Home Forums General Discussion Technical Questions Very old Westinghouse traction leveling issue

I have a OG contract at a local plant that is having leveling issue. I dont know the age of the eguipment, but want to say pre 1960's and maybe much older. It is a 6 stop with a geared machine with a MG with an exciter. The issue is that at every floor elevator comes in short of the floor (high of the floor when running down and short of the floor when running up). I have checked complete motor, generator and exciter brushes, spring tension and all for ground. OK . What I dont know alot about is its hoistway switches mounted on the car. There is one on the car (NL) on print that puts it into leveling when it passes a vane. Next there is 5 in a row. Today I think I determinded them as top switch 1UL/1DL next 2UL and my memory has gone blank of the others. These are a very strange type of switch with a set of contacts on each side with a large space between them for a vane to run through and a inductoror (coil) between the contacts. Has anybody seen these before and could these swiches be related to my leveling problem. Any help or ideas would be great. Thanks

My first thought is have you verified the compounding? Scott D. wrote a very concise blog on how to perform this. Scott could you remit? I don't think this version had the "hourglass" leveling vane/inductor/light bulbs. I think that was a couple of years later.

I have not put a tach on it and ran it to see if there is any differance in the speed from one direction to the other.

It could be and the landing system is called "LI" Inductor...These switch are adjusted with a "gram gauge" and are sensitive. Don't adjust these with needle nose pliers. Is this a new job you just inherited or did this just start happening. How is the approach to the floor in both direction? Does it feel OK! If the car is misleveled equally in both directions I would assume a control/contact problem. If it's coming in out of control and just stopping...Most likely a ground in the loop...On the controller will tell you type of control..Sounds like an REL...You should have 3 armatures on generator?

Could be something as simple as a leveling timer...What type of relays are used "ES" often called telephone relays...Check to see if you have anytime on your leveling timer or 33 Relay to get you into floor level?

I think halfpick is on the right track with the 33 relay, i believe there is a 33t timing relay that controls the 33 relay. You want to make sure that the brake sets before this relay drops out. If you open the loop circuit before the brake sets, the car will move a little until the brake stops it, which will make it off level. Usually when this circuit fails thought the car will be HI in the up directions and Low in the down direction empty car. If your compounding is off on this type of controller, you will have to adjust the Rototrol series field resistor to obtain flat compounding. On last thing besides the 33 relay is the FRI relay, it should also stay up until after the brake sets. see loop circuit print.

Update on this old dog. Prints say 1951 for the year. Type is a 2BC-VCL. After spending all yesterday getting very familiar with the prints and the circuit I found that what ever direction I would send the car that my 72T was dropping out even though I still had either LU or LD. The 72T relay had 2 capacitors (72C)one of which had a reostat below it. There was no change in leveling by adjusting that reostat. Beleive it that the customer had 3 of these capacitors in stock in their warehouse and I returned today and replaced both 72C capacitors and the elevator hits the floors almost perfect. On my next visit I suspect that my 33C capacitor and both of the 73C capacitors might also be bad. But for know I dont want to disturb it.