Escalators and Elevators

ESCALATOR

• An escalator is a moving staircase - a

conveyors transport device for carrying people
between floors of a building.
• The device consist of a motor-driven chain of
individually 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.
• Escalators have the capacity to move large
numbers of people, and they can be placed in
the same physical space as a staircase.
• TYPES
• PARALLEL
• up and down escalators “side by side or separated
by a distance”, seen often in metro situations and
multilevel motion picture theaters.
• CRISCROSS
• minimizes structural space requirements by
“stacking” escalators that go in one direction,
frequently used in department stores or shopping
centers.
• MULTIPLE PARALLEL
• two or more escalators together that travel in one
direction next to one one or two escalators in the
same bank that travel in the other direction.
CHARACTERISTIC
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 length and pitch of the escalator.

The building infrastructure must be able to support the heavy components.

The escalator should be located where it can be easily seen by the general public.

Furthermore, up and down escalator traffic should be physically separated and

should not lead into confined spaces.
• Factors :-
• Most escalators are designed with 1000mm wide steps which allow passengers to
move comfortably when carrying luggage and shopping bags.
• 600mm and 800mm wide steps are also available and generally used in low traffic
areas.
• Standard transportation speed ranges between 0.5 to 0.6m/s
• For a speed of 0.5m/s the theoretical capacity is :
• 600mm step width -4500 persons per hour
• 800mm step width-6750 persons per hour
• 1000mm step width-9000 person/hour
• Whenever possible its best to install two or more parallel sets of escalator.
The Escalator consists of the following components:
 
1. Landing Platforms.
2. Truss.
3. Tracks.
4. Steps.
5. Handrail.
6. Escalator Exterior (Balustrade).
7. Drive system.
8. Auto-Lubrication System.
9. Braking system.
10. Safety devices.
11. Electrical & Control Systems.
 Landing Platforms
• An escalator consists of top and bottom landing platforms connected by a
metal truss.
Top Platform :
The top platform contains the motor
assembly and the main drive gear.

Bottom Platform :
The bottom platform holds
the step return idler
sprockets.
Platforms contain floor plate and comb plate.
Comb plate
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.

Floor plate 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.

Floor plate
Truss
The escalator truss is the structural frame of the escalator and consists of three major areas: 
• Lower section, 
• Incline section,  Upper section
• Upper section.

• 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 bottom landing platforms via steel or
concrete supports.
• The truss carries all the straight track sections
connecting the upper and lower sections.
• The entire structure is rigid enough to
maintain close operating tolerances but will
allow for building shift and vibration because
of a built-in system of shift- plates and Teflon
lower section Incline section
pads. 
 Track
• 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).
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.
• 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.

step wheel track

trailer-wheel track
 Steps
• The steps are solid, one piece, die-cast
aluminum or steel.
• 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.

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.
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.
It is either designed as Interior Low-deck or Interior High-deck. 

The balustrade may also refer to the individual interior panels, skirt panels, and deck covers
of the escalator. Each interior balustrade panel section is individually removable to allow
easy access to the escalator interior for cleaning, maintenance, and component replacement.
Drive System
• An escalator drive system includes the following components :
• Drive Machine and Gear Reducer. -The Drive machine together with the gear reducer provides
the torque to drive the step band at a constant speed
• The Step 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
• The Handrail Drive System-The step motion is achieved by a direct step assembly connection
to the step chain. 
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. Oil flow rate is adjustable by setting the
automatic timer control “off” and “on” periods to supply more or less lubrication.
Braking system
• The braking systems on an escalator
utilize three different braking
methods as follows: 
The Machine Brake.
• The drive shaft brake system.
• The Main Drive Shaft Brake.

