CN115279683B

CN115279683B - Dummy shaft for coupling step links of passenger conveyor and method for separating step links of step link coupling body

Info

Publication number: CN115279683B
Application number: CN202080098514.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 一色正彦; 中村知至
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Building Solutions Corp
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Building Solutions Corp
Priority date: 2020-03-19
Filing date: 2020-03-19
Publication date: 2023-08-08
Anticipated expiration: 2040-03-19
Also published as: JP7170934B2; JPWO2021186715A1; WO2021186715A1; CN115279683A

Abstract

The first dummy shaft (50) includes: a first shaft (51) which penetrates through the shaft holes of the 2 step links and the center hole of the bearing combined with the inner diameter side of the roller; a second shaft (71) which is axially inserted into the first shaft so as to be screwed with the first shaft, and which can be axially advanced and retracted toward the bearing (72) side of the first shaft by rotation; and a stopper (76) that is coupled to the end of the second shaft on the bearing side and that can be opened and closed by axial movement of the second shaft, and that faces the outer surface of the bearing when opened. A stepped surface is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the first shaft so as to face the inner side of the bearing. The stopper is opened or closed when moved in a direction in which the second shaft is pulled into the first shaft, and is closed or opened when moved in a direction in which the second shaft protrudes from the first shaft.

Description

Dummy shaft for coupling step links of passenger conveyor and method for separating step links of step link coupling body

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a dummy shaft for coupling step links for rotatably supporting 2 step links instead of a step shaft when a step link of a passenger conveyor for moving a passenger such as an escalator or a travelator is to be separated, and a method for separating step links of a step link coupling body.

Background

Conventionally, the above passenger conveyor has been considered to have the following structure: the step shafts are connected to steps serving as a plurality of tread members, and both ends of the plurality of step shafts are connected to each other by a closed-loop step link connecting body. In this configuration, rollers guided by the guide rail to guide movement of the step link coupling body are rotatably supported on the step shaft at positions closer to both ends in the axial direction than the step link coupling body.

Patent document 1 describes a method for replacing a step link in an escalator. In this replacement method, 1 joint part of the step link joint body is removed from the machine room, and the endless track is broken to form one chain of step links having both ends. Dummy shafts having the same length as the step shaft are attached to both ends of the chain. Then, the escalator is operated, one end of the chain is pulled out from the machine room to the landing by the pull-out rail device, and after the pulled-out one end of the step link is replaced with a new step link, the escalator is operated, and the one end is returned to the original position and connected to the other end of the chain to form a closed loop.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 11-165973

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In the passenger conveyor described above, in order to separate the 2 step links at the position where the outer sides in the axial direction of the rollers are covered and protected by the guide rail, a dummy shaft shorter than the step shaft may be inserted through the 2 step links in advance to connect the 2 step links instead of the step shaft that rotatably supports the 2 step links. The dummy shaft is rotatably supported at one end portion thereof. The replacement operation of the dummy shaft from the step shaft is performed in a state where the roller is opposed to the guide rail at a position where the side plate portion is not provided. The dummy shaft is not connected to a retainer ring (outer stopper) for preventing the roller from falling off on the outer side of the roller, so that the dummy shaft is pulled out from the roller to the inner side (step arrangement side) in the axial direction. Then, the step link coupling body is circulated so as to move to a position where the axial outer side of the roller is covered and protected by the side plate portion of the guide rail at the longitudinal middle portion of the guide rail. In this case, the step link coupling body is circulated while the condition is carefully checked by a human force at a low speed so that the roller does not significantly shift outward in the axial direction with respect to the dummy shaft even in a state where the retainer ring is not present. Then, the dummy shaft is pulled out from the roller and the 2 step links to the inside in the axial direction, whereby the 2 step links are separated. In this work, there is a work that requires a considerable amount of labor to circulate the step link connection body by manpower, and therefore, it is desired to reduce the burden on the operator. Patent document 1 does not disclose a means for eliminating the above-mentioned drawbacks.

The present invention provides a dummy shaft for coupling step links of a passenger conveyor and a method for separating step links of a step link body by using the dummy shaft, which can reduce the burden of an operator when separating the step links at a position where the outer side of a roller in the axial direction is covered and protected by a guide rail.

Means for solving the problems

In the present invention, a step link coupling dummy shaft for a passenger conveyor is used in place of at least one end portion of a step shaft rotatably supporting 2 step links coupled in a moving direction, wherein the step shaft is coupled to a plurality of steps as tread members, both ends of the step shaft are coupled to each other by a closed-loop step link coupling body, and rollers rotatably supported at positions of the step shaft closer to both ends in an axial direction than the step link coupling body are rotatably supported by guide rails for guiding movement of the step link coupling body, the step link coupling dummy shaft comprising: a first shaft penetrating through shaft holes of the 2 step links and a center hole of a bearing coupled to an inner diameter side of the roller; a second shaft which is axially inserted into the first shaft so as to be screwed with the first shaft, and which is axially retractable toward the bearing side of the first shaft by rotation; and a stopper coupled to an end of the second shaft on the bearing side, the stopper being openable and closable by axial movement of the second shaft, the stopper being configured to be placed in opposition to an outer side surface of the bearing when the stopper is opened, the stopper being configured to be opened or closed when the second shaft is moved in a direction in which the second shaft is pulled into the first shaft, and to be closed or opened when the second shaft is moved in a direction in which the second shaft protrudes from the first shaft, the stopper being configured to be placed in opposition to an inner side surface of the bearing when the stopper is opened.

The method for separating the step links of the step link connection body according to the present invention is a method for separating the step links of the step link connection body by using the dummy shaft for step link coupling of the passenger conveyor according to the present invention, and includes the steps of: in a state in which the steps are removed from a part of the step shaft, in each of the step link coupling bodies on both sides in the step shaft direction, the step shaft is pulled out from the shaft holes of the 2 step links in a state in which the rollers face positions of the guide rail where there are no side plate portions; a step shaft that is rotatably supported by a first dummy shaft that penetrates through the shaft holes of the 2 step links of the step shaft, and a step shaft that is rotatably supported by a second dummy shaft that penetrates through the shaft holes of the 2 step links of the step shaft; the step link connecting body is circularly moved by a motor, and the first dummy shaft is moved to a position where the axial outer side of the roller is covered and protected by the side plate portion of the guide rail at the longitudinal middle portion of the guide rail; and separating the 2 step links by pulling the first dummy shaft out of the bearing and the shaft holes of the 2 step links toward the axially inner side after the stopper is closed not to face the outer side of the bearing by moving the second shaft with respect to the first axial pull-in direction or the protruding direction.

