NZ612058B - Station for a cable railway system - Google Patents

Abstract

612058 – Cable railway station maintenance platform accessed via stairway through platform support column The load bearing structure 2 carrying the cable deflecting pulleys 4 and guide tires 72, 73 is accessed for maintenance via a stairway 8 from the station platform 1 to the maintenance platform on the top of the load bearing structure. The stairway is built through a passage provided in one of the supports 3 of the load bearing structure so that maintenance personnel are not close to the moving chairs 6 or gondolas and the stairway is not too steep. The supports 3, 3a are located between the paths of motion of the transport vehicles 6 as they enter and exit the station. on the top of the load bearing structure. The stairway is built through a passage provided in one of the supports 3 of the load bearing structure so that maintenance personnel are not close to the moving chairs 6 or gondolas and the stairway is not too steep. The supports 3, 3a are located between the paths of motion of the transport vehicles 6 as they enter and exit the station.

Description

STATION FOR A CABLE RAILWAY SYSTEM reference to related application This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a), of Austrian patent application AT 012, filed September 13, 2012; the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Field of the Invention: The invention lies in the field of ay systems, also referred to as ropeway installations and cable railroad installations. More specifically, the subject matter of the invention relates to a station for a cableway installation having a conveying cable and transport vehicles, such as gondolas and chairs (i.e., multi-person lift chairs), which are coupleable to the rope. The conveying cable in the two terminal stations is in each case guided about a deflecting pulley, or headwheel, and, in an optionally provided intermediate station, being guided over diverting pulleys, diverting s or similar.

When the transport vehicles enter the terminal stations they are uncoupled from the conveying cable and conveyed h said stations by way of guide tires, and when the ort vehicles exit the terminal stations they are coupled to the ing cable. A load bearing structure is located in each station for the deflecting pulleys, the diverting s, diverting s or similar and the guide tires, said load bearing structure being borne by at least one support which is located between the paths of motion of the transport vehicles and which is embodied with an ascent running at least approximately in the direction of motion of the transport vehicles, said ascent being accessible for the installation, the inspection, the maintenance, the repair and similar of the components of the installation located on the support.

Background of the Invention Such cableway installations, which are described, for example, in commonly assigned U.S. Patent No. US 8,359,980 B2 and its counterpart European published patent application EP 2441638 A1, have a valley station and a in station, and optionally an intermediate station which is located between these two terminal stations. A conveying cable, which is in the form of a closed loop, extends along the entire course of this cableway installation, said ing cable in the two terminal stations being guided over deflecting pulleys, of which at least one of these two deflecting pulleys, usually the one located in the tamountain station, is driven. In the intermediate station, which may be optionally provided if need be, the conveying cable is guided over ing pulleys, diverting rollers and similar.

Furthermore, transport vehicles, such as gondolas or chairs, which are d to the conveying cable along the line, are to be found in such cableway installations, the transport vehicles being uncoupled from the ing cable in the stations, conveyed through the stations by means of guide tires and then coupled again to the ing cable.

Upon entry into a n, the transport vehicles are uncoupled from the conveying cable and conveyed through the station along guide rails. After uncoupling from the conveying cable, the speed of the transport vehicles is reduced by means of deceleration tires, following which the transport vehicles are conveyed by guide tires at a speed of approximately 0.3 m/sec through the passenger boarding or disembarking , respectively, where passengers get on or get off, respectively. Thereafter, the speed of the transport vehicles is accelerated by way of acceleration tires to the speed at which the conveying cable is driven, namely approximately 7 m/sec. Then the transport vehicles are once more coupled to the conveying cable.

In the stations, load bearing structures are provided above the motion paths of the transport vehicles, or above the ng or alighting regions for the passengers, for the deflecting pulleys which are located in the stations, and for the guide tires which are located in the stations for the transport vehicles, namely the deceleration tires, the conveyor tires and the acceleration tires, and furthermore for the drives of the guide tires and for the diverting pulleys, diverting s and similar which are located in al intermediate stations. At least one of the two deflecting pulleys is mounted on the corresponding load g structure in a sliding manner in the longitudinal direction of the cableway installation, in order to generate the necessary n of the conveying cable or, to offset the elongation of the conveying cable.

The load bearing structure is borne by at least one support, which is located in the station and within the path of motion of the transport vehicles. In order to be able to carry out lation, inspection, maintenance, repair and similar work on the components located on the load g structure, an ascent must further be provided through which the load bearing structure is accessible. This ascent opens onto the load bearing structure between the deflecting roller and the entry and/or exit end of the load g structure. Since the entering transport vehicles still have a high speed and, conversely, the exiting transport vehicles y have a high speed in this region of the cableway installation, the ascent has to be located at a ient distance from the motion path of the transport vehicles. For this reason, it is not possible to arrange the ascent on the side of the support of the load bearing structure, said support also being located in this region.

The required distance of the ascent from the motion path of the transport vehicles is ined when the ascent, together with the support positioned there for the load bearing structure, is located in the direction of the g transport vehicles adjacent to the support in the longitudinal direction of the cableway installation within the motion path of the transport es. However, this makes available only a short length for the ascent leading onto the load bearing structure, such that said ascent has a very great steepness. It has to be considered in this t that very heavy equipment, which has to be carried by the technicians up the ascent onto the load bearing structure, is often necessary for the type of work which is required on the load bearing structure, which is why the steepness of the ascent should not exceed an angle of approximately 50°.

Even then, however, there is the difficulty in that the distance between the transport vehicles approaching the boarding or alighting region or departing the ng or alighting region and the support, which is located in this region, is so small that technicians moving towards the ascent or coming from the ascent are endangered in the s beside the support by the transport vehicles moving past the latter.

Summary of the Invention It is accordingly an object of the ion to provide a station for a ay railroad which overcomes the above-mentioned antages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and which provides for an ascent onto the load bearing structure which meets the requirements of adequate steepness and of sufficient distance from the motion path of the transport vehicles.

With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a station for a cable railway system. The cable railway system includes a conveying cable and ort vehicles that are coupleable to the conveying cable, the conveying cable extending between two terminal stations where the conveying cable is guided over respective cable deflecting pulleys, and wherein the transport es, upon entering one of said terminal stations at an entry side thereof, are decoupled from the conveying cable and conveyed through the station by way of guide tires, and the transport vehicles are coupled to the conveying cable for exiting the terminal station at an exit side thereof. The ion is a station for the cable railway system that includes: a load bearing structure carrying the cable deflecting s and the guide tires; at least one support carrying said load bearing structure, said at least one support being d between the paths of motion of the transport vehicles in the station; an ascent running substantially in a direction of motion of the transport vehicles and providing personnel access to components located on said support; and said support facing an entry and/or exit end of said load bearing structure having a h passage formed therein through which said ascent is routed.

In other words, the s of the invention are achieved according to the invention in that the support, or the support facing the entry and/or exit end of the load bearing structure, is embodied with a passage through which the ascent is routed.

The support is ably embodied as a one-piece support column which is ed with the passage through which the ascent is routed. The support may be formed by a support column having a cross section which is tapered from bottom to top or, a cross section which widens from bottom to top and is embodied with the passage through which the ascent is routed.

The t may further be formed by two support columns which are located at a distance beside one another transversely to the direction of motion of the transport vehicles, thus forming the passage through which the ascent is routed. Moreover, the support may be formed by two t columns which er create an acute angle.

Finally, the passage may be located at a central height level of the support, the ascent continuing onto a bridge on the side of the passage which is facing away from said ascent.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the ion are set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a station for a cableway installation, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the s shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made n without departing from the spirit of the ion and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and ages thereof will be best understood from the ing description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the several views of the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a cableway station ing to the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of the cableway station according to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation view of the cableway station according to Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan view onto the cableway station according to Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a cableway station according to the invention; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a cableway station according to the invention; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a fourth ment of a cableway station according to the invention. ed description of the Invention Referring now to the s of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to Figs. 1 to 4 thereof, there is shown a terminal station of a cableway system. The station has a load bearing structure 2 which is located above the floor 1 of the cableway station, said load bearing structure 2 being borne by two column-shaped supports 3 and 3a. A cable deflecting pulley 4, also referred to as a headwheel 4, is mounted on the load bearing structure 2. A conveying cable 5, also referred to as a haulage rope or haul cable, is guided around the deflection pulley 4. Transport vehicles or cars 6, such as chairs or gondolas, are coupleable to the conveying cable 5. Furthermore, guide tires 7, namely deceleration tires 71, conveyor tires 72 and acceleration tires 73, are located on the load bearing structure 2, by means of which tires the transport vehicles 6, after having been uncoupled upon entry into the station from the conveying cable 5, are conveyed through the station along guide rails.

The cable ting pulley 4 is d slideably in the udinal direction of the cableway installation on the load bearing structure 2, as is ted by a line A in Fig. 2, in order to generate the necessary tension of the conveying cable 5.

In order to be able to carry out installation, inspection, maintenance and repair on the ents, namely the cable deflecting pulley 4, the guide tires 7, the drives for the guide tires 7 and similar, which are located on the load bearing structure 2, an ascent 8, for e in the form of a stairway, is provided which leads from the floor 1 to the work area 2a of the load bearing structure 2, said ascent 8 g onto the entry or exit region of the load bearing structure 2. For this ascent 8, the support 3 is embodied with a passage 30, through which the ascent 8 is routed.

This achieves the result that the ascent 8 is also located in the central region between the motion path of the transport vehicles 6 and that said ascent has a steepness that enables the technicians to transport even heavy work equipment.

The second embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5 differs from the first embodiment in that the support 3 is formed by two support columns 31 and 32 which are at a distance from one another, the ascent 8 being routed between them.

The third embodiment illustrated in Fig. 6 differs from the second embodiment in that the two support columns 31 and 32 form an acute angle, this embodying the entire support in an ed elevation, g an enlarged support of the load bearing structure 2 in the transverse direction of the cableway installation.

The fourth embodiment illustrated in Fig. 7 differs from the other embodiments in that the support 33 is anchored below the floor area 1, on which the ng and alighting region, tively, for passengers is located, such that the passage 30 is located at a central height level of the support 33, and that a bridge 34 is provided from the floor area 1 to the passage, the ascent 8 continuing onto said bridge.

Claims (10)

Claims 1.

1. A station for a cable railway system, the cable railway system including a conveying cable and transport vehicles that are coupleable to the conveying 5 cable, the conveying cable extending between two terminal stations where the conveying cable is guided over tive cable deflecting pulleys, and wherein the transport vehicles, upon entering one of said terminal stations at an entry side thereof, are decoupled from the conveying cable and conveyed h the station by way of guide tires, and the transport es are 10 coupled to the conveying cable for exiting the terminal station at an exit side f, wherein the station includes: a load bearing structure carrying the cable deflecting pulleys and the guide tires; at least one support carrying said load bearing ure, said at least 15 one support being located between the paths of motion of the transport vehicles in the station; an ascent running ntially in a direction of motion of the transport vehicles and providing personnel access to components located on said support; and 20 said support facing an entry and/or exit end of said load bearing structure having a through passage formed therein through which said ascent is routed.

2. The station according to claim 1, n the station is an intermediate station 25 disposed between the terminal stations and the conveying cable is guided over diverting pulleys or diverting rollers in the intermediate station.

3. The station according to claim 1, wherein the load bearing ure carries components selected from the group consisting of cable deflecting s, 30 diverting pulleys, diverting rollers, and guide tires.

4. The station according to claim 1, wherein said h passage is configured for personnel access for maintenance, installation, inspection, or repair of the components carried on said support.

5. The station according to claim 1, wherein said support is a one-piece support column formed with said through passage and said h passage is aligned with said ascent. 5

6. The station according to claim 1, wherein said support is a t column having a cross section that is d from bottom to top and being formed with said through passage through which said ascent is routed.

7. The station according to claim 1, wherein said t is a support column 10 having a cross section that widens from bottom to top and being formed with said through passage through which said ascent is routed.

8. The station according to claim 1, n said t has two support columns disposed beside one another transversely to the direction of motion of 15 the transport vehicles and with a spacing distance therebetween forming said through passage through which said ascent is routed.

9. The station according to claim 1, wherein said support has two support columns together enclosing an acute angle.

10. The n according to claim 1, wherein said through passage is formed at a central height level of said support and said ascent continues onto a bridge on a side of said passage through said support facing away from said ascent. Y_Y@‘[£34 . #9;£2.49: 7 A Wu” Y )1,@,@,@ H4 I!—II ©Y.©I@Y.< A 73 V©Y05' mil- —— >"®Y©Y u A <- m )Y.@Y.@'. >7.©Y.©Y.( #— 4 VPIOIOF " II lllli ugly;. ,2. . FIG.-7