Escalator

An escalator is a powered conveyor whose linked steps carry people between floor levels while remaining level as they move.

Escalator step chain: A linked assembly of escalator steps driven around a continuous loop. It carries the steps through the rising, level, and returning portions of the escalator.
Conveyor system: A mechanical system that moves materials or people along a route. An escalator is a conveyor adapted to carry standing passengers between levels.
Jesse W. Reno: An American inventor who patented and built an early passenger-carrying inclined conveyor. His 1890s design was a direct precursor to the escalator.
Public transport station: A facility where passengers board or transfer between public transportation services. Escalators move large passenger flows between platforms and street level.
Escalator track system: A system of rails and rollers that guides escalator steps along their path. Its changing geometry keeps each step horizontal on the incline and flat at landings.
Moving walkway: A powered horizontal or gently inclined conveyor that carries standing or walking passengers. It transports people without the linked stair steps that define an escalator.
Charles Seeberger: An inventor whose early twentieth-century designs helped establish the modern escalator form and name. His collaboration with Otis helped bring the stepped design into commercial use.
Shopping mall: A large complex of shops and services connected by shared indoor spaces. Escalators link floors while keeping circulation visible and accessible.
Escalator drive system: The motor, gearbox, and transmission components that move an escalator’s step chain. It supplies the force that circulates the steps and handrails.
Electric motor: A machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical motion. It powers the escalator’s drive train.

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