GB2135263A - Handrail clasp - Google Patents

Abstract

A clasp (20) for engaging a handrail, such as an escalator handrail (21), of the type having an outer face (25) and two lateral portions (26) having reverse faces (27) facing generally opposite to the outer face, comprises two arms (36,37) attached together and each having an abutment e.g. a roller (38,39), for engaging a respective one of the reverse faces. The arm 37 may be laterally movable relative to the arm 36. Two such clasps may be mounted on a barrier to restrict access to the escalator, <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Handrail clasp This invention relates to handrail clasps and relates particularly, though not exclusively, to such clasps for engaging the hand rails of escalators.

The invention provides a clasp for engaging a handrail of the type having an outer face and two lateral portions having reverse faces facing generally opposite to the outer face, the clasp comprising two arms attached together and each carrying an abutment for engaging a respective one of the reverse faces.

The arms are preferably slidably mounted relative to one another, the clasp further comprising means for fastening the arms in a specific relative position.

The clasp may also comprise a further abutment for engaging the outer face of the handrail. Optionally, the further abutment on the one hand and the reverse face abutments on the other are mounted for relative movement generally towards and away from each other.

One or more of the abutments may be a roller rotatably mounted on the clasp.

The invention also provides a safety barrier for restricting access to an escalator, comprising at least one barrier section and a clasp as above mounted on the barrier section for engagement with the escalator handrail. The clasp is preferably hingeably mounted on the barrier section so as to permit hinging movement of the barrier section relative to the clasp while the latter is engaged with the handrail.

The barrier would typically have at least two barrier sections hinged one to another, each of the two sections having a said clasp mounted thereon for engaging a respective handrail.

In a practical example the barrier has three barrier sections hinged sequentially together, the outer sections having the clasps mounted thereon at the outermost ends of the sections.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa perspective view of an escalator during maintenance work, the maintenance hatch of the escalator being guarded by a safety barrier having handrail clasps embodying the invention; and Figure 2 is a plan view of the lefthand clasp of Figure 1 shown in position, the handrail being shown in section.

It is occasionally necessary to carry out maintenance work on escalators and it is usual for this purpose forthere to be two maintenance hatches, situated in the floor adjacent to the top and bottom of the escalator. These hatches provide access to the drive mechanism of the escalator. The top of an escalator 10 is shown in Figure 1 with the top maintenance hatch removed, the maintenance hatchway being shown at 11. To prevent injury to persons by falling into the hatchway 11, a safety barrier 12 is positioned around the hatchway 11 to restrict access.

The barrier 12 comprises three barrier sections 13, 14 and 15 hinged sequentially together by hinges 18.

The hinges allow the barrier sections to be folded in towards one another so that they lie generally parallel to each other in order to facilitate transport of the barrier 12 to and from maintenance sites. A strap (not shown) may be provided for fastening the barrier sections together while thus stowed away.

Also, one or more of the barrier sections r may be provided with wheels, again for the purpose of easier movement.

The barrier sections 13, 14 and 15 are generally planar and rectangular. Each section is constructed from a tubular frame across which steel mesh is welded. For the purposes of clarity, only the tubular frames of the outer sections 13 and 15 are shown, the wire mesh of the central section 14 being shown at 19.

In order to locate the barrier with respect to the escalator 10, each of the outer barrier sections 13 and 15 is provided with a handrail clasp 20. The two clasps are similar to one another and the lefthand one is shown in enlarged scale in Figure 2. In this Figure, the barrier section 13 and the handrail 21 of the escalator are shown in cross section. The view is a plan view of the clasp 20 shown in the position of Figure 1. It will be appreciated that at this position the handrail 21 is running around a newel wheel 22 which is also shown in section in Figure 2.

The handrail 21 is of the usual type having an outer face 25 and two lateral portions 26 shaped around to present reverse faces 27, the reverse faces facing generally oppositely to the outer face 25.

Each clasp 20 is attached to its respective barrier section by means of a bracket 30 which extends around the outermost upright portion 31 of the tubular frame of the barrier section. The bracket 30 only grips the upright tubular portion 31 lightly and can therefore hinge thereabout. This permits the barrier 12 to accommodate a variety of escalator widths as the outer barrier sections can take up virtually any angular relationship with the clasps 20.

The brackets 30 typically rest in use on adjacent portions of the wire mesh. Each clasp 20 is loosely pivoted to its respective bracket 30 by means of a bolt 32 and a nut 33 which is secured relative to the bolt 32 by any suitable means.

