Wire rope tester
According to George Molnar of Lift Consultants, it is possible to detect otherwise invisible broken wires inside the rope, as well as any significant changes in the metal cross-section due to corrosion or wear.
The Swiss-made device allows for testing to be done conveniently at the lower terminal by letting the rope run through the tester after removing all the rope grips. A separate recorder prints out a tape similar to an electrocardiogram, which pinpoints any problems.
The device is suitable for inspecting wire ropes of chairlifts and T-bars. A considerably more sophisticated instrument is also available to check the cables of aerial tramways as well.
Mayville ticket loop
A new style metal ticket loop is now available for use with stapled and self-adhesive ski lift tickets.
Designed and manufactured by Mayville Wire Forms, Mayville, N.Y. 14757, the ticket loops are boxed in quantities of 1,000, and have a price range of $11.50 down to $8.20, depending on quantity.
It is claimed that the loop, which fits through the zipper pull or button hole, makes no holes in clothing, with its wire ends turned in.
Valley’s new Quik Mount
Valley Engineering, of Gray, Me., 04039, has introduced a new “BM” series of 8-way patented Quik Mount to its SnowRite product line.
Designed for the new, super-powerful machines such as Thiokol’s 3700 Hydromaster and Bombardier’s 302 Ski Dozer, this Quick Mount has a very rugged, wide stance, 7-point hook-up with built-in swing relief valve for safety.
All of Valley’s front-mounted grooming implements will fit on this unit, including U-Blades, Straight Blades, Compactors, etc.
Dupre snowmaking system
Herman Dupre, owner and president of Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania, has developed a snowmaking system which he is now prepared to market.
He claims a 1.5 to 1 or less air/water ratio for the system, which uses 40-ft towers and an external mix nozzle.
Dupre’s system delivers water to his patented nozzle at 200 psi. Using this high pressure means, according to Dupre, significantly less volume of air than in a “conventional” air/water system.
Dupre says, however, that “the real measurement of effectiveness and economies of any snowmaking system is the ratio of horsepower needed to gallons of water converted to snow. Our system gets 2.13 gallons/minute/horsepower.” (Note: in totaling horsepower used, Dupre includes the horsepower of water pumps, booster pumps and over-snow vehicles used in snowmaking, as well as the compressor horsepower.)
Dupre adds that other economies come from the fact that “no adjustments need to be made once the guns are started up . . . Our system uses two men to handle 160 towers through which 4,000 gpm of water flow.”
Electric motor protection
Two devices designed to protect electric motors from damage caused by power anomalies are available from Manufacturing Research Corp., P.O. Box 813EG, Melbourne, Fl. 32935.
The first is “Brownout Guard” which can be used on any single phase motor for 208 volts to 240 volts. This device is designed to prevent the continued operation of the electric motor while the line voltage is too low, thus preventing the cause of most motor brownouts, according to the manufacturer. When the line voltage drops below 90 per cent of normal, the device will turn off the equipment. The time delay of approximately three minutes prevents the motor from trying to re-start under full load or “locked rotor” conditions.
The second is Phase Sentry Model 100, which is designed to protect against power system problems such as the loss, imbalance or reversal of phase. When a problem arises, the shunt trip breaker, motor operated breaker or individual motor controls will be automatically turned off until the voltage problem is corrected. It features an adjustable time delay for one second to three minutes. It is available in voltage ranges of 120/208, 120/240 and 277/480.
