Installation environment for rail centering device>
[Hoistway 1]
The hoistway 1 is a space provided in a building for installing an elevator. The hoistway 1 is a space surrounded on all four sides by inner peripheral walls 10. The inner peripheral wall 10 is composed of side walls 10s on the left and right, a front wall 10f on the landing side, and a rear wall 10b opposite the front wall. If the building is made of reinforced concrete, the entire space is covered with concrete walls except for the entrance/exit 10a on the elevator landing side. If the building is made of steel, a steel frame is erected, and the areas without the frame are left as wall-less spaces. Each of the two side walls 10s of the hoistway 1 is provided with a fixing member 1b, which is used to secure the guide rails 3.

The fixing member 1b is a metal fitting made of steel. If the building is made of reinforced concrete, a hole is drilled in the concrete wall and an L-shaped metal fitting is bolted to the hole to form the fixing member 1b. If the building is made of steel, a flat metal fitting is placed on the top surface of the steel frame and fastened with a bolt or welded to form the fixing member 1b. The fixing member 1b is installed so that it protrudes into the hoistway 1 from the surface of the side wall 10s. Such fixing member 1b is known as a wall bracket or fastener. Such fixing member 1b may also be bolted or welded to another member 1a fixed to the wall surface or the top surface of the steel frame.

[Piano wire 2]
The piano wire 2 is a steel wire used in accordance with building standards, and is hung from the top of the building with a weight attached and fixed in a vertically stretched state. The piano wires 2 are installed at a fixed distance on the left and right sides of the elevator shaft 1, and are used as reference lines when centering the guide rails 3 to adjust their positions.

[Guide rail 3]
The guide rails 3 are steel rails (T-shaped steel) with a T-shaped cross section. The guide rails 3 have a wide flange portion and a blade portion protruding from a widthwise intermediate portion of the flange portion. The pair of guide rails 3 are arranged along two opposing wall portions of the hoistway 1, with the flange portion facing the side wall 10s and the blade portion protruding toward the inside of the hoistway 1. Here, the two wall portions are typically the side wall 10s, and the pair of guide rails 3 are installed along the side wall 10s, respectively. These guide rails 3 are erected inside the hoistway 1 by extending guide rail members supplied in fixed lengths from the lowest floor to the top floor. When erected inside the hoistway 1, the guide rails 3 are positioned and fixed in a predetermined position on the lowest floor, but are not fixed anywhere except on the lowest floor, and are therefore inclined forward, backward, left, and right.

In addition, each guide rail 3 has a track surface and cutting edge surface formed at the tip of the blade portion that protrudes toward the center of the elevator shaft 1. The track surface and cutting edge surface of the guide rail 3 are reference planes with guaranteed dimensional accuracy for centering the guide rail 3, and workers perform centering work by measuring the distance between these surfaces and the piano wire 2.

[Work basket 4]
The work car 4 is a mobile scaffolding on which workers get in to install the guide rails 3. The work car 4 utilizes part of the permanent elevator car and is equipped with a work platform 4a on which the workers get in. The work car 4 is suspended and supported within the hoistway 1 by a hoisting rope 4b at a position sandwiched between the two guide rails 3. The hoisting rope 4b is wound by a winder (not shown), allowing the work car 4 to be raised and lowered freely. The worker gets into the work car 4 and raises and lowers the work car 4 along the guide rails 3 to a predetermined height within the hoistway 1 to perform rail centering work.

The work cage 4 described above is slidably connected to the guide rails 3 at a position sandwiched between the two guide rails 3, as explained below. Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the main part showing the connection between the work cage 4 and the guide rails 3. Referring to Figures 1 and 3, slings 41 made of channel steel are fixed upright on the work floor 4a of the work cage 4 (see Figure 1) at positions facing each of the pair of guide rails 3. The slings 41 are positioned with their openings facing the guide rails 3, and guide shoes (not shown) for the guide rails 3 are provided and fixed to the slings 41. The guide shoes are fixed to the work cage 4 via the slings 41, protruding from the work cage 4 toward each side wall 10s, and sandwich the blade portions 32 of the guide rails 3 with a gap from the front wall 10f and rear wall 10b directions.

