US3515253A - Continuous auto-way for use in straight,curved,elevating and descending paths - Google Patents

Continuous auto-way for use in straight,curved,elevating and descending paths Download PDF

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Publication number
US3515253A
US3515253A US677152A US3515253DA US3515253A US 3515253 A US3515253 A US 3515253A US 677152 A US677152 A US 677152A US 3515253D A US3515253D A US 3515253DA US 3515253 A US3515253 A US 3515253A
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United States
Prior art keywords
running
path
boards
curved
elevating
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Expired - Lifetime
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US677152A
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English (en)
Inventor
Saburo Yamada
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Senyo Kogyo Co Ltd
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Senyo Kogyo Co Ltd
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G17/00—Conveyors having an endless traction element, e.g. a chain, transmitting movement to a continuous or substantially-continuous load-carrying surface or to a series of individual load-carriers; Endless-chain conveyors in which the chains form the load-carrying surface
    • B65G17/06—Conveyors having an endless traction element, e.g. a chain, transmitting movement to a continuous or substantially-continuous load-carrying surface or to a series of individual load-carriers; Endless-chain conveyors in which the chains form the load-carrying surface having a load-carrying surface formed by a series of interconnected, e.g. longitudinal, links, plates, or platforms
    • B65G17/065—Conveyors having an endless traction element, e.g. a chain, transmitting movement to a continuous or substantially-continuous load-carrying surface or to a series of individual load-carriers; Endless-chain conveyors in which the chains form the load-carrying surface having a load-carrying surface formed by a series of interconnected, e.g. longitudinal, links, plates, or platforms the load carrying surface being formed by plates or platforms attached to a single traction element
    • B65G17/066—Conveyors having an endless traction element, e.g. a chain, transmitting movement to a continuous or substantially-continuous load-carrying surface or to a series of individual load-carriers; Endless-chain conveyors in which the chains form the load-carrying surface having a load-carrying surface formed by a series of interconnected, e.g. longitudinal, links, plates, or platforms the load carrying surface being formed by plates or platforms attached to a single traction element specially adapted to follow a curved path
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G17/00—Conveyors having an endless traction element, e.g. a chain, transmitting movement to a continuous or substantially-continuous load-carrying surface or to a series of individual load-carriers; Endless-chain conveyors in which the chains form the load-carrying surface
    • B65G17/12—Conveyors having an endless traction element, e.g. a chain, transmitting movement to a continuous or substantially-continuous load-carrying surface or to a series of individual load-carriers; Endless-chain conveyors in which the chains form the load-carrying surface comprising a series of individual load-carriers fixed, or normally fixed, relative to traction element
    • B65G17/123—Conveyors having an endless traction element, e.g. a chain, transmitting movement to a continuous or substantially-continuous load-carrying surface or to a series of individual load-carriers; Endless-chain conveyors in which the chains form the load-carrying surface comprising a series of individual load-carriers fixed, or normally fixed, relative to traction element arranged to keep the load-carriers horizontally during at least a part of the conveyor run
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G17/00—Conveyors having an endless traction element, e.g. a chain, transmitting movement to a continuous or substantially-continuous load-carrying surface or to a series of individual load-carriers; Endless-chain conveyors in which the chains form the load-carrying surface
    • B65G17/30—Details; Auxiliary devices
    • B65G17/38—Chains or like traction elements; Connections between traction elements and load-carriers
    • B65G17/385—Chains or like traction elements; Connections between traction elements and load-carriers adapted to follow three-dimensionally curved paths
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
    • B66B—ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS
    • B66B23/00—Component parts of escalators or moving walkways
    • B66B23/08—Carrying surfaces
    • B66B23/12—Steps
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G2201/00—Indexing codes relating to handling devices, e.g. conveyors, characterised by the type of product or load being conveyed or handled
    • B65G2201/02—Articles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G2201/00—Indexing codes relating to handling devices, e.g. conveyors, characterised by the type of product or load being conveyed or handled
    • B65G2201/04—Bulk

