Controlled ascender/descender device

Abstract

A variable speed controlled device used for ascending and descending along a rope such as used in mountain climbing, tree climbing, rescue operations and the like. A friction mechanism controls the speed of the movement of the device along a rope line. A person can quickly and freely ascend a steep slope along a rope line. A person can also descend a steep slope along a rope line and be confident that a friction mechanism will control the rate of descent. An optional e-brake mechanism can further ensure the device will lock and prevent further downward movement if the person begins a freefall. The device allows other persons (e.g., a teammate, guide or rescue agency) to safely lower an incapacitated or unconscious person down, for example, an alpine mountain, burning building, cliff or the like.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention allows for ascent and controlled rate descent along a rope line as used in numerous applications, including, without limitation, mountaineering, tree climbing and rescue operations.

BACKGROUND

Products currently on the market allow climbers to ascend along a rope safely. They are commonly called “jumars” or “ascenders.” The jumar is clipped into a rope line that is affixed to a secure place. The jumar allows rapid upward movement on the rope line, but will not allow any form of downward movement.

Other products act as descending devices. These include so-called “Figure 8” rappelling devices (described at https://scoutorama.com/how-to-rappel-with-a-figure-8) or ATP rappelling devices (such as those described at https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/belay-device.html).

U.S. Patent Publication US2007000737 AA describes a belaying device having an auto-locking and frictional modes. In the auto-locking mode, a fall by a climber automatically stops the rope without requiring the belayer to manually apply any holding or stopping force. In the frictional mode, a fall by a climber is stopped by the belayer applying a minimal amount of pressure.

U.S. Patent Publication US2012193166 describes a device which may be used either as a belay or as a descender. When used as a belay the device allows a rope to run freely through it provided that movements are slow. If the rope starts to move quickly through the descender, an arm is pulled towards the base and the device automatically locks. When used as a descender, an adjustable second stop means can be used to control a rate of descent. Automatic braking occurs when pressure is placed on the rope between fixed end sheaves (defined by first and second “projections”) and a pivotable center sheave (defined by a third projection).

U.S. Patent Publication US2021/0093923A1 shows a clutch assembly for a climbing rope including a tether component pivotally supporting a plate, the plate in turn supporting a pair of pivotal clutch members defining a first pinch point of the rope. A carabiner is pivotally attachable to the tether component through an aligning support aperture in the plate. A lever is pivotally attached to the tether component and slidably attached to the plate which permits at least one of sliding displacement or pivoting of the plate relative to the tether component to establish each of a sliding configuration of the rope relative to the clutch members during either of a normal ascent or normal descent condition, as well as a locked configuration of the clutch members against the rope to establish a free-fall preventing condition

U.S. Patent Publication US20210101031A1 describes a securing device (climbing aid) which attaches to a person to be secured. The device “moves along” with the person along an elongated securing means (e.g. a rope or a securing bar). The device includes a housing that has a receiving groove and two sidewalls which are spaced apart and opposing each other, such that the receiving groove and the sidewalls partially surround the rope. Furthermore, the securing device includes a securing lever with an attachment region (e.g. an opening for hooking in a carabiner or the like) to which the person is attachable.

U.S. Pat. No. 11,198,026 shows a fall restraint system having a restraint mechanism with a cam located at a first end. Washers are positioned in series from a second end with at least one of the washers located adjacent to the cam. Webbing is inserted into the restraint mechanism from the second end and wrapped in a serpentine path around the plurality of washers, around the cam, and out of the restraint mechanism through the first end such that the webbing is interposed between the cam and the washer located adjacent the cam. When the webbing is pulled through the restraint mechanism, the cam is rotated and presses the webbing against the washer located adjacent to the cam creating drag friction on the webbing and slowing the rate of movement of the webbing. The device is not meant for climbing.

U.S. Pat. No. 10,987,526 describes a descender device for a rope that has a casing in which a cam mechanism and an actuating lever for the cam mechanism are housed. The casing includes a return element for the rope. The cam mechanism includes a lever pin actuated by the actuation lever and a movable cam which is movable between a deactivation position and a locked position in which the movable cam presses on the rope against the return element. However the device does not appear to be useful to aid with ascent.

SUMMARY OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Problems with the Prior Art

Unfortunately, jumars are useless while descending because they are engineered to allow only upward movement on the rope, not both upward and controlled downward movement. While descending a mountain, the jumar is removed from the rope and is useless. While descending, the climber needs to hold tight to the rope and try to avoid a fall. This is often difficult and dangerous because (i) the climber is tired (most injuries and deaths on alpine mountains occur on the descent, not the ascent), (ii) some climbers are incapacitated because of injury or acute mountain sickness and cannot help themselves move down, (iii) the rope is very wet and slippery making a tight grip difficult and (iv) the climber is gripping the rope with a bulky glove that is also wet and slippery. Even highly experienced climbers will struggle to descend a steep portion of a mountain.

