TRACK SYSTEM COMPRISING A DRIVE TRACK AND A VEHICLE

Abstract: A track system comprising a downwardly inclined track and a connected, backwardly extending, upwardly sloping traction track with associated passenger-conveying vehicle (12). The track is in the form of a monorail bar (10). The vehicle (12) is equipped with wheels (37, 42) which are supported against the rail (10). Furthermore the vehicle is provided with brake blocks (49, 53) which cooperate with equivalent braking surfaces on the bar (10). The bar (10) consists of an upper support portion (16) for the support of support wheels (37) of the vehicle on opposite sides of the peripheral surface and a lower support portion (17) for the support of brake blocks (49, 53) and guide wheels (42) of the vehicle on opposite sides of the lower support portion (17). The upper and lower support portion (16, 17) are separately connected to a common framework with which the bar (10) is fastened to the ground.

Description: TRACK SYSTEM COMPRISING A DRIVE TRACK AND A VEHICLE. The present invention relates to a track system comprising a downwardly inclined track and a connected, backwardly extending, upwardly sloping traction track with associated passenger-con¬ veying vehicle sledge or rodel, where the track is in the form of a monorail bar and where the vehicle is equipped with wheels and/or slide means which are supported against the bar and is equipped with brake means which cooperate with equivalent braking surfaces on the bar, the bar being provided with an upper support portion, preferably having a circular or substantially circular peripheral surface, for the support of support wheels and/or support slide means of the vehicle on opposite sides of the peripheral surface. Present invention is based on the vehicle, preferably with associated passengers in place on the vehicle, being able to be guided by way of introduction by means of an associated traction mechanism from a point of departure via an upwardly inclined track to a starting point at the top of a downwardly inclined track. The invention is further based on the vehicle being able " to be advanced via the downwardly inclined track, by means of the weight loading from the vehicle and associated passengers who are located on the vehicle, back to the point of departure. With the present invention the aim is a system which can be employed all the year round, that is to say during summer con¬ ditions with and without precipitation as well as during winter conditions, for example with precipitation in the form of snow or rain or with ice formations. The aim is a robust and reliable solution, where one becomes more or less independent of change¬ able weather and temperature conditions. In known track systems of the afore-mentioned kind, for example as shown in DE OS 27 31 387 and AT patent specification 334,216, tracks are known having chute-shaped, that is to say concavely curved cross-sections. In such track systems it is easy for leaves, dirt, and the like to be collected together with rainwater, snow and ice formations which make difficult or possibly stop the operation. Particularly this is a problem if a vehicle is employed having a braking system connected to a bar arrangement in the bottom of the chute-shaped track. Furthermore it is a particular problem in such cases where there are also employed parts of a traction mechanism in the bottom of the chute-shaped track. From De 34 23 401 Al it is known to support a vehicle on two opposite sides of the vehicle against two mutually separated, parallel guide rails where a first set of support wheels and a first set of brakes cooperate with the one rail and a second set of support wheels and a second set of brakes cooperate with the second rail. The two parallel rails are mounted laterally outside a common, middle support rail which is supported at a distance above the earth bed via vertical support legs. In order to be able to function satisfactorily it is vital that the guide rails are kept free of dirt, snow and ice formations. From GB 2,038,646 A it is known to employ a monorail bar constructed of elements of compact cross-section and of inverted U-shaped peripheral form. The vehicle is adapted to be turned relatively freely about the longitudinal axis of the monorail bar and no arrangements are present to prevent unintentional turning and no braking arrangements for regulating the speed either. With the present invention the aim is a solution based on a simple, but nevertheless robust and reliable monorail construc¬ tion, where the disadvantages of known solutions are avoided. The aim inter alia is a solution where a certain desired possibility of movement for the vehicle is achieved laterally and peri¬ pherally relative to the monorail bar and nevertheless a depend¬ able and effective guidance and support of the vehicle together with a dependable and effective braking of the vehicle relative to the monorail bar. The track system according to the invention is characterised in that the bar, which consists of an upper support portion known per se also has a lower support portion, which support portions are separately connected to a common framework with which the bar is fastened to the ground, support wheels and/or slide means of the vehicle being exclusively supported in the upper support portion of the bar, while brake blocks or brake maans and guide wheels or guide slide means of the vehicle are supported on opposite sides of the lower support portion, and that the upper support portion is somewhat more moveable relative to the common framework than the lower support portion. By means of the upper, convexly curved support portion and the lower, downwardly directed support portion of the bar a constructional solution has been arrived at which gives several significant practical advantages. As to use one obtains the advantage that the convex profile of the bar readily repels coating by water, snow, ice and the like, which otherwise could hinder use of support wheels or support slide means of the vehicle and make difficult use of brake blocks or other braking means of the vehicle. Purely as regards strength one obtains the advantage that the upper pipe-shaped support portion, which shall receive the most substantial portion of the weight loading from vehicle and passenger(s) during use, can be supported separately in the framework, that is to say more or less independently of the brake mechanism. By this there is the possibility of allowing certain local, elastic deformations in the upper support portion during use, without this affecting the strength and remaining operative condition of the construction. Furthermore the advan- tage can be achieved that the lower support portion, which shall form a support for guide wheels or guide slide means, and which shall form a reliable stop for brake blocks or other braking means, can correspondingly be supported separately in the frame¬ work, that is to say independently of the possible local, elastic deformations in the upper support portion. Consequently provision can be made in an easy manner for rigidly connecting the lower support portion directly to the framework, so that an effective support is obtained for guide wheels, brake blocks, etc. directly via the framework to the ground, outside the upper support portion. The result is that according to the conditions a readily adaptable system is achieved. According to the invention it is preferred that the upper support portion is locally secured to, but in addition axially and peripherally moveable relative to longitudinal parts of the framework, and that the lower support portion is rigidly con¬ nected to transverse parts of the framework, the longitudinal parts being rigidly connected to the transverse parts inde¬ pendently of the upper and lower support portion. According to the invention it is particularly preferred that the upper support portion comprises a series of mutually aligned pipe sections, which are each provided with a longitudinal, down¬ wardly directed access slot to the inner hollow space of the pipe section, the longitudinal frame parts, which are received shielded off in the pipe section, forming a series of peri¬ pherally mutually separated support surfaces for support of the inner surface of the pipe section in a sliding engagement with the framework, and that by means of longitudinal sheet pieces, which are arranged on each side of a longitudinal plane through the centre axis of the pipe section and the access slot of the pipe section parallel to the longitudinal frame parts, the lower support portion is rigidly connected to the framework via transverse frame parts, the transverse frame parts, which at the one end are directly secured to the longitudinal frame parts, passing through the access slot and at the opposite end are fastened to the ground. By employing according to the invention a series of pipe sections with associated access slots at its lower peripheral portion it is possible to adjust the pipe sections in succession and relative to the framework in an especially flexible manner, for example with differently curved contours (vertically and horizontally) in the longitudinal direction and with the access slot directed straight downwards or more or less obliquely outwards to the one or the other side, all according to the rectilinear or laterally arched curve contour of the track. Thereby it will be possible by obliquely positioning the framework in the differently arched curve contours to transfer the power loading from the vehicle via the upper support portion in a favourable manner via the framework directly to the ground. By means of the framework the lower support portion can be obliquely positioned at the same time, so that the vehicle is positively guided to a corresponding oblique position in said arched curve contour. By this relatively large driving speeds can be permitted during satisfactory driving conditions. Further features of the invention will be evident from the following description having regard to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows in perspective a track system according to the invention illustrated by a section of an upwardly sloping traction track. Fig. 2 shows in perspective a track system according to the invention illustrated by a section of a downwardly inclined track. Fig. 3 shows a vertical section across the bar. Fig. 4 shows a section of a joint connection in the bar. Fig. 5 and 6 show in side elevation and in front elevation a track system according to the invention, illustrated with a section of the track with vehicle and passengers. Fig. 7 shows in