According to the dummy shaft for coupling the step link and the method of separating the step link of the passenger conveyor of the present invention, the load of the operator in the case of performing the step link separation operation at the position where the outer side in the axial direction of the roller is covered and protected by the guide rail can be reduced. Specifically, the step link can be separated as follows. First, in a state in which the steps are removed from a part of the step shaft, the step shaft is pulled out from the shaft holes of the 2 step links in a state in which the rollers face the positions of the guide rail having no side plate portions in each step link connecting body on both sides in the step shaft direction. Next, the first dummy shaft, which is a dummy shaft for coupling the step links, is passed through the shaft holes of the 2 step links from which the step shaft is pulled out, and the 2 step links are rotatably supported. At this time, a bearing having an outer peripheral side coupled to the roller is fitted to one end portion of the first dummy shaft, and the bearing is prevented from falling off from the first dummy shaft by the stopper member. The second dummy shaft is inserted into the shaft holes of the 2 step links of the step shaft, and the 2 step links are rotatably supported. Then, the step link connection body is circulated by a motor, and the first dummy shaft is moved to a position where the outer side in the axial direction of the roller is covered and protected by the side plate portion of the guide rail at the longitudinal middle portion of the guide rail. At this time, the roller is prevented from being largely shifted in the axial direction with respect to the first dummy shaft by the stopper and the step surface of the first dummy shaft. Therefore, it is not necessary to manually circulate the step link coupling body at a low speed in order to move the first dummy shaft to a position where the outer side in the axial direction of the roller is covered and protected by the guide rail. After the first dummy shaft is moved to a position where the outer side in the axial direction of the roller is covered and protected by the guide rail, the stopper is closed so as not to face the outer side surface of the bearing by moving the second shaft in the first axial drawing-in direction or the protruding direction, and then the first dummy shaft is pulled out from the bearing and the shaft holes of the 2 step links to the inner side in the axial direction, whereby the 2 step links can be separated. Therefore, when the step link is separated at a position where the outer side in the axial direction of the roller is covered and protected by the guide rail, it is not necessary to circulate the step link connecting body at a low speed by manpower, and thus the load on the operator can be reduced.

In the step link coupling dummy shaft of the passenger conveyor of the present invention, it is preferable that the stopper is an elastic member having a circular arc shape with a cross section recessed toward the bearing side, the stopper is opened and closed in accordance with an amount compressed in an axial direction by a coupling portion coupled to the second shaft and one end of the first shaft, and when the second shaft is moved in a direction in which the first shaft is pulled in, the amount of compression in the axial direction of the stopper is increased, and when the second shaft is moved in a direction in which the second shaft protrudes from the first shaft, the stopper is opened, and when the second shaft is moved in a direction in which the second shaft protrudes from the first shaft, the amount of compression in the axial direction of the stopper is decreased, and the stopper is closed.

According to the above configuration, the stopper has a relatively simple structure, and therefore the number of components of the dummy shaft can be reduced.

In the step link coupling dummy shaft of the passenger conveyor of the present invention, it is preferable that the stopper is an elastic piece having a ridge portion and 2 bearing opposing portions coupled to both ends of the ridge portion, the stopper is opened and closed in accordance with a change in a pull-in amount of a top portion of the ridge portion, which is a coupling portion coupled to the second shaft, into the first shaft, the second shaft includes a bearing fixed to the top portion of the ridge portion, relative rotation between the second shaft and the stopper is allowed, rotation of the stopper with respect to the first shaft is restricted, the stopper is closed when the second shaft is moved in a direction in which the second shaft is pulled into the first shaft, and the stopper is opened when the second shaft is moved in a direction in which the second shaft protrudes from the first shaft.

In the step link coupling dummy shaft of the passenger conveyor of the present invention, it is preferable that the stopper is a link member formed of a plurality of link elements including: a first link member fixed to an end of the second shaft; and 2 second link elements that are supported by the ends of the first shaft on the bearing side so as to be capable of relative movement, are coupled to both ends of the first link elements so as to be capable of swinging, are opened and closed in accordance with changes in the orientation of the plurality of link elements caused by relative rotation of the first shaft and the second shaft, and are opened or closed when the second shaft is moved in the direction in which the first shaft is pulled in, and are closed or opened when the second shaft is moved in the direction in which the second shaft protrudes from the first shaft.

According to the above configuration, since the stopper can be constituted by the link elements of the plurality of rigid bodies, it is easier to suppress the roller from being displaced axially outward relative to the dummy shaft when the step link coupling body is circulated by the motor. This facilitates the cyclic movement of the step link joint body at a higher speed, and thus can achieve an efficient operation.

Effects of the invention

According to the dummy shaft for coupling the step link and the method of separating the step link of the passenger conveyor of the present invention, the load of the operator in the case of performing the step link separation operation at the position where the outer side in the axial direction of the roller is covered and protected by the guide rail can be reduced.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an escalator of a passenger conveyor to which a dummy shaft for coupling a step link according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, in which a part of steps are removed.

Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the escalator.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the portion a in fig. 1, with a portion removed.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a coupling structure of a step and a step shaft.

Fig. 5A is a perspective view showing a coupling structure of the step shaft and the step link and a roller arrangement portion in a portion B of fig. 3.

Fig. 5B is a perspective view showing a coupling structure of the step shaft and the step link, in which a part of the step link and the roller are removed.

Fig. 6A is a perspective view showing a state in which a roller is coupled to a dummy shaft (first dummy shaft) for coupling a step link according to the embodiment.

Fig. 6B is a view seen in the direction of arrow C of fig. 6A.

Fig. 6C is a cross-sectional view of fig. 6A.

Fig. 6D is a view showing the first shaft to which the stopper pin is coupled taken out from fig. 6A.

Fig. 6E is a view showing the removal of the retaining member for engagement with the stopper pin in fig. 6A.

Fig. 6F is a view showing a state in which the second shaft is moved in the first axial protruding direction in fig. 6C, and the first shaft and the second shaft can be pulled out from the bearing and the roller.

Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing a method of separating step links according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which a part of the landing member is removed, and the step link coupling body is moved from the state of fig. 1 to move the step removed part to the machine room, as viewed from above.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which 2 step links on the left and right sides of the step shaft, which are pulled out from the state of fig. 8, are rotatably supported by a first dummy shaft on the left side and a second dummy shaft on the right side.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion D of fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a view corresponding to fig. 5A, showing a state in which the step link coupling body is moved cyclically by the motor after the state of fig. 9, and the first dummy shaft is moved to the longitudinal middle portion of the guide rail having the side plate portion.

Fig. 12A is a sectional view of E-E of fig. 11.

Fig. 12B is a view showing a state in which the first dummy shaft is pulled out from the roller and the bearing in fig. 12A.

Fig. 13 is a view corresponding to fig. 6A, showing a dummy shaft (first dummy shaft) for coupling a step link according to another example of the embodiment.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged view as seen in the direction of arrow F in fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a view showing a state in which the second shaft is moved in the first axial drawing-in direction in fig. 13, and the first shaft and the second shaft can be pulled out from the bearing and the roller.

Fig. 16 is a view corresponding to fig. 6A, showing a dummy shaft (first dummy shaft) for coupling a step link according to another example of the embodiment.

Fig. 17 is an enlarged view as seen in the direction of arrow G in fig. 15.

