Rope climbing device

Abstract

A rope climbing device includes a housing having a compartment for slidably receiving a rope, a lever pivotally coupled to the housing with a spindle and having one or more teeth for engaging with the rope and for selectively securing the housing to the rope, and a foot-hold attached to the lever for engaging with the foot of the user and for forcing the teeth of the lever to selectively engage with the rope, and a pressing device may selectively engage with the rope when the tooth of the lever is disengaged from the rope for preventing the housing of the rope climbing device from sliding downwardly relative to or along the rope inadvertently.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a rope climbing device, and more particularly to a rope climbing device including a resilient or spring-biased engaging device for selectively engaging with the rope and for facilitating the movement of the rope climbing device along the rope and for preventing the rope climbing device from sliding or moving downwardly relative to or along the rope inadvertently

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical rope climbing devices are provided for use in climbing up or down a taut rope and comprise closely similar handle and pedal units each including two pivotally connected members between which the rope passes and by which the rope may be alternatively clamped and released through suitable manipulation of the user.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,620 to Nothiger discloses one of the typical rope climbers also comprising a handle unit and a pedal unit each including two pivotally connected members for engaging with the taut rope and for alternatively clamping and releasing the taut rope, and thus for allowing the handle and pedal units to climb up or down the taut rope.

However, the two hands and/or the two feet of the user should be moved up or down along the taut rope simultaneously and may not be moved separately. In addition, once the two pivotally connected members of either the handle unit or the pedal unit are separated from each other or disengaged from the taut rope, no other retaining devices may attach or couple the handle and pedal units to the taut rope such that the handle and pedal units may slip downwardly along the taut rope inadvertently.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,791 to Hong discloses another typical rope climber comprising two grooved wheels having the outer circumferences in close contact and capable of rotating in opposite directions for sliding up and down a cable or rope.

However, similarly, the two hands and/or the two feet of the user also should be moved up or down along the taut rope simultaneously and may not be moved separately. In addition, once the two grooved wheels are separated from each other or disengaged from the cable or rope, no other retaining devices may attach or couple the rope climber to the cable or rope such that the rope climber also may slip downwardly along the cable or rope inadvertently.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,669 to Lew et al. discloses a further typical rope climbing and sliding device comprising a handle assembly having a pair of handles, and a stirrup assembly having two foot-holds for sliding up and down a cable or rope, and a harness depending from the handle assembly for supporting the users.

However, similarly, the two hands and/or the two feet of the user also should be moved up or down along the cable or rope simultaneously and may not be moved separately. In addition, once the handles or the foot-holds are separated from each other or disengaged from the cable or rope, no other retaining devices may attach or couple the rope climbing and sliding device to the cable or rope such that the rope climbing and sliding device also may slip downwardly along the cable or rope inadvertently.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,286,625 to AstvasaDoorian discloses a still further typical rope climbing device that attaches to a person's feet for assisting with ascending or descending along a rope, comprising a frame including a housing and a base member coupled together, and a slide member partially enclosed in the housing and slidable along the frame and having hooks for engaging with a rope with two pivoting cams, and the downward force on the base member resulting from the user's weight moves the slide member upward relative to the frame.

However, when the hooks and/or the pivoting cams are separated from each other or disengaged from the cable or rope, no other retaining devices may attach or couple the rope climbing device to the rope such that the rope climbing device also may slip downwardly along the rope inadvertently.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional rope climbing devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a rope climbing device including a resilient or spring-biased engaging device for selectively engaging with the rope and for facilitating the movement of the rope climbing device along the rope and for preventing the rope climbing device from sliding downwardly relative to or along the rope inadvertently.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a rope climbing device comprising a housing including a compartment formed therein for slidably receiving a rope, a lever pivotally coupled to the housing with a spindle and including at least one tooth for selectively engaging with the rope and for selectively securing the housing to the rope, and including a foot-hold for engaging with a foot of a user and for forcing the tooth of the lever to selectively engage with the rope, and a pressing device for selectively engaging with the rope when the tooth of the lever is disengaged from the rope.

The pressing device includes an arm pivotally coupled to the housing, and includes a pressing member coupled to the arm for engaging with the rope. The pressing member may either be a gear or a ratchet gear.

A pawl may further be provided and pivotally coupled to the arm with a pivot pole and biased to engage with the ratchet gear for limiting the ratchet gear to rotate unidirectionally relative to the arm.

