WO2001056914A1

WO2001056914A1 - Escalator handrails, and manufacture thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2001056914A1
Application number: PCT/CA2000/000102
Authority: WO
Inventors: A. Stuart Caunce; Jason Wong; Norman Kirkham
Original assignee: Ball, Ronald, H.
Priority date: 2000-02-04
Filing date: 2000-02-04
Publication date: 2001-08-09
Also published as: AU2000225276A1

Abstract

A rubber ply for a handrail. The rubber ply comprises an elongated substantially planar ply of rubber with a first surface having a recessed section extending longitudinally along the elongated ply and symmetrically disposed about the longitudinal axis thereof. The first surface additionally has V-shaped grooves extending parallel to the recessed section and spaced apart therefrom. The V-shaped grooves form edge sections extending longitudinally and integrally formed in the rubber ply that are capable of being bent at the grooves. The rubber ply may be combined with fabric and stretch inhibitor for a carcass for a handrail, and the carcass may be combined with a slider and coverstock to form the handrail. The handrail is of simplified construction.

Description

TITLE ESCALATOR HANDRAILS. AND MANUFACTURE THEREOF

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to handrails for escalators, or moving walkways or similar systems, and especially to the manufacture of such handrails. In particular, the invention relates to rubber ply used in such handrails, to carcass components thereof and to manufacture of handrails using such components.

Background to the Invention

Handrails for escalators, moving walkways and other similar systems are well known and perform an essential function in the operation of the system, including being a safety component of the system. The handrail must provide a firm grip for the passenger, while being sufficiently flexible to bend around and be retained on various drive wheel mechanisms. A widely used type of handrail construction uses a C-shaped cross-section handgrip with longitudinally extending stretch inhibitor wires, body reinforcing fabric plies and a slider member joined together in a moulded rubber composition. The stretch inhibitor is provided as an integral band of several steel wires which are embedded in a rubber matrix. The wires are under tension and are sufficient in number to meet specifications for loading and for maximum extension under load.

The C-shaped cross-section handgrip has multiple plies of rubber- coated fabric within the handrail structure. The fabric layers may be positioned on either or both sides of the stretch inhibitor wires. The inner surface layer of the handrail may be closely woven nylon, polyester or cotton fabric to provide minimal frictional contact with the escalator or moving walkway support structure and is commonly referred to as the slider ply. This construction allows sufficient flexibility for the handrail to travel along the escalator or walkway system, particularly over the drive portion thereof. The C-shaped cross-section for the handrail is designed such that its inwardly directed lips engage a guide rail where sufficient tolerance is provided to allow easy movement and minimum wear of the slider fabric. However, the tolerance must be such as to prevent the ingress of fingers and clothing into the space between the moving handrail and the guide, so as to prevent possible injury.

Regulatory authorities and manufacturers have set specifications on the inwardly directed lip space dimensions and the lip strength. Both of these parameters relate to the important requirement of retention of the handrail on ' the guide rail. However, it has been difficult for the industry to meet these specifications in an economical manner. Many handrails on the market tend to become loose, and hence become unacceptable for continued use. Significant costs are associated with the down time required to repair and/or replace the handrail.

The construction of handrails, and improvements therein, are further disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,255,772 of R.H. Ball and A.S. Caunce. Processes that are adaptable to automation and/or which utilize pre-fabricated sections would be of benefit to the industry.

Summary of the Invention A handrail for escalators, moving walkways and other related systems that may be formed in pre-fabricated sections and which is adaptable to automation has now been found.

Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention provides a rubber ply for a handrail, comprising: an elongated substantially planar ply of said rubber, said ply having a first surface and a second surface, said first surface having a recessed section extending longitudinally along said elongated ply and symmetrically disposed about the longitudinal axis thereof, said first surface additionally having V-shaped grooves extending parallel to said recessed section and spaced apart therefrom, said V-shaped grooves forming edge sections extending longitudinally and being integrally formed in said rubber ply, said edge sections being capable of being bent at said grooves.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a carcass for a handrail, comprising: a) an elongated substantially planar ply of rubber, said elongated ply having a first surface and a second surface, said first surface having a recessed section extending longitudinally along said elongated ply and symmetrically disposed about the longitudinal axis thereof, said first surface additionally having V-shaped grooves extending parallel to said recessed section and spaced apart therefrom, said V-shaped grooves forming edge sections extending longitudinally and being integrally formed in said elongated ply, said edge sections being capable of being bent at said grooves; b) a layer of stretch inhibitor in the recessed section of the elongated ply, said stretch inhibitor having a plurality of wires in a planar arrangement in a layer of rubber, the wires being oriented longitudinally with respect to the elongated ply; and c) at least one layer of a fabric in rubber on the surface of the elongated ply, said layer extending between said V-shaped grooves.

