Abstract: Method and apparatus for minimizing the running clearance gap between stationary skirt panels and moving steps or segments of a passenger conveyor such as an escalator or moving walk, and simultaneously providing lateral guidance for the moving conveyor steps or segments, to thus reduce wear, noise, and vibration, wherein the skirt panels serve as guides for low friction, abrasion-resistant, resilient plastic bearing plates disposed on each side of the passenger conveyor steps or segments. In a second embodiment, which may be used with or without step bearing plates, raised curb members, which are attached to both sides of escalator step treads to minimize the gap between the moving escalator steps and adjacent stationary skirt panels, are shaped so that when an escalator passenger steps upon this curb member, it is firmly pressed against the adjacent skirt panel.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for minimizing the running clearance gap between stationary skirt panels and moving steps or segments of a passenger conveyor such as an escalator or moving walk, and simultaneously providing lateral guidance for the moving conveyor steps or segments, to thus reduce wear, noise, and vibration, wherein the skirt panels serve as guides for low friction, abrasion-resistant, resilient plastic bearing plates disposed on each side of the passenger conveyor steps or segments. In a second embodiment, which may be used with or without step bearing plates, raised curb members, which are attached to both sides of escalator step treads to minimize the gap between the moving escalator steps and adjacent stationary skirt panels, are shaped so that when an escalator passenger steps upon this curb member, it is firmly pressed against the adjacent skirt panel.