Fig. 18 is a view showing a state in which the second shaft is moved in the first axial drawing-in direction or the protruding direction in fig. 17, and the first shaft and the second shaft can be pulled out from the bearing and the roller.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The shape, material, number, and the like described below are examples for explanation, and can be changed according to the specifications of the dummy shaft and the passenger conveyor. The same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals. The following description will be given of a case where the passenger conveyor is an escalator, but the present invention can be applied to a case where the passenger conveyor is a travelator in which tread surfaces of a plurality of steps under a passenger foot continuously move without steps.

The basic structure of a general escalator will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 5. The escalator 10 is configured to include a truss 12 (fig. 2), a transfer unit 20, and a plurality of steps 30. The steps 30 correspond to tread components. The truss 12 is a structural part that supports the moving part of the escalator 10 and the power generation device, and forms a base part of the escalator 10. The transfer unit 20 is provided inside the truss 12, and circularly moves the plurality of steps 30 in one direction. The balustrade 14 including the skirt 17 is disposed on both sides in the left-right direction (left-right direction in fig. 1, front-back direction on the paper surface in fig. 2) of the plurality of steps 30. The "left-right direction" herein means a left-right direction when the escalator 10 is viewed from a lower landing in a traveling direction, and corresponds to a step axis direction described later.

The transfer unit 20 includes a motor 25 and a power transmission mechanism 21 (fig. 3). The driving of the motor 25 is controlled by a control device (not shown). As shown in fig. 3, the power transmission mechanism 21 is formed of a belt 26 and a pulley 27 that transmit power of a rotation shaft of the motor 25, a speed reduction mechanism 28 that reduces and outputs the power transmitted to the pulley 27, rotation shafts 29 on both sides in the left-right direction (up-down direction in fig. 3) connected to an output side of the speed reduction mechanism 28, and the like. The power of the motor 25 is transmitted to a sprocket (not shown) connected to the output side of the rotary shaft 29 via the power transmission mechanism 21. An oblong closed-loop chain 24 is suspended from the sprocket, and the chain 24 is circulated in one direction (arrow α direction in fig. 3) by rotation of the sprocket. In fig. 3, a part of the skirt 17 is removed. A closed loop step link coupling 40, which is considerably larger than the chain 24, is engaged to the upper side of the chain 24. The step link coupling body 40 is formed by coupling a plurality of step links 41a and 41b in a closed loop shape. In fig. 3, only a part of the step link coupling 40 in the longitudinal direction of the upper side of the substantially oblong annular portion that is long in the moving direction of the escalator 10 is shown. As shown in fig. 4, the step links 41a and 41b are rotatably supported by both ends of the step shaft 31 on both sides in the left-right direction of the step 30.

As shown in fig. 4, in the step 30, the riser 34 is connected to the rear end in the traveling direction of the tread plate 33 having a tread surface on which a passenger rides, and the substantially triangular side plates 35 are connected to both ends in the left-right direction of the tread plate 33 and the riser 34.

The step shaft 31 extending in the left-right direction penetrates the side plates 35 at both ends in the left-right direction and is connected to each step 30. The both ends of the step shaft 31 are supported by the step link coupling body 40, respectively, for each step 30. At this time, both ends of the step shaft 31 penetrate the overlapping portions of the longitudinal ends of the 2 step links 41a and 41b in the left-right direction, respectively.

As shown in fig. 5A and 5B, each of the step links 41a and 41B is a long rigid body formed of a laminate of a plurality of steel plates. The 2 step links 41a and 41b are rotatably supported by the step shaft 31 at opposite end portions.

As shown in fig. 3, the chain 24 is engaged with the inner peripheral end of the upper part of the endless part in the step link coupling body 40 at the intermediate part of the escalator 10. Specifically, a plurality of recesses 43, which are arranged in the longitudinal direction and have a substantially semicircular cross section, are formed in the inner peripheral ends of the step links 41a and 41 b. The plurality of concave portions 43 of the step links 41a and 41b are engaged with the plurality of cylindrical portions 24a disposed at the thickness direction intermediate portions at a plurality of positions in the circulating direction of the chain 24. Thus, the chain 24 is engaged with a part of the inner circumferential side end of the upper part of the endless part in the step link coupling body 40 in the moving direction at the intermediate part of the escalator 10. In fig. 3, only the left-side (upper side in fig. 3) chain 24 is shown, but the right-side (lower side in fig. 3) chain is similarly arranged. As a result, the chains 24 on both sides in the left-right direction are driven by the motor 25 via the power transmission mechanism 21, so that power is transmitted from the chains 24 to the step link coupling body 40, and the step link coupling body 40 is circulated in one direction (arrow β direction in fig. 3).

As shown in fig. 4 and 5B, the roller 32 is rotatably supported at both ends of each step shaft 31 in the axial direction with respect to the step link coupling body 40. The roller 32 moves along the guide rails 13a and 13b (fig. 2) disposed vertically apart on both the left and right sides of the plurality of steps 30 in the truss 12 (fig. 2). Thereby, the rollers 32 are guided by the guide rails 13a and 13b to guide the movement of the step link coupling 40. In the step shaft 31, the roller 32 is supported by a bearing 72 (fig. 6A to 6C), and a substantially C-shaped retainer ring (not shown) is engaged axially outward, and the roller 32 is prevented from moving axially outward relative to the step shaft 31 by the retainer ring. As shown in fig. 12A described later, the upper guide rail 13a includes 2 upper and lower parallel bottom plate portions 13d and a top plate portion 13e that are long in the moving direction of the escalator, and a side plate portion 13c that connects the outer ends of the bottom plate portion and the top plate portion. In the upper rail 13a, the side plate portion 13c is formed so as to restrict the movement of the roller 32 to the outside in the longitudinal middle portion and so as to face the outside in the axial direction of the roller 32. On the other hand, at least a part of both longitudinal end portions of the guide rail 13a in the machine rooms 18 and 19 disposed at the lower and upper portions is omitted. This allows the step shaft 31 to be replaced in the machine rooms 18 and 19 without being obstructed by the side plate portions.

When an operation switch (not shown) is turned on, the motor 25 is driven, and the step link coupling 40 is thereby circulated. Thereby, the escalator 10 operates. In addition, the rollers 32 are guided by the guide rails 13a, 13b, thereby guiding the movement of the steps 30. At this time, when the escalator 10 lifts a passenger from a lower floor to an upper floor in the arrow γ direction in fig. 2 as a traveling direction, the steps 30 are lifted on the upper side of the guide rail 13a, and the steps 30 are lowered on the lower side of the guide rail 13 b.

