EP0056919B2 - Chair lift or cableway with coupling clips - Google Patents

Abstract

Aerial monocable chairlift or gondola lift having detachable grips for coupling the chairs or gondolas to the continuously moving cable. Each grip, in the form of a plier, has a pair of jaws, the outer profile of the jaws being so designed that the grip passes on support sheaves, hold down sheaves and horizontal wheels in the station. The clamping coil spring is inserted between the ends of the plier levers and extends substantially parallel to the hanger bar articulated on the grip body. A grip operating roller opens the jaws at a platform in the station and the speed of the chair is reduced for loading and/or unloading of the passengers before the grip is again coupled to the cable.

Description

The invention relates to an overhead cable transport installation according to the preamble of claim 1.

The document FR-A-2 172 615 describes an installation of the type mentioned, in which the vehicles are uncoupled from the cable at the entrance to the station, by opening and disengaging the cable clamp, to allow circulation at reduced speed of the vehicles on a transfer circuit and embarkation and / or disembarkation of passengers at a stationary or low speed vehicle. Each clamp has a tension spring, which is incorporated in the clamp body above the hanger and which acts on a pivoting lever carrying at its end the movable jaw of the clamp. The movable jaw is arranged on the side of the clamp body. In the evening, the vehicles are sheltered on storage rails in the stations, so as not to expose the clamps to frost or ice. The arrangement of the storage rails is complicated and expensive and the reliability of the tension spring is uncertain.

The need was felt to have simplified gondolas or chairlifts, with rapid line scrolling speed and slowing or stopping of cabins or seats in station by opening clamps, which clamps provide improved operational safety and are not not affected by frost or snow, especially after staying on the line overnight. This object is achieved by the implementation of the features of claim 1.

The only movable part of the clamp, in this case the movable arm, performs a pivoting movement and the significant leverage makes it possible to exert significant clamping forces on the jaws or to break the ice. The simplicity of the clamp reduces the risk of faulty operation or blockage of the clamp. The spring is fully released and there is no risk of it getting caught in the ice. By arranging according to the invention the jaw movable on the side opposite the clamp body, the structure of the clamp is simplified and it can pass over the cable return pulleys.

The operation of the grippers is no longer hampered by frost, snow or ice, these and the associated cabins or seats can remain on the line overnight or during periods of non-operation of the installation. Storage lanes in stations can be eliminated, which simplifies the entire installation. Because these clamps can pass over the deflection pulleys we can design an installation, in which the clamp is temporarily opened, during its movement in the station, to allow a slowdown facilitating the boarding and / or disembarking of passengers , the open clamp remaining on the path of the cable, which runs between the open jaws. It is of course possible to slightly lift the clamp to release it from the cable and thus avoid any friction. At any other point on the line, the clamps remain coupled to the cable and constitute fixed attachments passing over the end pulleys and remaining on the line when the installation is stopped, especially at night.

The document FR-A-2 343 636 relates to a clamp actuated by a toggle mechanism on which the weight of the cabin acts. A spring, arranged approximately vertically, laterally to the hanger, maintains a safety lock in the locking position of the toggle.

Document US-C-3 857 340 describes a clamp whose structure is simple, but this clamp is not of the disengageable type and the spring of such a fixed clamp has the sole purpose of compensating for variations in the section of the cable. . The length and the travel travel of these springs are very small and the spring risks being blocked by the glass, especially since it is wedged in the clamp body. These pliers allow periodic movement of the attachment point on the cable or storage of the seats at the end of the period of use, but these known clamps are incapable of frequent maneuvers, in particular on each passage through a station.

A spring for closing the gripper with a large stroke attacks the end of the movable arm in the form of a bent lever and this spring is advantageously arranged vertically parallel to the hanger and outside. The movable jaw of the clamp cooperates with the internal lateral face of the cable, penetrating into the groove of the return pulley, so as to facilitate the passage of the clamp on this latter pulley and to avoid any risk of opening of the clamp during of this passage.

• la figure 1 est une vue en élévation et en coupe d'une pince selon l'invention, représentée en position de fermeture et passant sur un galet;
• la figure 2 représente la pince de la figure 1 en position ouverte;
• la figure 3 est une vue en plan de la pince;
• la figure 4 est une vue partielle de côté montrant l'extrémité de commande du bras mobile de la pince;
• la figure 5 est une coupe suivant la ligne V-V de la figure 1, le mors mobile n'étant pas représenté;
• la figure 6 est une vue schématique en plan d'une station d'une installation selon l'invention.

