User:Tboa/sandbox3

List of aerial lift manufacturers

 * Notes


 * References

J-bar, T-bar, and platter lifts
J-bar, T-bar, and platter lifts are employed for low-capacity slopes in large resorts and small local areas. These consist of an aerial cable loop running over a series of wheels, powered by a drive at one end.

Originally J-bar lifts featured vertical poles hanging directly from the cable, each with a horizontal bar at the bottom, forming a J-shape, which is placed behind the skier's buttocks or between the snowboarder's legs, pulling the passengers uphill while they ski or snowboard across the ground. This was then developed so that the vertical poles are each attached to a vertical recoiling cable, which is attached to the aerial cable, allowing for the aerial cable to vary in height above the ground, as the recoiling cable can change length.

Invented in the 1930s, J-bars were installed in the 1930s in North America and Australia, with the Ski Hoist at Charlotte Pass in Australia dating from 1938. J-bars have been superseded by T-bars which have twice the capacity. A such, in recent years J-bars are no longer used in most ski areas.

J-bar lifts were developed into T-bar lifts and platter lifts. Platter lifts are often referred to as button lifts. Like J-bars, platter lifts can be built with a vertical pole attached directly to the cable, or attached to a recoiling cable which is attached to the aerial cable. At the bottom of the vertical pole there is a plastic button or platter that is placed between the skiers legs. Snowboarders place the platter behind the top of their front leg or in front of their chest under their rear arm and hold it in position with their hands.

T-bar lifts are always attached to a recoiling cable which is attached to the aerial cable. Each hanger takes two people.

The first T-bar lift in the United States was installed in 1940 at the Pico Mountain ski area. It was considered a great improvement over the rope tow. An earlier T-bar was installed at Rib Mountain (now Granite Peak Ski Area), Wisconsin, in 1937.

Modern T-bar and platter lifts use the same technology and designs, simply swapping the type of attachment. Some operators have combined T-bar and platter lifts, fixing both types of hanger to the cable, giving skiers and snowboarders a choice.



Surface lifts have some disadvantages compared to aerial lifts. They require more passenger skill and may be difficult for some beginners and children. Platter lifts are particularly difficult and uncomfortable for snowboarders, and two people with large height differences may struggle to ride a T-bar together. This means surface lifts can be fallen off relatively easily, and sometimes lack a suitable route back to the piste. The ground surface and snow cover must be continuous and suitable for skiing and snowboarding over. Surface lifts can sometimes impede or cross over skiable terrain, are often slow in speed, and have lower maximum capacity.

Surface lifts have some advantages over aerial lifts. They can be exited before the lift reaches the top. In some cases this is undesirable for the operator, although in other cases the operator may shorten the the lift if they so desire. They can often continue operating in wind conditions that are too strong for a chairlift as they have lower wind resistance and are lower to the ground. Surface lifts are typically less expensive to install, and are lower maintenance, as they are simpler. They are lightweight, therefore giving them low operating costs and power consumption.

Detachable platter lift
A variant of the platter lift is the detachable surface lift, commonly known as a “Poma lift”, after the company which introduced them. Unlike most other platter lifts, which are similar to T-bars with the stick attached to a spring box by a retractable cord, Poma lifts have a detachable grip to the tow cable with the button connected to the grip by a semi-rigid pole. Platters return to the bottom station, detach from the cable, and are stored on a rail until a skier slides the platter forwards to use it. Most detachable surface lifts operate at speeds of around 4 m per second, while platters and T-bars average 2.5 m/s. When the grip attaches to the cable, the passenger's acceleration is lessened by the spring-loaded pole.