front elevation the same as in Fig. 6, but illustrated with a laterally obliquely positioned bar in combi¬ nation with a longitudinally arched track contour (left swing) . Fig. 8 shows a vertical section across the vehicle. Fig. 9 shows a side elevation of vehicle and bar. Fig. 10 and 11 show in section various details of the vehicle and the bar. In Fig. 1 and 2 there is shown a track system according to the invention, illustrated during wintry conditions, that is to say with snow cover in regions which push tightly up to the track system, but with snow-free conditions as far as possible in the track system itself. This is safeguarded in that a bar 10, which forms a part of the track system, is arranged on top of a triangular terrain construction 11, which projects substantially upwards above the terrain. As shown in Fig. 1, is a first section of the track system, which is designed to pull a number of vehicles 12 one after the other along an upwardly sloping bar 10a from a lower point of departure (not shown) to an upper start area (not shown either) . The section of the track system as shown in Fig 1 is arranged just by and parallel to a conventional ski tow 13, there being employed an easily hookable and unhookable pulling line piece 14 from a common main pulling line 15 to the individual vehicle 12. In this way one can combine a conventional ski tow with a traction system for the vehicles in the present track system. In Fig. 2 there is shown a section of another main section of the track system, which is designed to transport the vehicle 12 along a downwardly inclined bar 10b, designed correspondingly as in a conventional switchback or rodel track from the start area to the lower point of departure. The advancement of the vehicle 12 through the other section of the track system, as illustrated in part in Fig. 2, takes place in a conventionally known manner by means of the action of the force of gravity of the vehicle and its passenger(s) . The speed of advancement through the other part of the track system can be adjusted by means of a brake mechanism, which will be described further below. In the illustrated embodiment the two sections of the track system, as shown in Fig. 1 and 2, are designed to form a part of a coherent ring-shaped track system. But without examples of it being illustrated herein, two or more downwardly inclined tracks can be connected for example to a common upwardly sloping track. so that in practice the users can employ various track lines of different length and different speed, according to desire and need. Correspondingly one can distribute the relatively large capacity of the upwardly sloping path on two or more downwardly inclined tracks, in order thereby to be able to safeguard the driving conditions in a proper manner in the downwardly inclined tracks. The downwardly inclined tracks can also be laid down for example in an existing chair hoist or gondola installation where vehicle and passengers are conveyed upwardly in a gondola (hoist chair) and whereby the upwardly sloping traction track can be omitted. In Fig. 3 there is shown a cross-section of a bar 10 according to the invention. The bar 10 comprises an upper, con- vexly curved support portion 16 and a lower, compressed support portion 17, which projects downwardly from the under side of the support portion 16, largely as a continuation of the latter. The support portions 16 and 17 are not directly connected to each other, but are separately fastened to a common framework 18. The upper support portion 16 is shown in the form of a more or less continuous series of endways impacting and mutually aligned pipe sections. Each pipe section is made of extruded plastic (polyethylene) . Each pipe section 16 is split longi¬ tudinally by means of a longitudinal access slot 19 laterally to the inner hollow space 20 of the pipe section. In the inner hollow space 20 there are received parts 21, 22, 23 of the framework 18, that is to say a pair of dύct-shaped frame parts 21, 22 with oppositely facing duct openings and the upper portion 23a of transverse frame parts 23, of which only one frame part 23 is shown in Fig. 3, together with an upper portion of sheet pieces 24, 25 which form a part of the lower support portion 17. The frame parts 21, 22 are arranged on opposite sides of the frame members 23 and are fastened to the upper end of each of these with a pair of fastening bolts 26 and associated fastening nuts 26a. Just below the frame parts 21, 22 the sheet pieces 24, 25 are correspondingly arranged on each side of the frame parts 23 and are fastened to the latter with fastening pins 27, pop nails or like fastening means. All the fastening means, that is to say the fastening bolts 26 and the fastening pins 27, are received in a shielded-off manner in the inner hollow space 20 of the pipe sections 16. As shown in the drawing it is only the lower region 24a, 25a of the sheet pieces 24, 25 and adjacent regions 23b of the frame parts 23 which pass through the access slot 19 and which project downwards below the pipe section 16. For strengthening reasons longitudinal, that is to say extending parallel to the bar bracing beams 28 are arranged between lower region 24a, 25a of the sheet pieces 24, 25 in the intermediate spaces between adjacent regions 23b of the frame parts 