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Driver
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Escalator Question
Why does the rubber handrest portion of an escalator always travel just a wee bit faster than the treads on which you stand?
I can understand that the rubber handrest has to travel a further distance than the metal treads (circumscribes a larger arc) so that it's not easy to perfectly match their two relative speeds. But if it was truly random that the handrest and treads travel at independent speeds and can't be match perfectly, then it should be about 50:50 whether the handrest was faster or slower. Yet it seems that the handrest is always just a bit faster. How come?
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1987 Venetian Blue (looks like grey) 930 Coupe 1990 Black 964 C2 Targa |
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10-04-2013, 02:05 PM
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Detached Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: southern California
Posts: 26,964
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You have too much time on your hands. J/K
Don't know, but a great observation. My guess is that it is to help people pull on and off the escalator. Especially going up. Does it do the same going down? I'll bet its slower on the down one.
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Hugh |
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10-04-2013, 02:36 PM
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Up, down, left, right. The handrail is always faster.
Maybe a little too much time on my hands right now. I'm at a conference in San Francisco. This afternoon's lectures are all duds to me. But between the airport, hotel, and convention center, I've been riding on lots of elevators these past 2 days.
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1987 Venetian Blue (looks like grey) 930 Coupe 1990 Black 964 C2 Targa |
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10-04-2013, 02:39 PM
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Lots of snow Porsche away
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In my experience it is always a little faster (the handrail) up and down.
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76 911S 86 GMC K1500 78 XS750 cafe racer to be 79 XS750 because one is just not enough |
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10-04-2013, 02:39 PM
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Takin' hard left turns
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: So Cal
Posts: 1,412
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I was on an escalator in Korea at the Hyundai department store. I was gripping the handrail and kind of stretching my arms and accidentally slid the entire handrail about six inches along its travel! Several people holding the handrail nearly lost their balance and fell. I'd have really felt bad if someone got hurt, but it never occured to me I could slip that thing.
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10-04-2013, 02:46 PM
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Driver
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Quote:
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1987 Venetian Blue (looks like grey) 930 Coupe 1990 Black 964 C2 Targa |
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10-04-2013, 02:52 PM
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Used Up User
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Maybe it travels faster so you fall forward (if you are so inclined).
Ian
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'87 Carrera Cab ----- “Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.” A. Einstein ----- |
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10-04-2013, 03:00 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Seattle
Posts: 1,248
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It's on the same motor as the treads, but the handrail has to travel a slightly longer distance, so relative to the axis of the motor, it is spinning faster than treads.
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"Rust never sleeps" |
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10-04-2013, 03:24 PM
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Magnaflux
Join Date: Mar 2012
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Is the angular speed any faster??
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10-04-2013, 04:57 PM
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Registered ConfUser
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Waterlogged
Posts: 23,626
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What is the air speed velocity of a swallow carrying a 1lb coconut?
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10-04-2013, 05:24 PM
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You do not have permissi
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: midwest
Posts: 40,011
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Maybe wear/no replacement in the sprocket makes the diameter smaller/faster?
Last edited by john70t; 10-04-2013 at 07:06 PM.. |
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10-04-2013, 05:50 PM
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Racer
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Franklin, TN
Posts: 5,887
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They are supposed to be in sync....
Why do some handrails on Metro escalators move faster than the stairs? - Washington City Paper |
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10-04-2013, 06:48 PM
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Moderator
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Quote:
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2010 Cayman S - 12-2020 - 2014 MINI Cooper S Coupe - 05-17 - 05-21 1989 944S2 - 06-01 - 01-14 Carpe Viam. <>< |
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10-04-2013, 07:16 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2012
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Quote:
Escalator needs a a limited slip diff. 
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10-04-2013, 08:58 PM
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Targa, Panamera Turbo
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Houston TX
Posts: 22,366
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I have never been on one that had the stairs in sync with the rail. I was checking one out one time at the airport - it was being worked on. I asked the tech that question along with a few others. I figuered he was union and was going to milk it any ways. He showed me that they drive motor was the same but they were geared separtely. Also that flip flops and kids don't fair well in them things either do old people with long shoelaces...
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Michael D. Holloway https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Holloway https://5thorderindustry.com/ https://www.amazon.com/s?k=michael+d+holloway&crid=3AWD8RUVY3E2F&sprefix= michael+d+holloway%2Caps%2C136&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 |
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10-04-2013, 09:08 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
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If a plane is on the escalator, will it take off?
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10-04-2013, 09:11 PM
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Not Virginia
Posts: 517
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How does the Doppler effect play into it though?
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10-04-2013, 09:15 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Houston (The Vintage), Texas
Posts: 4,523
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Are African or European escalators faster?
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-Tom '73 911T MFI - in process of being restored '73 911T MFI - bare bones '87 924S - Keep's the Porsche DNA in my system while the 911 is down. aka "Wolf boy" |
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10-04-2013, 09:31 PM
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Control Group
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Tadich's Grill is only about 6 or 7 blocks from the convention center
Sears Fine Food is about that far too, most excellent breakfast repast.
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She was the kindest person I ever met |
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10-04-2013, 10:05 PM
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Driver
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Quote:
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1987 Venetian Blue (looks like grey) 930 Coupe 1990 Black 964 C2 Targa |
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10-05-2013, 01:03 AM
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Ducati
1987 Porsche 930 3.3T
Fun Fun Fun
1987 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet 3.2
1989 Porsche 944S2 3.0l 16v 4cyl
BB
2004 Mazda Miata
