WE ARE WITH YOU

As this coronavirus (COVID-19) situation continues to develop, all of our lives will undoubtedly be affected. While we all work to keep people moving safely in buildings during this unprecedented event, it is important to us that we express our appreciation for the healthcare workers, local communities, and governments around the world who are on the frontline, striving to contain (or at least mitigate) this virus.

KONE Spares encourages everyone to take all precautions to stay safe and healthy during this time.

We will continue to evaluate measures that best support you and our teams as the situation develops. As always, our local teams remain available, and our warehouse remains open, engaged, and ready to support you.

Stay safe, keep your loved ones safe, and lets all work together to not only make it through these trying times, but to come out of it stronger, wiser, and more resilient to future perils.

COMB PLATE IMPACT AND ESCALATOR SAFETY

Is it comb plate or combplate? It seems the industry can’t make up its mind on this term. You’ll find it listed both ways across the industry, and even listed both ways in the same document!

Regardless, the comb plate impact device is a very important safety feature of an escalator, and has been required per ASME A17.1 Safety Code since the early 1990’s. Detection of either vertical or horizontal movement in a comb plate is vital for the safety of the riding public.

KONE Spares has two different upgrades for this device, and a tool to make sure this feature is adjusted properly — no matter what brand or model escalator you’re working on.

For older Montgomery HR Series escalators which don’t have the comb plate impact safety feature, we have a kit to add it to the escalator: Comb Plate Impact Device Upgrade for Montgomery HR Series Escalators

For Montgomery HR Series escalators which do have the comb plate impact device feature, we have a reliability upgrade: Escalator Comb Plate Impact Device Spring Reliability Upgrade

And if you’re working on any escalator with a comb plate impact safety device feature, we have this tool to help you adjust it to proper spec: Escalator Comb Plate Impact Fixture Test Kit

We can’t stress enough the importance of a working, properly adjusted comb plate impact safety system on an escalator. The health and well-being of the riding public depends on it.

ER-1225 and ER-825 Permanent Magnet Spline Brake Upgrades for Montgomery HR Series Escalators

All maintenance providers that service Montgomery HR Series escalators are encouraged to replace existing ER-1225 and ER-825 pin drive brakes with the recently developed spline brake replacements.

  • More Robust
  • More Reliable
  • Longer Lasting
  • Vibration Resistant 
  • Interchangeable in Form, Fit, and Function
  • Available With or Without Sensors

The permanent magnet spline brake is designed to gradually stop the escalator and hold it stationary under full load. This brake includes a closed-loop brake circuit within a solid state and/or microprocessor controller and is designed to meet current ASME – A17.1 Code deceleration rate requirements, and operates in conjunction with a velocity feedback encoder and/or tachometer.


The component parts of the spline and pin armatures are considered interchangeable in form, fit and function; therefore the existing tachometer and/or encoder and brake control system may be reused. The brake voltage must be adjusted per the installation instruction to achieve the proper armature setting.


Both the ER-1225 12″ Spline Brake and the ER-825 8″ Spline Brake are available with or without sensors.

KONE SPARES LED DEMARCATION LIGHTS

These Made in USA escalator step demarcation lights are CSA-Certified for compliance with CSA-B44.1 / ASME-A17.5 codes. Note: a UL rating alone is not code compliant. These demarcation lights are fully compliant.

For more information, you can download literature on this product from this page: KONE Spares LED Demarcation Lights

HONORED TO HAVE AGAIN WON 1ST PLACE

Last year at this time we were thrilled to announce that were the 1st Place Winner for Best Supplier – Other in Elevator World’s inaugural Ellies Awards.

This year we’re even more thrilled to announce that we again the 1st Place Winner for Best Supplier – Other in Elevator World’s 2nd Annual Ellies Awards.

We want to thank everyone who voted for us! Once again we’d like to say are honored to be among the ranks of such fine North American elevator and escalator industry businesses who go above and beyond for their customers, employees, communities, and the industry as a whole.

Problems with PartsView?

Multiple windows
95% of all web page problems are caused by outdated information in a browser app’s cache.

Being that PartsView is a dynamic website powered by a database, it’s more like a program than it is a document. Occasionally when we make an update, the behind-the-scenes programming code gets changed. If your Internet browser app doesn’t pick up that change — because it’s got the old programming code stored locally on your machine in what is known as a “cache” — it can cause PartsView from not acting correctly.

