Rope climbing systems and methods of use

An apparatus for rope climbing comprising:

• a primary unit comprising:
• a mounting structure comprising a frame and a plurality of attachment structures configured to mount said mounting structure on a wall or a ceiling structure;
• a first plurality of support structures coupled with or within said mounting structure comprising first set of a first and second spaced apart support structures operable to receive and support a rope or cable routed through or in relation to said mounting structure;
• a secondary unit comprising:
• a mounting structure comprising a frame and a plurality of attachment structures configured to mount said mounting structure on a wall or supporting structure;
• a second plurality of support structures coupled with said mounting structure comprising a second set of first and second spaced apart support structures operable to receive and support a rope or cable routed through or in relation to said mounting structure;
• a first flexible rope or cable supported and directed by said plurality of support structures of both said primary and secondary units, wherein said first rope or cable is formed in a loop structure having a first length defined as a circumference of the full loop and a second length defined as a distance from end to end of said loop along a first axis defined in a direction of gravity when said rope is freely suspended by said first set of support structures, said first rope or cable is configured to maintain structural integrity after application of at least a first force, said first flexible rope or cable is adapted to maintain structural integrity while bending and receiving said first force between sixty degrees and one hundred and twenty degrees;
• a first braking mechanism coupled with said mounting structure, said first braking mechanism includes a friction structure configured for selectively applying a variable friction force to said first rope or cable;
• a first boom or rod extending away from said mounting structure along a second axis defined by a plane parallel with a support surface under said primary unit or a section of said rope or cable disposed between at least two of said first plurality of support structures, said boom or rod is coupled with said first braking mechanism so as to actuate said braking mechanisms to apply said variable friction force to said rope or cable;
• and
• a second rope or cable of a third length with a first and second coupling section, said first coupling section is configured to attach to said first boom or rod, said second coupling section is configured to attach to a human torso connecting said torso to said first boom or rod, said first boom or rod is configured to mechanically actuate said first braking mechanism to apply or release said friction on said first rope or cable in response to force applied to said first boom or rod from a weight of a climber attached to said second rope or cable.

A method of manufacture comprising:

• providing an apparatus for rope climbing comprising:
• a mounting structure comprising a frame and a plurality of attachment structures configured to mount said mounting structure on a wall or a ceiling structure;
• a plurality of support structures coupled with said mounting structure comprising a first and second spaced apart support structures;
• a first flexible rope or cable supported and directed by said plurality of support structures, wherein said plurality of support structures are configured to receive and support said a rope or cable routed through or in relation to said mounting structure, wherein said first rope or cable is formed in a loop structure having a first length defined as a circumference of the full loop and a second length defined as a distance from end to end of said loop along a first axis defined in a direction of gravity when said rope is freely suspended by said plurality of support structures, said first rope or cable is configured to maintain structural integrity after application of at least a first force, said first flexible rope or cable is adapted to maintain structural integrity while bending and receiving said first force between sixty degrees and one hundred and twenty degrees;
• a braking mechanism coupled with said mounting structure, said braking mechanism includes a friction structure configured for selectively applying friction to said first rope or cable to a sufficient degree as to maintain said first flexible rope or cable in fixed position relative to said mounting structure, wherein said friction is applied in response to a second force, wherein said second force is less than said first force;
• a boom or rod extending away from said mounting structure, said boom or rod is coupled with said mounting structure, said boom or rod is coupled with said friction structure;
• and
• a second rope or cable of a third length with a first and second coupling section, said first coupling section is configured to attach to said boom or rod, said second coupling section is configured to attach to a user and connects said user to said boom or rod, wherein and thereby mechanically actuates said braking mechanism to apply or release said friction on said first rope or cable in response to a weight from an unsupported mass suspended to said boom or rod.

A method of use comprising:

• providing an apparatus for rope climbing comprising:
• a mounting structure comprising a frame and a plurality of attachment structures configured to mount said mounting structure on a wall or a ceiling structure;
• a plurality of support structures coupled with said mounting structure comprising a first and second spaced apart support structures;
• a first flexible rope or cable supported and directed by said plurality of support structures, wherein said plurality of support structures are configured to receive and support said a rope or cable routed through or in relation to said mounting structure, wherein said first rope or cable is formed in a loop structure having a first length defined as a circumference of the full loop and a second length defined as a distance from end to end of said loop along a first axis defined in a direction of gravity when said rope is freely suspended by said plurality of support structures, said first rope or cable is configured to maintain structural integrity after application of at least a first force, said first flexible rope or cable is adapted to maintain structural integrity while bending and receiving said first force between sixty degrees and one hundred and twenty degrees;
• a braking mechanism coupled with said mounting structure, said braking mechanism includes a friction structure configured for selectively applying friction to said first rope or cable to slow movement of said rope or cable as well as maintaining said first flexible rope or cable in fixed position relative to said mounting structure;
• a boom or rod extending away from said mounting structure, said boom or rod is coupled with said braking mechanism to actuate said braking structure and said friction structure when said boom or rod is displaced at a first terminal end;
• a second rope or cable of a third length with a first and second coupling section, said first coupling section is configured to attach to a second terminal end of said boom or rod, said second coupling section is configured to attach to a user and connects said user to said boom or rod, said second rope or cable and said boom or rod mechanically actuates said braking mechanism to apply or release said friction on said first rope or cable in response to a weight from an unsupported mass suspended to said second rope or cable;
• mounting said apparatus on a vertical surface or ceiling;
• attaching said second coupling section of said second rope or cable to a climber and actuating said braking mechanism to said rope or cable;
• climbing said first rope or cable and thereby removing weight from said rope.

