Acceleration and deceleration device and acceleration and deceleration escalator including the same

An acceleration and deceleration device comprising:

• a chain that is endlessly guided along a predetermined first track;
• a U-shaped member of which a terminal end portion is attached to the chain so as to be swingable and a part from an intermediate portion to a front end portion is formed as two parallel members and which has a long and narrow U-shaped groove between the parallel members;
• a subject moving body that has a driving shaft sliding inside the U-shaped groove of the U-shaped member;
• and
• a swing yoke that is provided so as to intersect with the U-shaped member;
• a skip rail that guides the swing yoke along a predetermined second track;
• and
• a travel support roller guiding rail that guides the driving shaft along a predetermined track, wherein
• the driving shaft of the subject moving body is rotatable with respect to the U-shaped member within a predetermined range in the U-shaped groove of the U-shaped member,
• the driving shaft of the subject moving body is slidable with respect to the U-shaped member in the U-shaped groove of the U-shaped member,
• the first track and the second track are different so that a rotation angle of the U-shaped member can be changed when the U-shaped member is driven along the first track, and
• the first track and the second track are formed so that the driving shaft guided by the travel support roller guiding rail is driven to slide in the U-shaped groove when the U-shaped member is moved along the first track while changing the rotation angle.