ESCALATORS

M E L A N I E L O V E P. A L C A N T A R A E N G R . D E N N I S E. G A N A S
 An Escalator is a moving staircase that moves people
between different floors of a building. They are powered
by motors. The steps run on tracks. There is a handrail
that moves with the escalator, that you hold onto when
riding the escalator. There is also an emergency stop
button, which stops the escalator, and a key switch, that
restarts the escalator,in the up or down direction.
 H I S T O RY
• Elevators that were discovered in 3rd century BC by
Greek inventor Archimedes were could transport some
weight but they were not practical when lots of goods
needed to be moved upward over small periods of time.

• One of the earliest uses of escalators was used in the

building of the Egyptian Great Pyramid at Giza. In its
construction over 2 million stone cubes were laid on the
tree trunks and slowly rolled upwards on the artificial
earth bridges that surrounded the build site. That
continuous use of rolling wheels beneath the transported
weight became one of the basic principles behind the
today’s escalators.
H I S T O RY
• Elevators that were discovered in 3rd century BC by Greek
inventor Archimedes were could transport some weight but they
were not practical when lots of goods needed to be moved
upward over small periods of time.

• One of the earliest uses of escalators was used in the building of

the Egyptian Great Pyramid at Giza. In its construction over 2
million stone cubes were laid on the tree trunks and slowly rolled
upwards on the artificial earth bridges that surrounded the build
site. That continuous use of rolling wheels beneath the
transported weight became one of the basic principles behind
the today’s escalators.
 • Escalator that we know today was created in 1859 by the Jesse
Reno from Massachusetts, USA. His creation used steam to power
H I S T O RY the stairway conveyer belt that moved on a 25 degree angle (first
working example was built in 1895). First commercial “moving
staircases” escalator was made by Charles Seeberger in 1897 in
cooperation with the Otis Elevator Company. Both Jesse Reno
and Charles Seeberger sold their manufacturing offices and patents
to Otis Elevator Company in 1911. By 1920s Otis engineers
created the basic metal model of Escalators that witch design is in
use today.
• Today, escalators are used all over the world.Their advantages over
elevators are many, mainly in the ability to transfer far greater
numbers of pedestrian traffic over the same time.They can be
easily installed in places that are designed for ordinary staircases
and they can even be used in outdoors (with adequate
waterproofing protection). Escalators are often installed in
department stores, shopping malls, airports, hotels, and public
buildings.
OPERATING PRINCIPLE
• The core of an escalator is a pair of chains, looped
around two pairs of gears and an electric motor
runs it.
• The motor and chain system are housed inside the
truss (a metal structure extending between two
floors).
• As the chain move, the steps always stay level.
• At the top and bottom of the escalator, the steps
collapse on each other, creating a flat platform.This
makes it easier to get on and off the escalator.
OPERATING
PRINCIPLE
 • Step Type Escalator
• Wheelchair Escalator
TYPES OF
• Spiral
ESCALATORS
• Levytator
 STEP TYPE ESCALATOR

The common type of escalator today. The steps are usually

metal, but very old step type escalators had wooden steps. It can
also go up/down, flat, then up/down again. On Otis Next Step
escalators, the escalator steps are mounted on most likely
hinged circles, and the track appears to be besides the steps,
visible from above the steps. This type of escalator is designed to
be safer than other step type escalators.
 WHEELCHAIR ESCALATOR

Wheelchair accessible escalator is nothing but a normal

escalator with special provisions for a wheelchair. In this type of
escalators, there is a special attendant. If a person with a
wheelchair steps onto the escalator, the escalator is put in a
special mode where 3 steps level out and a platform is formed.
Thereafter some spikes come out from the back of the step
closer to the lower landing of the wheelchair, thereby preventing
the wheelchair along with the person to fall down. These sorts
of escalators thereby becomes very useful for movement of
physically challenged as well as an old person within a building.
 SPIRAL ESCALATOR

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. Mitsubishi Electric, from Japan, is the
company only and exclusively manufacture spiral
escalator since 1985.
 LEVYTATOR

The newest type of escalator. This is a free type of escalator

that can curve multiple times in either upward or downward
direction. In this system, there are two escalators which
continuously share loops of steps and can also curve differently.
The steps of this escalator are also uniquely built.
 • Balustrade

COMPONENTS • Truss
OF ESCALATORS • Step
• Landing Platforms
BALUSTRADE
The side of an escalator extending above the Steps, which includes
Skirt Guard,Interior Panel,Deck Board and Moving Handrails.

