| Revision as of 11:23, 19 November 2002 editPatrick (talk | contribs)Edit filter managers, Administrators68,550 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit | Revision as of 23:51, 25 November 2002 edit undoPatrick (talk | contribs)Edit filter managers, Administrators68,550 editsmNo edit summaryNext edit → | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| An '''escalator''' is a ] device consisting of a staircase whose steps move. | An '''escalator''' is a ] device consisting of a staircase whose steps move. | ||
| Charles Seeberger developed the escalator and installed the first one as an amusement ride at ] New York in ]. He joined the Otis Elevator Company and they produced the first commercial escalator which won a first prize at the Paris ] ] in ]. | Charles Seeberger developed the escalator and installed the first one as an amusement ride at ], ] in ]. He joined the Otis Elevator Company and they produced the first commercial escalator which won a first prize at the Paris ] ] in ]. | ||
| Escalators in the ] used to have wooden steps, but this was changed after the ] at King's Cross station in 1987. Escalators now have metal steps in a continuous loop that move on tracks. Escalators are typically used in pairs with one set going up and another going down. | Escalators in the ] used to have wooden steps, but this was changed after the ] at King's Cross station in 1987. Escalators now have metal steps in a continuous loop that move on tracks. Escalators are typically used in pairs with one set going up and another going down. | ||
Revision as of 23:51, 25 November 2002
An escalator is a conveyor transport device consisting of a staircase whose steps move.
Charles Seeberger developed the escalator and installed the first one as an amusement ride at Coney Island, New York in 1897. He joined the Otis Elevator Company and they produced the first commercial escalator which won a first prize at the Paris 1900 Exposition Universelle in France.
Escalators in the London Underground used to have wooden steps, but this was changed after the King's Cross fire at King's Cross station in 1987. Escalators now have metal steps in a continuous loop that move on tracks. Escalators are typically used in pairs with one set going up and another going down.
An extensive system of escalators and moving sidewalks form a public transport system in Hong Kong, see conveyor transport.
Etymology
Escalator was originally a trademark combining the words escalade (an old term for using a ladder to scale a wall) and elevator.