Patent Application
20240199091
The application claims the benefit of priority based on Austrian Patent Application No. A50973/2022, filed on Dec. 20, 2022, the disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
The present disclosure relates to a circular cableway having at least two cableway stations and having at least one cableway vehicle which can be moved in a circulating movement between the cableway stations by a haul cable, wherein the at least one cableway vehicle has at least one cable clamp for releasably coupling the cableway vehicle to the haul cable, and wherein an actuating device for actuating the cable clamp is provided in at least one cableway station. The present disclosure moreover relates to a method for operating a circular cableway having at least one cableway vehicle which can be moved in a circulating movement between at least two cableway stations by a haul cable, wherein the at least one cableway vehicle has a cable clamp for releasably coupling the cableway vehicle to the haul cable.
Circular cableways are known in the prior art and are usually used for the transport of passengers and/or material in topographically unfavorable terrain, e.g., as a gondola lift or chairlift in winter sports regions. In case of a circular cableway, a plurality of cableway vehicles is moved with a haul cable in a circulating movement between a plurality of cableway stations. A distinction is substantially made between monocable circular cableway where only one haul cable is provided that serves at the same time as a traction cable for generating propulsion and as a support cable for carrying the cableway vehicles. In multi-cable circular cableways, on the other hand, the haul cable serves only as a traction cable for driving the cableway vehicles, and the cableway vehicles are arranged so as to be movable on one or more support cables by a suitable traveling gear. Depending on the number of support cables, the circular cableway is also referred to, for example, as a bi-cable circular cableway (one traction cable and one support cable) or as a tri-cable circular cableway (one traction cable and two support cables).
Multi-cable circular cableways, in particular, combine the advantages of aerial tramways, such as large transport capacity, and the advantages of monocable circular cableways, such as continuous operation without standstill. Multi-cable circular cableways have a number of (e.g., one or two) support cables per direction of travel, which form a track, and at least one endless, circulating haul cable that serves as a traction cable. Usually, a plurality of cableway vehicles is provided which are moved in a circulating operation between two cableway stations that are designed as terminals. A traveling gear having a plurality of cable rollers which roll on the number of support cables is provided on each of the cableway vehicles. For example, in case of a tri-cable circular cableway, two parallel support cables are provided, and two groups of cable rollers are accordingly provided on the traveling gear which are spaced apart from one another at a distance that corresponds to the distance of the support cables.
The traveling gear is generally connected to an upper portion of a hanger, and a transport body, for example a cabin, is arranged at the lower end of the hanger for accommodating passengers and/or goods. The cableway vehicles each have at least one operable cable clamp with which the cableway vehicles can be releasably coupled to the haul cable. The haul cable is driven by a suitable drive device in order to generate propulsion for moving the cableway vehicles. The drive device is usually designed as an electric machine and arranged in at least one cableway station.
In the cableway stations, the cableway vehicles can be decoupled from the haul cable by opening the cable clamps during entry. As a result, the force transmission is interrupted and the cableway vehicles can be moved within the cableway station at reduced speed along a guide rail (or parallel guide rails in case of tri-cable circular cableways). A suitable auxiliary drive is provided for driving the cableway vehicles within the cableway station between decoupling from the haul cable and coupling to the haul cable. When leaving the cableway station, the cableway vehicles are again accelerated by the auxiliary drive to the speed of the haul cable and coupled to the haul cable by the cable clamp being closed.
Known cable clamps usually have a fixed clamp jaw and a clamp jaw movable relative thereto. The movable clamp jaw is usually prestressed in the closed position by a suitable prestressing device and can be opened against the prestressing force with a suitable actuating device in order to open the cable clamp. One or more actuating levers are generally provided for actuating the cable clamp which interact with a suitable actuating device arranged within the cableway stations for generating an actuating force. In order to achieve an as good as possible clamping effect, the cable clamps are generally designed such that the clamp jaws partially enclose the traction cable.
When the cable clamp is opened, the cableway vehicle cannot easily be removed from the traction cable in the vertical direction without the fixed clamp jaw touching the traction cable and the traction cable thereby possibly being pressed out of the guide or even damaged. However, complete lifting of the cable clamp from the haul cable is generally necessary, since the course of the haul cable in the cableway station usually differs from the direction of movement of the cableway vehicles. For example, in the region of the actuating device, the haul cable often runs at a certain angle, relative to the direction of movement of the cableway vehicle, downwards or upwards (depending on the design of the cableway).
