Escalator handrail guide

Abstract: A handrail assembly (4) is disclosed which is suitable for use on very thin escalator balustrades (2), such as are typically made of glass or the like. A handrail contacting and guiding track (28) is formed from a low friction plastic material. The plastic track member (28) is affixed to a metal mount base (6) which clips onto the balustrade (2), and the track (28) is reinforced by a recessed steel strip plate (44) fastened directly to the base (6) through the track (28).

Description: This invention relates to an escalator handrail guide which is affixed to an escalator balustrade, and over which the moving handrail of the escalator slides. Newer more modern escalators frequently include thin transparent, or non-transparent, balustrades which may be made of glass or some other material. Such balustrades are used to increase the aesthetic appeal of the escalator assembly. These balustrades are typically substantially thinner than the width of the handrails which move over them, whereby suitable laterally enlarged guide rails must be mounted on the balustrade to support the handrails. Typical examples of such balustrade assemblies are shown in U.S. Patents Nos. 2,028,358 granted January 21, 1936 to H.W. Shonnard; 3,321,059 granted May 23, 1967 to C.J. Kroepel; 3,981,118 granted September 21, 1976 to E.D. Johnson, et al; 3,989,133 granted November 2, 1976 to I.C. Courson, et al; 3,991,877 granted November 16, 1976 to J. K. Kraft, et al; 4,488,631 granted December 18, 1984 to I.C. Courson; 4,658,946 granted April 21, 1987 to W. Adrian, et al; 4,705,155 granted November 10, 1987 to O. Kanamori; French Patent No. 1,512,084 dated February 21, 1967 to Otis Elevator Company; and British Patent Applications Nos. 2,104,471 to Hitachi Ltd. published March 9, 1983; 2,143,194 to O&K published February 6, 1985; and 2,152,002 to Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha, published July 31, 1985. One problem manifesting itself with such handrail-balustrade assemblies relates to reduction of frictional drag between the handrail and the handrail guide over which the handrail slides. The frictional drag problem is particularly acute in a curved escalator such as is shown in U.S. Patent No. 4,809,840 granted March 7, 1989 to H. Nakatani wherein the handrail is pulled laterally inwardly toward the center of its path of travel, as well as being pulled along its arcuate path of travel. It is known from GB-A-2 152 002 to provide a handrail guide assembly adapted to be mounted on the balustrade of an escalator, said guide assembly comprising: a) a metal base portion adapted to be fitted onto a top edge of the escalator balustrade; and b) a handrail contacting and guiding track disposed on said base portion, said guiding track being formed from a low coefficient of friction plastic material. It is an object of the invention to provide an improved low friction escalator handrail guide assembly for use on an escalator balustrade. According to a first aspect the present invention is characterised by c) a metal reinforcing plate mounted on a central portion of said guiding track on the side thereof opposite said base portion whereby said guiding track is sandwiched between said base portion and said metal reinforcing plate; and d) means securing said metal reinforcing plate to said base portion through said guiding track whereby said track is pinned to said base portion by said metal reinforcing plate. The reinforcing plate is preferably recessed in the guiding track so that, in use, the handrail touches only the guiding track part of the guide assembly. According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided an escalator handrail assembly comprising: a) a balustrade; b) a metal handrail guide assembly base mounted on said balustrade; c) a low friction plastic handrail guide track mounted on said base, said guide track having lateral extending vertically thickened arms; and d) a handrail mounted on said guide track in sliding engagement therewith; characterised by said guide track having a first basal groove for receiving an upper part of said base, a second upper groove formed medially thereof, the lateral extending vertically thickened arms flanking said grooves; a metal reinforcing plate disposed in said second groove, said metal reinforcing plate being recessed below said guide track arms; means securing said metal reinforcing plate to said base through said guide track whereby said guide track is pinned to said base by said metal reinforcing plate; wherein said guide track arms are operable to prevent said handrail from contacting said base and said metal reinforcing plate whereby low friction support for said handrail is provided with lateral reinforcement of said guide track being provided by said metal reinforcing plate. The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawing which is a fragmented perspective sectional view of a balustrade and handrail assembly for an escalator. Referring to the drawing, the escalator balustrade is referenced by the numeral 2 and is formed from glass. The balustrade 2 may be rectilinear in plan view or curvilinear in plan view, depending on whether the escalator is a conventional or curved escalator. The handrail guide assembly 4 includes a base part 6 which has a flat top surface 8 bounded by downwardly depending sides 10 which intersect downwardly and inwardly converging chamfers 12. An upwardly extending longitudinal channel 14 is formed in the bottom wall 16 of the base member 6. The channel 14 has a flat top wall 18, parallel offset side walls 20 and a pair of converging lower flanges 22. The base 6 is preferably formed from an extrusion of aluminum. A gasket 24 is disposed on the upper part of the balustrade 2 which is contained in the channel 14. The side walls 20 of the channel 14 are outwardly offset from the gasket 24, while the base flanges 22 engage the gasket 24. Spring clips 26 are disposed in the gaps between the channel side walls 20 and the gasket 24 to provide a positive clamping force that secures the base 6 to the balustrade 2. A track member 28 preferably formed from a low friction extruded plastic such as polyethylene is mounted on the base 4. The track 28 has a groove 30 which fits snugly over the top surface 8 of the base 4, and extends part way down the side walls 10 of the base 4. A second groove 32 is formed in the top surface of the track 28. A medial web 34 separates the grooves 30 and 32 and overlies the top surface 8 of the base 4. Outwardly extending rounded arms 36 flank the medial web 34. The arms 36 have contoured outer sides 38 which are curved so as to generally conform to the shape of the inner side surface 40 of the handrail 42. A metal reinforcing plate 44 is disposed in the track groove 32 and extends outwardly to abut the side walls 33 of the groove 32. The reinforcing plate 44 is secured to the base 4 by means of screws 46 which pass through the plate 44 and track web 34 and are screwed into threaded holes in the base 4. The plate 44 thus serves to pin the track 28 to the base 4 and also to laterally reinforce and strengthen the handrail bearing arms 36 on the track 28. The plate 44 is recessed into the groove 32 so as not to contact the handrail 42 as the latter slides along the guide assembly. It will be appreciated that the guide assembly of this invention is sturdy, provides low friction guiding of the handrail, and is laterally strengthened despite the fact that the handrail is in contact only with the plastic component of the guide assembly. The assembly is of simple construction and easily assembled and installed on an escalator balustrade. The track can be made of any low friction extrudable plastic, such as polyethylene, nylon, acetal, U.H.M.W. polymer or the like. Likewise the base is preferably made from an extrudable metal, although it could obviously be machined from bar stock if so desired. The assembly is suitable for use in conventional or curved escalator balustrade-handrail assemblies, the handrail guide assembly being clipped onto the top edge of the balustrade without requiring any rivets, bolts, screws, or the like, and without the need to drill any holes in the balustrade. Since many changes and variations of the disclosed embodiment of the invention may be made without departing from the inventive concept, it is not intended to limit the invention otherwise than as required by the appended claims.