1) MOVING HANDRAIL 3) DECK BOARD

A handhold that moves along the A decorative capping member of the
top of the Balustrade in balustrade of an escalator, which continues
synchronization with the Steps. in the traveling direction.

2) INTERIOR PANEL 4) SKIRT GUARD

The major panel portion of the Balustrade The lowest panel within the Balustrade,
located immediately below the Moving located immediately below the Inner Deck
Handrails,made of glass. and adjacent to the Steps at a slight gap
from the Steps.
TRUSS
Assembly of structural steel that supports the weight
and load of an escalator.
[2-1] Top Machine Room/Bottom Machine Room
1) CONTROL PANEL - Controls stop/start operation and
also supplies electric power to the Drive Unit.
2) DRIVE UNIT - A unit to drive the escalator, comprised of
electric motor, decelerator, electromagnetic brake, V belt,
Sprocket, and other components.

3) DRIVE CHAIN - A chain that transmits the Drive Unit's

power to the drive wheel (Sprocket).
4) SPROCKET (TOP/BOTTOM) - Drive wheels installed at
top and bottom to drive the Steps. The top Sprocket drives the
moving Steps, while the bottom sprocket turns the Steps.
TRUSS
Assembly of structural steel that supports
the weight and load of an escalator.

[2-2] Other Trusses Parts

1) MAIN TRACK - A rail to guide the Driving
Rollers.
2) TRAILING TRACK
- A rail to guide the Trailing Rollers.
3) MOVING HANDRAIL DRIVE UNIT
- A device that indirectly drives the Moving Handrail
at the same speed as the Steps via the Moving Handrail
Drive Chain.
STEP
The moving platform on which escalator passengers ride.
1) STEP TREAD - The part of the step
where a passenger stands.
2) RISER - The upright part of a Step.
3) STEP DEMARCATION LINE
- A yellow line along both sides of a Step to
demarcate the proper standing
area, thereby preventing passengers
from coming into contact with the Skirt
Guard and stumbling.
4) DRIVING (TRAILING) ROLLER
- Each Step is linked to the Step Chains via
the Step shaft and the wheels. The front
wheel is called the Driving Roller and the
rear wheel is called the Trailing Roller.
5) STEP CHAIN - A chain, located on
both sides of an escalator, connecting the
Steps and driven by the Step Chain
Sprocket.
LANDING PLATFORMS
The moving platform on which escalator passengers ride.

a) FLOOR PLATE - A removable steel d) ROUND LIGHT - A round light installed

plate finished with anti-slip patterns, typically on the Interior Panel at the boarding and
situated above the escalator trusswork at landing areas.
the boarding and landing areas.
e) COMB LIGHT - Lighting provided at
b) COMB PLATE - The section of the Comb level at the terminal ends of an escalator
Floor Plate on which the comb teeth for increased illumination.
segments are mounted.
f) UNDER-HANDRAIL LIGHTING
c) COMB - A section or steel plate with - Lighting installed under the Moving Handrails
teeth that mesh with the Step cleats at the (glass panel only).
boarding and landing areas, to prevent
fingers, feet or foreign objects from getting
caught between the moving Steps and Floor
Plate.
 • The vertical and horizontal distance to be spanned.
• The location.
• Other building infrastructure.
DESIGN • Traffic Patterns.
CONSIDERATION • Carrying capacity.
• Safety consideration.
• Aesthetic preferences.
 • There a number of factors that affect
the design of escalator systems, including:
• The vertical and horizontal distance to be spanned.
• The location.
• Other building infrastructure.
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
• Traffic patterns.
• Carrying capacity.
• Safety considerations.
• Aesthetic preferences.
REFERENCES:
• https://www.slideshare.net/MitaliGondaliya/lifts-46213003

• https://www.newsinheadlines.com/different-types-escalators/
• https://elevation.fandom.com/wiki/Escalator#:~:text=The%20step%20type%20escalator%20is,%2C%20then%20up%2
Fdown%20again.&text=This%20type%20of%20escalator%20is,than%20other%20step%20type%20escalators.
• https://www.mitsubishielectric.com/elevator/overview/e_m_walks/e_s_equipment.html
• https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Escalator
T HA N K Y O U !