In order to prevent a collision of the clamp jaws of the cable clamp with the haul cable when the cable clamp is lifted, the entire cableway vehicle was previously translationally displaced by a certain offset transversely to the direction of movement after the cable clamp was opened. A sufficiently large distance between the fixed clamp jaw and the haul cable was thereby achieved, so that it was possible to remove the cable clamp from the haul cable in a substantially contactless manner. It was thus possible to move the cableway vehicles in a different direction than the haul cable within the cableway station. A disadvantage in this case is, however, that the lateral translational offset does not take place smoothly, which was perceived as unpleasant by the passengers.
EP 0 283 888 A2 discloses a cableway vehicle for a tri-cable circular cableway. The cable clamps of the traveling gear are arranged movably on a frame and can be adjusted in height via an adjusting roller when the adjusting rollers interact with actuating rails of a cableway station. The cable clamps can thus be lowered in the direction of the traction cable or lifted from the traction cable.
AT 370 685 B discloses a cable clamp for a monocable cableway. In order to prevent a lateral displacement during decoupling of the cable clamp from the cable, which is required to free the fixed clamp jaw from the cable, it is provided for the cable clamp to have two movable clamp jaws which are mounted so as to be pivotable symmetrically about a common axis.
AT 403788 B and EP 0 644 095 A1 disclose cable clamps of an industrial cableway. Here, the entire cable clamp can be pivoted away from the traction cable relative to the hanger.
It was therefore an object of the present disclosure to provide a circular cableway and a method for operating a circular cableway which allow greater comfort for the passengers when entering a cableway station and/or when exiting a cableway station.
The object is achieved according to the present disclosure by a circular cableway having the features of claim 1 and by a method having the features of claim 18. By pivoting the cableway vehicle during entry into the cableway station, the cable clamp can be moved sufficiently far away from the haul cable, so that a contactless lifting of the cable clamp from the haul cable is enabled. Compared to the known translational deflection, a rotational movement about the first axis of rotation also has the advantage that the comfort for the passengers can be increased.
Preferably, the actuating device has a stationary first actuating guide rail which is arranged in an entry area of the cableway station and which is configured to interact with an actuating lever of the at least one cable clamp during movement of the cableway vehicle in order to generate an actuating force for opening the at least one cable clamp, wherein the control guide device has a stationary first control guide rail which is arranged in the entry area of the cableway station and wherein the first actuating guide rail and the first control guide rail are arranged relative to one another such that the at least one cable clamp is pivoted while or after opening the at least one cable clamp. It is advantageous if the actuating device, alternatively or additionally, has a stationary second actuating guide rail which is arranged in an exit area of the cableway station and which is configured to interact with an actuating lever of the at least one cable clamp during movement of the cableway vehicle in order to generate an actuating force for opening the at least one cable clamp, wherein the control guide device has a stationary second control guide rail which is arranged in the exit area of the cableway station and wherein the second actuating guide rail and the second control guide rail are arranged relative to one another such that the at least one cable clamp is pivoted while or after opening the at least one cable clamp. Due to the relative positioning of the first actuating guide rail relative to the first control guide rail or due to the relative positioning of the second actuating guide rail relative to the second control guide rail, the temporal relation between opening the at least one cable clamp and pivoting the cableway vehicle can be defined in a simple manner.
It is advantageous if a direction of movement of the cableway vehicle and a course of the haul cable in the entry area of the cableway station diverge starting from the first actuating guide rail in the vertical direction, and that the deflection angle is defined by the first control guide rail such that the at least one cable clamp can be lifted from the haul cable in a contactless manner in the vertical direction after opening by the first actuating guide rail. Preferably, the direction of movement of the cableway vehicle and the course of the haul cable in the exit area of the cableway station converge again in the vertical direction up to the second actuating guide rail, and the deflection angle is defined by the second control guide rail such that the at least one cable clamp can be joined to the haul cable in a contactless manner in the vertical direction after opening by the second actuating guide rail. As a result, the cableway vehicle can be decoupled from the haul cable or coupled again to the haul cable without damage or wear to the haul cable or the cable clamp. Between decoupling and coupling, the cableway vehicle can be moved within the cableway station in any direction relative to the course of the haul cable, whereby a high flexibility can be achieved.
