TOP-LOAD ZIP LINE TROLLEYS WITH VARIABLE SPEED CONTROL
A top-load trolley with speed control system is disclosed. The trolley has a housing of metal plates with a series of fixed and movable parts mounted between. A number of rollers are moveably mounted in-line within the housing such that they may ride atop of a zip line and support the weight of the trolley and a passenger. An additional roller is placed in opposition to the load-bearing rollers, arranged to contact the zip line along its underside. Thus, at least three rollers may be configured to produce an adjustable amount of friction on the zip line, thereby providing a more controlled speed down a zip line course. Additionally, an emergency brake mechanism that may be used in conjunction with the top-load trolley with speed control system is disclosed.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/451,699, filed Jan. 28, 2017, and of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/453,914, filed Feb. 2, 2017, the contents of each of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety as if fully set forth herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the InventionThe invention relates generally to slowing and stopping passengers on a zip line, and more particularly, to zip line trolleys with variable speed control mechanisms.
2. Description of Related ArtA zip line is a tensioned cable, typically made of aluminum or steel wire rope, that is strung between two objects, usually at least several meters above ground level. Zip lines are usually used for amusement and sight-seeing: a harness-wearing rider is suspended from the zip line by a trolley that rides on the zip line, and the trolley carries the rider across the zip line. Zip line heights of up to 100 meters have been used. Thus, while a zip line ride may be thrilling for the rider, that thrill can come with potentially significant dangers, mostly resulting from height and speed.
The speed of a rider along a zip line depends on several factors, including the incline of the zip line, the weight of the rider, friction between the trolley and the line, and wind speed and direction. In order to reach the other end of the line, a rider must accumulate enough speed and momentum to reach the other side. If the trolley is too slow (e.g., because the zip line is not inclined steeply enough) friction and other factors may cause the trolley to stop moving in the middle of the line, leaving the rider stranded and requiring course personnel to go out onto the line and haul the trolley in, a difficult process made more difficult and dangerous by the height.
While lack of sufficient speed is a problem, too much speed is also a problem. Simply put, zip line riders need some mechanism to stop. In some cases, zip liners are simply issued thick leather gloves, and are expected to slow down by grabbing or brushing against the zip line above them. Dislocated shoulders can result from this maneuver.
In recent years, there have been some attempts to provide mechanical braking systems for zip line trolleys. One general type of system, exemplified by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0162917 to Steele et al., requires extensive modifications to the typical course and equipment, and has not been widely used. Another more recent patent, U.S. Pat. No. 9,004,235 to Randy Headings, substitutes a mechanical brake for a gloved hand. More specifically, in this patent, a housing is connected to the trolley. The housing has a downwardly-facing brake pad faces the zip line. When a rider taps or holds the exterior of the housing, the brake pad rubs against the zip line and slows the trolley. This solution may be safer than the gloved-hand approach, but it is no more efficient and risks slowing the rider too much.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,021,962, the work of the present inventor that is incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses an external brake that can be set near the end of a zip line. When a trolley contacts the brake, sets of wheels guided by angled guide slots within the brake apply gradually increasing, rolling pressure to the zip line to slow and arrest the trolley. In some embodiments, the brake may also physically capture the trolley so that it can be hauled in if necessary. Devices in accordance with this patent have found commercial success on zip line courses around the world, but this device is designed only to brake and capture a trolley near the end of a course; it is not designed to regulate the speed of a trolley over the entire zip line. Speed regulation can be important to the operation of a zip line course. In addition to basic rider safety considerations, if a line must be closed temporarily, for example, due to high winds causing excessive speed, the loss of revenue can amount to thousands of dollars.
There have been some attempts to integrate speed control systems into trolleys. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,234,980 to Boren et al. has a trolley with a wheel that is mounted on a pivot. A spring-driven mechanism can be used to vary the position of the pivotable wheel slightly, so as to exert more pressure downwardly on the zip line. However, the pivotable wheel is not in a position of particular mechanical advantage relative to the zip line, and must work in conjunction with other elements to slow the trolley—for that purpose, this patent also discloses a frictional brake shoe in contact with the zip line.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONOne aspect of the invention relates to a trolley for zip lining that has one or both of two features: a top-loading feature that allows the trolley to be set on a zip line while a passenger is connected to it, and prevents the trolley from detaching from the zip line once it is set; and a variable speed control system. In the variable speed control system, two main rollers rest on the zip line and carry the load of trolley and passenger in operation. A third roller, placed in opposition to the first two, increases friction on the zip line, and may cause a localized bending deformation in the zip line, in order to slow it. The position of the third roller is selectable, and allows the degree of speed control to be varied.
