Skilift pole distributor

Claim 1

A skilift of the type comprising a plurality of successive poles each including at the upper end thereof, an anchoring body having a rigid stud laterally projecting on one side of the pole and a rigid socket laterally projecting on the other side of the pole and adapted to be anchored by wedging to a traction rope such that the anchoring body can advance along a path of travel, the stud on each body being spaced forwardly of the socket on the same body, and a pole distributor comprising a lever, a fixed horizontal fulcrum disposed above the path of travel of the sockets and studs, said lever being pivotably connected to said horizontal fulcrum, first and second stop members disposed vertically and attached to said lever on either side of said fulcrum in laterally spaced relation corresponding to the lateral spacing between the sockets and studs, the second stop member being spaced forwardly of the first stop member, return means acting on said lever to urge said lever to an inoperative position in which the lower end of the first stop member lies in the path of the sockets and prevents release of the first waiting pole while the second stop member is above the stud of said first pole, and control means for pivoting said lever to a distributing position in which, on the one hand, said second stop member moves into the path of said studs for preventing any advance thereof while displacing the stud of said first pole forwardly and, on the other hand, said first stop member rises to a position above the path of said sockets, said first stop member being so spaced in the direction of travel of the ski poles with respect to the second stop member such that when the second stop member engages the stud of the next pole, the first stop member is spaced ahead of the socket associated with said next pole, each anchoring body thereby being successively contacted at laterally spaced locations on its stud and socket by said second and first stop members respectively.