Each clasp 20 comprises two arms 36 and 37 each of which carries at its outer end a respective roller 38 or 39. As can be seen from Figure 2, the arms extend generally around the lateral portions of the handrail 21 so that the rollers 38 and 39 can engage the reverse faces 27. The rollers 38 and 39 can rotate about respective spindles which are attached to the arms by nuts 40.

The arms 36 and 37 are both generally L-shaped and are arranged so that the basis of the L-shapes can slide against each other so that the rollers 38 and 39 can be moved generally towards and away from each other. To guide such movement, the base of the L-shape of the arm 37 is formed with flanges (not shown) extending from left to right in Figure 2 in order to provide a channel in which the base of the L-shape of arm 36 can slide. Furthermore, a slot is formed in the base of the arm 37 extending from left to right between the points marked A and B and this slot accommodates screwed shaft 43 secured within a handle 44, the shaft 43 threadably engaging a nut 45 welded to the arm 36.It will be appreciated that the arms 36 and 37 can therefore be moved towards and away from each other with the shaft 43 sliding within the slot and the arms can be secured relative to one another by manually turning the handle 44 so as to clamp the base portions for the arms 36 and 37 together between the nut 45 and the handle 44. The arm 37 is shown extended in ghostlines in Figure 2 and it will be understood that in this postion the rollers 38 and 39 are sufficiently far apart to admit the width of the handrail 21 between them to enable engagement of the clasp with the handrail.

The arm 36 is welded to a strut 34 which provides the mounting on the bracket 30.

Afurther roller 41 rotatably mounted on a spindle 42 is provided for engaging the outer face 25 of the handrail 21. The spindle 42 is mounted between two flanges 47 which in turn are welded to the arm 36.

Optionally, the roller 41 can be mounted for movement towards and away from the rollers 38 and 39 in order that a variety of thicknesses of handrail 21 can be accommodated. For example, the roller 41 could be spring-biased towards the rollers 38 and 39.

However, it is not essential that the roller 41 and the rollers 38 and 39 on the other actually "grip" the handrail 21 and only one or two of the rollers may be in contact with the handrail 21 at a time.

In the embodiment the axes of the rollers are generally parallel, being oriented transversely of the handrail, but the axes may be oriented differently according to the cross-section of the handrail for which the clasp is intended.

An advantage of using rollers as abutments in the present embodiment is that in the case of a moving handrail, the handrail can easily be moved in its usual way, through the clasp, while the clasp is engaged with the handrail. Thus if for example it is desired to move the escalator a short distance during maintenance work, the barrier can remain attached to the escalator just as when the escalator is stationary. It is thought that it might also be possible to use fixed abutments in this way but the propensity of the rollers to roll over the respective surfaces will clearly alleviate the frictional forces which could be generated by fixed abutments.

The clasp of this invention may be used with any handrail, moveable or fixed, of the type having an outer face and two lateral portions having reverse faces facing generally opposite to the outer face. It will be appreciated that such handrails are usually of the type which are supported by a member extending between the said reverse faces.

Claims (11)

1. A clasp for engaging a handrail of the type having an outer face and two lateral portions having reverse faces facing generally opposite to the outer face, the clasp comprising two arms attached together and each carrying an abutment for engaging a respective one of the reverse faces.

2. A clasp as claimed in claim 1 wherein the arms are slidably mounted relative to one another, the clasp further comprising means for fastening the arms in a specific relative position.

3. A clasp as claimed in either preceding claim also comprising a further abutment for engaging the outerface.

4. A clasp as claimed in claim 3 wherein the further abutment on the one hand and the reverse face abutments on the other are mounted for relative movement generally towards and away from each other.

5. A clasp as claimed in any preceding claim wherein any or each of the abutments is a roller rotatably mounted on the clasp.

6. A safety barrier for restricting access to an escalator, comprising at least one barrier section and a clasp as claimed in any preceding claim mounted on the barrier section for engagement with the escalator handrail.

7. A barrier as claimed in claim 6 wherein the clasp is hingeably mounted on the barrier section so as to permit hinging movement of the barrier section relative to the clasp while the latter is engaged with the handrail.

8. A barrier as claimed in either claim 6 or claim 7 comprising at least two barrier sections hinged one to another, each of the two sections having a said clasp mounted thereon for engaging a respective handrail.

9. A barrier as claimed in claim 8 having three barrier sections hinged sequentially together, the two outer sections having the clasps mounted thereon at the outermost ends of the sections.

10. A handrail clasp substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

11. A safety barrier for guarding the maintenance hatch of an escalator, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.