US2210711A

US2210711A - Moving stairway step

Info

Publication number: US2210711A
Application number: US234629A
Authority: US
Inventors: Dunlop James
Original assignee: Westinghouse Electric Elevator Co
Current assignee: Westinghouse Electric Elevator Co
Priority date: 1938-10-12
Filing date: 1938-10-12
Publication date: 1940-08-06
Anticipated expiration: 1957-08-06

Description

J. DUNLOP Aug, 6, 194;

MOVING STAIRWAY STEP Filed Oct. 12, 1938 INVENTOR fim'as 2027/5 Patented Aug. 6, 1940 MOVING STAIRWAY STEP James Dunlop, Ridgewood, N. J., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Elevator Company, Jersey City, N. 3., a corporation of Illinois Application October 12, 1938, Serial No. 234,629

4 Claims. (Cl; 19Sl6) My invention relates to moving stairways and more particularly to the steps embodied in such stairways.

In many moving stairways the steps are provided with cleat-like treads which pass under suitable comb plates at the lower and at the upper landings of the stairways. By reason of the rise of the steps as they move from the lower landing up to and pass under the upper landing and the close position of the front end of the tread at each step with the riser of the step in front of it, the front ends of the cleats are usually beveled to allow them to clear each other in order to prevent wedging of the steps as they level ofi at the landings, and even while they are running from one floor level to another. Hence, as the steps approach the top of the stairway and begin to level off, the beveled ends of the cleats and the next step ahead form a V-shaped space. As the steps become level with each other, the space between the ends of the cleats on one step and the adjacent ends of the cleats on the next step is at its widest point.

The prime object of the invention is to provide for closing or nearly closing the V-shaped space between the ends of the cleats on one step and the adjoining ends of the cleats on the next step ahead to make the cleats as nearly continuous as possible while they level ofi to pass under the comb plates, in order to provide for safer operation of the steps by preventing anything from being caught'between the ends of the cleats and the comb plate fingers.

Another object is to prevent the injury of any person falling down on the steps of the moving stairway and hitting hard metal or molded cleats with which such stairways are usually provided.

' A further object is to prevent any slipping or skidding of the feet of the passengers upon the edges of the steps of the stairways and thereby reduce the number of accidents due to falling or being thrownwhile on the steps.

Another object is to provide for making the line of demarkation between the steps more visible and thereby assist the passengers in distinguishing one step from another when stepping on or oil, so that they will step on only one step instead of across two steps, as sometimes happens with the older forms of stairways.

It is also an object of the invention to'lessen the danger to children when they fall on moving stairways and get their fingers or hands in position to be caught between the cleats on the steps.

For a better understanding of the invention,

of adjacent steps, embodying the invention, dis- 1 posed in position to pass under one of the comb plates of the stairway.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of portions of several moving-stairway steps illustrating the relative position of the cleat tread of one step with the riser of the next step ahead when the steps are near and an upper landing, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view taken along the line IIIIII of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I have illustrated a portion of a moving stairway comprising an endless series or movable steps In which are moved along their tracks (not shown) in accordance with the speed at which the stairway is to be operated. Each of these steps I comprises a step tread ll disposed upon a frame comprising a pair of cross bars or joists l2 and it supported by suitable riser yokes 14. The lower end of the yoke It rests upon and is secured to the rear end of an end bar i5, the upper or front end of which is secured to a flanged portion it of the cross bar [3. The front part of the step, including the flange I6 is supported upon front wheels 58 rotatably mounted upon an axle H3 and secured in position thereon by a cotter pin 20. The axle l9 passes through and is supported by the front ends of the bars 15. The rear portion of the step is supported upon trailer wheels 22 that are mounted upon stub axles 23 mounted in the rear ends of the bars l5. Cotter pins 24 secure the wheels upon the axles 23. A riser apron 25 is secured between the cross bar l2 and the rear ends of the end bars I5.

Inasmuch as moving stairways are well known, a further detail of description of their operating parts will be omitted. However, if information as to further details is desired, it may be secured from Patents No. 2,023,067 issued December 3, 1935, and No. 2,085,076 issued June 29, 1937, upon applications filed by me and assigned to the Westinghouse Electric Elevator Company.

The tread of each stairway step is provided with a plurality of cleats 21 running along the top of the tread approximately in line with the direction of travel of the steps. The cleats may be constructed of any suitable non-resilient material such as iron or may be molded from suitable non-resilient material such as fibre impregnated with a binder and molded under heat I al and pressure to become a solid supporting structure for the feet of the passengers using the stairway.

