US3072075A - Runner devices of ropeway gondolas - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 8, 1963 TAKEO NOJlMA 3,072,075

RUNNER DEVICES OF ROPEWAY GONDOLAS Filed July 31, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG Arry if.

Jan. 8, 1963 TAKEO NOJIMA 3,072,075

RUNNER DEVICES OF ROPEWAY GONDOLAS Filed July 31, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 74([0 A OJ/MA g ii wm Arryi United States Patent Ofiiice 3,972,975 Patented .llan. 8, 1963 3,072,075 RUNNER DEVICES F ROPEWAY GGNDGLAS Takeo Nojima, 542 Kosngi-cho l-cliorne, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan Filed .l'uly 31, 1961, Ser. No. 128,133 Claims priority, application Japan Dec. 22, 196i 3 Claims. (Cl. 1tl5--15tl) This invention relates to ropeway gondolas, and more particularly to runner devices of ropeway gondolas.

An object of the present invention is the provide runner devices of the kind specified which will not get out of ropeway cables even under abnormal oscillating or bouncing movements that might be caused by strong wind or some other forces.

Another object of the present invention is to provide runner devices of the kind specified having least frictional resistance in their rotating parts.

There are other objects and particularlities of the present invention, which will be made obvious from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which;

FIG. 1 is a general side view of a ropeway gondola embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the runner device shown in FIG. 1, with the ropeway cable shown in cross-section; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a roller forming part of the runner device shown in FIG. 2. Referring to FIG. 1, a ropeway gondola 1 is provided with a conventional hanger 2 having an L-bent arm at the upper end. A mounting plate 3 is secured to the arm. A plurality of rollers 4 are carried by the mounting plate 3 with their bases secured to the underside of the plate. The rollers are divided into a least two sets, each set consisting of two or more rollers. In FIG. 1, there are provided two sets, and each set consists of two rollers oriented in opposite senses as shown in FIG. 2. When each set consists of three or more rollers, alternate rollers are to be oriented in opposite senses. Thus, each set of rollers rides on the ropeway cable 22. The rollers in each set substantially embrace the cable from opposite sides.

Each roller is constructed as shown in FIG. 3. It comprises a tubular base 5 of substantially triangular longitudinal cross section. The base is provided with a slanted bottom wall 51 having a tubular sleeve 6 formed integral and extending downward in the direction perpendicular to the plane of bottom wall 51.

A roller wheel 7 has a specific sectional configuration consisting of a downwardly flaring upper portion and a downwardly convergent and concave lower portion 13. The wheel 7 has a central bore whose upper portion is particularly enlarged and provides and annular shoulder 10 on which an annular lower race member 11 fits and is secured thereto for bearing a circular series of substantially ellipsoidal balls 12. The upper race member 111 for balls 12 encircles the sleeves 6 and is secured to the base 5. The bore of wheel 7 may be filled with suitable lubricant.

The top circumferential face of the Wheel 7 is formed with an annular recess 8 in which a plurality of springs are received to urge an annular sealing ring 9 against the peripheral face of the base 5.

In order to hold the wheel 7 in position and also to prevent lateral deflection of the wheel, an auxiliary ball bearing device is provided which consists of an upper annular race 14, a lower annular race 17 and a circular series of spherical balls 18, disposed therebetween. The lower race 17 is secured to the base sleeve 6 by means of a bolt 15 passing through the bore of sleeve 6. The bolt 15 has an enlarged head 16 for holding the race 17 against the end periphery of sleeve 6 and cooperates with a nut 19 to be fastened to base 5. The external diameter of lower race 17 is substantially larger than the inner diameter of upper race 14. Thus, the wheel 7 is positively held against the base 5, and is unable to deflect laterally.

The lower end of wheel 7 is closed by a bottom plate 20 which is secured to the lower portion 13 of wheel 7 by means of a plurality of screw bolts 21. The peripheral edge portion of bottom plate 20 extends beyond the lower end periphery of wheel 7 and is chamfered to provide an upper concave peripheral face substantially in continuation with the concave peripheral face of the lower portion 13 of wheel 7. Thus, the lower portion 13 of wheel 7 rides on the cable 22, while the bottom plate 2%) embraces the cable from underside. The plate periphery may, when necessary, engage that portion of surface of cable 22 which is below the horizontal central plane of cable 22.

As is clearly shown in FIG. 2, two adjacent rollers 4 ride on the cable 22 with their wheels 7 axially oriented in mutually perpendicular directions and their bottom plates 20 positioned to engage the cable from opposite undersides. Thus, in effect, the set of two rollers 4 cmbraces the cable 22, and a runner device is provided which cannot get out of the cable 22.

The peculiar construction of roller wheel 7 affords minimum friction between relatively rotating parts, and positively prevents the running device from getting oif of the cable 22.

I claim:

1. A runner device of a ropeway gondola running on a cable, comprising a hanger arm for movably hanging said gondola from said cable, a mounting member secured to said hanger arm and positioned directly above said cable, and multiple sets of rollers, each set consisting of at least two rollers, and each roller comprising a base secured to said mounting member and having a tubular sleeve extending downwardly from said base in a direction inclined with respect to said member, a hollow roller wheel having a concave peripheral surface for engaging said cable from above, ball bearing means associated with said sleeve and said roller wheel for rotatably holding said roller wheel against said base, and a plate secured to said roller wheel for engaging said cable at its surface portion that lies below a horizontal plane including the axial centre line of said cable, two adjacent roller wheels of the two rollers being axially oriented in different directions on the cable.

2. The runner device according to claim 1, in which said ball bearing means comprises a first pair of annular races, one of said races being secured to said base while the other race is secured concentrically to said roller wheel, a circular series of substantially ellipsoidal balls disposed between said races, a second pair of annular races, one race of the second pair being secured to said sleeve at one end thereof, while the other race of the second pair is secured to said roller wheel concentrically therewith, a circular series of spherical balls disposed between the races of said second pair, said one race of said second pair having an external diameter larger than the internal diameter of the other race of said second pair.

3. The running device according to claim 1, in which the plate secured to the roller wheel is located at and closes a lower end of said wheel, said plate having a peripheral portion extending beyond the lower end of said wheel and being chamfered to provide a concave peripheral surface for engaging said cable.

Kron-Holm June 7, 1960 Nojima Apr. 11, 1961

Claims (1)

1. A RUNNER DEVICE OF A ROPEWAY GONDOLA RUNNING ON A CABLE, COMPRISING A HANGER ARM FOR MOVABLY HANGING SAID GONDOLA FROM SAID CABLE, A MOUNTING MEMBER SECURED TO SAID HANGER ARM AND POSITIONED DIRECTLY ABOVE SAID CABLE, AND MULTIPLE SETS OF ROLLERS, EACH SET CONSISTING OF AT LEAST TWO ROLLERS, AND EACH ROLLER COMPRISING A BASE SECURED TO SAID MOUNTING MEMBER AND HAVING A TUBULAR SLEEVE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID BASE IN A DIRECTION INCLINED WITH RESPECT TO SAID MEMBER, A HOLLOW ROLLER WHEEL HAVING A CONCAVE PERIPHERAL SURFACE FOR ENGAGING SAID CABLE FROM ABOVE, BALL BEARING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SLEEVE AND SAID ROLLER WHEEL FOR ROTATABLY HOLDING SAID ROLLER WHEEL AGAINST SAID BASE, AND A

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