US896098A - Escalator-landing. - Google Patents

Description

PATENI'ED AUG.'18, 1908.

E. L. GALE, s3. ESGALATOR LANDING.

APPLICATION FILED m0 22,1905

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7mm fll'lozn- 1 PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908. E. L. GALE, Sn. ESGALATOR LANDING.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 22, 1905.

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No. 896,098. PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908. E. L. GALE, SB. ESGALATOR LANDING.

APPLIGATION FILED DBO. 22,1905.

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Attest: In ventor.

nN TEn STATES "P ENT OFFICE.

ERNEST L. GALE, SR, 0F YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY,

OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

E SGALATOR-LANDING.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1908..

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, ERNEST L. GALE, Sn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Im )rovement in Escalator-Landings, of which t e following is a specification.

4 My invention relates to landings for moving Stairways and one of its ob ects isthe provision of simple and efficient means for varying the rate of movement of a passenger Pehlv een the moving stairway and a stationary am lng.

More particularly, it is the object of the present invention to rovide a revolving platform adjacent the ower or u per land-' mg of a moving stairwa so that t e periphery of the landing shal have substantially the same speed as that of the stairway, while the center of'the platform adjacent a fixed platform shall have comparatively a much slower speed. T

Other Objects of myinvention will appear hereinafter, the novel combinations of'elements being pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a planview of my improved revolvin platformin connection with a portion 0 the moving-stairway; Fig. 2 represents in elevation a moving stairway and my invention in elevational sectional view applied to the up er landing thereof; Fig. 3 is a plan view of t e modified form of the ig pparatus showing-certain parts in section; 1g. 4 is a modification of Flg. 3; Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detailed views of Fig. 4; and Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11 show further modifications of my invention.

Referring now to Fi 2 it will be seen that 1 designates in generaIa moving stairway or what is commonly known as an escalator which may be of any type, the Otis escalator being preferred. 2 des gnates the movable steps which are shown 1n horizontal alinement at 3 to form the movable lower landing; the steps 2 are shown at-4 in horizontal alinement to form the upper movable landing of. the escalator.

6 designates diagrammatically an endless belt or chain, for moving the stairway, said belt running over sheaves 7,

8, 9, and 10 and being connected by the belt 12 .to the electric driving motor 11, which is mounted on the base 14." Mounted also on the base 14 is an auxiliary electric motor 13 which is connected by the belt 1 5 to a countershaft 16. To the outer end of said countershaft is connected a bevel pinion 17 which meshes with the bevel gear 18 onthe under side of the movable platform 19 which in this instance is shown of annular form.

In width the annular portionof the platform 19 is referably several steps. In Fig. 1, I have s own by dotted lines the periphcry 27 of the revolving platform 19 111 fric tional engagement with downward projections 26 on the under side of the steps 2.- It is now evident that when'the stairway is moved upwardly, say, the latform 19 will be revolved in a clockwise irection by reason of the frictional engagement of the downward projections 26 with the periphery 27 of the revolvin platform 19.

It should e noted that that ortion of the platform 19 which is adjacent t e steps 2 revolves substantially at the same s eed as said steps are moving in a straigr t line.v When a passenger, therefore, steps om the escalator 'to the revolvinghplatform he is not likely to be thrown as e would be if he step ed immediately to a stationary landing. 'As tie assenger approaches'the center of the plat orm the rate of speed at which he is moved will be radually reduced so that he may step onto t e fixed landing 20 with ease.

Guard rails 28 and 29 may be provided to revent ,the passenger from being moved too Far around b the platform.

In Fig. 2 have illustrated a spiral stairway inclosed by the tubular casing 22. The stalrs 24 is interposed between the casing 22 and the post or core 23 and leads from'the stationary, annular, upper landing 20 to the doorway 25 adjacent a lower floor landing 14; if desired, the stairs 24 may'lead to an upppr landing.

though an auxiliary motor '13 is shown for positively driving the latform 19, the latterm-ay still be left in ictional contact with the downward projections 26 to insure a peripheral speed of the-platform 19 sub stantially equal to that of the straight line movement of the stellils 2.

