A 1411 book is the first to show a drawing of a ropeway.īetween 14, when technologies such as water mills, windmills and harbour cranes became increasingly popular, references to both monocable and bicable operations increased. In Europe, initial reference to the use of ropeways can be found in Bellifortis, a weapons catalogue from 1405. It relates how a Japanese emperor escaped via ropeway over a valley when surrounded by enemy forces. One of the first mention of ropeways in medieval times appears in the "Taiheiki", a Japanese historical epic written in the late 14th century. They were also the closest approach to aerial navigation at the time. These early aerial ropeways were the forerunners of later technologies such as the suspension bridge and the elevator. Inversely, pack animals were sometimes used to pull the ropeway. Ropeways were also used to transport pack animals. Sometimes the rope was supported on simple wooden trestles. After the invention of the crossbow by the Chinese, heavier cables could be shot over longer distances. All that was needed to build a ropeway was a rope, knots to tie the rope to a rock or tree or anchor on both sides, and a bow and arrow to shoot the rope across. Sometimes, the rope was threaded through a hollow piece of bamboo before being attached, so that the person could slide down the rope without burning their hands. The empty sling or basket was then drawn back to its original position by a smaller cord attached to the back as before. This was made possible by means of thinner cords fixed to the front and the back of the basket, or by gravity in case the arrival point was at a lower height than the starting point. The next application was to pull oneself back and forth in a basket or cradle, usually with a few belongings in tow. The harness eased the load and allowed a rest as the loop was slid along the rope track. Men used rope to cross ravines, rivers and river-gorges, initially transferring themselves, hand over hand, with the body suspended by a crude harness. The first sign of their use comes from the rugged Asiatic countries of China, India and Japan, where it is speculated that they may have been in operation since 250 BC. Ropeways have been used for more than 2,000 years, transporting both passengers and goods. In a bicable system, the stationary carrying cable can be locally graduated to the strains it has to bear. Increasing the size of the rope affects the dimensions of the supports, sheaves and other fixtures throughout the line, adding to the costs. If only one endless rope would be used on a track which includes a long span or a steep grade, it would become necessary to make the entire double length of the moving rope strong enough for the special strain that appears on that spot. At the end of the 19th century, both ropeway methods were also applied to canal transportation (see the article on trolley canal boats), with monocable systems used for cable trains.īicable mechanisms are much better suited if the track spans larger distances and/or has steeper grades. Later, bicable systems took over almost completely. In a bicable (or tricable) system, separate ropes sustain these functions: one or two static support ropes, the "carrying ropes" or "track cables", and one or two light travelling "haul ropes".Īncient and medieval ropeways were of both variety, while modern ropeways (from the 1850s onwards) were initially exclusively monocable systems. In a monocable system, one endless rope serves to both support and move the carriers in transit. Before we start, it is important to note that aerial ropeways (also known as aerial tramways or cableways) can be divided in two groups: monocable and bicable mechanisms.
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