ESCALATORS

Vivek Kamlesh Karelia

Final year B.Arch
Roll no – 13
Asmita college of architecture
ESCALATORS
 Definition – An ESCALATOR is a moving staircase conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building.
 Tall buildings are not possible without lifts and escalators.
 Lift = Elevators.
 Escalators = moving staircase or Elevators + Steps
 Conveyors = moving walkways.
 The first escalators was designed by "Jesse Reno in the year 1892.
 Ocean Park, which is situated in Hong Kong, has 220M long outdoor escalator which is the longest outdoor escalator.
 The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.
 Escalators are used around the world to move pedestrian traffic in places where elevators would be impractical.
 Principal areas of usage include department stores, shopping malls, airports, transit systems, convention centres, hotels, and public buildings.
 Escalators are one of the largest, most expensive machines people use on a regular basis, but they're also one of the simplest.
 A pair of rotating chain loops pull a series of stairs in a constant cycle, moving a lot of people a short distance at a good speed.

A TYPCAL ARRANGEMENT OF AN ESCALATOR

 ARCHITECTURAL REQUIREMENTS OF AN ESCALATOR.
 Intermediate support beams must be provided.
 The level of the escalator Floor Plate must be higher than the floor finish of the building to minimize the chance of rain or cleaning water running into the escalator
truss.
 Area B in the illustrations to the right must be at a slope of at least 10 degrees, and the surface of A must be horizontal to minimize
 the risk of passengers stumbling.
 Drainage must be provided in the entire area marked C and covered with grating to keep away drain water.
 In addition, the upper pit floor must be sloped towards the lower floor, to let any water in the pit drain out and down.
 If there is a chance of the lower machine room getting flooded, drainage equipment, such as a drain pump, must be provided to discharge any water.
 Water in the lower pit will contain lubrication oil, so a grease trap should be provided to separate the lubrication oil from the water.
 The capacity of the grease trap is determined according to the escalator size .

 BENEFITS OF AN ESCALATOR.
  Escalators are used around the world to move pedestrian traffic in places where elevators would be impractical.
 They have the capacity to move large number of people.
 They have no waiting interval except during heavy traffic.
 they can be used to guide people towards the main exit or special exhibits.
 They may be weather proofed for outdoor use.

 ANATOMY OF A TYPICAL ESCALATOR

 Escalators and their cousin, the moving walkways, are powered by constant speed alternate current motors and move at approximately 0.3 - 0.6M per second.
 Steps widths : 400mm, 600mm, 800mm, 1000mm.
 The maximum angle of inclination of an escalator to the horizontal floor level is 30 - 35 degrees.
 Modern escalators have single piece aluminum or steel steps that moves on a system of tracks in a continuous loop.
 Escalators are required to have moving handrails that keep pace with the movement of the steps.
 Occupancy ellipse = 600mm x 450mm (0.21m2).
 Each step in the escalator has two sets of wheels, which roll along two separate tracks.

PRIMARY COMPONENTS OF AN ESCALATOR.

 The upper set (the wheels near the top of the step) are connected to the rotating chains, and so are pulled by the drive gear at the top of the escalator.
 The other set of wheels simply glides along its track following behind the first set.
  The tracks are spaced apart in such a way that each step will always remain leveled.
 At the top and bottom of the escalator, the tracks level off to a horizontal position, flattening the stairway.
 Each step has a series of grooves in it, so it will fit together with step behind it and in front of it during this flattening.
 The speed of the escalator varies from 90 feet per minute to 180 feet per minute.
 An escalator moving at the speed of 145 feet per minute can carry more than 10,000 people per hour i.e many more than a standard elevator.
 (Escalator handling capacity) N = (3600 x P x V x cosθ) / L, where N = no. of person/hr, P = no of person/step, V = escalator speed, L = length of step(m), θ +
angle of incline.
 (person/min) Ce = V k s, where V = speed along incline(m/s), k = average density of people (people/step), s = number of escalator steps/meter

 TYPES OF ESCALATORS ACCORDING TO THE LAYOUT

A. CRISSCROSS LAYOUT
  An escalator installation where the adjacent units have boarding and de-boarding points at opposite ends from each other.