Definitions

  • the disclosure relates to an auto-way or conveyor, such as for the continuous transportation of people, comprising a plurality of running boards interconnected by links through ball joints each having vertically and horizontally extending cross-like pins; the front and rear side edges of each board are arcuately formed and the front and rear ends have bowl-like surfaces; the side edges and end surfaces have the same curvatures respectively, whereby two adjacent boards make line-contact with each other and said boards can follow one another in their continuous path smoothly without creaking whether the path is straight, curved, elevating or descending, by means of wheels carried by the board so as to ride on rails suitably laid according to said paths.
  • the present invention relates to a continuous auto-way for use in straight, curved, elevating and descending paths.
  • the adjacent running boards are made to contact as a whole with each other in one plane so that when they are traveling along an intermediate path between a horizontal path and a elevating path or between a descending path and a horiz-ontal path, the sliding contact of the adjacent running boards causes a rough contact therebetween and creaking. Furthermore, there is still another defect in that the longer hardlywice the thickness of the running boardtends to be broken or fractured by the buckling load applied thereon from the running board, so that the stability of the running board is of course lost.
  • the height of the rail to be laid is dependent upon the descending horizontal, elevating and the intermediate paths. This will be discussed in more detail hereinafter.
  • the present invention therefore, has for its object to eliminate or substantially reduce the above-described defects or disadvantages, and relates to a continuous autoway for use in straight, curved, elevating and descending paths.
  • Primary objects of the invention are: to provide al1 improved conveyor having substantially universal movement along a guide path defined by guide rails or the like, and in which series-connected support members are articulated by universal connecting means connected lat the lower leading edge and below the longitudinal axis of the conveyor and in a plane passing therethrough, and in which each support member has transversely-arcuate forward and rear ends in which adjacent ends of adjacent members are complementary and. concentric to a center point on the longitudinal axis to facilitate relative move'- ment horizontally and in which the members are arcuate inwardly and beneath the forward and rear ends to facilitate relative movement vertically between adjacent members.
  • FIG. 1 is a top view
  • FIG. 2 is a front View
  • FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 4 is a schematic View of the running boards in a curved path
  • FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the running boards in an elevating or descending path
  • FIG. 6 is a side view of a link coupling mechanism
  • FIG. 7 is a bottom View of the link coupling mechanism of FIG. 6K.
  • FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing the closed track circuit and the cooperative relation of the boards.
  • both of the front 3 and rear 4 ends of a running board 1 have the same arcuate curves 2 in the form of a bowl as best shown in FIG. 3.
  • the front side 3 of one running board 1 and the rear side 4 of the adjacent running boards are arcuately formed with the same arc of a circle the center of which is located at, for example, a point C at the back portion of and on the center line of the upper surface of said one running board.
  • the link coupling mechanism comprises a movable ball 6 provided with vertically and horizontally extending cross-like pins 5 (see FIGS. 5-7). Over the horizontally extending pins 5 is rotatably fitted a yoke 8 of a supporter 7 and a yoke 10 at the forward end of a link 9; over the vertically extending pins 5 is also rotatably fitted a yoke 10 at the rear end of another link 9.
  • Each of the running boards is continuously connected together as a whole by successively interlocking both ends of the links 9 with the front side 3 being successively in a slidable contact relation with the rear side -4 of the adjacent running board.
  • the design is made with due regard to the lengths of the supporter 7 and the link 9 as well as the curvature of the curved end surfaces 2 of the boards so that when the running boards 1 are moved upwardly or downwardly there may exist essentially no gap or space between the front and rear curved end surfaces 2 of the two adjacent running boards 1 along the horizontal contact line therebetween.
  • Wheels 11 are freely rotatably disposed respectively along both sides of each board 1 near the edge of the rear end and wheels 11 are also provided at the front bottom portion of each running board 1.
  • each running board 1 is maintained always at the same horizontal level, while when the running boards 1 are on the elevating or descending path each of the running boards is arranged in step with the upper surface thereof being maintained also horizontally. This will be effected by riding the freely rotatable wheels 11 upon two pairs of rails 12 which are laid along the predetermined straight, curved, elevating or descending path and which have the different heights according to the above-described paths.
  • the continuous running boards 1 are driven by means of a chain drive or the like (not shown) which drives the lateral sides of the running board.
  • the lower end of the supporter 7 disposed at the bottom of the running board 1, as described above, is utilized as a pawl, which is driven by means of a chain drive or the like (not shown).
  • the boards be restrained on each side of a casing (not shown) ywhich has the same contour or form as the rail course; the casings hold therebetween slidably both lateral sides of the running board.
