Skilifts.org / SORT Forum

Hi!
I'm just wondering if anyone knows how a "Floating Bullwheel" Works.

Thanks!

-stmad12

the attached picture of a floating bullwheel was taken from this link:

http://www.skilifts....=20

others will answer your technical questions, i know nothing except what I see.

I wonder if that ladder got regular use.

wbl

stmad12, on 10 August 2010 - 05:28 AM, said:

There is no difference in the function cause it is tensioned with a weight like done at "normal" lifts too. But you save costs cause less steel and concrete construction is necessary.

Many Poma surface lifts have a floating tension return bullwheel. These surface lifts kept the bullwheel aligned with a cable mechanism on the counterweight side of the bullwheel. In chairlifts like the one in the picture, there were two stiff legs set at a 45 degree angle, with six deflection sheaves on the top of each one. The counterweight hung below these stiff legs and the bullwheel was held in tension between the counterweight and the rest of the lift. Because there were two points that the counterweight pulled on the bullwheel and the two points that the incoming haul rope and outgoing haul rope, it was very stable. However the downhill side of the bullwheel had to be supported on the haul rope by a pair of guide sheaves on each side. In the picture you can see these on top of the rope instead of on the bottom on a conventional return bullwheel. I am reasonably sure that the lift in the picture is an early Poma. Jean Pomagalski was very innovative. The ANSI code did not allow any floating bullwheels after about 1970, I am not sure why because they were very reliable. One problem was that the shock of the incoming grip on the depression sheaves caused metal fatigue in the supporting members which would crack. Miner Denver copied Pomagalski design and a number of their lifts had floating bullwheels. I think I may still have the plans for the Miner Denver floating bullwheel if you want to build one

There are still a few chairlifts in operation that are using a floating bullwheels, most of them in France, I guess.

2-CLF Chôme: http://www.remontees...?showtopic=7502
2-CLF Falaise: http://www.remontees...rtage-2537.html
2-CLF de la Cascade: http://www.remontees...?showtopic=3671

In contrast to Poma's chairlifts, where the floating bullwheel was rarely used, this type of top station was standard on Poma surface lifts.


http://www.seilbahnb...s.php?album=205

seilbahnbilder.ch, on 21 August 2010 - 05:53 PM, said:

There is at least a couple left in the US. Such as the blue lift at Nubs Nob.

There's these two in Canada too @ Rabbit Hill... Borrowed this pic from WBSki's site (skiingbc.info)

skiersage, on 22 August 2010 - 07:24 AM, said:

The frankenstein Bull Lift at Lutsen might also have a floating return on the top terminal. I have forgotten.
This post has been edited by skier2: 22 August 2010 - 06:33 PM

skier2, on 22 August 2010 - 06:31 PM, said:

Don't think the Bull Lift does, but the Yellow Lift at Mt Holiday, Mi does, it was a Relocation from Nubs Nob.

Here's one I snagged a few years back from Mt. Holiday in Traverse City. Like Skier said, I think this was the previous Yellow Chair at Nubs. Kind of funny they kept its color.

I can't imagine what the results would be if the tensioning cables snapped. Yikes.

Repeat of what happened at Keystone in 1985?

"I can't imagine what the results would be if the tensioning cables snapped. Yikes."

DonaldMReif, on 15 February 2015 - 12:43 PM, said:

Repeat of what happened at Keystone in 1985?

Neither the tensioning cables nor the haul rope snapped at Keystone in 1985.
Dino

Yooper Skier, on 15 February 2015 - 07:04 AM, said:

Ive greased that bullwheel and jumped on it, bouncing it up and down......got it bouncing real good.....and......that dang cable didnt snap.... hahaha.

I think Dino might be right there...

Anyways, off topic...

Holiday Mountain, New York, and Timber Ridge, Michigan have lifts with floating bullwheels.
One big reason for their demise is that it is impossible to do bullwheel unloading with them. They also make access difficult.
This post has been edited by Tramway Guy: 24 February 2015 - 08:14 AM

Usually "Floating Bullweheels" are commonly found in most surface lifts. Where I grew up skiing, I used a handle tow that had a a floating bullwheel.

Hunter NY still has a double chairlift (H lift) with a floating bullwheel intact.

Peter Pitcher, on 12 August 2010 - 03:16 PM, said:

The t-bar a Quechee, built by Poma in 1975, has a floating bullwheel.