EP0790167B1 - Guide pulley array for a transporting plant with aerial cable - Google Patents

Abstract

Balance arm, esp for cableway cabin made from series of members linked by bearings, one with free articulated joint surrounded by elastic sleeve.

Description

The invention relates to a support pendulum or compression of a cable from a cable transport installation aerial, comprising balance elements, each of which is articulated by a bearing comprising a sleeve articulation elastic, on a central support axis and carries its ends of the rollers for supporting or compressing the cable or the axes of support for other balance elements.

A pendulum of the kind mentioned is, for example, attached to the top of a support pylon for a towing cable gondola or chairlift, to balance the load on all of the balance wheel rollers. The pendulum is necessarily equipped with a safety device, which causes the installation to stop during an incident, especially when a cable derailment or the loss of a pebble. A known safety device, which has imposed itself by its simplicity and reliability, detects excessive tilting of one of the pendulum elements, for example of the element input and / or output of the pendulum. Such pendulums are successfully used for many years but the passage of loads on the pendulum generates noise and vibrations, which affect passenger comfort and cause additional wear.

The present invention aims to allow the realization an improved functioning pendulum, which retains the simplicity of structure and security. She leaves from observation, that in normal operation, the elements of pendulum practically does not move and that weak swivels can be supported by fixtures elastic or deformable, only the actuation of the element of security requiring significant travel.

Document US-A-4 995 319 relates to a pendulum, all of which the joints are formed by elastic sleeves interposed between two coaxial sockets. Maximum swivel 15 degrees, authorized by the elastic sleeve, is insufficient to operate with certainty a excessive pivoting of a balance element.

The pendulum according to the invention is characterized in that the bearing of at least one balance element is a bearing composite, formed by the combination of a joint free rotation, allowing significant deflections of the balance member and a coaxial sleeve joint elastic, allowing limited pivoting of the element pendulum.

The elastic sleeve provides vibration filtering and flexibility, which improve passenger comfort. This sleeve elastic is preferably interposed between the support axis and a coaxial socket, on the outside of which is mounted to free rotation of the balance element hub, but a reverse arrangement, in which the elastic sleeve is arranged on the outside is conceivable. The elastic sleeve is secured by its inner periphery to the support axis and by its circumference external to the coaxial sleeve and the pivoting of the balance member causes deformation of the sleeve elastic.

The document FR-A-1 435 111 describes a composite articulation, having an inner sleeve mounted for free rotation on a tree and surrounded by an elastic sleeve, integral with a external socket. This type of joint, for example used to connect two connecting rods or levers of a suspension system of motor vehicles, allows misalignments.

All of the pendulum support bearings can be composite type, but it is possible to equip only the balance elements fitted with a safety device, in the occurrence of the input and / or output elements, of a bearing composite, the bearings of the other elements or of certain other elements being of free articulation or with sleeve elastic.

The safety device is advantageously of the type to breakable bar, arranged on the pivoting path of the pendulum element and on the cable drop path, in such a way that excessive pivoting of the element of pendulum and / or the fall of a derailed cable cause the breakage of the bar and thus the interruption of a circuit of security.

la figure 1 est une vue en élévation d'un balancier selon l'invention;

la figure 2 est une vue en plan du balancier de la figure 1:

les figures 3, 4 et 5 sont des coupes, à échelle agrandie, respectivement suivant les lignes III-III, IV-IV et V-V de la figure 1;

la figure 6 illustre un palier standard d'un élément de balancier.

Other advantages and characteristics will emerge more clearly from the description which follows of an embodiment of the invention given by way of example and shown in the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a pendulum according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the pendulum of FIG. 1:

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are sections, on an enlarged scale, respectively along lines III-III, IV-IV and VV of Figure 1;

Figure 6 illustrates a standard bearing of a pendulum element.

In the figures a balance with eight rollers 14 supporting a overhead cable (not shown), including a gondola or of a chairlift, has four balance elements 10,11,12,13, each carrying a pair of support rollers 14 of the cable. The rollers 14 are arranged at the ends of the balance elements 10-13, the centers of which are articulated on support axes 17. Support axes 17 of pairs balance elements 10,11; 12,13 are carried by the ends of a pair of auxiliary balance elements 15,16, themselves hinged in the middle on support pins auxiliaries 18, carried by the ends of an element of main balance 19. The main balance element 19 is rotatably mounted on a main axis 20 carried by a pylon (not shown). All balance elements 10-13; 15.16; 19, consist of two parallel flanges spaced 21.22, between which the rollers 14 and the support axes 17,18,20. Such pendulums are good known and need not be described in more detail. It is clear that the invention is applicable to pendulums comprising a different number of pairs of rollers 14, in particular to a balance with a single pair, carried by a single pendulum element.