A spring member may further be provided and attached to the arm for biasing and forcing the pressing member to engage with the rope. The spring member may be engaged with the lever.

The pressing member is pivotally coupled to the arm with a rod, and the housing includes a panel having a curved slot formed therein for slidably receiving the rod and for limiting the arm and the pressing member to rotate relative to the panel of the housing. The panel is pivotally coupled to the housing with a pivot axle for supporting the spindle.

The lever includes a curved groove formed therein, and a shaft is attached to the housing and slidably engaged in the curved groove of the lever for limiting the shaft to slide along the curved groove of the lever and thus for limiting the lever to rotate relative to the housing.

A frame may further be provided and attached to the housing for supporting the spindle. A fastener may further be provided and engaged with the housing and the frame for securing the frame to the housing.

A latch may further be provided and pivotally coupled to the frame with a pivot pin, and a spring member is attached to the frame and engaged with the latch for biasing the latch to engage with the fastener in order to lock the fastener to the frame and for preventing the fastener from being disengaged from the frame.

The frame includes a hub having an inner thread formed in the hub, and the fastener includes a shank having an outer thread formed thereon for engaging with the inner thread of the hub and for detachably securing the frame to the housing.

The hub includes a slit formed therein, and the latch is engageable into the slit of the hub for selectively engaging with the fastener. The fastener includes a notch formed therein for selectively engaging with the latch. The frame includes a flap bent from the frame for supporting the spindle.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial exploded and cross sectional view of a rope climbing assembly in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross sectional view illustrating one of the rope climbing devices of the rope climbing assembly;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the rope climbing device;

FIG. 4 is a partial exploded view of the rope climbing device;

FIGS. 5, 6 are further partial exploded views of the rope climbing device;

FIG. 7 is a partial cross sectional view taken along lines 7-7 of FIG. 3; and

FIGS. 8, 9, 10 are partial cross sectional views similar to FIG. 2 illustrating the operation of the rope climbing device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a rope climbing assembly 1 in accordance with the present invention comprises one or more (such as two) rope climbing devices 10 for attaching to cables or ropes 80, 88 respectively and for engaging with the person's feet respectively and for assisting with ascending or descending along the ropes 80, 88. As shown in FIGS. 2-6, each of the rope climbing devices 10 include a housing 11 having a chamber or recess or compartment 12 formed therein for slidably receiving the ropes 80, 88, and having a channel 14 formed in one side portion 13 thereof, and the housing 11 include a panel 20 pivotally coupled to the other side portion 16 of the housing 11 with a pivot axle 15. Alternatively, the panel 20 may also be solidly secured to the housing 11 and formed integral as one piece or one part or one portion of the housing 11.

The panel 20 includes two holes 21, 22 formed therein for receiving a spindle 23 and a shaft 24 respectively, and includes a curved slot 25 formed therein for slidably receiving a rod 26. The housing 11 further includes a frame 30 for attaching to the side portion 13 of the housing 11 and having a hub 31 extended outwardly therefrom, and having a bore 32 formed in the hub 31 for aligning with the channel 14 of the housing 11, and having an inner thread 33 formed in the bore 32 of the hub 31, and having a slit 34 formed in one side portion of the hub 31 and communicating with the bore 32 of the hub 31, and having a flap 35 bent or folded or extended from the frame 30 and substantially parallel to the panel 20, and having two holes 36, 37 formed in the flap 35 for receiving the spindle 23 and the shaft 24 respectively, and having a curved slot 38 formed in the flap 35 for slidably receiving the rod 26.

A fastener 40 includes a shank 41 slidably engaged through the channel 14 of the housing 11, and includes an outer thread 43 formed on one end 42 of the shank 41 for threading or engaging with the inner thread 33 of the hub 31 and/or of the frame 30 and for detachably securing the frame 30 to the side portion 13 of the housing 11, and includes a notch 44 formed in the one end 42 of the shank 41. A latch 45 has one end 46 pivotally coupled to the frame 30 with a pivot pin 39, and a spring member 47 is attached to the frame 30 and engaged with the latch 45 for biasing or forcing the latch 45 to engage into the slit 34 of the hub 31 and/or of the frame 30 and for selectively engaging into the notch 44 of the one end 42 of the shank 41 (FIG. 7), in order to lock the shank 41 of the fastener 40 to the hub 31 of the frame 30 and for preventing the fastener 40 from being disengaged from the frame 30. Similarly, the frame 30 may also be solidly secured to the housing 11 and formed integral as one piece or one part or one portion of the housing 11.

