Lift systems for skiers are known, wherein the skier is carried upward on the mountain slope either by a gondola or by a chair lift or ski tow.

In these known systems use is always made of a heavily tensioned cable which forms the guide and also the support construction for the transport means, which transport means can consist of a tow cable, a chair or bench (usually intended for two people) or a gondola which can transport a larger number of people simultaneously. Heavy tensioning on the cable is necessary because the total power required for the ski- lift is transmitted at one location, the ground station, by means of friction forces.

The above stated guide cable is supported at relatively great distances by support pylons. In most cases the guide cable is also used as pulling cable for the suspension means mounted directly thereon for the carrying media such as a gondola or chairs.

In other cases a further pulling cable is also provided in addition to the guide cable for driving the carrying media.

A drawback of all these known lift systems is that the construction must be provided with heavy foundations because of the required tensioning.

Furthermore, the total ski-lift route must preferably run in a straight line in order to prevent transverse forces on the support pylons, which can dangerously burden these pylons.

For these reasons it is often necessary when constructing such systems to damage and alter the natural

landscape, for instance by felling trees, in order to provide a route for the ski-lift.

Another drawback of heavy and tensioned constructions is that they involve a great deal of financial expense.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved system wherein the above stated problems are obviated as far as possible.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a transporter, preferably a ski-lift, according to claims 1-19.

This arrangement imparts relatively little stress to the belt, especially in the longitudinal direction, whereby a maximum bearing force can be held over for taking up bearing stress in the vertical direction, this being especially useful for dragging skiers up a mountain.

Since relatively little stress, especially in the longitudinal direction is built up in the belt, no great pulling/pushing forces are exerted on the transporter particularly the supports thereof, whereby said supports do not have to be heavily reinforced, this often being carried out by increasing their weight and embedding thereof into the ground to yield heavily reinforced foundations, in order for the transporter to function effectively.

Hence, the ski-lift according to the present invention can be realized relatively lightweight, whereby the need for substantial, reinforced foundations is obviated.

A significant advantage of the ski-lift system according to the invention is that owing to the absence of heavy tensioning in the construction and the fact that the drive forces on the belt remain limited, the routing of the ski-lift system can be freely chosen almost without limitations. Not only is it possible in this manner to prevent serious damage to the natural landscape

being necessary, but the options for constructing a ski- lift are also limited a great deal less by the landscape.

A further advantage of the ski-lift system according to the invention is that the modular lightweight sections provide an inexpensive construction method, suitable for rapidly assembling/disassembling ski-lifts, which are easily transportable to and from a desired use location.

It is self-evident that the above described ski-lift system can likewise serve as a transport system for other goods.

As stated above, use is only made in the ski- lift system according to the present invention of substantially non-tensioned constructions in order to realize the different functions such as the carrying and displacing function and the drive function.

In this system according to the invention the carrying and displacing function for the skiers is realized substantially by means of the endless and circulating narrow vertical belt preferably being of rubber, which is connected at regular distances with effective fixing means to the trolleys of the trolley/rail system guiding the belt in its lengthwise direction, upwards and back again, wherein the rails are likewise endless in lengthwise direction in the sense that a reversing device is provided at the beginning and at the end of the route.

On the underside of said narrow belt means can be provided for moving the skiers up the mountain slope, these being either a tow cable with which the skier can be towed along or a chair or bench construction, which hangs low above the ground and in which the skiers are moved upward while seated, or a gondola which can transport a number of people simultaneously.

Preferably double rails of a reciprocally moving rail system are supported at regular and relatively short distances (for instance 12 metres) by

support pylons which can take a light form because of the absence of tensioning in the system.

The required stiffness of the rail system against bending is obtained in that the rail sections can be fixed to a frame construction which is arranged on the support pylons.

Driving of the vertical narrow belt suspended from the trolleys and having the transport means fixed thereto is preferably carried out by a number of special drive units which can be fixed to the rail construction at freely chosen positions on the lift route and which transmit their driving force directly on the belt by means of friction forces which result from the belt being clamped between the external drive elements of the drive unit which are provided for this purpose. The drive units are placed at mutual distances such that each drive unit can supply the energy required to pull the belt part as far as the preceding drive unit with the loads suspended therefrom. Thus is realized that the belt can fulfil its carrying and displacing function, practically without tensioning.

When drive unit positions are well chosen the maximum tensile force which occurs in the belt will not be much greater than the tensile force of a drive unit itself.

The maximum occurring tension in the belt is in principle thus limited because the total power required for the ski-lift is not transmitted at one location, as in the systems known heretofore, but is distributed over many locations. In this manner the tensile force in the belt can remain limited.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for displacing skiers to a desired ski location, according to claim 19 or 20. Such a process provides a pleasurable, quick and efficient journey to a desired ski location, which can take a scenic route through the undisturbed surrounding countryside.

Further features and details of the invention will be elucidated on the basis of the following description with reference to the figures.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the ski-lift system according to the current invention; Figure 2 shows a cross-section of a drive unit of the ski-lift shown in figure 1; Figure 3 shows a partially cut away perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the trolley rail system according to the present invention; Figure 4 shows a partially cut away perspective view of an alternative drive unit according to the current invention; Figure 5 shows an above view of the drive system as shown in figure 4; Figure 6 and 7 show a preferred embodiment of a drive unit in a longitudinal, transverse view respectively.

A ski-lift 1 (figure 1) comprises an endless strip of heavy rubber 2, which is formed by sections 4 which depend from rails 6.