Here, the hanging rope 4b (see Figure 1) is connected to the work cage 4 at two points, one on the left and one on the right, near the rear of the work cage 4 (near the rear wall 10b), so as not to interfere with the guide rail 3. Due to the positional relationship between these connection points and the center of gravity G of the work cage 4, the work cage 4 tilts toward the front wall 10f or the rear wall 10b, and maintains balance by leaning against the guide rail 3 via the guide shoe described above.

A hanging bracket 42 is also fixed to the work cage 4 via a sling 41. The hanging bracket 42 is a plate-shaped member with multiple holes, and is fixed to the upper end of the sling 41 with the plate-shaped surface on which the multiple holes are arranged parallel to the work floor 4a of the work cage 4.

Furthermore, handrails 43 are erected on the inside of the sling 41 around the periphery of the work floor 4a of the work cage 4.

<Configuration of rail centering device 100>
Next, we will explain the configuration of the rail centering device 100 that is installed in the above-mentioned environment. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rail centering device 100 comprises a rail centering rod 5, two piano wire position detectors 6, two rail holding fittings 7, two front and rear actuators 8, two side wall actuators 9, a control circuit 11, and an operation panel 12. These components are configured as follows:

[Rail centering 5]
The rail centering tool 5 is a jig (gauge) that maintains a predetermined distance between the left and right guide rails 3 prepared for the centering work. The rail centering tool 5 has a predetermined length and is fixed across the pair of guide rails 3. Both ends of this rail centering tool 5 are provided with gripping parts that hold and grip the guide rails 3. The gripping parts are provided with L-shaped metal fittings that abut against the cutting edge surface and raceway surface of the guide rail 3. The rail centering tool 5 can be connected to the guide rails 3 with high precision via these metal fittings. The left and right guide rails 3 are integrated by being connected to the rail centering tool 5.

[Piano wire position detector 6]
The piano wire position detector 6 is a means for measuring the distance between the track surface and cutting edge surface of the guide rail 3 and the piano wire 2. The piano wire position detector 6 is composed of a position sensor that detects the piano wire 2, a housing that holds the position sensor, and a rail clip that fastens the housing to the guide rail 3.

The position sensor consists of an X-direction position sensor that detects the position of the piano wire 2 in the X direction, and a Y-direction position sensor that detects the position of the piano wire 2 in the Y direction. The position sensor is configured, for example, using a photointerrupter. The photointerrupter is an optical sensor with a light emitter and a light receiver arranged facing each other in a U-shaped sensor housing. The photointerrupter can detect the presence or absence of an obstruction between the light emitter and the light receiver, as well as the position of the obstruction. Using this photointerrupter as a position sensor makes it possible to determine whether the position of the piano wire 2 is within the detection range between the light emitter and the light receiver. Furthermore, using multiple photointerrupters allows multiple detection ranges to be arranged consecutively, enabling the position of the piano wire 2 to be detected more precisely over a wider area. The position sensor is not limited to a photointerrupter, and may also be configured, for example, using a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor or a PSD (Position Sensitive Detector) sensor.

The housing acts as a gauge that maintains a predetermined distance from the guide rail 3 to the position sensor. It also houses a communication device that transmits information about the distance between the guide rail 3 and the piano wire 2 measured by the position sensor to the outside, as well as a battery.

The rail clip is designed to abut against the cutting edge and track surfaces of the guide rail 3 using magnets, clamps, or other means, and is detachable. Piano wire position detectors 6 are attached to the left and right guide rails 3, respectively.

[Rail holding metal fitting 7]
The rail holding bracket 7 is a member for fixing the work cage 4 and the guide rail 3. As shown in FIG. 3 , the rail holding bracket 7 is used in a state fixed to the work cage 4 via a hanging bracket 42. This rail holding bracket 7 connects the work cage 4 and the guide rail 3 by holding the blade portion 32 that protrudes from the flange portion 31 of the guide rail 3. Such a rail holding bracket 7 has two brackets 71 with protrusions formed at their tips, and the base ends of the two brackets 71 are fixed to the hanging bracket 42 of the work cage 4. The two brackets 71 are connected by screws, and the narrowed base portion of the blade portion 32 of the guide rail 3 is sandwiched between the protrusions at the tips of the two brackets 71 and fixed to the hanging bracket 42. At this time, the rail holding bracket 7 is pulled toward the cage and fixed at the fixing point of the hanging bracket 42, thereby fixing the guide rail 3 and the work cage 4. This ensures the guide rail 3's ability to follow the movement of the work cage 4.

