FR2547741A1 - DEVICE FOR THE MECHANICAL REHABILITATION OF SMALL VEHICLES - Google Patents

Abstract

THE SYSTEM CONCERNING THE ASCENT OF SMALL VEHICLES HAS BEFORE LOWERING A SLOPE BY GRAVITY ON A TRACK OF THE TYPE ACCORDING TO WHICH THESE VEHICLES HAVE SUSTENTATION ORGANS THAT MUST REST ON A ASCENT PATH AND WHICH PROVIDES FOR MECHANICAL TRACK MEANS. THE ASCENT PATH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INVENTION CONSISTS OF SPACES 1 AND 2 PARALLEL TO THE CONTACT PLANE OF THE SUPPORTING ORGANS AND OF THE DIVERGENT AND INCLINED SIDE EDGES 3 AND 4, OF A LEVEL GREATER THAN THAT OF THE GATES 1 AND 2. WHEN THE SUSTENTATION ARE WHEELS BC ESPECIALLY WITH AXES AND NOT PARALLEL, DOORS 1 AND 2 ARE PARALLEL TO THESE AXLES.

Description

The present invention relates to installations of which there are

  various variants and which provide, as an attraction, the descent of small vehicles on a substantially concave track placed on more or less steep slopes, so that the user, sitting on the vehicle, down these slopes more or less quickly according to it

  actuates or not, either a friction brake acting on the track or brakes acting on wheels.

  According to a first variant, the track is formed

  by the juxtaposition of concrete elements more or less sunk into the ground, which constitutes a permanent and heavy construction.

  According to another variant, rail elements are

  placed on the floor and can be dismantled.

  Installations of this type are particularly interesting in winter sports resorts, during the summer season, as they are an attractive substitute for 20 winter sports which obviously involve the presence of snow: sledding, skiing, etc. . It is advantageous to couple these facilities with

  permanent lifts as it allows to make the same money during the summer season.

  Thus, there is provided a raceway directly above the ski lifts and the downhill runway is installed so that its starting point is close to the upper point of arrival of the mechanical lift, particularly in

  following him to provide a continuous circuit.

  But experience shows that the combination of existing lifts and the devices just described presents some difficulties due in particular to the fact that the lifts are designed for the direct traction of a user who slides on the snow by the intermediate of skis and whose body is sufficiently flexible

  and articulated to play the role of a kind of damper when the user grasps the handle that is part of the lift.

  Thus, the body of the user dampens the jolts and we can not fear any effect of derailment since

  the user is directly on the slippery floor.

  When, on the contrary, we use small wheeled or skid vehicles, we are obliged to provide a way of ascent, that is rails, and the user can no longer play the role of shock absorber between the sometimes abrupt pull of the ski lift and the rails, so that derailments are frequent and this has the consequence

  the fall of the user who, although it can not be really serious, constitutes a serious inconvenience and inconvenience.

  In addition, during derailments the sled can be damaged.

  The present invention makes it possible to remedy and predict

  the raising of small vehicles without danger of derailment even at the moment when the lift mechanically exerts its effect.

  To this end, the subject of the invention is a device for the ascent of small vehicles that must subsequently descend a slope by gravity on a track, of the type comprising levitation members to rest on a return path for the vehicles and means mechanical traction of the latter, characterized in that the ascent path comprises parallel surfaces to the contact plane levitating members and the divergent side edges and inclined, higher level than the litters. According to other features of the invention: the levitation members being wheels mounted on

  axes, possibly non-parallel to present a carousel, the bearings are parallel to the axes of the wheels.

  the diverging lateral edges are adjacent to the spans, the diverging lateral edges are separated from the spans by an intermediate portion which is steeper than the spans, the spans are joined together by a median element, the median element is solid and preferably concave, passages being provided for the evacuation of rainwater, the mechanical means of traction comprise a shock absorbing element such as a segment of cable associated with

a retractor with elastic return.

  The invention will be better understood by the description

  detailed below with reference to the attached drawing Well

  understood, the description and the drawing are given only by way of indicative and non-limiting example.

  Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a raceway according to the invention on which is shown a small wheeled vehicle. FIG. 2 is a transverse schematic view

  of a raceway according to a variant of the invention.

