US 4,399,889 AGranted

Load lowering apparatus

OwnerWalter Toddinventor

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Abstract

A lightweight apparatus for lowering a load at a controlled rate utilizes an elongated load-carrying strand and a slider assembly mounted on the strand to support a load for controlled downward sliding movement along the strand. The slider assembly includes a brake which is manually operable to control movement of the slider from a complete stop to substantially free fall conditions. In a preferred embodiment, the brake is spring-loaded to an intermediate position to permit a load to be lowered at a safe, relatively slow rate without actuation of the brake. When such preferred embodiment is used by a person to lower himself, a brake control lever may be manually displaced from the intermediate position to increase or decrease the rate of descent.

Claims12

Dependent claims

In a load lowering mechanism of the type employed to lower a load along a generally vertical load supporting line by a slider mechanism including manually operable brake means for frictionally engaging the line to slow the rate of movement of the slider along the line, the improvement wherein said slider assembly comprises,

a rigid open frame including a pair of opposed laterally spaced side members,
fastener means rigidly securing said side members in said opposed laterally spaced relation,
harness means for supporting a load for attachment to said slider assembly,
cooperating fastener means on said harness means and said slider assembly operable to releasably attach said harness means to the slider means for movement therewith,
a pair of parallel, vertically spaced shaft members each having opposed ends mounted one on each of said side members for rotation about a fixed, generally horizontal axis and each having a line-receiving opening extending substantially diametrically therethrough, the line extending through said line receiving opening in each said shaft member whereby said slider assembly is slidably mounted on the line, said line receiving openings being dimensioned to enable the line to pass freely therethrough, and
handle means operably connected with said pair of shaft members and being manually operable to rotate said shaft members through a limited angle of rotation whereby frictional contact between said pair of shaft members and the line passing therethrough may be varied, said handle means including first and second link members rotatably fixed one on one end of each said shaft member, and a third link member pivotally connected to said first and second link members, said first, second and third link members cooperating with said frame to define a parallel linkage which is operable to simultaneously rotate each of said shaft members between a first position in which said line receiving openings extend in substantially vertical alignment with the load supporting line extending therethrough in a generally straight line and a second position in which said line receiving openings in said shaft members are substantially misaligned, with the load supporting line following a zigzag path therethrough.

3 more elements

a rigid open frame including a pair of opposed laterally spaced side members,
fastener means rigidly securing said side members in said opposed laterally spaced relation,
harness means for supporting a load for attachment to said slider assembly,
cooperating fastener means on said harness means and said slider assembly operable to releasably attach said harness means to the slider means for movement therewith,
horizontal shaft means extending between and journaled for rotation in openings in said spaced side members,
line receiving opening means formed in and extending substantially diametrically through said shaft means between said side members, the line extending through said opening means whereby said slider assembly is slidably mounted on the line, said opening means being dimensioned to enable the line to pass freely therethrough,
handle means operably connected with said shaft means, said handle means being manually operable to rotate said shaft means between a first position in which the load supporting line passes through the opening means with minimal frictional contact therebetween, and the second position in which the load supporting line passes through said opening means with a maximum frictional contact therebetween, and
resilient means normally biasing said shaft means to a third position intermediate said first and second positions, the frictional contact between the load supporting line and said shaft means in the third position being sufficient to apply a substantial braking force to said slider assembly and a load supported thereon during movement of the slider assembly along the load supporting line whereby a load may be lowered along the line at a safe, controlled rate without manual actuation of said handle means, said handle means being manually operable to move said shaft means from said intermediate position toward said first position to decrease such frictional contact and toward said second position to increase such frictional contact.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.