Existing descending devices are separate from the jumar and require the climber to move down the mountain backward. They also require the climber to self-manage the device to avoid a free fall. An inexperienced, injured or cognitively impaired climber could not safely manage a Figure 8 or ATP device.

Summary of the Invention

This invention is a single device that allows both a safe ascent and controlled rate descent of an alpine peak, no matter the steepness of the mountain or the physical condition of the climber.

Briefly, the device includes a handle, a deceleration barb assembly, and retainers that hold the rope against the deceleration barb assembly. A rotation emergency locking mechanism (referred to herein as an “e-brake”) may also be included as part of the device.

The retainer may be provided by a series of posts or a runner to hold the rope against the barb wheel and restrain movement of the device down a rope line. In a configuration where the retainer is a series of running posts, the rope line is passed around the posts and held in place against the barb wheel when the device is used.

When the retainer is a runner, the rope is placed inside the runner (which may have a spring mechanism) which closes over the rope, holding the rope firmly in place against the barb wheel.

The barbs or teeth on the barb wheel may be shaped or angled so they only engage the rope while descending, thus allowing the device to ascend up the rope without resistance, while at the same time preventing the device from descending down the rope.

While descending, the climber reduces the friction on the barb wheel by rotating a knob on top of the barb wheel assembly counter-clockwise. This allows the barb wheel to spin in either direction at a controlled rate of speed while the climber is descending the mountain. The device can then slide down the rope at a controlled rate of speed set by the climber or his/her teammate, guide or rescue agency. The climber, teammate, guide or rescue agency has the ability to increase or decrease the force on the barb wheel by tightening or untightening the knob on top of the barb wheel assembly. This allows the climber to safely descend the mountain at a controlled rate of speed no matter how steep the terrain and regardless of the climber's physical condition.

The barbs on the barb wheel are shaped, angled, formed from a material, or otherwise configured to mitigate damage to the rope.

The e-brake, if included, is designed to arrest unintended falls. The e-brake activates without any action taken by the climber and, when activated, automatically locks the e-brake barb wheel and prevents downward movement of the device and the climber on the rope, without any action being taken by the climber. More particularly, an inner ring within the e-brake spins with the e-brake barb wheel until the e-barb wheel spins at a certain rate of speed, at which point the e-barb wheel will force the inner ring out against outer geared rings, interlocking the two teethed rings, thus preventing the e-barb from spinning and further preventing any downward movement of the device on the rope. When this occurs, an unintended or uncontrolled fall will be arrested without any action being taken by the climber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Additional novel features and advantages of the approaches discussed herein are evident from the text that follows and the accompanying drawings, where:

FIG. 1A is an isometric view of one version of the device using three running posts to retain a rope line adjacent to the deceleration barb assembly.

FIG. 1B shows the device of FIG. 1A being used on a slope.

FIGS. 2A through 2D show several different views of the device of FIG. 1A, including top, side, bottom, and edge views.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of another version of the device using a lockable runner, instead of running posts, to retain the rope.

FIGS. 4A through 4D show top, side, bottom and edge views of the device of FIG. 3

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the hand grip or “frame” of the device of FIG. 3.

FIGS. 6A through 6C show top, side and edge views of the frame of the device of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a more detailed isometric exploded view of the deceleration barb assembly.

FIG. 8 shows more details of the components of the deceleration barb assembly.

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of another version of the device of FIG. 3 that includes the e-brake mechanism.

FIG. 10 is an exploded side view of the e-brake mechanism showing its components in more detail.

FIG. 11 is an exploded isometric view of the e-brake mechanism.

FIGS. 12A through 12C are top, bottom and cross-section views of the e-brake mechanism.

FIGS. 13A through 13D show top, side, bottom and edge views of the frame used with the version of the device shown in FIG. 9 with the e-brake.

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of the frame used with the version of FIGS. 13A through 13D.

FIGS. 15A through 15C show other top, side and edge views of the frame used with the e-brake.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT(S)

The device will now be described in more detail with reference to the enclosed figures. Component part and feature numbers are provided in the text and labeled in the figures.

