Elevator wire rope strand breakage inspection tool

Abstract

This invention provides an elevator wire rope wire rope breakage inspection tool that can easily and accurately detect wire breakage in elevator wire ropes. [Solution] The inspection tool 1 comprises a main body 2, at least two protruding pieces 3, 4 that protrude from the main body 2 with a spacing that allows the elevator wire rope to be inserted, and a wire 5 that is stretched loosely between adjacent protruding pieces 3, 4. In one configuration, at least two protruding pieces 3, 4 are provided such that some or all of the protruding pieces are repositionable in one direction on the main body 2, thereby allowing the spacing between adjacent protruding pieces 3, 4 to be changed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a strand breakage inspection tool for a wire rope of an elevator that inspects whether a strand of a wire rope such as a main rope or a governor rope used in an elevator has a break.

Background Art

[0002] An elevator connects a car and a counterweight with a main rope and raises and lowers the car by driving a hoisting machine around which the main rope is wound. The main rope is a wire rope and has a structure in which a plurality of strands formed by bundling a plurality of strands around a core steel are twisted together.

[0003] The main rope may have a strand break (strand breakage) due to friction, bending, etc. between the sheave and the return pulley of the hoisting machine. When a certain number of strand breakages occur, the main rope is replaced for safety. The same applies to the governor rope.

[0004] The inspection of strand breakage is performed by maintenance personnel during maintenance and inspection. The most common method is to slide a measuring tape along the surface of the wire rope in the longitudinal direction of the wire rope and determine the presence or absence of strand breakage by having a catch. Also, there is a method of using a tester to determine the presence or absence of strand breakage based on the change in the magnetic field of the magnetized wire rope (Patent Document 1), or a method of stretching a wire in the opening of a U-shaped frame member, inserting the wire rope into the opening, sliding the frame member in the longitudinal direction of the wire rope while aligning the wire along the surface of the wire rope, and determining the presence or absence of strand breakage by having a catch (Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0006] However, the inspection method using a metal ruler has several drawbacks. Because the contact between the ruler's edge and the wire rope surface is almost point-contact, the area that can be inspected with a single slide is narrow. This necessitates repeatedly moving the ruler back and forth, changing its circumferential position relative to the wire rope surface, resulting in poor work efficiency. Furthermore, wear on the edge of the ruler reduces its ability to grip broken wires, leading to decreased detection accuracy. Additionally, errors in detection accuracy can occur depending on the angle at which the ruler is applied to the wire rope surface and the sliding speed.

[0007] The testing method using a tester requires bringing the tester itself, as well as a computer to analyze the test data, to the site, which also presents a problem in terms of work efficiency.

[0008] The inspection method using the device described in Patent Document 2 has the advantage that a wide area can be inspected with a single sliding operation because the wire follows the surface of the wire rope within a certain angle range. However, because the U-shaped arm portion of the frame member is thick (wide), when multiple wire ropes are arranged side by side with small gaps between them, such as the main rope of an elevator, the adjacent wire rope gets in the way, making it impossible to insert the frame member into one wire rope, or even if it can be inserted, it is difficult to slide, which also results in poor workability.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and aims to provide an elevator wire rope [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The wire rope wire rope wire breakage inspection tool for elevators according to the present invention is The main body and At least two protruding pieces that extend from the main body with a spacing that allows for the insertion of an elevator wire rope, It comprises a wire stretched loosely between adjacent protruding parts. This is a device for inspecting broken strands in elevator wire ropes.

[0011] As one embodiment of the wire rope wire rope breakage inspection tool for elevators according to the present invention, At least two projections are provided such that some or all of the projections are repositionable in one direction on the main body, thereby allowing the spacing between adjacent projections to be changed. This configuration can be adopted.

[0012] As one embodiment of the wire rope wire rope breakage inspection tool for elevators according to the present invention, It is equipped with a wire winding body that can be attached to the main body, The wire is pulled out from the wire winding body, stretched between adjacent protruding sections, and then fixed to the wire fixing section at the tip. This configuration can be adopted.

[0013] As one embodiment of the wire rope wire rope breakage inspection tool for elevators according to the present invention, The wire winding body is rotatably attached to the main body, but is also prevented from rotating by the action of the rotation fixing part. This configuration can be adopted.