The at least one cable clamp preferably has a fixed clamp jaw and a clamp jaw movable relative thereto, between which the haul cable can be clamped, wherein at least the fixed clamp jaw is configured to partially enclose the haul cable when coupled to the haul cable, so that a free end portion of the fixed clamp jaw is located on an underside of the haul cable, wherein the deflection angle is defined such that the cable clamp can be lifted from the haul cable and/or joined to the haul cable without the free end portion touching the haul cable. The deflection angle is preferably at least 0.3°, particularly preferably at least 0.5°, in particular preferably at least 0.8°. This ensures that the cableway vehicle is pivoted to such an extent that the portion of the clamp jaw which partially encloses the haul cable is sufficiently far away from the haul cable in order to enable contactless removal of the cable clamp from the haul cable.
The deflection angle is preferably defined such that a distance between the free end portion of the fixed clamp jaw and the haul cable is at least 1 mm, preferably at least 2 mm, particularly preferably at least 3 mm, in a transverse direction extending transversely to the direction of movement after pivoting of the cable clamp. Alternatively or additionally, it is advantageous if the deflection angle is defined such that a distance between a free end portion of the movable clamp jaw and the haul cable in the transverse direction after pivoting the cable clamp is at least 1 mm, preferably at least 2 mm, particularly preferably at least 3 mm. This ensures that both clamp jaws have a sufficiently large distance from the haul cable in order to enable contactless decoupling or coupling.
The cableway vehicle preferably has a transport body for accommodating passengers, a hanger support, and a hanger, wherein an upper portion of the hanger is connected to the hanger support and a lower portion of the hanger is connected to the transport body, wherein the cable clamp is arranged on the hanger support, and the control is arranged on the hanger support, on the hanger, or on the transport body. Several advantageous design solutions are thereby made possible, from which the person skilled in the art can select a suitable embodiment.
The hanger is preferably fastened to the hanger support such as to be pivotable relative to the hanger support, preferably about a second axis of rotation extending transversely to the direction of movement. This allows the transport body to swing back and forth in the direction of movement, which increases transport comfort for the passengers.
A cable clamp center point is preferably provided on the cable clamp, through which cable clamp center point a longitudinal axis of the haul cable runs when the cable clamp is coupled to the haul cable, wherein the cable clamp center point is spaced apart from the first axis of rotation by a clamping distance which is preferably at least 100 mm, more preferably at least 300 mm, particularly preferably at least 700 mm, in particular at least 720 mm. Alternatively or additionally, it is advantageous if the control has a free control end, wherein a force application point is provided at the free control end which is configured to interact with the control guide device for generating the deflection force, and wherein the force application point is spaced apart from the first axis of rotation (DA1) by a lever arm distance, which is preferably at least 400 mm, preferably at least 700 mm, particularly preferably at least 800 mm, in particular at least 900 mm. A rotatable roller can also be arranged at the free control end of the control, and the force application point can be at the rotatable roller. As a result of an advantageous fixing of the clamping distance, the lever arm distance, and the relation between the clamping distance and the lever arm distance, a sufficiently large distance of the cable clamp from the haul cable can be achieved when the cableway vehicle is pivoted, and inadmissibly high forces and torques can be reliably avoided.
It is advantageous if a guide track is provided on the stationary control guide device, in particular on the first and/or on the second control guide rail, along which guide track the control is guided during movement of the cableway vehicle to generate the deflection force, and that the guide track is designed to be curved. The guide track preferably has a curve with a continuous curvature profile, preferably with a Gl continuity or a G2 continuity. An abrupt, in particular jerky, pivoting movement can thereby be avoided, which, on the one hand, increases passenger comfort and, on the other, reduces wear and the risk of damage.
The circular cableway can be designed as a monocable circular cableway, wherein the haul cable is designed as a traction cable and at the same time as a support cable, wherein a stationary guide rail is provided in the at least one cableway station, along which guide rail the at least one cableway vehicle can be moved through the cableway station when decoupled from the haul cable, wherein a number of guide rollers are arranged on the cableway vehicle in order to roll on the guide rail, and wherein a contact of the guide rollers on the guide rail forms the first axis of rotation. Alternatively, the circular cableway can also be designed as a bi-cable circular cableway, wherein the haul cable is designed as a traction cable and an additional support cable is provided, wherein a number of cable rollers arranged one behind the other in the direction of movement are arranged on the cableway vehicle, which cable rollers are designed to roll on the support cable, wherein a stationary guide rail is provided in the at least one cableway station, along which guide rail the at least one cableway vehicle can be moved through the cableway station by the cable rollers when decoupled from the traction cable, and wherein a contact of the cable rollers on the guide rail or a center point of a guide portion of the guide rail forms the first axis of rotation. According to a further advantageous embodiment, the circular cableway can be designed as a tri-cable circular cableway, wherein the haul cable is designed as a traction cable and two additional support cables are provided, wherein the at least one cableway vehicle has a traveling gear on which a number of first cable rollers arranged one behind the other in the direction of movement are arranged, which are configured to roll on a support cable, and on which a number of second cable rollers arranged one behind the other in the direction of movement are arranged, which are configured to roll on the respective other support cable, wherein two stationary guide rails are provided in the at least one cableway station, along which two stationary guide rails the at least one cableway vehicle can be moved through the cableway station by the first and second cable rollers when the cableway vehicle is in a state decoupled from the traction cable, and wherein the traveling gear is hinged to the hanger support via a joint, wherein the joint forms the first axis of rotation. Pivoting according to the present disclosure of the cableway vehicle can thereby be used in different types of circular cableways, which significantly increases the flexibility.
The joint is preferably arranged transversely to the direction of movement between the number of first cable rollers and the number of second cable rollers. It is furthermore advantageous if the number of first cable rollers contact the first stationary guide rail in a first contact point and the number of second cable rollers contact the second stationary guide rail in a second contact point, wherein, in the vertical direction, the joint is above, below or at the same height as the first and/or the second contact point. The at least one cable clamp is preferably arranged below the joint in the vertical direction, and the number of first cable rollers are arranged transversely to the direction of movement between the control and the joint. Advantageous kinematic embodiments are thereby provided.
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.
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.
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 in order 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.
Within the cableway stations 2A, 2B designed as terminals, the cableway vehicles 3 are turned along a curve by, for example, 180° from the first direction of travel FR1 to the second direction of travel FR2. Of course, one or more further cableway stations (not shown in
Two stationary support cables 4A, 4B, which connect the two terminals 2A, 2B, are provided per direction of travel FR1, FR2. The support cables 4A, 4B run substantially parallel to one another. The support cables 4A, 4B are fastened with their ends in the terminals 2A, 2B in a suitable manner, as schematically indicated in
The first and second cable rollers S1, S2 are spaced apart in a transverse direction Q, transversely to the direction of movement B, at a distance corresponding to the distance between the support cables 4A, 4B. During movement on the free section, the first cable rollers S1 roll between cableway stations 2A, 2B on the first support cable 4A, and the second cable rollers S2 roll on the second support cable 4B. The traveling gear 6 is connected via a hanger 7 (not shown in
Furthermore, at least one circulating haul cable 5 is provided, which serves as a traction cable in order to exert propulsion on the cableway vehicles 3 for moving the cableway vehicles 3. When seen transversely to direction of movement B, the haul cable 5 can run, for example, between the two support cables 4A, 4B. In the vertical direction, the haul cable 5 can run, for example, below the support cables 4A, 4B. The haul cable 5 is usually designed as an endless cable and is deflected within the terminals 2A, 2B in each case on one or more suitable deflection devices, e.g., sheave wheels 16. A drive device (not shown), for example an electric machine, is provided in at least one cableway station 2A, 2B in a known manner, which drive device serves to generate propulsion on the traction cable 5. The drive device can drive the sheave wheel 16, for example, and can be controlled by a suitable controller (not shown). The movement of the cableway vehicles 3 can thus be controlled via the controller. Of course, the representation in
Furthermore, at least one cable clamp 10 (only indicated in
Of course, this applies both to terminals in which the entry and exit areas are in different directions of travel FR1, FR2, and to mid-stations in which the entry and exit areas are in the same direction of travel FR1, FR2. In the exit area AB, the cableway vehicle 3 can again be accelerated to the speed of the traction cable 5, and the cable clamp 10 can be closed again in order to couple the cableway vehicle to the traction cable 5 and to restore force transmission. A suitable auxiliary drive is generally provided for driving the cableway vehicles 3 within the cableway station 2A, 2B. The auxiliary drive can have, for example, driven friction wheels 17 (not shown in
Within the cableway station 2A, 2B, the traveling gears 6 of the cableway vehicles 3 can be guided on suitable guide rails 19A, 19B, which connect the support cables 4A, 4B of a direction of travel FR1 to the support cables 4A, 4B of the respective other direction of travel FR2. The guide rails 19A, 19B thus form a track within the cableway station 2A, 2B and, so to speak, replace the support cables 2A, 2B within the cableway station 2A, 2B. The guide rails 19A, 19B preferably each have a guide portion with a cylindrical guide surface which substantially corresponds to the shape of the support cables 4A, 4B. Such guide rails 19A, 19B can also be provided in mid-stations in order to connect the support cables 4A, 4B of the same direction of travel FR1, FR2. As a result, shorter support cables 4A, 4B can be used. However, in principle, the support cables 4A, 4B could also run through a mid-station to the terminal. Of course, further devices (not shown) can also be provided in the tri-cable circular cableway, such as clamping devices for the support cables 4A, 4A and/or for the traction cable 5, safety devices, etc. Since the structure and the function of a tri-cable circular cableway are basically known, further details which are not relevant to the present disclosure are dispensed with at this point.
According to the present disclosure, a control 11 (schematically indicated in
The control guide device 12 is arranged relative to the actuating device 15 in the cableway station 2A such that the deflection force F is generated in a defined temporal relation to the actuation of the cable clamp 10. On the one hand, the temporal relation depends on whether pivoting takes place in the entry area EB or in the exit area Ab of the cableway station 2A. On the other hand, the temporal relation also depends on the structural design of the cableway, in particular on the direction of movement of the cableway vehicles 3 within the cableway station 2A in the state decoupled from the haul cable 5 and on the course of the haul cable 5.
In the example shown, the actuating device 15 of the first cableway stations 2A has a stationary first actuating guide rail 15A which is arranged in the entry area EB of the cableway station 2A and which extends over a defined length in the direction of movement B of the cableway vehicle 3. The first actuating guide rail 15A is configured to interact with the actuating lever 14 of the cable clamp 10 during movement of the cableway vehicle 3 in order to generate an actuating force by which the cable clamp 10 is opened. The control guide device 12 of the first cableway station 2A has a stationary first control guide rail 12A which is arranged in the entry area EB and which extends over a certain length in the direction of movement of the cableway vehicle 3. The first actuating guide rail 15A and the first control guide rail 12A are arranged relative to one another such that the deflection force F is generated while or after the cable clamp 10 is opened.
In the example shown, the actuating device 15 furthermore has a stationary second actuating guide rail 15B which is arranged in an exit area AB of the cableway station 2A and which extends over a defined length in the direction of movement B of the cableway vehicle 3. The second actuating guide rail 15B is again configured to interact with the actuating lever 14 of the cable clamp 10 during movement of the cableway vehicle 3 in order to generate an actuating force for opening the cable clamp 10. The control guide device 12 furthermore has a stationary second control guide rail 12B which is arranged in the exit area AB of the cableway station 2A and which extends over a defined length in the direction of movement of the cableway vehicle 3. The second actuating guide rail 15B and the second control guide rail 12B are arranged relative to one another such that the deflection force F is generated while or after the cable clamp 10 is opened.
The cable clamp 10 is thus initially opened by the first actuating guide rail 15A and held in an open position during entry into the cableway station 2A. In addition, the cable clamp 10 is pivoted due to the deflection force F acting on the control 11, so that the cable clamp 10 can be subsequently lifted from the haul cable 5 in a contactless manner. After that, the actuating lever 14 is released again at the end of the first actuating guide rail 15A, and the cable clamp 10 is closed due to the prestressing force of the prestressing device. The control 11 is similarly relieved at the end of the first control guide rail 12A, whereby the cable clamp 10 is pivoted back into the starting position.
When the cableway vehicle 3 is moved into the area of the second actuating guide rail 15B, the actuating lever 14 is actuated by the second actuating guide rail 15B in order to re-open the cable clamp 10. At the same time, due to the deflection force F exerted on the control 11 by the second control guide rail 12B, the cable clamp 10 is again pivoted by a deflection angle α so that the cable clamp 10 can be joined to the haul cable 5 in a contactless manner. After that, the actuating lever 14 is released again at the end of the first actuating guide rail 15A, and the cable clamp 10 is closed due to the prestressing force of the prestressing device, whereby the cableway vehicle 3 is again coupled to the haul cable 5. The control 11 is similarly relieved at the end of the first control guide rail 12B, whereby the cable clamp 10 is pivoted back into the starting position.
