Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Elevator station for an urban cable car
Background of the invention
The invention relates to an overhead collective people mover installation
having vehicles running on carrier cables and stations for the people to
embark and disembark, at least one of the stations, situated in an urban
environment, presenting a location for stopping of the vehicle located in
elevated manner above the street, said stopping location being transversely
offset with respect to an access location for the people situated at ground
level.
State of the art
In urban cable car installations, the tracks on which the vehicles run are
generally installed at a height, above the level of the urban traffic, in the
middle of the street, and the vehicles stop in front of platforms themselves
located at a height along the edge of the track. Access to these platforms
requires stairways, lifts, escalator and walkways thereby requiring a
considerable infrastructure.
Object of the invention
In urban transport, each terminal is confronted with an issue involving a
twofold optimization - on the one hand the volume and transparency for
enhanced insertion in the urban fabric and on the other hand the ground
occupation so as to encroach as little as possible on the road system, in
particular on the sidewalks.
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The urban cable car tracks are thus located above and in the middle of the
roadway, laterally at a distance from the sidewalks where the users of the
overhead installation normally walk.
The object of the present invention is to provide a simplified station devoid
of
loading and unloading platforms at the level and at the edge of the stopping
location of the vehicle.
The installation according to the invention is characterized in that an
automatic mechanism transfers the people from the access location at
ground level to the elevated stopping location of the vehicle and that the
automatic mechanism is installed in an access area for the people on the
sidewalk and comprises elevator means in conjunction with means for
performing transverse movement.
The people who want to embark step into a car of elevator type, that is at a
standstill at the access location, advantageously at the edge of the roadway
on the sidewalk. In synchronism with arrival and stopping of the vehicle in
the
station, the elevator means, for example formed by a jack, lift the car up to
the level of the vehicle, and the translation means, for example in the form
of
a telescopic support platform, move the car to a position where the latter is
in
abutment against the vehicle. The car, in usual manner, has a door opening
at the same time as the door of the vehicle so as to enable the people to step
out from the car into the vehicle. In inverse manner, the people can
disembark from the vehicle and step into the car, and after the doors have
been closed, can be taken to ground level by means of a reverse operation.
The assembly is fully automated and the car can also constitute a chamber
for controlling the load of the vehicle, performing control of entry into the
car
according to the number of persons already present in the vehicle and those
disembarking from the vehicle. It is easy to see that the ground occupation of
the station is limited to the size of the car and that any passenger safety or
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guiding barrier is quite unnecessary. The components of the automatic
transfer device are well known as such, for example a mechanism with a
hydraulic lifting jack and a telescopic support platform control jack. In the
lowered position of the car on the sidewalk, the mechanism is
advantageously retracted in a pit arranged in the sidewalk.
When the car is located at the edge of the sidewalk, it compulsorily
comprises two doors, one on the side which is to abut with the vehicle and
the other on one of the sides facing the sidewalk, according to the access
conditions.
According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the car of elevator
type is supported by the end of a horizontal arm fixed via its other end to
the
axis of the lifting jack. This telescopic axis is arranged in such a way that
the
extension and therefore elevational movement is accompanied by a
swivelling movement of the arm and therefore by a transverse movement
bringing the car up against the stopped vehicle. A single door of the car can
in this case provide access to the ground and passage to the vehicle.
According to another alternative embodiment, the automatic transfer
mechanism takes up the vehicle, which has previously been disconnected
from the cables, and moves the latter transversely and then vertically down
to ground level on the sidewalk. A telescopic platform is slid under the
vehicle to extract it from the track and to move it into line with the
sidewalk.
The lifting jack then moves the vehicle down onto the sidewalk. Removal of
the vehicle from the track clears the latter totally for the passage of
express
vehicles not stopping in this station. The passengers disembark at ground
level in perfect safety on the sidewalk and others embark directly in the
vehicle which, by means of a reverse movement, is lifted up to the level of
the track and then moved transversely so that it is in line with the track, to
which it is reconnected. This embodiment requires a real transfer machine, in
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the case of a heavy vehicle, but the sidewalk is completely cleared in the
absence of loading and unloading operations.
According to another alternative embodiment, the automatic transfer
mechanism is broken down into two. One, as in the previous embodiment,
takes up the vehicle, previously detached from the cables, and moves it
transversely, and the other, in synchronized manner, lifts a car of elevator
type vertically to the level of the vehicle. Said car has a door opening at
the
same time as the door of the vehicle to enable people to transfer from the car
to the vehicle and vice-versa. After closing of the doors, the car is moved to
ground level to unload the passengers at the same time as the vehicle is
moved transversely to come in line with the track, to which it is reconnected.
This alternative embodiment essentially has the advantage in its operation of
transfer time saving, and in its design of handling the vehicle in minimal
manner over a short distance to move it transversely away from the main
track and to use a standard elevator car for vertical movement of the
passengers over a relatively large difference of level, concluding in an
equivalent transfer time of the two movements. Finally this alternative
embodiment, like the previous embodiment, releases the main track of the
installation enabling express vehicles not stopping at said station to pass.
Brief description of the drawings
Other advantages and features will become more clearly apparent from the
following description of particular embodiments of the invention represented
for example purposes only in the appended drawings in which:
- figure 1 is a schematic elevational view of a station according to the
invention,
- figures 2 and 3 are respectively side and plane views of the station
according to figure 1,
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,
- figures 4 and 5 are similar views to figures 2 and 3 showing the car in the
raised intermediate position,
- figures 6 and 7, similar to figures 4 and 5, show the car in abutment
against
the vehicle,
5 - figures 8 to 13 are similar views respectively of figures 2 to 7,
illustrating an
alternative embodiment of the invention,
- figures 14 to 19 are similar views respectively of figures 2 to 7,
illustrating
another alternative embodiment,
- figures 20 to 25 are similar views respectively of figures 2 to 7,
illustrating
another alternative embodiment.
