APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING PERSONS

APPAREIL DE TRANSPORT DE PERSONNES

English Abstract

Persons and goods can be transported in vehicles that are moved along rails. The installation has two tracks arranged on supports, a traction cable to which the vehicles can be coupled with a clamping configurations, and braking wheels, transporting wheels and accelerating wheels which are arranged in the stations and interact with the vehicles. The tracks are arranged at the top ends of cross-sectionally trough-like load-bearing structures. The two legs of the trough-like load-bearing structures are connected to one another, in the regions of the line, by three-dimensionally intersecting struts and, in the stations, by depression-like partition plates, within which the drive rollers for the vehicles and guide rollers for the traction cable are arranged.

French Abstract

Des personnes et des biens peuvent être transportés dans des véhicules qui se déplacent le long de rails. L'installation possède deux voies disposées sur des supports, un câble de traction auquel les véhicules peuvent être couplés avec une configuration de pince, et des roues à frein et des roues d'accélération qui sont disposées dans les stations et interagissent avec les véhicules. Les voies sont disposées sur les extrémités supérieures de structures de section en coupe semblables à des goulottes et porteuses de charge. Les deux jambes des structures semblables à des goulottes porteuses de charges sont connectées l'une à l'autre, dans les régions de la ligne, par des étrésillons d'intersection et, dans les stations, par des cloisons en dépression de séparation, dans lesquelles les galets d'entraînement pour les véhicules et les galets de guide pour les câbles de traction sont disposés.

Claims

CLAIMS:
1. An installation for transporting persons, comprising:
a rail system having two tracks arranged on supports and
extending in stations and in line segments between said
stations;
at least one vehicle to be moved along said rail system;
a traction cable to which the vehicles can be coupled by means
of clamping configurations;
a plurality of drive rollers disposed in the stations for
interacting with said vehicle, said drive rollers include
decelerating wheels, transporting wheels, and accelerating
wheels;
a trough-shaped load-bearing structure having two legs and top
ends carrying said tracks, wherein, in said line segments of
the rail system, said load-bearing structure comprise three-
dimensionally intersecting struts connecting said two legs to
one another; and wherein, in said stations of the rail system,
in the line segment of said rail system said load-bearing
structure comprises depression-recessed partition plates
connecting said two legs to one another, said depression-
recessed partition plates defining a space for accommodating
said drive rollers for said vehicle and guide rollers for said
traction cable.
2. The installation according to claim 1, wherein said tracks
are I-profiled rails arranged at the top ends of said legs.
3. The installation according to claim 1, wherein said load-
bearing structure is formed by framework structures comprising
cylindrical sections of pipe.
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Description

CA 02310695 2006-03-02
APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING PERSONS
Background of the Invention:
Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates, to an installation for
transporting persons by means of vehicles which can be moved
along rails. The system has two tracks arranged on supports,
a traction cable to which the vehicles can be coupled, and
braking wheels, transporting and accelerating wheels which
are arranged in the stations and interact with the vehicles.
Such an installation, which is known, for example, from
European published patent disclosure 461 098 A1, comprises
two tracks along which the vehicles can be moved. For
movement of the vehicles, use is made of a traction cable
which is guided over a drive pulley and to which the
vehicles can be coupled. During the main travel, the
vehicles are coupled by means of clamping configurations to
the traction cable, by way of which the vehicles are moved
along the tracks at a speed of, for example, 8 m/sec. As
they enter the stations, the vehicles are uncoupled from
the traction cable, whereupon their speed is decelerated
to, for example, 0.5 m/sec by means of decelerating
wheels. Then the vehicles are moved through the

