Abstract

A rope wrench comprising or including a base plate having a lever arm at one end and a lever handle opposite the lever arm, a pair of bollards at the lever arm end for receiving therebetween an anchored climbing rope, and a gate spaced from the back plate and pivotable about one of the bollards, thereby permitting mid-rope access to the bollards when open and preventing mid-rope detachment when closed, the arrangement being such that when the gate is closed and the lever arm is rotated by the handle about the major axis of one of the bollards they collectively cause the rope to assume a serpentine shape to shorten the effective length of the main rope and assist ascent by the climber or to impart friction to the rope when descending whereby to permit controlled descent.

IPC Classes  ?

• A62B 1/14 - Devices for lowering persons from buildings or the like by making use of rope-lowering devices with brakes sliding on the rope
• A62B 35/00 - Safety belts or body harnessesSimilar equipment for limiting displacement of the human body, especially in case of sudden changes of motion

Abstract

Shackle (1) having a yoke with a pair of first and second yoke arms (2,3) with respective first and second co-axial bores (13,12) between which are disposed a shackle pin (4), the shackle pin having a flanged first end (5) to limit axial movement through the first bore (13), the shackle including locking means whereby to prevent accidental release of the shackle pin from the yoke arms, a guide element (6) extending into the shackle pin receiving bore of the first yoke arm and being received in a common groove (10) in the outer surface of the shackle pin, wherein, extending axially from the second end of the shackle pin (4), are key formations (11) co-operable with a keyhole formation (12a) at the end of the bore (12) in the second yoke arm (3).

IPC Classes  ?

• F16G 15/06 - Shackles designed for attachment by joint pins to chain elements, e.g. D-shackles

Abstract

A descender (1) for controlling the descent of a climber down a rope (2) fixed to an anchor point (P), the descender comprising a primary rope-engaging means in the form of a cam lock (3) and associated rope entry guide (10), the camlock having a rope braking surface co-operable with the rope entry guide to partially or wholly lock the rope in response to movement of the rope, and handle means (9) to adjustably unlock the camlock to thereby wholly or partially release the rope and thereafter allow further descent from the anchor point, CHARACTERISED IN THAT the descender also includes a secondary rope engaging means (15) disposed in advance of the primary rope engaging means (3,10) and having an additional rope-engaging braking surface (16) adapted to, in use, selectively impart additional or alternative friction to the rope before it enters the primary rope-engaging means.

IPC Classes  ?

• A62B 1/14 - Devices for lowering persons from buildings or the like by making use of rope-lowering devices with brakes sliding on the rope

Abstract

A tether includes a length of rope with a primary loop at a midpoint for connection to a rope wrench, a pair of secondary loops remote from the primary loop, and a generally stiff but partially flexible rope cover between the primary and secondary loops, the rope cover being pre-curved along its length, the tether also including a tail-portion of the rope between the secondary loops and the rope cover, providing unrestricted 360° flexibility for the secondary loops, the rope cover sufficiently rigid to permit the handle end of the rope wrench to be pushed or pulled by hand and the rope cover retaining its curve to minimise the risk of a user's hand interfering with a hitch cord, and the tail portion of the tether is sufficiently flexible to withstand side-loads.

IPC Classes  ?

• A63B 29/02 - Mountain guy-ropes or accessories, e.g. avalanche ropesMeans for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons
• A63B 29/08 - Hand equipment for climbers

Abstract

A rope wrench tether comprising or including a length of rope formed into a primary loop at a midpoint of the rope by which to permit connection to a rope wrench, the free ends of the rope being formed into a pair of secondary loops remote from the primary loop, and a generally stiff but partially flexible rope cover overlaying a mid-portion of the rope between the primary loop and the secondary loops, the rope cover being pre-curved along its length, the tether also including a tail-portion of the rope between the secondary loops and the rope cover, the tail portion providing unrestricted 3600 flexibility for the secondary loops, the arrangement being such that the rope cover part of the tether is sufficiently rigid to permit the handle end of a rope wrench to be pushed or pulled by hand and for the rope cover to retain its curve whereby to minimise the risk of the hand of a user of the tether interfering with a hitch cord, and the tail portion of the tether is sufficiently flexible to withstand side-loads due to the inherent flexibility and strength of the rope.

IPC Classes  ?