A lever 50 includes a hole 51 formed therein for receiving the spindle 23 and for allowing the lever 50 to be pivoted or rotated relative to the panel 20 and the frame 30 of the housing 11, and includes a curved groove 52 formed therein for slidably receiving the shaft 24 which is limited to slide along the curved groove 52 of the lever 50 for limiting the lever 50 to rotate relative to the panel 20 and the frame 30 of the housing 11, and includes one or more teeth 53 extended therefrom for selectively engaging with the ropes 80, 88 (FIGS. 1, 2, and 8), and for selectively anchoring or locking or securing the housing 11 to the ropes 80, 88. Another spring member 54 is attached to the spindle 23 and engaged with the lever 50 and the shaft 24 or the frame 30 or the housing 11 for biasing or forcing the teeth 53 of the lever 50 away from the ropes 80, 88 (FIGS. 9, 10).

A foot-hold 55 is pivotally attached or coupled to the lever 50 for engaging with or for supporting the feet of the users, and thus for allowing the foot-hold 55 to be stepped and forced downwardly by the feet of the users, and thus for allowing the teeth 53 of the lever 50 to be selectively forced to engage with the ropes 80, 88 with the feet of the users in order to solidly anchor or lock or secure the housing 11 to the ropes 80, 88, and thus for allowing the users to climb up the ropes 80, 88 with the rope climbing devices 10 alternatively. The rope climbing device 10 further includes a bearing or compressing or pressing means or device 6 pivotally coupled or attached to the lever 50 and/or the housing 11 with the spindle 23 for selectively engaging with the ropes 80, 88 (FIGS. 1, 2, 10) particularly when the teeth 53 of the lever 50 are disengaged from the ropes 80, 88 and for frictionally retaining the housing 11 and the lever 50 and the foot-hold 55 to the ropes 80, 88.

For example, the pressing means or device 6 includes one or more (such as two) arms 60 pivotally coupled or attached to the lever 50 and/or the housing 11 with the spindle 23 for allowing the arms 60 to be pivoted or rotated relative to the lever 50 and/or the housing 11, and includes a pressing member 61, such as a gear or a ratchet gear 61 rotatably coupled to the arms 60 with the rod 26 for selectively engaging with or pressing onto the ropes 80, 88, and the rod 26 is slidably engaging with the curved slot 25 of the panel 20 and the curved slot 38 of the flap 35 of the frame 30 of the housing 11 for limiting the arms 60 and the pressing member 61 to rotate or to move relative to the panel 20 and the frame 30 of the housing 11 and/or for guiding the pressing member 61 to selectively engage with the ropes 80, 88 or to be selectively disengaged from the ropes 80, 88.

A pawl 62 is pivotally coupled to the arms 60 with a pivot pole 63 and arranged to be selectively engaged with the ratchet gear 61 or the pressing member 61 for limiting the pressing member 61 to rotate relative to the arms 60 and for allowing the pressing member 61 to rotate relative to the arms 60 unidirectionally, and includes a spring member 64 attached to the pivot pole 63 and engaged with the arms 60 and the pawl 62 for biasing or forcing the pawl 62 to engage with the pressing member 61 in order to control or to limit the pressing member 61 to rotate relative to the arms 60, and includes a hand grip 65 for being depressed or actuated by the user to selectively disengage the pawl 62 from the pressing member 61, in order to control the engagement of the pawl 62 with the pressing member 61. A further spring member 66 may further be provided and attached to the arms 60 and engaged with the lever 50 for biasing or forcing the arms 60 and the lever 50 away from each other and/or for biasing or forcing the pressing member 61 to engage with the ropes 80, 88.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 8, when the foot-hold 55 of one or a first of the rope climbing devices 10 is stepped and forced downwardly by the foot of the user, the lever 50 may also be forced to pivot relative to the housing 11 and to force the teeth 53 of the lever 50 to engage with the ropes 80, 88 for allowing the user to climb up the ropes 80, 88 with the rope climbing devices 10 alternatively. The foot-hold 55 of the other or second rope climbing device 10 will be released when the user steps the first rope climbing device 10. When the foot-hold 55 is released, the spring member 54 may bias or force the teeth 53 of the lever 50 away from the ropes 80, 88 as shown in FIG. 9, and the arms 60 and the pressing member 61 may be biased or forced to frictionally engage with the ropes 80, 88 for preventing the housing 11 of the rope climbing devices 10 from sliding downwardly relative to or along the ropes 80, 88 and thus for allowing the housing 11 to be moved up the ropes 80, 88 only.

