CA2423721A1 - Transport system for attachment to chairlift - Google Patents

Transport system for attachment to chairlift Download PDF

Info

Publication number
CA2423721A1
CA2423721A1 CA 2423721 CA2423721A CA2423721A1 CA 2423721 A1 CA2423721 A1 CA 2423721A1 CA 2423721 CA2423721 CA 2423721 CA 2423721 A CA2423721 A CA 2423721A CA 2423721 A1 CA2423721 A1 CA 2423721A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
hook
chair
chairlift
hooks
safety
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA 2423721
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Grant Hylton Hensman
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
NORTH SKY LUGE (TREMBLANT) Ltd
Original Assignee
NORTH SKY LUGE (TREMBLANT) Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by NORTH SKY LUGE (TREMBLANT) Ltd filed Critical NORTH SKY LUGE (TREMBLANT) Ltd
Priority to CA 2423721 priority Critical patent/CA2423721A1/en
Publication of CA2423721A1 publication Critical patent/CA2423721A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B61RAILWAYS
    • B61BRAILWAY SYSTEMS; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B61B11/00Ski lift, sleigh lift or like trackless systems with guided towing cables only
    • B61B11/004Means connecting load and cable
    • B61B11/008Means connecting load and cable the load being a sleigh
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B61RAILWAYS
    • B61BRAILWAY SYSTEMS; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B61B12/00Component parts, details or accessories not provided for in groups B61B7/00 - B61B11/00
    • B61B12/002Cabins; Ski-lift seats

Abstract

A transport system for transporting luge carts, mountain bikes or similar articles underneath the chair of a chairlift, the system including one or more hooks pivotably securable to a chairlift chair and means for pivoting the or each hook between a first position in which the hook can support the article underneath the chair and a second position in which the hook is disengaged from the article.

Description

TITLE' Transport System for Attachment to Chairlift Technical Field The present invention relates to a transport system for attachment to the chairs of a chairiift, to allow articles to be carried up hill underneath the chairs. The transport system of the present invention has been developed especially for transporting iuge carts, and will be described with particular reference to this application- However, it will be appreciated that the transport system could in fact be used for transporting any of a wide range of articles, ~o (e_g. toboggans, small vehicles).
Background Art Luge carts are unpowered wheeled carts with a braking and steering system which are used ~s for recreational rides down a prepared track. At the bottom of the track, the luge carts need to be returned to the top of the track for further use. Hitherto, carts have been taken back up to the top of the track in batches in a vehicle, but this requires the provision of a separate vehicle track and thus additional expense.
2o Disclosure of Invention Luge carts trades, toboggan runs, mountain bike tracks and the like often extend over the same general area as a chairlift, and it is convenient to use the chairlift as a return transport means for the luge carts or similar articles. It is therefore an object of the present invention z5 to provide a transport system for returning luge carts and similar articles to the top of the run.
making use of the existing chairlift facilities.
The present invention provides a transport system for attachment to the chair of a chairlift, said system including one or more hooks, the or each hook being pivotally securable to a ao chairlift chair, and means for pivoting the or each hook between a first position in which the hook can support an article beneath said chair and a second position in which said hook is disengaged from the said article.
Preferably, the or each hook is provided with a safety device preventing accidental ss disengagement of said hook from the said article.