In the escalator 10, as shown in fig. 5A, the operation of separating the 2 step links 41a and 41b at the position where the outer sides of the rollers 32 in the axial direction are covered and protected by the side plate portions 13c may be performed at the middle portion in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 13 a. In this case, in the embodiment, instead of supporting the 2 step links 41a and 41b to be rotatable step shafts 31, dummy shafts shorter than the step shafts 31 are passed through the 2 step links 41a and 41b in advance, and the 2 step links 41a and 41b are connected. For example, as described above, since the chain 24 is engaged with the inner peripheral end of the step link coupling body 40 in the vicinity of the longitudinal middle portion of the guide rail 13a (fig. 3), it is necessary to separate 2 or more step links 41a, 41b that are obstacles on the upper side of the chain 24 when repairing or replacing the chain 24 or the drive mechanism that drives the chain 24. In order to reduce the burden on the operator in the step link 41a, 41b at the position corresponding to the step shaft 31 covered by the guide rail 13a on the outer side in the axial direction of the roller 32, in the embodiment, as shown in fig. 6A to 6C and 9 described later, instead of the step shaft 31, the first dummy shaft 50 and the second dummy shaft 81 (fig. 9) which can be separated in the axial direction are used for the roller 32 and the bearing 72 which is coupled to the roller 32 on the inner side thereof.

The first dummy shaft 50 as an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 6A to 6F. As shown in fig. 10 and 11 described later, the first dummy shaft 50 penetrates through overlapping portions at end portions of the 2 step links 41a and 41b connected to each other, and rotatably supports the 2 step links 41a and 41 b.

As shown in fig. 6A, 6B, and 6C, the roller 32 is rotatably supported by a bearing 72 at the axially outer end portion of the first dummy shaft 50, and 2 step links 41a and 41B are supported through the axially intermediate portion of the first dummy shaft 50 (fig. 5B). Specifically, the first dummy shaft 50 includes: a first shaft 51 penetrating the 2 step links 41a and 41b; a second shaft 71 axially inserted into the first shaft 51 in a screw-coupled manner with the first shaft 51; and a stopper 76 coupled with the end of the second shaft 71.

As shown in fig. 6A and 6C, the first shaft 51 includes a large-diameter cylindrical portion 53 and a small-diameter cylindrical portion 55 connected to an axially outer end portion of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 53 via an intermediate cylindrical portion 54. The large diameter cylindrical portion 53, the intermediate cylindrical portion 54, and the small diameter cylindrical portion 55 are arranged on the same axis with the central axis aligned. The diameters become smaller in the order of the large diameter cylindrical portion 53, the intermediate cylindrical portion 54, and the small diameter cylindrical portion 55. Thus, a stepped surface 54a is formed between the intermediate cylindrical portion 54 and the small diameter cylindrical portion 55 in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction. The bearing 72, which will be described later, is coupled to the small-diameter cylindrical portion 55 so as to penetrate the small-diameter cylindrical portion 55, and an axially inner surface of the bearing 72 is in contact with or nearly opposes the stepped surface 54a. In fig. 6C, the bearing 72 is shown simplified by a diagonal grid. The bearing 72 includes an inner ring and an outer ring, and a plurality of rolling elements such as balls and needles between the inner ring and the outer ring. A center hole 73 is formed in a center portion of an inner ring that is a center portion of the bearing 72.

The roller 32 is mounted on the axially outer end of the first shaft 51 via a bearing 72, and the 2 step links 41a and 41B (fig. 5B) are supported by the large diameter cylindrical portion 53 of the first shaft 51. Thus, the first shaft 51 penetrates the shaft holes of the 2 step links 41a and 41b and the center hole 73 of the bearing 72.

The first shaft 51 has a shaft hole 56 having a circular cross section and penetrating in the axial direction, and a female screw 57 is formed at the axially inner end of the shaft hole 56. A second shaft 71, which will be described later, is inserted through the shaft hole 56 in a screw-coupled state. Further, through holes 58 penetrating in a direction parallel to the radial direction at positions apart from the shaft hole 56 are formed at 2 positions separated in the axial direction of the large diameter cylindrical portion 53 of the first shaft 51. A stopper pin 61 (fig. 6A) described later penetrates each through hole 58.

The second shaft 71 includes a cylindrical shaft body 71a, a screw shaft 71b integrally coupled to an axially inner end portion of the shaft body 71a, and an operation portion 71c formed at the axially inner end portion of the screw shaft 71 b. An annular groove 71d is formed in the outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion (axially outer end portion) of the shaft main body 71a, and a center hole peripheral edge portion of a stopper 76 described later is fitted into and fixed to the annular groove 71d. The operation portion 71c is formed of, for example, a thumb screw screwed to the screw shaft 71b and fixed, and can be grasped by an operator to rotate the same. In addition, a bolt may be used for the second shaft 71, and the head of the bolt may be used as the operation portion. The second shaft 71 is inserted into the shaft hole 56 of the first shaft 51, and the threaded shaft 71b thereof is coupled with the female screw 57 of the first shaft 52, and is rotatable to advance and retreat in the axial direction toward the bearing 72 side (left side in fig. 6C) of the first shaft 51. In a state where the second shaft 71 is inserted into the first shaft 51, the tip end of the second shaft 71 protrudes from the axially outer end face of the first shaft 51, and a portion of the axially inner end of the second shaft 71 including the operation portion 71c protrudes from the axially inner end face of the first shaft 51. Therefore, if the operator rotates the operation portion 71C in the first direction as shown in fig. 6C, the second shaft 71 moves in the pulling-in direction (the arrow P1 direction in fig. 6C) with respect to the first shaft 51 by the screw engagement of the female screw 57 with the screw shaft 71 b.

A stopper 76 is coupled to the distal end (axially outer end) of the second shaft 71, and the outer peripheral side of the stopper 76 is pressed against the axially outer end of the first shaft 51, so that the stopper 76 opens, that is, deformed so that the length in the diameter direction of the bearing 72 becomes larger.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 6A to 6C and 6F, the stopper 76 is an elastic member having a circular arc shape with a concave cross section on the side of the bearing 72 and a disk shape as a whole, and the center portion is coupled to the end of the second shaft 71. The stopper 76 is formed of resin, metal, or the like to be thin-walled. The stopper 76 opens and closes in accordance with the joint portion joined to the second shaft 71 and the amount by which the axially outer end, which is one end of the first shaft 51, is compressed in the axial direction. As shown in fig. 6C, when the second shaft 71 moves in the direction of being pulled into the first shaft 51, the amount of compression in the axial direction of the stopper 76 becomes large, and the stopper 76 deforms so as to extend outward and opens. In the opened state of the stopper 76, the outer peripheral end portion of the stopper 76 faces the axially outer side surface of the bearing 72, and thus the bearing 72 is prevented from moving significantly axially outward relative to the first shaft 51.

On the other hand, when the operator rotates the operation portion 71c in the second direction as shown in fig. 6F, the female screw 57 is screwed to the screw shaft 71b, and the second shaft 71 moves relative to the first shaft 51 in a direction protruding from the axially outer end of the first shaft 51 (in the direction of arrow P2 in fig. 6F). In this case, the amount of compression in the axial direction of the stopper 76 becomes small, and the stopper 76 deforms so as to close with its own elastic force, that is, so as to become small in length in the diameter direction of the bearing 72. Thus, the stopper 76 is closed by the axial movement of the second shaft 71. In the state where the stopper 76 is closed, the stopper 76 does not face the axially outer side of the bearing 72, and therefore the first shaft 51 and the second shaft 71 can be pulled out from the roller 32 and the inner side of the bearing 72 toward the axially inner side together with the stopper 76.

