US2187189A - Moving stairway handrail protective device - Google Patents

Description

Jarpifi, 1940. w D 2,187,189

MOVING STAIRWAY HANDRA IL PROTECTIVE DEVICE Filed March 25, 1939 Law. WJwL-N INVENTOR BY ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 16,1940

p UNIT D I T PAT ENT orrlee,

q 2,187,189 ov ng STAIRWAY HANDRAIL l PROTECTIVE-DEVICE Leon, Wieder, Bronx, ,N. Y., assignor toOtis Ele-- vatorLompany,v New York; N, Y., a corpora- I i i tiongofNew Jersey Application jMarch -25, 939, Serial ams!- (oi. 198,--16) the handrails of moving stairways. l

Moving stairways" are providedhwith nioving handrails for the convenience of persons using the stairways. Two handrails are provided, one

The invention relatesto prdtective devicesfor,

on each side i of the stairway. These handrails slide on guides secured'to the stairway balustradthe handrails themselves. Protective devicesare provided to prevent the :fing-ers .of passengers from being caught between the balustrades and the handrails at the pointsiwhere the handrails enter the balustrades. These devices are arranged in the handrail openings of the balustrades. i y 3 It is the, object ofthe invention to provide for each handrail adevice which, if a hand is left in contact with the handrail while passing around the exit newelwheehwill be engaged by the hand as it arrives at a certain distance from the handrail openingto serve as a warning to remove the hand before the handrail openingis reached. e l e g e i One feature of the invention is theprovi'sion of such a protective device which will yield upon being engaged by a hand being heldbn the hahdrail. so as to obviate any possibility ofinjury handrail which is of simple construction, reliable in operation and economical to manufacture and i from the protectivedevice itself. v 1

Another feature of the invention is the provision of such a protective device which; upon being engaged by a hand held on; the handrail, will be deflected out of the way but will move into pros tective position asthe hand is disengaged therefrom. i i

Another feature of 'the invention is the provision of a protective device for a moving stairway install.

Other features and advantages of the invention Will become apparent from the specification and appended claims.

In the drawing: V Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the exit and of a moving stairway showing the balustrades equipped with protectivedevices in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view in the protective device of Figure 1; and

will be described,

section taken above Figure 3 is a detail of the protective device of Figure 1 as viewed from the .front of the balus- Referring to moving stairway ID, are designated i1 and i2. 'I'hehandrails l3 and M are carried by the newel Wheeis aroundthe exit end of the stairway Figure l, the balustrades of the through openings l5 in the ends of the balustrades. These openings are considerably larger than the handrails and the space is taken up by brushes l6 arranged in the openings and shaped to conform tothe handrails. Protective devices tance'above the openings. As the construction of the protective device for each handrail is identical, only one of them, say for handrailld In accordance with the construction illus I! are provided over the handrails a certain distrated; the protective device comprises a coil spring 20 provided with acover in the form of aflexible sleeve 2|. The spring and cover extend horizontally across themes of the handrail from a point between the handrail and theouter side of thebalustrade to form a guard. The strength of thisspring is such that it normally remains in position across the face of the handrail but:

readily-yields when engagedby a hand in contactf with themoving handrail. One end of the '-spring is secured to an end piece 23 in a depression 24 formed in the end piece. The other end of the spring is secured to a bracket 22 in a similar depression formed on the bracket; The flexible cover 2! for the spring is in the form the, spring. The end piece 23 is tapped longi- 30 to the end of the spring. This tip, which is preferably of fiber, is the same diameter asthe outside of cover 2| and is rounded oif.

Thev guard is mounted parallel to the outer surface of the handrail and in close proximity thereto. It is secured to the balustrade bybolt 1 2 3| extending through bracket, 22 and spacing block 32. This spacing block may be of a finish and design to correspond or blend with the balustrade.

