Technological field

The invention relates to a trunk ropeway applied in passengers transportation.

Previous technological state

A passenger double-rope cabin roundabout line is presently known, consisting αf starting and terminal stations and a route of anchor towers in between, roller stocks being fastened to their upper ends loosely holding a track and traction endless cables, wheel carriers with cabins fastened and held by grippers to the traction cable fixed at a distance from one another on the track cable. At one of the stations the traction cable embraces a drive washer connected to an electric motor and a reverse washer at the other station IV.

Some disadvantages of this type of construction are listed below:

• the passenger cabins are hung up on the traction cable at a distance and are of limited seating capacity, resulting in an overall transportation capacity insufficiency;

• the cabins will be temporarily uncoupled from the traction cable at the starting and terminal stations, only where the passengers can get on and off, and not at other points of the route.

A horizontally closed transporter is known consisting of a chain and motion rollers placed on horizontal plane, with trucks or pathways on the rollers 111.

An escalator designed to carry passengers from one level to another consisting of moving pathways - steps connected by a traction chain /3/.

A spiral bearing is known consisting of a spiral holding track cross-rollers, the spiral itself put on longitudinal rollers /4/.

Engineering characteristics

The trunk ropeway is horizontally closed and consists of a left row of piers with spiral bearings fastened and a right row of piers with grippers fastened to hold the track cable; endless hanging speed pathways not less than one in number cling to both rows of piers, consisting of sections joined to traction cables parallel to the track one. The hanging pathways are joined to one another and to the piers, the spiral bearings fixed to the left row of piers and to the right side of each hanging pathway section embracing the track cable joined to the right neighbouring pathway by means of traction grippers fastened to the sections left side. The spiral bearing of the end right pathway embraces the track cable fastened to the right row of piers. To the left of each section shafts with direction rollers are fixed touching to the lower surface of the left neighbouring section or to a pavement stone. Seats are fastened to the hanging pathways sections and a safety railing is fixed to the sections of the end right pathway, joined to the railings of the neighbouring sections of the same pathway by means of connecting ropes with a safety curtain in front. Each hanging pathway section has beveled right ends overlapped by the protruding ends of the neighbouring sections of the right pathway and beveled back ends overlapped by the protruding front ends of the neighbouring front sections of the same pathway. Between the left and right piers driving gears are fixed consisting of a frame and two double chain-wheels with parallel axes, one of them connected through a reduction gear to an electrical motor, are fixed by bearings to the frame; the chain-wheels are embraced by a drive bush-roller chain parallel to the hanging pathways plane and geared to teeth shaped on the traction grippers' bodies, another chain fastened under the end right hanging pathway and geared to sliding teeth pressed by springs and placed in frames fixed to the hanging pathway sections.

The advantages of such a trunk ropeway are listed below:

-the hanging pathways represent unbroken belts of joined sections ensuring transportation of a great number of passengers in a short time;

-the hanging pathways are fastened to one another and are driven at increasing speed from left to right thus making it possible for the passengers to get on and off at each point and moment of the route.

Description of the figures thereof

Fιg.1 represents a cross section of a three-speed trunk ropeway at the spot where one of the driving gears is mounted;

Rg.2 represents a section of a trunk ropeway seen from above, with the hanging pathways sections partially cut to display one of the driving gears;

Fig.3 represents a fair exhibition equiped with a trunk ropeway seen from a bird's eye view;

Fig.4 represents an axonometric view to the starting and terminal stations of a trunk ropeway connecting a settlement to a winter sports site in a mountain area.

A model design

The trunk ropeway shown on fig. 1 and 2 consists of left piers 1 with spiral bearings 2 fastened and right piers 3 with grippers 4 fastened to hold fixedly an endless track cable 5. Three parallel, endless and horizontally closed hanging pathways are fastened to piers 1 and 3: the slow-speed one 6, the intermediate one 7 and the high-speed one 8, an endless traction cable 9 parallel to the track one 5 fastened to each pathway by means of grippers 10. Hanging pathways 6, 7 and 8 consist of sections 34, 35 and 36 joined both to one another and to piers 1 and 3, grippers 10 being fastened to the left of each of sections 34, 35 and 36 and spiral bearings 2 to the right, whereby gripper 10 of section 34 of slow-speed pathway 6 is holding traction cable 9 caught by spiral bearing 2 fixed to piers 1 , gripper 10 of section 35 of the intermediate pathway 7 is holding traction cable 9 embraced by spiral bearing 2 fastened to section 34, gripper 10 of section 36 of the high-speed pathway 8 is holding traction cable 9 caught by spiral bearing 2 fastened to section 35 and gripper 4, fastened to the right piers 3 is holding track