  • each of the running boards 1 is provided with freely rotatable wheels 11, which are disposed at both lateral sides and the bottom of the running board 1 and ride on the rails 12. Therefore, the running board of the present invention has substantially no legs compared with the conventional running board which is provided with longer and shorter legs respectively.
  • the resultant force of the compressive and bending forces acting from the running board 1 to the supporter 7 is negligible, so that the supporter 7 is not likely damage and the freely rotatable wheels 11 can rotate very smoothly.
  • the reason why the front side 3 of the running board 1 and the rear side 4 of the proceeding adjacent running board are arcuately formed with the same arc of a circle, the center of which is found at C at the back portion of and on the center line of the upper surface of the first mentioned running board 1, is as follows:
  • the running boards 1 are on a curved path, as shown in FIG. 4, sliding displacement of the adjacent front and rear end surfaces becomes possible along one curved line, so that the running boards 1 can smoothly follow the curved path and then return to the initial straight path.
  • the bowl-like curved end surfaces 2 of the two adjacent running boards have no extending portion at all so that there exists essentially no space or gap between the upper surfaces of the two adjacent running boards 1.
  • the links 9 are for connecting continuously the whole running boards 1. When the running boards make straight. curved, elevating and descending paths or when they return to their original path. Front and back yokes of the link 9 are tted over the crosspins 5 extending from the ball 6 can freely move vertically and towards right or left so that the formation of various paths of the continuous running boards is not prevented. Furthermore, the links 9 facilitate the movements and operations of the running boards for forming the various paths.
  • a typical installation would be four rails laid in any desired course having straight, curved, elevating and descending paths.
  • the wheels 11 carried on both lateral sides of the back upper portion of the running board ride on two rails while the wheels carried by both sides of the front bottom portion of the running board ride on the remaining two rails.
  • the upper surface of the running board 1 is maintained horizontally.
  • the rails upon which the upper wheels 11 ride and the rails upon which the lower -wheels ride are vertically spaced apart from each other.
  • the distance between two pairs of rails is gradually reduced and laid on the same level.
  • the distance between said two pairs of rails is gradually increased so that said two pairs of rails are vertically spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.
  • the distance between said two pairs of rails is gradually further increased.
  • the distance between said two pairs of rails are gradually reduced so that the distance therebetween returns to its initial distance in the initial path.
  • the auto-way according to the present invention is not limited to the conventional escalator, the use of which is limited to the straight path, or to the auto-way the use of which is limited to the horizontal path.
  • the present invention makes it possible to provide an auto-way for use in any complicated path along the whole course thereof so that it becomes unnecessary for a man to walk the course.
  • the auto-way according to the present invention is very advantageous because this auto-way can provide the flat or horizontal straight and curved paths on a bridge crossing a road, a river, etc. or interconnecting between the skyscrapers where inward and outward paths are required.
  • An articulated conveyor mechanism for movement in a multitude of directions and particularly adapted for transporting personnel comprising:
  • running boards (1) having an upper support surface for continuous movement in a horizontal plane
  • said running boards having transversely-arcuate forward and trailing ends (3, 4) symmetrical about a longitudinal axis of said boards,
  • the adjacent forward and trailing ends of adjacent boards being complementary for facilitating relative horizontal movement therebetween, the forward and trailing ends of said boards converging (2) uniformly and arcuately beneath the forward and trailing ends for facilitating relatively vertical movement therebetween; and coupling means operatively connecting adjacent boards to each other and permitting relative universal movement between adjacent boards,
  • said coupling means comprising a plurality of elongated links (9) disposed beneath the center (C) of said boards and including a universal connector at one end providing both vertical and horizontal pivot axes (S),
  • each said coupling means including a support (7) connected at a lower portion to the horizontal pivot axis, and xedly secured at an upper portion to one of the boards at the center of the board said support being secured to a respective board beneath the lower trailing end of the respective board, said universal connector comprising a horizontal and vertical yoke (10) at opposite ends of said links (9), a ball element (6) have diametrically intersecting normal axle portions the forward yoke of one lin-k being journaled to a horizontal axle of one ball element, and the vertical yoke of an immediate leading link being journaled to the vertical axle of said one ball element, said supports (7) including a yoke (8) journaled on said horizontal axles of the one ball element and projecting vertically to a lower portion of a board inwardly of the converging arcuate surface at the trailing end.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Escalators And Moving Walkways (AREA)
  • Steps, Ramps, And Handrails (AREA)
  • Chain Conveyers (AREA)
US677152A 1966-11-16 1967-10-23 Continuous auto-way for use in straight,curved,elevating and descending paths Expired - Lifetime US3515253A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP7541266 1966-11-16

