ARRANGEMENT IN THE DRIVE MACHINERY OF A TRAVELATOR, METHOD FOR
CHANGING THE DRIVE BELT OF THE HANDRAIL BELT OF THE HANDRAIL OF
A TRAVELATOR, AND SUPPORT ELEMENT OF THE HANDRAIL BELT OF THE
HANDRAIL OF A TRAVELATOR
The present invention relates to an arrangement in the drive
machinery of a travelator or similar as presented in the
preamble of claim 1, a method for changing the drive belt of
the handrail belt of the handrail incorporated in a travelator
or similar as presented in the preamble of claim 7, and a
support element of the handrail belt of the handrail of a
travelator or similar as presented in the preamble of claim 10.
Travelators, moving ramps and moving walkways generally
comprise at least one handrail, around which a handrail belt is
fitted as a loop, which passengers can use to support
themselves and which generally moves at almost the same speed
as the actual panels of the steps, ramp or walkway. The
handrail belt of the handrail is moved in prior art structures
e.g. with the same drive machinery as the panels. The drive
machinery is generally disposed at either end of the system.
The handrail belt of the handrail comprises at least a support
section that travels on top of the rail, on which the passenger
can lean with his/her arm, a return section, which rotates out
of sight on roughly the same plane as the lower edge of the
rail as well as curved bend sections at the ends of the rail
between the support section and the return section. At the end
of the rail the travel direction of the handrail belt changes
when the bend section of the belt passes around a bend guide
arranged at the end, which is done with prior art e.g. such
that it consists of a plurality of support rolls, which are
arranged among themselves in the form of a curve at a suitable
distance from each other. One solution consisting of the
support rolls described above is disclosed in United States
patent number 5,634,546.
US patent number 5,117,960 presents a traction mechanism of a
handrail belt of a handrail of a travelator e.g. in a type of
travelator as described above. In this publication, on the

return section of the handrail belt is a traction mechanism,
which comprises two belts pressing each other towards the
handrail belt, both of which form a closed loop. Both belts are
pressed against the handrail belt with a plurality of spring-
loaded rolls, which are inside the closed loop of the belts.
The tractive belt of the handrail belt presses the handrail
belt against the inner surface of the handrail belt and the
belt acting as a support presses the handrail belt against the
outer surface of the handrail belt, i.e. against the surface
visible to the passengers. A problem in this solution is that
since there are numerous rolls, the structure is expensive and
complex, and also requires a lot of servicing. Another problem
is that the support belt pressing on the outer surface of the
handrail belt wears the outer surface of the handrail belt that
is visible to passengers, thereby shortening the service life
of the handrail belt.
US patent number 6,450,317 presents another traction mechanism
of the handrail belt of the handrail of a travelator, wherein
both the palettes and the handrail belt of the handrail are
moved with the same machinery. The outer surface of the
handrail belt, i.e. the surface visible to passengers, is in
friction contact with the drive belt, rotated by the drive
motor. A plurality of compression rolls, which press the
handrail belt inwards towards the drive belt, further ensure
the contact. A problem in this solution also is that because
there are numerous compression rolls and guide rolls, the
structure is expensive and complex, and also requires a lot of
servicing. In addition another problem is that the drive belt
pressing on the outer surface of the handrail belt wears the
outer surface of the handrail belt that is visible to
passengers, thereby shortening the service life of the handrail
belt. The applicant can also himself assert that the material
of the handrail belt must for exactly this reason be very-
resistant to wear, which however increases the price.
International patent application number WO2005/075332 also
presents a solution for moving a handrail belt. In this case a

belt, which the drive machinery rotates, is fitted as a loop
around the support rolls. The belt is fitted such that it is in
contact with the inner surface of the handrail belt and thus
the handrail belt moves at the same time as the belt is rotated
around the support rolls.
The purpose of this invention is to eliminate the
aforementioned drawbacks and to achieve a simple and
inexpensive arrangement in the drive machinery of a travelator
or similar, in which drive machinery the drive belt of the
handrail belt of the handrail does not wear as quickly as in
earlier solutions. Another aim is to achieve a simple, easy and
inexpensive method for replacing the drive belt of the handrail
belt of the handrail incorporated in a travelator or similar.
Another aim is to achieve a support element of the handrail
belt of the handrail of the travelator or similar, which is
simple, space-saving, easy bo service and which drive belt is
easy to replace or install. The arrangement of the invention is
characterized by what is disclosed in the characterization part
of claim 1. Correspondingly, the method according to the
invention is characterized by what is disclosed in the
characterization part of claim 7. The support element according
to the invention is characterized by what is disclosed in the
characterization part of claim 10. Other embodiments of the
invention are characterized by what is disclosed in the other
claims.
Some inventive embodiments are also discussed in the
descriptive section of the present application. The inventive
content of the application can also be defined differently
than in the claims presented below. The inventive content may
also consist of several separate inventions, especially if the
invention is considered in the light of expressions or
implicit sub-tasks or from the point of view of advantages or
categories of advantages achieved. In this case, some of the
attributes contained in the claims below may be superfluous
from the point of view of separate inventive concepts.
Likewise the different details presented in connection with