In figure 1, vehicles 1 for transporting passengers 2 run on carrier cables 3
supported at a height by towers 4. The track on which vehicles 1 run extends
above a roadway 5 at a sufficient height so as not to encroach on roadway 6,
represented by a broken line in figure 2. Vehicles 1 stop in an intermediate
station 7 for loading and/or unloading of passengers 2. Referring more
particularly to figures 2 to 7, it can be seen that station 7 is equipped with
a
car 8 for transfer of passengers 2 waiting at an access location 9 at ground
level, i.e. on a sidewalk, to a vehicle 1 at an elevated stopping location 11.
Car 8, of elevator type, is supported by a hydraulic jack 12, housed in a pit
10
of the sidewalk, which raises car 8 to the level of vehicle 1 at a standstill
in
station 7 (figure 4). A telescopic platform 13 supporting car 8 is fixed on
jack
12 to move the car laterally into abutment with vehicle 1 (figure 6). In the
abutting position, a door (not represented) of vehicle 1 is facing a door (not
represented) of car 8, and opening of these doors enables loading and/or
unloading to take place in perfect safety. Car 8 is brought back to ground
level by reverse retraction movements of telescopic support platform 13 and
of lifting jack 12.
The device according to the invention is completely automated and operates
in the following manner: car 8 is normally at ground level and the entrance
door (not represented) is open. A number of people 2 allowed to enter is
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controlled by a load control device according to the number of passengers
present in vehicle 1 and to the number of passengers stopping in this station.
Vehicle 1 approaching station 7 triggers the transfer operation by closing of
the door of car 8, raising of the car by jack 12, abutment of car 8 with
vehicle
1, by extension of telescopic support platform 13 and opening of the doors
for passage from car 8 to the stopped vehicle 1. Transfer takes place in
perfect safety and car 8 can be completely closed. Car 8 is taken down to
ground level by a reverse operation. The mechanism for performing
movement of car 8 is installed on the sidewalk at the edge of roadway 5.
The infrastructure of station 7 is simplified and does not comprise any fixed
part at the level of the overhead track. The ground occupation is limited to
the size of car 8.
In the following figures the same reference numerals designate similar or
identical parts to those of the previous figures.
Figures 8 to 13 illustrate an embodiment in which car 8 is moved by a
mechanism formed by a single jack 14, which supports a horizontal arm 15 at
its end. Car 8 is located at the free end of arm 15. In the lowered position
of
jack 14, represented in figures 8 and 9, arm 15 extends at ground level in
parallel manner to the track formed by carrier cables 3, and the passengers
can enter car 8 in the manner described in the foregoing. Jack 14 is of
vertical extension type, accompanied by a rotation making arm 15 swivel.
The vertical elevation movement of car 8 is thus accompanied by a
transverse movement moving car 8 towards vehicle 1. The different phases
of these movements are represented in figures 10 to 13 and it is not
necessary to describe operation of the station which is identical to that
described in the foregoing. The assembly is arranged in such a way as to
prevent arm 15 and car 8 from encroaching on the ground occupation 6 of
the roadway. The two elevation and rotation movements are not necessarily
concomitant and rotation can take place after elevation.
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Figures 19 to 14 are similar views to figures 2 to 7, of another alternative
embodiment. In this alternative embodiment, jack 12, similar to the jack of
figures 2 to 7, comprises a telescopic support platform 16 that is
sufficiently
long to slide underneath vehicle 1 in the extended position. Jack 12 no longer
supports a car, but directly takes up vehicle 1 to transfer the latter from
the
elevated stopping location (figures 14,15) to the access location at ground
level (figures 18,19) and vice-versa. In its stopped position (figures 14,15)
vehicle 1 is disconnected from cables 3, and platform 16, which has slid
underneath vehicle 1, supports the latter. In the previously described
manner, retraction of support platform 16 moves vehicle 1 transversely and
retraction of jack 12 lowers vehicle 1 to ground level. After the passengers
have embarked, vehicle 1 is transferred from ground level, by a reverse
operation, to the elevated position underneath cables 3 to which it is
reconnected. For this purpose, vehicle 1 comprises detachable grips (not
represented) or a device for performing detachment of the compartment, well
known to persons specialized in trade. Likewise fixing of vehicle 1 onto
support platform 16 is achieved by any well-known suitable means. The
device is fully automated and it is not necessary to describe operation
thereof
which is identical to that of the previous devices. The vehicle is heavier
than
an elevator car and the size of the transfer machinery is adjusted to take
account of the corresponding weight increase. Loading and unloading take
place at ground level in perfect safety. When the installation is shut down,
the
sidewalk is completely cleared.
Figures 20 to 25 are similar views to figures 2 to 7 of another alternative
embodiment. In this alternative embodiment, car 8, of elevator type, is
supported by a hydraulic jack 20 housed in a column 17 located on the
sidewalk, which lifts car 8 to the level of vehicle 1 stopped in station 7
which
is disconnected from cables 3, taken up by support platform 18, and moved
transversely to plafform 19, fixed to column 17, at the level of car 8 which
arrives at the same moment (figures 24, 25). After unloading and/or loading
of the passengers of vehicle 1 in car 8, by a reverse operation vehicle 1 is
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moved transversely underneath cables 3 to which it is reconnected at the
same time as car 8 is taken down to ground level for unloading and/or
loading of the passengers. The device is fully automated and it is not
necessary to describe the operation which is similar to that of the previous
devices.
The line is in general a two-track line and the station is then equipped with
a
second mechanism on the opposite sidewalk.
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