Method of and apparatus for positioning the drive units of a plural drive escalator
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsJoseph K. Kraft, George A. Kappenhagen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of, and apparatus, for determining the direction of force in a moving escalator having a plurality of drive units coupled to an endless, articulated belt. The direction of force, and the duration of such force in a direction which indicates compression of the belt at each drive unit, is used to align and properly space the drive units for optimal load sharing.
Claims14
A tool for optimally adjusting the locations of the drive units of a plural drive escalator, which drive units drive an endless, articulated belt constructed of rigid, toothed step links, pivotally interconnected via step axles, comprising:
- a support member, said support member including means for attaching said support member to a step link, with the ends of the step link being associated with first and second step axles,
- a first electrical contact carried by said support member,
- a second electrical contact,
- means pivotally related to said support member and responsive to the dimension between the first and second step axles for moving said second electrical contact towards engagement with said first electrical contact when said step link is placed in compression by a drive unit and said dimension is reduced,
- and indicating means for indicating when said first and second electrical contacts are engaged.
A tool for optimally adjusting the locations of the drive units of a plural drive escalator, which drive units drive an endless, articulated belt constructed of rigid, toothed step links, pivotally interconnected via step axles, comprising:
- a support member, said support member including means for attaching said support member to a step link, with the ends of the step link being associated with first and second step axles,
- pivot means pivotally related to said support member and responsive to the dimension between the first and second step axles,
- actuatable means arranged for actuation by said pivot means when said step link is placed in compression by a drive unit and the dimension between the first and second step axles is reduced,
- and indicating means for indicating when said actuatable means has been actuated by said pivot means,
- and second electrical contacts are engaged.
A method of determining the optimal positions of a plurality of drive units of a plural drive escalator, which drive units drive an endless, articulated belt constructed of rigid, toothed step links, pivotally interconnected via step axles to which the escalator steps are attached, comprising the steps of:
- attaching indicating means to a step link, on one side of the articulated belt, with said indicating means being in a first condition when a step link is in compression, and in a second condition when it is not,
- operating the escalator in the up travel direction,
- riding the moving escalator adjacent to the indicating means,
- placing a first mark on a stationary portion of the escalator at each drive location below the uppermost drive unit, when the indicating means changes from the second condition to the first condition to indicate that the step link has been engaged by a drive unit and the step link has been placed in compression,
- placing a second mark on a stationary portion of the escalator when the indicating means changes back to the first condition,
- measuring the distance between the first and second marks at each drive unit,
- and using the measured distances to determine the optimal spacing of the drive units.
A method of indicating the direction of force in a moving escalator having a plurality of drive units coupled to an endless, articulated belt constructed of rigid, toothed step links pivotally interconnected via a plurality of step axles to which the escalator steps are attached, comprising the steps of:
- attaching indicating means to a step link of the endless belt which indicates when the step link is in compression,
- riding the escalator adjacent to the indicating means,
- and noting the operation of the indicating means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.