8 replies to this topic

[stephanelyon]

I'm translating a document for a French ski lift manufacturer and I'm having trouble grappling with the technical term "banane". My customer says that it's a safety component used inside a terminal (along with "deviation sheaves", if I've got the term right) to switch/divert incoming chairs from the rope. Judging from the name (the French word for "banana"), it must be banana shaped. Would anyone have an idea of what this could be? Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me.

[liftmech]

Have you got the blueprint for this terminal? It would help if one could see what the term is referring to. Of course, if you're translating a document, you may not. My guess is that it refers to the assembly which holds the deviation sheaves; because the rope moves in an arc, at leas one company has three sheaves enclosed in a banana-shaped frame. It's even painted yellow. It could also be a rope position switch. If you have the name of the manufacturer, give them a call as well. I would think the document refers to a Poma lift, since they are a French company.

[stephanelyon]

Well, you are right about the manufacturer. I don't have any blueprints, but your description seems to fit what I was told. I'll submit both terms to the customer. Thanks!

[SkiReg]

It’s also possible they are talking about the grip attachment/detachment beam. Poma used to call this the banana beam, which opens and closes the grip onto the rope.

[liftmech]

That's a new one, but it does make sense from what I've seen around my terminals.

[stephanelyon]

SkiReg, on Sep 10 2004, 08:23 PM, said:

It’s also possible they are talking about the grip attachment/detachment beam.  Poma used to call this the banana beam, which opens and closes the grip onto the rope.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for your reply. I failed to mention that this is a fixed-grip chairlift, which makes me wonder if the above term would apply here.

[liftmech]

Ah, now this is a completely different beast. There are no deviation sheaves or compression rails in a fixed grip. Is it possible you could post the passage or email it to me for context? I don't speak French, but I've read enough blueprints in French to take a stab at it if I've got the context.

[stephanelyon]

Unfortunately I don't have a document with any pics or diagrams. What I'm translating is a list of names of safety components in an Excel spreadsheet. I found most of the terms I needed in the skilifts.org glossary (really healpful, BTW). "Banane" appears in only the two following sentences: "Les bananes et les galets de deviation de gare" and "Bananes et galets de déviation de cable" (accents deliberately left out).

gare = terminal
galet = sheave
galet de deviation de gare = terminal deviation sheave?
cable = rope
galet de deviation cable = rope deviation sheave?
banane = ?? Judging from the French, I assume that it's found in the terminal and on the rope.

[liftmech]

'galet de deviation de gare' could also refer to a guide sheave. This is the sheave nearest the bullwheel, which aligns the rope in the bullwheel liner.