Cable car system

Abstract

A cable car system includes vehicles that are clamped to a hauling cable along the route and decoupled from the hauling cable upon entering the stations. The vehicles are moved through the stations by control tires which are coupled to one another by gear mechanisms and driven via a supporting pulley for the hauling cable. The control tires are mounted on a supporting frame on at least one supporting structure. The rotation of the supporting pulley that drives the control tires is derived from the hauling cable by way of a drive belt. The drive belt runs over the supporting pulley, which is mounted on a pivotable rocker, and over at least one control tire. The pivotable rocker is mounted on the supporting structure for the supporting frame, or the pivotable rocker is mounted on a supporting structure to which the supporting frame is not attached.

Claims

1. A cable car system, comprising: a hauling cable extending between stations of the system and being guided over supporting pulleys and reversing pulleys in the stations; vehicles to be coupled to said hauling cable along a route between the stations and decoupled from said hauling cable upon entering the stations, whereupon said vehicles are guided through the stations along guide rails to enable passengers to embark and disembark, and said vehicles are once more coupled to said hauling cable on exiting the stations; a supporting frame disposed on at least one supporting structure in a respective station; a plurality of control tires mounted on said supporting frame in the stations, said control tires including decelerating tires disposed to decelerate said vehicles upon entering a respective station, conveying tires disposed to move said vehicles through the station, and accelerating tires for accelerating said vehicles towards a speed of said hauling cable before being coupled to said hauling cable; a pivotally mounted rocker carrying at least one of said supporting pulleys and a drive belt connected between said at least one supporting pulley and at least one of said control tires for driving said control tires by way of said at least one supporting pulley in the respective station, wherein a drive of said control tires is diverted from said hauling cable by way of said at least one supporting pulley and said drive belt; said pivotally mounted rocker being mounted on a supporting structure to which said supporting frame is not attached.

2. The cable car system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one supporting structure for said supporting frame consists of a support column and a cross beam disposed thereon, said cross beam having two ends and said at least one rocker is mounted at one of said two ends of said cross beam.

3. The cable car system according to claim 2, wherein a support beam on which said at least one rocker is mounted is disposed at an end of said cross beam.

4. The cable car system according to claim 1, wherein: said supporting frame for said control tires is disposed on at least one supporting structure comprising a support column and a cross beam and a further support column is provided with a cross beam having an one end carrying said at least one rocker on which said at least one supporting pulley is mounted, and wherein said supporting frame is not attached to said cross beam.

5. The cable car system according to claim 1, wherein said rocker is one of two pivotally mounted rockers on which two supporting pulleys are mounted and which are each coupled via a drive belt to at least one of said control tires.

6. A cable car system, comprising: a hauling cable extending between stations of the system and being guided over supporting pulleys and reversing pulleys in the stations; vehicles to be coupled to said hauling cable along a route between the stations and decoupled from said hauling cable upon entering the stations, whereupon said vehicles are guided through the stations along guide rails to enable passengers to embark and disembark, and said vehicles are once more coupled to said hauling cable on exiting the stations; a supporting frame disposed on at least one supporting structure in a respective station; a plurality of control tires mounted on said supporting frame in the stations, said control tires including decelerating tires disposed to decelerate said vehicles upon entering a respective station, conveying tires disposed to move said vehicles through the station, and accelerating tires for accelerating said vehicles towards a speed of said hauling cable before being coupled to said hauling cable; a pivotally mounted rocker carrying at least one of said supporting pulleys and a drive belt connected between said at least one supporting pulley and at least one of said control tires for driving said control tires by way of said at least one supporting pulley in the respective station, wherein a drive of said control tires is diverted from said hauling cable by way of said at least one supporting pulley and said drive belt; said pivotally mounted rocker carrying said at least one supporting pulley being mounted on said supporting structure for said supporting frame; and said at least one supporting structure for said supporting frame consisting of a support column and a cross beam disposed thereon, said cross beam having two ends and said at least one rocker being mounted at one of said two ends of said cross beam.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) The subject of the invention will now be explained in further detail below with reference to two exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a station of a cable car system according to the invention with a supporting structure on which a supporting frame for the control tyres is located, in an axonometric illustration;

(3) FIG. 1A shows the detail A of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale and in an axonometric illustration;

(4) FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of a station of a cable car system according to the invention with a supporting structure on which a supporting frame for the control tyres is located, in an axonometric illustration, and

(5) FIG. 2A shows the detail B of FIG. 2 on an enlarged scale and in an axonometric illustration.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) As is apparent from FIG. 1, the illustrated station of a cable car system has a supporting frame 10 supported by two support columns 1 and 1a and on which a guide pulley 2 is mounted with an approximately vertically aligned axis, over which a hauling cable 20 is guided. During operation of this cable car system the hauling cable 20 is moved in circulation over the guide pulley 2 by means of a drive motor, preferably located in the hill station, at a speed of e.g. 7 m/sec. Vehicles 3, in the present case cabins, formed with undercarriages 31 can be coupled to the hauling cable 20. The vehicles 3 are coupled on the route to the hauling cable 20. On entering into the station the vehicles 3 are decoupled from the hauling cable 20 whereupon they are moved through the station along a guide rail 4 by means of the undercarriage 31. On exiting the station the vehicles 3 are again coupled to the hauling cable 20. The guide rail 4 is formed with inlet funnels 41 at their two free ends.