The grooves between the cleats should be narrow enough to prevent the heels of the passengers shoes from entering them and the cleats themselves should be so arranged that they will readily pass between the teeth 28 of any suitable comb plates 29 which may be embodied in the stairway at the landings (not shown) In constructing moving stairways, it has always been diflicult to prevent the appearance of a space or opening between the adjacent ends of the cleats of adjoining steps as the steps level off to go under the comb plate at the lower landing or at the upper landing because, if the ends of the cleats are made square and spaced too close together, they are liable to hit each other when they level off or to bump into the riser of the next step when they are moving along the rising portion of the stairway. If this tendency to hit and knock is cured by beveling the' ends of the cleats, then they form a V-shaped opening or space as the stepslevel off to pass under the comb plates.

My invention overcomes these difiiculties by providing a cleat-end 3i of resilient material for the rear end of each cleat on each step. Each cleat-end 3c is constructed of a soft resilient material such as rubber or imitation rubber that is vulcanized upon a strip 3| of metal such as brass bent to fit over a cut-away portion 32 of the rear end of the cleat to which it is to be attached. Furthermore, the resilient cleat-end should not be beveled like the old cleats, but should be rather full in form. Each cleat end is provided with a screw hole 33 through which a screw 34 may be inserted into the cleat to which it is to be attached to hold the cleat-end in operative position,

In the preferred form of the invention the cut-away portion of the cleat is made in steplike formation so that the upper-surface of the cleat-end provides a short end portion of the tread surface of the complete cleat on the step and the left hand end 36 of the cleat-end constitutes a bumper and space filler onthe rear end of the cleat to cooperate with the beveled front end 3'! of the associated cleat on the next following step for safe operation of the stairway. A soft resilient plug 38 is inserted in the hole in the face 35 of the cleat-end to protect the screw and provide an even surface on the face of the cleat-end. It will be obvious that the shape of the cut-away portion 32 of the cleat 27 may be of any desired form suitable to hold the cleat end in position and cause it to act not only as a bumper but as a soft resilient end tread.

Inasmuch as the rear end of each cleat on each step is provided with the soft resilient cleat end, it, will be obvious that the rear edge of each step will provide, in effect, a soft resilient edge or series of cleat ends that will lessen the clanger to any person falling upon the steep moving stairway steps and striking against the edges thereof, because the soft resilient cleat-ends will prevent injury, whereas the hard non-resilient ends of the cleats heretofore employed very often caused serious damage.

It will also be obvious that where the steps level off to pass under the comb plates the soft rounded ends of the cleat ends 30 will practically fill the V-shaped space heretofore present between the cooperating ends of the adjacent step cleats, thus providing practically continuous cleat lines or ridges for the feet of the passengers and also preventing anything from being caught in the V-shaped openings and carried thereby in under the comb plate with resulting damage.

It also will be obvious that the line of soft resilient cleat ends "will act as a distinguishing marl: between the steps when they are in motion and thus provide an indicating means which will cause the passengers to step upon one step instead of placing their feet across two steps, thus reducing the tendency to accidents caused by people unwittingly stepping upon more than one step as the steps change their position relative to each other in making their circuit.

Although I have illustrated and described only one embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that changes therein and modifications thereof may be made without departing from its spirit and scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a moving stairway extending from a 1 lower landing to an upper landing, a plurality of steps provided with substantially non-resilient treads and having resilient rear edges to prevent accidents and approximately fill in the spaces between the step treads as they level for the landings.

A moving stairway comprising a comb plate, a plurality of steps, and a plurality of tread cleats for each step disposed to pass between he teeth of the comb plate as the steps are operated, each cleat having a resilient end portion disposed at the rear end of its step and a nonresilient portion extending from said resilient portion to the front end of its step and each resilient end portion being sufficiently large to approximately close the space between the cleat of which it is a part and the adjoining cleat-on the step nearest that resilient end member.

3. A moving stairway having a plurality of steps disposed to be operated between an upper landing and a lower landing, a plurality of cleats of non-resilient material disposed on the tread of each step, and a rubber end member mounted on the rear end of each cleat to close the space between that cleat and the adjoining cleat on the next adjacent step as they level for a landmg.

4. A moving stairway having a plurality of steps disposed to be operated between an upper landing and a lower landing, a plurality of cleats of non-resilient material disposed on the tread of each step in position to pass between the teeth of a comb plate at each landing, a cleat-end of resilient material for each cleat, and means for securing the cleat-end for each cleat to the rear end thereof to cause them to fill approximately the space between the ends of the cleats on adjacent steps as they level at the landings.

JAMES DUNLOP.