US3885647A

US3885647A - Climbing safety device

Info

Publication number: US3885647A
Application number: US376539A
Authority: US
Inventors: Anthony L Acosta
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-07-05
Filing date: 1973-07-05
Publication date: 1975-05-27
Anticipated expiration: 1992-05-27

Abstract

A climbing safety device suitable for use with a ladder includes a pair of bar members pivotally connected to the rails of the ladder and movable therealong. A belt interconnects these bar members, and the user of the device connects the belt around his back. Normally, the bar members move freely up and down the rails as the user ascends and descends the ladder. However, upon downward pivotal movement of the bar members, means fixed to the bar members engage teeth defined by the rails to limit downward movement of the bar members and user relative to the rails.

Description

a :Is United States atent [1 1 3,885,647 Acosta May 27, 1975 CLIMBING SAFETY DEVICE [76] Inventor: Anthony L. Acosta, 1645 Burrows Pnmary EXammer R emaIdO PJ Machado San Francisco Attorney, Agent, FzrmPh1ll1ps, Moore,

Weissenberger, Lempio & Strabala [22] Filed: July 5, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 376,539 [571 ABSTRACT A climbing safety device suitable for use with a ladder includes a pair of bar members pivotally connected to g 182/8 2 L 3g the rails of the ladder and movable therealong. A belt [58] Fie'ld 3 4 9 interconnects these bar members, and the user of the device connects the belt around his back. Normally, the bar members move freely up and down the rails as [56] References cued the user ascends and descends the ladder. However,

UNITED STATES PATENTS upon downward pivotal movement of the bar meme 6 dm id t w mm vm s noa m emf u fi F 0 g mmn .m 0 m v W r mdu r Z Y, a h D une Z emf. 4h, 6 Z S m m L d .l. mw n C r O? 1r 6 l M w m m m 156 5553 3. 55?: t i mwm m mmm M k l /& bfib V n d 555:5;2:55:51:- 5:: HHUWM 8888/ 11112 n n H 1 Mn N m mm T nPdmm umon .mmmw m DPHFJ 3320 33577 99999 HHHH 99 00 06096 67630 1212.1 233 CLIMBING SAFETY DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a climbing safety device, and more particularly to a device adapted to be worn by a climber which will arrest his descent under predetermined downward movement of the climber.

In the prior art, there are various types of climbing safety devices intended for use in ascending or descending upwardly extending climbing members such as ladders or the like, for preventing the fall of the individual under circumstances where the individual loses his footing or grip on the member being climbed. For example, see US. Pat. No. 3,523,591 to Fountain, US. Pat. No. 3,410,364 to Fountain, US. Pat. No. 3,348,632 to Swager, U.S. Pat. No. 1,927,469 to Plumpton, and French Pat. Nos. 1,336,836 and 1,473,300. In general, many of such devices depend for their operation on camming devices which are used to jam against other members.

Many of such devices have been found to be suitable to various degrees in arresting the fall of the climber. On the other hand, many of the prior art devices have been found to be either complicated in construction, or cumbersome to the extent of interfering with or impeding the normal ascent or descent of the climber.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide a climbing safety device which provides for the safety of a person utilizing the device when he has accidentally lost his footing or grip on the member being climbed.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a climbing safety device which, while fulfilling the above object, allows for the free ascent and descent of the member being climbed by the user of the device under normal conditions.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a safety climbing device which, while fulfilling the above objects, is extremely simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and effective in performance.

Broadly stated, the invention comprises a climbing safety device for use with an upwardly extending member for preventing the fall of the user thereof as the user ascends or descends along the upwardly extending member. Such climbing safety device comprises means interconnecting the user and the upwardly extending member and comprising a bar member pivotally connected to the upwardly extending member and movable therealong as the user ascends and descends along the upwardly extending member. The upwardly extending member defines a plurality of depressions along its length. The climbing safety device further comprises engaging means fixed to the bar means and seatable in any one of the depressions to engage the surface defining the depression upon predetermined downward movement of the user which pivots the bar member relative to the upwardly extending member, to limit downward movement of the bar member and user relative to the upwardly extending member, the bar member normally being disposed in an attitude relative to the upwardly extending member to allow relatively free movement of the user and the bar member upwardly and downwardly along the upwardly extending member with the engaging means removed from and free of the depressions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in its normal operating environment;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines III-Ill in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of another embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Shown in FIGS. 1-3 is a first embodiment of the inventive climbing safety device 10. As shown therein, the device is used in combination with an upwardly extending ladder 12, which is made up of

rails

14,16 interconnected by rungs 18.

Bar members

20,22 are associated with the

rails

14,16 respectively, and as these

bar members

20,22 and their associated structure are similar in construction and operation, only bar member 20 and rail 14 and their association will be described in detail.