In embodiments of the invention, there is one layer of fabric, said layer being on either the first surface or the second surface of the elongated ply. In a preferred embodiment, there is a first layer of a woven fabric in rubber on the first surface of the elongated ply and a second layer of a woven fabric in rubber on the second surface of the elongated ply, each of said layers extending between said V-shaped grooves. A further aspect of the present invention provides a handrail for an escalator, moving walkway or similar system, comprising:

(a) a slider;

(b) a carcass as defined herein, the edge sections of said carcass being bent at the grooves thereof; and (c) a coverstock.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for the manufacture of a handrail for an escalator, moving walkway or similar system, comprising:

(a) applying a slider to a carcass, said slider being a fabric selected from cotton, nylon and polyester, said fabric being coated with rubber, and said carcass comprising (i) an elongated substantially planar ply of said rubber, said elongated ply having a first surface and a second surface, said first surface having a recessed section extending longitudinally along said elongated ply and symmetrically disposed about the longitudinal axis thereof, said first surface additionally having V-shaped grooves extending parallel to said recessed section and spaced apart therefrom, said V-shaped grooves forming edge sections extending longitudinally and being integrally formed in said elongated ply, said edge sections being capable of being bent at said grooves; (ii) a layer of rubber in the recessed section of the elongated ply, said layer of rubber having a plurality of wires therein in a planar arrangement with the wires being oriented longitudinally with respect to the elongated ply; and (iii) at least one layer of a fabric in rubber on the surface of the elongated ply, said layer extending between said V-shaped grooves, said slider being applied to the first surface of the elongated ply;

(b) contacting the second surface of the carcass with a rubber coverstock, said coverstock having grooves co-operatively located with respect to the grooves of the carcass;

(c) bending said carcass and said coverstock at the respective grooves thereof.

In embodiments of the invention, there is one layer of said fabric, said layer being on either the first surface or the second surface of the elongated ply.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention., there is a first layer of a woven fabric in rubber on the first surface of the elongated ply and a second layer of a woven fabric in rubber on the second surface of the elongated ply, each of said layers extending between said V-shaped grooves. In a further embodiment, there is a first layer of fabric, and said slider has said first layer thereon. A still further aspect of the present invention provides a method for locating a stretch inhibitor in a handrail for an escalator, moving walkway or similar system, comprising: placing stretch inhibitor in a recessed section of an elongated rubber ply, said recessed section extending longitudinally in said ply and being symmetrically disposed about the longitudinal axis thereof, said stretch inhibitor being in the form of a layer of rubber having a plurality of wires therein in a planar arrangement with the wires oriented longitudinally

Brief Description of the Drawings

The present invention is illustrated by the embodiments shown in the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a rubber ply for a handrail, of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of a carcass for a handrail, in exploded view, of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of a carcass of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a schematic representation of a carcass of the present invention with end section bent perpendicular to the remainder of the carcass;

Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of a handrail of the present invention, in exploded view; and

Fig. 6 is a schematic representation of a partially assembled handrail of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Fig. 1 shows a rubber ply of the present invention, generally indicated by 1. Rubber ply 1 is an elongated substantially planar ply of rubber, with a first surface 2 and a second surface 3. Both first surface 2 and second surface 3 are planar surfaces, except that first surface 2 has V-shaped grooves 4 and 5 and recessed section 6. Recessed section 6 is symmetrically disposed about the longitudinal axis, 7, of rubber ply 1 , and has recessed surface 8. Recessed surface 8 is parallel to first surface 2 but inset therefrom at edges 9 and 10.

