GB2143194A

GB2143194A - Arrangement for the detachable fastening of one element to another, especially a sheathing element to the side wall of an escalator

Info

Publication number: GB2143194A
Application number: GB08416925A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Habbecke; Klaus Schoneweiss
Original assignee: O&K Orenstein and Koppel GmbH
Current assignee: CNH Industrial Baumaschinen GmbH
Priority date: 1983-07-06
Filing date: 1984-07-03
Publication date: 1985-02-06
Also published as: GB8416925D0; DE3324320C2; DE3324320A1; GB2143194B

Abstract

An arrangement is described for the detachable fastening of a sheathing element (2) at the edge region of a side wall (1) of an escalator, which is particularly suitable for use when the side wall is formed from glass plate and not to strict manufacturing tolerances. A clamping shoe (6) surrounds the edge surfaces of the side wall (1) and has at least one shaped region (6a) having a resilient clamping action with respect to the sheathing element (2), and the intermediate space between the clamping shoe (6) and the surfaces of the side wall (1) is filled with an adhesive, hardenable material (7). The sheathing element may be at the handrail edge or the conveying surface edge. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Arrangement for the detachable fastening of one element to another, especially a sheathing element to the side wall of an escalator The invention relates to an arrangement for the detachable fastening of one element to another and is especially applicable to the fastening of a sheathing element to the edge of the side wall of an escalator or similar conveyor.

In escalators and moving pavements, the handrail support is conventionally constructed in plate form as a side wall extending between the handrail and the conveying surface. The handrail, including its moving parts and sheathing elements, is fastened to the upper edge region of this side wall.

A difficulty arises if the handrail supports used are manufactured from glass or glass-like plates. In this case, because of the materials and the manufacturing processes involved, plates having the required strength can be manufactured only with considerable tolerances. As a result, difficulties are encountered in fastening the handrail parts to the plates, and arrangements previously-employed for this purpose have required a large amount of material of complicated shape, high assembly time and therefore considerable expense.

An object of the invention is to provide an arrangement which is especially but not exclusively suitable for fastening a sheathing element at the edge region of the side wall of an escalator or moving pavement, and which is reliable, economical in terms of material and easy to assemble.

The present invention provides an arrangement for the detachable fastening of one element to another, in which a clamping member is located on one of the elements and the space between the clamping member and that element is filled with an adhesive, hardenable material; the clamping member being shaped to receive the other element and having a portion resiliently engageable with that other element to hold the latter in position.

When applied to the detachable fastening of a sheathing element at the edge region of a side wall of an escalator or similar conveyor, the invention provides an arrangement comprising a clamping member that surrounds the edge region of the side wall and has at least one shaped region having a resilient clamping action with respect to the sheathing element; the intermediate space between the clamping member and the surfaces of the side wall being filled with an adhesive, hardenable material.

The clamping member may have shaped regions having a resilient clamping action on each side of the side wall for a respective sheathing element. It is also possible for the or each sheathing element to be additionally connected to the side wall by a respective compensating member.

By way of example, embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 shows, schematically, a handrail fastening arrangement on an escalator side wall, and Figure 2 shows a development of this arrangement for use at the transition between the side wall and the escalator steps.

In both Figures the same parts are provided with the same reference numerals.

Fig. 1 shows the upper portion of a glass plate 1, forming the handrail support and side wall of an escalator. The upper edge of the plate 1 is enclosed by a sheathing element 2 to which a support profile 4 for the escalator handrail 3 is fastened by a screw connection 5.

For detachably fastening the sheathing element 2 to the edge of the glass plate 1 there is provided a clamping shoe 6 which surrounds the edge surfaces and has at least one resilient shaped region 6a. The intermediate space between the clamping shoe 6 and the surfaces of the glass plate 1 is filled with an adhesive, hardenable material 7.

Fig. 1 illustrates how, following the rigid connection of the clamping shoe 6 to the glass plate 1 with the aid of the adhesive material 7, the sheathing element 2 can be detachably fastened to the edge region of the glass plate as a result of the resilient clamping action of the shaped region 6a of the clamping shoe 6.

Fig. 2 shows a modified form of fastening arrangement used at the lower edge of the glass plate 1 at the transition between the escalator side wall and the escalator steps. In this case, the arrangement is used to fasten sheathing elements 2b, 2 c detachably on both sides of the glass side wall 1.

As in the arrangement of Fig. 1, there is provided a clamping shoe 6 which surrounds the edge of the plate 1 but, in this case, the shoe has shaped regions 6b and 6 c having a resilient clamping action on both sides of the side wall. As in Fig. 1, the intermediate space between the clamping shoe 6 and the surfaces of the plate 1 is filled with an adhesive hardenable material 7 and the sheathing elements 2b, 2c can then be detachably fastened, one on each side of the plate, through the resilient clamping action of the regions 6b, 6c respectively. In this arrangement, the sheathing elements 2b and 2c of the escalator are additionally linked to the glass balustrade 1 by way of compensating pieces 8a and 8b respectively.The compensating pieces 8a and 8b are preferably attached to the adjacent surface of the glass plate 1 by means of an adhesive connection.

An advantage of the arrangements de scribed above is that the hardenable material 7, which has adhesive properties, compensates for the varying thickness of the glass plate and, in so doing, makes it possible to use the shape of the clamping shoe (which has accurate measurements) as a basis for the further construction for fastening the sheathing elements, including the handrail. In addition, the total number of parts can be reduced, and it is possible to achieve easy assembly and, finally, a considerable reduction in the manufacturing costs. These advantages can be achieved whilst maintaining all safety requirements.

It will be appreciated that use of the basic principle underlying the arrangements described above i.e. to compensate for manufacturing deviations from desired dimensions by means of a hardenable material having adhesive properties and a clamping member, is not limited to the situation described above but may be used in all appropriate cases where there is a general requirement for the use of structural elements that do not have accurate dimensions.

Claims

1. An arrangement for the detachable fastening of one element to another, in which a clamping member is located on one of the elements and the space the clamping member and that element is filled with an adhesive, hardenable material; the clamping member being shaped to receive the other element and having a portion resiliently enagageable with that other element to hold the latter in position.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which the element on which the clamping member is located is the side wall of a conveyor and the other element is a sheathing element for an edge of that side wall.

3. An arrangement for the detachable fastening of a sheathing element at the edge region of a side wall of an escalator or similar conveyor, comprising a clamping member that surrounds the edge region of the side wall and has at least one shaped region having a resilient clamping action with respect to the sheathing element; the intermediate space between the clamping member and the surfaces of the side wall being filled with an adhesive, hardenable material.

4. An arrangement according to claim 3 in which the clamping member has shaped regions having a resilient clamping action on each side of the side wall for a respective sheathing element.

5. An arrangement according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the or each sheathing element is additionally connected to the side wall by a respective compensating member.

6. An arrangement for the detachable fastening of one element to another, substantially as described herein with reference to, and as shown in, Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.