US1963413A - Moving stairway - Google Patents

Description

' Jun 19, 1934. D. L. LINDQUIST ET AL MOVING STAIRWAY Original Filed Feb. 10, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a l. 3 i 5 D [m /z INVENTORS Jilne 1934. D. L. LINDQUIST ET AL 1,963,413

MOVING STAIRWAY J Original Filed Feb. 10, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Illllllllllllill :BMLMXL ATTOIZN EY Patented June 19, 1934 PATE NT OFFICE MOVING STAIRWAY David Leonard Lindquist, Hartsdale, Arthur Edward Handy, Lynbrook, and Samuel Gustave Margles, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignors to Otis Elevator Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Original application February 10, 1933, Serial No. 656,086. Divided and this application July 14, 1933, Serial No. 680,352

4 Claims. (Cl. 198-16) This invention relates to moving stairways.

It is the object of this invention to provide a moving stairway which is particularly adapted for heavy duty and/or high rise installations, such as are encountered in railroad, subway and elevated stations.

' Among the features of the moving stairway in accordance with this invention are the follow- Each handrail is maintained taut by means of a tensioning weight securedthrough the intermediary of a suitable flexible cable to the handrail tightener wheel. Slack is prevented from developing in the handrail by providing a locking device for the handrail tightener wheel which prevents movement of such wheel in the direction that would permit handrail slack, but which enables the tensioning weight to move the handrail tightener wheel in the other direction for maintaining the handrail taut.

Each handrail tightener wheel is driven at a suitable speed along with the other wheel or wheels by which the handrail is normally driven, so as to provide additional driving means for the handrail. Such a construction is advantageous in installations where the amount of handrail to be driven is large, as may occur in high rise installations, or where the friction between the handrail and its guide ,is above normal value.

Each handrail is provided with a handrail safety switch arranged to be actuated to stop the stairway when-further slack in the handrail cannot be taken up by the handrail tightener wheel or other devices. This is a protective measure found desirable in certain installations in order to insure that the automatic means for taking up handrail slack and maintaining the handrail taut is always effective while the stairway is in operation.

This application is a division of patent application Serial No. 656,086, filed February 10, 1933.

Other features and advantages will become apparent from the specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:--

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a moving stairway according to this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the handrail tightener and driving wheel and associated parts;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a vertical section through the automatic lock of the handrail tightener and driving wheel.

Referring to Figure 1, the moving stairway, generally designated 160, extends between a lower landing 161 and an upperlanding :162. vThe moving stairway comprises an endless series of steps 163 driven by a motor 126, preferably located at or near the upper landing as illustrated. Motor 126, which preferably has associated therewith-on motor shaft 113a spring applied brake 106 releasable upon energization of brake coil 100, operates through reduction gearing 164, driving chain 165 and sprocket wheel 166 to drive the main drive shaft 96 of the moving stairway. Main drive shaft 96 has secured thereto at either side of the stairway a sprocket wheel which engages the running gear chain at the corresponding side of the stairway to drive the same. One such sprocket wheel, 168, is illustrated in Figure 1 engaging a runninggear chain 185. j

The moving stairway has two endless moving handrails, one at each side thereof, operating at substantially the same speed as the steps. One such handrail, 170, is illustrated in Figure l, and is diagrammatically illustrated as driven from main drive shaft 96. This is effected by means of a sprocket wheel 171 on main drive shaft 96 driving a sprocket wheel 172 on a countershaft 173 through the intermediary of a chain 174. Countershaft 173, by means of a sprocket wheel 175 and chain 176, drives sprocket wheels secured to the handrail newel wheel 177, the handrail tightener wheel 178,,and a handrail reversing wheel 180. A governor 181 is also driven from drive shaft 96, this being efiected through the intermediary of a chain and sprocket drive from countershaft 173.

Also mounted onmain drive shaft 96, outside of each sprocket wheel engaging the running gear chain, is a drum of a stairway brake. I One suchbrake, generally designated 94, is illustrated in Figure 1. It comprises two pivoted brake arms 182 and 183 which are normally urged, under the action of suitable springs 184, to cause the brake shoes mounted on the brake arms 182 and 183 to engage the brake drum. The brake 94 is released upon energization of brake magnet 91. The brake at the other side of the stairway is similar in construction.

At the lower landing 161 the running gear chains engage and pass around sprocket wheels which are mounted upon a longitudinally movable carriage 186. One such sprocket wheel, 187, for running gear chain 185, is illustrated in Figure 1. Suitable means are provided for urging carriage 186 in the direction to maintain tension in the running gear chains. Such means, for example, may be a tensioning weight 188 connected to carriage 186 by a cable 190, as illustrated in Figure 1.