As explained above, the device has two basic functionalities—to act as both an ascender and as a controlled descender. An emergency brake (or e-brake) feature, which may be present, will prevent free falls. The ability to provide controlled ascent and descent along a rope line has numerous applications, including, without limitation, mountaineering, tree climbing and rescue operations. Therefore, although this description may, in places, presume use in mountaineering, the intent is to not limit its use in other applications.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and FIGS. 2A through 2D, the device 100 includes a base or frame 110 having an opening 120 to act as a place for hand grip 125. A deceleration barb assembly 130 is mounted on the frame 110. A rope is placed between the deceleration barb assembly 130 and retainer(s), here taking the form of a series of three running posts 145-1, 145-2, 145-3.

Barbs (teeth) on the barb wheel inside the deceleration barb assembly 130 and on the barb wheel inside the e-brake assembly are each angled or shaped so that when the device is moved up the rope, none of the barbs engage the rope and the rope can thus slide past them. The ascending climber is thus able to hold the device 100 by the hand grip 125 but will not experience any resistance from the deceleration barb assembly 130 while ascending the rope. However, with the adjustment knob 150 tightened fully the deceleration barb assembly 130 will not allow the device 100 to move down the rope because the barbs engage the rope and prevent any downward movement of the device on the rope.

The barbs are shaped, rounded, angled, or formed from a material that engages the rope but does not damage the rope.

When used as a descender, friction is reduced on the barb wheel inside the deceleration barb assembly 130 via the adjustment knob 150. The knob 150 is activated by rotating the knob clockwise. As the knob is fully rotated clockwise, no descent will be possible. However, as the knob is rotated counter-clockwise, the friction imposed by the deceleration barb assembly 130 will decrease thus allowing the barb wheel to spin at a faster rate, that being the rate of descent of the climber. The device thus enables the climber to descend a steep section of the mountain and control the rate of descent based on how tight the climber, teammate, guide or rescue agency rotates the adjustment knob on 150 the deceleration barb assembly 130. The less clamping force placed on the barb wheel 130, by turning the adjustment knob 150 counter-clockwise, the faster the barb wheel will be allowed to spin and the faster the climber will be allowed to descend. The more clamping force applied to the barb wheel by turning the knob clockwise, the slower the climber will be allowed to descend. If the knob is tightened completely, the device can move up the rope without any hindrance, but cannot move down the rope. In this configuration, the climber is protected from a fall.

FIG. 1B shows the situation in more detail where a climber is ascending a slope 170 and grasping the device 100 via the hand grip 125. A rope 160 has been fed around the running posts 145-1, 145-2, 145-3. The weight of the climber causes a force in the direction of arrow A, which in turn causes the rope 160 to be pressed against the deceleration barb assembly 130 at arrow B. This will hold the climber in place while the climber is not ascending the rope.

FIGS. 3, 4A-4D and 5 show another version of the device where a spring loaded runner 140, instead of running posts, is used as the retainer to hold the rope against the barb wheel.

The spring loaded runner 140 provides a place for the rope to be inserted into the device. A pivoting locking mechanism 142 (such as a spring and thumbscrew, not shown) holds the runner onto the hand grip and enables the user to access the runner 140 and install the rope in the device. The locking mechanism 142 is then engaged to hold the runner 140 in place by pressing the rope against the deceleration barb assembly 130.

FIG. 5 and FIGS. 6A through 6C are views of the frame without the deceleration barb assembly 130 installed.

Holes 135, 136 (FIG. 6A) are provided in the frame to permit mounting of the deceleration barb assembly 130.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are isometric exploded and side exploded views of the deceleration barb wheel 130. Inside the deceleration barb assembly 130, the clamping force is created by an adjustment knob 226 threaded onto a shaft 222 which holds a number of friction washers 223 on both sides of a barb wheel 224. Threaded ferrules 227, 229 are inserted into the adjustment knob 226 and lower housing 221. An anti-rotation washer 228 may assist with retarding the adjustment knob 226 from loosening when the barb wheel 224 and friction washers 223 are spinning. The lower cap 221 and upper housing 225 enclose the friction washers 223, anti-rotation washer 228 and the barb wheel 224. The upper housing 225, generally cylindrical in shape, has a cutaway section 230 which exposes a portion of the barb wheel 224 so the barbs can engage the rope.

The adjustment knob 226 inserts into the upper housing 225. The knob 226 thus controls the amount of space and hence the overall force that the friction washers 223 present to the barb wheel 224. This force will determine the speed at which the rotational barbed wheel can spin in either direction. This, in turn, determines the speed with which the device can move down the rope and the rate of descent of the climber.

