No_5_1955 — Page 53

ESCALATORS

A BRIEF RESUME OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND FACTORS RELATING TO ESCALATORS

During the latter part of the 19th cen- Surveys of accidents have proved that tury there are on record attempts by many only one quarter of the number of ac- persons in different parts of the world to cidents, which occur on stairs, are experi- perfect some means of moving stairs, most enced on escalators, attempts being based upon the endless belt principle. There are recorded several applications for patent rights at this time covering endless

arrangements to which were attached bucket seats.

belt

The principle was that one stood astrad- ile at a designated point and the next bucket on the endless belt was supposed to gently collect you and carry you up to the next floor level.

At that stage, you were supposed to walk away, incidentally very fast, so as to miss being caught by the returning bucket. Needless to say,

such ideas were not practical.

The average escalator has more than 30,000 parts and is installed at a working angle of 30 degrees. The average operat- ing speed is go feet per minute.

The largest escalator installation in the world at present is in Macy's Store in America, where there are 70 escalators in the one building, but as soon as present construction work is finished the 'Kaufman Department Store' in Pittsburgh will have go escalators under one roof.

The first escalator installation for the London Underground was completed in The first practical escalator went into October 1911 for the Earl's Court Station. operation in 1900.

At this time there were two companies working on the development and sale of moving stairways. One manufacturer ex- hibited his product at the Paris Exposi- tion in 1900 and was awarded a gold

medal. At the same time the other manu-

facturer was installing his equipment in the 59th Street Station of 3rd Avenue, New York, and this is today still in use. Truly, a remarkable piece of engineering.

The disadvantage of the escalator in stalled in the subway was the fact that there was no definite step to stand on. whereas that shown in Paris incorporated a horizontal step, such as we know today.

Within a few years all manufacturers were utilising the normal step type of "scalator design. One disadvantage of these early escalators was that the steps at the upper and lower landings disappear ed beneath a wall, which was inclined to the escalator. Most large firms had an attendant stationed at the landing to assist passengers off.

It was

not until 1927 that the first escalator of the modern type seen today was manufactured. This Tw design, a improvment, permitted persons to enter directly into the escalators and to leave them in the same manner.

vast

As a matter of interest at this time many attempts were made to adapt the principle of escalators to large distance horizontal travel. In fact a sidewalk of this kind was made and put into opera tion at the Paris Exposition of that year, where the people were carried between two buildings at the rate of five miles per hour, equivalent to a fast walk.

This was the only time the idea was actually put into practice and talks of other projects of that nature soon died down.

The first escalators for the New York underground system were completed in 1900 at 59th Street Station of 3rd Avenue.

escalators in the world were those in the Until recently the largest and fastest Leicester Square station of the London Underground. They rise a vertical dis- tance of 81 feet and move at a rate of 150 ft. per min., twice the speed of the aver: age escalator. They have, however, lost their distinction of being the largest escala- tors in the world, due to the installation of escalators under the River Tyne in Scotland for serving the Tyne tunnel. These escalators have a rise of 85 ft.

Furthermore, there are even ocean-going escalators. These are installed in the S.S. Nieuw Amsterdam.

Hong Kong's first escalators have alrea- dy been installed in the new Hong Kong Jockey Club's Stands at Happy Valley, and these six units have more than proved their worth in the handling of the crowds during the race meetings. For the first few days, due to the fact that these were a new addition to Hong Kong's many and interesting aspects, most of unique the time was spent by the people in joy riding, but since the initial novelty has worn off the traffic flow throughout the whole of the race meeting is handled very smoothly and efficiently.

These units, incidentally, are operating at a speed of 110 ft. per min. and the two large escalators serving ground to first floor have a handling capacity of 10,000 persons per hour, and the smaller units serving first to second, second to third. handle 6,000 people per hour.

Photograph of one of the OTIS Escala- lors installed at the new Hong Kong Jockey Club's Stands at Happy Valley

to the designs as incorporated in the Hong These escalators will be slightly different Kong Jockey Club's premises in as much

as

cleated risers, or steps, will be incor- porated and the necessity for this latest development on escalators has been brought about due to the following experience.

It has been found in other parts of the world that the escalator steps in fo'ding at the upper landing had a slight tendency to pinch the plastic over-shoes that women use these days, and also the same cireu m- stances were prevalent with relation to

ranvas shoes. As a lot of the public will be using these escalator: wearing there shoes it was obvious that it was necessary to provide ways and means of preventing any such pinching, therefore the face of the steps have also been designed with a 'eated surface so that as the stens fold at the upper landing the cleats from the following step comb out the face of the

<ten in front of it in such a manner that

it is impossible for any object to be jam. med or pinched.

This development has only just heen released in the United States and these two escalators will be included in the first dozen supplied in the world, and in any

case the first installed anywhere outside of the United States of America.

tors 23

It appears that we are now on the thres- Hong Kong's second escalator installa- tion has already been contracted for and hold of a new development in Hong Kong, two units will be installed in the arcade of the potentialities of which can be readily the new building at present being con. assessed. and it will not be long before all structed along one whole side of Pottinger the residents of the Colony accent escala- Street, with tall sections of the building

part and parcel of their normal facing both Des Voeux Road and Queen's routine life, thinking back occasionally Road. As Queen's Road is approximately and wondering how they could have got Escalators originally were assumed limit- 20 ft. above the level of Des Voeux Road by without them. ed in use for department stores and sub- at this section escalators have been incor- ways only. but they are now no longer porated for the convenience of customers strictly for this type of duty. They have and tenants in the building, and they will medium for be installed at the Des Voeux Road end handling huge volumes of traffic in fac- of the building coupling that street level tories, office buildings and public gather with the Queen's Road arcade of the ing places.

premises.

come into their own as a

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In as much as vou can buy cars in can also purchase different colours you your escalator in different colours, so the owner and architect have the advantage of being able to mould the escalator installa- tion in with his general colour scheme.