V-shaped grooves 4 and 5 are spaced from edges 9 and 10, respectively, and furthermore are spaced inwardly from outer edges 11 and 12 of rubber ply 1. V-shaped grooves 4 and 5, edges 9 and 10 and outer edges 11 and 12 are all parallel, and extend for the full length of the rubber

Ply- As discussed herein, rubber ply 1 may be bent at V-shaped grooves 4 and 5. It is preferred that the edges of the grooves be at an angle of approximately 45° to the plane of first surface 2 so that the respective end sections 13 and 14 may be bent substantially perpendicular to the plane of first surface 2. In particular, the end sections may be bent to an angle of at least 75° and especially to at least 85°.

It will be appreciated that the distance between V-shaped grooves 4 and 5, the distance between outer edges 11 and 12 and other dimensions may be varied in different styles of handrail. For instance, the distance between outer edges 11 and 12 might be 110 mm in one style of handrail but 140 mm in another style of handrail.

Rubber ply 1 may be made by a variety of techniques, including calendering and profiled extrusion. The rubber of rubber ply 1 may be natural rubber and/or synthetic rubber. The preferred rubber is a synthetic rubber e.g. styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) or a blend of SBR with natural rubber. It is particularly preferred that the rubber of the rubber ply be a hard rubber, especially a rubber having Shore A hardness of at least 85 and especially at least 90. Shore A hardness is measured by the procedure of ISO 868 (ASTM D2240).

Fig. 2 shows an exploded view of a carcass of the present invention, generally indicated by 20. Carcass 20 has rubber ply 1 interposed between stretch inhibitor 21 on first surface 2, and with first fabric layer 22 thereon, and second fabric layer 23 on second surface 3.

The present invention is particularly described herein with reference to the use of first fabric layer 22 on first surface 2 and second fabric layer 23 on second surface 3. However, in embodiments of the invention, the carcass and the handrail obtained therefrom may have only one fabric layer, being either the first fabric layer or the second fabric layer, or more than two fabric layers. It is preferred that the carcass and handrail have two fabric layers, as shown in Fig. 2, and the invention will be particularly described herein with reference to the use of two fabric layers.

Stretch inhibitor 21 is formed of a plurality of wires 24 running longitudinally, and is located in recessed section 6. Stretch inhibitor 21 is cooperatively of a thickness substantially corresponding to the depth of the recessed section 6. Wires 24 are in the form of a planar arrangement of wires in a layer of rubber 25, which is preferably a rubber skim coat applied to both sides of wires 24 by, for example, extrusion or calendering. The rubber may be a natural rubber and/or a synthetic rubber. The preferred rubber is natural rubber, or a blend of SBR and natural rubber. The preferred wires are steel wires, and especially brass-coated steel wires. Such stretch inhibitors are known. The stretch inhibitor may be obtained by extrusion or calendering of rubber onto the wires, or by being slit or otherwise cut to the required dimensions from a wider sheet of steel cord and rubber.

First fabric layer 22 and second fabric layer 23 may be of the same construction. Fabric layers 22 and 23 may be formed of natural and synthetic fabrics e.g. cotton, nylon or polyester, with a rubber skim coat on both sides of the fabric. Such skim coat may be calendered onto the fabric. However, preferably, fabric layers 22 and 23 are formed from glass continuous filament yarn coated with an adhesive for rubber. It is preferred that the first and second fabric layers have the principal yarns extending perpendicular to the stretch inhibitors.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the fabric used is a glass continuous filament yarn, in which the yarn is pre-treated with resorcinol- formaldehyde latex (RFL) as adhesion promoter. The fabric is calendered with a natural rubber/styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) blend compound having a Shore A hardness of about 60. The fabric layers may be calendered to a total thickness of about 1.3 mm each. Such fabric layers are known. The rubberized fabric is slit or otherwise cut to the required dimensions.

The fabric layers provide transverse stiffness to the carcass. Thus, the preferred primary orientation of the fibres is transverse to the rubber ply. However, it is possible but less preferred to slit the fabric layers so that the orientation of the fibres is at an angle e.g. 45°, to the longitudinal axis of the rubber ply.