Further, as shown in fig. 6D, rod-shaped stopper pins 61 are respectively inserted into through holes 58 formed in 2 positions of the large diameter cylindrical portion 53 of the first shaft 51 away from the shaft hole 56, and both end portions of the stopper pins 61 protrude from 2 positions of the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter cylindrical portion 53 which are different in axial position. As shown in fig. 6A and fig. 10 described later, leg portions 62a of the retaining member 62 shown in an enlarged view in fig. 6E extend through both end portions of the retaining pin 61. The stopper pin 61 serves as a fixing pin for the step links 41a and 41b through which the first shaft 51 passes. The drop-off preventing member 62 is formed of a metal wire in a substantially U-shape. One leg 62a of the retaining member 62 penetrates the end of the stopper pin 61, and a semicircular portion 62c formed in the middle of the other leg 62b is fitted into one half of the outer peripheral surface of the stopper pin 61, thereby preventing the retaining member 62 from being removed from the stopper pin 61. This also prevents the stopper pin 61 from coming out of the through hole 58 of the large diameter cylindrical portion 53. After the retaining member 62 is pulled out from the retaining pin 61, the retaining pin 61 can be pulled out from the through hole 58 of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 53. Thus, the stopper pin 61 is detachably coupled with the first shaft 51.

As shown in fig. 10 described later, when the large diameter cylindrical portion 53 penetrates the shaft holes 44a, 44b of the 2 step links 41a, 41b and the 2 step links 41a, 41b are disposed on the outer diameter side of the large diameter cylindrical portion 53, both end portions of the 2 stopper pins 61 face both axial side surfaces of the step links 41 b.

As described above, in the first dummy shaft 50, the second shaft 71 is moved in the axial direction with respect to the first shaft 51 by the operation of the operation portion 71c, whereby the stopper 76 is opened and closed, and the first shaft 51 and the second shaft 71 can be pulled out from the inner side of the roller 32 and the bearing 72 toward the inner side in the axial direction together with the stopper 76 by closing the stopper 76. As described later, the first dummy shaft 50 moves to a position where the axial outer side of the roller 32 is covered and protected by the side plate portion 13c (fig. 12A) of the guide rail 13a at the longitudinal middle portion of the guide rail 13 a. Then, in a state where the stopper 76 is closed by moving the second shaft 71 in the axial direction with respect to the first shaft 51, the first shaft 51 and the second shaft 71 are pulled out from the inner side of the roller 32 and the bearing 72 toward the inner side in the axial direction together with the stopper 76, and further pulled out from the shaft holes of the 2 step links 41a, 41b, whereby the 2 step links 41a, 41b can be separated.

Next, a method of separating the step links 41a and 41b of the step link coupling body 40 using the first dummy shaft 50 will be described. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing a method of separating step links 41a and 41b according to the embodiment.

In the case of separating the step links 41a and 41b, first, in step S10 of fig. 7, as shown in fig. 1, the steps 30 are removed from a part of the step shaft 31 in the intermediate portion of the escalator 10. In this operation, the escalator 10 is stopped and the worker is mounted on the step 30 adjacent to the step to be removed, and is removed from the upper side of the step to be removed using a tool.

Next, the motor 25 is driven to circulate the step link coupling 40 on both sides in the step shaft direction, and as shown in fig. 8, the portion from which the steps 30 are removed from the step shaft 31 is moved to the lower machine room 18. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which a part of the landing members are removed, and the step link coupling body 40 is moved from the state of fig. 1, so that the part from which the steps 30 are removed is moved to the machine room 18, as seen from above. In the machine room 18, in each step link connecting body 40 on both sides in the step shaft direction, the roller 32 coupled to the step shaft 31 is opposed to a position where there is no side plate portion at one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 13 a.

Next, in step S11 of fig. 7, in the state of fig. 8, the operator enters the machine room 18 and pulls out the step shaft 31 from the shaft holes 44a, 44b (fig. 10) of the 2 step links 41a, 41 b. At this time, the worker removes the rollers 32 from both ends of the step shaft 31 from which the steps are removed, and then removes bushings (not shown) located at the step attachment positions and split collars (not shown) facing both ends of the step link coupling bodies 40 from the step shaft 31. Then, the step shaft 31 is moved from left to right, and the step shaft 31 is pulled out from the shaft holes 44a and 44b of the 2 step links 41a and 41b of the step link coupling body 40 on one side (left side in fig. 8). Then, after the 2 step links 41a and 41b from which the step shaft 31 is pulled out are moved from the extension line in the axial direction of the step shaft 31, the step shaft 31 is moved from right to left, and the step shaft 31 is pulled out from the shaft holes of the 2 step links 41a and 41b of the step link coupling body 40 on the other side (right side in fig. 8). At this time, a common cylindrical sleeve 80 (fig. 10) is inserted into the shaft holes 44a, 44b of the 2 step links 41a, 41b in each of the step link coupling bodies 40 on both sides. Therefore, only the step shaft 31,2 step links 41a and 41b are pulled out of the shaft holes 44a and 44b, and are kept coupled by the sleeve 80.

Next, in step S12 of fig. 7, the operator penetrates the first dummy shaft 50 through the shaft holes 44a, 44b of the 2 step links 41a, 41b in the step link coupling body 40 on the side (left side in fig. 8) from which the step shaft 31 is pulled out in the machine room 18. The first dummy shaft 50 rotatably supports the 2 step links 41a and 41 b.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the 2 step links 41a and 41b on the left and right sides of the step shaft 31, which are pulled out from the state of fig. 8, are rotatably supported by the first dummy shaft 50 on the left side and the second dummy shaft 81 on the right side. Fig. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion D of fig. 9. When the first dummy shaft 50 supports the 2 step links 41a and 41b, as shown in fig. 10, the roller 32 and the bearing 72 are attached to the outer end of the first dummy shaft 50 in the axial direction, and the stopper 76 is opened to allow the first dummy shaft 50 to pass through the shaft holes 44a and 44b of the 2 step links 41a and 41b from the outer side to the inner side in the axial direction. Thereby, the 2 step links 41a and 41b are rotatably supported by the first dummy shaft 50. At this time, in the first dummy shaft 50, the second shaft 71 is rotated relative to the first shaft 51 to move in the pulling-in direction relative to the first shaft 51, whereby the stopper 76 is opened, and the roller 32 and the bearing 72 are prevented from being separated from the first dummy shaft 50.

