NZ563792A

NZ563792A - Aerial cableway with coupling and decoupling stations with parallel conveyor to engage and disengage means of transport

Info

Publication number: NZ563792A
Application number: NZ563792A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Johannes Moritzhuber
Original assignee: Innova Patent Gmbh
Priority date: 2006-11-27
Filing date: 2007-11-27
Publication date: 2009-05-31
Also published as: JP4908384B2; EP1925522A1; JP2008132978A; RU2410260C2; CA2612328C; KR20080048005A; NO20076031L; EP1925522B1; CN101219666B; RU2007143959A; CA2612328A1; AT504613A3; AT504613B1; CN101219666A; AT504613A2; AU2007237264A1

Abstract

The installation has guiding rails arranged in an area of stations (3), where coaches (2) are moved in the guiding rails. A group of retarding wheels (4), a group of conveying wheels (5) and a group of acceleration wheels (6) drive the coaches along the guiding rails. A conveying device (7) is arranged next to the retarding wheels and the acceleration wheels in parallel, and is brought into external interference with the coaches.

Description

*10054968631 * 56 3 7 92 Patents Act 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Aerial Cableway System with a Station for Storing Gondolas or Similar We, Innova Patent GmbH of Rickenbacherstrasse 8-10, A-6960 Wolfurt, Austria, an Austrian company, hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: c (RtitiiRi Fiy (to be followed by 1a) ilM VMW RECEIVEDi 1 a Title: Aerial Cableway System with a Station for Storing Gondolas or Similar The invention relates to an aerial cableway comprising stations; comprising a hauling cable; comprising means of transportation such as gondolas or chairs, which in the stations can be coupled to the cable and decoupled from the cable; comprising guide devices arranged in the region of the stations, on which guide devices the decoupled means of transportation are moved beside the cable; and comprising a transport device which drives the means of transportation along the guide devices and which at least in sections can be temporarily deactivated.

From EP 0 774 392 A it is known to use the space available in a station building, more precisely those guide devices along which during normal operation the means of transportation are guided around the deflection pulley in a station, for storing means of transportation when the aerial cableway is not in operation. In this context, BP 0 774 392 A describes various options for adapting the drive of the transport device such that the acceleration wheels, deceleration wheels and/or the conveyor wheels that are situated in between can be disengaged from the means of transportation. However, there is a problem in that there is then no drive available for the means of transportation parked in this region, which drive would move said means of transportation to a region in which non-deactivated wheels would take over the further drive when the aerial cableway resumes operation. Therefore this has to be carried out manually by operating personnel.

It is thus the object of the invention to provide an aerial cableway installation in which the sliding of the means of transportation is carried out mechanically or in an automated manner.

According to the invention, in a generic aerial cableway installation this object is met in that at least one conveyor device is provided, which at least in some regions is arranged so as to be parallel beside the transport device, and which can be made to engage and disengage the means of transportation.

As is known per se from EP 0 774 392 A, in the invention, too, some of the wheels, namely the acceleration wheels, deceleration wheels and/or the conveyor wheels located in between, are deactivated because these wheels, more specifically their drive, is not suitable for driving the means of transportation so that the latter can be parked under cover close together in the station. In order to relieve the operating personnel from this manual work that would otherwise have to be carried out, according to the invention an additional conveyor device is provided in that region or regions in which the wheels are deactivated, which conveyor device carries out this transport.

This conveyor device is arranged so as to be parallel beside the actual transport device and in a preferred embodiment is characterised in that the conveyor device is a conveyor element, for example a conveyor belt, chain block or the like, which moves endlessly around two deflection rollers* Furthermore, it is preferred if the conveyor element comprises at least one catch that projects from the conveyor element and can be made to engage the means of transportation. By way of the catch, each means of transportation can be pushed into the desired position in a region in which the transport device is deactivated.

The longitudinal extension of the conveyor device, at least in its effective region, approximately corresponds to the length in which the transport device can be deactivated. In this way the entire region in which the transport device is deactivated can be reached by the conveyor device, and in this way the means of transportation can easily be slid along this entire region.

As is known per se from EP 0 774 392 A, the transport device can comprise wheels that can be moved out of their transport position. This is a proven method, which can be implemented in a simple manner from a design point of view, of deactivating the wheels of the transport device. .

As an alternative, the invention can also provide for the transport device to comprise wheels or groups of wheels that can be decoupled from their drive. Thus the drive of the wheels or of the group of wheels would continue to operate and would continue to be available to other wheels or other groups of wheels that at a given time should not or need not be deactivated.

As an alternative or in addition it is also possible for the transport device to comprise wheels that are taken together to form groups whose drive can be deactivated. This embodiment is simpler when compared to the above-mentioned embodiment in that the drive only has to be switched on and off, and in that there is no need to provide additional couplings for coupling and decoupling the wheels or groups of wheels. 3a The present invention provides an aerial cableway installation comprising stations; comprising a hauling cable; comprising means of transportation such as gondolas or chairs, which in the stations can be coupled to the cable and decoupled from the cable; comprising guide devices arranged in the region of the stations, on which guide devices the decoupled means of transportation are moved beside the cable; and comprising a transport device which drives the means of transportation along the guide devices and which in sections can at least temporarily be deactivated, characterized in that at least one conveyor device is provided, which at least in some regions is arranged so as to be parallel beside the transport device, and which can be made to engage and disengage the means of transportation.

