Device forming a moving handrail for an accelerated moving walkway

Claim 1

A moving handrail for an accelerated moving walkway which comprises: a plurality of handholds mounted on upper carriages which move over at least one rollway and guideway rail; flexible link elements connecting two consecutive upper carriages, each of said link elements having a common length; a direction-changing member associated with each said flexible link element for enabling each said flexible link element to fold over and face said upper carriages to which said flexible link element is connected; each said flexible link element being anchored to two backing carriages that move over at least one other rollway and guideway rail situated at a distance from the at least one rollway and guideway rail; said distance between said at least one rollway and guideway rail and said at least one other rollway and guideway rail varying so as to accelerate and decelerate said upper and backing carriages between a maximum speed and a minimum speed; each of said rails being shaped into a loop having a bottom run and a top run extending along a portion of the loop, said bottom run and top run being rectilinear and mutually parallel respectively in a bottom zone and a top zone; each of said rails having curved end portions which define turn around zones for turning around assemblies comprising said handholds, said link elements, and the backing carriages; a divergence zone in which said at least one other rollway and guideway rail diverges away from said at least one rollway and guideway rail, said divergence zone being situated beyond the top zone and before each turn around zone; a convergence zone in which said at least one other rollway and guideway rail converges toward said at least one rollway and guideway rail; a horizontal safety zone situated at both ends of the top zone and between each divergence zone and each convergence zone; said at least one other rollway and guideway rail in at least said divergence zone following a cam outline having an oscillatory profile defined by first, second and third backing carriages in which each wave in said profile has a length equal to a distance between said first backing carriage and said third backing carriage with said first backing carriage flanking a first end of said wave, said third backing carriage flanking a second end of said wave, and said second backing carriage being located about a middle of said wave; and said upper and backing carriage moving at maximum speed in the top zone.