US3339496A - Apparatus for loading passengers on a ski tow - Google Patents

Description

v Sept. 5, 1967 w. R. SNELLER j 3,339,496 APPARATUS FOR LOADING PASSENGERS ON A SKI TOW Filed Sept. 2'7, 1965 I l a II 4?;

IN VEN 70/1 I W/umw cSlVELlE/P United States Patent 3,339,496 APPARATUS FOR LOADING PASSENGERS ON A SKI TOW. William R. Sneller, 21800 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44117 Filed Sept. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 490,192 3 Claims. (Cl. 104-173) This invention relates to improvements in a method and apparatus for loading passengers on a ski tow.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a method and apparatus for loading passengers automatically and in an orderly manner on a moving ski tow having seats spaced substantially regularly along the tow wherein a conveyor is provided for moving a number of passengers in an upright position to a loading point in the path of the ski tow and stopping the conveyor so that the passengers are in position to engage the next seat coming along and passing the loading point. The invention comprises means for moving the conveyor one span at a time wherein each span is capable of holding the full number of passengers to load one of the seats of the ski tow to capacity but obviously might hold less than such full number at any one time.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and description and the essential features will be set forth in the appended claims.

The invention is described in connection with the lower end of a ski tow at the bottom of a hill, although it will be understood that the passengers might be loaded at any selected loading point. The invention is described for the ski tow having seats holding two passengers each and the invention is disclosed for loading two passengers at a time on such seats. It will be understood that the seats might have a greater capacity such as three or four and the invention would obviously then operate in exactly the same way except that the span of the conveyor belt loading the standing passengers would then have space for three or four passengers in each span.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 I have shown a portion of a ski tow involving an endless cable passing around the bull wheel 11 at the lower end of a ski slope. This is a standard construction and no further description of the same is believed necessary here. The seats 12 are spaced substantially regularly along the cable 10, suspended from a long generally vertical bar 13 which is clamped to the cable 10 in a known manner. Such structure is old and well known and further description is believed to be unnecessary here. A mentioned above, the seats shown here are for two passengers but they might be designed to hold more than that.

For automatically loading the passengers on the ski tow, I provide a conveyor means having an endless belt passing around a driving drum 15 and an idler drum 16 at opposite ends of the run of the belt. The upper side of the top run of the belt is capable of carrying passengers standing on their skis. The belt travels in the direction of the arrow of FIG. 2. The belt is lined by markers 17 which define spans between adjacent markers each capable of holding the number of passengers preferably up to the capacity of one of the seats 12.

For guiding the passengers to proper positions on the belt 14, I preferably define a ramp by means of guide lines or bars 18 so that the passengers may move onto the belt 14 in an orderly fashion. I prefer to place the belt 14 above the ground so that it will not be interferred with by snow fall. In such case, the upper run of the belt 14 might well be about four feet above the ground and the loading ramp defined between the members 18 will thus be inclined gradually upwardly from ground level at A to belt level at B.

I desire to deliver passengers to the loading point P only in the time interval required for successive seats 12 to pass such loading point so that there will be no conflict between the moving seats and the passengers. The belt drive here is accomplished by means of a motor 19 driving through a speed reducer 20 to a pulley 21 which is connected by drive belt 22 to a pulley 23 operatively connected with the drum 15 through a shaft 24.

The various means might be provided to coordinate the movement of the conveyor belt 14 and the ski tow cable 10, with its attached seats 12. In the form here shown, I have provided a switch 25 suitably spaced to be actuated by a movable seat and its attached parts just as the seat leaves the loading point P. Referring to FIG. 2, a projecting member 12a extending downwardly from a seat 12 is in a position to strike a switch actuator 26 which is here shown as pivoted at 27 with the actuator having a rear extension 26a in position to engage a switch contact 28 when a seat 12 moves the actuator 26 slightly in a counterclockwise direction about the pivot 27. Electrical conductors connect the switch to a timer 29. One conductor 30 is connected to the pivot 27 and the other conductor 31 is connected to the contact 28. The actuator 26 has suflicient resiliency to bend as the seat 12 moves toward the right in FIG. 1, so as to close the switch without any breaking strain thereon. Preferably, the portion 26a of the actuator is electrically conductive while the forward extending portion is not. The timer is connected to motor 19 by electrical conductors 32. A suitable source of electric current is indicated at 33.

