Introduction: Whether at the mall or at the airport, escalators are used on a regular basis. They are often taken for granted, but are actually the most expensive and biggest machines used by people regularly. Based on the inclined belt, the escalator is actually a very simple device. Stairs are pulled by rotating chain loops, making a very effective way for transporting a lot of people over a short distance. A specialized form of the …showed first 75 words of 459 total…

…showed last 75 words of 459 total…the bottom of the escalator. They just glide down the track. You can see where the wheels go on the different tracks, in the expanded portion in the diagram on the left. A plastic conveyer belt is used as the handrail. It moves at exactly the same speed as the steps, giving added stability. The handrail is looped around a series of wheels and is turned by the same electric motor that moves the steps.