A carriage safety switch 35 is provided and arranged so that abnormal displacement of carriage 186 in either direction from its normal position effects the separation of the contacts of such carriage safety switch to thereby stpp the stairway.

At the lower landing there is also provided a newel wheel at each side of the stairway around which the handrails pass. Newel wheel 191, for handrail 170, is illustrated in Figure 1.

Each handrail, as has been mentioned, is provided with a tightener wheel which is driven by main drive shaft 96 along with the newel wheel at the upper landing. Such a construction, by which the handrail is driven by means additional to the usual drive of the handrail through the intermediary of the newel wheel at the upper landing, is of advantage in certain installations where the amount of handrail to be driven'is large, or the friction between the handrail and its guides is above normal value. Details of the construction by which such driving of the tightener wheel may be effected are illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.

Tightener wheel 178,for handrail 170, is rotatably supported by. means of a stub shaft 257 mounted upon a carriage 258. Carriage 258 is arranged for longitudinal motion along guide rods 260 which are positioned so that the plane of tightener wheel 178 is at an angle to the plane of motion of carriage 258. Also rotatably mounted on carriage 258 is a shaft 261, to which sprocket wheel 262 and a gear 263 are secured. Gear 263 meshes with a gear 264 secured to tightener wheel 178, as illustrated in Figure 3. In this fashion, chain 176, engaging sprocket wheel 262, drives tightener wheel 178 throughout the range of motion of the carriage 258 on which tightener wheel 178 is mounted. An idler tightening sprocket wheel 265 may be provided for chain 176, if desired.

Carriage 258 is urged in a direction tending to keep the handrail taut by means of a weight 266 connected to carriage 258 through the intermediary of a cable 267 and a rod 268.

Preferably a locking device, such as the device generally designated 270 in Figures 1, 2 and 4, is employed in conjunction with cable 267 or rod-268 to prevent upward movement of weight 266 while permitting free'downward movement thereof. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, looking device 270 comprises a roller 271 operating in a longitudinal slot 272 along the top of rod 268, and arranged to be wedged between slot 272 and an inclined surface 273 formed in a sleeve 274. Sleeve 2% surrounds rod 268 and in turn is surrounded by a stationary member 275. A suitable spring 276 is provided to act longitudinally along .rod 268 between sleeve 274 and stationary member 275 so as to provide a spring cushion between sleeve 274 and stationary member 275 when roller 271 becomes wedged between inclined surface 273 and slot 272. A suitable retaining collar 277 prevents sleeve 274 from disengaging from stationary member 275, and a suitable disc 278 with a spring backed pin 280 engaging roller 271 prevents roller 271 from falling out ofslot 272 and maintains goiller 271 in engagement with inclined surface The position of rod 268 with respect to locking device 270,as illustrated in Figure 2, is that when tightener wheel 178 is .in the position where the greatest amount of take-up of the handrail by the tightener wheel is possible. The position of rod.268 with respect to locking device 270 as illustrated in Figure 4, is that when tightener wheel 178 is in the position where'no further take-up of the handrail by the tightener wheel is possible. Between these two positions of tightener wheel 178, locking device 170 does not act to prevent theaction' of weight 266 in urging tightener wheel 178 so as to automatically maintain the handrail taut. In other words, locking device 270 does not prevent downward motion of weight 266, and thus does notprevent the auto matic taking up of slack in the handrail. Locking device 270 does, however, prevent motion of the tightener wheel in the direction whichwould tend to create slack in the handrail. This is effected by the action of roller 271 becoming wedged between slot 272 and inclined surface 273 as soon as rod 268 is imparted with a motion in a right hand direction, as viewed in Figures 1, 2 and 4. Locking device 270 thus serves to prevent slack in the handrail from developing. Such slack might be developed, for example, when the normal motion of the handrail is prevented or retarded at a point removed from the handrail drive, while the handrail continues to be driven by the handrail drive (i. e., point is not yet reached at newel wheel 177, wheel 180 and tightener wheel 178) Thus the handrail drive tends to cause tightener wheel 1-78 to move so that slack results in the handrail. Such slack is objectionable for many reasons, of which one is that the handrail slack may become entangled with other parts of the moving stairway, and another is that when the means obstructing the normal motion of the handrail is removed after slack has been developed (and weight 266 has been raised), the falling back of weight 266 while the slippage to its initial position, in taking up the handrail slack, may cause the handrail to break.

Rod 268 may be threaded as illustrated in Figures 2 and 4, and provided with a hand wheel 281 secured thereon so as to maintain tightener wheel 178 in position temporarily, when hand wheel 281 is secured against disc 278, while repairs are being made to weight 266 or cable 267.