Lugs 33 formed onbracket 22 extend into depressions in spacing block 32. This,-togather with the fact that the inner surface of the spacingblock 32 is curved to correspond with] the curvature of the balustrading, maintains the guard normally in a horizontal position. The guard is secured to the, balustrade at such point laterally that the guard does not extend all the way across the face of the handrail, the tip end of a rubber hose of aninternal diameterto" fit 'tudinally to receive a screw 28 for securinga tip.

of the guard being back from the side of the handrail as illustrated.

In operation, so long as nothing comes in contact with the guard, it remains in position extending horizontally over the face of the handrail. However, should the hand of a person using the stairway remain in contact with the handrail until the guard is reached, it strikes the guard, which immediately deflects to obviate any injury to the hand. However, upon his hand being struck, the person instinctively releases the hand-- rail and thus his hand is not carried to the the hand, it returns to its horizontal position across the face of the handrail.

It has been found by observation that about the only persons leaving their hands in contact with the handrail as the handrail passes around the newel wheel are small children around four It is preferred, therefore, to positioning of the guard about eight inches above the handrail opening has been found satisfactory for this purpose, this distance allowing ample opportunity for the child to remove his hand from the handrail after engaging the guard before the handrail opening is reached. The end of the guard being back from the side of the handrail minimizes the possibility of any clothing being caught by the guard and, asthe tip of the guard has been found satisfactory in actual installation.

It is to be understood, however, that the construction of the guard may be varied considerably and that the positioning of the guard with respect to the handrail and its distance from Y the handrail opening may be altered to suit any particular installation. It is intended thatmany variations in construction and arrangement of -the protective device maybe made within the spiritfand scope of the invention so long as the device is mounted so as to engage any hand held on the handrail in ample time for the hand to be removed before reaching the handrail opening and will yieldupon being so engaged so as to obviate being a hazard in itself.

-What is claimed is:

1. A protective device for a handrail opening in the balustrade at the exit of a moving stairway comprising, an elongated guard, and means mounting said guard at one end on the balustrade .in position extending crosswise over the face of the handrail at a point in suflicient ad.- vance of said opening to permit the hand, upon striking said guard, to be removed before the opening is reached, said guard being deflectible so as to move out of the way upon being struck by a hand and being biased to protective position so as to return thereto as the hand is disengaged from the guard. v

2. A protective device for a handrail opening in the balustrade at the exit of a moving stairway comprising, an elongated resilient guard, and means mounting said guard at one end on the balustrade with the other end free and extending crosswise over the face of the handrail and in close proximity thereto at a point above said 7 opening. handrail opening. As the guard is disengaged byi 3. A protective device for a handrail opening in the balustrade at the exit end of a moving stairway comprising, an elongated coil spring, a cover for said spring, and means securing said spring to the balustrade above said opening and inposition extending, substantially horizontally over the face of the handrail.

4. A protective device for a handrail opening in the balustrade at the exit end of a moving stairway comprising, an elongated coil spring, a flexible cover for said spring, a rounded tip for one'end of said spring, and means securing said spring at its other end to the balustrade above said opening and in position extending horizontally over the face of the handrail and parallel therewith in close proximity thereto.

5. A protective device for a handrail opening in the balustrade at the exit end of a moving stairway comprising, an elongated coil spring,

a flexible rubber hose forming a cover for said spring, a rounded fiber tip covering one end of said spring, and means securing said spring at its other end to the balustrade a certain distance above said opening and in position extending horizontallyacross the face of y the handrail to within a certain distance of the inner side of the handrail and with its cover in close proximity thereto.

6. A protective device for a handrail opening in the balustrade at the exit end of a moving stairway comprising, an elongated coil spring, a flexible rubber hose forming a cover for said spring, a rounded fiber tip for one end of said spring of the-same diameter as the external diameter of said hose and secured to said one end of the spring in abutting relation with said hose, a bracket secured to the other end of said spring, a spacing block, and a bolt extending through said bracket and block securing said spring to the balustrade in position extending horizontally from said bracket over the face of the handrail to a point with the tip end short of the inner side of the handrail and with said spring approximately eight inches above the handrail opening, said spacing block positioning said spring substantially parallel with the face of the handrail and with its cover in close proximity thereto.

LEON WIEDER.

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