Preferably the conveyor device is a conveyor element, for example a conveyor belt, chain block or the like, which moves endlessly around two deflection rollers.

Preferably the conveyor element comprises at least one catch that projects from the conveyor element and can be made to engage the means of transportation.

Preferably the longitudinal extension of the conveyor device approximately corresponds to the length in which the transport device can be deactivated.

Preferably the transport device comprises wheels that can be moved away from their transport position.

Preferably the transport device comprises wheels or groups of wheels that can be decoupled from their drive.

Preferably the transport device comprises wheels that are taken together to form groups whose drive can be deactivated.

Further embodiments and advantages of the invention are shown in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the associated drawings. 4 - Fig. 1 shows a lateral view of an embodiment of a station of the aerial cableway installation according to the invention in normal operation; Fig. 2 shows a top view of the station shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a lateral view of the station shown in Figs 1 and 2, with gondolas parked under cover; Fig. 4 shows a top view of the station shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 shows a lateral view of an alternative for deactivating the wheels of the transport device; Fig. 6 shows a top view of the station shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 shows a view that corresponds to the view according to Fig. 6, with a maximum number of gondolas parked under cover; and Fig, 8 shows a section view of a detail of the station of the aerial cableway installation.

Fig. 1 shows a guide rail 1 along which gondolas 2 that have been decoupled from the hauling cable can be moved by sliding through a station 3 of an aerial cableway installation. The gondolas 2 are driven by way of three groups of wheels, in specific terms by way of a group of deceleration wheels 4, a group of conveyor wheels 5 and a group of acceleration wheels 6. After they have been decoupled from the hauling cable, the gondolas 2 are decelerated by the deceleration wheels 4 to a speed at which passengers can conveniently leave and enter said gondolas 2. This takes place in that region in which the gondolas 2 are conveyed onward at constant slow speed by the conveyor wheels 5. Subsequently the gondolas 2 are accelerated by the acceleration wheels 6 to a speed that corresponds to the speed of the hauling cable, after which the gondolas 2 are again coupled to the hauling cable.

In order to store or park, under cover, means of transportation, e.g. the described gondolas, some of the acceleration- and deceleration wheels 4, 6 can be deactivated, i.e. they do not exert any acceleration- and deceleration forces onto the gondolas 2. As described in EP 0 774 392 A this can, for example take place in that the acceleration- and deceleration wheels 4, 6 can be moved out of their transport position so that the gondolas 2 located in this region are not driven by these wheels- This variant is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 5.

In another embodiment, which is shown in Fig. 3, some of the deceleration wheels 4 or some of the acceleration wheels 6 are decoupled from the drive. If the deceleration wheels 4 and the acceleration wheels 6 are driven so that one wheel always drives the next wheel at a somewhat lower or higher transmission ratio, then it is sufficient to decouple the drive of one wheel to the next wheel so that all the subsequent wheels of the associated group are also no longer driven by deceleration wheels 4 or acceleration wheels 6. In the case shown in Pig. 3, it is the deceleration wheel 4a which is decoupled from the deceleration wheel 4 located to its left, so that all the deceleration wheels 4 up to the deceleration wheel 4b are without drive. After the wheel 4b there follows the group with the conveyor wheels 5, which group is driven separately. Decoupling the drive of some of the acceleration wheels 6 takes place analogously.

In this region, in which the deceleration wheels 4 and acceleration wheels 6 are deactivated, it is now possible to park means of transportation 2 under cover. For this to be able to be carried out mechanically, in these regions additional conveyor devices 7, 7' are provided which at least in some regions are arranged so as to be parallel beside the respective region. In the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings, the conveyor devices 7, 7' comprise a chain 10 or 10' that endlessly moves around two deflection wheels 8, 9 or 8', 9', to which chain 10 or 10' a conveyor element 11, 11' in the form of a pin-shaped catch is attached. One of the two deflection wheels 8, 9 or 8', 9' of each conveyor device 7, 71 is driven so that the catches 11, 11* on the one hand can be moved to the side of the conveyor devices 7, 7', which side is shown in Fig. 2, in which said catches 11, 11' are positioned on the side facing away from the guide rail 1 and are disengaged from the gondolas 2; and on the other hand can be moved to the other, opposite side, in which said catches 11, 11' are located on the side facing the guide rail 1, in which they take over the transport of the gondolas 2 with the rollers 4, 6 deactivated.