A method of operation of a claiming apparatus comprising:

• providing or accessing said climbing apparatus comprising a first apparatus comprising a housing having a first and second axis where said first axis is perpendicular to said second axis, an adjustable threaded structure coupled to said housing, a set of pulleys including an adjustable rope tension pulley assembly disposed in said housing, a loop of textured rope disposed through and on the set of pulleys, a brake configured to apply a friction force on said rope where said brake is disposed in said housing attached to a brake boom that extends away from the brake and said housing within an arc defined by an angle of up to thirty degrees above and below said first axis, a spring connected to both the brake boom and said adjustable threaded structure, and an elastic cable connected to a first end of the brake boom on an opposing end of a second end of the brake boom coupled to the brake, wherein the elastic cable further comprises an attaching mechanism adapted to attach to a rope climber who ascends a portion of the rope, wherein said rope extends away from said housing along said first axis and from a first and second location of said housing, wherein said elastic cable has a first length configured to enable said elastic cable to stretch between ten and thirty percent of its length from a fully down deflected position of said brake boom down to a point above a support surface underneath said rope climbing system that said rope climber will assume as an initial climbing position at which the elastic cable is coupled to said rope climber's body, wherein said elastic cable is configured or formed to decrease an elastic force on said brake boom until said rope climber ascends to a point on said loop that all said elastic force is relaxed on said brake boom, wherein said elastic force is proportional to an amount of torque the brake boom applies to said brake, wherein said friction force applied by said brake is configured to be altered or adjusted by altering position of at least one said adjustable rope tension pulley assembly or the adjustable threaded structure that adjusts position of said spring, wherein said adjustable threaded structure is adapted to selectively move said brake towards or away from a section of said rope between one of said pulleys and said brake to apply or release said friction force against said section of said rope, wherein said housing is further formed with first and second elongated apertures which is parallel to said axis and is formed on opposing sides of said adjustable rope tension pulley assembly and is configured to enable said adjustable rope tension pulley assembly to move within said aperture to alter said friction forces on said section of said rope, said adjustable rope tension pulley assembly is further formed with a threaded knob that threadedly engages with said adjustable rope tension pulley assembly to apply a movement restriction force to said adjustable rope tension pulley assembly to fix said adjustable rope tension pulley assembly relative to said housing;
• adjusting a position of the adjustable rope tension pulley or said adjustable threaded structure to establish a predetermined and desired static braking effect on said rope section;
• connecting the elastic cable to a climber via the attaching mechanism on said support surface;
• and
• climbing or ascending the rope, wherein when the elastic cable stretches and applies said elastic force on the brake boom thereby engages the brake and applies said friction force to said rope section such that said rope section either remains fixed in position or moves slowly relative to said brake and increases in speed as said friction force is reduced as the elastic cable loses tension thereby proportionally relieving the brake, circulating the rope, causing the rope to move towards said support surface at a speed that increases as said climber moves away from said support surface.

A climbing apparatus comprising:

• a first apparatus comprising:
• a housing having a first and second axis where said first axis is perpendicular to said second axis;
• an adjustable threaded structure coupled to said housing;
• a set of pulleys including an adjustable rope tension pulley assembly disposed in said housing;
• a loop of textured rope disposed through and on the set of pulleys;
• a brake boom and a brake disposed in said housing attached to said brake boom that extends away from the brake and said housing within an arc defined by an angle of up to forty degrees above and below said first axis;
• a spring connected to both the brake boom and said adjustable threaded structure;
• and
• an elastic cable connected to a first end of the brake boom on an opposing end of a second end of the brake boom coupled to the brake, wherein the elastic cable further comprises an attaching mechanism adapted to attach to a rope climber who ascends a portion of the rope;
• wherein said rope extends away from said housing at rest along said first axis and from a first and second location of said housing;
• wherein said elastic cable has a first length configured to enable said elastic cable to stretch between ten and thirty percent of its length from a fully down deflected position of said brake boom down to a point above a support surface underneath said rope climbing system that said rope climber will assume as an initial climbing position at which the elastic cable is coupled to said rope climber's body;
• wherein said elastic cable is configured or formed to decrease an elastic force on said brake boom until said rope climber ascends to a point on said loop that all said elastic force is relaxed on said brake boom;
• wherein said brake applies a friction force to the rope is proportional to weight of the rope climber transmitted through the elastic cable via the brake boom that is applied to said brake.

