GB706936A - Moving stairways - Google Patents

Abstract

706,936. Escalators. OTIS ELEVATOR CO. Sept. 21, 1951 [Oct. 13, 1950], No. 22167/51. Class 78 (1) A moving stairway in which the steps are connected together by an endless chain passing around a sprocket wheel at one end of the stairway and a track is provided for the step supporting wheels extending to the sprocket wheel, is characterised in that the step supporting wheels are chain wheels arranged between side links of the chain, additional chain wheels are arranged on the chain pins intermediate the step supporting wheels, all the chain wheels being of the same size and meshing with the sprocket wheel and in that the supporting and intermediate wheels run on a guide in their transition between the track and the sprocket wheel, said guide extending from the track and overlapping the sprocket wheel. The steps 12 are connected at each side to chains 14 built up of pairs of. inner and outer links 24, 25 with wheels 30 located between the links on their pivots. Each step is supported by a pair of wheels 30 and a pair of rubber tyred trailer wheels 40. The wheels 30 whilst on the inclined part of the escalator engage between tracks 44, 45 on the upper run and between tracks 46, 50 on the lower run. During their passage from the track to a sprocket wheel 17 or vice versa, the wheels are supported by guides 60, 61. The wheels 30 are wider than the teeth of the sprocket wheels 17 so that the guide 60 or 61 engages one edge of the wheel as shown in Fig. 5. Guides 66, 70 serve to guide the wheels on the lower run during their passage between the sprocket wheel 17 and the track 50. In a modification. Fig. 6. the sprocket wheel 17 is formed with a circumferential groove 80 to receive a guide 81. The sprocket wheels 17 are mounted on a shaft 18 rotatably supported by a carriage 20 movable on a pair of tracks 21 and biased by a spring (not shown) to maintain tension in the chains 14.