• A62B 1/18 - Other single parts for rope lowering-devices, e.g. take-up rollers for ropes, devices for shooting ropes
• A63B 29/00 - Apparatus for mountaineering
• B66D 3/00 - Portable or mobile lifting or hauling appliances
• B66F 19/00 - Hoisting, lifting, hauling, or pushing, not otherwise provided for
• F16G 11/00 - Means for fastening cables or ropes to one another or to other objectsCaps or sleeves for fixing on cables or ropes

Abstract

A rope wrench comprising or including a base plate having a lever arm at one end and a lever handle opposite the lever arm, a pair of bollards at the lever arm end for receiving therebetween an anchored climbing rope, and a gate spaced from the back plate and pivotable about one of the bollards, thereby permitting mid-rope access to the bollards when open and preventing mid-rope detachment when closed, the arrangement being such that when the gate is closed and the lever arm is rotated by the handle about the major axis of one of the bollards they collectively cause the rope to assume a serpentine shape to shorten the effective length of the main rope and assist ascent by the climber or to impart friction to the rope when descending whereby to permit controlled descent.

IPC Classes  ?

• A62B 1/06 - Devices for lowering persons from buildings or the like by making use of rope-lowering devices
• A62B 1/14 - Devices for lowering persons from buildings or the like by making use of rope-lowering devices with brakes sliding on the rope
• A62B 35/00 - Safety belts or body harnessesSimilar equipment for limiting displacement of the human body, especially in case of sudden changes of motion
• B66D 3/04 - Pulley blocks or like devices in which force is applied to a rope, cable or chain, which passes over one or more pulleys, e.g. to obtain mechanical advantage

Abstract

A combination climbing apparatus (1) comprising or including a rope ascender (5) and a pulley block (6), the rope ascender having front (19) and rear (21) plates disposed in generally parallel relationship, a first swivel pin (11) being received within co-axial bores in the front and rear plates, about which pin the plates are swivelable with respect to each other, a cam lever (9) mounted on the first swivel pin between the front and rear plates, the cam lever being connected, directly or indirectly, to a climbing rope braking surface (10) on a cam between the front and rear plates, the cam lever being operable to trap the rope against the cam braking surface, the front and rear plates each including a second bore (22,23) remote from the major axis of the first swivel pin for receiving a second, removable, swivel pin (29), a pulley block releasably the ascender and pulley block may be selectively used in combination when required or separately when not. The invention also extends in a second aspect to a pulley block for use in a combination climbing apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention, or separately.

IPC Classes  ?

• A63B 29/02 - Mountain guy-ropes or accessories, e.g. avalanche ropesMeans for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons
• A62B 1/14 - Devices for lowering persons from buildings or the like by making use of rope-lowering devices with brakes sliding on the rope
• A62B 1/10 - Devices for lowering persons from buildings or the like by making use of rope-lowering devices with brake mechanisms for the winches or pulleys mechanically operated
• F16G 11/10 - Quick-acting fasteningsClamps holding in one direction only
• B66D 3/04 - Pulley blocks or like devices in which force is applied to a rope, cable or chain, which passes over one or more pulleys, e.g. to obtain mechanical advantage

Abstract

A fall-arrest device (1,26) for use during rope-climbing activities, the device comprising or including a housing (5) for rotatably receiving therewithin a brake wheel (11,30) supported on an axle (20), the housing including anchor means (3,4) permitting connection of the device to a user thereof, the brake wheel having peripheral teeth (17,29) adapted to, in use, engage with a mid-portion of an anchored safety rope (2), the housing being openable by a gate (5a) through which to receive part of the anchored safety rope and thereafter being closable to trap the safety rope between the teeth of the brake wheel and a rope bearing thrust surface (18,28) on or in the housing, the brake wheel having associated automatic locking means (23,24), preventing rotation of the brake wheel about the axle above a nominal rate of rotation, the brake wheel locking means being spring-biased (14) to a stored position when the brake wheel is stationary or rotates below the nominal rate during use, the brake wheel locking means (24) being movable from the stored position to an operable position in which it engages with one or more locking formations (23) preventing further rotation of the brake wheel about the axle, the brake wheel axle being drivingly secured at at least one end thereof to a respective pinion (13a, 13b) having teeth extending radially therefrom, the teeth of the or each pinion being engageable with a respective toothed rack (12a, 12b, 27) fixed to the inside of the housing whereby to permit the brake wheel to assume a path of movement further towards the thrust bearing surface such that when rotation of the brake wheel exceeds the nominal rate and has been arrested, such that when the rate of rotation of the brake wheel relative to the anchored rope exceeds the nominal rate, the axle and brake wheel are progressively driven further towards the thrust bearing surface to thereby cause the teeth of the brake wheel to progressively bite into the rope and arrest downward movement of the device along the rope.

IPC Classes  ?

