Abstract: The guide rail for an escalator handrail is provided with a plurality of laterally extending pins which provide the sole contact with the handrail. The pins reduce frictional drag of the handrail by providing line and point contact only between the handrail and the guide rail.

Abstract: The handrail guide rail has a base part which is preferably extruded metal, and can be rectilinear or curvilinear. The base telescopes over the top of the escalator balustrade which is a relatively thin glass or metal component of the escalator. Spring clamps are trapped between the balustrade and the guide rail base to clamp the base onto the balustrade.

Abstract: The handrail drive is a mangle-type drive wherein the handrail passes through the nip of a pair of opposed drive rollers. A plurality of drive roller pairs may be used. The drive rollers are keyed to rotatable shafts to which drive sprockets are also keyed. The drive sprockets are rotated by an endless chain which in turn is driven by one or more powered sprockets. The drive roller shafts are journaled in rotatable bearings which are mounted in a mechanism housing with the bearings being eccentrically mounted in the housing with respect to the drive roller shafts. When the drive rollers are rotated, friction between the handrail and the drive rollers, and between the roller shafts and eccentric bearings will cause the bearings to rotate about their axes thereby tightening the drive rollers about the handrail. As handrail drive roller friction increases, the tightening effect also increases. The rollers will only tighten on the extent needed to overcome the friction between the handrail and its guide rail.

Abstract: A deflector is mounted on an escalator balustrade immediately below the moving handrail at the newel, or turnaround ends of the escalator. The deflector smooths the line between the handrail and balustrade and protects against clothing, packages, or the like, contacting the handrail in the exit newel end of the escalator. The deflector may be internally illuminated to heighten its awareness and design impact.

Abstract: The handrail of an escalator of other passenger conveyor is driven by traction rollers which engage the handrail and also directly engage links which are connected to and drive the steps or tread of the conveyor. The handrail is biased into engagement with the traction rollers, and moves at substantially precisely the same speed as the steps or tread due to the direct connection between the step or tread drive and the handrail drive.

Abstract: A balustrade structure for a curved escalator wherein at least one of an inner deck board and an outer deck board constituting a balustrade base portion of the escalator is constructed with a plurality of curved strips of a thin sheet which is straight in the transverse direction. A longitudinally-extending side edge of the curved sheet strips may be covered by a joint. The deck may comprise a main deck extending along the balustrade panel and an end deck disposed at the lengthwise ends of the main deck for covering the ends. The end deck has formed in its edge portion a slot into which the longitudinally-extending side edge of the main deck is inserted, and each of the deck boards comprises a main deck and an end deck.

Abstract: An escalator handrail is driven by a pair of angularly offset rollers. The angular offset of the rollers causes a wedging effect at the roller nip whereby the driving force imparted by the rollers to the handrail is increased.

Abstract: In a balustrade for a passenger conveyor, a main deck is fixedly mounted to an upper end of a vertically upright balustrade panel, and a guide frame is arranged on the main deck for slidingly guiding a handrail. In order to easily carry out an operation of fixedly mounting the main deck to the upper end of the balustrade panel, at least one fixing instrument is provided which has an inverted U-shaped fitting groove on one side and a fixing section on the other side, and the main deck is fixedly mounted to the upper end of the balustrade panel through the fixing instrument.

Abstract: Transportation apparatus including a support structure, a conveyor on the support structure having a plurality of platforms for transporting passengers between spaced landings, and skirt panels having inner sides adjacent to the support structure and outer sides adjacent to the platforms. A running clearance gap between the skirt panels and the platforms is adjustable from the outer sides of the skirt panels via openings in the skirt panels which are in registry with adjustment devices actuatable to change the positions of the skirt panels relative to the support structure.

Abstract: A glass panel mounting assembly (10) which comprises a laminated glass panel (11) which is resiliently deflectable, a U-shaped holder (12) in which one edge (16) of the panel (11) is rigidly mounted, and adjustable securing means (17) extending between the metal limbs (13, 14) of the holder (12) and below the panel edge (16) in order to clamp the panel edge between the metal limbs. A pair of packings (18) are arranged one between each side of the panel edge and the inner face of the respective adjacent limb of the holder, each packing being made of a hard plastics or elastomeric material having a slight degree of resilience, and sealant material (20) is arranged substantially to fill the remainder of the channel (15) which is defined between the free end of the limbs (13, 14) and the packings (18).

Abstract: A guide for supporting a moving handrail or an escalator or moving walk is formed from a sheet of rolled spring steel or the like. The guide fits onto the top edge of a glass balustrade on the escalator or walk. The guide is secured to the glass balustrade solely by means of a spring clamping action which results from stressing the guide when it is forced down over the glass. The guide is formed with opposed planar clamping surfaces which flank the glass balustrade and are biased inwardly thereagainst by outer radiused edges of the guide which are stressed when the guide is pressed onto the glass. The radiused edges, when stressed, act as hairpin or torsion springs to force the clamp surfaces toward the glass. A gasket of paper or plastic is mounted directly on the glass for engagement by the clamping surfaces to provide increased protection for the glass.

