It is well known that the gap between the side wall of an escalator and an escalator step presents a risk of entrapment and is potentially dangerous to people using the escalator. Furthermore, if objects fall into the gap they may obstruct the mechanism or may present a fire hazard, It is therefore important that the gap is guarded (i.e at least partially covered) in use. To overcome these problems, it is known to use brush safety strips fixed to the sides of the escalator at a position just above the upper surface of the steps (the step nose line) to cover the gap and thereby to prevent objects from being trapped in or falling through the gap.
It is also known to provide a brush safety strip which is held to the escalator side wall by means of an elongate plastics or aluminium extrusion. During installation, the extrusion is screwed to the side wall of the escalator and then the brush strip is slid into a recess from one end of the extrusion. The brush strip is not particularly flexible, so problems can arise at the top and bottom transition radii of the escalator, in which areas it is necessary for the brush strip to follow the curve of the escalator steps- In order to allow the brush strip elements to be fitted easily, it has been necessary to split the plastics extrusion into straight portions and curved portions and to supply the brush strip in corresponding relatively short curved and straight lengths. This makes the fitting of the brush strips particularly difficult and time-consuming in the regions of the transition radii. An object of the invention is to facilitate the fitting of brush strip elements, and to improve the appearance of the installation as a whole.
According to the present invention there is provided a guard device comprising a deflector for guarding the gap between an escalator step and an escalator side wall, the guard device further comprising:
an elongate body portion having an elongate recess adapted to receive a base of the deflector with some play, a mouth of the recess being sufficiently wide to allow the base of the deflector to be inserted through it into the recess; and
an elongate wedging element adapted to be slid into an end of the recess between the base of the deflector and a side wall of the body portion, thereby taking up the said play and retaining the deflector in the body portion.
Preferably the said side wall of the body portion is provided with a surface formation which interengages with a corresponding surface formation on the wedging element.
Preferably the wedging element is provided with a lip or ridge, which in the assembled condition of the guard device retains the base of the deflector in the recess.
Preferably the body portion comprises a base, the said side wall and a second side wall, the second side wall being provided with a lip or ridge in the region of the mouth of the recess, which, in the assembled condition of the guard device, retains the base of the deflector in the recess.
Preferably the base of the body portion is provided with fixing holes. The holes may be counter sunk to receive the heads of fixing elements such as screws or bolts.
Preferably the guard device further comprises an elongate mounting portion which is adapted to contact the escalator side wall, the body portion being provided with a formation which inter-engages with a corresponding formation provided on the mounting portion.
Preferably, one formation comprises a continuous recess and the other formation comprises a continuous rib. The rib is preferably barbed and the recess comprises a slot which narrows towards its mouth. Most preferably, the rib and the recess are substantially T-shaped in cross-section
Preferably at least two formations are provided on the body portion and/or the mounting portion The formations preferably extend in parallel and at spaced apart locations along the body portion and/or the mounting portion. If there are a plurality of surface formations on the body portion and/or on the mounting. portion, preferably, one of the surface formations is higher or deeper than the others
A plurality of body portions or mounting portions can be interconnected to space the deflector away from the side wall of the escalator. Although only a single deflector could be used, preferably the body portion is provided with a plurality of deflectors located one above the other when the guard element is installed on an escalator The deflectors preferably comprise lengths of brush strip which may be angled downwardly from the side wall or skirting panel towards the step nose line.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds