ACCESS DEVICE FOR AN AERIAL LIFT PYLON

CROSS REFERENCES

This application claims priority to Austrian Application No. A50611/2023, filed Jul. 31, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an access device for an aerial lift pylon having at least one holding device.

BACKGROUND

Cableways come in a wide variety of designs, mostly for the transportation of people and/or goods, e.g., as urban means of transportation or for the transportation of people in skiing areas, wherein cable cars (e.g., cabins, chairs, or other transportation containers) suspended from a cable are used for transportation. Usually, cableways have at least two cableway stations, between which the cable cars are moved via one or more aerial lift pylons by means of at least one cable.

A distinction must be made between circulating cableways and aerial cableways. In the case of aerial cableways, one or two cable cars pulled by a traction cable shuttle back and forth on a haulage cable on a route between at least two stations. In contrast, the circulating cableway has an endless haulage cable between the stations which is constantly circulating and on which a plurality of cable cars such as gondolas, cabins, or chairs are arranged. The cable cars are moved thereby from one station to the other on one side, and back again on the opposite side. The movement of the cable cars is therefore always substantially continuous in one direction, analogous to a continuous conveyor.

To be able to span even greater distances, one or more aerial lift pylons for guiding the (carrying/traction/haulage) cable(s) are usually arranged between the at least two stations. The structure of an aerial lift pylon basically consists of a foundation, the pylon itself, and a cross-member, also called a crosshead, at the top end of the pylon. Aerial lift pylons can be designed as a steel framework structure or as a steel tube or sheet metal box structure. The pylon can also be made of concrete. A plurality of sheaves, e.g., in the form of a so-called sheave assembly, are usually arranged on an aerial lift pylon or cross member in order to carry and guide the cable with the cable cars. Furthermore, an access device (so-called platforms) is provided on aerial lift pylons, e.g., in the region of the cross-member parallel to a cable direction or parallel to the sheave assembly, which serves, for example, to make it possible for cableway personnel to access the pylon or the sheave assemblies for maintenance or repair work. This is likewise primarily a steel framework construction, which is designed in such a way that the cableway personnel can move around on it safely. In addition, safety devices, e.g., railings, can also be provided in order to increase safety for cableway personnel. Access to the access device is either via ladders on the aerial lift pylon or on the cross-member or by climbing over from special cable cars (as in EP 3 947 096 B1).

The access device on an aerial lift pylon is induced to vibrate by vibrations (e.g., due to wind, cable-induced vibrations, movement of a cable car over the sheave assembly of the aerial lift pylon, etc.). The vibrations can not only contribute to premature fatigue of the components or the structure but can also endanger cableway personnel on the platform. Vibrations are particularly relevant in the case of urban cableways, as these have very long operating hours and therefore the fatigue load is very high.

It is therefore an object of the present disclosure to optimize the access device on an aerial lift pylon, in particular, to extend the service life and to increase safety for cableway personnel.

SUMMARY

According to the present disclosure, the object is achieved with an access device for an aerial lift pylon in that at least one connecting element is at least partially formed from a damping material in order to decouple the access device from the aerial lift pylon in terms of vibration. As a result, vibrations that may occur on the aerial lift pylon (as described above) are damped or not transmitted to the access device. The damping material dissipates vibration energy, whereby the access device is not additionally loaded or stressed by the vibrations on the aerial lift pylon, which extends the service life of the access device. Furthermore, the safety of cableway personnel on the access device is increased—for example, during maintenance or repair work on the aerial lift pylon.

In an advantageous embodiment of the access device, at least one strut is provided, which is connected to the access device, preferably by a first axial end and is connected to the aerial lift pylon, preferably by a second axial end, wherein at least one further connecting element is provided, which is arranged between the connection of the at least one strut to the access device or between the connection of the at least one strut to the aerial lift pylon. The at least one strut is provided especially for larger aerial lift pylons or access devices, since the components freely suspended there would, on account of their dimensions, deform unacceptably, and for this reason, additional mountings (struts) on the aerial lift pylons are necessary. Since the at least one strut connects the access device to the aerial lift pylon, at least one further connecting element is provided in order to decouple, according to the present disclosure, the access device from the aerial lift pylon in terms of vibration.

In an advantageous embodiment of the access device, the access device has at least two segments, wherein a first of the at least two segments is fastened to the at least one holding device of the aerial lift pylon, and a second of the at least two segments is connected to the first of the at least two segments via the at least one connecting element. It may be advantageous for, not the entire access device, but only segments thereof, to be decoupled from the aerial lift pylon in terms of vibration. This improves accessibility to the at least one connecting element and increases the installation space of the access device. Furthermore, it is easier to retrofit such segments to existing aerial lift pylons. In a further advantageous embodiment of the access device, at least one strut is connected, preferably by the first axial end, to the second of the at least two segments of the access device, and the at least one strut is connected, preferably by the second axial end, to the aerial lift pylon, wherein the at least one further connecting element is arranged between the connection of the at least one strut to the second of the at least two segments of the access device or between the connection of the at least one strut to the aerial lift pylon. This makes it possible to also increase the installation space of the access device. Retrofitting such struts to existing aerial lift pylons is easier.

In an advantageous embodiment of the access device, fastening elements are provided to connect the at least one connecting element to the access device and to the at least one holding device.

In an advantageous embodiment of the access device, fastening elements are provided in order to connect the at least one further connecting element to the access device and to the at least one strut, preferably to the first axial end of the at least one strut, or to connect the at least one further connecting element to the aerial lift pylon and to the at least one strut, preferably to the second axial end of the at least one strut.

In an advantageous embodiment of the access device, at least one connecting element is an elastic solid body. The solid body can, for example, be square or rectangular. This gives the access device a certain degree of flexibility in relation to the aerial lift pylon, whereby the access device remains held in the air and can be accessed, for example, by cableway personnel for maintenance or repair work on the aerial lift pylon.

These and other aspects are merely illustrative of the innumerable aspects associated with the present disclosure and should not be deemed as limiting in any manner. These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the referenced drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference is now made more particularly to the drawings, which illustrate the best presently known mode of carrying out the present disclosure and wherein similar reference characters indicate the same parts throughout the views.

FIG. 1 shows the basic structure of an aerial lift pylon with an access device according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the access device according to the present disclosure on the aerial lift pylon having at least one strut.

FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of the access device according to the present disclosure on the aerial lift pylon having at least one strut.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment with two access devices according to the present disclosure on an aerial lift pylon.

FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment with two access devices according to the present disclosure on an aerial lift pylon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description of technology is merely exemplary in nature of the subject matter, manufacture and use of one or more inventions, and is not intended to limit the scope, application, or uses of any specific invention claimed in this application or in such other applications as may be filed claiming priority to this application, or patents issuing therefrom. The following definitions and non-limiting guidelines must be considered in reviewing the description of the technology set forth herein.

In the following detailed description numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. For example, the present disclosure is not limited in scope to the particular type of industry application depicted in the figures. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present disclosure.

The headings and sub-headings used herein are intended only for general organization of topics within the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the disclosure of the technology or any aspect thereof. In particular, subject matter disclosed in the “Background” may include novel technology and may not constitute a recitation of prior art. Subject matter disclosed in the “Summary” is not an exhaustive or complete disclosure of the entire scope of the technology or any embodiments thereof. Classification or discussion of a material within a section of this specification as having a particular utility is made for convenience, and no inference should be drawn that the material must necessarily or solely function in accordance with its classification herein when it is used in any given composition.

The citation of references herein does not constitute an admission that those references are prior art or have any relevance to the patentability of the technology disclosed herein. All references cited in the “Detailed Description” section of this specification are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIG. 1 shows the basic structure of an aerial lift pylon 1 with an access device 2 according to the present disclosure. The aerial lift pylon 1 comprises a pylon 3, a cross-member 4, and at least one holding device 5. The pylon 3 can, for example, be cylindrical with an annular or square cross-section or also designed as a framework construction. The cross-member 4 can, for example, have a square cross-section and two axial ends. The pylon 3 can be fastened at one axial end in a foundation (not shown). At the other axial end of the pylon 3, the cross-member 4 can be fastened to the pylon 3 (e.g., by a flange). A sheave assembly 6 in which a cable 10 is held or guided can be arranged on the cross-member 4 (e.g., at an axial end of the cross-member 4, as shown in FIG. 1).

The at least one holding device 5 of the aerial lift pylon 1 can, for example, be fastened to the cross-member 4 between an axial end of the cross-member 4 and the pylon 3 (e.g., with a bolted connection or with a welded connection). Depending upon the design of the aerial lift pylon 1, the at least one holding device 5 can also be fastened directly to the pylon 3. However, for the sake of simplicity, the fastening of the at least one holding device 5 directly to the pylon 3 will not be described below. The pylon 3, the cross-member 4, and the at least one holding device 5 can be made, for example, of steel or at least also partially of concrete. The at least one holding device 5 of the aerial lift pylon 1 can, in a simple embodiment (as shown in FIG. 1), be designed as a shaped tube with a square or rectangular cross-section.

The access device 2 has at least one connecting element 7, via which the access device 2 is connected to the at least one holding device 5 of the aerial lift pylon 1, to hold the access device 2 aloft. It is of course also possible that, for example, two holding devices 5 are provided on the cross-member 4 of the aerial lift pylon 1 and that, consequently, two connecting elements 7 are provided on the access device 2 in order to connect the access device 2 to the two holding devices 5 via the two connecting elements 7 and to hold the access device 2 in the air.

The access device 2 can, as shown in FIG. 1, be designed as a longitudinal beam 8 (e.g., a shaped tube with a square cross-section) on which footplates 9 are provided. The footplates 9 are made, for example, from perforated sheet metal or checkered sheet metal and are fastened to the longitudinal beam 8 of the access device 2—for example, via bolted connections or welded connections. Another possible embodiment of the access device 2 would be a continuous footplate 9 along the longitudinal member 8. The access device 2 serves, for example, to ensure that cableway personnel can stay and move safely for maintenance or repair work on the sheave assembly 6. It is advantageous here that the access device 2 is located close to the sheave assembly 6 (e.g., below or to the side of the sheave assembly 6) in such a way that cableway personnel can easily and safely reach the sheave assembly 6 for maintenance or repair work. The access device 2 is therefore arranged on the at least one holding device 5 preferably parallel to the sheave assembly 6 or parallel to a cable direction S of the cable 10 guided in the sheave assembly 6. The access device 2 is, for example, made of steel. In addition, a railing (not shown in FIG. 1) can also be provided for the access device 2, which is fastened, for example, to the longitudinal beam 8 of the access device 2 and/or to the footplates 9 of the access device 2, to secure cableway personnel from falling off the aerial lift pylon 1.

The at least one connecting element 7 is at least partially made of a damping material to decouple the access device 2 from the aerial lift pylon 1 in terms of vibration. The at least one connecting element 7 is preferably arranged, as shown in FIG. 1, between the at least one holding device 5 of the aerial lift pylon 1 and the access device 2. Depending upon the application, it would also be possible to arrange the at least one connecting element 7, not between the connection of the at least one holding device 5 of the aerial lift pylon 1 and the access device 2, but to provide it at the fastening of the at least one holding device 5 to the aerial lift pylon 1, in order to decouple the access device 2 from the aerial lift pylon 1 in terms of vibration. Preferably, the at least one connecting element 7 is an elastic solid body (for example, rectangular or square). Fastening elements 11 are preferably provided to connect the at least one connecting element 7 to the access device 2 and to the at least one holding device 5. The fastening elements 11 are preferably screws, bolts, pins, or the like.

The damping material of the at least one connecting element 7 is preferably an elastomer or a silicone or a rubber or a silicone-rubber mixture, such as EPDM silicone, or the like. The damping material preferably has the best possible damping of low frequencies over the widest possible temperature range together with the longest possible service life. Since the at least one connecting element 7 is at least partially made of the damping material, there is no rigid connection (e.g., as in the case of a bolted connection or a welded connection) between the access device 2 and the at least one holding device 5, but, rather, an elastic connection. Due to the elastic connection between the access device 2 and the at least one holding device 5, vibrations which can occur on the aerial lift pylon 1 (e.g., due to wind, cable-induced vibrations, due to movement of a cable car over the sheave assembly 6 of the aerial lift pylon 1, etc.) are damped (i.e., vibration energy is dissipated) or are not transmitted to the access device 2 via the at least one holding device 5, which is rigidly connected or fastened to the aerial lift pylon 1. The access device 2 is thus decoupled from the aerial lift pylon 1 in terms of vibration, whereby the access unit 2 remains held in the air despite the elastic connection and can be accessed, for example, by cableway personnel for maintenance or repair work on the aerial lift pylon 1. In the case of a rigid connection between the access device 2 and the at least one holding device 5, the vibrations just described are transmitted to the access device 2. As a result, the access device 2 is loaded or stressed by the vibrations on the aerial lift pylon, which could shorten the service life of the access device 2 and endanger cableway personnel on the access device 2 (e.g., in the event of premature fatigue of the access device 2).

In a preferred embodiment, the at least one connecting element 7 comprises a housing (e.g., a rectangular tube made of aluminum), wherein two solid bodies (e.g., two squares made of steel) with recesses for the fastening elements 11 (e.g., holes) are arranged in the housing. The damping material of the at least one connecting element 7 is arranged in the housing between the two solid bodies and the housing (e.g., as a filler made of an elastomer or of a silicone or of a rubber or of a silicone-rubber mixture, such as EPDM silicone, or the like). The two solid bodies are thus elastically mounted in the housing. If one of the two solid bodies of the at least one connecting element 7 is connected to the access device 2, and the second of the two solid bodies of the at least one connecting element 7 is connected to the at least one holding device 5, there will be an elastic connection (as described above) between the access device 2 and the at least one holding device 5.

Of course, at least one holding device 5 could also be provided, for example, between one axial end of the cross-member 4 and the pylon 3, wherein the cross-member 4 would be fastened to the pylon 3 of the aerial lift pylon 1 between the two axial ends of the cross-member 4. As a result, an access unit 2 could be provided on the respective at least one holding device 5 of the aerial lift pylon 1 (e.g., in the case of a circulating cableway). Such an embodiment is indicated in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. For the sake of simplicity, only one access device 2 is shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3. As described above, the respective at least one holding device 5 can also be attached directly to the aerial lift pylon 3.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the access device 2 on the aerial lift pylon 1 and having at least one strut 12. The at least one strut 12 can, for example, be designed as a shaped tube with a square cross-section. In FIG. 2, the at least one strut 12 is arranged, for example, on the downhill side of the aerial lift pylon 1. The access unit 2 has in this case at least one further connecting element 7. The access device 2 is connected, preferably with a first axial end of the at least one strut 12, to the at least one strut 12 via the at least one further connecting element 7. The at least one strut 12 has a second axial end, wherein the at least one strut is fastened, preferably by the second axial end, to the aerial lift pylon 1 (for example, to the cross-member 4 via a bolted connection). Depending upon the demands on the at least one further connecting element 7, the dimensioning can differ, for example, from the at least one connecting element 7 in FIG. 1, or the at least one further connecting element 7 is identical to the at least one connecting element 7 in FIG. 1. As described above, fastening elements 11 are preferably provided to connect the at least one further connecting element 7 to the access device 2 and to the at least one strut 12, preferably to the first axial end of the at least one strut 12. Depending upon the application, it would also be possible to provide the at least one further connecting element 7, not between the connection of the access device 2 with the at least one strut 12, but at the connection of the at least one strut 12 to the aerial lift pylon 1, to decouple the access device 2 from the aerial lift pylon 1 in terms of vibration.

FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of the access device 2 on the aerial lift pylon 1 having at least one strut 12. The access device 2 has at least two segments B₁, B₂, wherein a first of the at least two segments B₁, B₂is (rigidly) fastened to the at least one holding device 5 of the aerial lift pylon 1 (e.g., via a bolted connection or welded connection), and a second of the at least two segments B₁, B₂is connected (elastically) to the first of the at least two segments B₁, B₂via the at least one connecting element 7. The second of the at least two segments B₁, B₂is connected (elastically) to the at least one strut 12, preferably to the first axial end of the at least one strut 12, via the at least one further connecting element 7, wherein the at least one strut 12 is fastened, preferably by the second axial end, to the aerial lift pylon 1 (for example, to the cross-member 4 by means of a bolted connection). Due to the elastic connections, the second of the at least two segments B₁, B₂of the access device 2 is decoupled from the aerial lift pylon 1 in terms of vibration. As shown in FIG. 3, in addition to the at least one strut 12 (e.g., on the downhill side), at least one further strut 12 (e.g., on the uphill side) can for example be provided in the cable direction S. The at least one further strut 12 is (rigidly) attached to the first of the at least two segments B₁, B₂, preferably by a first axial end of the at least one further strut 12, wherein the at least one strut 12 is attached, preferably by a second axial end, to the aerial lift pylon 1 (for example, to the cross-member 4 by means of a bolted connection). Of course, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, at least one further strut 12 can also be provided.

