US1610411A - Escalator, moving stairway, and the like - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 14, 1926. Y 1,610,411

w. s. G. BAKER l l, ESALATOR, MOVING STAIRWAY, AND THE LIKE Filed March 29. 1923 lSheet'S--Sheeu 1 1l l n4 .9.. 0. 1 e s, e 1 w S f u m E une t. um@ w. E?. v H n M a .u N3 A mm1. Mw. A .Tw GsMnlw ,.nn Smm S. u .mw a m. u, ww@ n a C s E Dec. 1 4 1926.

Patented Dec. 14, 1926..

WILLIAM S. GRAFF BAKER, OF EALING, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR 'IO OTIS ELE- VATOR COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JER- SEY.

Application filed March 29, 1923, Serial No.

This invention relates to improvements in escalators of the type in which an endless series of connected steps forms an incline upon which passengers or objects may be t-ransported from one level to another. The object of the invention is to overcome and remove certain difiiculties and objections which are experienced in escalators as at present constructed. I

The invention broadly consists in an escalator comprising steps each of which has four wheels. the arrangement being such that, upon the inclined portion of the escalator, two wheels only, one towards each side f of a step, engage or travel upon an inclined track at a time.

According to the invention an escalator is provided on its inclined portion with four tracks7 a single pair for the inclined part of the upper or load carrying sidel and a single pair for the inclined part for the lower or return side of the escalator.

Of the four step wheels, a wheel towards each side of a step may be carried by an arm extending to such a position that the next adjacent step below it engages and rests thereupon during travel upon lan incline of the escalator. Further, a second pair of the four wheels of a step may be carried by a step in advance of those wheels which are carried by arms, the arrangement being such that the steps when on the incline of the load carrying side are supported and travel upon the whe-els carried by the arms while when the steps are on the incline of the lower or return side of the escalator they are supported or travel upon the other wheels.

Further features of the invention will hereinafter he described and delimited by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of an escalator according to one form of the invention and showing a short length of slope or inclined track;

Figure 2 is a side elevation partly in section of a pair of steps illustrating the invention- Figure 3 is a plan view according to Figure l with the steps removed, showing the ar- 628,669, and in Great Britain May 29, 1922.

rangement of the wheels and other parts on one side of the steps;

Figure 4c is a fragmentary front elevation of one of the steps with wheels and other parts according to Figures 2 and 3;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a carriage or curved tracks or guards suitable for use at the upper platform of an escalator such as illustrated in Figure l, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line (5f-6 of Figure 4f.

In carrying the invention into effect according to one convenient mode, each step a of the escalator has a pair of wheels Z) and c upon each side thereof. One wheel b of each step is outside the step width and alittle to one side (up the slope) of the centre line of the step as illustrated in Figures 2 and 4.

The other wheel 0 on each side of a step is at the end of an arm d projecting down the slope away from the step centre line and inside of the step width. Assuming that the load carrying side is moving in an ascending direction, wheels I) are the front carrying wheels and wheels c are the rear carrying wheels.

The wheel carrying arm l at either side isv rigidly bolted to the underside of the step frame a so that the arm moves as a whole with the step. The outer wheels Z) are mounted fre-ely on axles e passing through the arm beneath its point of attachment to the step frame, and these axles extend inwardly for a short distance, forming stub shafts which overlie or cross the outer ends of the arms from the step next above. On the inner sides ofthe arms are formed stout lugs d in positions in which they will be engaged by the ends of the arms of the next step, when the steps are passing over the carriages or arcuate tracks (see Figure l) at the top and bottom of the escalator. The arms (viewed in plan, see Figure 3) lie parallel with the line of travel from the step frame to a point level with the wheels carried by the arms of the next step above, then incline inwards as at cl2, till level with the axles of the outer wheels on the next step below, then again are formed to lie parallel with the line of travel.

Each arm d is formed adjacent its extremity with a hook or upwardly curved part Z3 adapted to engage, under certain circumstances, the stub axles e and at certain times the outer surface is adapted to bear against the lugs CZ of the next preceding arm, as will be referred to hereinafter.

The inner wheels c are mounted freely on stub spindles at the inner sides of the free ends of the arms.

