The present invention relates to an intermediate beam of an elevator as presented in the preamble of claim 1 and an intermediate beam arrangement for an elevator system as presented in the preamble of claim 9.

The intermediate beam solution according to the invention is suited for use more particularly for fixing the guide rails of an- elevator in the elevator hoistways of elevator groups and to separate the travel spaces of the different elevators from each other. The solution is, however, also suited to other elevator use.

In intermediate beam solutions according to prior art e.g. an H-beam is used as an intermediate beam, said H-beam being disposed in such a way that the web plate of the beam is in the horizontal position and the flanges in a horizontal position, and an adapter is fitted on top of the beam for the fixing of the guide rails of the elevator. One drawback in these solutions is that the adapter must often be designed for the specific elevator, especially if the elevators are different on the different sides of the intermediate beam or the counterweight of the one elevator is on the side. Elevator-specific design of the adapter increases the costs of the elevator. An adapter is often also relatively complex, with bendings and weldings, and the fabrication costs of this type of adapter are relatively high.

Another drawback in prior-art solutions is the initial treatment of the intermediate beam, in which fixing holes are drilled in the ends of the intermediate beam and, if necessary, also welded joints are made to the intermediate beam. Since the intermediate beams of elevator hoistways are relatively large in size and weigh a lot, the aforementioned initial treatment procedures for an intermediate beam cannot be performed at the installation site, but instead the intermediate beams must first be. delivered to a workshop for the aforementioned initial treatments. In this case the process costs of the fabrication of intermediate beams increase. In addition, transportations from the workshop e.g. to installation sites situated abroad increase the costs.

A further drawback is that intermediate beams are generally installed in a vertical position, as viewed from the end of the beam, in which position the web plate of the intermediate beam is vertical and the flanges are horizontal, in which case the intermediate beam is stronger to receive the sliding forces of the guide rail clamps possibly stressing the intermediate beam. From this it follows, however, that the intermediate beams are in this case weaker in the horizontal direction to receive horizontal forces, coming via the guide rails and guide rail fixings, in the width direction of the elevator car.

The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks and to achieve an inexpensive, rapidly installable and operationally reliable intermediate beam of an elevator, which beam does not need to be delivered to a workshop for treatment, but instead which is available directly from a local supplier as cut-to-order material and is brought into a fit state for use simply by cutting and painting, and which is easily applicable to different elevator solutions. The intermediate beam of an elevator according to the invention is characterized by what is disclosed in the characterization part of claim 1. Other embodiments of the invention are characterized by what is disclosed in the other claims .

Some inventive embodiments are also discussed in the descriptive section of the present application. The inventive content of the application can also be defined differently than in the claims presented below. The inventive content may also consist of several . separate inventions, especially if the invention is considered in the light of expressions or implicit sub-tasks or from the point of view of advantages or categories of advantages achieved. In this case, some of the attributes contained in the claims below may be superfluous from the point of view of separate inventive concepts. Likewise the different details presented in connection with each embodiment can also be applied in other embodiments. In addition it can be stated that at least some of the subordinate claims can in at least some situations be deemed to be inventive in their own right.

One advantage, among others, of the intermediate beam solution for an elevator according to the invention is that by means of it an advantageous intermediate beam solution is obtained economically, in which solution intermediate beams can be purchased directly from a local supplier and just cut to the correct length and painted, after which the intermediate beams can be installed into position. In this case heavy beams do not need to be machined and time- consuming drillings and weldings are not needed.. Likewise, long transportations of heavyweight beams can be avoided. Another advantage is that the adapters to be used in connection with an intermediate beam are simple and inexpensive and also flexible in terms of different solutions. Yet a further advantage is the good ability of the intermediate beam to receive horizontal forces, because the intermediate beam is installed in a horizontal position, i.e. as viewed from the end of the beam the web plate is horizontal and the flanges are vertical. The beam structure according to the invention is suited, apart from as a so- called intermediate beam structure, also as another beam structure, which fixes to the wall or to another structure of an elevator hoistway and supports the structures and apparatuses of the elevator.

