Accelerating walkway

An accelerated walkway having a moving surface made up of sets of treadboards of variable length which are mounted between lateral traction chains. A drive mechanism is related with the lateral traction chains. Each set of treadboards has a front treadboard and a rear treadboard that are grooved and mutually articulated along an axis perpendicular to the direction of movement. The rear treadboard of each set of treadboards is mounted on the lateral traction chains and on lateral guidance rails. The front treadboard of each set of treadboards rests on and is displaceable over the rear treadboard of a next set of treadboards in the direction of movement by guide elements. Each of the lateral traction chains includes elbowed links and straight links consecutively articulated to each other through their extremities and run between lateral guides that cause the links to swivel between a folded position, in which the length of the chain is reduced, resulting in the partial overlaying of the treadboards, and a maximum extension position, resulting in the positioning of the treadboards in coplanar alignment.