STRADDLE-FORM SKI LIFT

• US 3,861,514 A
• Filed: 09/27/1971
• Issued: 01/21/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robin D. Ling
• Original Assignee: Robin D. Ling
• Inventors: Ling, Robin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffman, Drayton E.
• Application Number:
  US05/183,783
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 104/173ST,173R,165,25 198/193,197,165,181,16R
• US Class Current: 198/321
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 11/00 Ski lift, sleigh lift or like trackless systems with guided towing cables only
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 12/10 Cable traction drives
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 9/00 Tramway or funicular systems with rigid track and cable traction haulage clips B61B12/12
• CPC Class Codes: B61J 3/04 Car shunting or haulage devices with cable traction or endless-chain driving means

Abstract

A ski lift for moving skiiers up a hill comprises a conveyor belt on which the skiiers are seated in straddle-fashion with their skiis sliding along in fixed tracks. The lift arrangement is supported on a truss frame which is supported from the hill by low posts spaced along its length. The skiiers are kept close to the ground and little effort on the part of the skiier is required to use the lift.

Claims

1. Ski lift apparatus for conveying skiiers up a hill comprising, in combination:

Means forming a conveyor belt sized for straddle seating thereon by skiiers, Belt support means supporting the belt to provide an uphill run thereof, Belt driving means for driving the uphill run of the belt in an uphill direction, Means for braking the uphill run of the belt against downhill motion, Ski track defining means forming ski tracks adjacent to and on opposite sides of the belt and constructed and arranged so that the skiier can sit on the belt in saddle fashion while sliding his skiis in the tracks on both sides thereof, and on-load and off-load defining means at respective lower and upper ends of the uphill run of the belt arranged in line with said belt so that the skiier can sKi directly onto the belt for on-loading and then sit down and stand up and ski directly off the belt at the top of the uphill run.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1:

The said belt is of endless loop form and is arranged on said supporting means to comprise an uphill run and return downhill run with said uphill run superposed over said downhill run, The support means being constructed and arranged in combination with the belt so that drive tension is applied at the underside of the belt as defined in the uphill run, The belt having an upper compressible cushioned upper surface as defined in the uphill run of the belt.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein Said supporting means comprise a rigid frame structure and A longitudinal series of supports spaced along the uphill run of the belt and supporting said frame at intervals effective to stiffen the frame and prevent sagging or overload vunerability thereof, A longitudinal series of rollers mounted on said frame and spaced there along, The uphill run of the belt being mounted on said series of rollers and rollers being spaced at intervals effective to smooth the uphill ride of a series of skiiers seated on said belt and avoid bumpiness.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein The support means comprise rollers at the top and bottom of the uphill run of the belt with the belt being turned around said rollers and effectively engaged thereby. One of said rollers being powered and the other of said rollers being arranged as a reaction member, The reaction member roller being mounted in a supporting frame, Means forming a roller carrying sled and track means therefor, The track means being pivotably mounted on and being demountably securable to the said supporting means, and The said sled being movable along said track means to adjust belt tension.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein Said belt supporting means comprise Means forming a stiff supporting frame with an upper surface running the length of the belt'"'"''"'"'s uphill run, Means defining a series of ground supports resting on the hill and connected to said frame to support the frame so that its upper surface lies along a plane at a moderate height above the snow level of the surrounding area and at an angle less than 30* with respect to horizontal and which essentially matches the hill slope, Said supports being placed longitudinally along the uphill run at intervals effective to stiffen the frame and assure against overload breakage, A series of slide rollers of no greater than 6-inch diameter mounted at less than 2 feet intervals in a longitudinal array along the uphill run of the belt on said planar surface of the frame and supporting the belt from the planar surface with the uphill run of the belt sliding over the rollers, The rollers being essentially the width of the belt and subtended thereby and supporting the belt,

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein said belt is of endless loop form and comprises a downhill run with the uphill run superposed over the downhill run, A second series of rollers mounted from said frame from undersaid first series of rollers with the downhill run of the belt being supported atop the said second series of rollers, The support means further comprising means forming a shielding surface surrounding the support structure in the vicinity of the legs of skiiers seated on the uphill run of the belt.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 further comprising;

Ski tracks mounted on said frame on opposite sides of said belts, The support means having an inverted-V form extending from one track up to the belt and down again along the surface protection means to the other track in cross section.

8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 further comprising;

Synthetic friction reducing means mounted iN said tracks, and Means for automatically clearing snow from said tracks.

9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 further comprising Side slip guard means on said tracks laterally trapping a ski in each track between the central enveloped support structure and outer guide limits, and Guide means at the lower end of the belt uphill run forcing a skiier who is on-loading to spread his skiis, The guide means leading the skiis into the two tracks and causing the skiier to thereby straddle the uphill run of the belt for proper positioning with respect thereto.

10. Ski lift apparatus for conveying skiiers up a hill comprising, in combination (a) means forming a conveyor belt sized for straddle seating thereon by skiiers, (b) belt support means supporting the belt to provide an uphill run thereof, (c) belt driving means for driving the uphill run of the belt in an uphill direction, (d) means for braking the uphill run of the belt against downhill motion, (e) ski track defining means and (f) on-load and off-load means wherein:

a'"'"''"'"'. said conveyor belt is of endless loop form with an uphill run superposed over a downhill run and said belt has adhered thereto a corresponding cushion belt of a compressible foam;

b'"'"''"'"'. said belt support means comprise;

b'"'"''"'"'1. a stiff supporting frame with an upper surface running the length of the belt'"'"''"'"'s uphill run b'"'"''"'"'2. a series of ground supports resting on the hill and connected to said frame to support the frame so that its upper surface lies along a plane at a moderate height above the snow level of the area and at an angle of less than 30* , which essentially matches the hill slope and said supports being spaced longitudinally along the uphill run at intervals effective to stiffen the frame and insure against overload breakage, b'"'"''"'"'3. a series of slide rollers of no greater than 6-inch diameter mounted at less than 2 feet intervals in a longitudinal array along the uphill run of the belt on said planar surface of the frame and supporting the belt from the planar surface with the uphill run of the belt sliding over the rollers, the rollers being essentially the width of the belt and subtended thereby and supporting the belt, b'"'"''"'"'4. envelope means covering the support structure in the vicinity of the riding skiiers to prevent interference, b'"'"''"'"'5. end rollers at the top and bottom of the belt runs with said endless loop belt passing over said end rollers with the cushion facing outwardly and means for adjusting the spacing of said end rollers to set belt tension, c'"'"''"'"'. said drive means comprise variable speed means for driving the top end roller to drive said belt, d'"'"''"'"'. said means for braking the belt against downhill motion of the uphill run comprise ratchet brakes connected to a multiplicity of said slide rollers, e'"'"''"'"'. there are two of said tracks on opposite sides of the belt allowing a skiier to straddle the belt while sitting on it with one ski in each track and they comprise synthetic, low friction mats with sufficient perforation to allow snow and/or deposited snow accumulation to pass through, to keep the tracks clear of snow; and

f'"'"''"'"'. said on-load and off-load means comprise an on-loading ski run at the bottom of the uphill run of the belt and an off-loading ski run at the top of the belt'"'"''"'"'s up-hill run, both being constructed and arranged so that life on-loading, riding and lift off-loading are all accomplished without requiring that the skiier make any turns or side-stepping maneuvers or stops, the apparatus including guide means for guiding the skiier and his skiis into straddle position in on-loading.