Ski lift loader and unloader
OwnerWilliam Gault Kingsmillinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for loading skiers on a ski lift consisting of a plurality of rollers the rollers being parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ski lift at least during the portion of its length past the loading point. The rollers rotate, thereby accelerating a skier who is standing on the rollers to a speed the same or substantially the same as the speed of the ski lift. The skier is thereby able to sit down comfortably on the chair while standing on the rollers. A second apparatus may be disposed at an unloading point whereby the skier is moved away from the ski lift and is decelerated in order to safely transfer to the mow.
Claims18
An apparatus for loading a skier onto a ski lift which moves at a speed and in a direction to carry the skier up a ski hill, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a plurality of rollers positioned parallel to each other, in close proximity to each other and positioned perpendicular to the direction of movement of the ski lift;
- (b) the plurality of rollers comprising a first roller further downhill and a last roller closer uphill;
- (c) means for rotating the rollers in the direction of movement of the ski lift such that every roller from the first roller to the last roller rotates at a speed faster than the preceding roller, thereby the last roller rotates at the fastest speed;
- whereby the skier can stand on the rollers near the first roller and be accelerated to a speed the same as or substantially the same as the speed of the ski lift to an embarking point so as to facilitate embarking on the ski lift by the skier.
An apparatus for loading a skier onto a ski lift which moves at a speed and in a direction to carry the skier up a ski hill, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a plurality of rollers comprising a first set of loading rollers, a second set of acceleration rollers and a third set of constant speed rollers, the rollers being positioned parallel to each other, in close proximity to each other and positioned perpendicular to the direction of the ski lift;
- (b) the plurality of rollers comprising a first roller further downhill and a last roller further uphill;
- (c) means for rotating and means for controlling the speed of rotation of the first set of loading rollers such that every loading roller is stationary when the skier steps onto the first set of loading rollers, and the loading rollers begin to rotate thereafter;
- (d) means for rotating the rollers in the second set of acceleration rollers such that each subsequent roller from the first roller to the last roller in the second set rotates at a speed faster than the preceding roller, thereby the last roller rotates at the fastest speed;
- (e) means for rotating the rollers in the third set of constant speed rollers such that every roller in the third set rotates at a constant speed, which constant speed is the same or substantially the same as the speed of the ski lift;
- whereby the skier can stand on the first set of loading rollers and be accelerated from a stationary position and moved onto the second set of acceleration rollers which accelerate the skier to a speed the same as or substantially the same as the speed of the ski lift to an embarking point, thereby facilitating embarking on the ski lift at the embarking point or on the third set of constant speed rollers.
An apparatus for unloading a skier from a ski lift which moves at a speed and in a direction to carry the skier up a ski hill, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a plurality of rollers positioned parallel to each other, in close proximity to each other and positioned perpendicular to the direction of movement of the ski lift;
- (b) the plurality of rollers comprising a first roller further downhill and a last roller closer uphill;
- (c) means for rotating the rollers in the direction of movement of the ski lift wherein the means for rotating the rollers is such that every roller from the first roller to the last roller rotates at a constant speed which is faster than the speed of the ski lift;
- whereby the skier can stand on the rollers near the first roller and be moved away from the ski lift so as to facilitate disembarking from the ski lift.
An apparatus for unloading a skier from the ski lift which moves at a speed and in a direction to carry the skier up a ski hill, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a plurality of rollers comprising a first set of unloading rollers and a second set of deceleration rollers, the rollers being positioned parallel to each other, in close proximity to each other and positioned perpendicular to the direction of the ski lift;
- (b) the plurality of rollers comprising a first roller further downhill and a last roller closer uphill;
- (c) means for rotating the rollers in the first set of unloading rollers such that every roller in the first set rotates at a constant speed, which constant speed is faster than the speed of the ski lift;
- (d) means for rotating the rollers in the second set of deceleration rollers such that each subsequent roller from the first roller to the last roller in the second set rotates at a speed slower than the preceding roller, thereby the last roller rotates at the slowest speed or does not rotate;
- whereby the skier can stand on the first set of unloading rollers and be carried away from the ski lift and moved onto the second set of deceleration rollers and be slowed down, thereby facilitating disembarking from the ski lift.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.