The solution is simple. You need to clear your browser cache.

Clearing Your Browser’s Cache

Browsers store data about websites you’ve visited to make them load faster when you revisit them. 95% of all website problems are caused by a browser’s cache being filled with outdated website programming code.

We’re going to get into how to fix that below, but, make sure when you’re clearing the cache, to only clear the cache — you don’t have to also clear all your stored passwords, etc.

How you clear your browser cache depends on the browser you’re using. Here’s quick notes for the major four:

Google Chrome

Chrome makes it easy with a keyboard shortcut: in Windows, CTRL+SHIFT+DELETE will take you right to it. On a Mac it’s COMMAND+SHIFT+DELETE

Internet Explorer

Like Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer makes it easy with the keyboard shortcut: CTRL+SHIFT+DELETE

Firefox

Thankfully Firefox also uses the easy keyboard shortcut: in Windows, CTRL+SHIFT+DELETE. On a Mac it’s COMMAND+SHIFT+DELETE

Here’s where you have to be a bit careful. Under details, untick everything except Cache (unless you want to clear all those other things). Then where it says Time Range, choose Everything.

Safari

In Safari it is super easy. One keyboard shortcut instantly wipes the cache out: OPTION+COMMAND+E

More Information

If you need more in depth information on how to do this, you can either read this excellent article:

Or you can go to YouTube and watch one of these videos:

Bix Beiderbecke and the Bix 7

This weekend here in the Quad Cities, on the shores of the Mississippi River, we have a large multifaceted event celebrating local native Leon Bismark “Bix” Beiderbecke. Bix, a jazz cornetist, pianist, and composer, was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920’s.

For the curious, here’s some of his music:

One of the major events celebrating Bix and his legacy is called the Bix 7, a seven-mile marathon that many of the KONE Spares team and family members have participated in over the years. Founded by John Hudetz from Bettendorf (one of the four “quad cities”), he was a marathon runner who wanted to bring some of the excitement from the Boston Marathon to us here on the banks of the Mississippi. It started in 1975 with a total of 84 runners, but now the number of participants run in the tens-of-thousands.

For anyone who likes to run marathons, or who love classic jazz music, this is the event for you. If you can’t make it this weekend, put it in your calendar for next year.

Is it time to clean down that escalator?

Yes. It’s time to start scheduling escalator cleandowns.

Escalators, moving walks, and their components should be cleaned periodically to prevent accumulations of dirt, grit, lubricants, and all the candy wrappers, lollipop sticks, bottle caps, and other weird stuff that somehow makes its way into the inner workings of the machine.

Sure, it’s a dirty job, but you know what they say: Someone’s got to do it. The good news is we do what we can to make it quicker and easier.

First of all, remember the barricade. Keep yourself and the public safe. If your current ones are falling apart, which they oft seem to do, give ours a try. They’re going to be some of the best built, sturdiest, and long lasting barricades you can get:

· KONE Spares Maintenance Barrier »

Cleaners, wax, pit pads, rags … we have you covered. These are the basics you can’t do without:

· US63043 Concentrated Cleaner, Case (4 gal) »
· USP23307 Handrail Cleaner, “Q”, Case (12 qt) »
· USP23277 Handrail Wax, Case (12 qt) »
· US514660 Pit Pads to absorb oil, Qty 100 »
· US500000010 Rags, 10lb Bag »

You know what else comes in handy? An Escalator Cleandown Vacuum:

· KM50030715H01 Portable Handheld Vacuum »

How about a specially designed oiler to make lubrication fast and easy? We have you covered there, too:

· US521157 OIL-EE Chain Oiler »

We’ve had great feedback from the field on the OIL-EE. It allows oiling of step chains from outside the escalator pit – saving time and messy clean-up. Features include:

· Heavy duty 2 gallon polyethylene sprayer
· 45″ long heavy duty brass wand with replaceable oil brush
· Heavy duty trigger handle with lock
· Oil flow regulator valve
· 56″ heavy duty fuel line hose
· Retractable, sealed PVC brush cover with cap to limit oil dripping after use

Remember, scheduled escalator clean downs will, in the long run, save time and money, and also give an opportunity to discover problems that can be addressed before they become safety issues — or an even bigger problem.