The cable clamp 10 is thus in the closed state between the end of the first actuating guide rail 15A and the beginning of the second actuating guide rail 15B, and the cableway vehicle 3 or the cable clamp 10 is also again in the neutral, non-deflected position. In principle, the first actuating guide rail 15A and the second actuating guide rail 15B could of course also be designed as a common rail, the course of which would be selected according to the desired opening and closing times of the cable clamp 10. The cable clamp 10 could therefore, in principle, also be held permanently in the open state between the entry area EB and the exit area AB. For energetic reasons, however, it is advantageous if the cable clamp 10 is closed in the meantime.
When the cableway vehicle 3 is moved into the area of the second actuating guide rail 15B, the actuating lever 14 is actuated by the second actuating guide rail 15B in order to re-open the cable clamp 10. Similarly, the first and the second control guide rail 12A, 12B could also be designed as a common rail, the course of which would be selected according to the desired deflection times of the cable clamp 10. The cable clamp 10 could thus, in principle, also be held permanently in the pivoted state between the entry area EB and the exit area AB. For energetic reasons, however, it is advantageous here as well if the control 11 is released again in the meantime.
For example, a direction of movement B of the cableway vehicle 3 and a course of the haul cable 5 can diverge in the vertical direction as from the first actuating guide rail 15A in the entry area EB of the cableway station 2A, in that the haul cable 5 runs downward relative to the direction of movement B, as shown in
“In a contactless manner” is to be understood here to mean that a fixed and a movable clamp jaw of the cable clamp 10 when joined to the haul cable 5 do not collide with the haul cable 5 up until the position in which the cable clamp 10 is closed, or do not collide with the haul cable 5 when the cable clamp 10 is lifted from the haul cable 5 after the cable clamp 10 has been opened, as will be explained in detail below. Depending on the design of the cable clamp 10, the deflection angle a can be, for example, at least 0.3°, at least 0.5°, or at least 0.8°.
The stationary actuating guide rails 15A, 15B can, for example, each be designed as mechanical positive guides, for example a so-called sliding block guide, which accommodates and guides the actuating lever 14. The course of the sliding block guide is defined such that an actuating force is exerted on the actuating lever 14, by which the movable clamp jaw 10B is opened against the prestressing force of the prestressing device (here of the helical springs S). The stationary actuating guide rails 15A, 15B can be fastened to a suitable structure within the cableway station 2A, 2B. The control guide rails 12A, 12B of the control guide device can be designed, for example, as a mechanical positive guide, in particular as a sliding block guide, analogously to the actuating guide rails 15A, 15B. The control guide rails 12A, 12B can again be fastened to a suitable stationary construction of the corresponding cableway station 2A, 2B, for example on a frame 20, as indicated in
In order to make pivoting as comfortable as possible for the passengers, it is advantageous if a guide track is provided on the stationary control guide device 12, in particular on the first and/or on the second control guide rail 12A, 12B, along which guide track the control 11 is guided in the direction of movement for generating the deflection force F, and that the guide track is designed to be curved. It is particularly advantageous if the guide track has a curve with a continuous curvature profile, preferably with a Gl continuity or a G2 continuity. As a result, acceleration jumps can be avoided, whereby pivoting is hardly noticeable to the passengers. The course of the curve is defined in the vertical direction such that a sufficiently large deflection angle a of the cable clamp 10 is achieved.
The cableway vehicle 3 also has a hanger 7 and a hanger support 8, wherein a lower portion 7A of the hanger 7 is connected to the transport body 9, and an upper portion 7B of the hanger 7 is connected to the hanger support 8. Preferably, the hanger 7 is pivotably fastened to the hanger support 8 relative to the hanger support 8 in order to allow a certain back and forth movement in the direction of movement B during travel. The hanger 7 may be pivotable relative to the hanger support 8, for example, about a second axis of rotation DA2 extending transversely to the direction of movement B.
To simplify the illustration,
The cable clamp 10 furthermore has at least one actuating lever 14 which can be actuated by the actuating device (not shown in
After the cable clamp 10 has been opened, the cableway vehicle 3 is decoupled from the haul cable 5 and the movement of the cableway vehicle 3 along the guide rails 19A, 19B can take place in a different direction of movement than the course of the haul cable 5, for example in a horizontal movement plane BE, as indicated in
A cable clamp center point P1 is provided on the cable clamp 10, through which cable clamp center point a longitudinal axis of the haul cable 5 runs when the cable clamp 10 is in a state coupled to haul cable 5. This state is present, for example, when the cableway vehicle 3 is in a position at the beginning of the entry region EB of the cableway station 2A, as indicated in
During the further movement of the cableway vehicle 3 in the direction of movement B, the cable clamp 10 is opened in that an actuating force is exerted on the actuating lever 14 of the cable clamp 10 by the first stationary actuating guide rail 15A. When the cable clamp 10 is opened, for example in position POS-B in
As described at the outset, this problem was previously solved in that the entire cableway vehicle 3 was displaced by a certain offset in the transverse direction Q after the cable clamp 10 was opened. The offset was selected such that the free end portion E1 of the fixed clamp jaw 10A was sufficiently far away from the haul cable 5 in the transverse direction Q, so that it was possible to lift the cable clamp 10 from the haul cable 5 in a substantially contactless manner in the entry area EB and to join it again to the haul cable 5 in a substantially contactless manner in the exit area. However, this led to noticeable impacts on the transport body 9, which are uncomfortable for the passengers.
