This image sparked two ideas – Adjustable terminals and SPF 47 Suntan lotion.
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Early Discussions – Adjustable Terminals
Started by Kelly, Feb 13 2004 06:15 PM
7 replies to this topic
There is not a whole lot of room in there...
#7
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- Administrator II
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Established User
Posted 26 February 2004 - 11:30 AM
Good question-
Raising a drive tension terminal can and usually does take some time. Is the time it takes to raise a terminal shorter than the time for the snow cat to reshape the loading and ramp area? Here is a partial list of items that may have to occur.
Coordination with grooming department for ramp grade change
Coordination with grooming department for cat hydraulic system use for hoists
Testing of terminal hoists
Repair of terminal hoists
Coordination with Lift Maintenance for extra personnel
Release of lift tension to facilitate raising
Removal of all safety pins and locks
Actual raising of terminal
Installation of all safety pins and locks
Checking and changing high voltage lines
Checking and changing control cable lines
Retensioning lift
Replacing broken carriage limit switches
Repositioning carriage limit switches
Checking and changing all terminal sheave alignments
Checking and changing profile to next nearest tower
Lowering access ladder to reach ground to adjust next nearest tower
Donating to beer fund for forgetting to lower access ladder
Raising lift shack - see 15 entries above
Most lift mechanics will defer to the last minute before changing a drive tension terminal height due to the above reasons. Typically a terminal won't have all of the above considerations but some do. Then what happens if it rains the next morning and this lowers the snow level by 3'. Not that it has ever happened to me --- well more than twice anyway. A 3' drop to the terminal from the surrounding grade with more snow on the way is a good rule of thumb before raising a terminal. This would also apply to a return terminal.
Other adjustable terminal items of interest:
Some areas change mid-station portal heights Friday and Sunday evenings for weekend use.
Squaw Valley's Olympic Lady (YAN double) has a adjustable loading portal with 3-24" tower tubes uphill of the lift shack to protect it from avalanches. Also Newport lift at this area (Doppelmayr double) has a fixed elevated drive tension terminal and a adjustable loading portal so slide debris can pass under them.
Many YAN top return terminals were made adjustable so off site fill or wood would not have to be brought in to form the ramp.
Riblet started building adjustable loading towers in the early 60's.
Many ski areas are grading and reshaping their loading areas as a way to avoid the extra cost for the adjustable option package on their terminals.
Many ski areas have graded and reshaped their loading areas to reduce the number of adjustments (labor costs) needed per season on their adjustable terminals.
Raising a drive tension terminal can and usually does take some time. Is the time it takes to raise a terminal shorter than the time for the snow cat to reshape the loading and ramp area? Here is a partial list of items that may have to occur.
Coordination with grooming department for ramp grade change
Coordination with grooming department for cat hydraulic system use for hoists
Testing of terminal hoists
Repair of terminal hoists
Coordination with Lift Maintenance for extra personnel
Release of lift tension to facilitate raising
Removal of all safety pins and locks
Actual raising of terminal
Installation of all safety pins and locks
Checking and changing high voltage lines
Checking and changing control cable lines
Retensioning lift
Replacing broken carriage limit switches
Repositioning carriage limit switches
Checking and changing all terminal sheave alignments
Checking and changing profile to next nearest tower
Lowering access ladder to reach ground to adjust next nearest tower
Donating to beer fund for forgetting to lower access ladder
Raising lift shack - see 15 entries above
Most lift mechanics will defer to the last minute before changing a drive tension terminal height due to the above reasons. Typically a terminal won't have all of the above considerations but some do. Then what happens if it rains the next morning and this lowers the snow level by 3'. Not that it has ever happened to me --- well more than twice anyway. A 3' drop to the terminal from the surrounding grade with more snow on the way is a good rule of thumb before raising a terminal. This would also apply to a return terminal.
Other adjustable terminal items of interest:
Some areas change mid-station portal heights Friday and Sunday evenings for weekend use.
Squaw Valley's Olympic Lady (YAN double) has a adjustable loading portal with 3-24" tower tubes uphill of the lift shack to protect it from avalanches. Also Newport lift at this area (Doppelmayr double) has a fixed elevated drive tension terminal and a adjustable loading portal so slide debris can pass under them.
Many YAN top return terminals were made adjustable so off site fill or wood would not have to be brought in to form the ramp.
Riblet started building adjustable loading towers in the early 60's.
Many ski areas are grading and reshaping their loading areas as a way to avoid the extra cost for the adjustable option package on their terminals.
Many ski areas have graded and reshaped their loading areas to reduce the number of adjustments (labor costs) needed per season on their adjustable terminals.
www.ropetech.org
#8
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- Administrator II
- 5,906 Posts:
lift mechanic
- Interests:Many.
Posted 26 February 2004 - 03:22 PM
How about the time we were raising the shack on the Galena side of chair 3 (Mt Baker) and the cable we were using to raise it slipped off the sheaves? Our system was as follows: attach the dead end of the rope to the cat, ensure that the rope was reeved properly through all blocks, drive forward and lift the shack off the ground, fill in the hole with snow (with shovels), add more snow to actually provide a raised base for the shack to sit on, drop the shack several times to pack the snow down (you read that right!), level the snow so the shack wouldn't lean, set it down one last time, detach the rope from the cat, and drive off.
What had happened was the rope slipped off the very top sheave in the system (about 5 metres off the ground), jammed in the space between the sheave and its frame, and we were unable to lower the shack back to the ground. We ended up finding the tallest ladder on the hill so a guy could get up there, attaching a 3-ton chain hoist to the lifting frame, and taking the tension off the jammed part of the rope. Only then could we lower the shack...
What had happened was the rope slipped off the very top sheave in the system (about 5 metres off the ground), jammed in the space between the sheave and its frame, and we were unable to lower the shack back to the ground. We ended up finding the tallest ladder on the hill so a guy could get up there, attaching a 3-ton chain hoist to the lifting frame, and taking the tension off the jammed part of the rope. Only then could we lower the shack...
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