The present invention relates to improved roping devices and in particular, to devices which are suitable for use by a person who wishes to safely descend a shear face of a building, cliff or the like.
If a person needs to descend from a height, by for example, climbing down a ladder, cliff face or the like, for safety reasons, it is often necessary for the person to be attached in someway to the ladder or to a convenient securing point, so that in the event that the person slips and falls, he or she will be prevented from falling to the ground. Clearly, any device for this purpose should preferably be as small and unobtrusive as possible, in use, to allow the user to make the decent without significant interference.
Such roping devices are often used by workers such as window cleaners and other workers maintaining the exteriors of sky scrapers and the like.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.
In a first aspect, the present invention provides a roping device for operating on a rope comprising:
a first body portion providing an attachment means at one end, the body portion including a first plate having a front face and a reverse face and a second plate having a front face and a reverse face, wherein the plates are oriented in different planes defining an acute angle between the intersection of the planes;
a first, freely rotatable sheave mounted on the front face of the first plate which is rotatable about an axis which is substantially perpendicular the first plate, the first sheave having an annular groove defining a generally semi-circular guide path for the rope, the guide path having a first end and a second end, and wherein the first end of the guide path opens onto the front face of the second plate, and the second end of the guide path opens onto or adjacent the reverse face of the second plate;
a generally straight guide path in the form of a channel or the like, defined on the front face of the second plate along which the rope passes prior to the generally semi-circular guide path, and vice versa; and
a braking mechanism mounted on the front face of the second plate, the braking mechanism being arranged for braking the rope which in use, passes along generally straight guide path, the braking mechanism being biased towards an engaged position wherein the rope is prevented from moving in a first direction through the device, and including means for moving the braking means out of engagement with the rope to allow the rope to pass freely along the guide path.
Preferably the diameter of the first sheave is less than the width of the second plate.
By orienting the plates as described above the rope leaving the semicircular guide path passes behind the second plate. This has the advantage that the rope does not abrade against the first plate and any formations on the same. Thus the first sheave can be made smaller than would otherwise be required to avoid abrasion of the rope and does not need to be oversized. The diameter of the first sheave may be as little as 4 to 5 cm compared to the width of the second plate of 7.5 cm.
In one embodiment, the device includes a second sheave disposed on a reverse face of the first plate and rotatable about an axis projecting normally to the first plate.
Alternatively, one or more additional sheaves may be disposed on the reverse side of the second plate, being rotatable about an axis projecting normally to the second plate.
Typically, the angle defined between the first plate and the second plate is about 15-30° most preferably around 20-25°.
The device preferably includes an associated sheave block including one or more axially aligned sheaves, the sheaves including attachment means such an aperture for attaching a carabineer of the like and attaching a persons harness to the sheave block.
In use, the device is generally two-man operated with an operator located adjacent the roping device controlling the braking mechanism and a worker attached to the sheave block whose position is controlled by a rope attached to an attachment point at the lower end of the roping device, passing through the sheave block and up to the roping device, one or more times depending on the number of sheaves in the block and the desired mechanical advantage.
Whilst the above device is small and unobtrusive it does require two men to operate it.
Thus in a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a roping device for operating on the rope, the device comprising:
a generally elongate body, including a first plate having a front face and a reverse face;
attachment means defined at one end of the first plate;
a first rotatable sheave mounted on the rear face of the first plate;
the front face defining a generally straight guide path for the rope, typically in the form of a channel, the guide path having a first end and a second end;
a second attachment means;
a braking mechanism mounted on the front face of the plate generally adjacent the guide path, the braking mechanism being arranged for selectively braking the rope, which in use, passes along the guide path then through the braking mechanism, said braking mechanism being biased towards an engaged position when the rope is prevented from moving in a first direction through the device and including means for moving the braking means out of engagement with the rope to allow the rope to pass freely along the guide path.
The device is typically used with a sheave block defining one or more sheaves. A second sheave, coaxial with the first sheave may be provided.
In use, a rope is attached to the first attachment means on the roping device passes up and around a sheave of the sheave block and back to the roping device then passes along the path adjacent the braking mechanism. The sheave block includes attachment means for attaching a sheave block to a secure attachment point. A person descending from a height attaches themselves to the second attachment means on the roping device and being adjacent the braking mechanism of the rope can easily adjust and control the mechanism to control their decent without assistance from a second person.
In a preferred embodiment the second attachment means is defined in a second plate which is oriented at an acute angle of about 20 to 25° to the first plate and in use lies beneath the fist sheave.
The sheaves are preferably freely rotatable.
A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
a is a diagram of the roping device of
Referring to the drawings,
As is best seen in
The device 10 includes first and second attachment points 34, 32 in the form of holes in the first and second plates, respectively. Hole 34 is intended to allow the user to connect the device by way of a karabiner 1 to a rung of a ladder or other convenient fixing point. As shown in
As illustrated in
As shown in
A second embodiment of a roping device 100 is shown in
Roping device 100 is shown in more detail in
A second attachment point 124 is defined at the base of the roping device in use. This is defined in a plate 126 which extends from the longitudinal edge 106a away from the front plate at an acute angle to the same of approximately 20-25°. In this way, the attachment point defined at the lower end of the device in use, is located generally towards the centre of the roping device and this improves the balance and stability of the apparatus, in use.
In use as shown in
It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2004901507 | Mar 2004 | AU | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/AU2005/000385 | 3/17/2005 | WO | 00 | 3/7/2008 |