In Fig. 2, second fabric layer 23 is shown as being of a width that extends from the apex of V-shaped groove 4 to the apex of V-shaped groove 5. This is the preferred width of second fabric layer 23. First fabric layer 22 is shown as being of a width that extends from a position intermediate between V-shaped groove 4 and edge 9 of recessed section 6 to a position intermediate between V-shaped grooved 5 and edge 10 of recessed section 6. It is understood that first fabric layer 22 may extend close to and preferably does extend close to V-shaped grooves 4 and 5 but not into such grooves. Extension into V-shaped grooves 4 and 5 would inhibit bending of edge sections 13 and 14 as discussed herein. However, it is understood that first fabric layer 22 would be wider than and would fully cover stretch inhibitor 21.

Fig. 3 shows carcass 20 in an assembled condition. The rubber preferably used in the fabrication of rubber ply 1 , first and second fabric layers 22 and 23 and stretch inhibitor 21 has inherent tackiness, which permits carcass 20 to be assembled with pressure, and without heat or adhesive. Nonetheless, an adhesive e.g. a solvent, may be used. It is understood that the rubber is uncured at this stage of fabrication. In assembly of carcass 20, each of second fabric layer 23, rubber ply

1 , stretch inhibitor 21 and first fabric layer 22 may be continuously fed to rollers in a single or multiple step process. Stretch inhibitor 21 is fed into and located in recessed section 6 of rubber ply 1. First fabric layer 22 and second fabric layer 23 are located in position with respect to the V-shaped grooves. Alternatively, carcass 20 may be fabricated in a manual operation.

Carcass 20 would normally be fed in the lay-flat position shown in Fig. 3 into subsequent fabrication steps in the manufacture of handrails, and then have the edges bent as shown in Fig. 4, below.

Fig. 4 shows carcass 20 with end sections 13 and 14 bent to a position substantially perpendicular to the remainder of the carcass. End sections 13 and 14 would be so bent during fabrication of a handrail. Fig. 5 shows a handrail 30 in an exploded view. Handrail 30 has the components of carcass 20 interposed between coverstock 31 and slider 32. Thus, in order, handrail 30 has coverstock 31 , second fabric layer 23, rubber ply 1 , stretch inhibitor 21 , first fabric layer 22 and slider 32. The components that form the carcass have been described above. As discussed above, either of the fabric layers could be eliminated, but it is preferred to use the two fabric layers as described herein.

Coverstock 31 forms the outer surface of a handrail during use i.e. the surface that would be held or touched by a person using an escalator or moving walkway or other related system. Coverstock 31 is illustrated as being on the bottom of the handrail 30, which is a typical position during fabrication steps. However, it will be understood that handrail 30 would be inverted for installation and use. Coverstock 31 has inner surface 33 that is a planar surface except for coverstock grooves 34 and 35. Such grooves are V-shaped and should be the same shape as V-shaped grooves 4 and 5 of rubber ply so that coverstock ends 36 and 37 may be bent perpendicular to the remainder of coverstock 31 i.e. at the same angle as in carcass 20, for reasons that will be apparent below. Coverstock grooves 34 and 35 are spaced slightly further apart than V-shaped grooves 4 and 5, being aligned to the outside of those grooves so that coverstock 31 will envelop carcass 20 when the respective edges are bent to the perpendicular position, as shown in Fig. 6 below. As discussed below, coverstock 31 is bonded to carcass 20.

Outer surface 38 of coverstock 31 may be a substantially planar surface. However, as shown in Fig. 5, coverstock ends 36 and 37 may be tapered towards their respective outer edges to improve the profile of the handrail. In addition, outer surface 38 is shown as having inset sections 39 and 40. Each inset section has a profiled surface that slopes outwardly at 41 , 42 juxtaposed to coverstock grooves 34 and 35 and then reverts to the plane of outer surface 38, at 43, 44. When coverstock ends 36 and 37 are bent to the perpendicular position, the profiled surface at 41 , 42 forms a bevelled edge to handrail 30, and side grooves at 43, 44. Said grooves may be used in fabrication of handrail 30 as discussed below. Coverstock 30 is formed from natural or synthetic rubber, especially

SBR or chlorosulphonated polyethylene e.g. Hypalon® from DuPont. The rubber of coverstock 30 should have a Shore A hardness of about 75. Coverstock 30 would normally be formed by extrusion.

