Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02577501 2007-02-07
METHOD OF OPERATING A CABLEWAY SYSTEM,
AND CABLEWAY SYSTEM
Cross-Reference to Related Application:
This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. 119,
of Austrian application A 496/2006, filed March 23, 2006; the
prior application is herewith incorporated by reference in
its entirety.
Background of the Invention:
Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a method of operating a
cableway system with terminal stations (e.g., a valley
station and a mountain station), at least one supporting and
conveying cable, by way of which transport devices are moved
between the stations, and/or having at least one supporting
cable, on which transport devices are displaced between the
stations by way of at least one conveying cable.
The invention also relates to a cableway system which can be
operated using the method according to the invention.
For operating cableway systems, it is necessary to take
account of the prevailing wind conditions since, otherwise,
the operation may be disrupted and damage or accidents may
occur. If wind speeds in the region of the cableway system
exceed normal values, it is necessary to reduce the speed of
the conveying cable for the transport devices from, for
example, 6 m/sec to, for example, 1 m/sec. If, on the other
hand, very high wind speeds occur, the operation of the
cableway system has to be brought to a standstill.
The reason for these requirements is that, as wind speeds
increase, the transport devices are deflected from the
vertical position, as a result of which they may be slung,
en route, against supports and, in the regions of the
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stations, against structural parts of the system, so that
they may be damaged. As a result, furthermore, the transport
devices can get stuck on the supports, so that the clamping
grips are opened and the transport devices can drop downward.
As a result, furthermore, the supporting and conveying cable
may be disengaged from the supporting and guide rollers, so
that the cables may jump their tracks. As a result, in
addition, the passengers may be affected particularly
gravely. This all may further result in damage to the
transport devices, disruption to the operation of the
cableway system, and even injury to the passengers.
In the case of blondin systems or rope-suspended cablecars,
very pronounced deflections may result in the running-gear
mechanisms being derailed.
Up until now, cableway systems have been operated, in respect
of the wind conditions, such that the speed of the conveying
cable is reduced in dependence on the wind conditions
prevailing in the region of the relevant cableway system and,
in the case of very high wind speeds, the operation of the
cableway system is brought to a standstill. However, this
does not take account of the fact that it is possible for
particular wind conditions which likewise require the
conveying speed to be reduced, or the cableway system to be
shut down, to occur at individual locations of the cableway
system.
Summary of the Invent ion :
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a
cableway system and a method of operating the system which
overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-
known devices and methods of this general type and which
allow a cableway system to be operated such that disruption
to operation, damage to the cableway system and injury to the
passengers caused by unfavorable wind conditions are reliably
avoided.
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With the foregoing and other objects in view there is
provided, in accordance with the invention, a method of
operating a cableway system with terminal stations, a
supporting and conveying cable by way of which transport
devices are moved between the stations, and/or at least one
supporting cable, on which the transport devices are
displaced between the stations. The novel method comprises
the following steps:
sensing inclined positions of respective transport devices in
relation to a vertical operating position with respective
sensors carried on the transport devices;
if at least one first limit value for an inclined position of
one of the transport devices is exceeded, transmitting with a
transmitter carried on the one transport device a first
control signal to at least one receiver located in at least
one of the stations, the first control signal causing a speed
of the conveying cable to be reduced; and
if a predetermined second limit value for the inclined
position of one of the transport devices is exceeded,
transmitting with the transmitter a second control signal to
the receiver, the second control signal causing a drive for
the conveying cable to be switched off.
In other words, the objects of the invention are achieved in
that the inclined positions of transport devices in relation
to the vertical operating position are sensed by a respective
sensor located on the transport devices, and in that, when at
least one first limit valuefor the inclined position of one
of the transport devices is exceeded, a transmitter provided
on this transport devices transmits a first control signal to
at least one receiver located in the stations, the first
control signal reducing the speed of the conveying cable, and
in that, when a predetermined second limit value for the
inclined position of one of the transport devices is
exceeded, a second control signal is transmitted to the
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receiver, this second control signal switching off the drive
for the conveying cable.
The sensor located on the transport devices preferably senses
both the deflection of the transport devices in relation to
the vertical in the direction of travel and the deflection of
the transport devices in relation to the vertical
transversely to the direction of travel, and these measured
values are transmitted to the at least one receiver located
in the cableway system by means of the transmitter located on
the transport devices. All the measured values emitted by the
sensor are preferably transmitted to the at least one
receiver. As an alternative to this, it is only those
measured values emitted by the sensor which indicate
deflections of the transport devices beyond one of the
predetermined limit values which are transmitted to the at
least one receiver.