Bar member 20 has rotatably fixed to one end thereof a roller 24. Such roller 24 is disposed within and rollable along a channel 26 defined by the rail 14 (i.e., rail 14 is actually an elongated channel member). Thus, the bar member 20 is pivotal upwardly and downwardly relative to the rail 14, and is movable upwardly and downwardly along the rail 14 through rolling of roller 24 in the channel 26.

The rail 14 defines a plurality of teeth 28 along its length as shown. The spaces between the tips of these teeth 28 defines a plurality of depressions 30. A flange member 32 is fixed to the bar member 20 and extends therefrom past the teeth 28. The flange member 32 defines a lower edge 34 which, it will be seen, is seatable in any one of the depressions 30 to engage the surface defining such depression, upon predetermined downward pivoting of the bar member 30 relative to the rail 14. However, with the bar member 20 in an upward attitude, with the edge 34 removed from the depressions 30, relatively free movement of the bar member 20 upwardly and downwardly on the rail 14 is allowed, through the rolling of such roller 24 in channel 26. In the use of such device, a belt 36 interconnects the

bar members

20,22, andis disposed about the back of the user 38. As the user 38 normally ascends or descends the ladder 12,

bar members

20,22 move freely up and down the

respective rails

14,16 because the engaging means (i.e., the flange members) are removed from and free of the associated depressions defined by

rails

14,16. However, if the individual 38 should, for example, slip on the rung and start to fall downward, the edges of the flange members (at 34) upon predetermined downward movement of the individual 38 and downward pivoting of the

bar members

20,22, will engage respective surfaces defining the depressions between the teeth of the

rails

14,16. Thus, the fall of the user is prevented.

In FIG. 4, a similar safety device 40 is shown, except that a block member 42 is fixed to and extends from the bar member 44, instead of the flange member 32. Such block member 42 defines a plurality of teeth 46, as shown which, upon the previously described downward pivoting of bar member 44, are seatable in a plurality of depressions 48 defined by the teeth 50 of the associated rail 52. Thus, the operation of this embodiment of safety device 40 is gubstantially the same as that of the previous embodiment. However, in this embodiment, even greater Contact between the rail 52 and the railengaging means is provided, for an extremely positive support.

What is claimed is:

1. A climbing safety device for use with an upwardly extending member for preventing the fall of the user thereof as said user ascends or descends along the upwardly extending member comprising:

means interconnecting the user and the upwardly extending member and comprising a bar member connected at one end to the user and pivotally connected at the other end to the upwardly extending member and movable therealong as the user ascends and descends along the upwardly extending member;

the upwardly extending member defining a plurality of depressions along its length;

engaging means fixed to the bar member intermediate its ends and seatable in any one of said depressions to engage the surface defining said depression upon predetermined downward movement of the user which pivots the bar member downwardly relative to the upwardly extending member to limit downward movement of the bar member, and user relative to the upwardly extending member;

the bar member normally being disposed in an attitude relative to the upwardly extending member to allow relatively free movement of the user and the bar member therewith upwardly and downwardly 4. The device of claim 2 wherein the engaging means comprise a block member fixed to and extending from the bar member and defining a plurality of teeth seatable in a plurality of said depressions.

5. The device of claim 3 wherein said upwardly extending member comprises an elongated channel member, and wherein the bar member is pivotally connected to the channel member by means of a roller rotatably fixed to the bar member and disposed within and rollable along the channel defined by the channel member.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein said upwardly extending member comprises an elongated channel member, and wherein the bar member is pivotally connected to the channel member by means of a roller rotatably fixed to the bar member and disposed within and rollable along the channel defined by the channel

Claims

1. A climbing safety device for use with an upwardly extending member for preventing the fall of the user thereof as said user ascends or descends along the upwardly extending member comprising: means interconnecting the user and the upwardly extending member and comprising a bar member connected at one end to the user and pivotally connected at the other end to the upwardly extending member and movable therealong as the user ascends and descends along the upwardly extending member; the upwardly extending member defining a plurality of depressions along its length; engaging means fixed to the bar member intermediate its ends and seatable in any one of said depressions to engage the surface defining said depression upon predetermined downward movement of the user which pivots the bar member downwardly relative to the upwardly extending member to limit downward movement of the bar member, and user relative to the upwardly extending member; the bar member normally being disposed in an attitude relative to the upwardly extending member to allow relatively free movement of the user and the bar member therewith upwardly and downwardly along the upwardly extending member with the engaging means being removed from and free of said depressions.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said upwardly extending member defines a plurality of teeth along its length, the spaces between the tips of said teeth defining said depressions.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the engaging means comprise a flange member fixed to and extending from the bar member, and defining an edge seatable in any one of said depressions.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein the engaging means comprise a block member fixed to and extending from the bar member and defining a plurality of teeth seatable in a plurality of said depressions.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein said upwardly extending member comprises an elongated channel member, and wherein the bar member is pivotally connected to the channel member by means of a roller rotatably fixed to the bar member and disposed within and rollable along the channel defined by the channel member.