Continuous assist zipline braking and control system

Apparatus for braking a zipline rider traversing a main cable, the zipline rider suspended beneath a rider block moveably mountable to the main cable, the apparatus comprising:

• a brake line extending generally parallel to a substantial portion of the main cable, the brake line entrained around first and second reels respectively rotatably mounted near opposed ends of the main cable;
• a brake coupled to at least one of the reels and operable to slow and arrest rotation of the at least one of the reels;
• and
• a tether couplable between the zipline rider and the brake line
• wherein:
• the brake line comprises an endless loop rotatably supported by the first and second reels;
• the brake is coupled to the second reel, the second reel located near a lower end of the main cable;
• the first reel is rotatably supported near an upper end of the main cable;
• the second reel is rotatably supported near the lower end of the main cable;
• the apparatus further comprises a third reel rotatably supported near the second reel for entrainment of an intermediate portion of the brake line around the second and third reels;
• the first reel comprises a first circumferential groove for receiving the brake line, the second reel comprises a second circumferential groove for receiving the brake line and the third reel comprises a third circumferential groove for receiving the brake line;
• the apparatus further comprises a first guide mounted near the second reel, the first guide for guiding the brake line into the second circumferential groove of the second reel;
• and
• the apparatus further comprises a second guide mounted near the third reel, the second guide for guiding the brake line into the third circumferential groove of the third reel.

Apparatus for braking a zipline rider traversing a main cable that extends between a launch platform and a landing platform, the zipline rider suspended beneath a rider block moveably mountable to the main cable, the apparatus comprising:

• a brake line extending generally parallel to a substantial portion of the main cable, the brake line entrained around first and second reels respectively rotatably mounted near opposed ends of the main cable, the first reel rotatably mounted at a first location more proximate to the launch platform than to the landing platform and the second reel rotatably mounted at a second location more proximate to the landing platform than to the launch platform;
• a brake coupled to at least one of the reels and operable to slow and arrest rotation of the at least one of the reels;
• and
• a tether couplable between the zipline rider and the brake line;
• wherein the tether comprises one or more components which couple the brake line to a wearable harness.

Apparatus for braking a zipline rider traversing a main cable that extends between a launch platform and a landing platform, the zipline rider suspended beneath a rider block moveably mountable to the main cable, the apparatus comprising:

• a brake line extending generally parallel to a substantial portion of the main cable, the brake line entrained around first and second reels respectively rotatably mounted near opposed ends of the main cable, the first reel rotatably mounted at a first location more proximate to the launch platform than to the landing platform and the second reel rotatably mounted at a second location more proximate to the landing platform than to the launch platform;
• a brake coupled to at least one of the reels and operable to slow and arrest rotation of the at least one of the reels;
• and
• a tether couplable between the zipline rider and the brake line;
• wherein the tether comprises one or more components which couple the brake line to the rider block;
• and
• wherein the one or more components comprise a loop fixed to the brake line and one or more links coupled between the loop and the rider block.

Apparatus for braking a zipline rider traversing a main cable that extends between a launch platform and a landing platform, the zipline rider suspended beneath a rider block moveably mountable to the main cable, the apparatus comprising:

• a brake line extending generally parallel to a substantial portion of the main cable, the brake line entrained around first and second reels respectively rotatably mounted near opposed ends of the main cable, the first reel rotatably mounted at a first location more proximate to the launch platform than to the landing platform and the second reel rotatably mounted at a second location more proximate to the landing platform than to the launch platform;
• a brake coupled to at least one of the reels and operable to slow and arrest rotation of the at least one of the reels;
• and
• a tether couplable between the zipline rider and the brake line;
• wherein the tether comprises one or more components which couple the brake line to the rider block;
• and
• wherein the one or more components comprise a plurality of loops fixed to the brake line at spaced intervals and one or more links coupleable between any one of the loops and the rider block.

Apparatus for braking a zipline rider traversing a main cable, the zipline rider suspended beneath a rider block moveably mountable to the main cable, the apparatus comprising:

• a brake line extending generally parallel to a substantial portion of the main cable, the brake line entrained around first and second reels respectively rotatably mounted near opposed ends of the main cable;
• a brake coupled to at least one of the reels and operable to slow and arrest rotation of the at least one of the reels;
• and
• a tether couplable between the zipline rider and the brake line
• wherein
• the tether comprises a cleat fixed to the rider block;
• and
• the brake line frictionally engages the cleat.

Apparatus, for braking a zipline rider traversing a main cable, the zipline rider suspended beneath a rider block moveably mountable to the main cable, the apparatus comprising:

• a brake line extending generally parallel to a substantial portion of the main cable, the brake line entrained around first and second reels respectively rotatably mounted near opposed ends of the main cable;
• a brake coupled to at least one of the reels and operable to slow and arrest rotation of the at least one of the reels;
• and
• a tether couplable between the zipline rider and the brake line;
• wherein:
• the brake line comprises an endless loop rotatably supported by the first and second reels;
• and
• the apparatus further comprises:
• a motor drivingly coupled to at least one of the reels for driving the at least one of the reels to reposition the brake line;
• a battery electrically connected to the motor;
• and a dynamo drivingly coupled to at least one of the reels for converting kinetic energy of the at least one of the reels to electrical energy for storage in the battery.

Apparatus for braking a zipline rider traversing a main cable, the zipline rider suspended beneath a rider block moveably mountable to the main cable, the apparatus comprising:

• a brake line extending generally parallel to a substantial portion of the main cable, the brake line entrained around first and second reels respectively rotatably mounted near opposed ends of the main cable;
• a brake coupled to at least one of the reels and operable to slow and arrest rotation of the at least one of the reels;
• and
• a clamp on the rider block for clampingly engaging the brake line.

Apparatus for braking a zipline rider traversing a main cable that extends between a launch platform and a landing platform, the zipline rider suspended beneath a rider block moveably mountable to the main cable, the apparatus comprising:

• a brake line extending generally parallel to a substantial portion of the main cable, the brake line entrained around first and second reels respectively rotatably mounted near opposed ends of the main cable, the first reel rotatably mounted at a first location more proximate to the launch platform than to the landing platform and the second reel rotatably mounted at a second location more proximate to the landing platform than to the launch platform;
• a brake coupled to at least one of the reels and operable to slow and arrest rotation of the at least one of the reels;
• and
• a braking block mounted on the main cable to releasably engage the rider block, the braking block tethered to the brake line.

A method for braking a zipline rider traversing a main cable from a launch area to a landing area, the zipline rider suspended beneath a rider block moveable mountable to the main cable, the method comprising:

• extending a brake line generally parallel to a substantial portion of the main cable from a first location more proximate to the launch area than to the landing area to a second location more proximate to the landing area than to the launch area;
• tethering the brake line to at least one of:
• a wearable harness and the rider block;
• and
• decelerating the brake line to slow and arrest motion of the zipline rider.