Abstract: A passenger conveyor has a pair of balustrades on opposite sides of a plurality of steps connected together to circulate endlessly. Each of the balustrades comprises a structural support member mounted on a main body frame in spaced relation in the length direction of the main body frame. The structural support members each are made of a casing of one piece and have a U-shaped support portion supporting a lower end portion of the balustrade, a mounting flange portion projecting horizontally from one side of the U-shaped support portion, being mounted by the main body frame and mounting thereon an outer deck cover, a mounting projection horizontally projecting from the opposite side of the U-shaped support portion and mounting thereon an inner deck cover and skirt guard, and a pair of downward projections which serve to reinforce the U-shaped support portion as well as connection of a handrail guide for holding a handrail.

Abstract: A curved escalator comprises a plurality of segment steps movable along the stairway path, an inner balustrade panel of balustrades vertically disposed along an outer and an inner side of the stairway path, a moving handrail supported by a handrail guide for a guided movement along the balustrade, a skirt guard mounted to the frame work and extending in parallel to a travel path of the steps, and a guide rail for guiding step axles of the steps. The guide rail varies in its radius of curvature and the position of its center of curvature along its length in accordance with the varying slope angle, and the handrail guide varies in its radius of curvature and the position of its center of curvature along its length in correspondence with the radius of curvature and the position of center of curvature of the guide rail.

Abstract: A balustrade of passenger conveyor comprises a guide handrail having a fitting groove for fitting the guide member onto an end of a balustrade panel, a longitudinal groove formed by a bottom wall and inner and outer side walls of the guide member, the handrail guide being formed by a material having a resilience which allows the width of the fitting groove to become small when the outer walls of the guide member are laterally displaced, and an extension member which is extendable within the longitudinal groove to laterally displace the outer side walls of the guide member. The width of the fitting groove can thus be made narrow by the action of the extension member so that the balustrade panel can be held by the inner side walls of the guide member, thereby firmly fixing the guide member to the balustrade panel.

Abstract: A glassholder (10) secures the balustrade (16) of an escalator to the truss (12) thereof; and also serves to secure the inward decking profile (40), the outward decking profile (42), and the exterior cladding profile (44) with relationship to the truss (12).

Abstract: The balustrade comprises glass panels arranged on opposite sides of the passenger conveyor steps circulating endlessly, guide frames each of which has a U-shaped recess and is mounted on and bonded to the upper edge portion of the glass panel by adhesive, with the upper edge portion being inserted in the U-shaped recess so that both ends of the glass panel project from the ends of the guide frame, joint frames each of which has the same cross-section as the guide frame and is disposed in a gap formed between the adjacent guides by arranging the glass panel with the guide frame in an end-to-end relation, coupling plates disposed on both sides of the guide frames and joint frame to sandwich them and means for fastening the coupling plates. The guide frames and the joint frame, which support handrails circulating endlessly, are firmly and easily secured to the glass panels with simple construction.

Abstract: A curved escalator comprises a plurality of segment steps movable along the stairway path, an inner balustrade panel of balustrades vertically disposed along an outer and an inner side of the stairway path, a moving handrail supported by a handrail guide for a guided movement along the balustrade, a skirt guard mounted to the frame work and extending in parallel to a travel path of the steps, and a guide rail for guiding step axles of the steps. The guide rail varies in its radius of curvature and the position of its center of curvature along its length in accordance with the varying slope angle, and the handrail guide varies in its radius of curvature and the position of its center of curvature along its length in correspondence with the radius of curvature and the position of center of curvature of the guide rail.

Abstract: The cover arrangement for covering the balustrade sill or base of a transportion apparatus, such as an escalator of moving walkway equipped with a self-supporting vertically disposed balustrade carrier is elastically fixed to the bottom or sub-structure of the balustrade sill or base by means of pairwise arranged, self-adhesive interlocking strips or bands. For this type of fixing, neither screws or bolts nor welding work is required to be performed upon the cover arrangement, so that no screw or bolt heads are visible and there can be used for the covers or panels of the cover arrangement, without any additional expenditure, the most varied materials and surface properties.

Abstract: A balustrade for a passenger conveyor includes a glass panel, an inner deck cover located inside the glass panel, an outer deck cover located outside the glass panel, and a packing mounted between the glass panel and the inner and outer deck covers. The packing is of unitary structure formed of hard material, and is formed with a groove for receiving a lower end portion of the glass panel, and grooves for receiving end portions of the inner and outer deck covers. The packing is bolted to a support bed at its side while holding the glass panel at its lower portion.

