Portable measurement tool and method for escalators and moving walks

A method for measuring, analyzing, recording and reporting the velocity, deceleration, jerk, and travel distance of the steps, treadboard, pallets, treadway, conveyer mechanism, or handrails of escalators, moving walks, and conveyor mechanisms, comprising the steps of:

• applying at least one motion sensor against the exterior surface of the steps, treadboard, pallets, treadway, conveyor mechanism or handrails of the conveyor mechanism and generating thereby encoded motion measurements as electrical pulses;
• triggering the initiation of a braking action of the conveyor mechanism from the exterior thereof by rapidly applying the trigger mechanism to an exterior stop switch of the conveyor mechanism in such a fashion as to activate the stop switch and simultaneously cause the trigger mechanism to generate an electric timing pulse to the electronic circuitry;
• using electronic circuitry to collect, process, buffer, and transmit encoded motion measurements and triggered initiation data;
• using a computer to receive, store and recall encoded motion measurements and the triggered initiation data;
• using data processing means to analyze and present the velocity, deceleration, jerk, and distance traveled data accumulated from the receive data;
• and
• comparing and reporting deceleration and travel distance data against established standards and safety limits.

A non-invasive, portable apparatus for measuring, recording and reporting the velocity, deceleration, jerk, and stop distance of escaltors, moving walks, and other conveyor mechanism, the escalators, moving walks, and other conveyor mechanisms having a braking system, comprising:

• at least one motion sensor for detecting step, treadboard, pallet, treadway, conveyor mechanism or handrail motion of a conveyor mechanism;
• said at least one motion sensor generating encoded motion measurements as electrical pulses;
• a wireless switch sensor which passively detects and marks in time the precise activation of a circuit used to initiate the activation of the braking system;
• electric circuitry to receive, coordinate in time, process and buffer data from said at least one motion sensor and said wireless switch sensor, and output data representative thereof;
• and
• data processing means to receive, store and recall the output from said electronic circuitry, and to analyze and present the velocity, deceleration, jerk and distance traveled data accumulated from said at least one motion sensor and said wireless switch sensor.

A method for measuring, analyzing, recording and reporting the velocity, deceleration, jerk, and travel distance of the steps, treadboard, pallets, treadway, conveyor mechanism, or handrails of escalators, moving walks, and conveyor mechanisms, comprising the steps of:

• applying at least one motion sensor against the exterior surface of the steps, treadboards, pallets, treadway, conveyor mechanism or handrails of the conveyor mechanism and thereby generating encoded motion measurements as electrical pulses;
• passively detecting and marking in time the commencement of a braking action of the conveyor mechanism caused by the activation of a safety switch, brake solenoid, or other related circuit of the conveyor mechanism without a hardwire connection to that circuit;
• using electronic circuitry to collect, process, buffer, and transmit encoded motion measurements and braking system activation signals;
• using a computer to receive store and recall encoded motion measurements and the passively detected commencement data;
• using data processing means to analyze and present the velocity, deceleration, jerk, and distance traveled data accumulated from the received data;
• and
• comparing and reporting deceleration and travel distance data against established standards and safety limits.