23. Sheet pieces 24, 25 of the lower support portion 17 consequently form robust guide and braking surfaces in lower regions 24a, 25a of the sheet pieces 24, 25 with support partly in the frame parts 23 and partly in the bracing beams 28. In addition the sheet pieces 24, 25 form together with the frame parts 23 and the bracing beams 28 an extra bracing of the framework at a level below the frame parts 21, 22 and parallel to the latter. As is evident from Fig. 3, the frame parts 23 are in addition connected to each other by means of galvanised steel plates 29, which are arranged between the sheet pieces 24, 25 an the frame parts 23 and are extended a significant distance below the sheet pieces 24, 25 and downwards into the terrain construc¬ tion 11, while the frame parts 23 are extended further downwards and fastened in the ground a distance (not shown further) below the terrain construction. By way of introduction one can in practice fasten the -frame parts 23 in place by means of curved or rectilinear mounting jigs (not shown) during the driving down of the frame parts in the ground, the jigs being able to obliquely position the frame parts 23 in angular positions adapted for this purpose during the driving down into the ground. In Fig. 4 there is shown a joint connection between two pipe sections 16, the one end of the one pipe section being fastened with an approximately S-shaped fastening bracket 30 to the flange of the beam 21. The adjacent end of the other pipe section is without fastening to the beam 21, so that it can expand or con¬ tract longitudinally relative to the beam with different temperature changes. In this connection the pipe sections are terminated by an intermediate expansion gap 31. A sleeve-shaped thin plate 32 of metal (steel) is fastened to one end of the one pipe section and projects axially displaceably inwards over the adjacent end of the other pipe section. Fig. 5 and 6 show the vehicle 12 during use on the down¬ wardly inclined bar 10b. The vehicle is shown with a front, shield-forming front piece 23, which extends below over into a longitudinal foot support 34 and 35 on opposite sides of the bar 10b. It is evident from Fig. 5 and 6 that the vehicle 12 surrounds the upper support portion 16 and the lower support portion 17 with the front piece 33 and a main portion 36 dispose behind with associated seat 36a. The main portion 36 and the front piece 33 with the foot supports 34, 35 project a small distsance bertically below the support portion 17. In Fig. 7 the vehicle 12 is shown in a curved contour (left swing) of the bar 10b, and frame parts 23 of the bar 10b are shown in a corre¬ sponding oblique position relative to a horizontal plane, in order to counteract the centrifugal force of the vehicle. In Fig. 8 two support wheels 37, 38 are shown on their respective associated rotary shafts 39, 40 at the rear end of the main portion 36, while two corresponding support wheels (of which only one support wheel is shown in Fig. 9) are arranged at the front end of the main portion 36 in equivalent positions. The centre planes 37a, 38a of the support wheels 37, 38 cross each other at the centre axis 16a of the pipe section 16 at a mutual angle of 90°. There are shown five short slide means 41 at suitable angular intermediate spaces along the inner surface of the main portion 36. Each and all slide means 41 are arranged at a certain distance from the pipe section and are adapted to form intermittent supporting abutments against the pipe section on the occurrence of elastic deformations (longitudinal and peripheral) of the pipe section during use. Below the pipe section the vehicle forms support and guide abutments against the sheet pieces 24, 25 via a pair of opposite support and guide wheels 42, 43, which are rotatably mounted about rotary shafts 42a, 43a in their respective brackets 44, 45. As shown in Fig. 10 there is fastened pivotably mounted on the rear bracket 45 (and 44 on the opposite side) the one, short branch 46a of a two-branched lever 46. The other, long branch 46b of the lever is connected at the outer end via a brake wire 47 to a pivotably mounted brake actuating means 48 (see Fig. 5 and 8) on the front piece 33 of the vehicle 12. The lever 46 carries in the passage between the two branches 46a and 46b a brake block 49 pivotably mounted about a pivot pin 50. A compression spring 51 presses the brake block 49 directly against the sheet piece 24 (an equivalent brake block is pressed against the sheet piece 25 from the opposite side) . The actuating means 48 forms a handle for passenger 49 of the vehicle and acts as a "dead man's" control, where the braking force from the compression spring 51 is nullified by an equivalent power loading from the passenger via the handle 48, but where the braking force is activated immediately the passenger eliminates the power loading against the handle 48. The brake mechanism is shown in Fig. 10 in full lines in an active braking position and with dotted lines in a released condition where the vehicle is released for unhindered driving on the bar 10. An equivalent brake mechanism with associated lever 52 and brake block 53 can be operated via a brake wire 54 of a foot pedal 55 (see Fig. 5), where the braking force is for example applied by means of the power of the foot as required.