Safety device
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. 
 CONSIDERATIONS FOR ESCALATOR
A NUMBER OF FACTORS MUST BE CONSIDERED:
• PHYSICAL FACTORS
• LOCATION
• TRAFFIC PATTERNS
• SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS
• AESTHETIC PREFERENCES
• Foremost, physical factors like the vertical and horizontal distance to be spanned must be
considered. These factors will determine the length and pitch of the escalator.
• The building infrastructure must be able to support the heavy components. The escalator
should be located where it 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 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 escalators must be designed to carry
the required number of passengers.
 DESIGN OBJECTIVES FOR ESCALATOR
• FREE FLOW OF PEOPLE AND GOODS .
• SAFE OPERATION,COMFORT AND SERVICE .
• OCCUPY MINIIMUM SPACE AND REQUIRE LESS COSTS.
• AESTHETICS ,DISABLED ACCESS,ETC
ADVANTAGES
• IT HELPS A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN MOVING FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER ,AT
THE SAME TIME THEY REDUCE THE NEED OF ELEVATOR BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULD NOT
HAVE TO WAIT FOR ELEVATOR AND ESCALATOR CAN CARRY A LARGE NO OF PEOPLE.
• IT IS HELPFUL FOR THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE PAIN IN THEIR LEGS .I.E PROVIDE COMFORT TO
PEOPLE.
• ESCALATORS ARE EFFECTIVE WHEN USED AS A MEANS OF GUIDANCE AND CIRCUATION.
• THEIR SPEED CAN BE ADJUSTED WHICH IS HELPFUL IN MANAGING THE CROWD.
• THEY CAN BE USED AS STAIRCASE WHEN TURNED OFF.
DISADVANTAGES:
• WASTE OF ENERGY WHEN NOT IN USE.
• POSSIBLE INJURIES WHEN STOPPED SUDDENLY .
• SOURCE OF FEAR FOR SMALL CHILDREN.
 LIFTS
• A lift or an elevator is a type of vertical
transportation that moves people or
goods between levels of a building.
• Lifts are generally powered by electric
motors that either drive traction cables
or counterweight systems like a hoist,
or pump hydraulic fluid to raise a
cylindrical piston like a jack.

Major components of lifts are:

1. Car
2. Cables
3. Elevator machine
4. Control equipment
5. Counterweights
6. Hoist-way
7. Rails
8. Pit
 TRACTION ELEVATOR
GEARED TRACTION ELEVATOR:
• Geared traction machines are driven by AC or DC
electric motors.
• They use worm gears to control mechanical
movement of elevator cars by “rolling” steel hoist
ropes over a drive sheave which is attached to a
gear box driven by a high speed motor.
• USE: For basement or overhead traction use for
speeds upto 500 feet per minute.
 TRACTION ELEVATOR

GEARLESS TRACTION ELEVATOR:

• Low speed
• High torque electric motors powered either by AC or DC.
• In this case the drive sheave is directly attached to the end of the motor.
• They can reach speeds of upto 2000 feet per minute, or even higher.
 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF TRACTION
ELEVATOR

ADVANTAGES:
• higher speed compared with the hydraulic variety
• can be used in tall, modern, 21st-century buildings.
• smoother ride
• more energy-efficient as the counterweight balances the car load.
DISADVANTAGES:
• Cost.
• Installation can be 15 to 25 per cent more expensive that a hydraulic
system.
• difficult to maintain- as the machine’s controls are located in the shaft
headroom.
• This area could be difficult to access.
 INSTALLATION OF LIFTS

• Equipment delivery and hoisting;

• Guide rail installation;
• Architrave, landing door, hall button and indicator installation;
• Machine room and machine-room-less devices installation;
• Electrical wiring;
• Assembly of cage, counterweight and roping; and
• Adjusting and testing
BEFORE INSTALLING LIFT, CHECK THE FOLLOWING:
Lift Location: Making sure adequate space is available Your lift requires a 220v, 30amp,
single phase, grounded electrical source
Overhead Area : The area where the lift will be located should be free of overhead
obstructions such as heaters, building supports, electrical lines, doors, lights, etc.
Floor Area: Visually inspect the site where the lift is to be installed and check for cracked or
defective concrete
Floor Requirements : A level floor is suggested for proper installation and level lifting.
Small differences in floor slopes may be compensated.
 Travelator
A moving walkway or moving sidewalk ,
known in British English as a travelator
or travolator is a slow moving conveyor
mechanism that transports people across a
horizontal or inclined plane over a short
to medium distance. Moving walkways
can be used by standing or walking on
them. They are often installed in pairs,
one for each direction.
Thank You

• Kirati Amin
• Hiral Jhadakia
• Ayushi Maheshwari
• Tithi Modi
• Jayna Panchal
• Dhwani Patel
• Dolly Patel
• Karishma Shah