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

• Figure 1 is an elevational and sectional view of a clamp according to the invention, shown in the closed position and passing over a roller;
• Figure 2 shows the clamp of Figure 1 in the open position;
• Figure 3 is a plan view of the clamp;
• Figure 4 is a partial side view showing the control end of the movable arm of the clamp;
• Figure 5 is a section along line VV of Figure 1, the movable jaw not being shown;
• Figure 6 is a schematic plan view of a station of an installation according to the invention.

In the figures, a cable 10 of a single-cable air transport installation, in particular of a chairlift or gondola, is driven in continuous travel passing through the stations 13 on pulleys 11 of return with vertical axis, one of which is driving . The loads, in this case the seats or cabins 15, which will subsequently be considered as seats, are fixed to the cable at regular spacing. Each seat, of which only the upper part of the hanger 12 is visible in FIG. 1, is coupled to the cable by a clamp 14 of the disengageable type to allow opening of the clamp in the stations and embarkation or disembarkation at the stop or at low speed seats detached from the cable at a platform 17 placed after or possibly before the return pulley 11.

The clamp 14 comprises a body 16 extending, in position coupled to the cable 10, transversely and on the side opposite to the side of the cable cooperating with the return pulley in the stations. The body 16 carries an articulation 18 of the hanger 12 and three rollers 20 capable of cooperating with support rails in the stations. The body 16 is extended by a pair of jaws 22, 24 forming a cable clamping jaw 10, one 24 of the jaws being fixed and the other 22 articulated on an axis 26 carried by the body 16. In the clamping position of the cable 10 by the jaws 22, 24, the axis 26 extends parallel and above the cable 10. The movable jaw 22 is disposed on the side of the cable 10 opposite to that of the body 16 and it encloses a length of the cable 10 lower than that enclosed by the fixed jaw 24. The movable jaw 22 is carried by the end of a movable arm 28, which extends on the side opposite the axis 26 in a direction substantially parallel to the body 16 and leads to its opposite end 30 an axis 32 of articulation of a control roller 34. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, it can be seen that the mobile arm 28, seen in projection on a vertical plane, is bent at right angles to the articulation 26 to form a bent lever, and, seen in plan, is divided into two branches 36, 36 ', bypassing the articu lation of the body 16. It is understood that the clamp 14 constitutes a pincer with two arms 16, 28 articulated at 26 and whose ends are shaped as jaws 22, 24, the control force applied to the end 30 of the movable arm 28 being multiplied by the significant ratio of the lifting arms to tighten the cable 10. The tightening and loosening of the jaws 22, 24 is controlled by a substantially vertical movement of the end 30 of an amplitude multiple of that of displacement of the movable jaw 22. The jaws 22, 24 are flush with the base of the cable 10 in the clamped position to allow passage on the rollers 38 for supporting the cable 10 and have a slight projection on the upper part of the cable, which does not hamper passage under compression rollers. Needles (not shown) advantageously extend the fixed jaw 24 to facilitate passage. Such arrangements are well known to specialists as well as the shape of the part 40 of the body 16 and of the part 42 of the movable arm 28 adjacent to the jaw 24, releasing a template for the passage of the rollers.

The end 30 of the movable arm 28 carries on the side opposite the roller 34, in this case downwards, an axis 44 of articulation with limited movement of a cup 46 for supporting two coiled springs 48, 50 coaxial , which pass through the end of the body 16 with a large clearance shaped as a ring 52. The opposite end of the springs 48, 50 bears on a cup 54 fixed to the ring 52 of the body 16 of the clamp by a stirrup 56. The springs 48, 50 extend in an almost vertical direction, parallel to the hanger 12 and they exert on the movable arm 28 a force tending to pivot the arm 28 in the closing direction of the clamp 14.