The outer wheel Z) of a st-ep is not used on the upper or load carrying side of the slope, that is to say, it does not engage a track, but an inward extension of its spindle as at c rests on the end of the arm Z of the step above, thus making one pair of wheels (i. e. the inner wheels c at each end of a step) support one step, stability of support being given by each step bearing on the arms of the next step up the slope.

On the return or under side of the escalator the outer wheels b alone are used or adapted to engage the track and the arms now in their turn rest on the extensions of the outer wheel spindles e of the next step up the slope.

The escalator has only two pairs of traveling tracks or rails on the inclined portions, the pair lettered f being upon the upper or load carrying portion while the pair of rails g are upon the lower or return7 portion of the incline of the escalator.

At the bends from slope to flat the previously disused wheels (for example, ZJ on the upper side) are engaged by auxiliary r tracks 7 and the steps formed from a stair to a platform, or vice versa.

A carriage for the upper end of an escalator (see Figures 1 and 5) comprises arcuate tracks f2 and f3, the track f2 providing a continuation of the upper track f and the track f3 a continuation of the auxiliary track f. The auxiliary track g receives the wheels c as they emerge from the track f2 on the return side of the escalator. A. third track or guard g2 is mounted upon or forms part of the carriage and merges into the track g. A. corresponding carriage is provided at the lower end of the escalator.

Zhen passing around the carriages the lugs CZ of the arms of one step come into contact or bear against the hooks Z3 of the arms of the next step, as shown in Figure 1, Thus, at the upper end of the escalator for example, as the steps pass from the load carrying to the return portion of the track, the hook Z3 of the arm of each step rests upon the lug (Z of the arin of the succeeding step, thereby maintaining the desired relative positions of the steps and supporting the wheels c so as to cause them to ride onto the auxiliary track g. Similarly, at the bottom end of the escalator, as the steps pass from the return to the load carrying` portion of the track, the engagement ofl the hooks and lugs maintain the desired relative posineige-11 tions of the steps and support the wheels o for cooperation with the curved portion of track It will be appreciated that by the above described arrangement of carriage and the mutual support of the steps the number of tracks required upon a carriage is small, the tracks may be all made of a concentric arcuate type and are renewable.

The chain m of the escalator may be secured to each step by a pin or spindle h forming part of the chain joint and extended outwards to engage in two brackets It suitably disposed on the underside of the step, as shown in Figure 6, thus allowing the removal of a short pin to disconnect the chain.

In the event of the chain breaking, the extensions of the outer wheel spindles e engage in the hooks Z3 formed on the ends of the arms of the next step and prevent the steps parting more than a small amount and rendering unnecessary the use of .safety links.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention, what I claim is:

1. In an escalator the combination with a track having load carrying and return inclined portions, of an endless series of connected steps having two sets of wheels, one set of each step overlapping the other set of the next preceding step in traversing the load carrying inclined portion of the track and said one set of each step overlapping said other set of the next preceding step in traversing the return inclined portion of the track.

2. In an escalator the combination with a track having load carrying and return inclined portions, of an endless series of connected steps having front and rear carrying wheels. the front wheels of one step overlapping the rear wheels of the next preceding step, and a part carried by each step engaging a partupon the next preceding step between the front and rear wheels in traversing the inclined portions of said track, whereby the first named parts support the second named parts upon the return inclined portion of the track and the second named parts support the first named parts upon the load carrying inclined portion of the track.

3. In an escalator the combination with a track having load carrying and return inclined portions, of an endless series of connected steps having f'ront and rear carrying wheels, the wheels of adjacent steps overlapping and each step engaging an adjacent step, said steps being supported by the front wheels ruiming upon the track when traversing one of said inclines, and by the rear wheels upon the track when traversing the other of said inclines.

4. In an escalator the combination with a track having load carrying and return porllO tions, of a series of connected steps operating upon said track, overlapping Wheel sup porting arms mounted upon said steps arranged to engage each other While the steps are passing from one of said portions of the track -to the other.

5. .In an escalator the combination With a track having load carrying and return portions, of a series of connected steps operating upon said track, overlapping wheel supporting` arms mounted upon said steps, each of said arms being provided with a certain hook adapted to engage a part upon an adjacent step only in the event of the connections between said steps being broken.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name t0 this specification.

W. S. GRAFF BAKER.

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