The friction washers 223 are made of an appropriate abrasive material which in turn when a clamping force is present creates friction on the barb wheel 224 when the knob 226 is tightened or loosened. The barb wheel 224 is typically made of aluminum.

FIG. 9 shows an alternative version of the device 100 that includes the same deceleration barb assembly 130 as well as an e-brake assembly 190. The frame 111 is similar to the version of FIG. 1A, but includes a mounting location for also fixing the e-brake assembly 190 adjacent the deceleration barb assembly 130.

FIGS. 10, 11 and 12A through 12C show the e-brake assembly 190 in more detail. An inner cam 332 and spacer 333 are placed on a cammed shaft 338 of a barbed wheel 331. A ring 334 has teeth on the inner diameter thereof, into which fits a toothed eccentric cam (the ring 334 may fit inside part of the barbed wheel 331). A washer 335 and screw 336 secure the e-barb assembly 190 to the frame 111 while enabling it to rotate.

More particularly, the inside of the ring 334 has teeth that selectively engage corresponding teeth on the eccentric cam 332. When the e-barb wheel 331 and cam rotate 332 slowly they remain together, such that these two parts tend to rotate together at the same speed and spaced apart from one another. However, when the e-barb mechanism speeds up, such as when the device 100 is slipping rapidly down the rope, the cam 332 is forced outwards by the faster moving cammed shaft 338 and thus engages the ring 334. This in turn causes the e-brake mechanism 190 to engage, preventing the barbed wheel from spinning, thus stopping a climber's free fall down the rope.

It is expected that the e-brake mechanism will engage immediately after only a few inches of rope has passed through the device, thereby arresting a fall. The e-brake thus acts to prevent a freefall. In particular, when the rope is rapidly passing through the device, the e-brake assembly 190 will spin at a high enough rate to throw out the internal locking device, prevent the barbed wheel from spinning and lock the device in place on the rope. To unlock the device, e.g., if the climber wishes to move up or down again, the climber only needs to slide the device up the rope thus unlocking the e-brake without any adjustments.

FIGS. 13A through 13D show top, side, bottom and edge views of the frame used with the device of FIG. 9 including mounting locations for the barbed wheel and e-brake.

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of a frame used with the e-brake version.

FIGS. 15A through 15C show top, side and edge views of that frame used with the e-brake. This version of the device uses a hinged runner 142 instead of the spring-loaded runner 140 to hold the rope in place. The hinges 146 enable opening and closing the hinged runner 142 which may be locked in place with a spring pin (not shown).

Most of the parts of the device 100 (e.g. frame, the barbed wheel(s), friction barb housing and friction barb handle) are preferably made of aluminum. The inner and outer rings of the e-brake mechanism are made of a stronger metal (e.g. steel or titanium). Any pins and screws used in the device should also be made of steel. The hand grip may be made of rubber or plastic.

Advantages

The reader should now appreciate that this invention provides both an ascender and a variable speed descender device and safety mechanism that requires very little manipulation by a climber.

An actively engaged climber can lower himself/herself from a steep alpine slope at a controlled rate of speed. If the e-brake mechanism is included, the device will arrest a free fall down the rope if the climber loses footing and starts to fall down the mountain.

The device also enables an incapacitated or unconscious climber to be placed on a rope line by his/her teammates, guide or a rescue agency. The climber's weight is used to lower him/her down the mountain at a safe and controlled rate of descent, even without the climber's active engagement or participation. This is unlike other belaying devices which require active engagement by the climber.

Most other belay devices require the climber to face the mountain and thus go down backwards during a descent. With this invention, the descending climber can face forward. The ability to move down a mountain facing forward is quite advantageous. Beside it being more natural to walk in the forward direction, the climber can now more easily see where he/she is going and avoid dangerous conditions such as crevasses, cliffs, obstacles or blue ice sections which might not be apparent to a climber moving down the mountain backwards.

In most alpine climbing situations a rope line extends from base camp to the summit of the mountain. The rope line is anchored to the mountain with ice screws. When a climber reaches an ice screw on the mountain, he/she must detach the device from the rope and reattach the device to the rope above or below the ice screw. The device described herein does not require rethreading of rope through wheels or pulleys and is instead quickly and easily attached and detached to the rope by simply placing the rope in the runner and securing the runner so it locks the rope against the barb. Also, the device can be used as an ascender device or descender device without removing the device from the rope.

Efficiency and speed in removing the device from the rope and reattaching it to the rope are critical to safety. When the device is removed from the rope, the climber is exposed to a fall. This invention allows the device to be detached from the rope and reattached to the rope in less than 5 seconds without removing gloves. The threading mechanisms in many other devices are more complicated and difficult to manage, especially with a heavily gloved hand, a glove and rope that are wet, and a steep incline.