Abstract: Using the cleaning apparatus there can be cleaned the inner surfaces of a glass lining which laterally covers the support structure of an escalator. A cleaning carriage is guided parallel to the top flange and the bottom flange of the support structure and is reciprocated by a cable drive in the direction of the escalator inclination between the support structure and the glass lining. A cleaning liquid distributor uniformly distributes cleaning liquid at the inner surfaces of the glass lining. A wiper blade is mounted at the cleaning carriage and presses against the inner surface of the glass lining. During the reciprocation of the cleaning carriage the wiper blade wipingly moves along the glass lining. The excess cleaning liquid and the cleaning liquid which accumulates during the wiping of the glass lining is received and drained by a lower one of guide rails at which the cleaning carriage is guided.

Abstract: A method of splicing a length of extruded handrail having a C-shaped cross-sectional configuration, a substantially flat inner drive surface, and a plurality of spaced, longitudinally extending inextensible members embedded in the body of the handrail. The ends of the handrail are squared, aligned, and butted. Longitudinally extending grooves are cut into the flat drive surface, through and on both sides of the butt joint, in the spaces between the embedded inextensible members. Predetermined lengths of inextensible members and elastomeric material are placed in the grooves, and bonded to the surfaces which define the grooves. In another embodiment, the grooves are extruded into the flat drive surface at the same time the handrail is extruded. In either embodiment, the ends of the handrail may be bonded together prior to, or simultaneously with, the bonding of the inextensible members and elastomeric material with the groove surfaces.

Abstract: This invention describes a balustrade for passenger conveyors, comprising a handrail adapted to be moved synchronously with endless moving stairway, panels consisting of transparent glass plates and, immediately under the handrail, an upper unit provided between upper ends of the transparent panels and a lower surface of the handrail and adapted so as to guide the handrail, and a lower unit provided at the lower ends of the transparent panels and consisting of inner and outer decks, the handrail-guiding upper unit consisting of a guide frame adapted to guide the handrail and having a groove for fitting upper the end portions of the tranparent panels thereinto, a fastener for press-tightening the transparent panels in the groove, a limiter for restricting the tightening force of the fastener and guides fitted around an outer circumferential surface of the guide frame, the upper unit as a whole being positioned within the handrail.

Abstract: A balustrade mounted on a supporting truss. The balustrade includes a composite deck formed of a metallic base member having an upstanding edge for mounting a handrail guide member, and an upper member formed of plastic. The metallic base member and non-metallic upper member are fixed together to form a structural box beam. A plastic handrail guide member is fixed to the upstanding edge of the base member, with the base of the handrail guide member being channeled to receive the upper edges of the upstanding balustrade panels.

Abstract: A handrail, suitable for use with an accelerating and decelerating moving walkway, comprising a plurality of overlapping handrail elements (51) movable about the periphery of a vertical, oval track, is disclosed. Handrail acceleration and deceleration is produced by changing the amount of element overlap. Element overlap is changed by an overlap control mechanism that comprises a plurality of suitably positioned cam rails (85a and b; 87a, b, c and d; 89a, b, c and d; 90a and b; and, 91) and a plurality of cam followers. The cam followers include rollers (69, 75 and 81) and arms (61, 71) that link the handrail elements (57) together. The rollers ride on the cam rails. The coaction between the rollers and the cam rails causes the arms to fold and unfold, which folding and unfolding action changes the amount of handrail element overlap.

Abstract: A balustrade for use with passenger conveyors including a second deck member bent to assume an arcuate shape at landings, and having a U-shaped cross-section adapted to be opened facing the center of the arc, and deformation preventing strips formed by bending the second deck member adjacent its opening which defines an inner periphery of the arcuate-shaped sections of the second deck member.

Abstract: A handrail has an immovable base element extending in one direction, a support element arranged to be grasped by a user and reciprocable relative to the base element, and a drive for reciprocating the support element relative to the base element. The base element may be formed by a usual stationary handrail, may be connected to the latter, or may be formed as a plate. A guiding element guides the support element during its reciprocation. The drive includes an electric motor which is reversible, a spindle member provided with a thread and rotatable by the motor, and a nut member translatorily movable by the rotation of the spindle member and connected with the support element so as to move the latter. Switches are provided for reversing the direction of rotation of the electric motor and thereby the direction of movement of the nut member and the support element.

Abstract: A balustrade for use with passenger conveyors including a deck member bent to assume an arcuate shape at landings and having a U-shaped cross-section with its opening facing the center of the arc, said deck member being formed adjacent the opposite ends of said first arcuate-shaped portion with second arcuate-shaped portions of larger radius of curvature than that of the first arcuate-shaped portion, said deck member being inwardly folded down about the opening of the arcuate-shaped portions to provide deformation preventing strips.