Slider 32 is a layer of woven natural or synthetic fabric, usually cotton, nylon or polyester, or a blend thereof. One side of slider 32, being the side adjacent to carcass 20, may have a rubber skim coating. Such a coating is usually applied by calendering. The rubber skim coat may be natural or synthetic rubber, usually SBR or a blend of SBR and natural rubber. Rubberized fabric is slit or otherwise cut to the required dimensions for fabrication of the handrail.

Fig. 6 shows handrail 30 in an assembled but not final form. The respective edges of carcass 20 and coverstock 31 have been bent at the grooves therein to form a substantially U-shaped handrail. Slider 32 covers the entire inner surface of handrail 30, and extends around the ends of the end sections of carcass 20 and coverstock 31 , partially onto outer surface 38 of coverstock 31.

In fabrication of handrail 30, carcass 20 and slider 32 are brought into contact. Edge sections 13 and 14 are bent to the perpendicular position, and substantially remain in that position as a result of tackiness of the rubber used: If necessary, adhesion may be aided by a small amount of an adhesive or solvent. Slider 32 is preferably formed into the U-shape obtained on bending edge sections 13 and 14 of carcass 20, either prior to or simultaneously with the bending of such edge sections. Carcass 20 and slider 32 are then brought into contact with coverstock 31 and the edge sections thereof are bent into position. At the same time, slider 32 is wrapped around the ends of carcass 20 and coverstock 31 , as shown in Fig. 6. It is understood that the edge of slider 32 may be wrapped over the exterior of coverstock 31 , as shown in Figure 6, or sandwiched between coverstock 31 and carcass 20. The rubber is uncured at this stage of fabrication.

The handrail is then subjected to compression moulding, to vulcanize the rubber and to form the handrail into the final shape. Side grooves at 43,44 are intended to be used to locate the handrail in position in the heated press. Vulcanization of rubber using compression moulding is known. The handrail is then trimmed, inspected and packaged for shipping.

It is appreciated that where a layer includes a rubber coating, the rubber coated material is adapted to bond to the rubber of the adjacent component of the structure.

If an "endless" handrail is required, two ends of handrail may be joined together and compression moulded as above.

It is understood that the above fabrication procedure may be varied, including the order of some steps therein. In addition, all or part of the fabrication process may be automated, to utilize continuous processing techniques.

The construction of the handrail, and the method of assembly, provide for uniformity and consistency in the handrail. In particular, the recessed section of the rubber ply facilitates location of the stretch inhibitor in the centre of the handrail with the wires consistently straight in the longitudinal position. The V-shaped grooves further add to consistency in construction. In addition, the side grooves in the coverstock facilitate insertion of the coverstock consistently and uniformly into the compression mould. Thus, the present invention tends to provide a handrail of consistent and uniform construction using an automated fabrication process, and stability during use.

Rubber compositions for use in escalator handrails, and procedures for vulcanization of such compositions are known. For instance, rubber compositions for handrails are disclosed in the aforementioned U.S. 5 255 772 of R.H. Ball and A.S. Caunce. It is understood that rubber compositions for each component need to be formulated at the required hardness and with required properties, including properties during fabrication and in use. In particular, the composition of the hard rubber may need to be formulated to provide flexibility, and a balance of flow properties for the fabrication steps, by addition of resins or other ingredients.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the compositions for the rubber ply and the coverstock are set out in the following Table 1.

TABLE I

RUBBER COMPOUND FORMULATIONS

Ingredient Rubber Ply Coverstock

SBR 60-100* 40-80

BR - 60-20

NR 40-0 -

HSR 5-15 5-15

Reinforcing Resin 5-15 0-5

Carbon Black 100-140 70-100

Clay 10-40 -

Silica 5-15 -

Extender Oil 5-30 10-20

Tackifier 5-15 -

Antioxidant/ Antiozonant 0-5 0-5

Wax - 2

Process Aid 4-5 -

Curatives 12-17 8-13

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Mooney Viscosity (ML1 + 4), 121°C 85 50

Hardness, Shore A 93 75

Modulus, 300% MPa - 14.5

Tensile strength, MPa 16.0 16.0

Elongation, % 280 320

Tear strength, kN/m 40.0 36.0

* parts per hundred of rubber content

Examples of the components are as follows: (i) Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) may be a cold polymerized type and may be of the oil extended type available from several suppliers;