The carriage 258 upon which tightener wheel 173 is mounted, is provided with a member 282 for actuating a trigger 283 of a handrail safety switch 40 when the carriage is in the position in which the tightener wheel can no longer take up slack in the handrail. The contacts of handrail safety switch 40 are suitably arranged in the control system for the moving stairway so that, when the trigger 283 of the switch is actuated to effect the separation of the contacts of handrail safety switch 40, the stairway is brought to a stop.

Handrail safety switch 40 may be employed, if desired, in moving stairways ;where tightener wheel 178 is not driven as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, or is not provided with a locking device 270.

The construction of the handrail tightener wheel and associated parts for the handrail at the other side-of the stairway may be similar to that described for handrail 170.

Inasmuch as many changes could be made in the above constructions and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be-made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:-

1. In a moving stairway in whichthere is a handrail. with a loop therein, a movable tightener wheel operating in the bight of such handrail loop, means for guiding the motion of said tightener wheel so that its motion increases or decreases the length of such handrail loop, and means for driving the steps of the stairway and said handrail conjointly; means continuously urging said tightener wheel in the direction that increases the length of such handrail loop, thereby automatically and continuously taking up handrail slack and maintaining the handrail. taut; and switching mechanism controlled by the motion of the tightener wheel in the direction that increases the length of such handrail loop, and actuated when the tightener wheel nears the limit of its motion in such direction for rendering said driving means for said steps and handrail ineffective and for causing the stairway to stop.

2. In a moving stairway in which there is a handrail, a newel wheel at one end of the stairway around which the handrail passes, a loop in the handrail, a reversing wheel and a tightener wheel operating in the bights of such handrail loop, and means for moving said tightener wheel so that the length of such handrail loop may be increased or decreased to control the slack in said handrail; means for driving said handrail conjointly with the steps of said stairway, said means including means for driving said newel wheel, said reversing wheel and said tightener wheel so that the handrail is driven by the peripheries of all three of said wheels.

3. In a moving stairway in which there is a handrail, a newel wheel at one end of the stairway around which the handrail passes, a loop in the handrail, a movable tightener wheel operating in the bight of such handrail loop, and means for guiding the motion of said tightener wheel so that its motion increases or decreases the length of such handrail loop; means continuously urging said tightener wheel in the direction that increases the length of such handrail loop, thereby automatically and continuously taking up handrail slack and maintaining the handrail taut; means for driving said handrail conjointly with the steps of said stairway, said means including means for driving said newel wheel and said tightener wheel so that the handrail is driven by the peripheries of both of said wheels; and

switching mechanism controlled by the motion of the tightener wheel in the direction that increases the length of such handrail loop,'and abtuated when the tightener wheel nears the limit of its motion in such direction for rendering said driving means for said steps and handrail ineffective and for causing the stairway to stop.

4. In a moving stairway having a handrail;' a rotatable newel wheel at one end of the stairway around which said handrail passes; a rotat- 8 able tightener wheel near said end of the stal'rway around which said handrail passes after leaving the underside of said newel wheel, said handrail, when leaving said tightener wheel at the top thereof, returning toward said end or 9' the stairway, the axis of said tightener 'wheel being at an angle to the axis of said newel wheel so that said handrail leaves said tightener wheel in a plane different from the plane of said newel wheel; means, including a movable carriage, mounting said tightener wheel for motion toward and away from said newel wheel to maintain said handrail taut; a rotatable handrail reversing wheel, nearer said end of the stairway than said tightener wheel, around which said handrail 10!] passes after leaving said tightener wheel, said handrail leaving said reversing wheel at the underside thereof and in the direction of the other end of the stairway, the axis of said reversing wheel being parallel to the axis of said newel wheel and said reversing wheel being in a plane parallel to," but displaced from, the plane ofsaidznewel wheel; a newel wheel driving sprocket rotatably mounted coaxially with said newel wheel and secured thereto; a reversing wheel driving s'procke't rotatably mounted coaxially wtih said reversing wheel and secured thereto; a tightener wheel driving sprocket rotatably mounted on saidmovable carriage with its axis parallel to the axes. of said newel wheel driving sprocket and said reversingI wheel driving sprocket; means driving saidthree driving sprockets in unison, and in accordance with the motion of the steps of the stairwayfand bevel gearing between said tightener wheel driv ing sprocket and said tightener wheelfor transmitting the rotation of said tightener wheel driving sprocket to said tightener wheel.

DAVID LEONARD LINDQUIS'I'.

ARTHUR EDWARD HANDY. SAMUEL GUSTAVEMARGIJES.

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