US 5,560,468 AGranted

Laterally adjustable side inserts for the steps of escalators and moving walkways pallets

AssigneeFujitec America, Inc.

InventorTakao Inoue

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Abstract

Inserts mountable on the top surface of the treads of escalator steps and walkway segments enabling adjustment of the gap between the ends of the tread and the adjacent balustrade skirts. The top surface of each tread is provided with evenly spaced ribs defining grooves therebetween and extending from the front edge to the rear edge of the tread. At its sides, the tread top surface has recessed planar unribbed surfaces extending from the front edge to the rear edge of the tread. A pair of plastic inserts is provided for each tread. The inserts are mirror images of each other and have ribs extending from their forward edges to their rearward edges, and having the same spacing as the tread ribs. The inserts are mountable on the recessed planar surfaces of the tread and extend from the forward edge to the rearward edge thereof. The outer edge of each insert has a downwardly depending flange covering the adjacent side edge of the tread. The inserts are laterally adjustable to enable minimizing of the gap between each tread side and the adjacent balustrade skirt. Inserts may also be affixed to the riser side edges in the case of an escalator step.

Claims15

Dependent claims

In combination with escalators and moving walkways of the type having a continuous flight of treads which moves between balustrade skirts with a gap between each balustrade skirt and said flight for at least most of the length of said flight, a pair of inserts for each tread and affixable to each tread to adjust the width of said gaps, each tread having a top surface, side edges, and front and rear edges, said top surface of each tread being provided with evenly spaced ribs defining grooves therebetween, said ribs and grooves extending from said front edge to said rear edge of said tread, said top surface of each tread, adjacent the side edges thereof, having unribbed recessed surfaces extending from said front edge to said rear edge of said tread, said inserts being located on said recessed surfaces of said tread, extending from said front edge to said rear edge of said tread, and means for attaching said inserts to their respective recessed surfaces so as to be laterally adjustable whereby to enable the minimizing of said gaps between said treads and said balustrade skirts and so as to be fixable on their respective recessed surfaces in adjusted positions thereon, said inserts being out of contact with said balustrade skirts throughout at least the majority of their travel therealong.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.