The clamp according to the invention operates as follows:

In the coupled position of the clamp 14, shown in Figure 1, the cable 10 drives the clamp 14 and the load carried by the hanger 12 passing over the support rollers 38 and compression. The jaws 22, 24 are biased in the clamping position by the springs 48, 50 whose force is multiplied by the ratio of the lever arms. In the station the rollers 20 engage on fixed rails (not shown) for supporting the clamp 14 while the roller 34 approaches a cam (not shown) imposing on it a displacement downwards against the force of the springs 48, 50. The pivoting resulting from the movable arm 28 causes the jaws 22, 24 to open, separating the clamp 14 from the cable 10. The seat can then be braked or stopped to facilitate disembarking or boarding while the cable 10 remains in motion, moving between the open jaws 22, 24 or below the latter if the clamp 14 has been released by lifting. The re-coupling is carried out by acceleration of the clamp 14 by any appropriate means and reclosing of the jaws 22, 24 as soon as the roller 34 leaves the cam. When the clamp 14 passes over the end pulley with a vertical axis, the mobile jaw 22 is wedged between the cable 10 and the pulley and the curvature of the cable 10 does not tend to open the jaws 22, 24. The short length of the mobile jaw 22 facilitates the passage.

It should be noted that the risks of blocking of the clamp 14 by the glass are low, the springs 48, 50 being completely free and with large clearance and the only movable part, the arm 28 performing a pivoting movement with a control lever very long. The number of component parts of the clamp and therefore the manufacturing cost are reduced. The part 42 of the mobile arm 28 projects downwards and during a derailment of the cable 10 and a fall on a support, the latter bears on the mobile arm 28 by accentuating the clamping force of the cable 10, this which avoids any stalling of the seat.

On the top of the clamp is fixed a plate 57 forming a wheel track (not shown) for driving the clamp on the transfer rails of the stations.

Claims (7)

1. Transport installation having a traction support cable (10) passing in the stations (13) over horizontal sheaves (11) and having detachable grips (14) for clamping load (15) support devices onto the continuously operating cable (10), said detachable grips allowing a temporary unclamping during the passage on a platform (17) located in a station before or after the horizontal sheave (11), a speed reduction for passenger loading and/or unloading at a low speed or at stopping of the chairs or gondolas, each detachable grip comprising: a grip body (16) extending transversal on one side of the cable (10) in the coupled position and having a pivot (18) of a load (15) support hanger (12) shifted laterally of the cable, and cable clamping jaws comprising a fixed jaw (24) secured to the grip body (16) and a movable jaw (22) pivotally mounted on to the fixed jaw, the outer jaw profil flushing with the bottom surface of the clamped cable and forming a limited projection on the top surface for allowing the passage on support wheels (38) and under hold down wheels, the movable jaw being secured at the end of a movable arm (28) which extends parallel to the grip body (16) and being biased towards the clamping position by a coil spring (48/50), characterized in that: the spring is wholly free and extends parallel and on the side of the hanger; the spring is a compression spring with an important working course, which engages the end of the movable arm opposite to the end supporting the movable jaw (22), and the fixed jaw (24), secured to the end of the grip body (16) cooperates with the cable (10) lateral face opposite to the grip body, the movable jaw (22) being disposed on the opposite side for clamping the opposite cable lateral face and for allowing the passage of the grip (14) coupled to the cable on the end sheave (11).
2. Grip for an installation according to claim 1, characterized in that said movable grip (14) arm (28) has a shank bowed near the movable jaw articulation (26) on the fixed jaw, so that the substantially horizontal clamping movement of the movable jaw is operated by a substantially vertical movement of an actuating member (34) secured to the movable arm (28) free end (30).
3. Grip according to claim 2, characterized in that said spring comprises two coaxial compression coil springs, interposed between a disk (46) pivotally mounted on the movable arm (28) free end (30 and a support (56) secured to the grip body (16).
4. Grip according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the load supporting hanger (12) is interposed between the jaw (24) and said spring (48,50).
5. Grip according to claim 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that the grip body (16) includes support wheels (20) which are adapted to ride on support or guide rails of the cable uncoupled grip.
6. Grip according to claim 5, characterized in that the movable arm (28) free end (30) supports an actuating roller (34) adapted to engage an actuating cam extending along the grip travel path on the platform to move the actuating roller downwards to uncouple the grip.
7. Grip according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the movable arm (28) portion located between the articulation (26) and the actuating member, is subdivided into two arms (36,36') surrounding the grip body (16), the portion between the articulation (26) and the hanger (12) flushing with or having a small projection on the other arm (16) so as to engage the support means when the cable is derailed and to prevent any untimely uncoupling of the grip.

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