B. PARALLEL LAYOUT

C. MULTIPLE PARALLEL LAYOUT

 DESIGN AND LAYOUT CONSIDERRATIONS
 A number of factors affect escalator design, including physical requirements, location, traffic patterns, safety considerations, and aesthetic preferences.
 Foremost, physical factors like the vertical and horizontal distance to be spanned must be considered.
 These factors will determine the pitch of the escalator and its actual length.
 The ability of the building infrastructure to support the heavy components is also a critical physical concern.
 Location is important because escalators should be situated where they can be easily seen by the general public.
 In department stores, customers should be able to view the merchandise easily.
 Furthermore, up and down escalator traffic should be physically separated and should not lead into confined spaces.
 Traffic patterns must also be anticipated in escalator design.
 In some buildings, the objective is simply to move people from one floor to another, but in others there may be a more specific requirement, such as
funneling visitors towards a main exit or exhibit.
 The number of passengers is important because escalators are designed to carry a certain maximum number of people.
 For example, a single-width escalator travelling at about 1.5 feet (0.46 m) per second can move an estimated 170 persons per five minute period.
 The carrying capacity of an escalator system must match the expected peak traffic demand, presuming that passengers ride single file.
 This is crucial for applications in which there are sudden increases in the number of riders.

 COMPONENTS OF AN ESCALATOR

A. HANDRAIL AND BALUSTRADES

  Each balustrade carried on its top a moving 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.
 In addition to rotating the main chain loops, the electric motor in an escalator also moves the handrails.
 A handrail is simply a rubber conveyer belt that is looped around a series of wheels.
 This belt is precisely configured so that it moves at exactly the same speed as the steps, to give riders some stability.
 The handrail is constructed of four distinct sections.
 At the centre of the handrail is a slider.
 Next layer is known as the "tension member" which consists of either steel cable or flat steel tape.
 On top of the tension member are the inner construction components,
 The uppermost or the outer layer which is the blend of synthetic polymer and rubber.
 The escalator handrail is wrapped around a portion of the drive wheel and two pressure rollers.
 The escalator handrail is driven by the drive wheel with the assistance of the uphill pressure roller and downhill pressure roller applying pressure to the handrail as
it passes through each of the first and second nips.
 There are also guide rollers with at least one positioned adjacent to the downhill and uphill sides of the drive wheel .

B. TRUSS
 Main supports usually a pair of trusses.
 Main function is to support the escalator.
 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.
  The ends of the truss are attached to the top and the bottom landing platforms via steel or concrete supports.
 The truss carries all the straight track sections connecting the upper and the lower section.

C. 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.
 In addition, the platforms contain a floor plate and a comb-plate.
 The floor plate provides a place for the passengers to stand before they step onto the moving stairs.
 This plate is flush with the finished floor and is either hinged or removable to allow easy access to the machinery below.
 The comb-plate is the piece between the stationary floor plate and the moving step.
 It is so named because its edge has a series of cleats that resemble the teeth of a comb.
 These teeth mesh with matching cleats on the edges of the steps.
 This design is necessary to minimize the gap between the stair and the landing, which helps prevent objects from getting caught in the gap.
UPPER MODULE

LOWER MODULE
D. 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.
 There are actually two tracks: one for the front wheels of the steps (called the step-wheel track) and one for the back wheels of the steps (called the trailer-wheel
track).
 The relative positions of these tracks cause the steps to form a staircase as they move out from under the comb-plate.
 Along the straight section of the truss the tracks are at their maximum distance apart.
 This configuration forces the back of one step to be at a 90-degree angle relative to the step behind it. This right angle bends the steps into a shape resembling a
staircase.
 At the top and bottom of the escalator, the two tracks converge so that the front and back wheels of the steps are almost in a straight line.
 This causes the stairs to lay in a flat sheet like arrangement, one after another, so they can easily travel around the bend in the curved section of track.
 The tracks carry the steps down along the underside of the truss until they reach the bottom landing, where they pass through another curved section of track
before exiting the bottom landing.
 At this point the tracks separate and the steps once again assume a staircase configuration. This cycle is repeated continually as the steps are pulled from bottom to
top and back to the bottom again.

