3. INTRODUCTION TO ESCALATOR
• An escalator is a moving staircase which carries people between floors of a building or
structure. It consists of a motor-driven chain of individually linked steps on a track which
cycle on a pair of tracks which keep them horizontal.
• Escalators are often used around the world in places where lifts would be impractical, or
they can be used in conjunction with them. Principal areas of usage include department
stores, shopping malls, airports, transit systems (railway/railroad stations), convention
centers, hotels, arenas, stadiums and public buildings.
4. COMPONENTS OF ESCALATOR
• Landing Platforms : These two platforms
house the curved sections of the tracks, as
well as the gears and motors that drive the
stairs. The top platform contains the motor
assembly and the main drive gear, while the
bottom holds the step return idler sprockets.
These sections also anchor the ends of the
escalator truss.
• Truss : It is a hollow metal structure that
bridges the lower and upper landings. It is
composed of two side sections joined
together with cross braces across the bottom
and just below the top.
5. • Tracks : The track system is built into the truss to guide the step chain, which
continuously pulls the steps from the bottom platform and back to the top in an
endless loop.
• Steps : The steps are solid, one piece, die-cast aluminum or steel. Yellow
demarcation lines may be added to clearly indicate their edges. The steps are linked
by a continuous metal chain that forms a closed loop.
• Handrail : The Handrail provides a convenient handhold for passengers while they
are riding the escalator. In an escalator, the handrail is pulled along its track by a
chain that is connected to the main drive gear by a series of pulleys.
6. • Escalator Exterior (Balustrade) : The Balustrade consists of the handrail and the
exterior supporting structure of the escalator. It is the escalator exterior
components extending above the steps and it supports the handrail.
• Drive Systems : An escalator drive system includes the following components
1. Drive Machine and Gear Reducer.
2. The Step Drive System.
3. The Handrail Drive System.
The variation on how these two systems are combined is dependent upon the type
of escalator. The Drive Machine used to drive the pinion gear or the main drive chain
may directly or indirectly drive the Handrail Drive System.
7. • Auto-Lubrication System : The escalators have an Automatic Lubrication System that
supplies oil to lubricate the main drive chain, step chain, and the handrail drive chains.
• Braking Systems : The braking systems on an escalator utilize three different braking
methods as follows
1. The Machine Brake.
2. The drive shaft brake system.
3. The Main Drive Shaft Brake.
• Safety devices : Escalator systems are provided with many safety devices that will
automatically stop the escalator by cutting electrical power to the motor and applying the
brake if a problem occurs. When a safety device stops the escalator, the problem must be
corrected and the fault cleared before restarting the system.
8. TYPES OF ESCALATOR
1. Step Type Escalator : The step type escalator is
the common type of escalator today. The steps
are usually metal, but very old step type
escalators had wooden steps. Step type
escalators can also go up/down, flat, then
up/down again.
2. Wheelchair-accessible Escalator : Wheelchair
accessible escalators have an attendant. If
someone in a wheelchair needs to use the
escalator, the escalator will be stopped. Once the
wheelchair is on the escalator, the escalator is
put in a special mode.
9. 3. Belt Type Escalator : The belt type escalator
was made by Piat. You stand on a flat(?) belt.
This type of escalator probably doesn’t exist
anywhere, anymore.
4. Cleat Type Escalator : The cleat type escalator
had cleated metal, later wood treads, that are
slanted. Some types of cleat type escalator look
more like a belt, not an escalator (the belt type
escalator?). This type of escalator is not known
to exist anywhere, anymore.
10. 5. Spiral Escalator : A spiral escalator is a
special design type of escalator in the form
of a spiral/helical with curved steps. This
escalator can curves to the left or right.
6. Levytator : The Levytator is a new type of
escalator, the freeform escalator, that can
curve multiple times, in either direction.
There are 2 escalators, which share a
continuous loop of steps. The 2 escalators
can curve differently.