[Front and rear actuator 8 and side wall actuator 9]
Returning to Figure 1, the front-rear actuator 8 and the side wall actuator 9 are rod-shaped linear actuators that expand and contract in the longitudinal direction. Actuators that expand and contract using electricity, hydraulics, or air pressure as driving forces can be used as linear actuators. Electric linear actuators, in particular, have the advantage of being able to maintain their length even when an external force is applied after the power supply is turned off thanks to a ball screw mechanism, which is advantageous for saving energy when fixing the actuator after centering.

Of these front-rear actuators 8 and side wall actuators 9, the front-rear actuator 8 is fixed between the side wall 10a and the work car 4 so that its extension direction is oblique to the side wall 10s of the elevator shaft 1. The side wall actuator 9 is fixed to the work car 4 so that its extension direction is approximately perpendicular to the side wall 10s. Next, the fixing structure of the front-rear actuator 8 and side wall actuator 9 described above will be explained.

- Fixing structure of front and rear actuator 8 -
FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a main portion showing the fixing structure of the longitudinal actuator 8 and the side wall actuator 9 according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing the fixing structure of the base end 8a of the longitudinal actuator 8 according to the embodiment, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing the fixing structure of the tip end 8b of the longitudinal actuator 8 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 , the tip end 8b of the extending rod of the longitudinal actuator 8 can be fixed to the side wall 10s of the elevator shaft 1 via a fixing member 1b extending from the side wall 10s, and the base end 8a can be fixed to the work car 4 via a slide member 81. As described above, this fixing member 1b can be a wall bracket or fastener used to fix the guide rail 3, and no special fixing member is required.

The slide member 81 is a member that allows the fixed position of the front and rear actuator 8 relative to the work car 4 to be changed, and is fixed to the work car 4 when in use. The slide member 81 allows the fixed position of the base end side 8a of the front and rear actuator 8 to be changed in a horizontal direction that is approximately parallel to the side wall 10s of the elevator shaft 1 (see Figure 1).

Such a sliding member 81 is, for example, a member with a longitudinal groove. In this embodiment, an example using a commercially available, inexpensive aluminum frame is described. The sliding member 81 is not limited to an aluminum frame; it may be realized using other materials, such as a long hole or a series of holes in the hook 42. The aluminum frame is a member with a mating groove formed along its entire length, and by using a T-nut that meets the specifications, the position of the T-nut can be slid and secured with a screw. Using the aluminum frame as the sliding member 81 allows the position of the fixing part 82 to be slid and secured. This allows the operator to easily change the fixed position of the front/rear actuator 8 to suit the usage scenario, resulting in a device with high work flexibility. Furthermore, a mating groove can also be formed on the bottom side of the aluminum frame, and it can be easily installed on the hook 42 of the work basket 4 by screwing it in with a T-bolt.

The slide member 81 is positioned approximately parallel to the handrail 43, which is arranged along the side wall 10s of the elevator shaft 1 (see Figure 1), and is used by fixing one end to a hook 42 fixed to the sling 41. This leaves a mating groove or multiple holes arranged in the front-to-back direction (Y direction) along the handrail. The other end of the slide member 81 is fixed to the handrail 43 via a reinforcing bracket 81a. The reinforcing bracket 81a is a plate-shaped metal fitting, and since the slide member 81 is fixed by one end support from the hook 42, it is provided as a reinforcing member that spans between the free end of the slide member 81 and the handrail 43. When using such a reinforcing bracket 81a, it is preferable that the slide member 81 have a mating groove on the side in addition to the mating groove on the top surface.

The base end 8a of the longitudinal actuator 8 is fixed to this slide member 81 via a fixing part 82. As shown in Figure 5, the fixing part 82 is a rotary joint composed of a butt fitting 82a, a bolt 82b, a T-nut 82c, a nut 82d, and a pin 82e.

The butt fitting 82a is a U-shaped metal fitting attached to the base end 8a of the front-rear actuator 8. Holes for the pins 82e are formed on both sides of the butt fitting 82a, and the pins 82e, arranged across the U-shape, are fixed thereto. The pins 82e are arranged perpendicular to the axis of the front-rear actuator 8, penetrating the base end 8a of the front-rear actuator 8, and both ends are fixed to the butt fitting 82a. This allows the front-rear actuator 8 to rotate around the pin 82e as an axis and change its posture in the elevation direction. This also makes it possible to attach the front-rear actuator 8 when there is a difference in height between the fixed member 1b to which the tip end 8b of the front-rear actuator 8 is connected and the slide frame 81 to which the base end 8a is connected.