In order to prevent this, the present disclosure provides for the cable clamp 10 to be pivoted about the first axis of rotation DA1, as has already been described in detail. In the example of a bi-cable circular cableway shown, the traveling gear 6 is hinged to the hanger support 8 with at least one joint G, wherein the joint G forms the first axis of rotation DA1. The control 11 is designed as a substantially rigid control 11, which is designed here as part of the hanger support 8. By pivoting the hanger support 8, the cable clamp 10 that is also arranged on the hanger support 8 is pivoted at the same time, as will be explained in more detail below. As a result of the depicted arrangement of the control 11, the control guide device 12 can advantageously be arranged in an upper region of the cableway station 2A which is not accessible for unauthorized persons. In principle, however, an arrangement of the control 11 at another suitable location of the cableway vehicle 3 would also be conceivable, for example on the hanger 7 or on the transport body 9.
As shown in
Furthermore, in the example shown, the control guide device 12 is designed such that the deflection force F acts on the control 11 from below, as indicated by the arrow in
The first axis of rotation DA1 formed by the joint G preferably runs parallel to the direction of movement B, so that the hanger support 8 is pivotable about the first axis of rotation DA1 relative to the traveling gear 6 by the deflection force F. In general, the control 11 preferably has a free control end at which a force application point P2 is provided, which is configured to interact with the stationary control guide device 12 of the cableway station 2A in order to generate the deflection force F. A rotatable roller 13 can be arranged at the free control end of the control 11, wherein the force application point P2 is at the rotatable roller 13. Of course, this applies independently of the design of the cableway, i.e., it also applies to monocable circular cableways or bi-cable circular cableways. In the depicted cableway vehicle 3 of the tri-cable circular cableway, the cable clamp 10 is preferably arranged below the at least one joint G, and the number of first cable rollers S1 is arranged between the control 11 and the at least one joint G when viewed in the transverse direction Q.
If the deflection force F acts on the force application point P2 of the control 11, here from below, a torque is generated depending on the lever arm distance L1, by which torque the hanger support 8 rotates about the first axis of rotation DA1 at deflection angle α. Depending on the structural design of the control guide device 12, the control 11 and thus the force application point P2 are displaced upwards in the vertical direction into the displaced force application point P2′ at a vertical distance Y. Due to the rotation about the first axis of rotation DA1, the lever arm distance L1 increases slightly relative to the lever arm distance L1′.
Due to the arrangement of the control 11 and cable clamp 10 on the hanger support 8, the cable clamp 10 and consequently the cable clamp center point Pl are also displaced in the horizontal direction into the displaced cable clamp center point P1′ by a horizontal distance X. Due to the rotation about the first axis of rotation DA1, the clamping distance L2 is reduced relative to the clamping distance L2′. The size of the deflection angle a and of the horizontal distance X depends substantially on the structural design of the cableway vehicle 3 and may vary. In a preferred embodiment, the lever arm distance L1 is for example 920 mm, and the clamping distance L2 is 720 mm. A vertical distance Y of, for example, 12.5 mm results in a deflection angle α=0.8° and a horizontal distance X=10 mm.
The state of the cable clamp 10 after deflection is shown in detail B of
In the above-mentioned geometric conditions, a distance X1 between the free end portion E1 of the fixed clamp jaw 10A of the cable clamp 10 and the haul cable 5 can thereby be achieved in the transverse direction Q, which distance is, for example, X1=3.5 mm. A distance X2 between the free end portion E2 of the movable clamp jaw 10B of the cable clamp 10 and the haul cable 5 in the transverse direction Q is, for example, X2=3 mm. As can be seen in detail B, the cable clamp 10 can thereby be lifted from the haul cable 5 in the vertical direction without the clamp jaws 10A, 10B touching the traction cable 5. It is generally advantageous if distance X1 and distance X2 are at least 1 mm, preferably at least 2 mm, particularly preferably at least 3 mm.