each embodiment of the invention can also be applied in other
embodiments.
One advantage of the arrangement according to the invention is
that the drive belt of the handrail belt of the handrail and
the other parts incorporated in the machinery do not wear very
quickly and for this reason they do not need to be replaced,
and the machinery does not need servicing, very often. Another
advantage is that the machinery is simple, inexpensive to
implement and assembly of the machinery is easy owing the small
number of parts. The machinery can also be configured to be
advantageously thin in the width direction of the handrail
because of, among other things, the placement of the drive
belt. The arrangement according to the invention is also easy
to service, e.g. using the method of the invention. One
advantage of the method according to the invention is that the
drive belt of the handrail belt of the handrail can be quickly,
easily and inexpensively installed or replaced, because the
frame structure does not need to be separately disassembled in
order to replace the belt. One advantage of the support element
of the invention is that the drive belt of the handrail belt of
the handrail can be quickly, easily and inexpensively installed
or replaced, because the frame structure does not need to be
separately disassembled in order to replace the belt. In
addition the support element according to the invention enables
a simple handrail belt machinery and thin handrail structure,
because the drive belt travels on the rim of the support
element.
In the following, the invention will be described in more
detail by the aid of one of its embodiments with reference to
the attached drawings, wherein
Fig. 1 presents a side view of the drive machinery of a
travelator and of the handrail belt of its
handrail.

Fig. 2 presents an oblique side view of the drive
machinery of a travelator and of the handrail belt
of its handrail.
Fig. 3 presents an oblique side view of the drive
machinery of a travelator and of the handrail belt
of its handrail, when replacement of the drive belt
has been started.
Fig. 4 presents an oblique side view of the drive
machinery of a travelator and of the handrail belt
of its handrail, when replacement of the drive belt
has been performed to a later stage than the
situation of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 presents an oblique side view of the drive
machinery of a travelator and of the handrail belt
of its handrail, when replacement of the drive belt
has been performed to completion.
Fig. 1 presents a side view and Fig. 2 an oblique side view of
one end of a travelator, in which the drive machinery 1 of the
travelator and of the handrail belt of the handrail
incorporated in it are disposed, said drive machinery
comprising at least an electric motor that is provided with a
centre shaft 3 and that acts as the drive motor 2. The closed
belt 4 is fitted to the belt wheel on the shaft 3, from where
the belt is led to pass around the tightening wheel 5 and the
transmission wheel 6. The belt 4 comprises a closed loop,
tightened to the desired tightness, around the belt wheel on
the shaft 3 as well as around tightening wheel 5 and the
transmission wheel 6. When the shaft 3 of the drive motor 2
rotates, the transmission wheel 6 also rotates via the belt 4.
The transmission wheel 6 is arranged to move the panels of the
travelator with a power transmission solution suited to the
purpose, which is not shown in the figures. Additionally, the
transmission wheel 6 is arranged to transmit driving force to
the handrail belt 12 of the handrail 13, in which case the
drive motor 2 at the same time moves the handrail belt 12 of
the handrail. In the solution according to the invention the
drive machinery 1 of the handrail belt 12 of the handrail is