E. STEPS
 The steps themselves are solid, one piece, die-cast aluminium or steel.
 Yellow demarcation lines may be added to clearly indicate their edges.
 In most escalator models manufactured after 1950, both the riser and the tread of each step is cleated with comb like protrusions that mesh with the comb-plates
on the top and bottom platforms and the succeeding steps in the chain.
 The steps are linked by a continuous metal chain that forms a closed loop.
 The front and back edges of the steps are each connected to two wheels.
 The rear wheels are set further apart to fit into the back track and the front wheels have shorter axles to fit into the narrower front track.
 Grooves along the corner edge of each step improves anti slip performance while improving the visibility of each step for further passenger safety, especially in
downward operation.
 Demarcation along both sides of a step extrudes from the step surface, thereby preventing passengers from getting too close or coming in contact with the skirt
guard.
 The smaller the angle of the comb plate the more safe while boarding out of the escalator and to keep the passengers and items such as baggage from stumbling or
getting caught between the comb plate and steps.
 Brighter colour should be used to demarcate the edges of the steps, floor landing and the comb plate for proper visibility, usually marked with yellow colour.
F. DRIVE SYSTEMS
 a. Step Drive System

b. Handrail Drive system

 The variation on how these two systems are combined is dependent on 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.

G. LOCATION OF THE DRIVE SYSTEMS

 I. EXTERNAL DRIVE SYSTEM ( outside truss)
 The main drive machine is located in the upper pit area or in a separate machine room located below the upper section of the escalator.
 An external drive located in the upper pit area may employ a direct motor to gearbox drive, or a motor to gear reducer with a chain
drive.
 An external drive escalator with the drive unit located within a machine room beneath the upper landing will normally employ a
motor/gearbox with a chain drive extending to the upper landing.

II. INTERNAL DRIVE SYSTEM (inside truss)

 The main drive machine is located at the upper landing within the truss, between the step bands of the escalator.
 It employs a motor to gearbox drive with a direct drive axle connection.
 A separate dual drive machine within the step band is not uncommon with one machine used to directly drive the step chains located a
few feet below the upper incline and one above the lower incline.
 III. MODULAR DRIVE SYSTEM (within the incline of the truss)
 he main drive is located within the incline of the truss within the step band.
 The motor may be directly connected to the gearbox or it may transfer power through a belt drive.
 The gearbox will have a direct connection to the drive axle.
 A modular escalator may have a single drive or a multiple drive depending on the overall length of the escalator.

H. MOTOR CONTROL
  The drive systems incorporate a solid-state soft-start controller.
 These new types of power control offer the ability to adjust the motor power to match the load.
 Modular soft-starters allow for gradual smooth starting of three-phase squirrel cage motors.
 Unlike conventional (older) electromechanical starting systems, these devices allow precise adjustment of motor starting torque, eliminating mechanical shocks to
the system’s components.

I. MOTOR & GEAR REDUCER

 The drive motor together with the gear reducer, deliver the necessary torque.
 The Main Drive Gear or gear reducer assembly may be a single-stage type gear reducer.
 This is an enclosed, mechanical device that takes the drive motor torque and transmits this torque to the bull gear through a gearbox shaft (pinion) or the main
drive chain.
 The gear reducer assembly contains a steel worm gear that is coupled or directly sleeved onto the motor shaft and it meshes with the pinion (bronze) gear.
 AUTO LUBRICATION SYSTEM
 The Automatic Lubrication System supplies oil to lubricate the main drive chain, step chain, and the handrail drive chains.
 Oil flow rate is adjustable by setting the automatic timer control “off” and “on” periods to supply more or less lubrication.
 The system dispenses pre-determined amounts of oil to the distribution network which delivers this oil to the bearing points.
 BRAKING SYSTEM
 The Brakes in escalator applications have to be fail-safe.
 Either hydraulically or electromagnetically.
  The most widely used brake types on escalators are either hydraulic or electromagnetic.
 An intelligent braking system would require a brake than can be proportionally controlled.
 Hydraulic brakes are more amenable to proportional control than electromagnetic brakes.
 The problem with electromagnetic brakes is that they can either be set in the on or off positions, and it is not possible to keep them in intermediate positions
in order to vary the pressure.
 Hydraulic brakes on the other hand can be controlled by varying the oil pressure that acts against the springs.
 So hydraulic brakes are more preferable.
 The hydraulic pressure can be varied by controlling the valves that control the flow of the oil.
 MODES OF OPERATION
1. Continuous operation is the optimal mode for the commercial sector in which customers are to be transported efficiently to the upper floors of the
store.
 2. Stop-&-go operation is recommended for the intermittent arrival of passengers or for sporadic use outside peak times. Typical applications include
movie theaters, airports, subway stations and railway stations. The unit remains ready for operation when there are no passengers, as signaled by a
direction indicator. The Schindler entrance monitoring system detects approaching passengers and sets the escalator/moving walk into motion
whenever required.