• A62B 35/00 - Safety belts or body harnessesSimilar equipment for limiting displacement of the human body, especially in case of sudden changes of motion
• A62B 1/14 - Devices for lowering persons from buildings or the like by making use of rope-lowering devices with brakes sliding on the rope

Abstract

A combination climbing apparatus (1) comprising or including a rope ascender (5) and a pulley block (6), the rope ascender having front (19) and rear (21 ) plates disposed in generally parallel relationship, a first swivel pin (11) being received within co-axial bores in the front and rear plates, about which pin the plates are swivelable with respect to each other, a cam lever (9) mounted on the first swivel pin between the front and rear plates, the cam lever being connected, directly or indirectly, to a climbing rope braking surface (10) on a cam between the front and rear plates, the cam lever being operable to trap the rope against the cam braking surface, the front and rear plates each including a second bore (22,23) remote from the major axis of the first swivel pin for receiving a second, removable, swivel pin (29), a pulley block releasably secured to the ascender via the second swivel pin, the pulley block (6) having front (15) and rear (14) plates between which is a pulley wheel(12) rotatably mounted on a third swivel pin (13) acting as an axle for the pulley wheel, the arrangement being such that the ascender and pulley block may be selectively used in combination when required or separately when not. The invention also extends in a second aspect to a pulley block for use in a combination climbing apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention, or separately.

IPC Classes  ?

• A63B 27/00 - Apparatus for climbing poles, trees, or the like
• A63B 29/02 - Mountain guy-ropes or accessories, e.g. avalanche ropesMeans for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons
• B66D 3/04 - Pulley blocks or like devices in which force is applied to a rope, cable or chain, which passes over one or more pulleys, e.g. to obtain mechanical advantage
• F16G 11/10 - Quick-acting fasteningsClamps holding in one direction only
• A62B 1/14 - Devices for lowering persons from buildings or the like by making use of rope-lowering devices with brakes sliding on the rope

Abstract

A descender (1) for controlling the descent of a climber down a rope (2) fixed to an anchor point (P), the descender comprising a primary rope-engaging means in the form of a cam lock (3) and associated rope entry guide (10), the camlock having a rope braking surface co-operable with the rope entry guide to partially or wholly lock the rope in response to movement of the rope, and handle means (9) to adjustably unlock the camlock to thereby wholly or partially release the rope and thereafter allow further descent from the anchor point, CHARACTERISED IN THAT the descender also includes a secondary rope engaging means (15) disposed in advance of the primary rope engaging means (3,10) and having an additional rope-engaging braking surface (16) adapted to, in use, selectively impart additional or alternative friction to the rope before it enters the primary rope-engaging means.

IPC Classes  ?

• A62B 1/14 - Devices for lowering persons from buildings or the like by making use of rope-lowering devices with brakes sliding on the rope

Abstract

A hitch-minding pulley has at least one pulley sheave rotatably fixed between the arms of a split yoke, the arms being swivelable about the rotational axis of the or each pulley sheave to allow access for a pulley engaging climbing rope, the body of the yoke being split into two parts, each body part having a respective yoke arm extending therefrom, the body parts having multiple corresponding pairs of apertures for collectively receiving, in use, a plurality of carabiners, wherein at least one of the pairs of apertures is a curved slot, the outer curvature of which being generally oriented inward towards the or each pulley sheave.

IPC Classes  ?

• A63B 29/02 - Mountain guy-ropes or accessories, e.g. avalanche ropesMeans for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons
• B66D 3/04 - Pulley blocks or like devices in which force is applied to a rope, cable or chain, which passes over one or more pulleys, e.g. to obtain mechanical advantage

Abstract

A hitch-minding pulley comprising at least one pulley sheave rotatably fixed between the arms of a split yoke, the arms being swivelable about the rotational axis of the or each pulley sheave to allow access for a pulley engaging climbing rope, the body of the yoke being split into two parts, each body part having a respective yoke arm extending therefrom, the body parts having multiple corresponding pairs of apertures for collectively receiving, in use, a plurality of carabiners, wherein at least one of the pairs of apertures is a curved slot, the outer curvature of which being generally oriented inward towards the or each pulley sheave.

IPC Classes  ?

• A62B 1/18 - Other single parts for rope lowering-devices, e.g. take-up rollers for ropes, devices for shooting ropes
• A62B 1/14 - Devices for lowering persons from buildings or the like by making use of rope-lowering devices with brakes sliding on the rope
• F16H 55/50 - Features essential to rope pulleys

Abstract

A load-hauling device includes a pair of karabiners, each having an array of pulleys, a pulley rope fixed at one end to one of the karabiners below its respective pulley array, to anchor that end of the rope, the pulley rope passing sequentially between the pulleys of each pulley array to provide a mechanical advantage at the free end of the pulley rope when pulled, a rotatable locking cam mounted between a cam yoke fixed around an end pulley of one of the pulley arrays, wherein the cam includes a cam spring to bias the cam to engage with the rope and permit movement of the rope in one direction while preventing movement of the rope in the other direction, the cam including an integral trigger and locking mechanism to selectively disengage the cam from the rope and allow the device to release a load carried thereby.

IPC Classes  ?

• B66D 3/10 - Applications of braking or detent devices
• A62B 1/14 - Devices for lowering persons from buildings or the like by making use of rope-lowering devices with brakes sliding on the rope
• B66C 1/36 - Crane hooks with means, e.g. spring-biased detents, for preventing inadvertent disengagement of loads
• A63B 29/02 - Mountain guy-ropes or accessories, e.g. avalanche ropesMeans for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons

Abstract

A zipwire trolley having a plurality of zipwire engaging rollers, a swivelable brake block assembly adjacent to one of the rollers, the brake block having a zipwire-engaging cam by which the roller can be at least partially lifted off the zipwire when the trolley is moving in a rearward direction, the cam having a pair of tapered sidewalls tending to pinch respectively opposite sides of the upper part of the zipwire as the brake block progressively rotates when the trolley is moving in a rearward direction, thereby preventing or inhibiting further rearward movement of the trolley.

IPC Classes  ?

• B61H 9/04 - Brakes characterised by, or modified for, their application to special railway systems or purposes for preventing or controlling movement in one direction or, selectively, in either direction
• B61H 9/02 - Brakes characterised by, or modified for, their application to special railway systems or purposes for aerial, e.g. rope, railways
• F16D 63/00 - Brakes not otherwise provided forBrakes combining more than one of the types of groups
• A63G 21/22 - Suspended slideways
• F16D 59/00 - Self-acting brakes, e.g. coming into operation at a predetermined speed

Abstract

A descender (1) for controlling descent of a person down a rope fixed to an anchor point, the descender comprising a rope entry guide (6) and a rope exit, an eccentrically mounted swivellable camlock (4) having a rope braking surface operable to releasably lock the rope in position against the entry guide (6) in response to movement of the rope towards the exit, and means to adjustably unlock the camlock, said unlock means including a swivellable handle (3) drivingly connected to an inner drive cam (8), the inner drive cam having bearing surfaces co-operable with the cam surfaces of an outer drive cam (11) within or on the body of the camlock (4), the arrangement being such that the reaction forces applied to the inner cam (8) via the handle (3) are transmitted to the cam surfaces of the outer cam (11) to thereby provide a mechanical advantage for causing the camlock (4) to open to thereby release the rope and thereafter allow further descent from the anchor point.

IPC Classes  ?

• A62B 1/14 - Devices for lowering persons from buildings or the like by making use of rope-lowering devices with brakes sliding on the rope
• A62B 1/20 - Devices for lowering persons from buildings or the like by making use of sliding-ropes, sliding-poles or chutes, e.g. hoses, pipes, sliding-grooves, sliding sheets

Abstract

A zipwire trolley (1) comprising or including a frame (2) of generally inverted "U"- shape and associated at least one zipwire engageable roller (4), means (5) on the frame below the at least one roller for receiving a load to be carried via a karabiner or sling, and a moveable gate (8) for releasably locking the trolley to a zipwire, characterised in that the gate (8) is generally planar and includes at least one generally planar lug or lug-shaped locking formation (10) co-operable with correspondingly shaped lug(s) or locking formation(s) (11) on or in the frame whereby when the gate is closed the or each lug co-operates with the or each locking formation(s) to provide mechanical support for the frame and gate when the trolley is mounted on the zipwire and under tensile load.

IPC Classes  ?

• B61B 7/00 - Rope railway systems with suspended flexible tracks
• A63G 21/22 - Suspended slideways
• B61B 12/02 - Suspension of the loadGuiding means, e.g. wheelsAttaching traction cables

Abstract

A descender (1) for controlling descent of a person down a rope fixed to an anchor point, the descender comprising a rope entry guide (6) and a rope exit, an eccentrically mounted swivellable camlock (4) having a rope braking surface operable to releasably lock the rope in position against the entry guide (6) in response to movement of the rope towards the exit, and means to adjustably unlock the camlock, said unlock means including a swivellable handle (3) drivingly connected to an inner drive cam (8), the inner drive cam having bearing surfaces co-operable with the cam surfaces of an outer drive cam (11) within or on the body of the camlock (4), the arrangement being such that the reaction forces applied to the inner cam (8) via the handle (3) are transmitted to the cam surfaces of the outer cam (11) to thereby provide a mechanical advantage for causing the camlock (4) to open to thereby release the rope and thereafter allow further descent from the anchor point.

IPC Classes  ?

• A62B 1/14 - Devices for lowering persons from buildings or the like by making use of rope-lowering devices with brakes sliding on the rope