The rollers 14 are rotatably mounted by bearings with balls 23, on axes 24, interposed between the flanges 21,22 balance elements 10-13. A cable guide 25 is associated to the rollers 14 of the balance input and output. (figure 3)

Referring more particularly to FIG. 4, it can be seen that the articulation of the pendulum element 10, at the entrance to the pendulum, is arranged in composite bearing, constituted successively from the inside to the outside of; A bolt 26, passing through the flanges 21,22 of the balance member auxiliary 15; a spacer sleeve 27 threaded on the bolt 26; an elastic sleeve 28 surrounding the spacer sleeve 27; a coaxial sleeve 29 externally sheathing the sleeve elastic 28 and a tubular hub 30, mounted for free rotation with interposition of an anti-friction material 31. The sleeve elastic 28 is secured by its internal periphery to the spacer sleeve 27 and by its periphery external to the sleeve coaxial 29 to form a one-piece assembly, which allows, by elastic deformation of the sleeve 28, a relative pivoting limited between the sockets 27.29. The spacer sleeve 27 is secured, by tightening the bolt 26 and wedging, at flanges 21,22 of the auxiliary balance member 15 and this together constitutes the support axis 17. The hub 30 is rigidly secured to the flanges 21,22 of the element pendulum 10 and it carries a safety device 32 to bar. It is understood that the free rotation of the hub 30 on the coaxial socket 29 allows significant pivoting of balance element 10, during an incident and actuation of the safety device 32, while the elastic sleeve 28 allows only slight pivoting.

In FIG. 5, which illustrates the bearing of the second element of balance 11, we recognize the flanges 21,22 of the element auxiliary balance 15, bolt 26, spacer sleeve 27 wedged between the flanges 21,22, the elastic sleeve 28 and the hub 30 integral with the flanges 21, 22 of the balance member 11. The sleeve 28 is integral with the spacer sleeve 27 and of the hub 30. A cable take-up 33 is carried by the hub 30. It is easy to see that this level only authorizes a limited pivoting of the balance element 11, by deformation elastic of the sleeve 28. This limited pivoting is sufficient for load balancing and for operation correct installation, since this pendulum element 11 does not have a safety device requiring a significant pivoting. The bearings of the other elements of balance 12,13 as well as those of the balance elements auxiliary 15,16 and main 19 are advantageously of the same type, single elastic sleeve 28.

FIG. 6 illustrates a standard bearing of an element of pendulum 11. We recognize the flanges 21,22 of the element of auxiliary balance 15, bolt 26, spacer sleeve 27 wedged between the flanges 21,22, and the hub 30 secured to the flanges 21,22 of the balance member 11. The hub 30 is free rotation mounted directly on the spacer sleeve 27 with interposition of the anti-friction material 31. A catcher of cable 33 is carried by the hub 30. It is easy to see that this standard type bearing does not have a sleeve elastic 28 filtering vibrations and it is therefore used only in combination with an elastic sleeve bearing, for example, of an auxiliary balance element 15,16.

It is unnecessary to describe the functioning of the pendulum and it suffice to recall that, according to the invention, the elements of input 10 and / or output 13 balance are equipped with a composite bearing with elastic sleeve 28 and free rotation according to figure 4. All the other bearings of the elements of pendulum 11,12; 15,16; 19 can be of the same type or include simply an elastic sleeve according to figure 5. Some bearings, in particular of the main balance element 19 and / or auxiliary balance elements 15, 16 may be of the standard type with free rotation according to figure 6, others combinations being conceivable.

Claims (8)

1. A rocker arm for supporting or compressing a cable on an overhead cable transportation installation, comprising rocker arm components (10-13; 15, 16; 19), each of which is articulated by means of a bearing having an articulation with an elastic sleeve, on a central support shaft (17, 18, 20), and carries at its ends wheels (14) for supporting or compressing the cable or support shafts (17, 18) for other rocker arm components, characterised in that the bearing of at least one rocker arm component (10) is a composite bearing, formed by the combination of a free-rotation articulation (29, 30), allowing large movement of the rocker arm component (10), and a coaxial articulation with elastic sleeve (28), allowing limited pivotings of the rocker arm component.
2. A rocker arm according to Claim 1, characterised in that the elastic sleeve (28) of the composite bearing is interposed between the support shaft (17) and a coaxial socket (29) and in that a hub (30) of the rocker arm component is mounted for free rotation on the coaxial socket (29).
3. A rocker arm according to Claim 2, characterised in that the elastic sleeve (28) is fixed by its internal periphery to the support shaft (17) and by its external periphery to the said coaxial socket (29).
4. A rocker arm according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that the rocker arm component (10, 13), disposed at the entry and/or exit of the rocker arm, is equipped with a composite bearing and a detector (32) for excessive pivoting of the rocker arm component.
5. A rocker arm according to Claim 4, characterised in that the said detector (32) is a breakable bar disposed on the pivoting path of the rocker arm component (10, 13) and on the fall path of the cable, so that an excessive pivoting of the rocker arm component and/or the fall of a derailed cable causes the rupture of the bar and thus the interruption of a safety circuit.
6. A rocker arm according to Claim 4 or 5, characterised in that the other rocker arm components (11, 12), intermediate between the entry and exit elements (10, 13) and the auxiliary (15, 16) and main (19) rocker arm components, are equipped with a free-rotation bearing or an elastic-sleeve bearing.
7. A rocker arm according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that all the rocker arm components (10-13; 15, 16; 19) of the rocker arm are equipped with a composite bearing.
8. A rocker arm according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the rocker arm element has two parallel plates (21, 22) spaced apart and in that the wheels (14) and support shafts (17, 18) are interposed between the two plates.

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