cable 5, caught by spiral bearing 2 of section 36. The back and right ends of section 34, 35 and 36 are beveled and overlapped by the protruding front ends 50 and left ends 51 of the neighbouring sections, shafts 12 with direction rollers 13 touching to the lower surface 14 of the left neighbouring sections or to the lower surface 15 of the pavement stone 16 fixed to the left of slow-speed pathway 6, being fastened to the left side of each of sections 34, 35 and 36. Seats 17 are fixed on the sections of high-speed pathway 8 and a safety railing 18 joined to covered on the left by a safety curtain 21. Between piers 1 and 2 driving gears are fixed at places consisting of a frame 22 and two double chain-wheels 23 with parallel axes 24, one axis 24 connected through a reduction gear 25 to an electrical motor 26 and fixed by bearings to the frame. The double chain-wheels 23 are embraced by an endless bush-roller chain 27 fastened under traction grippers 10 parallel to the plane of hanging pathways 6, 7 and 8 whereby the teeth 11 shaped on the bodies of grippers 10 are geared to chain 27 and the reduction gear 25 under the high-speed pathway 8 is connected to a second bush-roller chain 27 geared to sliding teeth 19 pressed by springs 29 in frames 28 fixed to sections 36. A hanging shed 30 is fastened to the right row of piers, held by track cables 32 caught at beams' 31 two ends fixed to piers 3 by means of rope link 33.

The fair exhibition shown on fig.3 is supplied with a trunk ropeway consisting of two horizontally closed pathways: slow-speed one 6 and high-speed one 8 fixed at a certain hight above ground. The slow-speed pathway 6 is wide and with seats 17, pavement stone 16 with steps 37 placed beside it. The high-speed hanging pathway 8 is narrower and supplied with safety railing 18 on the opposite side of slow-speed pathway 6. The trunk is placed among open exhibition sites 38 and semi-covered exhibition sites 39, with exhibition halls 40 behind. Parking lots 41 are located at the trunk's back turn spots, entrance to the fair exhibition provided through three gates 42.

The trunk ropeway shown on fig. 4 is designed to connect a settlement to a winter sports mountain site at a certain distance from the settlement. It consists of a single speed hanging pathway 8 fixed between piers 1 and 3, the ascending

part 44 of pathway 8 being fastened above the descending part 45 between the same piers 1 and 3. Both parts 44 and 45 are fastened at the same horizontal level at the starting and terminal stations and are joined to form a ring sector 46. Three rope pathways are placed around the ring sectors 46: inmost one 43, middle one 7 and outside one 6, with pavement stone 16 placed around the outside rope pathway 6. Where the ascending and descending parts 44 and 45 are connected with ring sectors 46, pathways 6, 7 and 43 are placed under pathway 8; above them and sideways to parts 44 and 45 of pathway 8 the safety baffler 47 is fixed at an angle, its front end representing a soft pillow 48. The safety baffler 47 is joined to safety railing 49 fastened between piers 1 or 3 on one side of pathway 8, railings 18 fastened on its other side; seats 17 are fastened on pathway 18.

Application of the invention

Upon simultaneous starting of all electrical motors 26 of the driving gears the endless bush-roller chains are set to motion by means of reducing gears 25 and chain-wheels 23, to move in one direction traction cables 9 and the attached hanging pathways 6, 7 and 8 by means of geared teeth 11 of traction grippers 10. To enhance operation of the most loaded high-speed pathway 8, a second bush- roller chain 27 is connected to its drive gear engaged with teeth 19 which move pathway's 8 right end parallel to the left one. Traction grippers 10 with teeth geared at this moment move the entire trunk simultaneously since they move ropes 9 transmitting the drive to the rest of non-geared grippers 10 which drive sections 34, 35 and 35. The right end of sections 36 of pathway 8 with spiral bearing 2 attached slips along track cable 5. A difference in the speed of the left and right ends of sections 34, 35 and 36 is observed at trunk's turns, the difference in sections 34 and 35 compensated by the slipping of bearings 2. The high-speed pathway 8 is subject to double drive by two chains 27. The speed difference compensation of the two ends of sections 36 of pathway 8 is on account of the springs 29 contraction, the slip of teeth 19 within frames 28 and the deflection of connecting ropes 20 which along with safety curtain 21 prevent the passengers from falling out. Because of the different transmission ratios of