essentially at the end of the handrail 13, where the direction
of travel of the handrail belt 12 changes when the handrail
belt 12 passes over the bend guide arranged at the end.
A drive belt 8 is also arranged to pass around the rotating
shaft 7 of the transmission wheel 6, which drive belt is led
from the belt wheel on the shaft 7 around the supporting wheel
10 that is fitted to rotate on the shaft 11 and that acts as
the support element of the handrail belt 12. The drive belt 8
forms a closed loop around the belt wheel of the shaft 7 and
the supporting wheel 10 such that the drive belt 8 passes
below the diverting wheel 9 that tightens the drive belts 8 and
changes the travel direction of the drive belt 8. By adjusting
the position of the diverting wheel 9 the drive belt 8 can be
tightened to the desired tightness.
The supporting wheel 10 of the handrail belt is e.g. one
plate-like wheel of large diameter, the diameter of which is
dimensioned such that it forms at the same time a suitable
bend guide for the bend section of the handrail belt 12.
Depending on the structural solution the radius of the
supporting wheel 10 is either essentially of the same
magnitude as the radius of curvature of the inner surface that
is the contact surface of the loop of the handrail belt 12 at
least for the length of the distance of contact between the
supporting wheel 10 and the handrail belt 12, or the radius of
the supporting wheel 10 is at the most smaller by the thickness
of the drive belt 8 than the radius of curvature of the loop
of the handrail belt 12 at the point of the supporting wheel
10.
In the latter solution, which is described in more detail in
the following, the bend section of the handrail belt 12 is
arranged to pass around the supporting wheel 10 e.g. such that
the inner surface that is the contact surface of the handrail
belt 12 and the outer surface 15 of the drive belt 8 on the
rim of the supporting wheel 10 are in friction contact with
each other. When the drive motor 2 rotates the transmission

wheel 6, the supporting wheel 10 also rotates via the drive
belt 8. Since the drive belt 8 and the handrail belt 12 are in
friction contact with each other, also the handrail belt 12
moves when the supporting wheel 10 rotates under the traction
of the drive belt 8 as a result of the friction between the
drive belt 8 and the handrail belt 12. The belt transmissions
of the machinery 1 are fitted such that the panels of the
travelator and the handrail belt 12 move at the desired speeds
in relation to each other.
The belts 4 and 8 are preferably toothed belts and the belt
wheels connected to the belts as well as the supporting wheel
10 are provided with toothing suited to the belts.
Fig. 3 presents a situation in which replacement of the drive
belt 8 disposed on the shaft 7 of the transmission wheel 6 and
around the supporting wheel 10 has started. The protective
plating or glazing at the end of the handrail and the old
drive belt have been removed and the new drive belt 8 is ready
to be threaded around the supporting wheel 10. On one side of
the supporting wheel 10 is an installation groove 14, acting
as a coupling element, extending inwards from the rim,
preferably towards the centre axis of the supporting wheel,
essentially in the radial direction, onto which a part of the
new belt 8 to be installed is fitted. The installation groove
14 is sufficiently deep in the axial direction of the
supporting wheel 10 to keep the drive belt 8 in the groove for
the duration of the replacement, but the installation groove
does not need to extend in the axial direction through the
entire supporting wheel. In addition, the installation groove
can be suitably round-edged and a filler piece can be
positioned in it, which is taken out only for the period when
the drive belt is being placed into position.
Fig. 4 presents a situation in which installation of the new
drive belt 8 has progressed further than the situation
presented in Fig. 3. In this case the supporting wheel 10 has
been rotated to some extent in the direction of the arrow A,

and the drive belt 8 has moved along with the groove 14
between the handrail 12 and the supporting wheel 10, and at
the same time the belt 8 has become positioned on the
supporting wheel 10 for the distance behind the installation
groove 14.
Fig. 5 presents a situation in which installation of the new
drive belt 8 is completed. The supporting wheel 10 has been
rotated further and the installation groove 14 has moved such
that the belt 8 has slipped out of the groove. The new drive
belt 8 has now passed around the supporting wheel 10 and also
threaded below the diverting wheel 9 and around the belt wheel
on the shaft 7 of the transmission wheel 6.
With the method according to the invention the drive belt 8 of
the handrail is replaced e.g. as follows: First any parts
protecting the machinery are removed from the side on which the
replacement will be made to allow access to operate the
machinery. These parts can be e.g. the frame plate on the side
of the machinery. After this the old drive belt 8 is removed
e.g. by cutting it and pulling it out from its position. Next
the supporting wheel 10 is turned into such a position that the
installation groove 14 acting as a coupling element of the new
drive belt 8 is in a suitable position for starting
installation and the new drive belt 8 is fitted into the
installation groove 14. After this the supporting wheel 10 is
rotated by hand or by means of a suitable tool such that the
new drive belt 8 becomes positioned on the supporting wheel 10
and finally the belt 8 drops out of the installation groove 14.
After this the new drive belt 8 is threaded further around the
belt wheel on the shaft 7 of the transmission wheel 6 and also
under the diverting wheel 9, and the belt 8 is tightened to the
desired tightness by adjusting the position of the diverting
wheel 9.
Although only the replacement of an old drive belt with a new
belt is described in the embodiment above, it is of course
possible with the same structures and with the same method to