[0014] As one embodiment of the wire rope wire rope breakage inspection tool for elevators according to the present invention, Each projection has an insertion hole, The wire is passed through each insertion hole. This configuration can be adopted.

[0015] As one embodiment of the wire rope wire rope breakage inspection tool for elevators according to the present invention, Each tab portion is a slit extending from one of the left and right side edges of the tab portion to the insertion hole, and has a slit with the left and right sides of the side edge reversed from the slit of the adjacent tab portion. The configuration with [the above] can be adopted.

Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, since the wire rope is inserted between adjacent tab portions and follows along the surface of the wire rope within a certain angular range, a wide range can be inspected by a single sliding operation in the longitudinal direction of the wire rope. Further, according to the present invention, since the tab portion that supports the wire is thin in terms of being a single piece, even when a plurality of wire ropes are arranged side by side with a small gap like the main ropes of an elevator, the adjacent wire ropes do not interfere, and two tab portions can be inserted into the gaps between the adjacent wire ropes for one wire rope, and a sliding operation can be smoothly performed in the longitudinal direction of the wire rope. Therefore, according to the present invention, wire breakage can be easily and highly accurately detected.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] Fig. 1(a) is a plan view of a wire breakage inspection tool for a wire rope according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 1(b) is a perspective view of the tip of the inspection tool. [Figure 2] Fig. 2 is an exploded plan view of the inspection tool. [Figure 3] Figs. 3(a) and (b) are explanatory views of the usage method (wire breakage inspection method) of the inspection tool. [Figure 4] Fig. 4 is a plan view of a wire breakage inspection tool for a wire rope according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 5] Figs. 5(a) and (b) are explanatory views of the usage method (wire breakage inspection method) of the inspection tool.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] <Embodiment 1> The wire rope strand breakage inspection tool according to Embodiment 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "inspection tool") will be described below.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the inspection tool 1 comprises a main body 2, two protruding parts 3 and 4, a wire 5, a wire winding body 6, a winding body support part 7, and a wire fixing part 8.

[0020] The main body 2 is a long, strip-shaped plate in the first direction and is made of metal or hard resin. The main body 2 has a gripping portion near its base end (for example, the base end). For example, the gripping portion is made by dipping the base material of the main body 2 in resin or wrapping it with resin tape.

[0021] The two projections 3 and 4 are strip-shaped pieces that protrude from the main body 2 at a distance that allows a wire rope to be inserted, i.e., a distance greater than the wire rope's diameter. The two projections 3 and 4 are arranged parallel to each other and aligned in a first direction. The projections 3 and 4 protrude from the first surface of the main body 2 at a location near the tip of the main body 2 (for example, the tip). The projections 3 and 4 protrude in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the main body 2.

[0022] The projections 3 and 4 are provided with bent portions 3a and 4a at their base ends. Projection 3 (for example, the projection at the tip) is integrally attached to the main body 2 by fasteners 3b that are inserted through a through hole (round hole) formed in the bent portion 3a and through a through hole (round hole) formed in the main body 2 and fastened. Projection 4 (for example, the second projection from the tip) is integrally attached to the main body 2 by fasteners 4b that are inserted through a through hole (round hole) formed in the bent portion 4a and through a through hole (elongated hole) formed in the main body 2 along the first direction and fastened. These may be reversed.

[0023] The fastener 4b is a fastener that can be easily loosened or tightened by a person. For example, the fastener 4b is constructed using a bolt and a wing nut (and washers, etc., if necessary). When the wing nut is loosened, the projection 4 can be repositioned within the range in which the bolt shaft moves within the elongated hole of the main body 2, and the distance between the two projections 3 and 4 can be changed.

[0024] The protruding parts 3 and 4 have resin layers 3c and 4c on their surfaces. For example, the resin layers 3c and 4c may be made by dipping the base material of the protruding parts 3 and 4 in resin or by wrapping it with a resin tape such as Teflon (registered trademark). Regardless of whether the protruding parts 3 and 4 have resin layers 3c and 4c on their surfaces or not, the thickness of the protruding parts 3 and 4 is 0.5 mm or more, or 1.0 mm or more, and 5 mm or less, or 3 mm or less, or 2 mm or less.