Preferably the intermediate beams of an elevator system, and the guide rail fixing means to be connected to them, can.be arranged with the solution applicable to the invention. The intermediate beams are fixed into their position with wall fixing elements, which are disposed at the ends of the frame of the intermediate beam and configured to compress the intermediate beam. The intermediate beam is installed with the plane of the web plate of the intermediate beam being essentially horizontal and the planes of the flanges of the intermediate beam being essentially vertical.

In the following, the invention will be described in more detail by the aid of one example of its embodiments with reference to the simplified and diagrammatic drawings attached, wherein

Fig. 1 presents an oblique view from the top and side of one intermediate beam of an elevator according to the invention,

Fig. 2 presents a simplified end view of the sectioned intermediate beam of an elevator according to Fig. 1.

Figs. 1 and 2 present one intermediate beam of an elevator according to the invention. In Fig. 1 the intermediate beam is presented as viewed obliquely from the top and side, and in Fig. 2 as viewed from the end when sectioned. The intermediate beam of an elevator according to the invention comprises at least a frame 1, wall fixing elements 2 for fixing the intermediate beam to a wall of the elevator hoistway or to another suitable fixing location, and guide rail fixing means 5 for fixing the guide rails 11 of the elevator to the intermediate beam.

The frame 1 of the intermediate beam is an H-shaped profile beam in its cross-section, e.g. a so-called HE beam, which is placed in a horizontal position in such a way that as viewed from the end of the beam the web plate lb of the beam is horizontal and the flanges la are vertical. The beam that is the frame 1 can be procured from a local supplier near the installation site of the elevator, in which case the beam does not need to be transported for long distances. It is sufficient that the beam that is the frame 1 is cut to a suitable length and painted, after which the beam is ready to be installed. At both ends of the profile beam that is the frame 1 are wall fixing elements 2, in which are fixing holes 4 for fixing the intermediate beam of the elevator to a wall of the elevator hoistway or to another suitable fixing location. The wall fixing element 2 is a box-structured, essentially rectangularly-shaped element, comprising e.g. a base, two side walls 2a that are parallel with each other, and a butt end wall ' 2b, and which is e.g. open both towards the frame 1 of the intermediate beam and also upwards. The distance between the inside surfaces of the side walls 2a to be pressed against the outer surface of the flanges la of the frame 1 of the intermediate beam is essentially equal to or greater than the distance of the outer surfaces of the flanges la from each other . The fixing holes 4 are in the butt end wall 2b of the wall fixing element 2. In addition, the wall fixing elements 2 comprise tightening means 3 and 3a, of which the upper tightening means 3 is disposed above the frame 1 and the lower tightening means 3a is disposed below the frame 1. The tightening means 3, 3a are composed of e.g. nuts and bolts, which bolts are disposed in the holes that are in the side walls 2a of the wall fixing element 2. In the installation phase the wall fixing elements 2 are tightened by means of the tightening means 3, 3a to the ends of the profile beam that is the frame 1 in such a way that the length of the finished intermediate beam forms to be exactly suited with respect to the aforementioned elevator hoistway. In this case the side walls 2a of the wall fixing element 2 press against the outer surfaces of the flanges la of the frame 1, in which case the wall fixing element 2 stay firmly in their positions by means of the friction produced by the compression. In addition, the location of the wall fixing element 2 is steplessly adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the frame 1, because separate fixing holes are not needed in the flanges la of the profile beam of the frame 1.

For the fixing of the guide rails 11 of the elevator, the intermediate beam comprises guide rail fixing means 5 either on only the one side of the intermediate beam or, depending on the situation, on both sides of the intermediate beam. The guide rail fixing means 5 are fixed into their correct disposal point onto the top edge and onto the bottom edge of the flanges la of the frame 1 of the intermediate beam by means of compression. The guide rail fixing means 5 comprise at least an adapter plate 6, which is disposed in a vertical plane against the outer surface of a flange la of the frame and which preferably extends e.g. to above the top edge and to below the bottom edge of the flange la, so that the tightening means 9, such as a bolt-nut combination, can be placed into its position without drillings made in the flange la. The adapter plate 6 is tightened into its correct position by means of the tightening means 9 and fixing clamps 8 in such a way that the top edge and bottom edge of the flange la of the frame 1 are compressed between the fixing clamps 8 and the adapter plate 6.

