Purpose of Use and Operation Overview

Ski lifts sometimes stop for an emergency such as when a passenger fails to get on or drops a ski pole. When a ski lift stops, it starts moving backward because passengers are only riding in one direction. In such a case, a cam clutch is used together with brakes as a backstop. In general, more than one brake and other measures are used as backstops to prevent reverse movement. The figure above shows an example where a cam clutch is attached to the intermediate shaft of the reducer for driving the ski lift in order to prevent the reverse movement. During normal operation, the inner race of the cam clutch, which is attached to the intermediate shaft, overruns. When the reverse movement is about to start, the cam clutch engages to prevent it. The figure above shows an example of usage using the vertical mounting. For the vertical mounting, it is necessary to consider the lubrication of each section.

When Tsubaki's cam clutches are used

To use a cam clutch for backstopping, you need to select a product according to the rotation speed, reverse torque, mounting shaft diameter, mounting style, and required properties for use. If any of our standard products does not satisfy your usage conditions, we can design and create the most economical and effective cam clutch by incorporating the best cam for your various requests. As for the cam, which is the main part of a cam clutch, standard cams of 14 types in 23 series are available.

Advantage of using the cam clutch

• ・The cam clutch automatically engages to prevent reverse rotation.
• ・Compared with using a ratchet, the system can be made compact and free of noise and tooth chipping.