Claims: PATENT CLAIMS. 1. Track system comprising a downwardly inclined track and a connected, backwardly extending, upwardly sloping traction track with associated passenger-conveying vehicle (12) sledge or rodel, where the track is in the form of a monorail bar (10) and where the vehicle (12) is equipped with wheels (37, 38, 42, 43) and/or slide means (41) which are supported against the bar (10) and is equipped with brake means (49, 53) which cooperate with equiva¬ lent braking surfaces on the bar (10), the bar (10) being pro¬ vided with an upper support portion (16), preferably having a circular or substantially circular peripheral surface, for the support of support wheels (37, 38) and/or support slide means (41) of the vehicle on opposite sides of the peripheral surface, characterised in that the bar (10), which consists of an upper support portion (16) known per se also has a lower support portion (17), which support portions (16, 17) are separately connected to a common framework (18) with which the bar is fastened to the ground, support wheels (37, 38) and/or slide means (41) of the vehicle being exclusively supported in the upper support portion (16) of the bar, while brake blocks (49, 53) or brake means and guide wheels (42, 43) or guide slide means of the vehicle are supported on opposite sides of the lower support portion (17), and that the upper support portion (16) is somewhat more moveable relative to the common framework (18) than the lower support portion (17) . 2. Track system in accordance with claim 1, characterised in that the upper support portion (16) is locally secured to, but in addition axially and peripherally moveable relative to longitudi¬ nal parts (21, 22) of the framework (18), and that the lower support portion (17) is rigidly connected to transverse parts (23) of the framework (18), the longitudinal parts (21, 22) being rigidly connected to the transverse parts (23) independently of the upper and lower support portion (16, 17). 3. Track system in accordance with claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the upper support portion (16), which in a manner known per se comprises a series of mutually aligned pipe sections, which are each provided with a longitudinal, downwardly directed opening (19) to the inner hollow space (20) of the pipe section, receives in a shielded-off manner the longitudinal frame parts (21, 22), and forms a series of peripherally mutually separated support edges for the support of the inner surface of the pipe section in a sliding, engagement with the framework, and that the lower support portion (17) is rigidly connected to the framework (18) via transverse frame parts (23) by means of longitudinal sheet pieces (24, 25), which are arranged on each side of a longitudinal plane through the centre axis of the pipe section and the downwardly directed opening (19) of the pipe section parallel to the longitudinal frame parts (21, 22), the transverse frame parts (23), which at the one end are directly secured to the longitudinal frame parts (21, 22), passing through the access slot (19) and at the opposite end are fastened to the ground.

Inventors: HUSEVAAG HANS, HUSEVAAG, HANS
Applicants: HUSEVAAG HANS, HUSEVAAG, HANS
Application year: 1990
Main classification: A63G21
IPC codes: A63G21, B61B13, E01B25