Brief Description of Drawings By way of example only, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Figure 1 is a sketch side view showing the overall layout of the component parts of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a rear view showing the initial engagement of the lifting hooks with the luge carts;
Figure 3 is a view of part of Figure 2 on a larger scale;
Figure 4 is a side view of a single lifting hook and associated safety device;
is Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through the components of Figure 4;
Figures fi - 11 are a sequence showing the components of Figures 4 and 5 during the stages of initial engagement between a lifting hook and a luge cart; and 2o Figure 12 is a side view showing the disengagement of a lifting hook from a loge cart.
Best Mode for Canyinc~ out the Invention Referring in particular to Figures 1 - 3 of the drawings, the transport system of the present 2s invention is built into the back 2 of a chairlift chair 3; the chair back 2 may be reinforced or replaced by a stronger model, to take the additional loading.
The rear surface of the back 2 of the chair 3 supports at least one pair of spaced hangers 4, which are rigidly secured down the back of the chair and extend a short distance beneath as the chair. Figures 1 and 2 show two pairs of hangers 4, but it will be appreciated that a single pair of hangers could be used on a narrow chair, and three or more pairs on a wider chair. Each pair of hangers supports one luge cart 1.
The hangers 4 support a shaft 5 which is mounted in bushes 6 for rotation relative to the ss hangers. One end of the shaft 5 carries a lever 7, upon the outer end of which is mounted a roller 8. The opposite end of the shaft 5 (not shown) is supported in a bearing 6 at the other end of the chair back. The shaft 5 extends parallel to the length of the chair.
A pick up device 9 is mounted between the hangers of each pair of hangers 4.
Each pick up device 9 (shown on a larger scale in Figure 3) includes a sleeve 10 which is rigidly secured s to the shaft S and carries a pair of spaced parallel hooks 11 which extend with the length of each hook substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft 5.
Each hook 11 has a safety hook 12 pivoted to it by a pivot bolt 13: the safety hook 12 can swing relative to the hook 11 limited by the travel of a stop 14 secured to the side of the hook 11 and arranged to project into a circular cutout 15 on the corresponding safety hook 12.
ra A T piece 16 is mounted between each pair of hooks 11 with the upright of the T rigidly secured to the sleeve 10, parallel to the lengths of the hooks 11. The crosspiece 17 of each T piece extends parallel to the sleeve 10 and bears against the inner face of each hook 11, at around the mid point of the length of the hook. Thus, if the sleeve 10 rotates with the r5 shaft 5 in the direction of arrow 8 (Figure 5), the crosspiece 17 of the T
piece 16 bears against the corresponding hooks 11 and rotates the hooks in the same direction.
A pair of coil springs 23 are mounted on the sleeve 10, with one end of each spring bearing against the adjacent hook 11, and the other end bearing against the upright of the T. piece 20 16, resiliently biasing each of the hooks 11 in the direction of arrow A
(Figure 5).
Alternatively, the hooks 11 may be mounted rigidly on the sleeve 10 and the coil springs 23 omitted, if a less cushioned system is acceptable.
As shown in Figures 4 and 5, in side view each hook 11 provides a tong flat arm 11a, the 25 free end of which is formed into a hook portion 11 b. Each safety hook 12 consists of a flat plate formed with an enlarged portion 18 at its upper end and an L. shaped portion 19 at its lower end. The plane of each safety hook 12 is parallel to the plane of the corresponding hook 11. Each safety hook 12 is dimensioned so that the lower edge of the L
shaped portion 19 of the safety hook lies just above the end of the hook portion 11b of the hook 11 3o when the safety hook 12 hangs in the closed position.
Figures 1, 2 and 3 show part of the handle bars of a lugs cart 20:- the handle bars 21 are secured together by a lifting bracket 22 which is rigidly secured to the handle bars and offers a convenient lifting point far the lugs cart 20; the bar 22 is substantially horizontal when the s5 lugs cart is resting flat on the ground. Since the handle bars 21 project upwards from the main body of the lugs cart 20, the bar 22 lies well above the main body of the lugs cart, Q
across the centre line of the loge cart- Thus, if the hooks 11 travel across above the main body of the loge cart 20, the hooks 11 can engage the bar 22 to lift the loge cart.
The above described system is used as follows:- when a rider finishes with a loge cart, the s cart 1 is moved into position beneath the path of travel of the chairlift at a point where the chairlift has finished its downhill travel, turned round the bull wheel, and is about to move uphill. Acs shown in Figure 1, the length of the loge cart 1 is arranged parallel to the path of travel of the chairlift, with the handle bars 21 and the lifting bracket 22 forwards, i.e. so that the loge cart is pointing in the intended direction of travel of the chairlift. The loge carts may ~o be positioned using a conveyor, or manually.
Referring in particular to Figures 6 - 1 i , when the chairlift chair moves cowards the loge cart.
the components of the transport system, and ir1 particular the hooks 11 and 12, are in the disengaged positioned shown in Figure 6:- the longitudinal axis of each hook 11 is at an ~s acute angle to the vertical and the safety hook 12 hangs substantially vertical. The pair of hooks 11 aligned with the loge cart impact against the lifting bracket 22 of that cart, as shown in Figure 7. This pushes the hooks 12 in the direction of an-ow C, moving the hooks 12 away from the hook portions of the hooks 11 so that the hook portions are free to engage the lifting bracket 22. However, the hooks 12 cannot move beyond the position of Figure 8 Zo because of the engagement of the stop 14 with the cutout 75.
Further movement of the chair in the direction of movement of the chairtift (arrow L) pushes Lhe hooks 11 in the direction of arrow C also, but the biasing effect of coil springs 23 urges the hook portions 11 b of the hooks 11 into engagement with the bracket 22 (Figure 9). In 2s this position, the bracket 22 lies below the corresponding safety hooks 12, which therefore are free to swing back under gravity in the direction of arrow A, to close off the top of the corresponding hook portion 11 b and prevent the bracket 22 from disengagement with the hook portion 11 b.
3o As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the hooks 11 gradually move back towards the carrying position shown in Figure 11, and the safety hooks 12 swing back with the hooks 11. In the position shown in Figure 11, the loge cart is suspended underneath the chairlift chair by the lifting bracket 22 and is prevented from disengagement with the hooks 11 by the safety hooks 12.
The loge cart is held securely in this position until the chairlift chair approaches the end of the upwards run, and it is necessary to disengage the loge cart from the chair either just before or just after the chairlift chair passes around the fuming bull wheel to begin the downward travel.
s To disengage the luge cart, it is necessary to move the safety hooks 12 away from the corresponding hook portions 11 b and to invert the hook portions 11 b so that the bracket 22 can drop clear- This is achieved by rotating the shaft 5 using the lever 7 and roller 8, as shown in Figure 12.
~o A ramp 24 is located at the desired disengagement area: the ramp 24 is located to one side of the chair, such that the roller B (travelling in direction L) travels up the ramp 24, rotating the lever 7 in the direction of arrow D. Since the lever 7 is rigidly secured to the end of the shaft 5, the movement of the lever 7 rotates the shaft 5 also and with it each collar 10; the crosspiece 17 of the T. piece 18 rotates with the sleeve 10 and thus rotates the hooks 11 ~s also. As the hooks 11 rotate, the engagement between the stop 14 and the cutout 15 rotates the safety hooks in the same direction, to a position at which the enlarged pofion 18 of each safety hook 12 acts as a counterweight to swing the corresponding hook 12 clear of the hook portion 11 b of the corresponding hook 11. This is the position shown in Figure 12, in which the hook portion of each hook 11 is open and the bracket 22 of the luge cart is able 2o to drop clear of the hook.
As the chair continues its forvvard movement, the roller 8 travels dawn the ramp 24, pivoting the fever 7, shaft 5, hooks 11 and safety hooks 12 back to their original position, as shown in Figure 5.
The whole sequence is then repeated when the chair reaches the bottom of the run, to pick up a fresh luge cart.
The system has been described on the basis of using two spaced hooks per lugs cart, but a so single hook per lugs cart could be used, or more than two hooks per lugs cart could be used, depending upon the size and design of the lugs cart.
It will be appreciated that the above described system involves a minimum of handling of the lugs carts and also can provide a system in which staff are not required to work in close proximity to a moving chairlift, if conveyors are used to move the lugs carts towards and away from the chairlift.