The butt bracket 82a also has a hole formed in its U-shaped bottom surface through which the bolt 82b passes. The butt bracket 82a is connected to the slide frame 81 via the bolt 82b. A T-nut 82c, fitted into a groove in the slide frame 81, is engaged with the threaded tip of the bolt 82b. When the bolt 82b is turned in the tightening direction, the tip of the bolt 82b descends within the fitting groove of the slide frame 81, and the T-nut 82c rises. This causes the bolt 82b to expand within the fitting groove of the slide frame 81, securing the bolt 82b to the slide frame 81. The bolt 82b has a knob on its head, allowing the operator to tighten or loosen the screw without a jig, improving workability. A separate nut 82d is fixed to the middle of the threaded portion of the bolt 82b. This nut 82d is pre-fixed in a position that will contact the top surface of the butt bracket 82a when the bolt 82b is fully tightened. This allows the butt fitting 82a to freely rotate around the axis of the bolt 82b after being fixed, while preventing it from lifting up.

By fixing the front-rear actuator 8 to the slide member 81 using the fixing portion 82 as described above, the front-rear actuator 8 can be rotated horizontally around the base end 8a as an axis, allowing the tip end 8b to grip the fixed member 1b fixed to the side wall. Also, as shown in Figure 7, the front-rear actuator 8 can point the tip end 8b toward the front wall 10f of the elevator shaft 1 (see Figure 1), and center the guide rail 3 by pressing the tip end 8b against the front wall 10f.

As shown in Figure 6, the tip end 8b of the front-rear actuator 8 is fixed to a fixed member 1b extending from the side wall 10s (see Figure 1) of the elevator shaft 1 via a clamp 83 and a rotary joint 84. The clamp 83 is a component that grips the fixed member 1b, and is composed of a U-shaped metal fitting 83a with a groove formed therein and a bolt 83b that crosses the groove of the U-shaped metal fitting 83a. By tightening the bolt 83b, the clamp 83 clamps and secures the fixed member 1b between the tip of the bolt 83b and the inside of the groove of the U-shaped metal fitting 83a. The clamp 83 has a knob formed on the head of the bolt 83b, allowing the worker to tighten or loosen the screw without a jig, improving workability.

The rotary joint 84 is a joint in which two components are connected by a shaft and can be bent. A universal joint that can be oriented in any direction can be used. In this type of rotary joint 84, two components connected by a shaft are fixed between the clamp 83 and the end of the rod of the front-rear actuator 8. This rotary joint 84 allows the orientation of the clamp 83 to be adjusted to match the end face, even if the end face of the gripped portion of the fixed member 1b attached to the side wall 10s of the hoistway 1 (see Figure 1) is not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the front-rear actuator 8, allowing the clamp 83 to securely grip the fixed member 1b. Furthermore, the bending of the rotary joint 84 makes it possible to attach the front-rear actuator 8 even if there is a difference in height between the fixed member 1b attached to the side wall of the hoistway 1 and the slide member 81 to which the base end 8a of the front-rear actuator 8 (see Figures 4 and 5) is fixed.

- Fixing structure of the side wall actuator 9 -
8 is an enlarged view showing the fixing structure of the side wall actuator according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 8, the side wall actuator 9 has a tip end 9b of an extending rod disposed opposite the side wall 10s (see Fig. 1) of the elevator shaft 1, and a base end 9a that can be fixed to the work car 4 via a slide member 91.

The slide member 91 is a member that allows the fixed position of the side wall actuator 9 relative to the work car 4 to be changed in a direction approximately vertical toward the side wall 10s (see Figure 1) of the hoistway 1. Such a slide member 91 may have a structure similar to that of the slide member 81 that fixes the front/rear actuator 8. The slide member 91 for this side wall actuator 9 is positioned so that it protrudes toward the side wall 10s (see Figure 1) of the hoistway 1, and is used by fixing it to a hook 42 fixed to the upper end of the sling 41. Note that although Figures 4 and 8 show two rows of slide members 91 bundled together, a single row of slide members 91 is sufficient.