The guide rail fixing means 5 also comprise a plate-shaped adjustment means, which is composed of two plates bent into an L-shape. The shorter side of the lower plate 7b of the adjustment means points downwards and is fixed to the adapter plate 6 by means of the tightening means 9 at the same time as the adapter plate 6 is fixed into its position. Correspondingly, the longer side of the lower plate 7b of the adjustment means is essentially horizontal and points outwards from the adapter plate 6. Further, the longer side of the upper plate 7a of the adjustment means is essentially horizontal and points towards the adapter plate 6, and the shorter side of the upper plate 7a points upwards and a guide rail 11 of the elevator is fixed to it by means of the fixing clamps 10. The longer sides of the lower and upper plate of the adjustment means are opposite each other and almost completely one on top of the other. They are fixed to each other with fixing means 7c, such as with bolt-nut combinations, and, owing to the elongated fixing holes that are in the longer sides, the horizontal distance of the upper plate 7a from the frame 1 of the intermediate beam can be ad usted.

Fig. 2 presents a sectioned and simplified end view of an intermediate beam of an elevator according to Fig. 1. For the sake of clarity the wall fixing element 2 plus tightening means 3, 3a on the end of the frame 1 is omitted from Fig. 2. The section is made from the point of the tightening means 9 and the tightening means 9 themselves have been left intact. Fig. 2 also shows a filler piece 8a on the top edge and bottom edge of the adapter plates 6, which filler piece is disposed on the top edge of the adapter plates 6 between the top edge of the fixing clamps 8 and the adapter plate 6 and correspondingly on the bottom edge of the adapter plates 6 between the bottom edge of the fixing clamps 8 and the adapter plate 6. The thickness of the shim 8a is essentially the same as the thickness of the flange la of the profile beam that is the frame 1.

In addition, it is seen from Fig. 2 that the guide rail fixing means 5 can be different on the different sides of the intermediate beam. According to Fig. 2, on the right-hand side of the intermediate beam are guide rail fixing means 5 according to Fig. 1, but on the left-hand side of the intermediate beam are different fixing means 12.

The intermediate beam of an elevator according to the invention is installed into its position e.g. in such a way that at first the wall fixing elements 2 are fixed to the front wall and rear wall of the elevator hoistway by means of wedge anchors. After this the lower tightening means 3a, such as bolts with nuts, of the wall fixing elements 2 are placed into the lower holes in the side walls of the wall fixing elements 2 to connect the side walls 2a of the e.g. U-shaped, as viewed from above, wall fixing element 2 to each other. After this the profile beam that is the frame 1, and e.g. which was procured from a local supplier, cut to the correct length and painted, is lifted on top of the bolts of the lower tightening means 3a, after which the bolts, with nuts, that are the upper tightening means 3 are placed into their upper fixing holes in the side walls 2a and the nuts of all the tightening means 3, 3a are tightened closed, whereupon the frame 1 of the intermediate beam, together with wall fixing elements 2, has. been installed into its position. The lower tightening means 3a also functions as a fixing check, upon which the beam rests if the compression joint is not sufficient. The check can also be made otherwise, e.g. by disposing an L-shaped piece under the wall fixing element.

The adapter plate 6 of the guide rail fixing means 5 is fixed into its position first to the top edge of the flange la of the frame 1 by means of the upper fixing clamps 8 and the upper tightening means 9. After this at least the lower plate 7b of the adjustment means of the guide rail fixing means 5 together with the bottom edge of the adapter plate 6 is fixed to the bottom edge of the flange la of the frame 1 of the intermediate beam by means of the fixing clamps 8 and the lower tightening means 9. If the upper plate 7a of the adjustment means is not yet in this stage attached to the lower plate 7b, it is fixed into its position next. If the guide rail fixing means 5 are in this stage in the wrong position in the longitudinal direction of the frame 1 of the intermediate beam with respect to the correct guide rail line, the guide rail fixing means 5 are shifted into the correct position in the longitudinal direction of the frame 1 of the intermediate beam before final tightening of the tightening means 9. It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited solely to the examples described above, but that it may be varied within the scope of the claims presented below. Thus, for example, the wall fixing elements and guide rail fixing means can also be different to what is presented above. For example, the wall fixing elements 2 can be fixed to the wall or to the structures of the hoistway in a different manner than that presented.

Likewise it is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the intermediate beam can be assembled in a different manner and in a different sequence than what is presented above.