Claims (10)

Claims
1. A transport system for attachment to the chair of a chairlift, said system including:
one or more hooks, the or each hook being pivotally securable to a chairlift chair, and means for pivoting the or each hook between a first position in which the hook can support said article beneath said chair and a second position in which said hook is disengaged from the said article.
2. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the or each hook is provided with a safety device preventing accidental disengagement of said hook from said article.
3. The system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the safety device comprises a safety hook pivotally secured to each hook for limited rotation relative thereto between a closed position in which said safety hook closes off the hook portion of the corresponding hook and an open position in which said safety hook is clear of the hook portion of the corresponding hook.
4. The system as claimed in claim 3 wherein each said safety hook lies in a plane parallel to the plane of the corresponding hook.
5. The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said means for pivoting the or each hook between said first and second positions includes a shaft upon which the or each hook is mounted and a lever rigidly connected to said shaft, said lever being provided with engagement means arranged to be engageable with a ramp, for rotation of said lever and said shaft.
6. The system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said engagement means comprises a roller.
7. The system as claimed in claim 5 or claim 5 wherein the or each hook is mounted upon said shaft with a limited degree of pivotal movement and is spring biased towards said first position.
8. The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said hooks are arranged in pairs.
9. The combination of a chairlift chair and the system as claimed in any one of claims 1 - 8, wherein the or each hook is mounted upon the back of the chair so as to extend beneath the chair.
10. The combination of a chairlift chair and the system as claimed in any one of claims 5 - 7 wherein said shaft is mounted upon the back of the chair substantially parallel to the length of the chair, such that the or each hook extends beneath the chair.
CA 2423721 2003-03-27 2003-03-27 Transport system for attachment to chairlift Abandoned CA2423721A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA 2423721 CA2423721A1 (en) 2003-03-27 2003-03-27 Transport system for attachment to chairlift

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA 2423721 CA2423721A1 (en) 2003-03-27 2003-03-27 Transport system for attachment to chairlift

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2423721A1 true CA2423721A1 (en) 2004-09-27

Family

ID=33034944

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA 2423721 Abandoned CA2423721A1 (en) 2003-03-27 2003-03-27 Transport system for attachment to chairlift

Country Status (1)

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CA (1) CA2423721A1 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2937937A1 (en) * 2008-10-30 2010-05-07 Pomagalski Sa Automatic luge i.e. summer luge, transporting device for cableway, has magnet co-operating with plate integrated with luge for releasing luge from seat due to excitation of coil by creating magnetic flux in air gap of plunger
WO2011101785A1 (en) * 2010-02-19 2011-08-25 Partech Chairlift seat having a bicycle transport device

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2937937A1 (en) * 2008-10-30 2010-05-07 Pomagalski Sa Automatic luge i.e. summer luge, transporting device for cableway, has magnet co-operating with plate integrated with luge for releasing luge from seat due to excitation of coil by creating magnetic flux in air gap of plunger
WO2011101785A1 (en) * 2010-02-19 2011-08-25 Partech Chairlift seat having a bicycle transport device
FR2956630A1 (en) * 2010-02-19 2011-08-26 Partech BICYCLE TRANSPORT DEVICE
US8827363B2 (en) 2010-02-19 2014-09-09 Sommital Chairlift seat having a bicycle transport device

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