The base end 9a of the side wall actuator 9 is fixed to this slide member 91 via a fixing portion 92. As shown in Figure 8, the fixing portion 92 is composed of a butt fitting 92a, a bolt 92b, a T-nut 92c, a nut 92d, and a pin 92e.

The butt fitting 92a is a metal fitting attached to the base end 9a of the side wall actuator 9. The butt fitting 92a has a hole formed in its bottom surface through which the bolt 92b passes. The butt fitting 92a is connected to the slide member 91 by the bolt 92b. A T-nut 92c, fitted into a groove in the slide member 91, is engaged with the threaded tip of the bolt 92b. When the bolt 92b is turned in the tightening direction, the tip of the bolt 92b descends within the fitting groove of the slide member 91, and the T-nut 92c rises. This causes the bolt 92b to expand within the fitting groove of the slide member 91, securing the bolt 92b to the slide member 91. The bolt 92b has a knob on its head, allowing the operator to tighten or loosen the screw without a jig, improving workability. A separate nut 92d is fixed to the middle of the threaded portion of the bolt 92b. This nut 92d is fixed in advance in a position that will allow it to come into contact with the top surface of the butt fitting 92a when the bolt 92b is fully tightened. This prevents the butt fitting 92a from lifting up after being fixed.

By fixing the side wall actuator 9 to the slide member 91 using the fixing portion 92 as described above, the fixing position can be changed in the left-right direction (X direction) on the slide member 91. As a result, during rail centering work, the side wall actuator 9 itself can be extended outside the work car 4 so as to be close to the side wall of the hoistway 1. When the rail centering work is completed and the work car 4 is raised or lowered, the side wall actuator 9 can be stored inside the work car 4. Because the side wall actuator 9 applies a force perpendicular to the side wall of the hoistway 1 to obtain left-right (X direction) displacement, it does not need to be rotated and fixed like the front-rear actuator 8. For this reason, the fixing portion 92 for the side wall actuator 9 may be provided with a hook portion that abuts against the side of the slide member 91, preventing it from swinging left and right.

[Control circuit 11]
1 and 2 , the control circuit 11 includes, for example, a signal processing unit, a wireless communication unit, a motor driver, and a power supply. The signal processing unit uses an embedded microcomputer or the like capable of handling a variety of input and output signals. The wireless communication unit is a radio device that receives the position signal of the piano wire 2 sent from the piano wire position detector 6. The motor driver is a driver IC that controls the motor that drives the front-rear actuator 8 and the motor that drives the side wall actuator 9. The control circuit 11 receives the detection signal sent by the piano wire position detector 6 and outputs drive signals to the front-rear actuator 8 and the side wall actuator 9 based on the received detection signal and commands from the operation panel 12.

As a result, by controlling the drive of the front/rear actuator 8 and side wall actuator 9 using the control circuit 11 based on the position signal from the piano wire position detector 6, it is possible to automate tasks that were previously performed manually by an operator. Specifically, it is possible to automate the tasks of measuring the distance between the piano wire 2 and the guide rail 3 using a scale or the like, and adjusting the position of the guide rail 3 by hitting it with a hammer or the like while checking the measured value. This makes it possible to achieve highly accurate rail centering in a short amount of time, reducing the workload on the operator.

[Operation panel 12]
The operation panel 12 has switches for manually operating the front/rear actuators 8 and side wall actuators 9 and for executing automatic control of rail centering. The operation panel 12 also has indicators that display the status of the rail centering device. The operation panel 12 is directly connected to the control circuit 11, and issues commands to the control circuit 11 based on operator operations.

<Guide rail centering process>
Next, a description will be given of the rail centering process for the guide rail using the above-mentioned rail centering device 100. The rail centering process for the guide rail mainly comprises an installation operation for attaching the rail centering device 100 to the work car 4, a rail centering operation for operating the rail centering device 100 on each floor in the hoistway 1 to center the guide rail, and a rail fixing operation for fixing the guide rail 3 to the hoistway 1. Of these, the centering operation and rail fixing operation are performed repeatedly with the work car 4 moving between them. Below, the rail centering process for the guide rail will be described according to its steps.