reducing gears 25 the hanging pathways 6.7 and 8 are moved at different speed, acceptable for the passengers to pass on from one pathway to another, for example pathway 6 moving at a speed of 8km/h, pathway 7 - at a speed of 16km/h and high-speed pathway 8 - at a speed of 24km/h. Given this speed difference, the passengers can easily get on pathway 6 from the pavement, then on pathway 7 and pathway 8 and in the reverse order when getting off. Mo synchronization of pathways' s 6, 7 and 8 movements is necessary since each pathway performs a circular movement on its own and the speed of each of pathways 6, 7 and 8 can be independently altered by means of its reducing gear 25 or electrical motor 26, and it is of no importance for the rest of pathways if the middle pathway, let's say, is moving at a speed of 16km/h, 15.5km/h or 16.5km h; what is important is the possibility for the passengers to easily pass on from one pathway to another. The railing 18 does not allow getting off from pathway 8 to the ground; getting off should only be allowed by crossing pathways 7 and 6 and stepping onto pavement stone 16. Direction rollers 13 placed on shafts 1 on the left of each section will be in contact with the lower planes of the left neighbouring sections and pavement stone 16, not allowing breaking of the trunk ropeway plane at the separating points of hanging pathways 6, 7 and 8.

The basic pathway of the trunk ropeway shown on fig.3, designed for a fair exhibition, is slow-speed pathway 6 with broad sections 34 and seats 17 for the visitors who are given the possibility to pass in front of, behind and between the seats 17 in order to move onto sections 36 of high-speed pathway 8. In order for the passengers to be able to watch the exhibits, pathway 6 moves at a low speed of lets say 2.5km/h while speed pathway 8, moving at the speed of 10km/h gives the passengers the chance to move fast to other sites within the fair passing quickly by exhibits and buildings 40 of no interest to them. In the event of the trunk ropeway installation at an existing fair it will probably be necessary for it to pass over existing roads and low buildings in which case it shall have to be raised higher by means of higher piers 1 and 3; instead of steps or alongside with it, escalators should be mounted and pavement stone 16 could be connected by passages to the floors of exhibition halls 40. Surmounting of slopes is possible with no chances for the ropes 9 to fall out owing to the construction of spiral

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bearings 2. In the event of sharp turns, gaps will appear between the overlapping parts of neighbouring sections 34, 35 and 36 dangerous to the passengers; therefore, the turning radius will depend on the construction of sections 34, 35 and 36: width, length and overlapping rate.

Terminal stations are to be only found in trunk ropeways connecting two distant points with no intermediate stations for getting on and off. Slow-speed pathways 6, 7 and 43 are only mounted at the starting and terminal stations in order for the passengers to be able to pass on them when getting on or off the ring sector 46 from high-speed pathway 8; the ascending 44 and descending 45 parts of speed pathway 8 are placed between stations one above the other to save piers 1 and 3. At the terminal stations pathways 6, 7 and 43 go round the ring sector 46 of pathway 8 passing under ascending and descending parts 44 and 45 at a given moment having already passed under the soft pillow 48 and baffler 47 mounted above slow-speed pathways 6, 7 and 43 designated to push distracted passengers onto pavement stone 46. Should there be enough space available, pathways 43, 7 and 6 could be prolonged as to pass under parts 44 and 45 where raised higher, to make baffler 47 useless.

Reference:

1. Prof. VI. Divisiev. Ropeways and Cable Cranes. „Technika" State Publishing House, 1975.

2. Mechanical Handling Machines. „Technika" State Publishing House, 1973.

3. Alexandrov M.P. Mechanical Handling Machines. „High School", issue 1985.

4. Patent Reg.# 94911 of the Republic of Bulgaria