GB1170761A - A system of moving conveyor platforms - Google Patents

Abstract

1,170,761. Endless conveyers. A. CUMBERBIRCH. 1 Feb., 1967 [1 Feb., 1966; 16 June, 1966; 13 July, 1966], Nos. 4298/66, 26927/66 and 31375/66. Heading B8A. A system for the conveyance of pedestrians comprises a plurality of endless conveyers 1-5, whose forward and return paths are in a common horizontal plane, driven at a substantially similar constant speed and each arranged over part of their length to run side by side in the same direction with at least a portion of one of the other conveyers, whereby the pedestrians may transfer from one conveyer to the other. The system is provided with a series of entrances and exits 7 each comprising an endless conveyer arranged alongside a conveyer 1-5 and capable of being accelerated from a low speed at the entrance, to a higher speed, equivalent to that of the conveyer whence the pedestrians may transfer to the conveyer or vice versa, and then to decelerate to said low speed at the exit. Alternatively independent conveyers 6 may respectively provide the entrance and exit means. The conveyers 1-5 comprise a plurality of interconnected trollies 41 with mated arcuate ends 42, 43 to ensure a substantially continuous surface, which are driven by a series of linear induction motors (49), (50), Fig. 9 (not shown) spaced around the endless path or alternatively by rack and pinion or chains. Alternatively, Fig. 10 (not shown), the trollies (51) may have convex ends and are linked by short platforms (52) with concave ends. The trollies have telescopic balastrades, Fig. 11 (not shown) mounted at the sides thereof, which balastrades are collapsible to permit access to and egress from the platforms and comprise a portion (53) attached to the platforms (52), semi-fixed portions (54), (55) extending from each side of the portion (53) and pivoted at their free end to the next adjacent trolley (51) and a movable portion (58), (59) nested within the semi-fixed portions. The movable portion (58) (59) is attached at (71), (72) to a lazy tongs mechanism, the other end of which is attached to a pillar (61) and a rod (62) movable within said pillar. The lower end of the rod (62) mounts a cam follower (67) for engagement with a cam rail (77) whereby the lazy tongs mechanism may be operated to open the balastrade. The balastrade is closed under the action of a spring (74). In an alternative embodiment (Fig. 13, not shown) the balastrade (81) is fixed and has a moving handrail (80) driven at substantially the same speed as the conveyer and arranged at a break in the balastrade to travel below the conveyer thereby permitting access and egress to the conveyer. The handrail has the lower half of a roller chain (83) moulded to the underside and engageable by drive means spaced around the endless path.