Abstract: A conveyor, in which continuous flights of steps in an endless form are guided by means of guide tracks, and a pair of handrails in an endless form are provided on each side of the flights of steps thereabove and moved at the same speed and in the same direction as those of the flights of steps. This conveyor includes: a pair of main frame bodies each consisting of a vertical member which is formed integrally with upper and lower horizontal members which extend from the top and bottom edges thereof in the horizontal direction, respectively; and transverse beams interconnecting the upper horizontal members of the aforesaid main frame bodies, and connecting members interconnecting the lower horizontal members of the main frame bodies at suitable points along the length of a conveyor. The pair of main frame bodies are positioned on each side of the aforesaid endless flights of steps, respectively.

Abstract: A driving mechanism for driving a moving handrail of an escalator and the like. The driving mechanism include driving rollers and guiding rollers which are disposed to confront with each other through the moving handrail interposed therebetween. The driving rollers are secured to a movable plate, while the guiding rollers are attached to fixed plates. The movable plate is adapted to be moved in the direction perpendicular to the moving handrail, while the fixed plates are firmly secured to a part of a truss frame which supports the escalator. The movable plate carries a sprocket by means of which the driving rollers are rotated to drive the moving handrail. The sprocket itself is adapted to be driven by a chain going therearound. The vertical component of the tensile force residing in the chain acts to press the driving rollers onto the moving handrail.

Abstract: In a man conveyor, a framework includes, as main frame members, beams of a steel material in the form of a letter I or of other shape in cross section, and struts for supporting guide members for endless handrails are rigidly secured to upper edge portions of the beams. The framework of this man conveyor is highly solid and makes possible simplification of the internal structure of the man conveyor.

Abstract: Transportation apparatus for transporting persons between spaced landings, including a conveyor mounted on a supporting structure, and first and second spaced skirts disposed on opposite sides of the conveyor which are formed of aligned skirt sections. The skirt sections of each skirt are interconnected via expandable splice assemblies which align the interconnected skirt sections, both laterally and vertically, and also lock them in end-to-end relation.

Abstract: An abrasion resistant traction article is made, comprising a cured, high traction, extended polyurethane composition, comprising the cured reaction product of: (1) 100 parts of a prepolymer made from polyoxytetramethylenediol, polyoxyisopropylenediol and tolylene diisocyanate and (2) 8.0 parts to 10.0 parts of methylene bis(o-chloroaniline), acting as a chain extender.

Abstract: Transportation apparatus, including an endless handrail and drive therefor. The handrail drive includes traction and pressure rollers disposed in driving engagement with the handrail. At least certain of the traction rollers each includes tire and hub portions formed of first and second integrally bonded elastomeric materials, respectively, with the first elastomeric material being selected to provide a predetermined dynamic coefficient of friction with the handrail, and the second elastomeric material being a relatively harder material selected to provide a supporting structure for the first elastomeric material.

Abstract: Transportation apparatus including a conveyor mounted on a support structure, and a balustrade formed of a plurality of panel members aligned in end-to-end relation. The lower edge of the balustrade is disposed in a support channel. A plurality of spaced clamp assemblies mounted on the support structure apply a bending force to the support channel which clamps the panel members firmly within the support channel and simultaneously clamps the support channel to the support structure.

Abstract: Transportation apparatus for transporting persons between spaced landings, including a conveyor mounted on a support structure, and a balustrade formed of a plurality of panels aligned in end-to-end relation. An endless handrail is guided over the top edge of the balustrade via a handrail guide member which extends to and partially defines newel sections at opposite ends of the transportation apparatus. Support channels extend from newel to newel to support the lower edge of the balustrade. Structural members complete the newels, extending from the opposite ends of the support channel to the ends of the handrail guide member. The structural members are tapered to provide a stepless transition from the handrail guide members, which are relatively thin, to the larger dimension of the support channel. Support for the structural members, which are cantilevered outwardly from the support structure, is provided by a splice-clamp arrangement which provides excellent support and lateral stability.

Abstract: The balustrade comprises glass panels arranged on opposite sides of the passenger conveyor steps circulating endlessly, guide frames each of which has a U-shaped recess and is mounted on and bonded to the upper edge portion of the glass panel by adhesive, with the upper edge portion being inserted in the U-shaped recess so that both ends of the glass panel project from the ends of the guide frame, joint frames each of which has the same cross-section as the guide frame and is disposed in a gap formed between the adjacent guides by arranging the glass panel with the guide frame in an end-to-end relation, coupling plates disposed on both sides of the guide frames and joint frame to sandwich them and means for fastening the coupling plates. The guide frames and the joint frame, which support handrails circulating endlessly, are firmly and easily secured to the glass panels with simple construction.