US3580182A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Variable-speed transport apparatus
Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute Inc
•
Filing: 1969-04-22
•
Granted: 1971-05-25
•
Expires: 1989-04-22
Abstract
Abstract A variable-speed passenger transporter for conveying passengers from a stationary surface to a belt moving at constant speed, which includes a plurality of rhomboid platforms driven along guide means in a closed circuit along a section of which the platforms are in contacting relationship to form a moving floor. Along the initial portion of this section the platforms travel at low speed and at right angles to their center lines towards the belt but at an angle thereto. Along the following portion they are shifted along one another without changing their orientation to increase their speed until they come alongside the belt. The platforms then move with the belt at more or less the same speed as the latter and at an angle thereto, the oblique ends of the rhomboid platforms providing the moving floor with a substantially straight edge at least alongside the belt. A reverse, decelerating, arrangement and various modified constructional forms are also provided.
Inventors
- 👤 Gabriel Bouladon
- 👤 Paul Zuppiger
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 18:27
CPC Classifications
B; B66; B66B; B66B29/00; B66B29/08; B66B21/00; B66B21/10; B66B21/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
272 words
A transporter, in particular for conveying passengers, comprising a plurality of transport platforms which have parallel longitudinal sides and which are arranged to travel over a closed circuit, common drive means for driving said platforms at a relatively low speed transversely to their respective longitudinal axis across a loading or unloading zone of said circuit and at a higher speed over at least one transport section of said circuit along a trajectory which is transverse to the one followed by said platforms when moving at said low speed, said circuit including at least one link section lying between said transport section and said loading or unloading zone over which the speed of each platform is brought gradually from its higher value to its lower value or vice versa, and means for defining a passageway to be followed by the users over the portion of the circuit lying between said loading or unloading zone and the terminal or starting end of said transport section respectively, said transporter further comprising guide means for guiding said platforms in their movement such that each platform remains in mutual contact with its two adjacent platforms along at least part of its longitudinal sides throughout displacement along said passageway, the forward motion of said platforms, at least along said higher speed transport section of the circuit, taking place at an angular position such that the longitudinal side of said platforms form in relation to their direction of motion angle lying between 0* and 90* and the lengthwise extent of said platforms being at least sufficient to form a continuous moving floor over the entire area of said passageway.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
272 words
A transporter, in particular for conveying passengers, comprising a plurality of transport platforms which have parallel longitudinal sides and which are arranged to travel over a closed circuit, common drive means for driving said platforms at a relatively low speed transversely to their respective longitudinal axis across a loading or unloading zone of said circuit and at a higher speed over at least one transport section of said circuit along a trajectory which is transverse to the one followed by said platforms when moving at said low speed, said circuit including at least one link section lying between said transport section and said loading or unloading zone over which the speed of each platform is brought gradually from its higher value to its lower value or vice versa, and means for defining a passageway to be followed by the users over the portion of the circuit lying between said loading or unloading zone and the terminal or starting end of said transport section respectively, said transporter further comprising guide means for guiding said platforms in their movement such that each platform remains in mutual contact with its two adjacent platforms along at least part of its longitudinal sides throughout displacement along said passageway, the forward motion of said platforms, at least along said higher speed transport section of the circuit, taking place at an angular position such that the longitudinal side of said platforms form in relation to their direction of motion angle lying between 0* and 90* and the lengthwise extent of said platforms being at least sufficient to form a continuous moving floor over the entire area of said passageway.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
57 words
A transporter according to claim 1, wherein the platforms are quadrilaterals and wherein at least one of the two sides of each platform which lie between the said longitudinal sides forms therewith an angle corresponding to that of the inclination of these longitudinal sides relatively to the trajectory of said platform along the higher speed transport section.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
171 words