In an exemplary embodiment, in the case of one of the
transport devices being deflected through approximately 100
in relation to the vertical operating position, the speed of
the conveying cable is reduced to, for example, 1 m/sec and,
in the case of deflection through approximately 20 , the
operation of the cableway system is brought to a standstill.
With the above and other objects in view there is also
provided, in accordance with the invention, a cableway
system, comprising:
terminal stations including a valley station and a mountain
station, and a multiplicity of transport devices to be moved
between the stations;
at least one supporting and conveying cable for moving the
transport devices between the stations, and/or at least one
supporting cable on which the transport devices are displaced
between the stations by way of at least one conveying cable;
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at least one receiver mounted to at least one of the terminal
stations;
sensors mounted to at least some of the transport devices and
configured to sense an inclination of respective the
transport devices relative to a vertical operating position;
transmitters mounted to the at least some transport devices
and configured to receive from the sensors measured values
and to transmit.the measured values emitted by the sensor to
the at least one receiver, and causing an operation of the
cableway system to be controlled in dependence on the
measured values.
A cableway system for implementing this method has a valley
station and a mountain station and also has at least one
supporting and conveying cable, by way of which the transport
devices are moved between the stations, and/or it has at
least one supporting cable, on which the transport devices
are displaced between the stations, the invention providing
for at least some of the transport devices to be designed
with a respective sensor which can sense the inclined
positions of the relevant transport devices in relation to
the vertical operating position, and these transport devices
each being equipped with a transmitter by means of which the
measured values emitted by the sensor are transmitted to at
least one receiver located in the stations, as a result of
which the operation of the cableway system can be controlled
in dependence on these measured values.
The sensors located on transport devices can preferably sense
and indicate the deflections of the transport devices in
relation to the vertical both in the direction of travel and
transversely to the direction of travel. Furthermore, the
transport devices are preferably equipped with an electric
battery and/or with a photovoltaic element. In addition,
relay stations may be located on supports of the cableway
system, it being possible for these relay stations to be
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connected via signal lines to the at least one receiver
located in the cableway system. In addition, the relay
stations and the receivers may be connected to one another
via signal lines.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the
invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as
embodied in a method of operating a cableway system, and a
corresponding cableway system, 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 equivalents 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 the following
description of specific embodiments when read in connection
with the accompanying drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings:
Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of a cableway system
according to the invention with chairs that are coupled to a
supporting and conveying cable;
Fig. 1A is a schematic illustration of the mountain station
of the cableway system;
Fig. 2, is a front view of a chair of the cableway system;
Fig. 2A is a side view thereof;
Fig. 3 is a front view of a chair of the cableway system
that has been deflected to a very pronounced extent in
relation to the vertical operating position transversely to
the supporting and conveying cable;
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Fig. 3A is a side view of the chair that has been deflected
to a very pronounced extent in the longitudinal direction of
the supporting and conveying cable; and
Figs. 4 and 4A show the diagram for the operation of the
cableway system in_dependence on the deflections of the -chair
from the vertical operating position thereof.
Description of the Preferred Embodiments:
Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and
first, particularly, to Figs. 1 and 1A thereof, the cableway
system has terminal stations, namely, a valley station 1 and
a mountain station 2, between which runs a supporting and
conveying cable 3 that is guided over drive and deflecting
pulleys in the stations 1 and 2 and is guided over supports 4
en route between the stations. The supporting and conveying
cable 3 moves a multiplicity of transport devices or
transporting means, here chairs 5, between the stations 1 and
2. The chairs 5 are uncoupled from the supporting and
conveying cable 3 in the valley station 1 and they are guided
through the station 1 at a speed which is vastly reduced in
relation to that of the constantly circulating conveying
cable 3. The passengers embark on (i.e., they.seat
themselves) the chairs 5 at the reduced speed. The chairs 5
are then accelerated and coupled to the supporting and
conveying cable 3, as a result of which they are conveyed,
with the passengers, to the mountain station 2. The chairs 5
are uncoupled from the supporting and conveying cable 3 in
the mountain station 2, whereupon they are guided through the
mountain station 2 at a speed which is significantly reduced
in relation to the speed of the supporting and conveying
cable 3, the passengers disembarking from the chairs at this
point. The chairs 5 are then once more accelerated and
subsequently coupled to the supporting and conveying cable 3,
as a result of which they are moved back to the valley
station 1.
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Such a cableway system is known from the prior art.
A cableway system according to the invention is further
designed, in the valley station 1 and in the mountain station
2, with receivers 11 and 21 and, at least on some of the
supports 4, with relay stations 41. The receivers 11 and 21
are connected to one another and to the relay stations 41 via
signal lines and/or by radio.
As can be seen from Figs. 2A and 2B, the chairs 5 of the
cableway system are designed with a suspension-gear bar 51,
at the top end of which there are provided a running-gear
mechanism 52 and a coupling assembly 53. The coupling
assembly 53 can be used to couple the chairs 5 to the
supporting and conveying cable 3. Articulated to the
suspension-gear bar 51 is a load-bearing frame 54 which
carries seats 55 and a safety bar 56 that can be pivoted in
relation to the seats 55.
The design and configuration of the chairs 5 is likewise
known from the prior art.
To supplement the known prior art, a respective sensor 6 is
located on at least some of the chairs 5 of this cableway
system. The sensor is provided, in particular, on the
suspension-gear bar 51 and senses the deflections of the
relevant chair 5 in relation to the vertical position in the
longitudinal direction of the supporting and conveying cable
3 and transversely to the supporting and conveying cable 3.
The output signals of the sensor 6 are transmitted to a
transmitter 61 (which is likewise located on the chair 5, via
a line 60). For supplying power to the sensor 6 and the
transmitter 61, the chair 5 is further provided with a
photovoltaic element 62 and/or with a battery.
The transmitters 61 located on the chairs 5 are assigned, on
the one hand, the relay stations 41 located on supports 4 of
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the cableway system and, on the other hand, the receivers 11
and 21 located in the stations 1 and 2.
With reference to Figs. 3A and 3B, wind forces acting on the
chairs 5, or also other operational conditions, may cause the
chairs 5 to be deflected in relation to their vertical
operating position both transversely to the direction of the
supporting and conveying cable 3 and in,the direction of the
supporting and conveying cable 3. It is possible for these
deflections to be pronounced enough to result in the chairs 5
colliding with supports 4 or with other structural parts of
the cableway system and also to cause the supporting and
conveying cable 3 to become disengaged from the supporting
rollers as well as other types of disruption to operation.
In the case of suspension bar cableway systems or-to-and-fro
system cableways, very pronounced deflections of the
transport devices can derail the running-gear mechanisms from
the supporting cables.
As noted above, the object of the present invention is to
take measures which reliably avoid such situations. This is
ensured in that the sensors 6 measure the deflections of the
chairs 5 in the case of to-and-fro movements as a result of
wind forces acting on the chairs 5, or on account of other
operational conditions, and'these measured values are
transmitted to the respectively associated transmitter 61.
These measured values are transmitted to the receivers 11 and
21 located in the stations 1 and 2 by the transmitter 61
either directly or via the relay stations 41. In the stations
1 and 2, these measurement results are evaluated to the
effect that, as soon as a measured value received indicates
that one of the chairs 5 has been deflected to such an extent
that a first limit value has been exceeded, the speed of the
supporting and conveying cable 3 is reduced to a
significantly lower value. It is possible here to provide a
plurality of first limit values, the supporting and conveying
cable 3 being reduced to respectively different speeds when
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these limit values are exceeded. As soon as deflection takes
place to the extent where a second limit value is exceeded,
the operation of the cableway system is brought to a
standstill.
Reference is made, in this respect, to the diagrams of Figs.
4A and 4B, wherein these operating methods are illustrated
schematically:
As long as the deflections of the chairs 5 from the vertical
position transversely to the supporting and conveying cable 3
and in the longitudinal direction of the supporting and
conveying cable 3 are no more than, for example, 100, the
speed of the supporting and conveying cable 3 is not changed.
As soon as the deflections exceed the value of, for example,
10 , the speed of the supporting and conveying cable 3 is
reduced, for example, to 1 m/sec. Furthermore, as soon as the
deflections exceed the value of approximately 20 , the
operation of the cableway system is brought to a standstill.
If all the chairs 5 located on the cableway system are
equipped with a sensor 6, the deflections of all the chairs 5
are used for controlling the operation of the cableway
system. As an alternative to this, at least some of the
chairs 5 of the cableway system are equipped with a
respective sensor 6.
Such a set-up may be provided for any type of transport
devices, that is to say both for chairs and for cablecars.
The critical factor is that the speed of the conveying cable
of the cableway system is controlled in dependence on the
magnitudes of deflections of transport devices in relation to
the vertical operating position irrespective of where these
deflections occur on the cableway system.
Such a set-up may equally be provided for suspension type
cableways systems wherein the transport devices are displaced
(e.g., on rollers) along at least one supporting cable by way
of conveying cables.
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