Loading and unloading arrangement for a cable transportation system

Claim 1

In a transportation system including a continuously moving traction cable; a plurality of carriers connectable to and disconnectable from the traction cable; a station for receiving, loading, unloading and dispatching the carriers; said station having a carrier entrance side and a carrier exit side; an uncoupling zone at said entrance side for disconnecting each carrier from said traction cable; a coupling zone at said exit side for reconnecting each carrier to said traction cable; an unloading zone and a loading zone situated between said uncoupling zone and said coupling zone; said unloading and loading zones being situated at a first level in said station; a transfer rail assembly extending from said uncoupling zone to said coupling zone through said unloading and loading zones for guiding the carriers disconnected from said traction cable; the improvement comprising (a) an additional unloading zone and an additional loading zone situated between said uncoupling zone and said coupling zone at a second level; said second level being located at a height different from said first level; (b) an additional transfer rail assembly connecting said additional unloading and loading zones with one another; and (c) a conveyor assembly connecting said uncoupling zone with said additional unloading zone and connecting said additional loading zone with said coupling zone for advancing the carriers from the uncoupling zone to the additional unloading zone and from the additional loading zone to the coupling zone.