Claims: A handrail guide assembly adapted to be mounted on the balustrade (2) of an escalator, said guide assembly (4) comprising: a) a metal base portion (6) adapted to be fitted onto a top edge of the escalator balustrade (2) ; b) a handrail (42) contacting and guiding track (28) disposed on said base portion (6), said guiding track being formed from a low coefficient of friction plastic material; characterised by c) a metal reinforcing plate (44) mounted on a central portion of said guiding track (28) on the side thereof opposite said base portion (6) whereby said guiding track is sandwiched between said base portion and said metal reinforcing plate; and d) means (46) securing said metal reinforcing plate (44) to said base portion (6) through said guiding track (28) whereby said track is pinned to said base portion by said metal reinforcing plate. A handrail guide assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said guiding track (28) has a first groove (30) formed on one side thereof which is sized to snugly telescopingly receive an upper portion of said base portion (6), and a second groove (32) formed on the opposite side of said guiding track (28) sized to snugly receive said metal reinforcing plate (44), said second groove (32) being of a depth which recesses said metal reinforcing plate (44) below handrail contacting surfaces of said guiding track (28). A handrail guide assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said guiding track (28) is formed with laterally outwardly extending arms (36) which engage inner sides of a handrail (42) and which provide the major contact surface between said guide assembly (4) and the handrail (42). A handrail guide assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein said guiding track arms (36) extend above the sides of said metal reinforcing plate (44) sufficiently to prevent the handrail from contacting said metal reinforcing plate. A handrail guide assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said base portion (6) is formed with a downwardly open channel (14) operable to receive a top edge of the balustrade (2), opposed side walls of said channel being formed by rigid, non-deflectable legs (10) on said base portion (6); spring clips (26) sized for disposing in said channel (14), said spring clips being interposed between the sides of the balustrade (2) and the said walls (10) of said channel, said spring clips being operable to clamp said base portion (6) to the balustrade (2) by deforming and stressing when said base portion is mounted on the balustrade with said spring clips (26) in place in said channel (14); said base portion (6) being provided with converging flanges (22) at a mouth of said channel, said flanges being operable to form pockets with said channel side walls (20) for receiving said spring clips (26). A handrail guide assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the base portion (6) is formed from extruded metal. An escalator handrail assembly comprising: a) a balustrade (2); b) a metal handrail guide assembly base (6) mounted on said balustrade (2); c) a low friction plastic handrail guide track (28) mounted on said base (6), said guide track having lateral extending vertically thickened arms (36); and d) a handrail (42) mounted on said guide track (28) in sliding engagement therewith; characterised by said guide track (28) having a first basal groove (30) for receiving an upper part of said base (6), a second upper groove (32) formed medially thereof, the lateral extending vertically thickened arms (36) flanking said grooves (30,32); a metal reinforcing plate (44) disposed in said second groove (32), said metal reinforcing plate being recessed below said guide track arms (36); means (46) securing said metal reinforcing plate (44) to said base (6) through said guide track (28) whereby said guide track is pinned to said base by said metal reinforcing plate; wherein said guide track arms (36) are operable to prevent said handrail (42) from contacting said base (6) and said metal reinforcing plate (44) whereby low friction support for said handrail is provided with lateral reinforcement of said guide track being provided by said metal reinforcing plate.

Inventors: JOHNSON GERALD, RIVERA JAMES, JOHNSON, GERALD, RIVERA, JAMES
Applicants: OTIS ELEVATOR CO, OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B66B23
IPC codes: B66B23