<Installation of centering device>
[Installation of front and rear actuator 8]
First, as shown in Fig. 4, a worker installs the front-rear actuator 8. The front-rear actuator 8 is delivered in an assembled state, with the slide member 81, fixing portion 82, clamp 83, and rotary joint 84. As a result, installation of the front-rear actuator 8 only requires the work of fixing the slide member 81 to the hanging metal fitting 42 of the work car 4 and the work of hanging the reinforcing metal fitting 81a for reinforcing the slide member 81 between the handrail 43 of the work car 4.

Although not shown here, the slide member 81 has a T-bolt pre-inserted into a groove on its underside. This bolt is fitted into a hole in the hanging bracket 42 and fastened with a nut to secure it to the hanging bracket 42. The slide member 81 also has a T-bolt pre-inserted into a groove on its side. This bolt is fitted into a hole in the reinforcing bracket 81a and fastened with a nut to secure the reinforcing bracket 81a to the slide member 81. The reinforcing bracket 81a is fixed to the handrail 43 side using a hat-shaped bracket or bolt. At this time, the front/rear actuator 8 is placed in a position where it overlaps the slide member 81 or where the tip end 8b is retracted toward the work cage 4 so as not to interfere with the raising and lowering of the work cage 4. By performing this series of installation procedures on both the left and right sides of the work cage 4, installation of the front/rear actuator 8 is completed.

[Installation of Side Wall Actuator 9]
Next, the worker installs the side wall actuator 9. The side wall actuator 9 is delivered in an assembled state of the slide member 91 and the fixing portion 92. As a result, the installation of the side wall actuator 9 only requires the worker to fix the slide member 91 to the latch 42 of the work car 4.

Although not shown here, the slide member 91 has a T-bolt pre-inserted into a groove on its underside, which is then fitted into a hole in the hanging bracket 42 and fastened with a nut to secure it to the hanging bracket 42. At this time, the slide member 91 and side wall actuator 9 are left protruding toward the work car 4 so as not to interfere with the lifting and lowering of the work car 4. By performing this installation work on both the left and right sides of the work car 4, installation of the side wall actuator 9 is complete.

[Installation of rail holding fittings 7]
Next, the worker installs the rail holding fitting 7. The rail holding fitting 7 is fixed to the hanging fitting 42 of the work car 4 using a bolt. At this time, so as not to interfere with the raising and lowering of the work car 4, the rail holding fitting 7 is pulled toward the car with the blade portion 32 of the guide rail 3 gently sandwiched between the tip sides of the two fittings 71 that make up the rail holding fitting 7, and the base end side is fixed to the hanging fitting 42 of the work car 4. In this way, the rail holding fitting 7 is installed so as to be slidable relative to the guide rail 3.

[Installation of control circuit 11 and operation panel 12]
1 and 4, an operator installs the control circuit 11 and the operation panel 12. The control circuit 11 and the operation panel 12 are installed by hanging hooks connected to the control circuit 11 and the operation panel 12 on the handrail 43 at the rear of the work car 4. After installing the control circuit 11 and the operation panel 12, the cables of the front/rear actuators 8 and the side wall actuators 9 installed on the left and right sides of the work car 4 are wired and fixed inside the work car 4 and connected to the control circuit 11. The control circuit 11 is powered on by connecting it to an AC power source drawn into the work car 4.

As described above, the front/rear actuator 8, side wall actuator 9, control circuit 11, and operation panel 12 have a separate structure, which allows the size and weight of each component to be reduced, allowing installation by a single worker. Furthermore, the installation process is simple, reducing the workload and time required.

The rail centering device 100 can be removed by simply following the installation procedure described above in reverse, and this can also be completed by a single worker in a short amount of time.

<Rail centering work>
The rail centering work is performed with the components of the rail centering device 100 attached as described above, and the work basket 4 raised and lowered to the rail fixing position. Referring to Figure 1, the rail centering work begins with installing the rail centering device 5. The worker uses the gripping mechanisms on both ends of the rail centering device 5 to grip and connect the left and right guide rails 3, thereby integrating the two guide rails 3.

Next, preparation work is performed on the front-rear actuator 8 and side wall actuator 9. When the work car 4 is raised or lowered, the front-rear actuator 8 and side wall actuator 9 are stored on the work car 4 side. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the worker deploys the front-rear actuator 8 toward the outside of the work car 4, and uses the clamp 83 attached to the tip end 8b to grasp the fixing member 1b on the side wall of the hoistway 1, thereby fixing the tip end 8b of the front-rear actuator 8. Furthermore, the bolt 82b (see Figure 5) on the base end 8a of the front-rear actuator 8 is tightened to secure the fixing portion 82 to the slide member 81.