place the drive belt 8 into position also in other
circumstances than in the replacement of the belt. Thus, for
example, in connection with commissioning of the equipment, the
drive belt 8 to be placed into position in the initial
installation can be installed in the same manner and also e.g.
in connection with a servicing or other procedure the removed
belt can be replaced into position in the same way. In this
case therefore there is not necessarily any need to install a
new drive belt, but instead the former drive belt is usable. In
general this can be called placing the drive belt 8 into
position.
The support element of the handrail belt of the handrail
according to the invention is marked with the reference number
10 in Figs. 1-5. The support element is the supporting wheel
10, on the rim of which the drive belt 8 of the supporting
wheel is fitted to travel. The supporting wheel 10 contains a
coupling element 14 for coupling and installing the drive belt
8 of the supporting wheel 10 onto the rim of the supporting
wheel 10 between the supporting wheel 10 and the handrail belt
in connection with placing the drive belt 8 into position. In
the figure the coupling element 14 is an installation groove,
extending essentially inwards from the rim of the supporting
wheel 10, to which installation groove the drive belt 8 is
arranged to be fitted in connection with placing the drive belt
8 into position. The groove-like coupling element described is
simple and does not essentially take space. It is possible if
so desired to cover the installation groove temporarily with a
filler piece. The passage of the installed drive belt 8 on the
rim of the supporting wheel 10 is preferably arranged such that
the drive belt 8 passes between the supporting wheel 10 and the
handrail belt 12 such that its outer surface 15 is in friction
contact with the inner surface of the handrail belt 12 and the
inner surface touches against the supporting wheel 10. This
makes the areas of contact between the supporting wheel 10 and
the drive belt 8 as well as between the drive belt 8 and the
handrail 12 large. With the supporting wheel 10 according to
the invention, installation of the drive belt 8 can be

performed with a method described elsewhere in this
application. The essential fact is that the drive belt 8 to be
installed is fitted into the installation groove 14, after
which the supporting wheel 10 is rotated such that the new
drive belt 8 is placed on the supporting wheel 10 and finally
the belt 8 slips out of the installation groove 14. The
structure of the support element 10 is described also elsewhere
in this application.
The support element of the handrail belt according to the
invention can be utilized as such with an embodiment in which
the drive belt 8 is smooth or comprises toothing. Thus the
drive belt 8 can be either smooth or toothed on its inner
and/or outer surface. If the inner surface of the drive belt 8
is toothed, the outer surface of the supporting wheel is also
toothed compatibly. According to one embodiment the outer rim
of the supporting wheel can comprise a protruding edge part
closely fitting the drive belt 8 on its rim at the level of the
rim of the supporting wheel on at least one side of the drive
belt 8 to facilitate keeping the drive belt 8 in position. The
edge part can be shallower than the thickness of the drive
belt, in which case the aforementioned large area of contact of
the belt is not lost. According to one embodiment of the
invention the edge part extends further than the drive belt 8
from the surface of the rim of the supporting wheel 10. In this
case traction derived from friction can be achieved between the
supporting wheel and the handrail belt 12. An advantage in this
case is less wear of the drive belt.
It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the
invention is not limited solely to the examples described
above, but that it may be varied within the scope, of the claims
presented below. Thus, for example, the new drive belt can be
fixed to the supporting wheel for the purpose of installation
with some other method than by fitting it to the installation
groove described above. The belt can be fixed to the supporting
wheel for the duration of the installation e.g. with some
suitable type of fixing element.

It is further obvious to the person skilled in the art that the
different phases of installing a new drive belt can be
performed in some other sequence than what is described above.
The new belt can e.g. be threaded right at the beginning around
the shaft of the drive wheel and below the diverting wheel and
only after that it can be installed around the supporting
wheel.
It is also obvious to the person skilled in the art that also
just the outer rim of the supporting wheel can be in friction
contact with the inner surface that is the contact surface of
the handrail belt, in which case the drive belt is even deeper
on the rim of the supporting wheel. In this case the handrail
belt is moved by pulling it directly by means of the outer rim
of the supporting wheel.