A transporter according to claim 1, wherein each platform comprises a panel having parallel longitudinal edges, defining the longitudinal sides of said platform, and symmetrical triangular end portions, the two oblique edges of said portions each forming with the longitudinal edge of the panel adjacent thereto an angle which corresponds to that at which the longitudinal sides of the platform lie relatively to its trajectory along the higher speed transport section of said circuit, and further comprises two triangular flaps each hinged along one of the said oblique edges and selectively movable into a first, operative, position in coplanar relationship with said panel and a second, inoperative, downwardly folded position, each flap having a first edge parallel to said one oblique edge on which it is hinged, a second edge in alignment with the adjacent longitudinal edge of said panel, when said flap is raised into its operative position, and a third edge in alignment with the other of said two oblique edges in said raised operative position of said flap.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
97 words
A transporter according to claim 1, wherein each platform comprises a central panel having parallel longitudinal edges, defining the longitudinal sides of said platform, and two triangular flaps pivotally mounted on opposite ends of said panel, and wherein means are provided for selectively swinging each flap into a first operative position in which one of the edges of said flap is in substantial alignment with one longitudinal edge of said panel, and into a second operative position in which the other edge of said flap is in substantial alignment with the other longitudinal edge of said panel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
82 words
A transporter according to claim 4, wherein said platform-guiding means are so adapted that when said platforms follow a curved trajectory, at a constant speed of travel, they come into contact at diagonally opposite ends of the longitudinal sides of their central panels, and that the triangular flaps of each platform come into contact, one with one of the longitudinal sides of the first platform that is adjacent thereto and the other with the other longitudinal side of the second adjacent platform.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
102 words
A transporter according to claim 1, wherein each platform is formed with at least one vertical hole through which extends an upright rod for the support of passengers, means being provided for causing said rod to slide upwardly into a projecting, operative, position upon said platform reaching the entry of said passageway and downwardly into a retracted, inoperative, position upon said platform reaching the exit of said passageway, said rod-actuating means maintaining said rod in said projecting position throughout displacement of said platform along said passageway and in said retracted position while said platform moves along said link section of the circuit.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
A transporter as claimed in claim 6, wherein said rod is provided at its lower end with a head and wherein said rod-actuating means include a guide rail for engaging said head, said guide rail being so shaped as to form a cam controlling vertical movement of said rod relatively to said platform.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
154 words
A transporter according to claim 7, wherein each platform is provided with at least two upright support rods which form in said passageway together with the rods of the other platforms two separate rows, wherein said rod-actuating means include, per row of rods, at least one guide rail extending over at least one part of its length upstream of the loading zone or downstream of the unloading zone, respectively, and over another part of its length downstream from the terminal or starting end of said transport section respectively, and wherein a trench is provided for the passage of the rods of each row in their retracted position, said trench extending along said link section of the circuit and said guide rails extending from the bottom of said trench to the edge thereof and vice versa in the zones of the circuit where they are required to effect upward or downward actuation of the rods.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
112 words
A transporter according to claim 8, wherein partition walls are provided at the entry to said passageway in the loading zone for channelling passengers entering said passageway, said walls being equal in number to the rows of support rods and being each arranged in the line of motion of a particular row, and wherein each wall is longitudinally slotted whereby said rods may pass thereinto during upward movement thereof, and has a height less than the height of the rods in their projecting position whereby said rods may successively emerge from the top of said wall to an extent which is at least sufficient for them to be grasped by oncoming passengers.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
95 words
A transporter according to claim 8, wherein, downstream from the exit of said passageway in the unloading zone, are provided a plurality of slots equal in number to the rows of support rods and communicating with said trench, and wherein the edges of each slot are provided with elastic strips which normally close off said slot through overlapping one another, said strips having a rigIdity such that they cannot flex vertically under the mere weight of passengers whereas they are adapted to open upon passage of a rod, promptly to close again after such passage.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
A transporter according to claim 1, wherein the width of the entry to said passageway, in the loading zone, is less than the width of the exit from said passageway, in the unloading zone.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-05-24 | 1974-11-23 | 1975-05-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-05-24 | 1978-11-23 | 1979-05-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-05-24 | 1982-11-23 | 1983-05-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |