Funicular driven by a cable with two towing sections and method for controlling such a funicular

Abstract

A funicular intended particularly for transporting heavy loads between an upstream station (10) and a downstream station (12), comprises a track (14), preferably a railway, connecting the upstream station (10) to the downstream station (12), a vehicle (16) running on the track (14) and at least one towing cable (30) in closed loop having a first towing section (32.1) passing over a first pulley (20.1) of the upstream station and over a first return pulley (26) fixed to the vehicle (16) and a second towing section (32.2), in all ways separate from the first towing section and passing over the return pulley (26) and over a second pulley (20.2) of the upstream station (10).

Claims

1. A funicular comprising an upstream station, a downstream station, a track connecting the upstream station to the downstream station, a vehicle running on the track, wherein the funicular comprises at least one towing cable in closed loop having a first towing section passing over a first pulley of the upstream station and over a first return pulley fixed to the vehicle, a second towing section, which has no common part with the first towing section and passes over the first return pulley and over a second pulley of the upstream station, a first linking section extending between the first pulley of the upstream station and a first pulley of the downstream station, a second linking section extending between the second pulley of the upstream station and a second pulley of the downstream station, a first return section extending between the first pulley of the downstream station and a second return pulley situated on the vehicle and a second return section extending between the second pulley of the downstream station and the second return pulley, wherein the vehicle comprises at least one undercarriage having a track width for running on the track, wherein the first return pulley has a diameter greater than half of the track width.

2. The funicular of claim 1, wherein the towing cable is wound around the first return pulley in a circular arc of more than 120 and of less than 360.

3. The funicular of claim 1, wherein the first return pulley has a diameter greater than half a width of the vehicle.

4. The funicular of claim 1, wherein the first return pulley has a diameter greater than two thirds of the track width.

5. The funicular of claim 1, further comprising at least one weight for tensioning the cable.

6. The funicular of claim 1, wherein the towing cable is wound around the first pulley of the upstream station and around the second pulley of the upstream station in an arc of more than 120 and of less than 360.

7. The funicular of claim 1, wherein the cable comprises at least one linking section, which, is a plan view, crosses the first towing section and the second towing section.

8. The funicular of claim 1, further comprising a first motor for the first towing section and second motor for the second towing section.

9. The funicular of claim 1, further comprising a first brake to lock the first towing section and a second brake to lock the second towing section.

10. The funicular of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a platform for transporting a load.

11. The funicular of claim 1, wherein the first return pulley has a rotation axis oblique in relation to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

12. The funicular of claim 1, wherein the first return pulley has a rotation axis perpendicular to a transverse axis of the vehicle.

13. The funicular of claim 1, wherein the two return pulleys have the same diameter.

14. The funicular of claim 1, wherein the two return pulleys have rotation axes that are not identical.

15. The funicular of claim 1, wherein the track is a railway.

16. The funicular of claim 2, wherein the towing cable is wound around the first return pulley in a circular arc of more than 160.

17. The funicular of claim 2, wherein the towing cable is wound around the first return pulley in a circular arc of less than 200.

18. The funicular of claim 3, wherein the first return pulley has a diameter greater than two thirds of the width of the vehicle.

19. The funicular of claim 6, wherein the towing cable is wound around the first pulley of the upstream station and around the second pulley of the upstream station in an arc of more than 180.

20. The funicular of claim 1, wherein the return pulleys have rotation axes that are not parallel.

21. The funicular of claim 1, wherein the return pulleys have rotation axes that are secant.

22. A funicular comprising an upstream station, a downstream station, a track connecting the upstream station to the downstream station, a vehicle running on the track, wherein the funicular comprises at least one towing cable in closed loop having a first towing section passing over a first pulley of the upstream station and over a first return pulley fixed to the vehicle, a second towing section, which has no common part with the first towing section and passes over the first return pulley and over a second pulley of the upstream station, a first linking section extending between the first pulley of the upstream station and a first pulley of the downstream station, a second linking section extending between the second pulley of the upstream station and a second pulley of the downstream station, a first return section extending between the first pulley of the downstream station and a second return pulley situated on the vehicle and a second return section extending between the second pulley of the downstream station and the second return pulley, wherein the vehicle comprises at least one undercarriage having a track width for running on the track, further comprising a first motor for driving the first towing section and second motor for driving the second towing section independently from the first towing section.

23. A method of controlling the funicular of claim 22, comprising one of the following steps, carried out in an operational functioning mode: driving the first motor and the second motor so as to drive the first towing section and the second towing section at the same linear speed; driving the first motor and the second motor so as to cancel the rotation speed of the first return pulley; driving the first motor and the second motor so as to impose rotation on the first return pulley; driving the first motor and the second motor so as to impose a periodic rotation speed on the first return pulley; driving the first motor and the second motor so as to cause rotation of the first return pulley without any movement of the vehicle.

24. The method of controlling a funicular of claim 23, further comprising the following steps, carried out in a degraded operating mode; driving only one of the first and second motors, the other motor being stationary.

25. The funicular of claim 22, further comprising a first brake to lock the first towing section and a second brake to lock the second towing section.

26. A funicular comprising an upstream station, a downstream station, a track connecting the upstream station to the downstream station, a vehicle running on the track, wherein the funicular comprises at least one towing cable in closed loop having a first towing section passing over a first pulley of the upstream station and over a first return pulley fixed to the vehicle, a second towing section, which has no common part with the first towing section and passes over the first return pulley and over a second pulley of the upstream station, a first linking section extending between the first pulley of the upstream station and a first pulley of the downstream station, a second linking section extending between the second pulley of the upstream station and a second pulley of the downstream station, a first return section extending between the first pulley of the downstream station and a second return pulley situated on the vehicle and a second return section extending between the second pulley of the downstream station and the second return pulley, wherein the vehicle comprises at least one undercarriage having a track width for running on the track, wherein the first return pulley has a diameter greater than half a width of the vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be clear from reading the following description, made in reference to the appended figures, which show:

(2) FIG. 1, a diagrammatic view of a funicular according to an embodiment of the invention;

(3) FIG. 2, a side view of a vehicle of the funicular of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3, a top view of the vehicle in FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 4, a front view of the vehicle in FIG. 2;

(6) FIG. 5, a detailed view of FIG. 2;

(7) FIG. 6, an isometric view of a part of an upstream station of the funicular in FIG. 1;

(8) FIG. 7, a top view of the upstream station in FIG. 5;

(9) FIG. 8, a side view of the upstream station in FIG. 6;

(10) FIG. 9, an isometric view of a downstream station of the funicular in FIG. 1;

(11) FIG. 10, a top view of the downstream station in FIG. 1.

(12) For greater clarity, identical or similar features are identified by identical reference signs in all the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

(13) In FIG. 1, a diagrammatic and simplified illustration is provided of a funicular comprising an upstream station 10, a downstream station 12 and a track 14, preferably a railway, along which a single vehicle 16 travels back and forth, designed to transport a load interchangeably from the upstream station 10 to the downstream station 12 or from the downstream station 12 to the upstream station 10. The track 14 preferably has a constant incline between the upstream station 10 and the downstream station 12.

(14) The upstream station 10 is equipped with two driving pulleys 20.1, 20.2, powered by motor means 22.1, 22.2, which may be common or separate for each pulley.

(15) The downstream station 12 is also equipped with two pulleys 24.1, 24.2, freely rotating, turning around axes parallel to those of the driving pulleys of the upstream station 10.

(16) The vehicle 16 is in turn equipped with two large-diameter return pulleys 26, 28, freely rotating around two axes A, B situated in a median longitudinal median plane P of the vehicle 16. The return pulleys 26, 28 are arranged at a distance from another along the path of the vehicle, one on the side of the upstream station 10 and the other on the side of the downstream station 12.

(17) A closed-loop cable 30 is towed between the return pulleys 26, 28 of the vehicle 16 and the pulleys 20.1, 20.2, 24.1, 24.2 of the upstream and downstream stations. More specifically, the cable 30 comprises a first towing section 32.1 towed between the upstream return pulley 26 of the vehicle 16 and a first pulley (20.1) of those of the upstream station 10, a first linking section 34.1 towed between the first driving pulley 20.1 and a first pulley of those of the downstream station 24.1, a first return section 36.1 towed between the first pulley of the downstream station 24.1 and the downstream return pulley 28 situated on the vehicle 16, a second return section 36.2 towed between the downstream return pulley 28 and the second pulley of the downstream station 24.2, a second linking section 34.2 towed between the second pulley of the downstream station 24.2 situated in the downstream station and the second driving pulley 20.2 of the upstream station 10 and a second towing section 32.2 between the second driving pulley 20.2 and the upstream return pulley 26 of the vehicle 16, thereby closing the loop.