  FIG. 3 is a partial schematic view showing

  in perspective the element of Figure 2.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing

  the traction of a small vehicle on a raceway 15 according to the invention.

  Referring to the drawing, we see that the invention concerns small vehicles of known type whose entire configuration is reminiscent of a simple sled and having a body A supported by wheels B and C having a caros20 wise it is- that is, mounted on rolling axles which are not parallel but which converge towards one another in the axis of the vehicle. The latter also comprises a braking system comprising here a pivoting lever D associated with a friction shoe E may be brought into contact with a track (not shown) on which the vehicle is intended to descend

  by gravity Braking can also be exerted on the wheels.

  According to the invention, to ensure the mechanical ascent of the vehicles, there is provided a raceway which comprises bearings 1 and 2 parallel to the axes A and A of the wheels B and C and the diverging side edges and inclines 3 and 4 of level

  greater than litters 1 and 2.

  Thus, the wheels B and C of the vehicles are perfectly well applied to the bearings 1 and 2 and there is no fear of derailment because if side forces are applied to the vehicle the inclined edges 3 and 4 have the effect of straightening the vehicle to bring it back exactly in the axis of the raceway so that the wheels

find litters 1 and 2.

  It will be noted in FIG. 1 that the bearing surface 1 is adjacent to the diverging lateral edge 3 and that the bearing surface 2 is adjacent to the diverging lateral edge 4. In addition, the bearing surfaces 1 and 2 are joined together by a median element 5. a solid consisting of planes 5 to 5b forming an obtuse angle between them and, as these planes are exactly located in the extension of the bearings 1 and 2 # they are parallel to axesccet Ades wheels B and C. Thus constitutes a continuous section which makes it possible to construct the raceway according to the invention by

  juxtaposition of identical elements between them.

  The median element 5 substantially has a concave shape so that rainwater tends to flow from the top of the side edges 3 and 4 to the center line through which planes a and 5b meet. In order to prevent the accumulation of rainwater, holes 6 distributed longitudinally and allowing the water to be evacuated may be provided in line with this median line.

  directly to the ground under the roadway.

  Beyond the top of the side edges 3 and 4, there are two wings 7 and 8 extended downwards by sides 9 and 10 connected to lateral flanges 11 and 12.

  The element just described can, for example,

  be made in folded tale and to give it rigidity can be expected to bring together the semelles 11 and 12 by sleepers 13.

  In this case, it is ensured that the holes 6 are at the base of the intervals between the crosspieces 13 and

not above the sleepers.

  Naturally, one could obtain a similar result with a different construction.

  Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, another embodiment of the invention is shown according to which the raceway is made of material elements.

  such as certain resins associated with

glasses.

  Here again a continuous section is produced which has two spans 100 and 200 joined together by a median element 500 whose section no longer forms a dihedron as in the previous case but a curve whose lowest central line is virtual because we have provided in the center of the element a channel 510 for the collection of rainwater Holes (not visible in the drawing) in the channel 510 allow the evacuation of

rainwater.

  The lateral edges 300 and 400 are connected to inclined sides 900 and 1000 which terminate horizontally by flanges 1100 and 1200. It will be noted here that the span 100 is separated from the edge 300 by an intermediate portion 110 which is steeper than

the range 100.

  Symmetrically, the range 200 is separated from the edge 400

  by a portion 210 steeper than the reach 200.

  In FIG. 3 it can be seen that at one end of an element according to the invention there is provided a designated rebate

  by the general reference 1500 and which has a section exactly similar to that of the element itself.

  The element itself and the rabbet 1500 are connected by a projection 1510 of height substantially equal to the thickness of the element so that another identical element

  can be aligned with the first by placing it on the film lure 1500 without forming a significant continuity solution including the ranges 100 and 200.

  In this way, all the elements are in the extension of each other and a virtually continuous raceway is formed, including a central channel 510 through which the rainwater is collected and is brought to the nearest point. bottom of the road where they

  are, where appropriate, collected or definitively evacuated.

  According to another variant, they can be evacuated through the holes of the

channel 510.

  FIG. 4 shows a segment of such a race made by juxtaposing three elements of the type shown in FIG.