(ii) Polybutadiene rubber (BR) is preferably a very high cis content type;

(iii) Natural Rubber (NR) may be, for example, the Standard Malaysian grade SMR5; (iv) HSR is high styrene resin;

(v) Reinforcing resin is a phenol/formaldehyde type; (vi) Carbon blacks may be used as a blend of a high abrasion resistant furnace carbon black with small particle size, moderate surface area and high structure, and a medium thermal type with large particle size, low surface area and low structure; (vii) The clay is a calcined hard clay available from several suppliers;

(viii) Silica is a hydrated amorphous silica;

(ix) Extender oil is the tall oil type;

(x) The tackifier and the process aids are synthetic copolymerized resins; (xi) The antioxidants/antiozonants are of the diphenyl amine and quinoline types; and

(xii) The curatives masterbatch contains sulphur, zinc oxide, stearic acid and benzothiazolesulfenamide. The proportions can be varied to adjust the rate and state of cure of the rubber compound as required. The present invention provides a handrail of simplified construction, which may be fabricated in a manual or automated process.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A rubber ply for a handrail, comprising: an elongated substantially planar ply of said rubber, said ply having a first surface and a second surface, said first surface having a recessed section extending longitudinally along said elongated ply and symmetrically disposed about the longitudinal axis thereof, said first surface additionally having V-shaped grooves extending parallel to said recessed section and spaced apart therefrom, said V-shaped grooves forming edge sections extending longitudinally and being integrally formed in said rubber ply, said edge sections being capable of being bent at said grooves.

2. The rubber ply of Claim 1 in which the rubber has a Shore A hardness of at least 85.

3. The rubber ply of Claim 2 in which the Shore A hardness is at least 90.

4. The rubber ply of any one of Claims 1-3 in which the edge sections may be bent through an angle of at least 75°.

5. The rubber ply of Claim 4 in which the edge sections may be bent through an angle of at least 85°.

6. The rubber ply of any one of Claims 1-5 in which the rubber has a tackiness such that the edge sections will remain in the bent condition for a period of time.

7. A carcass for a handrail, comprising: a) an elongated substantially planar ply of rubber, said elongated ply having a first surface and a second surface, said first surface having a recessed section extending longitudinally along said elongated ply and symmetrically disposed about the longitudinal axis thereof, said first surface additionally having V-shaped grooves extending parallel to said recessed section and spaced apart therefrom, said V-shaped grooves forming edge sections extending longitudinally and being integrally formed in said elongated ply, said edge sections being capable of being bent at said grooves; b) a layer of stretch inhibitor in the recessed section of the elongated ply, said stretch inhibitor having a plurality of wires in a planar arrangement in a layer of rubber, the wires being oriented longitudinally with respect to the elongated ply; and c) at least one layer of a fabric in rubber on the surface of the elongated ply, said layer extending between said V-shaped grooves.

8. The carcass of Claim 7 in which there is one layer of said fabric, said layer being on the first surface of the elongated ply.

9. The carcass of Claim 7 in which there is one layer of said fabric, said layer being on the second surface of the elongated ply.

10. The carcass of Claim 7 in which there is a first layer of a woven fabric in rubber on the first surface of the elongated ply and a second layer of a woven fabric in rubber on the second surface of the elongated ply, each of said layers extending between said V-shaped grooves.

11. The carcass of any one of Claims 7-10 in which the rubber of the elongated ply is a hard rubber.

12. The carcass of any one of Claims 7-11 in which the woven fabric is a cotton, nylon or polyester fabric.

13. The carcass of any one of Claims 7-11 in which the woven fabric is glass continuous filament.

14. The carcass of Claim 13 in which said glass continuous filament yarn is oriented transverse to the longitudinal axis of the rubber ply.

15. The carcass of any one of Claims 7-14 in which the rubber of the elongated ply has a Shore A hardness of at least 85.

16. The carcass of Claim 15 in which the rubber of the elongated ply has a Shore A hardness is at least 90.

17. The carcass of any one of Claims 7-16 in which the edge sections of the elongated ply may be bent through an angle of at least 75°.

18. The carcass of Claim 17 in which the edge sections of the elongated ply may be bent through an angle of at least 85°.