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3515253A true US3515253A (en) 1970-06-02

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US677152A Expired - Lifetime US3515253A (en) 1966-11-16 1967-10-23 Continuous auto-way for use in straight,curved,elevating and descending paths

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US3515253A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
CH (1) CH483982A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR1561133A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1135008A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4004676A (en) * 1975-07-17 1977-01-25 Westinghouse Electric Corporation Escalator with non-jaming step
US4681206A (en) * 1983-03-11 1987-07-21 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Curvilinear escalator
US5033606A (en) * 1988-12-16 1991-07-23 Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Conveyor having pivotally connected step units
RU2223214C2 (ru) * 2000-05-06 2004-02-10 Якимов Геннадий Иванович Лестница эскалаторного действия
US20040050654A1 (en) * 2000-12-05 2004-03-18 Levy John Court Escalator for negotiating curves
US9854997B1 (en) * 2015-11-07 2018-01-02 Bertec Corporation Force measurement system

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2027658A (en) * 1978-08-12 1980-02-27 Ayrshire Elevator Co Ltd Pivot means for pallets of moving walkway
FR2498162A1 (fr) * 1981-01-20 1982-07-23 Tissmetal Lionel Dupont Convoyeur a palettes de manutention et/ou de tri de colis et bagages

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US888949A (en) * 1907-10-18 1908-05-26 George A Wheeler Moving stairway.
US1437550A (en) * 1922-05-23 1922-12-05 Henry S Putnam Loading and unloading mechanism for transportation apparatus
US3399758A (en) * 1966-08-08 1968-09-03 Fed Engineering Company Inc Moving sidewalk

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US888949A (en) * 1907-10-18 1908-05-26 George A Wheeler Moving stairway.
US1437550A (en) * 1922-05-23 1922-12-05 Henry S Putnam Loading and unloading mechanism for transportation apparatus
US3399758A (en) * 1966-08-08 1968-09-03 Fed Engineering Company Inc Moving sidewalk

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4004676A (en) * 1975-07-17 1977-01-25 Westinghouse Electric Corporation Escalator with non-jaming step
US4681206A (en) * 1983-03-11 1987-07-21 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Curvilinear escalator
US5033606A (en) * 1988-12-16 1991-07-23 Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Conveyor having pivotally connected step units
RU2223214C2 (ru) * 2000-05-06 2004-02-10 Якимов Геннадий Иванович Лестница эскалаторного действия
US20040050654A1 (en) * 2000-12-05 2004-03-18 Levy John Court Escalator for negotiating curves
US6899216B2 (en) * 2000-12-05 2005-05-31 Levytator Limited Escalator for negotiating curves
US9854997B1 (en) * 2015-11-07 2018-01-02 Bertec Corporation Force measurement system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR1561133A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1969-03-28
DE1531122B2 (de) 1972-07-20
GB1135008A (en) 1968-11-27
DE1531122A1 (de) 1969-12-11
CH483982A (de) 1970-01-15

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