The timer is set to start upon closing the contact at 28 and is preferably set to run just the length of one span between the markers 17 and then the timer cuts off current to the motor 19 until switch 25 is again actuated.

In operation of the device, passengers come up the ramp between the markers 18 and stand at the point B until the conveyor belt is at rest. They then step on the conveyor belt on their skis, the position of which is shown in three different spans in FIGS. 1 and 2. When a seat 12 moves away from the loading point P to go on up the slope, the switch actuator 26 is triggered causing the timer to operate the motor 19 for a number of seconds sufiicient to move the next span between markers 17 to the loading point P. The passengers stand in this position until the next seat 12 comes along when they sit down and are carried up the slope. This operation is repeated as long as the apparatus is energized.

Safety devices for the protection of the passengers are not shown here but they form no part of the present invention.

In one form of this invention, the belt 14 is about four feet wide and has about eight feet for each span between markers 17. The ski tow moves at a speed of about 450 feet per minute, the conveyor belt 14 moves about eight feet in two seconds and is then idle for four seconds. This gives a total of six seconds to a cycle for loading two persons. It would be made slightly longer in duration for a larger number of passengers in each span of belt 14.

It will be noted that the passengers are carried on belt 14 at a height where they may comfortably sit down in seat 12 as it comes along. The height of seat 12 is approximately eighteen to twenty inches above the upper run of conveyor belt 14. While the embodiment disclosed herewith shows chairs on the ski tow, it is equally applicable to those devices using T-bars. In such cases, however, the height of belt 14 would probably be approximately at ground level.

Wherever in the specification and claims I have used the word seats, I intend to include chairs, T-bars or any other seat which may be used to carry a passenger suspended from the overhead cable.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a ski tow having moving seats spaced substantially regularly therealong for carrying passengers along a path at a predetermined speed, conveyor means at an angle to said path and intersecting the same and adapted to carry passengers in an vupright position on said conveyor means to a loading point aligned with said seats in said path at a height where said passengers may occupy said seats, power means for moving said conveyor means, and control means for causing said power means to move said conveyor means to deliver passengers to said loading point only in the time interval between two successive seats passing said loading point.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said conveyor ing a load for said seats, and said control means causes said conveyor means to move the length of one span only in the time interval between two successive seats passing said loading point at said predetermined speed.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said control means comprises an actuator for energizing said power means in timed relation to a seat leaving said loading point and a timer for maintaining said power means energized for a time interval necessary to move said conveyor means the distance of one span.

No references cited.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

means is provided with equal spans each capable of hold- 15 D. F. WORTH, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A SKI TOW HAVING MOVING SEATS SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY REGULARLY THEREALONG FOR CARRYING PASSENGERS ALONG A PATH AT A PREDETERMINED SPEED, CONVEYOR MEANS AT AN ANGLE TO SAID PATH AND INTERSECTING THE SAME AND ADAPTED TO CARRY PASSENGERS IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION ON SAID CONVEYOR MEANS TO A LOADING POINT ALIGNED WITH SAID SEATS IN SAID PATH AT A HEIGHT WHERE SAID PASSENGERS MAY OCCYPY SAID SEATS, POWER MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CONVEYOR MEANS, AND CONTROL MEANS FOR CAUSING SAID POWER MEANS TO MOVE SAID CONVEYOR MEANS TO DELIVER PASSENGERS TO SAID LOADING POINT ONLY IN THE TIME INTERVAL BETWEEN TWO SUCCESSIVE SEATS PASSING SAID LOADING POINT.

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