Descender device

A descender device for enabling a controlled descent along a tether, the device comprising

• a frame having a front and rear side, the frame comprising a first and second aperture disposed therein for receiving a tether, the first and second aperture extending between the front and rear side of the frame, the tether being arranged to pass between the first and second apertures substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the frame,
• the device further comprising a control bar disposed within the second aperture, the control bar extending across the second aperture and constrained to move in a plane of the second aperture, substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis of the bar, wherein in use, the tether is arranged to loop around the control bar within the second aperture and a free ends of the tether are arranged to extend out from the first aperture, away from the front side of the frame,
• wherein the device further comprises a control member for limiting the extent to which the control bar can slide along the second aperture, the control member having a body and side walls and being slidably coupled to the frame and comprising a pair of elongate slots formed within the body, which extend substantially parallel to each other and to the side walls, along a portion of a length of the body,
• wherein the control member is arranged to partially shroud the second aperture at the rear side thereof and the length of the slots are chosen so that a separation of the control bar from a proximal end of the second aperture is limited by a proximal end of the body of the control member which is arranged to limit the extent to which the control bar can slide toward a distal end of the second aperture.