When it is required to move the housing 11 downwardly along the ropes 80, 88, as shown in FIG. 10, the lever 50 and the foot-hold 55 may be pivoted or rotated upwardly relative to the housing 11 by such as the foot of the user, and the lever 50 may be forced to engage with the hand grip 65 or the pressing member 61 in order to selectively disengage the pawl 62 from the pressing member 61, and thus for allowing the pressing member 61 to be released and to be freely rotated relative to the housing 11 and the ropes 80, 88, and thus for allowing the housing 11 to be freely moved or slid up and down along the ropes 80, 88 to any required positions. It is to be noted that the provision and the engagement of the pressing member 61 with the ropes 80, 88 may prevent the housing 11 of the rope climbing device 10 from sliding downwardly relative to the ropes 80, 88 inadvertently when the foot-hold 55 of the rope climbing device 10 is released.

Accordingly, the rope climbing device in accordance with the present invention includes a resilient or spring-biased engaging device for selectively engaging with the rope and for facilitating the movement of the rope climbing device along the rope and for preventing the rope climbing device from quickly sliding relative to or along the rope.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. A rope climbing device comprising:

a housing including a compartment formed therein for slidably receiving a rope,

a lever pivotally coupled to said housing with a spindle and including at least one tooth for selectively engaging with the rope and for selectively securing said housing to the rope, and including a foot-hold for engaging with a foot of a user and for forcing said at least one tooth of said lever to selectively engage with the rope, and

a pressing device for selectively engaging with the rope when said at least one tooth of said lever is disengaged from the rope.

2. The rope climbing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pressing device includes an arm pivotally coupled to said housing, and includes a pressing member coupled to said arm for engaging with the rope.

3. The rope climbing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said pressing member is a gear.

4. The rope climbing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said pressing member is a ratchet gear.

5. The rope climbing device as claimed in claim 4, wherein a pawl is pivotally coupled to said arm with a pivot pole and biased to engage with said ratchet gear for limiting said ratchet gear to rotate unidirectionally relative to said arm.

6. The rope climbing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein a spring member is attached to said arm for biasing and forcing said pressing member to engage with the rope.

7. The rope climbing device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said spring member is engaged with said lever.

8. The rope climbing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said pressing member is pivotally coupled to said arm with a rod, and said housing includes a panel having a curved slot formed therein for slidably receiving said rod and for limiting said arm and said pressing member to rotate relative to said panel of said housing.

9. The rope climbing device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said panel is pivotally coupled to said housing with a pivot axle for supporting said spindle.

10. The rope climbing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lever includes a curved groove formed therein, and a shaft is attached to said housing and slidably engaged in said curved groove of said lever for limiting said shaft to slide along said curved groove of said lever and for limiting said lever to rotate relative to said housing.

11. The rope climbing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a frame is attached to said housing for supporting said spindle.

12. The rope climbing device as claimed in claim 11, wherein a fastener is engaged with said housing and said frame for securing said frame to said housing.

13. The rope climbing device as claimed in claim 12, wherein a latch is pivotally coupled to said frame with a pivot pin, and a spring member is attached to said frame and engaged with said latch for biasing said latch to engage with said fastener in order to lock said fastener to said frame and for preventing said fastener from being disengaged from said frame.

14. The rope climbing device as claimed in claim 13, wherein said frame includes a hub having an inner thread formed in said hub, and said fastener includes a shank having an outer thread formed thereon for engaging with said inner thread of said hub and for detachably securing said frame to said housing.

15. The rope climbing device as claimed in claim 13, wherein said hub includes a slit formed therein, and said latch is engageable into said slit of said hub for selectively engaging with said fastener.

16. The rope climbing device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said fastener includes a notch formed therein for selectively engaging with said latch.

17. The rope climbing device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said frame includes a flap bent from said frame for supporting said spindle.