In Fi 3 I have s own. in sectional plan view fee 26 in lace of the projections 26 of Fig. 1, said raclrs being adapted to mesh p with the gear teeth 27? on the under side of the stairs may revolving the landing 19 and maintaining its peripheral speed equal to that of the straight line movement of the steps 2. Inasmuch as the landing 19 may at times be called upon to carry heavy loads, it is preferable that the auxiliary motor 13 and connections shown in Fig. 2 be also used.

As in Fig. 1, so also in Fig. 3 I have shown guard rails 28 and'29 which meet additional guard rails 30 and 31 which are secured to the stationary platform 32. Preferably the stationary send-circular ortion 33 of the landing 32 is flush with te landing 19 and may he so constructed as to approach the horizontal portion 32 on an incline. 01, there may be a stationary platform 33 of semi-circular form and arranged horizon tally so as to be flush at 34 with the platform 19. In such case a step 35 would have to be provided of a height a little greater than the height of the lane passing through the upper surface of t e platform 32 above the plane passing through the uppersurface .of the platform 19.

In Fig. 4 the revolving landing 19 is provided with a series of movable se ments 38, the concentric portion of each 0 said segments being rovided with a semi-circular groove or rah et 40 which is adapted to fit over a corresponding semi-circular projection or tongue 39 secured to the platform 19 as shown in Fig. 5. Obviously the projection or tongue 39 ma be integral withthe platform 19 but pre erably I insert a semicircular strip in the groove 41 (Figs. 5 and 6) so that the strip may be made of diflerent material than that of the platform, if desired.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated in detail the construction of the platform 19 shown in Fig. 4 in that the portion 48 of the platform 19" is not cut away so that said portion may serve as a substantial support for the weight of any passengers that step upon the segments 38 in leaving the escalator and a proaching the stationary landing 32. n the constructions illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 the tongue 39 is depended upon to support the segments and any weight which may be placed thereon but such a support may not prove suflidient.

When the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 4 is employed the platform 19f. -may.be suitably geared to the escalator as shown in Fig. 3, or

said platform may be provided with indeendent driving mechanism suitably reguated so as to have the proper peripheral speed. Assuming that the steps 2 are moving to the left in Fig. 4 it will be seen that the flat face 37 of one of the segments 38 is in full engagement with the steps 2, the surface of saidsegment bein arran ed-so as to be flush or in the same p ane Wit the surface of the steps 2 as well as with the surface of the platform 19". That the planes passing through the upper surfaces of the segments 38 and the platform 19" or 19" coincide is illustrated in Fig. 5. Furthermore, the platform 19 and segments 38 are so designed that when the segment 38 a proaches the of the steps it will be gradually oscillated or moved on the tongue 39 until its flat face 37 contacts throughout its length with the edges of a plurality of steps, which of course at this time are in horizontal alinement either at the lower landing as indicated at 3 in Fig. 2 or at the upper landing as indicated at 4 in the same figure. It is evident that for a short time the segment 38 may have a speed of movement exactly equal and similar to that of the steps 2 and during this time a passenger may step onto the adjacent se ment with. perfect safety and walk toward t e stationary landing 32 without any liability of being thrown due to a sudden change of movement of his own body. That is, the rate of speed at which a assenger is moved in attempting to step off rom a moving stairway is gradually reduced from the peri heral speed of the platform to that near t e center thereof which obviously is very much less. What is true in regard to a passenger attempting to leave a moving platform is also true in regard to a passenger approaching such a platform. That is, the passenger may with equal facility approach and step onto a moving stairway or lprlatform when m invention is employed. Fig. 8 I have s own a further modification in that the segments 43 which correspond to those designated 38 in Fig. 4, are placed in the steps 2 of the stairway. The concentric portions 45 may be connected with tongues 46 as indicated in dotted lines, the construction in detail bein that shown in Figs. 4 and 7. The segmen s 43 instead of having flat faces have arc-shaped faces to correspond with the periphery 27 of the revolving landing 19. The upper surfaces of the segments 43 when the steps 2 are in horizontal alinement with each other are in the same plane as the surfaces of the steps 2 and of the platform 19. i The arrangement of the parts is such that as a segment approaches the landing 19 it strikes against the same and is slightly oscillated thereby until its face 44 is in contact throughout its length with a portion of peri hery 27. At this time the scgment in suc osition is about to pass under the guardrail 42, this being the most convenient arrangement for'a passenger about to step on or to leave the movable platform escalator and strikes against t e edge of one comprising the steps 2 in horizontal alinement.

rails 30 and 31 of Fi 3 are not used the edges of the stationary p atform 32 may be bev-' eled to a thin edge where it is in close contiguity with the platform 19. So also if the construction shown in Fig. 3 at 33 and 34 is not employed, a semi-circular portion of the stationary'platform 32 of Fig. 4 may also be thus beveled.