Tow cords 8 are secured to the rubber strip 2.

The rails 6 are supported by T-support pylons 10 which are placed between the sections 4. These sections 4 can be added and removed in order to provide a ski-lift having the desired length and form.

The transporter ensures that relatively little tension is exerted along the endless belt, since transmission means 16 (see figure 2) are suspended beneath the rails 6, whereby most of the tension is exerted downwards onto the belt, instead of along the belt. Accordingly, substantially no tension is exerted in the longitudinal direction of the belt 2 during the towing of skiers, since as stated above, most of the tension is exerted in a vertical direction of the belt, whereby the pylons 10 contrary to known heavily reinforced ski-lift supports, do not have to be

reinforced with very heavy foundations, since the pylons 10 no longer have to be able to resist very strong pulling forces. In this manner a ski-lift can be provided which is able to turn corners, whereby the ski-lift according to the present invention can be adjusted to the natural form of the environment, instead of the natural form of the environment having to be adjusted to meet the requirements of long ski-lifts.

The rubber strip 2 is displaced below the rails 6 by means of drive units 12 (see figure 2) arranged in association with the rails.

The drive units 12 are mounted on the pylons 10 and comprise one or more electric drive motors 14, mutually coupled transmission means 16, and a cap 18 for the transmission means 16.

A not shown torque limiting clutch can be arranged between the drive motors and the transmission means in order to prevent damage to the transporter if problems arise such as jamming of the belt or malfunctioning of the drive motors.

Each drive motor 14 drives the mutually coupled transmission means 16 which are divided up into first transmission wheels 20 and second transmission wheels 22 wherein the energy of the drive motor 14 is transmitted by the first drive wheels 20 and drive axles 24 to the second drive wheels 20 (figure 2), so that the second drive wheels 22 mutually couple with a not shown cog, arranged on the belt 2, in order to drive the belt, below the rails.

The belt 2 is suspended from trolleys 26 in the rails 6 (figures 2,3). The belt 2 is secured to the trolleys 26 by means of a clamp 27 mounted below the trolleys 26. Each trolley 26 comprises a frame 28 and four running wheels 30. Two lying stabilizing wheels 32, transversely arranged with respect to running wheels 30, are also mounted in the frame 28. The running wheels 30 take up the tension in the vertical direction, whilst the two transverse stabilizing wheels 32 ensure that the

trolleys 26 are able to negotiate bends without tipping over. Accordingly, the belt is suspended in a trolley which is stabilized in both the vertical and horizontal direction.

As shown in figure 1, towing cords 8 for supporting the load of the skiers are secured to the belt 2 by means of an automatic rolling up device 34 (see also figure 4). The towing cords 8 are provided with towing seats 38 (see figure 1). The automatic rolling up devices 34 are secured to the underside of the belt 2 by means of securing hooks 36.

Another driving unit 50 (figure 4) comprises a drive motor 52, a housing 54 from which four drive axles 56 depend, which are in turn coupled with four drive wheels 58,60. Two caterpillar tracks 62 are secured around the drive wheels 58,60. A number of spinning tensioned rollers 64 are arranged between the drive wheels (figure 5).

In use, the caterpillar tracks 62 are driven by drive wheels 58,60 around the rollers 64, which are preferably provided with teeth which couple with the caterpillar links 68 of the caterpillar belt. A section of belt 2, on which a not shown friction providing material is arranged is sandwiched between the oppositely arranged caterpillar belts (figure 5), so that plates 66 of a high friction providing material engage with the corresponding material on the caterpillar belts (2), whereby the belt 2 is driven.

The rollers can be pre-tensioned in order to provide transporting conditions.

With this arrangement of the transmission means, it is possible in an easy manner in order to cater for irregularities in the belt.

Since the belt can be driven in a relatively limp form, this does not have to be pre-tensioned whereby a new belt section can be very easily arranged onto a following belt section by means of gluing for example.

Since very little resistance is present on guiding the runners along the rails, the driving energy is in turn small, whereby a cost saving, efficient ski- lift is provided.

Since tension in the longitudinal direction of the belt is extremely low, the belt assumes a very limp form, whereby a very comfortable towing force is exerted onto the skier.

The tension in the ski-lift, which is substantially exerted in a vertical direction through the belt, enables the belt to be driven with a high degree of accuracy and controllability.

The belt which is preferably embodied in fibre- reinforced rubber has different functions. Firstly, it forms part of the drive system wherein by means of a drive unit the driving forces are transmitted to the belt by friction. The belt then provides the transmission of the driving forces to the carrying means mounted on the belt and ensures that the trolleys are mutually connected at the correct distance.

Figures 6 and 7 show a further variant on the embodiment as shown in figures 4 and 5.

Here a drive unit wherein the driving force is transmitted directly onto the belt by means of friction forces which result from belt (2) being clamped between the external drive rollers (111) which are disposed pairwise opposite each other.

The drive unit is constructed from two identical halves (in mirror symmetry) which are fixed to one another with a hinge 112. Each drive unit half consists of a gearbox (114) which is driven by an electric motor (113) and has four output shafts to which the drive rollers are fixed. The pressure force of the roller sets on the belt can be obtained by the spring force of a draw spring placed between the pivot point of the two cases and the roller sets. In figure 7 can be seen that the drive unit is placed symmetrically over

rails (1) so that the belt runs precisely between the drive rollers.

The invention is not limited to the above description; the requested rights are rather limited by the following claims.