Skilifts.org / SORT Forum

I'm sure it could be done if the lift was properly designed. I mean anything is possible. However, even with a loading carpet, a lift running faster than 500 fpm is really moving! If someone was a little late getting on the carpet, things would escalade quickly. Also, unloading would be a nightmare.

Lift Kid, on Sep 18 2008, 05:07 PM, said:

Perception of speed. Sure the lift runs faster, but if it were my choice, the chair spacing would also be greater. Its hard for people to judge a 6 seconds spacing or a 10 seconds one... just as long as she keeps chuggin away. If someone can't figure on when to 'Go' as the gate opens, better stick to the beginner area carpet. Unloading is key in my mind...I could see that as the bigger problem. I'll see this winter at Boyne, on the new Meadows, a Dopp w/carpet loading

No, that's not a problem! Just need a longer unloading ramp.
To make things more interesting, ANSI doesn't say anything about having a Calvin and Hobbes snowmonster on the ramp either:
 CalvinSnowMonster.jpg (111.55K)
Number of downloads: 39

My question is could you run it faster if an unloading carpet (such as the one at Okemo this year) was combined with a loading carpet??

Skiing#1, on Sep 17 2008, 09:08 PM, said:

Letting any snowboarder ride a lift without 1 foot attached is dangerous. I seen runaway boards and the damage they do. Also skis whom brakes didn't work

ANSI B-77.1 -2006
"Section 4.1.1.2 Capacity and speed
The maximum carrier speed relative to the surface of loading and unloading operations shall not exceed values shown in Table 4-1. The designer shall specify the design capacity in both directions. The speeds listed in Table 4-1 may be increased if a lift is slowed or stopped for loading and unloading, but in no case shall the speed exceed that specified by the designer and established as functional by testing and operational performance..."

"TABLE 4-1"
PASSENGER TYPE SINGLE CHAIR DOUBLE CHAIR TRIPLE CHAIR OTHER CHAIRS
SKIER 600fpm (3.0m/s) 550 (2.8) 500 (2.5) 450 (2.3)
FOOT PASSENGER 350 (1.8) 300 (1.5) 275 (1.4) 250 (1.3)

Clear now??

Dino
(Columns don't want to line up, but you can figure it out)
This post has been edited by Lift Dinosaur: 19 September 2008 - 01:40 PM

Chairkid Company (not in USA, somewhere...) has loading carpets (products and sell).

Alot of pictures (gallery), 3-D loading carpets and how it works (download), and different kinds of the lifts include nordic slider.

http://www.chairkid.com/index.php?id=foerd...amp;L=1&L=1
This post has been edited by Skiing#1: 20 September 2008 - 07:12 AM

Very nice. I think that's the company that makes the majority of the loading carpets in the market. They have pictures there of Chair 7 at Breck and it's carpet.

Lift Dinosaur, on Sep 19 2008, 05:34 PM, said:

So, unless a carpet is located at both terminals, a fixed grip quad still can't run faster than 450fpm.? It must be more about helping obtain max. capacity by reducing stops and maybe a slight increase in speed. Our quads are rated at 400 fpm and thats plenty fast with the 42-56ft spacing, respectively. Our clientele tends to handle 375-380fpm well when we are busy.

Slightly off topic, but does anyone know of a FG lift with OUT a carpet that goes over 500 fpm. I seem to recall reading about some double lifts with uphill numbers of 1440 people per hour but I thought they got that with shorter spacing as opposed to more speed. Anyone know if either of these types of lifts exist?
This post has been edited by nathanvg: 20 September 2008 - 01:44 PM

nathanvg, on Sep 20 2008, 02:44 PM, said:

Northway at Crystal Mountain runs at 550 fpm, but the capacity is still 1200 pph.

Speed alone does not increase a lift's uphill capacity. For example: The Imperial Express at Breckenridge runs at 1000 fpm. However, with fewer chairs, the uphill capacity is much lower. (I'm not certain what it currently is, however it is below 1000 p/h)

A combination of closer spacing, faster speeds, and fewer stops or slows make a lift's uphill capacity higher.

I found the video both load and unload carpets.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=6HAV36FlRic

Enjoy to see it.

its very interesting reading all of the 2008 replies on crystal mtn. load carpets. especially lift mech 'cause
you also lived the pain. these carpets were built on existing lifts who's design never contemplated load carpets.
to squeeze c-9 carpet in we had to remove the counterweight shack, trim the counterweight to fit and rig it to
hang 90 degrees offset. the no heat, no drains problems aside the durn things wouldn't track straight. the round
rollers at either end would collect snow and constantly be driven out of alignment. i was able to spend many quality hours in the pits getting to know my favorite.poma techs. to this day it still drives us to drinking. the best magic of these machines was that when we got bought by boyne in 97, they magically disappeared.
This post has been edited by mtn.bob: 28 February 2009 - 08:12 PM

Hi new member here!

I have recently been to Okemo and experienced their loading and unloading carpets and they are awesome. Especially the unloading carpet. You can see a video of how they both work if you go to okemo.com and click the snow report, the video is right before the trail status. In my opinion there should be at least one loading and unloading carpet in the begineers area so there is not as many stops when new skiers try to get on a chair. Im fine with loading both since I'm seasoned but the un/loading carpet makes the experience cooler and more interesting .

-Piotr

skierdude9450, on Mar 31 2008, 09:00 PM, said:

I've never paid so much attention to Lift 7, so I never knew about this carpet. Is it efficient?

It really didn't seem to stop, so I guess it does its job.

I have a question about the unloading carpet. Would the unloading carpet have to run faster than the chair is running in order for the chair not to hit you as you get off? cfrankrun58

cfrankrun58, on Mar 11 2009, 01:45 PM, said:

Yes. A loading carpet runs slower than the speed of the lift but an unloading carpet runs faster than the speed of the lift.

skiersage, on Mar 11 2009, 01:53 PM, said:

This is true for a fixed grip, but not true for a detachable, both would need to run faster than the carrier in the loading and unloading zones.