A method of operating a claiming apparatus comprising:

• providing or accessing a first apparatus comprising a first controller, a first user interface in wired communication with the first controller, a rope braking system and a brake actuator, a primary wireless unit positioned in proximity with the controller, an endless loop of rope, and a plurality of contact surfaces to direct the rope including a final surface that is the last directive surface that a portion of the endless loop of rope interacts with before that portion of the endless loop of rope exits the first apparatus;
• the system further including a second apparatus comprising a secondary wireless unit, a second user interface, and a second controller in a user case configured to attach to the user, wherein the primary wireless unit is configured to communicate with the secondary wireless unit positioned on a user, wherein the first apparatus is further configured to determine an actual distance between the primary and secondary wireless units based on wireless transmission distance measurements, the controller further includes a section configured to receive a brake release distance setting, and a re-engagement distance via the user interface, wherein the brake release distance setting defines a rope release distance between the primary and secondary units when the controller operates the braking actuator to release the rope controlled by the apparatus to permit the rope to circulate until the re-engagement distance is measured between the primary and secondary wireless units, wherein the controller is further configured to apply a variable friction to the rope based on distance between the primary wireless unit and the secondary wireless unit having a pre-determined and user-defined maximum and minimum rope release rate points at set but variable distances that can be established via the first or second user interface, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a distance between the secondary wireless unit and the final directive surface via a computation performed by the first controller, the computation comprising the Pythagorean theorem using the measured distance as the hypotenuse and a predetermined distance between the first wireless unit and the final directive surface as a leg of a right triangle, and wherein the first apparatus further comprises a rope speed sensor comprising an motor-generator including an electronic database of a table of voltage to rope speed ratios, a processor, and a pulley about which runs the rope, wherein the circulation of the rope spins the pulley of the motor-generator to produce a voltage, the processor then references the induced voltage to the database to determine the speed of the rope, and wherein the first apparatus is secured to a wall, ceiling, or other supporting structure;
• establishing a wireless or wired connection between the primary and secondary wireless units;
• configuring the controller to establish the brake release and re-engagement distances and/or the maximum and minimum brake release rate points either using the user interface, the said secondary wireless unit having an interface comprising a display on the secondary wireless unit with user input buttons or touch screen or by an analog dial;
• securing the secondary wireless unit to a climber;
• and
• the user climbs the rope of said apparatus, and when the user reaches the brake release distance as previously determined by the user input, the first controller releases the brake allowing the rope to circulate, reengaging the brake when the measured distance again equals the predetermined reengage distance, or when using the variable brake release function, the first controller proportionally releases and engages the brake in response to the calculated distance between the second wireless unit and final directive surface, allowing for the rope to circulate at a rate within the maximum and minimum rate of rope speed established by the previous user input and measured by the speed sensor.

A rope climbing apparatus comprising:

• a first apparatus comprising a first controller, a first user interface in wired communication with the first controller, a rope braking system and a brake actuator, a primary wireless unit positioned in proximity with the controller, a loop of rope, and a plurality of contact surfaces to direct the rope including a final surface that is the last directive surface that a portion of the loop of rope interacts with within the first apparatus;
• and
• a second apparatus comprising a secondary wireless unit, a second user interface, and a second controller in a user case configured to attach to a user, wherein the primary wireless unit is configured to communicate with the secondary wireless unit positioned on the user;
• wherein the first apparatus is further configured to determine an actual distance between the primary and secondary wireless units based on wireless transmission distance measurements, the controller further includes a section configured to receive a brake release distance setting, and a re-engagement distance via the user interface, wherein the brake release distance setting defines a rope release distance between the primary and secondary units when the controller operates the braking actuator to release the rope controlled by the apparatus to permit the rope to circulate until the re-engagement distance is measured between the primary and secondary wireless units, wherein the controller is further configured to apply a variable friction to the rope based on distance between the primary wireless unit and the secondary wireless unit having a pre-determined and user-defined maximum and minimum rope release rate points at set but variable distances that can be established via the first or second user interface, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a distance between the secondary wireless unit and the final directive surface via a computation performed by the first controller, wherein the first apparatus further comprises a rope speed sensor comprising an motor-generator including an electronic database of a table of voltage to rope speed ratios, a processor, and a pulley about which runs the rope, wherein circulation of the rope spins a pulley of the motor-generator to produce a voltage, the processor then references the induced voltage to the database to determine the speed of the rope, and wherein the first apparatus is secured to a wall, ceiling, or other supporting structure.