Railways – Traction – Cable
Patent
1997-09-04
1999-02-23
Le, Mark Tuan
Railways
Traction
Cable
104 28, 104178, B61B 1100
Patent
active
058733108
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a detachable chair-lift having an aerial rope with continuous running, which extends between two stations where the rope passes over bull-wheels to form an endless loop, and chairs coupled to the rope on the line and uncoupled from the rope in the stations to run continuously over a trajectory transferring the chairs from one strand of the loop to the other passing pickup spots to pick up skiers.
The invention is described hereinafter in its preferred application to a detachable chair-lift, and more particularly to a loading station generally situated downhill, but it is clear that it is applicable to other transporters, notably to cable-cars.
The transport capacity is an essential factor of a chair-lift and it depends on the number of places on each chair and on the speed of and the distance between the chairs on the line. The development of detachable chair-lifts has enabled the speed on the line and therefore the throughput rate to be increased, while providing ease of pickup on chairs running at reduced speed. As the speed of the chairs in the stations is lower, the chairs are closer to one another than on the line, notably in the pickup zone, and at a high throughput rate, the larger the size of the chairs, with two, three or four seats, the more difficult it is for skiers to pass between two chairs close to one another.
The object of the present invention is to achieve a chair-lift with a high transport capacity and with loading in complete safety.
The document U.S. Pat No. 4,050,385 describes a detachable chair-lift, whose transfer trajectory of the chairs is doubled into two parallel tracks, each having a pickup spot. The chairs are directed alternately onto one or the other of the tracks so as to increase the throughput rate of the installation. The two tracks cross and the pickup spots are arranged on the outside sections of the tracks. The skiers are seated perpendicularly to the line and they get on the chairs, at a standstill, from the rear, without crossing the trajectory of the chairs or one of the tracks. Loading at a standstill reduces the running rate of the chair-lift and, at the crossing of the two tracks, one of the chairs is loaded and the slightest misadjustment may cause an accident with injury.
The document EP-A-0,306,771 describes a parking track of a detachable chair-lift, on which the chairs are stored at a small distance from one another.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Grouping of the chairs in pairs, according to the invention, increases the distance between the rear chair of one pair and the front chair of the following pair. This grouping can be controlled by a rhythm changing device arranged at the entry of the station to modify the slowing down speed of the chairs after the latter have been uncoupled from the rope. The rhythm changing device can also be located in the uphill station so as to group the chairs in pairs as soon as the latter exit this station, unequal distribution of the chairs along the line not being a drawback as these chairs are empty.
According to a first embodiment of the invention, the transfer trajectory is doubled by a branchoff into an inside track and an outside track, each having a pickup spot with an access path. A switching points device directs the chairs alternately onto one or the other of the tracks and the frequency with which the chairs pass a pickup spot is thus divided by two, in such a way that the pickup operation is made easier. It is moreover conceivable to provide three or a larger number of tracks to reduce this frequency even more. Access to a pickup spot on the outside track does not give rise to any difficulty. The inside track is on the other hand surrounded by the outside track and the access path to the pickup spot of the inside track has to cross a track. By grouping the chairs in pairs, according to the invention, the distance between the chairs, in this case the distance between the pairs of chairs, is increased and it is. easier for the skiers to pass between the pairs of
REFERENCES:
patent: 3431866 (1969-03-01), Bouladon et al.
patent: 3548753 (1970-12-01), Thurston
patent: 3987734 (1976-10-01), Horn
patent: 4050385 (1977-09-01), Gurr et al.
patent: 4662285 (1987-05-01), Rossignol
patent: 4785738 (1988-11-01), Mollet
patent: 5016539 (1991-05-01), Feuz et al.
patent: 5172640 (1992-12-01), Cathiard
patent: 5626078 (1997-05-01), Fuchs
Creissels Denis
Piard Jean Fran.cedilla.ois
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