[0025] The projections 3 and 4 have through holes (round holes) 3d and 4d and slits 3e and 4e. The through holes 3d and 4d are formed so as to penetrate the base material and resin layers 3c and 4c of the projections 3 and 4 at the center of the projections 3 and 4. The through holes 3d and 4d are holes with a diameter larger than the width of the slits 3e and 4e. The slits 3e and 4e are formed so as to penetrate the base material and resin layers 3c and 4c of the projections 3 and 4, along a direction intersecting the projection direction of the projections 3 and 4, and from the side edges of the projections 3 and 4 to the through holes 3d and 4d. The slits 3e and 4e are formed so as to be staggered, that is, the left and right sides of the side edges are reversed between adjacent projections 3 and 4. The wire 5 is passed through the through holes 3d and 4d via the slits 3e and 4e.

[0026] The projection portion 4 is provided with a locking piece 4f at its base end (bent portion 4a). The locking piece 4f is used to hook the wire 5 and change its direction.

[0027] The wire 5 is flexible and is stretched loosely between the two protruding parts 3 and 4. For example, the wire 5 may be a resin thread such as nylon (for example, fishing line), a thin wire, or a wire. The wire 5 is drawn out from the wire winding body 6 and used.

[0028] The wire winding body 6 winds the wire 5 around it. The wire winding body 6 is a cylindrical body with an insertion hole in the center. As an example, the wire winding body 6 is a bobbin. The wire winding body 6 is detachably attached to the main body 2. The wire winding body 6 is attached to the second surface of the main body 2 at an intermediate point on the main body 2. The wire winding body 6 is rotatably attached about a direction perpendicular to the second surface of the main body 2.

[0029] The winding support section 7 rotatably supports the wire winding body 6 and also includes a rotation fixing section that can prevent the wire winding body 6 from rotating. The winding support section 7 is a fastener that is inserted through the insertion hole (round hole) formed in the main body section 2 and the insertion hole (round hole) in the wire winding body 6, and is a fastener that can be easily loosened or tightened by a person. As an example, the winding support section 7 is constructed using a bolt and a wing nut (and a washer, etc., if necessary). When the wing nut is loosened, the wire winding body 6 becomes free and rotatable. When the wing nut is tightened, the wire winding body 6 is sandwiched between the main body section 2 and the wing nut, and becomes rotatable.

[0030] The wire fixing section 8 releasably fixes the tip end (the portion exiting the insertion hole 3d) of the wire 5, which is pulled out from the wire winding body 6 and passed through the insertion holes 3d and 4d of the two projections 3 and 4. The wire fixing section 8 comprises a bracket 8a and a fastener 8b. The bracket 8a is fixed to the main body 2 together with the projection 3 using the fastener 3b described above at a location near the tip of the main body 2 (for example, the tip), and is provided integrally with the main body 2. Alternatively, the tip of the main body 2 may also serve as the bracket. The fastener 8b is a fastener that is inserted through an insertion hole (round hole) formed in the bracket 8a, and is a fastener that can be easily loosened and tightened by a person. For example, the fastener 8b is composed of a bolt, a wing nut, and two washers. When the wing nut is tightened, the wire 5 is sandwiched between the two washers and fixed. Loosening the wing nut releases the wire 5 from its fixed position.

[0031] The configuration of the inspection tool 1 according to Embodiment 1 is as described above. Next, the method of using the inspection tool 1 (wire breakage inspection method) will be explained.

[0032] First, adjust the position of projection 4 relative to projection 3 to match the wire rope diameter, and adjust the spacing between two adjacent projections 3 and 4.

[0033] Next, the winding support part 7 is loosened to allow the wire winding body 6 to rotate, and the wire 5 is pulled out. Then, the pulled-out wire 5 is passed through the insertion hole 4d through the slit 4e of the projection part 4, then through the insertion hole 3d through the slit 3e of the projection part 3, and finally, the tip of the wire 5 is fixed to the wire fixing part 8. At this time, as shown in Figure 3, the amount of wire 5 pulled out is adjusted so that the wire 5 follows the surface of the wire rope W for about half a turn (about 180 degrees) when the wire rope W is inserted between the two projection parts 3 and 4. After adjustment, the winding support part 7 is tightened to fix the wire winding body 6 so that it cannot rotate.

