# US 5,701,972 A · Device for roping down or hoisting persons and/or loads from or to great heights > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,701,972 A - Document ID: US5701972A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/381,987 - Filed: 1995-03-30 - Granted: 1997-12-30 - Earliest claimed: 1992-08-10 - Assignees: Hans Bloder - Inventors: Hans Bloder - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5701972A ## CPC - A62B 1/10: mechanically operated - A62B 1/14: with brakes sliding on the rope - A62B: DEVICES, APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR LIFE-SAVING (valves specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; life-saving devices, apparatus or methods specially adapted for use in water B63C9/00; divers' equipment B63C11/00; specially adopted for use with aircraft, e.g. parachutes, ejector seats, {B64D17/00, B64D25/10}; rescue devices peculiar to mining E21F11/00) ## Abstract A device for lowering or raising people and/or loads over heights, in which the rope pulley is rotatably fitted on a base plate via a brake disc. A brake pad is allocated to the brake disc on one side of the base plate and on the other on a pressure plate secured against rotation. Pressure can be applied to the pressure plate by a tension bolt passing through the brake disc bearing and the tension bolt is coupled to the suspension of the device via a power deflection device via which the weight of the person and/or load to be lowered or raised can be converted into a tensile force on the bolt. A concentrically arranged toothed wheel is connected to the brake disc which engages with a gear system also fitted in the base plate via which an additional centrifugal braking device can be actuated. At this point, the suspension of the device takes the form of a pull rod guided to be movable on the base plate an end of which can pivot on an arm of a bell-crank lever, with the other end pivotally connected to the tension bolt. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Device for roping down or hoisting persons and/or loads from or into great heights, including a suspension, a rope pulley rotatably supported by a base plate via a brake disk, with a brake lining being associated with the brake disk on one side along the base plate and on the other side along a pressure plate which is secured against rotation with a respective brake lining wherein pressure is applied onto the pressure plate by a tension bolt which traverses the brake disk and is connected with the suspension via a force deflection unit via which the weight of the person and/or load being roped down or hoisted is convertible into a tensile force on the bolt, and wherein the brake disk is connected to a concentric gear rim in mesh with a gearing which is supported in the base plate, and further including at least a centrifugal brake unit which is driven by the gearing, wherein the suspension (16) is formed by a tie rod (15) preferably guided for displacement on the base plate (1) and having one end (19) pivotably supported on one arm of a bell-crank lever (17) which is pivotably supported on the base plate (1) and has an other arm pivotably connected with the tension bolt (9). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Device according to claim 1, wherein the tension bolt (9) has a head portion formed interiorly with a spherical calotte shaped surface for engagement in a complementary recess of a plate (11) positioned between the head portion (10) and the pressure plate (8) to act upon the pressure plate (8). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Device according to claim 1, wherein a conventional stop unit (51, 52) for blocking the rope travel in one direction is provided on the centrifugal brake unit (37, 38) in addition to the brake unit (6, 3, 7) acted upon by the tension bolt (9), and that this stop unit enables an engagement of at least one stop bolt (57) via an interposed friction clutch (54, 55) upon the brake shoes (41) of the centrifugal brake unit (37, 38) to effect an increase of the braking action. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) Device according to claim 3, wherein the brake disk (3) is rotatable in two rotational direction, wherein for each of the two rotational directions of the brake disk (3) and the gear rim (22) connected therewith a separate centrifugal brake unit (37, 38, respectively) is provided which are in operation in dependence of the rotational direction of the brake disk (3). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) Device according to claim 1, wherein the tie rod (15) is adjustable in a longitudinal direction to effect a presetting of the tensile force of the tension bolt (9). ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) Device according to claim 5, and further comprising a screw (65) for adjusting the tie rod (15) in a longitudinal direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) Device according to claim 1, wherein an additional adjustment unit (68-71) for modifying the angular position of the bell-crank lever (17) and thus the adjustment of the tension bolt (9) is connected to the bell-crank lever (17). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) Device according to claim 1, wherein a hoisting winch unit (91) is mounted to the base plate (1) or a component (67) securely connected therewith and is engageable with the gear rim (22) connected with the brake disk (3). ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) Device according to claim 8, wherein the hoisting winch unit (91) includes a gearing with return stop in mesh with the gear rim (22) via a connection gear (92). ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) Device according to claim 9, wherein the gearing with return stop is formed as self-locking worm gearing (95, 98). ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) Device according to claim 1, wherein the rope pulley (2) connected with the gear rim (22) via the brake disk (3) includes a rope bed (73) lined with an anti-slip material, with prestressed units (77-79, and 80-83, respectively) being provided for pressing the rope (74) in the rope bed (73). ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) Device according to claim 11, wherein a rope track race (77) is arranged upon an eccentrically adjustable bearing (78, 79) for prestressing the unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) Device according to claim 11, wherein for prestressing the unit a rope roller (80) is supported upon a pivot lever (81) which is loaded by a spring (83) in a direction toward the rope pulley. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) Device according to claim 1, wherein a roller guide (84) for distancing both rope strands (74', 74") is provided on the base pate (1) in the area of the lower runouts of both rope strands (74', 74"). ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) Device according to claim 14, wherein the roller guide (84) is freely adjustably arranged on the base plate (1) transversely to the rope runout direction. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) Device according to claim 15, wherein the roller guide (84) includes rope rollers (85, 86) wherein for adjusting the roller guide (84) a carriage (87) is provided for rotatably supporting the rope rollers (85, 86) of the roller guide (84), with the carriage (87) being slidably supported at guides (89) provided on the base plate (1). ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) Device according to claim 16, wherein the guides (89) are formed as rods along which the roller guide (84) is movable via retainer rollers (88). ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) Device according to claim 1, wherein guide base plate (100) are arranged on the base plate (1) or a component (67) connected therewith on the outside parallel to the tie rod (15) for slidable attachment of the device in a support frame or the like (101). ### Claim 19 (depends on 6) Device according to claim 6, wherein the screw (65) is arranged on the base plate (1) and acts upon a lever (63) which has a pivot axis (64) also arranged on the base plate (1), said tie rod being formed with a recess (60) defined by transverse flanks (61, 62), with the lever (63) engaging the recess (60) of the tie rod (15) and bearing upon the transverse flanks (61, 62) of the recess (60).