Have you ever been on an escalator? If yew, you probably know that it is a moving stairway. It resembles a conveyor belt with steps attached to it. A conveyor belt is an endless moving belt for conveying articles or materials, especially in a factory.

So an escalator is very much like a conveyor belt which conveys people from one floor o level to another. Each step on an escalator has two pairs of wheels on the underside. The wheels travel on two sets of tracks. The steps are pulled along the tracks by chains that move around gears located at the top and bottom of the escalator. An electric motor powers the steps.

The steps of an escalator are formed where the two sets of tracks run alongside each other. At the top and bottom of an escalator, the two sets of tracks level off and separate, causing the steps to flatten.

They form a moving platform that enables passengers to get on or off at the landing without tripping. Other safety features include moving handrails and a grooved tread on the steps. Safety devices stop an escalator if anything gets caught in the steps.

NOTE : Did you know that a variation of the escalator, called a travelator, is used to carry people around places such as airports. It is a continuous horizontal rubber belt which moves while people stand it.