[0034] Once these preparatory steps are complete, the inspector holds the gripping part of the main body 2, inserts the wire rope W between the two projections 3 and 4, and slides the inspection tool 1 along the longitudinal direction (usually up and down) of the wire rope W, while guiding the wire 5 along the surface of the wire rope W (applying appropriate tension). If there is any snagging, it is determined that there is a break in the wire strands.

[0035] As described above, with the inspection tool 1 according to Embodiment 1, the wire 5 follows the surface of the wire rope at a certain angle range (preferably 60 degrees or more, more preferably 120 degrees or more) when the wire rope is inserted between the two protruding portions 3 and 4, allowing a wide area to be inspected in a single sliding operation along the longitudinal direction of the wire rope. Furthermore, with the inspection tool 1 according to Embodiment 1, the protruding portions 3 and 4 that support the wire 5 are thin because they are single pieces, so even when multiple wire ropes are arranged side by side with small gaps between them, such as the main rope of an elevator, the adjacent wire ropes do not get in the way, and the two protruding portions 3 and 4 can be inserted into the gap between the adjacent wire ropes for one wire rope, and the sliding operation can be performed smoothly in the longitudinal direction of the wire rope. For this reason, the inspection tool 1 according to Embodiment 1 can easily and accurately detect broken strands.

[0036] According to the inspection tool 1 of Embodiment 1, the distance between the two protruding parts 3 and 4 can be changed. Therefore, the inspection tool 1 of Embodiment 1 can accommodate various wire ropes regardless of the wire diameter.

[0037] According to the inspection tool 1 of Embodiment 1, a wire winding body 6 is provided. Therefore, according to the inspection tool 1 of Embodiment 1, even if the wire 5 breaks during inspection, a new wire 5 can be drawn out from the wire winding body 6 and used.

[0038] According to the inspection tool 1 of Embodiment 1, the wire 5 is fixed by the wire fixing part 8 and the wire winding body 6 by the winding body support part 7 (rotating fixing part), so that the amount of wire pulled out is constant. For this reason, according to the inspection tool 1 of Embodiment 1, the tension of the wire 5 along the surface of the wire rope can be kept constant during inspection (sliding operation), and the detection accuracy can be maintained in a stable state.

[0039] According to the inspection tool 1 of Embodiment 1, slits 3e and 4e are provided in the insertion holes 3d and 4d of the projection portions 3 and 4, and the slits 3e and 4e are arranged in a staggered pattern. Therefore, according to the inspection tool 1 of Embodiment 1, the wire 5 pulled out from the wire winding body 6 can be easily stretched between the two projection portions 3 and 4, and the wire 5 is less likely to come off the projection portions 3 and 4 during the sliding operation.

[0040] According to the inspection tool 1 of Embodiment 1, the protruding parts 3 and 4 have resin layers 3c and 4c on their surfaces. Without the resin layers 3c and 4c, when the protruding parts 3 and 4 come into contact with the surface of the wire rope, a metallic rubbing sound is generated. This sound can disturb the inspector's hearing and potentially lead to a decrease in the accuracy of detecting broken wires. However, with the inspection tool 1 of Embodiment 1, the resin layers 3c and 4c are provided to suppress the generation of rubbing sound, thereby preventing a decrease in detection accuracy.

[0041] <Embodiment 2> Next, we will describe the wire rope strand breakage inspection tool according to Embodiment 2 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "inspection tool"). In the following, we will mainly describe the differences from Inspection Tool 1 according to Embodiment 1, and omit descriptions of the same points, as they are the same as those described for Inspection Tool 1 according to Embodiment 1.

[0042] As shown in Figure 4, the inspection tool 1 is equipped with a plurality of projections 4. Each projection 4 is repositionable within the range in which the shaft of the bolt of the fastener 4b moves within the elongated hole of the main body 2 (an elongated hole that is sufficiently longer than the elongated hole of Embodiment 1). The inspection tool 1 does not have the fixed, non-moving projection 3 of Embodiment 1, but it may have them. Similar to Embodiment 1, through holes and slits are formed in each projection 4. The multiple slits are arranged in a staggered pattern. The wire 5 is passed through the through holes of each projection 4.

