US 6,644,457 B2Granted

Escalator combteeth force detector

AssigneeInventio AG

InventorRichard Lauch

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Abstract

An escalator combtooth assembly for an escalator is responsive to combplate obstruction and generates an alarm signal when an obstruction is encountered. One or more combteeth plates are pivotally mounted to the front or leading edge at a combplate assembly. In response to an encountered obstruction one or more of the plates rotate upwardly. Electrical switch contacts associated with the combteeth plates change state when the plate rotates, allowing an alarm signal to be generated. The combteeth plates may include rearwardly-extending arms which pass through accepting slots located at the rear of a ledge on a main complete body upon which the combteeth plates rest. A guide device, such as a bolt, limits the degree of available rotation for the plates, which are biased in an initial position, preferably by an elastomeric member.

Claims7

Dependent claims

An escalator combplate force detection apparatus for detecting escalator step-combplate obstructions during normal escalator operation, comprising:

a main combplate body having a forward ledge and at least one reception slot for a combteeth plate arm;
at least one combteeth plate pivotally mounted to the main combplate body and having combteeth at a forward edge and at least one arm extending from a rear edge into the corresponding reception slot;
guide means mounted to at least one of the main combplate body and at least one combteeth plate for limiting the range of pivoting motion of the combteeth plate;
bias means for applying a bias force to the at least one combteeth plate to retain the at least one combteeth plate in an initial position;
and
electrical switch means associated with the at least one arm and corresponding reception slot to generate a signal indicating of the pivoting of the combteeth plate from the initial position as a result of contact of a combteeth plate with an obstruction during escalator operation.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.