21 replies to this topic

[twootton]

I am a university student going to school in Halifax. 8 years ago my grandfather came up with an idea for loading and unloading chairlifts. This summer as a part of a co-op worktem through my university I am trying to research the skiing industry to see if their is a demand for this invention. Attached is an information document explaining what the invention is. Check it out, I would love to hear your responses and ideas, whether negative or positive.

Cheers,

Tim

Attached File(s)

•  rg.doc (368.5K)
  Number of downloads: 112

This post has been edited by twootton: 28 June 2005 - 10:26 AM

[Kicking Horse]

it seems to me that it would be a maintaince nightmare. yes or no?

[twootton]

"it seems to me that it would be a maintaince nightmare. yes or no?"

The maintenance on it is relativley low. It is run off one single motor. The rubber rollers do not wear down very quickly. The only thing you have to worry about is oiling the chains every now and again and changing the oil in the motor every year.

It has never been in service for an entire winter so there could be some unforseen problems.

[skiPhreak]

I think that is a great idea but most ski resorts have a hard enough time keeping the lefts clear of snow. If the resort got a few feet of snow over night the Rollerguide will most likely get covered in snow and have to be dug out by hand. Lift Operators already have a hard enough time clearing snow off of snow imagine trying to clear it off of a rollerguide.

[Zage]

Looks like a cool system. I was wondering when someone was going to create a substitute for the conveyor belt loading system.

[Kicking Horse]

skiPhreak, on Jun 28 2005, 03:51 PM, said:

I think that is a great idea but most ski resorts have a hard enough time keeping the lefts clear of snow.  If the resort got a few feet of snow over night the Rollerguide will most likely get covered in snow and have to be dug out by hand.  Lift Operators already have a hard enough time clearing snow off of snow imagine trying to clear it off of a rollerguide.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

you could always cover it with something and then either leave it in place or clear the snow off the cover and then remove it.

[Kicking Horse]

I would also like to see it in use @ a few ski areas. I think if you did that and then maybe attand some ski area expos or something it might catch on. Do you think it would work on a highspeed lift?

[Jonni]

I too agree with the fact that snow would be a serious issue with this system. This past season, even in the northeast, we would have one or two, two foot storms. I think that the gaps between the rollers would get clogged with snow and the whole system wouldn't function the way it was supposed to. It would probably still work, but I don't think that it would convey the skiers properly.

The other arguement that I see is that to eliminate the problem of snow building up on them overnight, the liftys would cover it with something in order keep it clear. This would work, but what happens when you get a snow storm during a day of operation? The liftys would have to constantly keep it clear of snow. I'm not trying to be selfish, but being a lifty myself, I really don't want to have one more thing to pay attention to.

The only other thing that kind of scares me a bit about it is that you mention in the brochure that the system is powered by a motor, which leeds me to believe that the system is electronically synchronized to the lift. Even though the system is electronically in snych with the lift, I think it would be better if the system was mechanically attached to the lift so the the rollers could be powered off of the bullwheel. This would eliminate any chance for the electronic part of it to malfunction.

Overall, it's a great idea! I think it would make life for everybody so much easier while loading an unloading. It would take a bit of getting used to, but I would try it. Though, unfortunately I wouldn't install it on any lift I work on until it was more widely tested in all conditions. I'm not sure what the conditions were when it was tested at Whistler, but I would rather have it tested at few different resorts in many different climates and situations.

[ISMrider]

interesting idea but the ski industry is going towards detachable chairlifts where this is not an issue.....

[WBSKI]

If this was more tested and marketed im sure it would catch on. A cheaper alternative to higher capacity lifts than a detachable. ISMrider, there are still quite a few fixed grip lifts being made.

[twootton]

"Do you think it would work on a highspeed lift"

It would work on a highspeed lift in the same fasion that the conveyers do in europe. You can run the rollerglide at any speed as long as it is in sync with the chairs. The benefits of running it with a highspeed would be getting the skiers in one straight line so that they all load the lift at the same time which theorwticlly would decrease the stop and slow down times of HS lifts

[twootton]

" I think that the gaps between the rollers would get clogged with snow and the whole system wouldn't function the way it was supposed to."