[0043] The inspection tool 1 is equipped with two additional projections 9,9. The two projections 9,9 are strip-shaped pieces that protrude from the main body 2 with a spacing that allows for the insertion of a wire rope. The two projections 9,9 are arranged parallel to each other and aligned in a first direction. The projections 9,9 are located closer to the tip of the main body 2 than projection 4 (for example, at the tip). The projections 9,9 protrude at a different angle from projection 4 (for example, a 90-degree angle difference). Similar to projection 4, each projection 9 has an insertion hole and a slit. The two slits are arranged in a staggered pattern. The wire 5 is passed through the insertion hole of the outermost projection 4, then through the insertion holes of projections 9,9, and then fixed to the wire fixing part 8.

[0044] The method of using the inspection tool 1 (wire breakage inspection method) is the same as in Embodiment 1. The difference is that, as shown in Figure 5, the wire rope W is inserted between each adjacent projection 4, 4, and the inspection tool 1 is slid along the longitudinal direction of the wire rope W while guiding one wire 5 along the surface of multiple wire ropes W (while applying appropriate tension). Similar to Embodiment 1, if there is any snagging, it is determined that there is a wire break. However, if it is necessary to confirm which wire rope W has actually experienced a wire break, the wire rope is inspected one by one using the two projection 9, 9 and the portion of the wire 5 that is stretched between the two projection 9, 9.

[0045] Thus, the inspection tool 1 according to Embodiment 2 also exhibits the same effects and benefits as the inspection tool 1 according to Embodiment 1.

[0046] In addition, according to the inspection tool 1 of Embodiment 2, multiple wire ropes can be inspected at once.

[0047] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0048] In the embodiments 1 and 2 described above, the two projections 3 and 4, the multiple projections 4, and the two projections 9 and 9 are arranged in a first direction, that is, in the longitudinal direction of the main body 2. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The direction of arrangement may be a direction intersecting the first direction (for example, a perpendicular direction).

[0049] In the embodiments 1 and 2 described above, the winding support section 7 is equipped with a rotation fixing section and a wire fixing section 8 to fix both ends of the wire 5. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the wire 5 may be fixed in some way, such as by an inspector gripping both ends of the wire 5, winding both ends of the wire 5 around the main body section 2, or by an inspector holding the wire winding body 6 with their fingers to prevent it from rotating.

[0050] In the above embodiment 1, one of the two projections 3 and 4, projection 3, is fixed to the main body 2 and does not move. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Both projections may be provided in a manner that allows their position to be changed.

[0051] In the above embodiment 2, two protruding parts 9, 9 are provided for the second stage of the two-stage inspection, with the wire 5 stretched between them. However, this configuration is not essential. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0052] 1...Inspection tool, 2...Main body, 3...Protruding piece, 3a...Bent part, 3b...Fastener, 3c...Resin layer, 3d...Through hole, 3e...Slit, 4...Protruding piece, 4a...Bent part, 4b...Fastener, 4c...Resin layer, 4d...Through hole, 4e...Slit, 4f...Locking piece, 5...Wire, 6...Wire winding body, 7...Winding body support part, 8...Wire fixing part, 8a...Bracket, 8b...Fastener, 9...Protruding piece, W...Wire rope

Claims

1. The main body and At least two protruding pieces that extend from the main body with a spacing that allows for the insertion of an elevator wire rope, It comprises a wire stretched loosely between adjacent protruding parts. A device for inspecting broken strands in elevator wire ropes.

2. At least two projections are provided such that some or all of the projections are repositionable in one direction on the main body, thereby allowing the spacing between adjacent projections to be changed. The wire rope wire rope wire breakage inspection tool for elevators according to claim 1.

3. It is equipped with a wire winding body that can be attached to the main body, The wire is pulled out from the wire winding body, stretched between adjacent protruding sections, and then fixed to the wire fixing section at the tip. The wire rope wire rope wire breakage inspection tool for elevators according to claim 1.

4. The wire winding body is rotatably attached to the main body, but is also prevented from rotating by the action of the rotation fixing part. The wire rope wire rope wire breakage inspection tool for elevators according to claim 3.

5. Each projection has an insertion hole, The wire is passed through each insertion hole. An elevator wire rope wire rope wire breakage inspection tool according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. Each projection has a slit extending from either the left or right side edge of the projection to the insertion hole, and the slit has the left and right sides of the side edge reversed compared to the slit of the adjacent projection. The wire rope wire rope wire breakage inspection tool for elevators according to claim 5.

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