The sequence of a storing process of gondolas 2 takes place, starting with the initial situation shown in Fig. 1, which situation corresponds to normal aerial cableway operation, in which movement of the gondolas through the station 3 takes place clockwise, for example such that the aerial cableway is first stopped. Then the deceleration wheels 4 between the two wheels 4a and 4b are deactivated and the aerial cableway is driven in the opposite direction of movement. The wheels 6, which during normal operation are used as acceleration wheels, now act as deceleration wheels. As soon as a gondola 2 is located in the region of the storage track between the wheels 4a and 4b, the drive of the conveyor device 7 is switched on so that the catch 11, starting from the home position shown in Fig. 1, moves clockwise around the deflection roller 9 until it rests against the gondola 2 and takes the latter along until it is located at the end of the storage track at the wheel 4a. During this time the aerial cableway is stopped or operated at reduced speed. Subsequently the drive of the conveyor device 7 is switched over and the catch 11 moves back to its home position. Now the conveyor wheels 5 move the next gondola to the beginning of the storage track at wheel 4b, from where the catch 11 pushes said gondola directly behind the gondola that has already been parked under cover. This is repeated (in Figs 3 and 4 the third gondola 2 is pushed onto the storage track, with said gondola 2 in Fig. 6 being in its final storage position) until the entire storage track in the region of the deceleration wheels 4 is filled with gondolas.

After this is finished, the acceleration wheels 6, too, are deactivated so that in this region too, gondolas can be stored under cover in that, starting at the right-hand end of this storage track beside the conveyor wheels 5, one gondola 2 after the other is parked under cover by means of the catch 11'.

For renewed circulation of the gondolas 2 the catch 11' is placed from the right-hand side to the outermost right-hand gondola, with said catch 11' then slowly pushing the gondolas to the left so that the gondolas 2, one after the other, reach the region of non-deactivated acceleration wheels 6 and are dispatched. The catch 11' is then moved back to the home position shown in Fig. 2. Thereafter, all the acceleration wheels 6 are activated again and the gondolas 2 on the storage track in the region of the deactivated deceleration wheels 4 are put back into operation, one after the other, in that the catch 11 is placed from the left-hand side to the outermost left gondola 2 so that it pushes all the stored gondolas, step-by-stepr towards the right-hand side until said gondolas establish contact with the conveyor wheels 5 and are dispatched.

After all the gondolas 2 from this storage track have been dispatched, the catch 11 returns to its home position shown in Fig. 2, and all the deceleration wheels 4 are again activated for normal aerial cableway operation.

Fig* 8 shows in more detail the components of a means of transportation 2, of the conveyor device 7 and of the transport device, which components are necessary to provide an understanding of this invention. A suspension bar 12 of the means of transportation 2 is shown, which suspension bar 12, by way of a coupling device 13, can be coupled to the suspension- and hauling cable of the aerial cableway installation. The coupling device also comprises pulleys 14, 15 that run on the stationary rails 1, 16* Furthermore, the coupling device comprises a drive face 17, onto which the wheels of the transport device, for example the wheel 4 shown in Fig. 8, are applied. The wheels 4, 5, 6 are driven by means of pulleys 18 arranged in pairs. If the rotary speed of adjacent wheels is to be the same as that of the conveyor wheels 5, the diameter of the two pulleys is the same. If the rotary speed of adjacent wheels is to be different, as is the case with the deceleration wheels 4 and 6, then the diameter of the pulleys is also different, as shown in Fig. 8.

The wheels 4, 5, 6 are held on a stationary frame 19, to which, furthermore, the conveyor device 7, 7' according to the invention is also affixed. Fig. 8 shows a guide 20 of the conveyor device 7, in which guide the chain 10 is guided. Furthermore, the catch 11 is shown, which in the right-hand position in solid lines is just applied to the suspension bar 12, wherein the catch 11 is shown in dashed lines in the left-hand position, which is the home position.

Claims

Claims: 9

1. An aerial cableway installation comprising stations; including a hauling cable; 5 including means of transportation which in the stations can be coupled to the cable and decoupled from the cable; including guide devices arranged in the region of the stations, on which guide devices the decoupled means of transportation are moved beside the cable; and including a transport device which drives the means of transportation along the guide devices and which in 10 sections can at least temporarily be deactivated, characterized in that at least one conveyor device for driving the means of transportation is provided, which at least in some regions is arranged so as to be parallel beside the transport device, and which can be made to engage and disengage the means of transportation. 15

2. An aerial cableway installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the means of transportation is a gondola or a chair.

3. The aerial cableway installation according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized 20 in that the conveyor device is a conveyor element, which moves endlessly around two deflection rollers.

4. An aerial cableway installation according to claim 3, characterized in that said conveyor element is a conveyor belt or chain block. 25

5. The aerial cableway installation according to claim 3 or claim 4, characterized in that the conveyor element includes at least one catch that projects from the conveyor element and can be made to engage the means of transportation. 30

6. The aerial cableway installation according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the longitudinal extension of the conveyor device approximately corresponds to the length in which the transport device can be deactivated. /.# j "c- " 8 MAY 2009 jj 10

7. The aerial cableway installation according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the transport device includes wheels that can be moved away from their transport position. 5

8. The aerial cableway installation according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the transport device includes wheels or groups of wheels that can be decoupled from their drive.

9. The aerial cableway installation according to any one of claims 1 to 6, 10 characterized in that the transport device includes wheels that are taken together to form groups whose drive can be deactivated. 27 NOV 2007 RECEIVED