US2985224A

US2985224A - Aerial lift passenger chair

Info

Publication number: US2985224A
Application number: US724566A
Authority: US
Inventors: Tony R Sowder
Original assignee: RIBLET TRAMWAY CO
Current assignee: RIBLET TRAMWAY CO
Priority date: 1958-03-28
Filing date: 1958-03-28
Publication date: 1961-05-23
Anticipated expiration: 1978-05-23

Description

May 23, 1961 'T. R SOWDER AERIAL LIFT PASSENGER CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 28, 1958 INVENTOR.

TONY R. SOWDER BY y 1961 T. R SOWDER 2,985,224

AERIAL LIFT PASSENGER CHAIR Filed March 2a, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG-5 INVENTOR. TONY R. SOWDER United States Patent 9 AERIAL LIFT PASSENGER CHAIR Tony R. Sowder, Spokane, "Wash, assignor to Riblet Tramway Company, Spokane, Wash., a corporation of Washington Filed Mar. 28, 1958, Ser'. No. 724,566

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-2) The present invention is an aerial lift passenger chair having a housing alternately movable to a closed position wherein a passenger seated in said chair is shielded and to an open position wherein passengers are permitted movement to and from said chair.

Among the objects of the present invention are: to provide a novel chair for an aerial tramway or passenger cha1r lift; to provide such a chair which is capable of carrying a plurality of persons; to provide such a chair with a housing for shielding the occupants of the chair; to provide such a chair and housing with means for opening the housing to permit movement of a passenger to and from said chair; to provide such a chair which prov1des adequate safety for the persons being carried thereby; to provide such a chair which is particularly adapted to be used in all seasons of the year and particularly in a ski lift; and to provide such a chair which is very simple in construction, assembled with facility, and not liable to become inoperative, and therefore one which may be constructed and maintained economically.

There are further objects and advantages of the present invention which it is believed will become apparent to the reader during the course of the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, therefore such further objects are not herein specifically set forth.

In said accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an aerial lift passenger chair constructed in accordance with my present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the said chair;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal cross section taken substantially on a plane indicated by line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the footrest disassociated from the housing and having a portion broken away for convenience of illustration;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a modified lift chair constructed in accordance with this invention; and

Figure 6 is a front elevation of the chair shown in Figure 5.

Having reference more particularly now to the drawings, I have shown in Figures 1-4 a preferred embodiment of my present invention which discloses an aerial lift passenger chair indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 10, and this chair, which in actual practice seats two persons, includes a framework 12 which forms a chair C having a bottom 14, a back :16, and sides 18 of the chair. A single support member 20' is secured as by welding or otherwise at its lower end to the chair C and is adapted at its upper end (not shown) to be supported upon a tramway cable. Journals 22 are carried by the back 16 of the chair by means of brackets 24 and are in axial alignment with each other on a horizontal axis rearwardly of the chair back 16 and parallel to the horizontal length of the chair. It will be understood, though not particularly shown in full line in the ice drawings, that the chair is provided with a passenger seat one on each side of the support member 20, and that the horizontal length of the chair extends laterally of Figure 2 and perpendicular to the support member 20 toward the viewer when viewing Figure 1.

Pivotally supported upon said journals 22 is a housing 26 which is somewhat frusto-conical in shape and constitutes a hollow dome having an open bottom 28 disposed obliquely to the plane curve of the dome. The dome is provided with a concavo-convex light 30 at the top and a transparent windshield 32 in the front wall of the housing at substantially eye level of a person seated in said chair. It will thus be seen that the housing 26 encloses the framework and any person or persons seated in the chair C when the housing is in the closed position as shown in full line.

To permit movement of the housing about the support member 20, I provide a vertical slot or bifurcation 34 which extends from a point near the upper end of the housing dome to and through the open bottom edge 28 of the housing. Thus the housing is permitted to pivot on the journals 22 from the full line position to the broken line position as shown.

To prevent pivotal movement beyond that which is desired,"l provide a stop bar 36 at the lower end of the slot or bifurcation 34 which bar is secured as by bolts 38 and cooperating nuts 40 to unite the spaced marginal portions defining the lower ends of the slot or bifurcation 34. This stop bar 36 carries a perpendicular shaft 42 to which is secured a crosshead 44 having rubber or other protective cushioning material sleeves 46 thereon, which provide a footrest 48 for the occupants of the chair C.

It will be noted in Figure 3 that stiffening channel members 50 extend along and are riveted or otherwise secured to the marginal edge portions of the housing 26 which define the slot or bifurcation 34 and clamped between these stiffening members 50 and said marginal edge portions are resilient rubber flaps 52 which close the slot or bifurcation 34 to prevent passage of air therethrough. Yet because of the resiliency of the flaps the support member 20 may pass therethrough to permit movement of the housing 26 from the full line position to the broken line position. The full line position of the housing 26 is the closed position wherein the passenger occupants are shielded from the elements, and the broken line position is the open position wherein passengers are permitted movement to and from said chair.

With reference to Figures 5 and 6, it will be seen that instead of a single support member, I have provided a yoke type support member 54 and the housing 26a thus omits the slot or bifurcation 34. Therefore the stiffening members 50 and the flaps 52 are omitted, but in other respects the invention remains identical.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States the following:

1. An aerial lift passenger chair comprising a framework constituting a bottom and back of the chair; a single support member for said framework extending vertically at substantially the center of gravity of the chair; a housing journaled on said framework on an axis parallel to the horizontal width of said chair for pivotal movement alternately to an open position and a closed position; means in said housing effective to permit said pivotal movement irrespective of said support member; said housing having a closed dome and an open bottom for enclosing said framework when in the closed position; and a footrest fixed relative to said housing and disposed when said housing is in the closed position to accommodate the feet of a passenger seated in said chair.

2. In an aerial lift passenger chair having a framework constituting a bottom, back and sides of the chair and a single support member extending vertically at substantially the center of gravity of the chair; a housing therefor comprising a closed hollow dome and an open bottom initially enclosing said framework; said housing being associated with said framework by means of journals disposed on an axis parallel to the horizontal Width of said chair whereby the housing is supported for pivotal movement alternately to a closed position wherein the housing encloses said framework and an open position wherein the housing is sufliciently removed from said framework to permit movement of a passenger to and from said chair; said housing having a bifurcation through which said support member passes; a footrest secured at the lower edge of said housing and disposed when said housing is in the closed position to accom- 15 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,662,587 McIlvaine Dec. 15, 1953 2,733,027 Gero Jan. 3 1, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,766 Great Britain Dec. 17, 1883 486,156 Germany Nov. 9, 1929 183,445 Austria Feb. 19, 1953 867,587 Germany Feb. 19, 1953