Furthermore, it would of course also be possible for the access device 2 to have a further segment B₁, B₂which is decoupled from the aerial lift pylon 1 in terms of vibration, e.g., by the further segment B₁, B₂being (elastically) connected to the at least one further strut 12, preferably by the first axial end of the at least one further strut 12, via at least one further connecting element 7, wherein the at least one further strut 12 is further fastened preferably by the second axial end to the aerial lift pylon 1, and by the further segment B₁, B₂being (elastically) connected to the first of the at least two segments B₁, B₂via at least one connecting element 7. In FIG. 3, the second of the at least two segments B₁, B₂would thus be mirrored about the longitudinal axis of the cross-member 4, whereby embodiments with two access devices 2, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, can also be designed mirrored about the longitudinal axis of the cross-member 4 (e.g., not only on the downhill side, but also on the uphill side).

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment with two access devices 2 on an aerial lift pylon 1, wherein at least one holding device 5 is provided on the aerial lift pylon 1, e.g., between one axial end of the cross-member 4 and the pylon 3, wherein the cross-member 4 is fastened between the two axial ends of the cross-member 4 to the pylon 3 of the aerial lift pylon 1. For the sake of simplicity, the sheave assembly 6 and the cable 10 at the respective axial end of the cross-member 4 of the aerial lift pylon 1 are not shown in FIG. 4. The two access devices 2 each have at least two segments B₁, B₂, as shown in FIG. 3, wherein a first of the at least two segments B₁, B₂is fastened (rigidly) to the respective at least one holding device 5 of the aerial lift pylon 1, and a second of the at least two segments B₁, B₂is connected (elastically) to the respective first of the at least two segments B₁, B₂via at least one connecting element 7. The respective second of the at least two segments B₁, B₂is connected (elastically) to the at least one strut 12, preferably to the respective first axial end of the at least one strut 12, via at least one further connecting element 7, wherein the respective at least one strut 12 is fastened, preferably by the respective second axial end, to the aerial lift pylon 1 (for example, to the cross-member 4 by means of a bolted connection). Due to the elastic connections, the respective second of the at least two segments B₁, B₂of the respective access device 2 is decoupled from the aerial lift pylon 1 in terms of vibration.

The respective at least two segments B₁, B₂of the access device 2 can of course also be connected to each other via further struts 13. In FIG. 4, for example, a strut 13 is shown between the second of the at least two segments B₁, B₂of the respective access device 2. As a result, the second of the at least two segments B₁, B₂are (rigidly) connected to one another, but are still decoupled in terms of vibration from the aerial lift pylon 1 by the elastic connections between the respective first of the at least two segments B₁, B₂of the respective access device 2 and the respective at least one strut 12.

As described above, the embodiments shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 can of course also be designed with two access devices 2 as in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 shows a preferred embodiment with two access devices 2 on an aerial lift pylon 1 (similar to FIG. 4), wherein the aerial lift pylon 1 has a further cross-member 4, which is fastened to the already existing cross-member 4 by feet 14. The two access devices 2 are, as already shown in FIG. 4, each designed with at least two segments B₁, B₂, and, for example, four struts 12 are provided. In contrast to the embodiment in FIG. 4, for example, at least two struts 12 (e.g., on the downhill side) are each fastened, preferably by the respective first axial end, to the respective second of the at least two segments B₁, B₂, wherein the at least two struts 12 are each (elastically) connected, preferably by the respective second axial end, to the further cross-member 4 via the at least one further connecting element 7. Due to the elastic connections, the respective second of the at least two segments B₁, B₂of the respective access device 2 is decoupled from the aerial lift pylon 1 in terms of vibration. Of course, it is also possible, as in FIG. 4, that the at least two struts 12 (e.g., on the downhill side) are connected (elastically), preferably by the respective second axial end, to the already existing cross-member 4 via the at least one further connecting element 7. Alternatively, the respective at least one holding device 5 could of course also be fastened to the further cross-member 4 of the aerial lift pylon 1.

ACCESS DEVICE FOR AN AERIAL LIFT PYLON

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