Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor or accessory therefor specialized to convey people
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-31
2001-05-01
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor or accessory therefor specialized to convey people
C198S326000, C198S335000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223879
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a mounting assembly for attaching a roof support structure to an escalator or moving walkway.
Escalators or moving walkways are used to transport passengers along a generally flat path or can be used to move passengers from a lower level to an upper level. Often these escalators or moving walkways are not enclosed within buildings. Thus, passengers are exposed to undesirable external environmental elements such as rain, sun, and wind. Also, the environmental contaminants make the escalator or walkway more susceptible to damage. In order to protect the passengers from these environmental elements and to decrease the likelihood of failure due to environmental factors, it is desirable to at least partially enclose the escalator or moving walkway with a roof.
Currently, it is very difficult and expensive to connect a roof to an escalator or moving walkway. In order to attach a roof structure to current escalators or moving walkways, a separate supporting structure must be designed to provide adequate support for the additional weight. This is expensive and time consuming and requires a complete redesign of the existing escalator truss structure.
It is desirable to provide a mounting assembly for a roof structure that can be easily secured to the existing escalator truss structure. The assignee of the present application has developed such a mounting assembly that is inexpensive, easily installed, and which provides a roof structure that protects passengers and the escalator or moving walkway components from the environmental elements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A mounting assembly for securing a roof structure to an escalator or moving sidewalk includes at least one main bracket secured to a truss member that supports the escalator or moving walkway. At least one roof bracket is mounted for engagement with the main bracket and a roof support member is secured to the roof bracket for supporting the roof structure to at least partially enclose the escalator or moving walkway.
In a disclosed embodiment, the main bracket has a pair of channels extending along the length of the bracket and the roof bracket has a body portion with a pair of legs extending outwardly from the body portion. The legs are received in the channels to secure the roof bracket to the main bracket. Preferably, each of the legs includes a transversely extending distal end portion for gripping engagement with the channels to prevent vertical separation between the roof bracket and the main bracket.
A method for enclosing an escalator or moving walkway includes the following steps. Supporting the escalator or moving walkway with a truss structure. Securing at least one main bracket having at least one groove extending along the length of the bracket to the truss structure. Mounting at least one roof bracket having a tab to the main bracket. Interlocking the tab in the groove to prevent vertical separation between the main bracket and the roof bracket. Securing a roof support structure to the roof bracket and partially enclosing the escalator or moving walkway by attaching roofing to the roof support structure.
The various features and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows.
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patent: 5947266 (1999-09-01), Rionde
patent: 6006889 (1998-06-01), Caron
patent: 6138815 (1999-05-01), Reiners et al.
Carlson & Gaskey & Olds
Ellis Christopher P.
Otis Elevator Company
Sharma Rashmi
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