Next, in step S13 of fig. 7, as shown in fig. 9, in the step link coupling body 40 on the other side (right side in fig. 9), the second dummy shaft 81 is passed through the shaft holes 44a, 44b of the 2 step links 41a, 41b, and the 2 step links 41a, 41b are rotatably supported by the second dummy shaft 81. At this time, the second dummy shaft 81 has the same structure as the first dummy shaft 50. The second dummy shaft may be configured such that the second shaft 71 is not provided in the first dummy shaft 50, and a retainer ring is engaged with an annular groove in the outer peripheral surface of the axially outer end portion of the first shaft 51. In this case, the second dummy shaft cannot be pulled out from the shaft holes of the step links 41a and 41b toward the inside in the axial direction at a position where the outer side surface of the roller 32 is covered and protected by the side plate portion 13c of the guide rail 13a because of being obstructed by the roller 32 and the bearing 72. Therefore, the second dummy shaft in this case is used only on one side of the step link coupling body 40 on the left and right sides, which does not separate the step links 41a and 41 b. On the other hand, in the case where the second dummy shaft 81 has the same structure as the first dummy shaft 50, the 2 step links can be separated from each other in the step link coupling body 40 on the other side, similarly to the case where the 2 step links 41a and 41b are separated from each other in the step link coupling body 40 on the one side. The order of step S12 and step S13 in fig. 7 may be reversed.

Thereafter, in step S14 of fig. 7, the step link coupling 40 on both sides in the step axis direction is cyclically moved by the driving of the motor 25. By this circulating movement, the first dummy shaft 50 is moved to a position where the outer side surface of the roller 32 at the intermediate portion of the escalator 10 is opposed to the side plate portion 13c at the intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 13 a. At this time, the second dummy shaft 81 also moves to the same position as the first dummy shaft 50 on the opposite side of the step shaft direction.

Fig. 11 is a view corresponding to fig. 5A, showing a state in which the step link coupling body is moved cyclically by the motor after the state of fig. 9, and the first dummy shaft is moved to the longitudinal middle portion of the guide rail having the side plate portion. Fig. 12A is a sectional view of E-E of fig. 11. As shown in fig. 11 and 12A, in a state in which the first dummy shaft 50 and the second dummy shaft 81 are moved, the step links 41a and 41b supported by the first dummy shaft 50 are located at positions facing the upper side of the chain 24 (fig. 3).

In this state, the axially outer side of the roller 32 is covered and protected by the side plate portion 13 c. Then, in step S15 of fig. 7, the operator rotates the second shaft 71 with respect to the first shaft 51 in the first dummy shaft 50 and moves the second shaft 71 in a direction protruding toward the bearing 72 with respect to the first shaft 51, thereby closing the stopper 76 and allowing the first dummy shaft 50 to be pulled out from the bearing 72. In this state, the first dummy shaft 50 is pulled out from the bearing 72 and the shaft holes 44a and 44b of the 2 step links 41a and 41b, and then the 2 step links 41a and 41b are separated. Specifically, the worker removes the stopper pin 61 from the state of fig. 12A to the outside of the first dummy shaft 50. Then, as shown in fig. 12B, the second shaft 71 is rotated in the second direction with respect to the first shaft 51, whereby the second shaft 71 is moved in the direction protruding toward the bearing 72. In this state, the stopper 76 is closed and does not face the axially outer side surface of the bearing 72. In this state, after the first dummy shaft 50 is pulled out from the bearing 72 to the inside in the axial direction (the arrow Q direction in fig. 12B), the first dummy shaft 50 is also pulled out from the shaft holes 44a, 44B of the 2 step links 41a, 41B to the inside in the axial direction. After that, by pulling out the sleeve 80 from the shaft holes 44a, 44b, the 2 step links 41a, 41b can be separated.

In the above, the case where the 2 step links 41a and 41b of the step link coupling body 40 are separated has been described. On the other hand, at least one end of the 2 step shafts 31 connecting the 3 step links aligned in the moving direction of the step link connecting body 40 may be replaced with 2 first dummy shafts 50. After this replacement, the step link coupling 40 is circulated by the motor 25, whereby the 2 first dummy shafts 50 aligned in the moving direction are moved to positions in the middle of the escalator where the outer side surfaces of the rollers 32 are protected by the guide rail 13 a. In the same manner as described above, after the first shaft 51 is pulled out of the shaft holes of the 2 step links in the 2 first dummy shafts 50, the 3 step links can be separated by pulling out the sleeve 80 from the shaft holes. At this time, one end in the longitudinal direction of each of the two ends 2 of the 3 step links is connected to the rest of the step link connecting body 40, but the two ends of the 1 step link in the middle are separated from the two ends 2 step links. This allows the intermediate step link to be detached from the step link coupling body 40. Therefore, a relatively large space can be formed above the chain or the like after the step link is detached, and the component can be easily detached.

According to the above-described first dummy shaft 50 and the method of separating the step links 41a and 41b using the first dummy shaft 50, after the one end portion of the step shaft 31 is replaced with the first dummy shaft 50, the step link coupling body 40 is circulated by the motor 25, and the first dummy shaft 50 is moved to a position where the outer side in the axial direction of the roller 32 is covered and protected by the side plate portion 13c at the middle portion in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 13 a. At this time, the stopper 76 coupled to the second shaft 71 of the first dummy shaft 50 and the step surface 77 of the first dummy shaft 50 prevent the roller 32 from being greatly displaced in the axial direction with respect to the first dummy shaft 50. Then, after the first dummy shaft 50 is moved to a position where the outer side in the axial direction of the roller 32 is covered and protected by the guide rail 13a, the stopper 76 is closed by moving the second shaft in the protruding direction with respect to the first shaft 51, and then the first shaft 51 is pulled out from the shaft holes 44a, 44b of the bearing 72 and the 2 step links 41a, 41 b. This enables the 2 step links 41a and 41b to be separated. Therefore, when the step link 41a and 41b are separated from each other at the position where the outer side in the axial direction of the roller 32 is covered and protected by the guide rail 13a, it is not necessary to circulate the step link connecting body 40 at a low speed by manpower, and thus the load on the operator can be reduced.

Further, according to the structure of the present embodiment, the stopper 76 has a relatively simple structure, and therefore the number of components of the first dummy shaft 50 can be reduced. In the above-described configuration, the stopper 76 is described as being disk-shaped, but as the stopper, a plate-shaped elastic member having a circular arc shape with a concave bearing side cross section and curved in an arcuate shape may be used.

A first dummy shaft 50a, which is a dummy shaft for connecting a step link according to another embodiment, will be described with reference to fig. 13 to 15. In this example, a recess 59 having a rectangular cross section is formed in the center portion of the axially outer end surface of the first shaft 51, and one end (left end in fig. 13) of the shaft hole 56 is opened in the center portion of the rectangular bottom portion of the recess 59. The second shaft 71 includes a bottomed cylindrical bearing 82 rotatably supported by the distal end of the shaft main body 71a, and a stopper 83 is coupled to the bottom of the axially outer end (left end in fig. 13) of the bearing 82. The bearing 82 is fitted to the distal end of the shaft main body 71a, and an annular projection formed at the distal end or the like of the bearing 82 is slidably fitted into an annular groove or the like formed at the outer peripheral surface of the distal end of the shaft main body 71a, thereby being rotatably coupled to the shaft main body 71 a.

