Escalator

An escalator is a conveyor transport device to transport people, consisting of a staircase whose steps move up or down on tracks which keep the surfaces of the individual steps horizontal. Most escalators also have moving handrails which approximately keep pace with the movement of the steps.

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The direction of movement (up or down) can be permanently the same, or be controlled by personnel according to the time of day, or automatically be controlled by whomever arrives first, someone at the bottom or at the top (of course the system is programmed such that the direction is not reversed while somebody is on the escalator). In the last two cases there has to be an alternative nearby.

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A moving sidewalk, moving walkway, slidewalk, travelator, travellator or trav-o-lator is a slow speed conveyor belt to transport people; they can walk along it or stand; it is like a horizontal escalator. They are often applied in pairs, one for each direction.

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They are often used in airports where there is a long distance to walk between terminals, and in metro stations.

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The speed is usually 3 km/h, but there is a high-speed version with a speed of 9 km/h at Gare Montparnasse station in Paris.

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An inclined moving sidewalk, movator or moving ramp is used in airports and supermarkets to move people to another floor with the convenience of an elevator (people can take along their suitcase trolley or shopping cart) and the capacity of an escalator. The carts have either a brake that is automatically applied when the cart handle is released, or specially-designed wheels that secure the cart within the grooves of the ramp, so that it doesn't roll uncontrollably down the ramp. Some department stores instead use an escalator with a specially-designed chain, similar to those used on roller coasters, to move specially-designed carts up and down a steeper slope beside and at the same speed as the passenger escalator. http://www.simonaut.com/index.php?id=266

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Conveyor transport: Conveyor transport is the broad category of transport that includes modes developed from the idea of a conveyor belt. Examples include:...

Transport: :For other article subjects named transport, see Transport (disambiguation)....

Staircase: redirect stairway...

Escalator related Images and Photos (experimental)

The Escalator

Colorful Escalator in the Central Library Seattle Washington USA

People Travelling Up Glass Escalator at Centre Georges Pompidou Paris Ile-De-France France

Large Clock with Businesspeople Riding Escalator