Next, the worker moves the side wall actuator 9 on the slide member 91 so that it extends outward from the work car 4, tightens the bolt 92b (see Figure 8) on the base end 9a, and fastens the fixing part 92 to the slide member 91. At this time, leave a gap between the tip of the side wall actuator 9 and the side wall 10s of the elevator shaft 1 so that it does not interfere with centering the rails in the front-to-back direction (Y direction).

Next, the worker fastens the piano wire position detector 6 to the guide rail 3 and turns on the power to the control circuit 11, completing the preparation work for rail centering.

The operator operates the buttons on the control panel 12 to control the extension and retraction of the front-rear actuator 8 and side wall actuator 9. The operator can manually operate the front-rear actuator 8 and side wall actuator 9 to perform rail centering work, or the rail centering can be performed automatically by software.

Automatic rail centering is performed by controlling the operation of the front-rear actuator 8 and side wall actuator 9 based on the position information of the piano wire 2 transmitted by the piano wire position detector 6. First, rail centering in the front-rear direction (Y direction) is performed by extending and retracting the front-rear actuator 8, whose ends are fixed to the wall 10s and the working car 4, so that the extension direction is oblique to the side wall 10s. Next, rail centering in all directions is performed by extending and retracting the front-rear actuator 8 and side wall actuator 9. Once rail centering is complete, the front-rear actuator 8 and side wall actuator 9 maintain their self-holding state.

In the above centering operation, the front-rear actuator 8 can also be extended to push against the front wall 10f. Figure 9 is a top view showing another example of centering operation using the rail centering device according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 9, the front-rear actuator 8 can perform rail centering in the front-rear direction by abutting the tip of the extending rod against the front wall 10f and pushing the front wall 10f by expanding and contracting the front-rear actuator 8 based on the position information of the piano wire 2 transmitted by the piano wire position detector 6.

<Rail fixing work>
Next, the rail fixing work is carried out in the following order: temporary fixing, storing the rail centering device 100, and fixing the guide rail.

[Temporary fixation]
First, the worker attaches an L-shaped rail bracket to the back surface of the flange 31a of the guide rail 3, and installs it so that it overlaps with the fixing member 1b fixed to the side wall of the hoistway 1. Then, the worker temporarily fixes the rail bracket and the fixing member 1b fixed to the side wall of the hoistway 1 by tightening it with a clamp.

[Storage of the rail centering device 100]
In the temporarily fixed state, the guide rail 3 is firmly fixed to the fixing member 1b, eliminating the need for the rail centering device 100 to hold the guide rail 3. Therefore, the worker stores the rail centering device 100 so that it does not interfere with the work of fixing the guide rail 3. To do this, first, referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 , loosen the clamp 83 on the tip end 8b of the front-rear actuator 8 to remove it from the fixing member 1b, and loosen the bolt 82b on the base end 8a of the front-rear actuator 8 to release the fixing of the fixing portion 82. Then, rotate the tip end 8b of the front-rear actuator 8 to store it in the work car 4. Also, referring to FIG. 8 , loosen the bolt 92b on the base end 9a of the side wall actuator 9 to release the fixing of the fixing portion 92, and slide the slide member 91 to store the side wall actuator 9 in the work car 4. Furthermore, remove the piano wire position detector 6 from the guide rail 3 and store it in the work car 4. In this way, by storing each component of the rail centering device 100 in the work basket 4, a work space is secured around the guide rail 3.

[Fixing of guide rail 3]
After the rail centering device has been stored, the worker welds the joint between the fixing member 1b fixed to the side wall of the elevator shaft 1 and the rail bracket fixed to the guide rail 3, and fixes the guide rail 3 to the side wall of the elevator shaft 1.

After welding, the rail centering lever 5 is removed, allowing the work car 4 to be raised and lowered. The work car 4 is then raised and lowered to the next rail fixing position, and the above-mentioned rail centering and rail fixing operations are then repeated.