- of speed.

It 1s obvious that those skilled in the art may make modifications in the details of the partsherein shown and described or vary the arrangement of the same without departing from thespirit and scope of-my invention.

I, therefore, desire it to e understood that I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction herein disclosed.

In order to show the various applications of the principle and breadth of my invention,

I have illustrated certain modifications in Figs. 9, 10 and 11. It is shown in Fig. 9 that the rotatable landings may be opposite each other, either at the upper or lower landings of moving stairwaysor in connection with moving sidewalks.

My invention may also be used in facilitating the handling of passengers entering or,

leaving railway trains. In Fig. 9, 2 designates a moving side walk, adjacent which isplaced the rotatable landing 19, and o posite the same at the left-hand ortion o the figure, an additional rotatable andin 19. ThlS arrangement may be used as we 1 at the up er or lower landing ofan escalator or moving stairway,so that passengers could a proach the lower stairway landings from eit or side, or leave the 11 per stairway landin from either side if t e stairway is one W ich is moving upwardly.

If the moving side-walk 2' is laced at an elevation from the ground or a oor, the rotatable landing 19 may be reached by means of a stair 49 which is connected to the stationary landin 32 just above the rotatable landing 19. T e stationary platform 32 may be provided with uard-rails 31 which connect with additiona guard-rails 29 for directing the passengers to the rotatable landing adj'acent the moving side-walk 2'. I do not desire to be limited to a rotatable landing having a peripheral speed the same as the longitudinal speed of the side-walk 2. ;For

example, the eripheral-speed of the rotatable landing may e made somewhat less than the longitudinal s eed of the side-walk, thus allowing a hig er speed for said side-Walk. The rotatable landing may either extend underthe side-walk 2' as shown at the left of Fig. 9, or it may be in contact therewith as shown in the upper right-hand portion of Fig. 9, or it may be placed at a short distance therefrom as shown in the lower right-hand portion of Fig. 9. In the latter case, a fixed or movable auxiliary platform 46 may be used to close the gap between the landing 19 and the traveling side-walk. The lower right-hand portion of Fig. 9 otherwise shows the construction similar to Figs. 1 and 2 as regards the s iral stair-wa 24and stationary annular lan ing 20, but t e guard-rail 29 of Fig. 1 is here extended as shown at 29 to surwa .or movin platform 2" should be moved in a clo'c wise direction. The passenglers may approach the train 4 8 by means of t e stair 49 latform 32, rotatable'landing 19 and movmg platform2f'. Passengers may approach the train 48 by means of the stem 49, platform 32, rotatable landing 19 and movi platform 2 Either train may be approac ed from the s iral stairway 24 and lntermediate rotatab e landing 19". Suitable guard- rails 50, 50 and 53, 53 are rovided for preventi ,the assengers from alling from the mov ziklge p atform 2". It will be seen that with t 's arrangement, the asse ers may be gradually accelerated om t e stationary atforms to the train and that the train may be moving while the assengers are entering or leavingthe same. 11 such case, of course, it would be preferable to have open cars. -The rotatable landings need not necessarily have a peripheral speed equal to the speed of the platform 2", butthe latter may be greater and the speedof the resppctively, it will be seen that the sidetrain somewhat greater than that of the moving platform 2. Whether the passengers wish to go to the train from the landings32, 32 and 20 or whether they wish to approach said landings from the train, it is evident that there need be no sudden change ofv bodily movement so as to throw down a assenger, that is, the train could be safely led with passengers or emptied, in a much shorter space of time than when the train must come to a stand-still and allow these passengers to go out from the end doors onto the stationa platform. J