 SAFETY PLANNING
1. SAFETY ZONE
 The entry and exit zone shall be kept clear of all the obstacles.
 The width of the zone shall be not less than the width between the centerlines of the handrail plus 8"(200mm).
 The length of the zone, measured from the end of the newel, shall be no less than twice the distance between the centerlines of the handrail.
 Space shall be provided to accommodate all traffic in the safety zone.

Note: These dimensions are absolute minimum.

2. ADDITIONAL DECK BARRICADE

 The use of an additional deck barricade located at a height of 35"(900mm) prevents people from getting onto the escalator from outside of
the balustrades, when outer decking exceeds 5"(130mm).
3. SKIRT BRUSHES

 They are intended to prevent passenger foot entrapment within the step/skirt running clearance.

4. CLEARANCE ABOVE STEPS

 The clearance above the steps must be at least 2134 mm that is 7'-0".
5. LIGHTING

 Lighting can be provided along the entire length of the skirt guard.

 Lighting can be provided at the comb level which increases illumination, which further improves passanger safety around the step as well as
visual effect.

6. HANDRAIL INLET CAP LED INDICATOR.

 Led lamps form an arrow to indicate the escalator's travelling direction for boarding or no-entry sign at landing areas.
7. OUT DECK SENSOR.

 When a sensor on the outer deck detects a passenger leaning outside the moving handrail
 A buzzer and voice sound to alert the passenger to the potential danger of bumping against an adjacent escalator or wall.

8. INLET SENSOR.

 This sensor keeps any passenger or foreign object away from the handrail inlet.
 A warning buzzer and voce sounding when a person or object comes close to the inlet.
9. FLOOR NUMBERS ON FLOOR PLATES

 Floor numbers can be engraved on each floor plate to help passengers quickly identify which floor they are on.
 Anti slip patterns on the surface also provides increased safety.

10. EMERGENCY STOP BUTTON

 In case of emergency the escalator can be brought to an emergency stop by an emergency stop button provided at the bottom of the deck
board bellow the handrail inlet.
11. FLUOROPOLYMER COATING ON SKIRT GUARD AND DECK BOARD.

 Flo The Skirt Guard can be coated with a friction-reducing resin to reduce the chance of passengers stumbling when their shoes come in
contact with the Skirt Guard.

12. VVVF CONTROL ( VARIABLE VOLTAGE, VARIABLE FREQUENCY)

 Now a day's escalator inverter enables a unique way of controlling the escalator speed in Automatic and Variable-Speed Operations.
 In Variable-Speed Operation, the escalator speed can be selected according to the frequency of use, number of passengers, and more.

13. POST FREE AUTOMATIC OPERATION

 Sensor Posts are no longer needed, as the sensors embedded in the Handrail Inlet Cap detect passengers and control Automatic Operation.
 The escalator operates at a low speed in stand-by, and gradually increases speed to the rated speed after detecting a passenger approaching
the boarding area.

14. AUTOMATIC OPERATION WITH POST

 Sensor Posts located on both sides of the landing and boarding areas incorporate traditional Beam Sensors, with
 or without Directional Indicators allowing or denying passenger entry.