Abstract
An escalator handrail is driven along guide frames by a handrail driving device. Frictional force between a handrail and guide frames becomes running resistance that is drive force needed for handrail. Large frictional force to a handrail occurs at curved frames. About curved frames, traction characteristics were tested to estimate the forces at an entrance and an exit of the frames. It was clarified that those forces are expressed by the following equation. To = Tie^<μθ>+C (Ti: force at an entrance, To: force at an exit, μ: friction coefficient, θ: winding angle, C: offset value). Using the relation, new method to analyze drive force of an escalator handrail was proposed.