Figure 1.

  We see that the small vehicle A, or trolley, or luge is maintained

  in the longitudinal axis of the raceway.

  This figure shows a characteristic of the invention which contributes to the prevention of any derailment and which consists in providing a shock absorbing element associated with the mechanical traction mechanisms. This figure shows a pole 15 of any known type and that it is therefore not necessary to describe

in detail.

  At its upper part (not shown) the pole 15 is secured to a carriage driven by a continuous cable passing over pulleys attached to pylons;

  being often called "ski lift" or "ski lift".

  Here, there is provided a retractor 16 with elastic return for a cable 17 whose free end 18 is provided with means (not shown) for attachment to the vehicle A and preferably at the top of the lever D. It can, for example, provide that a hook is secured to the end 18 and a ring is provided at the top of the lever D. Thus, the traction exerted by the pole 15 is damped because if the force is greater than the force of force elastic return of the reel 16, the cable 17 deploys to absorb the shock without transmitting it to the vehicle A, which does not

  begins its movement progressivementipar catching of the cable 17 by means of the reel 16.

  By this means, combined with the presence of the lateral edges 3 and 4, the derailment risks are minimized both at the start and during the entire journey of the vehicle A. The traction force of the pole 15 tends to underlie the weight of the vehicle A and this effect can go, with the devices of the known technique, to cause the derailment of the trolleys but here it is impossible

  thanks to the presence of the lateral edges 3 and 4.

  The weight of the user sitting on the vehicle A 'is not always perfectly distributed and at the time of starting, that is to say at the time of attachment of the vehicle A to the pole, the effort of abrupt traction and not exerting exactly in the axis also has the effect of soliciting the vehicle laterally what does not happen here since the traction force exerts gradually and smoothly,

  this in combination with the side edges 3 and 4.

  Note that the attachment of the cable 17 at the top of the lever D has the additional effect of biasing the latter to its position corresponding to the maximum lifting of the brake pad E which is a safety because it prevents this brake pad E comes, inadvertently, in contact with the median element (5 or 500) because the user has neither the temptation nor the possibility of pulling the lever D towards him 10 to lower the pad E. Of course, one could also predict the hooking the cable 17 by a different means or provide no hooking by letting the user himself hold a handle located

  at the base of the pole 15, the reel 16 then being located at the top of the pole, that is to say interposed between this vertex and the tow rope of the lift.

  One can also provide a handle at the end of the cable 17, the reel 16 being subject to a tele-seat seat of any known type and pre-existing. The damping effect due to the reel 16 allows a higher speed of the mechanical lift means

  while ensuring a smooth start.

  At the top of the course, the retractor 16 recalls the released cable 17 so that it will not run to the ground during the journey and at the starting station.

  The invention has been illustrated by choosing the variant according to which the vehicle is of the type with wheels with non-parallel axes. However, the invention also applies to the case where the lifting orifices are skids (parallel or divergent) as well as 'in case the lifting organs are

wheels with parallel axes.

Claims (6)

  1 Device for the ascent of small vehicles (A) to subsequently descend a slope by gravity on a track, of the type comprising lifting members 5 to rest on a way of ascent for vehicles (A) and mechanical means of traction of these, characterized in that the way of ascent includes   bearing surfaces (1-2) parallel to the contact plane of the levitating members and the diverging and inclined lateral edges (3-4) of level higher than that of the bearing surfaces (1-2).   2 Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the levitation members being wheels (B-C)   mounted on axes (c and B), possibly not parallel to present a carousel, the bearing surfaces (1-2) are parallel to the axes (a and) of the wheels (Bet C).   3 Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the diverging lateral edges (3-4) are adjacent at litters (1-2).   Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the diverging lateral edges (300-400) are separated from the bearing surfaces (100-200) by an intermediate part (110-210).   steeper than litters (100-200).   Device according to claim 1, characterized   in that the spans (1-2, 100-200) are joined together by a median element (5-500).   6 Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the median element (5) is solid and preferably concave, passages (6) being provided for the evacuation rainwater.   7 Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the mechanical traction means comprise a shock absorber element such as a cable segment (17).   associated with a retractor (16) with elastic return.