n Fig. 11, I have shown a railwa 47 which maybe such as laced on llridges between two cities. In vsue case, in order to facilitate the handling of assen ers, large rotatable" landings 19", p0 ygona or circular in shape, may be placed at the ends of the bridge.- A trainof cars, 53, while moving toward the left-hand end of the bridge as track sides would be adjacent the respective cars viewed in Fig. 11, could automatically oper ate the rotatable landing 19 so that the flat and" the passengers could enter or leave the cars while the train was in motion. In this case, there would be little if any relative movement between the rotatable landing and the train, and guard-rails 51 could be provided for directing passengers and preventing injury to them. At the right-hand end of Fig. 1 1, I have shown arotatable landing 19 circular in shape, which may be constantly rotating at any desired speed, which may be less than that of the train or equal to the speed thereof. In any event, it should be rotated at a speed to enable assengers to safely enter or leave the train i ile the train is in motion, and it is evident that the train could have a greater speed with this arrangement than when the passengers would be re quired to gain an entrance to the train from a stationary landing and the train is in motion.

, Instead of the rotatable landing having the be such a large gap between the landing and ters Patent of the United the platforms of the cars. Of course, if open cars are used, this is not .of such importance. In any event, movable auxiliary platforms could be automatically projected from the under side of the platform 19, to close up such gaps.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim and desire to have rotected by Lettates is:

1. The combination of a lon itudinally movin stairs, and a rotating landing.

2. The-combination of a constantly and longitudinally moving carrier, and .a single movable unit having varying rates of'speed at different-portions thereof and serving as an ap roach to said carrier.

3. he combination of 'a moving stairs, and an adjacent platform rotatable relatively thereto.

' 4. The combination of a moving carrier,

and a single rotating landing in engagement therewith; 1

5. The combination of a movi and a single rotating landing peripheral s eed substantially equal to the speed of sai carrien' 6. The combmatlon with a moving car-' rier, of a single rotating platform, and means for driving said platform.

7. The combination with a moving car-v rier, of a single movable platform, a stationary platform, and means for driving said movable platform to effect an acceleration of passengers from said stationary platform to said movable platform.

carrier, Y avmg a.

8. The combination with a moving stairs,

of a rotating platform adjacent a anding thereof, and means for effecting the rotation ofsaid platform. 9. The combination with a moving of a rotating platform adjacent a anding thcreofand rotatable with respect thereto, and independent means for moving said platform.

1-0. The combination with a moving stairs, of a latform connected to one of its moving landings and rotatable relatively to the stairway, and a stationary landing.

11. The combination with a moving platform, 'of a rotating platform, and means for effecting a peripheral movement of said revolving platform substantially equal to that .of the said moving platform.

12. The combination with a moving stairs, of a rotating platform, a stationary landing, and a stationary stairway.

13. The combination with a movin stairs,

of a rotating platform forone. or bot of its moving landings, a stationary landing, and a spiral stairway.

14.. The combination with a moving stairs, of a rotating platform adjacent a moving landing of said stairway, a stationary landing, a spiral stairway, and means for positively driving-said revolving platform.

15. The combination with a moving carrier, of a revolving platform, and guard-rails abovesaid platform.

16. The combination with a moving stairs, of a rotating annular platform adjacent one of the moving landing: of said stairway, a central stationary lan 'ng, and a stationar stairway leading from said stationary lan 1n 17. The combination rier, of an annular latform adjacent thereto,

and a stationary anding leading from the over the same.

18. The'combination with a moving carrier, of a revolving platform, and a series of segments connected to said platform.

19. The combination with a moving carrier, of arevolving platform, and a series of movable segments connected to the periphery of said platform.

20. The comb'nation with a moving carstairs,

with a moving car- 7 rier, of a revolving platform, and segmentsconnected to and having an oscillatory movement in the periphery of said platform.

21 The combmation with a moving carrier, of a rotatable platform, and movable segments effecting continuous passage be-.

tween the carrier and platform.

22. The combination with a moving carrier, of a revolving platform, and movable segments carried by said platform and moved thereby into engagement with said carrier to intermittently form continuations thereof.

896,098 a I .5 w

The combination with a. .moving car- In testimony whereof, I have signed my rier, of ,a revol latform, and movable name to this specifieation in the presence of vmg p segments to maintain closed the gap betwo subscribing witnesses. tween said platform and said carrier. I ERNEST ,L. GAILE, SR. 5 24. 'The combination with a moving car- 'Witnesses:

rier of a revolving platform and segments CmnLEs M, NIssEN carried by one of said parts. R. BJHAMILTON.

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