Attached to each roller is a heater that will melt the snow that lands of the Rollerglide. This has worked in the conditions at Whistler but there was not a large snowtorm. In theory these heaters are powerful enough to keep the snow off the Rollerglide and keep it the rollers from binding at all. We just need a place to actaully test this thing so that we can work out these kinks.

[twootton]

"The only other thing that kind of scares me a bit about it is that you mention in the brochure that the system is powered by a motor, which leeds me to believe that the system is electronically synchronized to the lift. Even though the system is electronically in snych with the lift, I think it would be better if the system was mechanically attached to the lift so the the rollers could be powered off of the bullwheel. This would eliminate any chance for the electronic part of it to malfunction."

You are right it is electronically synchronized to the lift. Would it be possible to for the device to be mechanically attached to the lift? The rollers all move a differnt speeds. If hooked up to the bull wheel could you still have the rollers moving at different speeds. This is an interesting idea because getting rid of the electronics would be great.

[Jonni]

Technically, I think that it would be fesible since all detachables are mechanically driven. The only way that I can think of readily would be to connect it to a shaft off of the bullwheel, or connect it to a set of sheaves. Either way, mechanical would be the best route to go, because you want to make sure that when you hit a slow or a stop that there is no delay in the time of hitting that button to the time the lift and rollerglide reacts.

[liftmech]

I can't get the document to download onto my computer, but I have a few observations based off the comments above.

If the device is electronically synchronised with the lift, I don't really see any problem with it other than the possibility of a breakdown in communication between the lift's CPU and the conveyor's drive motor. Lift electronics have come a long way from my previous experience with conveyor loading, and I think the Rollerglide will probably be a reliable piece of electronics.
Notice I said electronics. I have my doubts about the heating system. You said the individual rollers are individually heated? How well does that function? I've had tradition belt-type conveyors where the heaters were completely inadequate during a Colorado snowstorm. I can't imagine their performance during a Sierra or Cascade dump.
Just my (opinionated) observations.

[twootton]

"Notice I said electronics. I have my doubts about the heating system. You said the individual rollers are individually heated? How well does that function? I've had tradition belt-type conveyors where the heaters were completely inadequate during a Colorado snowstorm. I can't imagine their performance during a Sierra or Cascade dump.
Just my (opinionated) observations."

Opinionated observations are what I am looking for. Thank you. As for the heaters. They are heating coils which are attached to each loader. Whether or not they would be able to melt the amount of snow you are talking about could only be figured out if it was tested in this type of situation.

If you want me to email you the attachment to see if you can open it, let me know.

my email is twootton@dal.ca

[iceberg210]

I think its a overall good idea but really you've got to test it for a full winter hard on a full capacity lift to really see how it stands up. It may be challenging to get a resort to commit to use it but if you don't know how it will work over a winter of running you may find it incredibly tough to sell it to the resorts. I think the only way you can really sell this is to the smaller resorts as the large resorts will more then likely just splurge on the High speed lifts instead of having to mess with the system. I think it may have a place in the market but people like John (who already commented) and Allan can probbally take a better read then me on this kind of thing sense they work in the industry.

[highspeedquad]

It sounds like a really good idea. I think that Jonni is right in saying that mechanically attaching the rollers to lift would be a better idea, since that might provide better synchonization. Also, this may not help increase lift capacity by allowing easier loading at higher speeds, since it could wear down the lift parts quicker. It would increase the capacity by decreasing time from people falling.

[Aussierob]

My two cents. Stay away from a mechanical drive off the lift. Generally electrical/electronic stuff is way more reliable than any mechanical system. Syncronization will not be a problem. Trying to retro a a mehanical PTO system will be, given whatever you build will be outside subject to weather. There is also the issue of drive shafts/belts in the immediate vicinity of where the lifties work. From the electrical side, you will have problems with available power. This system with heaters will draw quite a bit. All the fixed grip return stations I've seen have only enough for a heater in the lift shack and a light. Your biggest problem in the Whistler market is temperature and snowfall. Big dumps are a problem, but the melt/freeze cycles we get are a bigger problem.

It's interesting that I didn't even know this was on Whistler for a test.

[poloxskier]

The aftermarket installs at steamboat for loading gates are run off of prox switches and they seem to run well I would imagine that timing a loading system the same way would work well too.