Different Chairs for Different Times
If you were one of the 54.7 million alpine skiers who visited the ski areas at American resorts in the winter of 2008-2009, according to the National Ski Areas Association, you probably spent your fair share of time riding on chairlifts. Chairlifts became generally popular around the late 1940s and 1950s and have gone through a constant evolution from single-capacity chairs to six-packs that can carry six skiers uphill at one time.
Fixed Grip Chairlift
The first American chairlift was installed in 1935 on Proctor Mountain at the Sun Valley ski resort. In those days, and even today, fixed grip chairlifts were composed of a single chair that was permanently welded onto the lift cable. The cable was draped over rollers on lift towers as it carried skiers uphill. When it reached the top, the cable went around a bullwheel and returned downhill to pick up more passengers.
Because the chair constantly moved with the lift cable, loading and unloading could be challenging because the chairlift never slowed down.
Detachable Lifts
In the 1980s, detachable lifts became more widespread. The concept of the detachable chairlift works in a similar way as a car wash. At the uphill and downhill ends of the lifts are terminals containing bullwheels, around which the cable rotates. While the chair is moving uphill, a clamp or fixed grip on the chair secures itself to the cable. When the chair approaches the bullwheel at the top or bottom of the lift, a lever at the top of the chair releases a grip on the chair. While the grip is released, the chairlift is carried around the bullwheel by a series of slow-moving cogs, like a car wash. When the chair has allowed riders enough time to unload the lift, the grip grabs onto the lift cable again as it leaves the terminal.
The same general principle occurs at the other end to allow riders time to get on or off the lift. As a result, the cable runs at a relatively fast speed, while allowing skiers enough time to load or unload the chairlift.
Power Supply
Many people ask, "What happens if the chairlift stops? Are we going to be stuck?" Most modern chairlifts today are driven by a large electric motor that drives the bullwheel at the top. Modern lifts also have a diesel engine that can operate the lift if the electricity fails. If one stops, the other can continue running. With those features in common, the majority of chairlifts across the world are similarly designed.
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