12 replies to this topic

[SkiBachelor]

Here is a lift manufacturer you probably haven't heard of before called Ringer. Started by Karl Ringer, this chairlift company had a very short life of only 3 years, 1951 to 1953. And in those three years, Ringer only built 8 chairlifts, 7 being his famous 'Swivel Double Chairlift.' He also invented the first monocable detachable chairlift in North America. You might be wondering what is a Swivel chairlift. Well it's actually a chair which the backrest and the seat swing out the sides when you unload and you wait for the chairlift to pass and then you walk off the unloading platform. However, his chairlift design actually scared people, just because of how the chairlift would pass people while they were waiting for the chair to pass. The only problem with his chairlift was it was a little ahead of its time and had a lot of mechanical problems. He decided to expand into the European market and sold his patent to Bell hoping to expand. Instead they just bought his patent to shut him down.

Here are a few pictures of his chair design and what it did. Karl Ringer is on the left.

Attached File(s)

•  ringer1.jpg (68.26K)
  Number of downloads: 67

[SkiBachelor]

Ringer Chair

Attached File(s)

•  ringer2.jpg (37.04K)
  Number of downloads: 55

[SkiBachelor]

Ringer chairlift unloading example.

Attached File(s)

•  ringer3.jpg (59.71K)
  Number of downloads: 74

[Allan]

Looks like he had a good idea, but I'm glad those chairs don't exist anymore... I'm a firm believer in simplicity for thing like chairs, where there is really no need for them to split in half and swing out of the way. Just more parts to grease and more parts to fail.

[Kelly]

This company also did a lot of foreign lift manufacture "special" certification that Canada required on imported lifts. Of course almost all lifts are imported to Canada – this was quite the setup for the company!

http://www.murraylatta.com/hist.htm

Ryan B

[floridaskier]

I don't really see the point...still, an interesting idea

[iceberg210]

"The one and only swivel lift!"

All I can say is thank god.

[Eric]

I've seen this picture before. The reason why those chairs doesn't exist no more is because there were major accidents

[SkiBachelor]

SAM only listed two accidents. The first accident wasn't very serious while the second one injured a person when his detachable grip one chair came off the haul rope dropping the victim 20 feet, but I don't think the person was killed. But these accidents happened after he sold his patent to Bell. However, I don't think any of the accidents involved the swivel chair design.

I think the lifts were removed just because of the high maintenance and lack of spare parts.

[SkiBachelor]

Here is a picture of the Ringer chair at Mt. Baldy, California.

 chair.jpg (82.55K)
Number of downloads: 72

[Duck]

I'm trying to figure out the method of actuation of the chair halves. I'm assuming that the inclination of the chair has something to do with it, because of the two grip assemblies?

As in, when the line levels out and the chair swings "forward" relative to the line, the back grip is tugging up on something at the back that is twisting the two halves apart?

-Iain

[Bill]

My understanding is that your weight holds them in place, as described on the website page about Ringer, all you need to do is stand up and the halves separate and swing around you. Possibly when they hit full open, they reclose, which would be after they get around you standing up. So its my best answer. :)

[Duck]

You know what, I bet you're right. Now that I look at it again it looks like they're simply staying in the right position because of the angle the axis of rotation is set on. It wouldn't take anything to push them apart, so just standing in place and letting them "sweep" past you would be enough to have them separate.

That'd be unnerving, I think, espically if you were goofing around and separated them on the way up!

-Iain