(18) Optionally, each of the two linking sections 34.1, 34.2 passes through a tensioning device 38.1, 38.2 comprising an upstream guide pulley 40.1, 40.2, a downstream guide pulley 42.1, 42.2 and a mobile pulley 44.1, 44.2 bearing a weight 46.1, 46.2 moving in a vertical well 48.1, 48.2. In the diagrammatic representation in 1, the spatial orientations of the pulleys and the path of the cable have not necessarily been respected, but will be more readily apparent from FIGS. 2 to 10.

(19) Provision is also made for cable braking devices 49.1, 49.2, which may for example act on the driving pulleys 20.1, 20.2., or on the towing sections 32.1, 32. of the cable.

(20) The vehicle 16, illustrated in detail in FIGS. 2 to 5, comprises a chassis 50 on which a horizontal platform 52 bearing the load 54 is formed. It is possible to define a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle parallel to the direction of the rectilinear path, a transverse axis Y, perpendicular to the above axis and horizontal and a third reference axis Z of the vehicle, perpendicular to the above axes and the track. The chassis 50 rests on an upstream running gear 56 and a downstream running gear 58. Each running gear is composed of two independent lateral pendulum devices 60. Each lateral pendulum device 60 comprises a secondary pendulum 62 mounted to pivot around an axis 62.1 on a plate 64 fixed to the chassis via two jacks 66 and two primary pendulums 68 articulated in relation to the secondary pendulum 62 around pivot axes 68.1 and on each of which two support rollers 70 are mounted running on the track 14 and rotating around axes 70.1. The jacks 66, which are oriented along axis Z perpendicular to the track 14, do not have a filtering suspension function, but allow raising of the chassis 50 above the ground for its setting in motion and its lowering in contact with the ground of the track 14 when stationary for the loading and unloading phases in the station or when moving for emergency braking. The pivot axes 68.1 of the primary pendulums 68 are arranged longitudinally on either side of the secondary pivot axis 62.1 and the rotation axes 70.1 longitudinally on either side of the primary pivot axis 68.1, which allows balancing of the forces exerted by the support rollers 70 on the track. On one side of the vehicle, the rollers 70 are cylindrical, whereas on the other, they are provided with lateral guide flanges 70.2 to allow compensation for any slight variations in the spacing between the rails. Each roller 70 may also be equipped with a brake 70.3.

(21) One can see in FIGS. 2 to 4 the positioning of the two large-diameter return pulleys 26, 28, on the chassis, above the track and rotating around two axes A, B situated in the longitudinal median plane and slightly angled in relation to the axis Z perpendicular to the track. The return pulleys are guided in relation to the chassis 50 by bearings 26.1, 28.1. spaced apart from one another along the path of the vehicle. In this case, the bearings 26.1 of the upstream return pulley 26 linking the vehicle to the upstream station, is situated upstream from the bearings 28.1 of the downstream return pulley 28 linking the vehicle to the downstream station 12. Furthermore, the bearings 26.1, 28.1 are situated longitudinally between the secondary pivot axes 62.1 of the upstream running gear 56 and downstream running gear 58. Guide rollers 72 are arranged along the track to support the cable 30. Return pulleys 26, 28 are arranged above the guide rollers 72. The chassis 50 is equipped with orientation rollers 74 allowing the cable 30 to be raised and oriented in the oblique plane of the return pulleys 26, 28.

(22) The vehicle may also be equipped with upstream and downstream driver's cabins 76, each provided with a control console 78. The chassis 50 of the vehicle 16 features wear skids 80 which, when the jacks 66 are lowered, rest on the ground.