CLAIMS
1. Arrangement in the drive machinery (1) of a travelator,
moving walkway, escalator or similar, which travelator or
similar comprises, in addition to the drive machinery (1), at
least one handrail (13) with handrail belt (12), and which
drive machinery (1) comprises at least a drive motor (2), a
support element (10) of the handrail belt (12) and a drive belt
(8) connecting the rotational movement of the drive motor (2)
to the support element (10), characterized in that the support
element is a supporting wheel of essentially large diameter
fitted for use by the drive belt (8), and in that the drive
belt (8) is fitted to the rim of the support element (10).
2. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the
radius of the support element (10) is essentially as great as,
or at the most smaller by the thickness of the drive belt (8).
than, the radius of curvature of the inner....surface that is the
contact surface of the loop of the handrail belt (12) at the
point of the support element (10).
3. Arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that
a drive belt (8) is fitted to the rim of the support element
(10) such that the outer surface (15) of the drive belt (8) is
in friction contact with the inner surface of the handrail belt
(12) .
4. Arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that
the outer rim of the support element (10) is in friction
contact with the inner surface of the handrail belt (12).
5. Arrangement according to any of the preceding claims,
characterized in that the supporting wheel (10) contains a
coupling element (14), the drive belt (8) of which is fitted to
be coupled to it in connection with placing the drive belt (8)
into position.

6. Arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that the
coupling element (14) is an installation groove extending
essentially inwards from the rim of the supporting wheel (10),
to which installation groove the drive belt (8) is arranged to
be fitted in connection with placing the drive belt (8) into
position.
7. Method for replacing the drive belt (8) of the handrail belt
(12) of the handrail (13) incorporated in a travelator, moving
walkway, escalator or similar in the drive machinery (1) of the
travelator or similar, which drive machinery (1) comprises at
least a drive motor (2), a handrail belt (12), a support
element (10) and a drive belt (8) connecting the rotational
movement of the drive motor (2) to the support element (10),
characterized in that the drive belt (8) is fitted to the
support element (10) in connection with placing the drive belt
(8) into position and the support element (10) is rotated
around its axis of rotation (11) until the drive belt (8) is
placed around the support element (10).
8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that an
installation groove is used in the support element (10) as the
coupling element (14) of the drive belt, to which installation
groove the drive belt (8) is fitted in connection with placing
the drive belt (8) into position.
9. Method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that in
connection with placing the drive belt (8) into position the
drive belt (8) is guided in the installation groove acting as
the coupling element (14) onto the rim of the support element
(10) essentially around the support element (10).
10. Support element of the handrail belt (12) of the handrail
(13) of a travelator, moving walkway, escalator or similar,
which support element is a supporting wheel (10), characterized
in that the supporting wheel (10) contains a coupling element
(14) for coupling and installing the drive belt (8) of the
supporting wheel (10) onto the rim of the supporting wheel in

connection with placing the drive belt (8) into position.
11. Support element according to claim 10, characterized in
that the coupling element (14) is an installation groove
extending essentially inwards from the rim of the supporting
wheel (10), to which installation groove the drive belt (8) is
arranged to be fitted in connection with placing the drive belt
(8) into position.

The present invention
relates to an arrangement in the drive
machinery of a travelator, moving
walkway, escalator or similar and a
method for changing the drive belt
of the handrail belt of the handrail
incorporated in a travelator or similar.
In addition to the drive machinery
(1), the travelator or similar of the
invention comprises at least one
handrail (13) with handrail belt
(12), and which drive machinery
(1) comprises at least a drive motor
(2), a support element (10) for the
handrail belt (12) and a drive belt (8)
connecting the rotational movement
of the drive motor (2) to the support
element (10). The support element is
a supporting wheel (10) of essentially
large diameter fitted to be used by
the drive belt (8). With the method
according to the invention the drive
belt (8) is placed into position by
fixing the drive belt (8) to the installation groove (14) on the supporting wheel (10) and rotating the supporting wheel (10) such
that the drive belt (8) is placed into position around the supporting wheel (10). The support element of the handrail belt (12) of the
handrail (13) of the travelator, moving walkway, escalator or similar according to the invention is a supporting wheel (10), which
contains a coupling element (14) for coupling and installing the drive belt (8) of the supporting wheel (10) onto the rim of the
supporting wheel in connection with placing the drive belt (8)onto position.