Patents by Inventor Dirk Gerdau

Dirk Gerdau has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Automatically adjusting escalator handrail system
    Patent number: 6460679
    Abstract: A passenger conveyor system includes a handrail adjustment mechanism that automatically adjusts the forces imposed on the handrail. A first length compensation device is positioned on a first side of the handrail drive mechanism. A second length compensation device is positioned on a second side of the handrail drive mechanism. Depending on the direction of handrail movement, one of the two length compensation devices imposes an automatically adjustable amount of tension on the handrail to maintain a desired effective length of the handrail. The length compensation device located on the slack side of the handrail compensates the handrail length by imposing a minimized tension on the handrail. The length compensation device located on the load side of the handrail will be lifted because the traction in the handrail caused by the drive mechanism overcomes any stretch imposed by the length compensation device on the load side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventors: Andreas Stuffel, Uwe Hauer, Dirk Gerdau