Device for sealing escalator or moving walkway drives
AssigneeKone Corporation
InventorAlfred Thiel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to an escalator or moving walkway that includes a drive shaft rotating at a relatively low peripheral speed around a horizontal axis and at least one sealing element associated with the drive shaft. Lubricant is supplied to the drive shaft and can escape from leakages at the one sealing element. A device is provided for a permanent recirculation of the lubricant escaping from the leakages. The device includes at least one conveyor element arranged downstream of the sealing element, seen in the direction of the leakage, and at least one recirculation element for the lubricant. The recirculation element cooperates with the conveyor element to return the lubricant into a region upstream of the at least one sealing element.
Claims21
In an escalator or moving walkway including a drive shaft rotating around a horizontal axis and at least one sealing element associated with the drive shaft, wherein lubricant is supplied to the drive shaft and escapes from leakages at the at least one sealing element, the improvement comprising:
- a device for a permanent recirculation of the lubricant escaping from the leakages, the device including:
- at least one conveyor element having a radial leg firmly connected to the drive shaft and arranged downstream of the sealing element, seen in the direction of the leakage, wherein the radial leg defines an opposing face and is configured to immerse in lubricant disposed in a leakage region as the drive shaft rotates around the horizontal axis;
- and
- at least one recirculation element for the lubricant, the recirculation element comprising at least one stripping element in contact with the opposing face of the radial leg to strip the lubricant from the opposing face and return the lubricant stripped from the opposing face into a region upstream of the at least one sealing element, wherein the stripping element is non-annular relative to the horizontal axis.
An apparatus comprising:
- a shaft arranged to rotate around a horizontal axis;
- at least one sealing element associated with the shaft, wherein lubricant is supplied to the shaft and escapes from leakages at the sealing element into a leakage region;
- a conveyor element having a radial leg firmly connected to the shaft and arranged downstream of the sealing element, seen in the direction of the leakage, the radial leg defining an opposing face configured to immerse in lubricant disposed in the leakage region as the shaft rotates around the horizontal axis;
- and
- a recirculation element for the lubricant escaping from leakage at the sealing element, the recirculation element comprising at least one stripping element in contact with the opposing face of the radial leg to strip the lubricant from the opposing face and return the lubricant stripped from the opposing face into a region upstream of the sealing element, wherein the stripping element is non-annular relative to the horizontal axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.