(7) The direction of movement of the vehicles 3 is marked by the arrow C.

(8) Control tyres 51, 52 and 53, which are mounted on the supporting frame 10 and which are coupled for entrainment to one another by gear means, serve to move the vehicles 3 through the station. The control tyres 51 of a first group located at the entrance to the station serve as decelerating tyres by means of which the speed of the vehicles 3 decoupled from the hauling cable 20 is reduced from e.g. 7 m/sec to e.g. 0.3 m/sec. The control tyres 52 of a second group following on here serve as conveying tyres through which the vehicles 3 are guided at a speed of e.g. 0.3 m/sec through the entrance and exit area of the station in which the passengers can get on and off. The speed of the vehicles 3 is again increased to e.g. 7 m/sec by the third group of control tyres 53 which serve as acceleration tyres, whereupon the vehicles 3 on exiting the station are coupled onto the hauling cable 20 which is revolving at this speed.

(9) The hauling cable 20 is guided over supporting pulleys 6 which are turned by the hauling cable 20. The control tyres 51, 52 and 53 are driven in that at least one control tyre 51a is coupled by means of a belt 60 for rotation to at least one supporting pulley 6 for the hauling cable 20.

(10) As is further apparent from FIG. 1, the support columns 1 and 1a are formed at their upper ends with cross beams 11 and 11a, to the two ends of which is attached the supporting frame 10 for the control tyres 51, 52, 53.

(11) As is apparent in particular from FIG. 1A, a support beam 12 which is rigidly attached to the cross beam 11 is located between the one end of the cross beam 11 and the supporting frame 10. Two rockers 7 are mounted on this support beam 12 and two supporting pulleys 6 for the hauling cable 20 are mounted on the rockers. A drive belt 60 is placed over each of the two pairs of the supporting pulleys 6 and is placed over two guide pulleys 61 and furthermore each over a control tyre 51a. The two supporting pulleys 6 are formed with the belt faces 6a and the two control tyres 51a are formed with the belt faces 51b for the drive belt 60. The drive for the control tyres 51a is diverted by means of the drive belt 60 from the hauling cable 20 via the two supporting pulleys 6 which are mounted on the rocker 7.

(12) The control tyres 51a are coupled by means of gear means to the further control tyres 51, 52, 53 so that the further control tyres 51, 52, 53 have rising or decreasing revolving speeds.

(13) A further beam 13 is rigidly attached to the support beam 12 and the supporting frame 10 is attached to this further beam. The support column 1 with the cross beam 11 and the support beam 12 make up the supporting structure for the supporting frame 10.

(14) Since the two supporting pulleys 6 for the hauling cable 20 are located on the rocker 7, the supporting pulleys 6 are evenly loaded by the vibrations and vertical movements exerted by the hauling cable 20. Since the rockers 7 are mounted on the support beam 12 which is rigidly attached to the support column 1 by means of the cross beam 11, hardly any shocks or vibrations which would stress the supporting frame 10 and/or cause noises, pass to the supporting frame 10.

(15) A second exemplary embodiment will now be explained with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 2A:

(16) This exemplary embodiment substantially agrees with the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 and FIG. 1A. Reference is thus made to the explanations on FIG. 1 and FIG. 1A. The difference in respect of FIG. 1 and FIG. 1A is however that in addition to the support column 1a by which the supporting frame 10 is supported, there is a second support column 1b with a cross beam 11b wherein the drive for the control tyres 51, 52, 53 is diverted from the hauling cable 20, but by which the supporting frame 10 is not supported, and that a third support column 1c with a cross beam 11c is provided by which the supporting frame 10 is supported, wherein it is fixed on the cross beam 11c.

(17) As can be seen in particular from FIG. 2A, a support beam 12b is rigidly fixed to one end of the cross beam 11b which is located on the support column 1b. Two rockers 7 are mounted on this cross beam 12b, with two supporting pulleys 6 for the hauling cable 20 being mounted thereon. The support column 1b with the cross beam 11b and the support beam 12b make up the supporting structure for the two rockers 7. A drive belt 60 is guided over each of the belt faces 6a of the supporting pulleys 6 and is placed over two guide pulleys 61 and furthermore each over one control tyre 51a. The supporting frame 10 is not attached to the cross beam 11b or the support beam 12b. The function of the rockers 7 as well as the supporting pulleys 6 and their coupling with the control tyres 51a is the same as explained with reference to FIG. 2A.

(18) Compared with this the supporting frame 10 is moreover supported by the support column 1c with the cross beam 11c, wherein it is rigidly fixed to the ends of the cross beam 11c.

(19) Since the supporting frame 10 is not connected to the cross beam 11b on which the rockers 7 are mounted, no shocks or vibrations, which could cause detrimental effects, pass from the rockers 7 to the supporting frame 10.