Endlose Lasten- und Personenbefoerderungsanlage

1,216,102. Railway systems. W. K. CROWDER, and T. A. MURPHY. 26 Jan., 1968 [27 Jan., 1967], No. 4286/68. Heading B7L. [Also in Divisions B8 and H2] A travelator or like conveyer comprises a plurality of pivotally interconnected platforms 1, 1A guided by a pair of tracks 21, 54, the relative spacing of which varies along the conveying path to vary the speed of advance of the platform therealong. Each platform 1A has a fixed pin 13 which extends in pivotal arrangement through a platform 1 and mounts a pair of truncated core-shaped wheels 15, 17 for engagement with a correspondingly shaped track 21. A post 24 fixed to each platform 1 mounts similarly shaped wheels 15A, 17A for engagement with a track 54 and also mounts a wheel 23 to support an adjacent platform 1A. A further post 5 fixed to each platform 1 extends in pivotal relationship through an adjacent platform 1A and mounts a wheel 10 for engagement with drive rollers 25, 26. The rollers 25, 26 extend parallel to the conveying path and are driven at a constant speed by motors 50 and chain and sprocket arrangements 41, 51, 52. Where it is desired to alter the speed of the conveyer, suitable variation of the spacing of the tracks 21, 54 causes the platforms to pivot relative to each other, thereby altering the angle of the roller 10 with respect to the drive rollers 25, 26 and hence the helical advance thereof and thus the speed of the conveyer. The conveyer may be used in a pedestrian conveyance system which comprises a main loop extending between desired destinations and arranged at said destinations to reduce speed for the ingress and egress of passengers. Those passengers desiring to by-pass a particular destination transfer to a high speed loop 3 running at a similar speed to the main conveyer. In an alternative embodiment, Fig. 9 (not shown), the rollers (25), (26) are driven by a motor formed integral therewith. In a further embodiment, Fig. 13 (not shown), the platform equipped with shoes (46) which coact with linear motor stators (48) to drive said conveyer