Essential People for an Essential Business

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Many essential businesses and institutions, including hospitals, rely on their elevators for critical operations. During the current pandemic, it is more important than ever to make sure these elevators continue running smoothly, and if they are shut down, they must be repaired as quickly as possible. 

This is why our warehouse staff is also considered essential, as without them the spare parts won’t be shipped to the businesses which need them. 

We want to take this opportunity to honor and thank these dedicated professionals who keep the flow of parts moving.

Temperatures are taken before anyone is allowed in the warehouse.

For everyone’s protection, temperatures are taken before anyone is allowed entry into the warehouse. This goes beyond our dedicated warehouse staff, as it also includes drivers and material handlers from the various shipping services as well. 

Proper social distancing is enforced as mandatory, as is face covering. Again, this applies to everyone entering the premises, not just our employees. 

To further enhance social distancing, we’ve staggered shifts in line with the various time zones to which we’re shipping, so that there are fewer people in the warehouse at the same time. 

Meanwhile, all other KONE Spares employees are working from home to provide continued support for our industry.  

Together, we will get through this unprecedented time in modern history. KONE Spares continues to be dedicated to our customers, and our customer’s customers, because as before, we will only succeed if you succeed. 

We are with you in this. If you’re healthy, we hope you remain so, and if you, your team, or loved ones are affected, we are supporting you with prayer for a quick recovery. 

And again, a huge heartfelt thank you to our warehouse staff, without whom the essential services would not be possible. 

WE ARE WITH YOU

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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?

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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

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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.