19. The carcass of any one of Claims 7-18 in which the rubber of the elongated ply has a tackiness such that the edge sections will remain in the bent condition for a period of time.

20. The carcass of any one of Claims 13-19 in which the glass continuous filament yarn has been pre-treated with adhesive for said rubber.

21. The carcass of Claim 20 in which the adhesive is a resorcinol- formaldehyde latex.

22. The carcass of any one of Claims 13-21 in which the rubber of the layers of glass continuous filament is at least one of a natural rubber and a synthetic rubber, said synthetic rubber being a styrene-butadiene rubber.

23. The carcass of Claim 22 in which the rubber of the glass continuous filament layer has a Shore A hardness of 55-65.

24. The carcass of any one of Claims 7-23 in which the elongated ply is formed from at least one of natural and synthetic rubber, said synthetic rubber being styrene butadiene rubber.

25. The carcass of any one of Claims 7-24 in which the wire is steel wire.

26. The carcass of Claim 25 in which the wire is brass-plated steel wire.

27. A handrail for an escalator, moving walkway or similar system, comprising:

(a) a slider,

(b) a carcass of any one of Claims 7-26, the edge sections of said carcass being bent at the grooves thereof; and

(c) a coverstock.

28. The handrail of Claim 27 in which (i) the slider is a fabric selected from cotton, nylon and polyester, said fabric being coated with rubber, (ii) the elongated ply of the carcass is formed from rubber having a Shore A hardness of at least 85, and (iii) the coverstock has grooves co- operatively located with respect to the grooves of the carcass, said coverstock being bent at said grooves to conform to the shape of the carcass.

29. A method for the manufacture of a handrail for an escalator, moving walkway or similar system, comprising: (a) applying a slider to a carcass, said slider being a fabric selected from cotton, nylon and polyester, said fabric being coated with rubber, and said carcass comprising (i) an elongated substantially planar ply of said rubber, said elongated ply having a first surface and a second surface, said first surface having a recessed section extending longitudinally along said elongated ply and symmetrically disposed about the longitudinal axis thereof, said first surface additionally having V-shaped grooves extending parallel to said recessed section and spaced apart therefrom, said V-shaped grooves forming edge sections extending longitudinally and being integrally formed in said elongated ply, said edge sections being capable of being bent at said grooves; (ii) a layer of rubber in the recessed section of elongated ply, said layer of rubber having a plurality of wires therein in a planar arrangement with the wires being oriented longitudinally with respect to the elongated ply; and (iii) at least one layer of a fabric in rubber on the surface of the elongated ply, said layer extending between said V-shaped grooves, said slider being applied to the first surface of the elongated ply;

(b) contacting the second surface of the carcass with a rubber coverstock, said coverstock having grooves co-operatively located with respect to the grooves of the carcass; and

(c) bending said carcass and said coverstock at the respective grooves thereof.

30. The method of Claim 29 in which there is one layer of said fabric, said layer being on the first surface of the elongated ply.

31. The method of Claim 29 or Claim 30 in which there is a first layer of fabric, and said slider has said first layer thereon.

32. The method of Claim 29 in which there is one layer of said fabric, said layer being on the second surface of the elongated ply.

33. The method of Claim 29 in which there is a first layer of a woven fabric in rubber on the first surface of the elongated ply and a second layer of a woven fabric in rubber on the second surface of the elongated ply, each of said layers extending between said V-shaped grooves.

34. The method of any one of Claims 29-33 in which the carcass is bent at said grooves prior to step (b).

35. The method of any one of Claims 29-33 in which the carcass is bent at said grooves after step (b).

36. The method of any one of Claims 29-33 in which the carcass and coverstock are bent simultaneously.

37. The method of any one of Claims 29-36 in which the steps are carried out in an automated process.

38. The method of any one of Claims 29-37 in which the handrail so obtained is subjected to compression moulding to bond and vulcanize the rubber.

39. A method for locating a stretch inhibitor in a handrail for an escalator, moving walkway or similar system, comprising: placing stretch inhibitor in a recessed section of an elongated ply, said recessed section extending longitudinally in said ply and being symmetrically disposed about the longitudinal axis thereof, said stretch inhibitor being in the form of a layer of rubber having a plurality of wires therein in a planar arrangement with the wires oriented longitudinally.