Escalator Drive Shaft Alignment Transfer for Brake Retrofit
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing design of escalators and moving walks without auxiliary brakes requires removal of the drive shaft for installation, disrupting the precise positioning between the drive shaft, truss, and guide rail, leading to potential safety and operational issues due to wear and environmental impacts.
Innovation Solution
A method using specialized tools to accurately transfer the original drive shaft's positioning reference to a new drive shaft with an auxiliary brake, ensuring the new shaft is aligned correctly with the truss, involving a first tool for the original shaft adapter, a second tool for the truss, and a third tool for the new shaft adapter, with precise matching features and fasteners to maintain alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the drive shaft is removed to install an auxiliary brake, then the auxiliary brake function is added, but the precise positioning between the drive shaft, truss, and guide rail is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning reference features are prepared in advance on the truss and shaft adapter before the drive shaft removal. The first tool is also prepared with matching positioning features to ensure precise reinstallation. This preliminary preparation of positioning references resolves the contradiction by ensuring that when the drive shaft is removed and reinstalled, the original positioning accuracy is maintained while the auxiliary brake function is added.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the original shaft adapter is replaced with a new shaft adapter, then the auxiliary brake function is enabled, but the positioning reference is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning reference features are copied from the original shaft adapter to the new shaft adapter. The first tool serves as a copying medium, with positioning features that match both the original and new shaft adapters. By using the first tool to transfer the positioning reference, the new shaft adapter acquires the same positioning characteristics as the original, thus preventing loss of positioning information while enabling the auxiliary brake function.
3Manufacturing precision
If special tooling is used to ensure assembly accuracy, then the relative position is strictly determined, but the replacement process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The first tool is designed with universal positioning features that can interface with both the original and new shaft adapters. This multi-functional design allows the same tool to be used for both removing the original shaft adapter and installing the new one, maintaining assembly accuracy without requiring multiple specialized tools. The second tool similarly serves multiple purposes in the replacement process, thus reducing overall tooling complexity while preserving assembly precision.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A tool for replacing an escalator drive shaft comprises a first tool and a second tool. One side of the first tool is adapted to be assembled on an original shaft adapter, and the other side of the first tool is adapted to be assembled on a new shaft adapter. The second tool is adapted to be assembled on the first tool. When the first tool is assembled on the original shaft adapter, a central axis of the first tool coincides with a central axis of the original shaft adapter; when the second tool is assembled on the first tool, a central axis of the second tool coincides with the central axis of the first tool; when the first tool is assembled on the new shaft adapter, the central axis of the first tool coincides with a central axis of the new shaft adapter. In the present invention, the positioning reference of the original drive shaft is accurately transferred to the new drive shaft by the first and second tools, so that the new drive shaft may be accurately assembled to the position of the original drive shaft with respect to the truss after replacement.