(23) FIGS. 6 to 8 allow visualisation of the path of the cable in the upstream station. The first towing section 32.1 enters the station along a path situated essentially in a vertical plane parallel to the axis X of the path from the return pulley 26 to the driving pulley 20.1. The same applies to the second towing section 32.2 between the return pulley 26 and the second driving pulley 20.2. On leaving the first driving pulley 20.1, the first linking section 34.1 of the cable crosses the two towing sections 32.1 and 32.2 and is diverted by the upstream guide pulley 40.1 towards the mobile pulley 44.1 in the well 46.1, re-emerging and being guided by the downstream guide pulley 42.1 so as to run along a vertical plane parallel to the path of the vehicle 16, to the downstream station 12. The second linking section 34.2 follows a similar path, crossing the two towing sections 32.1, 32.2 and being diverted by the upstream guide pulley 40.2 towards the mobile pulley 44.2 in the well 46.2, re-emerging and being guided by the downstream guide pulley 42.2 so as to run along a vertical plane parallel to the path of the vehicle 16, to the downstream station 12. Crossing of the linking sections 34.1 34.2 with the towing sections 32.1, 32.2 in the upstream station 10 ensures contact between the cable 30 and each of the driving pulleys 20.1, 20.2 over more than 180 and in practice over more than 225 and preferably over more than 240. In this embodiment, the upstream driving pulleys, the downstream guide pulleys and the mobile pulleys have horizontal rotation axes, whereas the driving pulleys have vertical axes.

(24) FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate the downstream station 12 equipped with the two pulleys 24.1, 24.2, freely rotating, turning around vertical axes. The diameters of the driving pulleys 20.1, 20.2 of the upstream station and of the idle pulleys 24.1, 24.2 of the downstream station are preferably substantially identical. As illustrated by FIGS. 2 to 10, the linking sections 34.1, 34.2, in their path along the track 14, flank the towing sections 32.1, 32.2 and the return sections 36.1, 36.2.

(25) The symmetry of the installation is such that in theory, if the two driving pulleys 20.1, 20.2 are driven at equal speed in opposite directions and assuming the dynamic elastic deformations of the cable identical on either side, the vehicle 16 is driven in an ascending or descending direction, without the return pulleys 26, 28 rotating. In practice, the conditions for perfect symmetry are not achieved, owing for example to the differences in perimeter of the driving pulleys and rotation of the return pulleys 26, 28 allows dynamic balancing of the forces exerted on the sections of the cable 30. It may also be chosen to control the driving pulleys 20.1, 20.2 with a speed difference, so as to cause constant rotation of the return pulleys 26, 28, as discussed above. This speed difference may be constant or variable, particularly periodically.

(26) It is also noted that the relative position of the bearings 26.1, 28.1 allows, in case of a slight lack of alignment of the vehicle in relation to the track, generation of a compensating torque on the chassis 50 of the vehicle, thereby bringing the vehicle back into alignment. The positioning of the bearings 26.1 upstream from the centre of gravity of the vehicle when empty and upstream from the platform 52 bearing the load 54 also ensures correct orientation of the vehicle on the track, both when loaded and when empty, to the extent that the centre of gravity of the vehicle 16 when empty is in the median longitudinal plane and that the load 54 is also positioned such that its centre of gravity is in the median longitudinal plane.

(27) In the event of failure of one of the motors 22.1, 22.2, the corresponding brake 49.1, 49.2 can be operated and the vehicle 16 can be driven at low speed by the other motor.

(28) In order to control the funicular according to the invention, it is possible to resort to different sensors in order to measure different status variables of the installation and more particularly: sensors measuring the speed or rotation of the driving pulleys 20.1, 20.2, sensors measuring the speed or rotation of the pulleys 24.1, 24.2 of the downstream station, sensors measuring the speed or rotation of the return pulleys 26, 28, extensometric sensors detecting stretching of the different sections of the cable or some thereof, sensors measuring the resulting force on the axis of the upstream return pulley 26, sensors measuring the speed of the vehicle 16 and sensors measuring the motor torque of the driving pulleys 20.1, 20.2.

(29) Naturally, various modifications are possible. It is possible in particular to double the installation, so as to ensure redundancy in towing.

(30) The tensioning devices are not necessary positioned on the towing sections, but may be alternatively placed on the linking sections or the return sections. The drive motors may be arranged in the downstream station. Motorisation divided between the two stations may also be contemplated.