The stopper 83 is formed by bending a thin metal plate such as steel, and is an elastic piece having a plate-shaped ridge portion 84 having an inverted V-shaped cross section and 2 plate-shaped bearing opposing portions 85 connected to both ends of the ridge portion 84. The bearing opposing portion 85 is inclined with respect to the axial direction of the first dummy shaft 50a in a direction opposite to the inclined plate portion (the side close to the bearing 72) connecting the bearing opposing portion 85 in the mountain portion 84. Therefore, the stopper 83 has a saw-tooth shape in its entire cross section. The top of the mountain 84 as a center portion of the stopper 83 is fixed to the bottom surface of the bearing 82 as the end of the second shaft 71. In this state, the bearing 82 allows relative rotation of the second shaft 71 and the stopper 83. Further, the top of the mountain 84 of the stopper 83 is fitted into the recess 59 of the axially outer end face of the first shaft 51, so that the rotation of the stopper 83 with respect to the first shaft 51 is restricted.

According to a change in the amount of pull-in of the top of the mountain 84, which is a joint portion of the stopper 83 with the second shaft 71, into the recess 59 of the first shaft 51, the stopper 83 opens and closes, that is, the length of the stopper 83 in the diameter direction of the bearing 72 changes. As shown in fig. 13, when the second shaft 71 is moved in a direction (the direction of arrow P2 in fig. 13) in which the second shaft 71 protrudes from the first shaft 51 toward the bearing 72 by rotation of the second shaft 71 relative to the first shaft 51, the ridge portion 84 expands outward, so that the stopper 83 opens, that is, the length in the diameter direction of the bearing 72 becomes large. In a state where the stopper 83 is opened, the tip end of the bearing opposing portion 85 of the stopper 83 faces the axially outer side of the bearing 72.

On the other hand, as shown in fig. 15, when the second shaft 71 is moved in the direction in which the second shaft 71 is pulled into the first shaft 51 (the direction of arrow P1 in fig. 15) by the rotation of the second shaft 71 with respect to the first shaft 51, the mountain 84 contracts, so that the stopper 83 is closed, that is, the length in the diameter direction of the bearing 72 becomes small. In the state where the stopper 83 is closed, the stopper 83 does not face the axially outer side face of the bearing 72.

In this example, by using such a first dummy shaft 50a to move the second shaft 71 in the axial direction with respect to the first shaft 51, the stopper 83 can be opened and closed, and the bearing 72 and the roller 32 can be prevented from being moved in the axial direction with respect to the first dummy shaft 50a largely in a state where the stopper 83 is opened. Thus, when the step link coupling body 40 (fig. 8) is moved cyclically by the motor, and the first dummy shaft 50a penetrating the shaft holes of the 2 step links 41a, 41b (fig. 12A) is moved to a position where the axial outer side of the roller 32 is covered and protected by the side plate portion 13c (fig. 12A) of the guide rail 13a at the longitudinal middle portion of the guide rail 13a (fig. 12A), the stopper 83 and the step surface 54a of the first dummy shaft 50a can prevent the roller 32 from being moved greatly in the axial direction with respect to the first dummy shaft 50 a. This eliminates the need for manually circulating the step link connecting body 40 at a low speed, and thus reduces the burden on the operator.

After the first dummy shaft 50a is moved to a position where the outer side in the axial direction of the roller 32 is covered and protected by the guide rail 13a, the stopper 83 is closed so as not to face the outer side surface of the bearing 72 by moving the second shaft 71 in the pull-in direction with respect to the first shaft 51. Then, the first dummy shaft 50a is pulled out from the shaft holes of the bearing 72 and the 2 step links 41a and 41b to the inside in the axial direction, whereby the 2 step links 41a and 41b can be separated.

Further, since the stopper 83 has a relatively simple structure, the number of components of the dummy shaft 50a can be reduced. In this example, other structures and functions are the same as those of fig. 1 to 12B. In this example, the case where the bearing opposing portions 85 at both ends of the stopper 83 are inclined with respect to the axial direction of the first dummy shaft 50a and the entire stopper 83 is formed in a zigzag shape in cross section has been described, but the bearing opposing portions at both ends of the stopper may be formed in a flat plate shape substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the first dummy shaft 50 a.

A first dummy shaft 50b, which is a dummy shaft for connecting a step link according to another embodiment, will be described with reference to fig. 16 to 18. In this example, the end of the second shaft 71 protrudes from the axially outer end surface of the first shaft 51, and a stopper 86 is fixed to the end of the second shaft 71. The stopper 86 is a link member formed of a plurality of link elements including: a first link member 87 fixed to an end of the second shaft 71; and 2 second link elements 88 swingably coupled to both ends of the first link element 87. Specifically, the first link member 87 is in an elongated plate shape, and the end of the second shaft 71 is fixed to one side of the center portion. The 2 second link elements 88 are each formed in an elongated plate shape, and a swing shaft 89 is coupled to one end, and the swing shaft 89 penetrates a hole formed in an end portion of the first link element 87, whereby the second link element 88 is swingably coupled to the first link element 87. The link members 87, 88 are made of thick metal plates or resin plates, for example. Long holes 90 are formed at the other ends of the 2 second link elements 88 in the longitudinal direction, and 2 protruding shafts 60 fixed so as to protrude in the axial direction from the axially outer end surfaces of the first shafts 51 penetrate through the long holes 90 supported by the second link elements 88. As shown in fig. 17, the 2 protruding shafts 60 and the second shaft 71 are arranged on 1 straight line L. As a result, the 2 second link elements 88 are supported by the end of the first shaft 51 on the side of the bearing 72 so as to be relatively movable in the plane direction of the one end surface (the front surface of the paper surface in fig. 17 and 18) of the first shaft 51, and are swingably coupled to the both ends of the first link element 87.

The stopper 86 is opened and closed according to the change in the orientation of the plurality of link elements 87 and 88 caused by the relative rotation between the first shaft 51 and the second shaft 71. Specifically, when the second shaft 71 is moved in the direction in which the first shaft 51 is pulled by the relative rotation of the first shaft 51 and the second shaft 71, the stopper 86 is opened or closed, and when the second shaft 71 is moved in the direction in which the second shaft 51 protrudes from the first shaft 51 toward the bearing 72, the stopper 86 is closed or opened. In the state where the stopper 86 is opened, as shown in fig. 18, the stopper 86 expands outward so that the length of the stopper 86 in the diameter direction of the bearing 72 becomes larger, and the second link elements 88 as both ends of the stopper 86 face the axially outer side surface (the front side surface of the paper surface of fig. 18) of the bearing 72. On the other hand, in the state where the stopper 86 is closed, as shown in fig. 17, the stopper 86 is deformed to the folded side so that the length of the stopper 86 in the diameter direction of the bearing 72 becomes smaller, and the stopper 86 does not face the axially outer side surface of the bearing 72.