Even if the deflection according to the present disclosure of the cableway vehicle 3 in
The cableway vehicle 3 could then be moved into the exit area AB. In the exit area AB, the cable clamp 10 can initially be opened again (for example by corresponding arrangement and design of the second actuating guide rail 15B) and pivoted at deflection angle a (for example by a corresponding arrangement and design of the second control guide rail 12B). The open cable clamp 10 can then be joined to the haul cable 5 in a contactless manner, and the cable clamp 10 can be pivoted back again into the starting position and the cable clamp 10 can be closed (for example by a corresponding arrangement of the second control guide rail 12A relative to the second actuating guide rail 15B). The temporal relation can be defined by the relative arrangement so that the deflection of the cable clamp 10 takes place while or after opening the cable clamp 10.
Alternatively, however, the cableway vehicle 3 could also be moved from the entry area EB into the exit area AB in the deflected state of the cable clamp 10 and/or with an open cable clamp 10. In this case, a continuous control guide device 12 and actuating device 15 would be required between the entry area EB and the exit area AB.
A control 11 is again arranged on the cableway vehicle 3, and the first control guide rail 12A of the control guide device 12 is provided on a frame 20 within the cableway station 2A. As has already been described in detail, the control guide rail 12A and the control 11 interact in order to exert a deflection force F onto the cableway vehicle 3, by which the cable clamp 10 can be pivoted at a deflection angle α about the first axis of rotation DA1, here the contact K1, in order to release the cable clamp 10 from the haul cable 5 in a contactless manner in the entry area AB and to join it again to the haul cable 5 in a contactless manner in the exit area AB.
The control 11 is arranged here also on the hanger support 8, but could of course also be provided at a different suitable location. A rotatable roller 13, at which the second force application point P2 is, is again provided at the free end of the control 11. The roller 13 interacts with the control guide rail 12A in order to generate the deflection force F, wherein the deflection force F acts again from below onto the force application point P2. The actuating lever 14 of the cable clamp 10 is arranged here in the vertical direction above the control 11. The function is analogous to that already described with reference to
A traveling gear 6 is provided on the cableway vehicle 3, in particular on the hanger support 8, on which traveling gear a number of cable rollers S1 arranged one behind the other in the direction of movement are arranged. The cable rollers S1 are configured to roll on the support cable 4 during travel. A stationary guide rail 19 is provided in the cableway station 2A, along which guide rail the cableway vehicle 3 can be moved through the cableway station 2A by the cable rollers S1 in a state decoupled from the haul cable 5. Here, the first axis of rotation DA1, about which the cable clamp 10 is pivotable, can be formed, for example, by a contact K2 of the cable rollers S1 on the guide rail 19. The cable rollers S1 can have a concave traveling surface, and the guide rail 19 can have a correspondingly complementary convex contact surface which is based, for example, on the shape of the support cable. In this case, the first axis of rotation DA1 does not have to be formed by the contact K2, but can be designed, for example, by a center point M of a substantially cylindrical portion of the guide rail 19 which forms the contact surface.
A control 11 is again arranged on the cableway vehicle 3, and the first control guide rail 12A of the control guide device 12 is provided on a frame 20 within the cableway station 2A. As has already been described in detail, the control guide rail 12A and the control 11 interact in order to exert a deflection force F onto the cableway vehicle 3, by which the cable clamp 10 can be pivoted at a deflection angle α about the first axis of rotation DA1, here the contact K2, in order to release the cable clamp 10 from the haul cable 5 in a contactless manner in the entry area AB and to join it again to the haul cable 5 in a contactless manner in the exit area AB.
The control 11 is arranged here also on the hanger support 8, but could of course also be provided at a different suitable location. A rotatable roller 13, at which the second force application point P2 is, is again provided at the free end of the control 11. The roller 13 interacts with the control guide rail 12A in order to generate the deflection force F, wherein the deflection force F acts again from below onto the force application point P2. Similarly to
The preferred embodiments of the disclosure have been described above to explain the principles of the present disclosure and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to utilize the present disclosure. However, as various modifications could be made in the constructions and methods herein described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings, including all materials expressly incorporated by reference herein, shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by the above-described exemplary embodiment but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT50973/2022 | Dec 2022 | AT | national |
