Monitoring the weight of the Sphinx lift at the "Top of Europe"

In this article the author describes how a warning and overload inhibit system was installed by using a strain transducer mounted on the cabin to give a measurement signal proportional to the cabin load.

The Jungfrau-Joch, one of the most famous mountains in Switzerland, has a weather station at its summit at a height of 3580 m. The station, known as the "Sphinx" is equipped with a viewing platform which is a main tourist attraction. The only access to the Sphinx for the tourists is via a lift with a safe working load for 12 people. A serious problem posed by the visitors is the risk due to overcrowding, and therefore overloading, of the lift.

In this article the author describes how a warning and overload inhibit system was installed by using a strain transducer mounted on the cabin to give a measurement signal proportional to the cabin load. An IG System amplifier with limit switches monitored the signal. The effect of the weight of the loop of cable attached to the bottom of the cabin was eliminated by a taring unit which reset the measuring signal to zero when the cabin was vacated at the upper or lower stations.