In this example, by using such a first dummy shaft 50b to move the second shaft 71 in the axial direction with respect to the first shaft 51, the stopper 86 can be opened and closed, and the bearing 72 and the roller 32 can be prevented from being moved in the axial direction with respect to the first dummy shaft 50b greatly in a state where the stopper 86 is opened. Accordingly, as in the above-described examples, when the step link coupling body 40 (fig. 8) is circulated by the motor and the first dummy shaft 50b penetrating the shaft holes of the 2 step links 41a and 41b (fig. 12A) is moved to a position where the axial outer side of the roller 32 is covered and protected by the side plate portion 13c (fig. 12A) of the guide rail 13a at the longitudinal middle portion of the guide rail 13a (fig. 12A), the stopper 86 and the step surface 54a of the first dummy shaft 50b can prevent the roller 32 from being moved greatly in the axial direction with respect to the first dummy shaft 50 b. This eliminates the need for manually circulating the step link connecting body 40 at a low speed, and thus reduces the burden on the operator.

After the first dummy shaft 50b is moved to a position where the outer side in the axial direction of the roller 32 is covered and protected by the guide rail 13a, the second shaft 71 is moved in the drawing-in direction or the projecting direction with respect to the first shaft 51, so that the stopper 86 is closed so as not to face the outer side surface of the bearing 72. Then, the first dummy shaft 50b is pulled out from the bearing 72 and the shaft holes of the 2 step links 41a and 41b to the inside in the axial direction, whereby the 2 step links 41a and 41b can be separated.

Further, since the stopper 86 can be constituted by the plurality of rigid link elements 87, 88, it is easier to suppress the roller 32 from moving to the outside in the axial direction with respect to the dummy shaft 50b when the step link coupling body 40 is moved cyclically by the motor. This facilitates the cyclic movement of the step link coupling body 40 at a higher speed, and thus can achieve an efficient operation. In this example, other structures and functions are the same as those of fig. 1 to 12B.

Description of the reference numerals

10: an escalator; 12: truss; 13a, 13b: a guide rail; 13c: a side plate portion; 14: railing; 17: skirtboard; 18. 19: a machine room; 20: a transfer unit; 21: a power transmission mechanism; 24: a chain; 25: a motor; 26: a belt; 27: a belt wheel; 28: a speed reducing mechanism; 29: a rotation shaft; 30: a step; 31: a step shaft; 32: a roller; 33: a pedal; 34: a riser; 40: a step link joint; 41a, 41b: a step connecting rod; 43: a concave portion; 44a, 44b: a shaft hole; 50. 50a, 50b: a first dummy shaft; 51: a first shaft; 53: a large diameter cylindrical portion; 54: a middle cylindrical portion; 55: a small diameter cylindrical portion; 56: a shaft hole; 57: an internal thread; 58: a through hole; 59: a concave portion; 60: a protruding shaft; 61: a stop pin; 62: an anti-falling component; 71: a second shaft; 72: a bearing; 73: a central bore; 76: a stopper; 80: a sleeve; 81: a second dummy shaft; 82: a bearing; 83: a stopper; 84: a mountain-shaped portion; 85: bearing opposing portions; 86: a stopper; 87: a first link element; 88: a second link element.

Claims

1. In a passenger conveyor in which a plurality of step shafts are connected as tread members, the plurality of step shafts are connected at both ends thereof by closed-loop step link connection bodies, rollers rotatably supported at positions of the step shafts closer to both ends in the axial direction than the step link connection bodies are rotatably supported at least at one side end of the step shaft to rotatably support the step links connected in the moving direction,

the dummy shaft for connecting the step link comprises:

a first shaft penetrating through shaft holes of the 2 step links and a center hole of a bearing coupled to an inner diameter side of the roller;

a second shaft which is axially inserted into the first shaft so as to be screwed with the first shaft, and which is axially retractable toward the bearing side of the first shaft by rotation; and

a stopper coupled to an end of the second shaft on the bearing side, capable of being opened and closed by an axial movement of the second shaft, and facing an outer side of the bearing when opened,

A step surface is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the first shaft to be opposite to the inner side surface of the bearing,

the stopper is opened or closed in a case where the second shaft is moved in a direction in which the second shaft is pulled into the first shaft, and is closed or opened in a case where the second shaft is moved in a direction in which the second shaft protrudes from the first shaft.

2. The false shaft for use in conjunction with a step link of a passenger conveyor of claim 1, wherein,

the stopper is an elastic member having a circular arc shape in cross section, the cross section being recessed on the bearing side, the stopper being coupled to the end of the second shaft, the stopper being opened and closed in accordance with an amount of compression in an axial direction by a coupling portion coupled to the second shaft and one end of the first shaft,

the stopper is opened by increasing the amount of compression in the axial direction of the stopper in the case where the second shaft is moved in the direction of pulling in the first shaft, and is closed by decreasing the amount of compression in the axial direction of the stopper in the case where the second shaft is moved in the direction of protruding from the first shaft.

3. The false shaft for use in conjunction with a step link of a passenger conveyor of claim 1, wherein,

the stopper is an elastic piece having a center portion fixed to the end of the second shaft and having a mountain-shaped portion and 2 bearing opposing portions connected to both ends of the mountain-shaped portion, the stopper being opened and closed according to a change in a pulling amount of the top portion of the mountain-shaped portion, which is a coupling portion coupled with the second shaft, pulled into the first shaft,

The second shaft includes a bearing secured to a top of the chevron, allowing relative rotation of the second shaft and the stop,

rotation of the stopper relative to the first shaft is restricted,

the stopper is closed in the case where the second shaft is moved in the direction in which the second shaft is pulled into the first shaft, and is opened in the case where the second shaft is moved in the direction in which the second shaft protrudes from the first shaft.

4. The false shaft for use in conjunction with a step link of a passenger conveyor of claim 1, wherein,

the stopper is a link member formed of a plurality of link elements including: a first link member fixed to an end of the second shaft; and 2 second link elements that are supported by the end of the first shaft on the bearing side so as to be capable of relative movement and are coupled to both ends of the first link elements so as to be capable of swinging, the link members being opened and closed in accordance with changes in the orientation of the plurality of link elements caused by relative rotation of the first shaft and the second shaft,

the stopper is opened or closed in the case where the second shaft is moved in the direction in which the second shaft is pulled into the first shaft, and is closed or opened in the case where the second shaft is moved in the direction in which the second shaft protrudes from the first shaft.

5. A method of separating step links of a step link joint using the pseudo shaft for step link coupling of a passenger conveyor according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

in a state in which the steps are removed from a part of the step shaft, in each of the step link coupling bodies on both sides in the step shaft direction, the step shaft is pulled out from the shaft holes of the 2 step links in a state in which the rollers face positions of the guide rail where there are no side plate portions;

a step shaft that is rotatably supported by a first dummy shaft that penetrates through the shaft holes of the 2 step links of the step shaft, and a step shaft that is rotatably supported by a second dummy shaft that penetrates through the shaft holes of the 2 step links of the step shaft;

the step link connecting body is circularly moved by a motor, and the first dummy shaft is moved to a position where the axial outer side of the roller is covered and protected by the side plate portion of the guide rail at the longitudinal middle portion of the guide rail; and

after the stopper is closed without facing the outer side of the bearing by moving the second shaft with respect to the first axial pull-in direction or the protruding direction, the first dummy shaft is pulled out from the bearing and the shaft holes of the 2 step links toward the axial inner side, and the 2 step links are separated.