At times, the rope may become too tight to pull up and create enough slack in the rope to enable a climber to detach and reattach a device to the rope as the climber moves up or down the mountain, especially in the case of devices that require the climber to rethread the rope through complicated wheels or pulleys. Often, the climber will be required to remove gloves to detach and reattach a device. This increases the risk of frostbite and other injuries to the hands. The device described herein allows the climber to detach and reattach the device to the rope without the need to create slack in the rope or re-feed the rope through wheels and pulleys. This device works easily and efficiently even with injured hands and hands in heavy expedition gloves.

Efficiency of speed in the removal and reattachment of a device to the rope is also important to avoid long lines on the mountain caused by significant delays in a climber detaching and reattaching a device to the rope. History has shown long lines on a mountain are a major cause of injuries and deaths, especially on the descent. Climbers waiting in long lines are prone to hypoxia, hypothermia, frostbite, acute mountain sickness, cerebral and pulmonary edema, and depletion or exhaustion of supplemental oxygen supplies. Long lines also cause some climbers to try and pass other climbers who are causing the delay. This is an extremely dangerous maneuver. This device addresses all of these issues.

This device works for both the ascent and descent of the mountain and avoids the need to carry two devices-one for the ascent (e.g., a jumar) and another for the descent (e.g., a Figure 8 device or an ATM device).

The above description has particularly shown and described example embodiments. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the legal scope of this patent as encompassed by the appended Claims.

Claims

1. A device comprising: (i) a base;(ii) a retainer mounted on the base, the retainer configured to restrain a rope;(iii) a barbed friction assembly that houses a barbed wheel and friction washers;(iv) the barbed wheel disposed adjacent to the retainer to engage the rope;(v) the friction washers disposed on both sides of the barbed wheel; and(vi) an adjustment knob coupled to the friction washers, the adjustment knob configured to be tightened or untightened to control force of the friction washers against the barbed wheel, to thereby control a rate of spin of the barbed wheel, thus also allowing control over a speed at which the device moves along the rope in both an ascending and descending direction.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the retainer includes one or more posts configured to press the rope against the barbed friction assembly, thus further restraining movement along the rope.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the retainer is a runner configured to press the rope against the barbed friction assembly, thus further restraining movement along the rope.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the runner is attached to the base via a hinge.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the barbed friction assembly further comprises: a shaft on which the adjustment knob and barbed wheel and friction washers are located.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the adjustment knob enables control over how fast or how slow the device moves down the rope, such that when the adjustment knob is fully tightened, the device will not move down the rope and the rope is held in place and such that as the adjustment knob is loosened, the barbed wheel is enabled to spin in either direction, allowing the device to slide down the rope at a controlled rate of speed.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein barbs or teeth on the barbed wheel are angled so they allow the rope to pass through the device when the device is ascending along the rope regardless of how tight the adjustment knob has been tightened, and such that while the device is ascending the rope, the adjustment knob can remain fully tightened, thus preventing any movement of the device down the rope.

8. A device comprising: (i) a base;(ii) a retainer mounted on the base, the retainer configured to restrain a rope;(iii) a barbed friction assembly that houses a barbed wheel and friction washers;(iv) the barbed wheel disposed adjacent to the retainer to engage the rope;(v) the friction washers disposed on both sides of the barbed wheel;(vi) an adjustment knob configured to be tightened or untightened to control a rate of spin of the barbed wheel with respect to the friction washers, thus allowing control over a speed with which the device moves along the rope; and(vii) an emergency brake mechanism, comprising an e-barb configured to freely spin as long as movement of the device along the rope is below a selected speed, and such that when movement of the device along the rope exceeds that selected speed, the e-barb is prevented from spinning such that the device does not move further down the rope.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the emergency brake mechanism further comprises: (i) a second barbed wheel having an inner diameter;(ii) a ring with teeth on the inner diameter, the ring fitting inside the inner diameter of the second barbed wheel; and(iii) an eccentric cam disposed inside the ring such that the teeth of the ring selectively engage corresponding teeth on the eccentric cam.

10. The device of claim 9 further such that when the second barbed wheel and ring rotate slower than a selected speed with respect to each other they remain spaced apart, but when they rotate faster than the selected speed, the ring engages the toothed eccentric cam, stops the e-barb from spinning, retards further movement of the device along the rope and locks the device in place on the rope.

11. The device of claim 1 additionally comprising: an anti-rotation washer, disposed between the knob and at least one of the friction washers.