Bicable aerial transport system operating on two carrier and haulage ropes running on off-set pulleys

An aerial transport system comprising a pair of substantially parallel carrying and haulage ropes travelling continuously and forming two endless loops;

• at least two pairs of end pulleys respectively engaged with said ropes to define said loops, at least one pulley in each pair being a driving pulley, said end pulleys being disposed in embarking and disembarking stations, at least one vehicle having a carrier including releasable grips for gripping the two ropes, means for engaging or disengaging said grips and grip means for supporting and guiding the vehicles at the embarking and disembarking stations when said grips are released from said ropes, whereby along the route the vehicles are engaged between, driven and carried by said ropes;
• at least two end pulleys engaged by each rope respectively in at least one of said embarking and disembarking stations being offset longitudinally and forming between them a free space of such dimension as to permit the engagement and disengagement of the vehicle between and from between said ropes in said free space the length of the free space formed between two longitudinally offset end pulleys being greater than the length of a carrier, said means for supporting and guiding the vehicles extending in said free space at least transversely across the less endmost pulley to permit the coupling and uncoupling of the vehicles with respect to the ropes downstream and upstream of the end pulleys.