Hong Kong's escalator reverses in motion, injuring at least 18 people
(Sat, March 25) at around 4 pm, at least 18 people were injured in Langham Place, Hong Kong after an escalator that was going upwards suddenly STOPPED and REVERSED!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=yteacIVZ3_E
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42
2. Austin commented 7 years ago
Looks like some kind of gearing failed (due to weight load?) and reverse was largely uncontrolled with gravity and the weight of the people taking over. I have seen other such escalator fail vids. Interesting that escalators don’t (perhaps they do but they dont seem to very quick to kick in) have automatic braking systems that kick in like lifts to limit the backward motion. Must be an engineering thing..
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3. kirkelicious commented 7 years ago
#2 It is definetely accelerated by the peoples weight.
Escalators are coupled to the transmission via a driving chain. If that snaps the people would go down because the regular brakes are connected to the transmission. In order to avoid such accidents the tension of the chain is monitored by a broken chain switch that instantaneously releases a fail safe emergency brake if the chain breaks. Either the brake was defective, or some shaft did shear off, something that has to be a really rare occurence. These components are designed with ridiculously high safety factors.
Escalators are coupled to the transmission via a driving chain. If that snaps the people would go down because the regular brakes are connected to the transmission. In order to avoid such accidents the tension of the chain is monitored by a broken chain switch that instantaneously releases a fail safe emergency brake if the chain breaks. Either the brake was defective, or some shaft did shear off, something that has to be a really rare occurence. These components are designed with ridiculously high safety factors.
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4. snotraddict commented 7 years ago
0:40 only 1 smart guy in the whole bunch?
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5. Judge-Jake commented 7 years ago
An escalator stopped in a local department store and twelve people were stranded for over an hour before they got it started again.
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6. thundersnow commented 7 years ago
The escalator turned into a de-escalator.
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8. YoArgentino commented 7 years ago
#4, two of them
0:30
And the people who starts going up.
0:30
And the people who starts going up.
+4 1. Judge-Jake commented 7 years ago