CA 02310695 2000-08-21
etatio~s, by means of transporting wheels, at a '~cw enough
speed to allow passengers embark and disembark. After having
traversed the station, the vehicles accelerated, by means of
accelerating wheels, to the speed of tr.e traction cable,
whereupon they are coupled to the cable.
Since such installation6 for transporting persons are usually
erected in densely populated areas, it ie necessary for the
tracks to be arranged by means of bridge structures above
houses, traffic routes, gardens and parks, and the like. On
the one hand, such bridge structures have to have the
necessary load-bearing capacity. On the other hand, however,
it is also necessary to ensure a cosh-saving construction. In
addition, they have to fulfill tr.e aesthetic reauiremente.
Finally, account has to be taken of the fact that, for the
operaticn of the installation, along the line, it is necessary
to provide the space necessary for the clamping ~.eans and the
traction cable and, in the stations, it is also necessary to
-- provide the space necessa=y for the decelerating, transporting
and accelerating wheels.
Summary of th- nv,~nticn:
It is accordingly an object of the invention to b=ovide an
istallatio.~. for transpo=ring persons, which overcomes the
above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices
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CA 02310695 2000-08-21
and methods of this ge~e~al type and which satisfies the
afore-mentioned require~:er.te ,
With the foregoing and o~her objects in view there is
provided, in accordance with the invention, an i.netallation
for transporting persons, comprising:
a rail system extending in a line segment and in a station,
the rail system having two tracks arranged on supports;
at least one vehicle to be moved along the rail system;
a traction cable to whic'.~. the vehicles can be coupled by means
of clamping configuraticns, and
a plurality of drive ropers, such as decelerating wheels,
transporting wheels, and accelerating 4;heels, disposed in the
stations for interacting with the vehicle;
a trough-shaped load-bearing structure having two legs and top
ends carrying the tracks, the load-bearing structure having
three-dimensionally intersecting struts connectir_g the two
legs to one another in t::e line segment of the rail system and
depression-recessed partitio:~ plates connecting the two legs
to one another in the e~a;.ion, the depression-recessed
partition plates definirc a space for accommodating the drive
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CA 02310695 2000-08-21
rollers for the vehic'~.e and gaide rollers for the traction.
cable.
In other wo:ds, the abcve objects of the inventio:, are
fulfilled in that the tracks are arranged at the top ends of
cross-sectionally trough-like load-bearing structures, the two
legs of the trough-like load-bearing structures being
connected to one another, in t:~.e regions of the line, by
three-dimensionally intersecting struts and, in the regions of
the stations, by depression-like partition plates, within
which the drive rollers for the vehicles and guide rollers for
the traction cable are arranged.
F:p
Th2 tracks are preferably formed, in a conventional manner, by
I-profiled rails arranged at the top ends of the legs.
Furthermore, the load-bearing structures are preferably formed
by framework structures co~:prising cylindrical lengths of
pipe. In this case, the sections of the load-bearing
structures, on the one hand, for the line and, on the other
hand, for the stations may be prefabricated as r;,odules and
then joined together to give the load-bearing structures.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the
load-bearing structures are formed by framework structures
comprising cylindrical sections of pipe.
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CA 02310695 2000-08-21
Other features whicr. are considered as characteristic for the
invention are set forth _r. the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as
embodied in an installation for transporting persons, it is
nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown,
since various modifications and structural changes may be made
therein. without departing from the spirit of the invention and
within the scope and range of eauivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention,
however, together with additional objects and advantages
thereof will be best understood from:Fthe following description
of specific embodiments when read in connect=on with the
accom,panyi ng dr awir.gs .
Brie' Dgscrit~tion~e Drawina~:
Fig. 1 is a:~ end view, par tl y in section, of an i.~.stallation
_ according to the invention for transporting persons;
Fig. 2 is a similar view of the installation in an
illustration which is simplified in relation to Fig. 1; and
Fig. 3 is a side view of the installation accord_r.g to Fig. 2.
z~
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CA 02310695 2000-08-21
c P ". a f "' L 'T' ,. S
Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and
first, particularly, to Fig. 1 thereof, there 's seen an
installation according to the invention with two load-bearing
structures 1 and 2 for two tracks. The load-bearing structures
1 and 2 are fastened on transverse load-bearing members 31
that are borne by uprights 3. Vehicles 10 can be moved along
the tracks. The load-bearing structure 1, which is illustrated
on the left, is the one which is arranged along the entire
lins, whereas the load-bearing structure 2, which is
illustrated on the right, is the one which is located in
stations.
F F:
Along the lire, the vehic=es 10 are coupled by means of
clamping configuraticns ~= to a traction cable 4, also
referred to as a haulage cable, which ie moved, '_'or example,
at a speed of 8 m/sec. wheels 16 of the vehicles 10 roll on
rails (14, 14a; 24, 24a) which are located on the top aide of
._ the load-bearing structure 1. In contrast, in the stations, in
which the vehicles 10 are uncoupled from the traction cable 4,
the vehicles l0 are moved through the stations one after the
other by means of decelerating wheels 51, transporting wheels
52 and accelerating wheels 53. Load-bearing wheels 42 for the
traction cable 4 are also provided in the statio:~s.
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CA 02310695 2000-08-21
Along the line, the load-bearing structure 1 fo~ the tracks is
formed by a trough-like framework structure which comprises
pipes. The vehicle-supporting rails are mounted o:, two top
flange lines of the pipes on which the rails for the vehicles
to are located, and whicr are connected by three-dimensionally
intersecting struts. However, this design of the load-bearing
structure may only be provided in the lines, located between
the stations and along which it is only necessary to have a
space for the clamping configurations 42 and the traction
l0 cable 4. In contrast, a different structure has to be provided
in the stations in order for it to be possible to accommodate
the decelerating, transporting and accelerating wheels, which
are necessary for the operation of this installation, as well
as the load-bearing means and drives thereof, and also the
load-bearing rollers for the traction cable.
with reference to Figs. 2 and 3, the load-bearing structure 1,
w~.ich is provided along the line, comprises a trough-like
- framework structure which is made of pipes and has two bottom
flanges which are formed by pipes 11, 11a and are connected to
one another by trar~sverseiy running struts 12. Struts 13, 13a
extend obliauely upward from the pipes 11, lla and have
flanges formed by I-profiled rails 14, 14a provided at their
top ends. The rails 14, 14a and the pipes 11, Ila are
connected to one another by three-dimensionally intersecting,
tubular struts 15, 15a. Requirements for a high load-bearing

_. CA 02310695 2000-08-21
capacity along with l ow r;eigr.t and aesthetic desig:~ are
fulfilled in optimum fashion. by t!:is load-bearing structure.
However, this structure does not fulfill the design
requirements to be met in the stations since, on account of
the three-dimensionally intersecting struts, the space
necessary for arranging tre decelerating, transporting and
accelerating wheels would not be available. As can also be
seen from Fig. 2, the load-bearing structure in the regions 2
of the stations likewise comprises bottom flanges 21, 21a,
connecting struts 22, lateral struts 23, 23a and top flanges
formed by I-shaped rails 24, 24a. However, rather than be
connected to one another by three-di~nsionally intersecting
struts, the two top (lances 24, 24a are connected to one
another by a depression-recessed partition plate 25. This
partition plate 25, on t:~e one hand, ensures the necessary
static strength of the load-bearing structure and, on the
other hand, provides the space necessary for the additional
._ components provided in the stations.
The load-bearing structures, which comprise pipes connected to
one another by welding, are produced as modules and connected
to one another on site for t:~e purpose of erecting
installations. Such a fra-.~ework structure is dietirguished by
a very high bending stre_ncth, good vibration behavior and low
sound conductivity.
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Representative Drawing