Effect of the embodiment
According to the embodiment described above, of the components constituting the rail centering device 100, the only component placed on top of the work floor 4a is the rail centering roller 5. Therefore, the rail centering device 100 does not interfere with the rail centering and rail fixing operations, improving the workability of the worker's guide rail centering operations. Furthermore, because the components constituting the rail centering device 100 are small and lightweight, it is possible to reduce the workload of installing the rail centering device 100.

Furthermore, the front-rear actuators 8 are fixed to the work basket 4 and the side walls 10s so that they can expand and contract diagonally relative to the front-rear direction (Y direction), which is the centering direction of the guide rail 3. As a result, regardless of the tilt of the work basket 4 due to an unbalanced load, the work basket 4 can be moved in the front-rear direction by expanding and contracting the front-rear actuators 8 fixed to the left and right sides of the work basket 4, making it possible to center the guide rail 3 connected to the work basket. In other words, if the tips of the front-rear actuators were not fixed and pressed against the front wall 10f, it would be impossible to center the guide rail 3 in the front-rear direction when the center of gravity G of the work basket 4 is tilted toward the rear wall, but this is possible with the rail centering device 100 of this embodiment.

Furthermore, because the front-rear actuator 8 and side wall actuator 9 are fixed to the work basket 4 via slide members 81 and 91, the extension of the front-rear actuator 8 and side wall actuator 9 can be compensated for by the slide members 81 and 91. This makes it possible to reduce the size of the front-rear actuator 8 and side wall actuator 9, which also reduces the workload involved in installing the rail centering device 100.

<<Variations>>
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and includes various other modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

For example, in the above embodiment, an aluminum frame is used as the slide frame 81, but a slide frame is not necessarily required; a configuration in which a slot or multiple holes are provided in the hanging bracket 42 to attach the fixing portion of the front/rear actuator 8 may be used. Similarly, while an aluminum frame is used as the slide frame 91, a slide frame is not necessarily required; a slot or multiple holes are provided in the hanging bracket 42 to attach the fixing portion of the side wall actuator 9.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1... Hoistway 2... Piano wire 3... Guide rail 4... Work basket 5... Rail centering lever 6... Piano wire position detector 7... Rail holding fixture 8... Front and rear actuator 8a... Base end side 8b... Tip end side 9... Side wall actuator (another actuator)
10... inner peripheral wall 10s... side wall (two opposing wall portions)
11... Control circuit 81, 91... Slide member 82... Fixed portion (rotary joint)
84... Rotary joint 100... Rail centering device

Claims (10)

A rail centering device for adjusting the positions of a pair of guide rails arranged along two opposing wall portions of an inner peripheral wall of an elevator shaft,
a rail centering device including an actuator whose both ends can be fixed between one of the wall portions and a work basket installed between the pair of guide rails so that the extension/contraction direction is oblique to the wall portion; The rail centering device according to claim 1 , further comprising two actuators each of which corresponds to one of the wall portions and can be fixed to the work basket. The rail centering device according to claim 1 , wherein both ends of the actuator are fixed to the work cage and the wall portion via rotary joints. The work basket is provided with a slide member whose fixed position relative to the actuator can be changed,
The rail centering device according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is freely fixed to the work basket via the slide member. The rail centering device according to claim 4 , wherein the slide member is capable of changing a fixed position relative to the actuator in a horizontal direction substantially parallel to the wall portion. The rail centering device according to claim 1, further comprising another actuator that can be fixed to the work basket so that the extension direction is approximately perpendicular to the wall portion. The work basket is provided with a slide member capable of changing a fixed position with respect to the other actuator in a substantially vertical direction toward the wall portion,
The rail centering device according to claim 6, wherein the other actuator is fixable to the work basket via the slide member. a rail centering rod of a predetermined length that is fixed across the pair of guide rails;
The rail centering device according to claim 1, further comprising a rail holding metal fitting for fixing the guide rail to the work basket. The rail centering device according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator is fixable to the wall portion via a fixing member fixed to the wall portion for fixing the guide rail. A rail centering method for adjusting the positions of a pair of guide rails arranged along two opposing wall portions of an inner peripheral wall of an elevator shaft, comprising:
both ends of the actuator are fixed between one of the wall portions and a work basket installed between the pair of guide rails so that the extension/contraction direction is oblique to the wall portion;
The position of the guide rail connected to the work basket is adjusted by extension and contraction of the actuator.