Another aspect of the invention relates to trolleys for zip lining that have a top-loading feature, allowing the trolley to be seated on the zip line through a channel that is formed or formable along a top edge of the trolley.
Other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description that follows.
It is understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and exemplary only, and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.
The invention will be described with respect to the following drawing figures, in which like numerals represent like elements throughout the figures, and in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the invention, some aspects of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
As shown in
The primary brake 22 may be assumed to be that described in U.S. Pat. 9,021,962, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety, and is typically thrown or slid along the zip line 12 some distance away from the support 14, so that the trolley 16 will contact the primary brake 18 some distance before the support 14, giving the brake 22 sufficient space to gradually stop the trolley 16 and the passenger P. As will be described in more detail below, the primary brake 22 is specially adapted to receive and capture the trolley 16. This feature may be advantageous if, for example, a passenger P has insufficient speed to reach the end of the zip line course 10, a course operator may retrieve the passenger P by pulling the primary brake line 26 once the primary brake 22 is attached to the trolley 14.
By contrast, the secondary brake 24 is arranged at an appropriate point on the zip line 12 between the primary brake 18 and the support 14, generally at a short distance from the support 14. It ensures that the trolley 16 and passenger P are stopped before impacting the support 14. Typically, that distance between the secondary brake 24 and the support 14 might be on the order of 10-15 feet (3-5 meters), although greater or lesser distances may be used so long as the passenger P arrives at the end of the zip line course 10 and lands safely.
It should be understood that although
A traditional trolley, illustrated, for example, in
The trolley 16 has a housing, which is comprised of sets of side plates. More specifically, on each side of the trolley 16, there is a larger, generally L-shaped housing plate 32 and a relatively smaller, generally trapezoidal housing plate 34. They are spaced to define an L-shaped channel 36 between them. The channel 36 begins along the center of the top edge of the trolley 16. The two sides of the trolley 16 are roughly mirror images of one another—the L-shaped channel extends forwardly on one side of the trolley 16 and rearwardly on the other side of the trolley 16. The housing plates 32, 34 on one side of the trolley 16 need not precisely match their counterparts on the opposite side, as long as they provide the same overall shape, the L-shaped channels 36 are in the correct orientations, and components can be secured between sets of housing plates 32, 34, as will be described below in more detail.
The sets of housing plates 32, 34 have a number of components mounted between them, some movable and some fixed. A gate mechanism, in the illustrated embodiment comprised of upper and lower pivoting gates 38, 40, blocks the channel 36, acting much like an independent set of carabiner gates.
To place the trolley 16 on the zip line 12, one orients the trolley 16 such that the zip line 12 extends orthogonal to the channel 36 (and orthogonal to the plane of
The gates 38, 40 are biased toward the closed position illustrated in
The gates 38, 40 may be biased toward the closed position of
As those of skill in the art will appreciate, when the trolley 16 is in the position of
Typically, the barb 72 would lock into a cavity provided in the brake 22. When engaged with the primary brake 22, an operator may pull the brake 22, and the securely engaged trolley 16, with a primary brake line 26—thus, the capture barb 72 acts as a safety device, potentially preventing a passenger from being stranded on the zip line 12. Like the gates 36, 38, the capture barb 72 is resiliently biased toward the position of
As can be appreciated from
The other two rollers 50, 52 are pivotably mounted within the trolley 16 and are aligned relative to the upper two rollers 46, 48 such that they engage the bottom side of the zip line 12. The third roller 50, located toward the front of the trolley 16, is carried by the rotating bracket 58, described above, and contains a clutch bearing that prevents it from rolling backwards. Thus, when the third roller 50 is pivoted into the upward position illustrated in
The fourth roller 52 is carried by a pivoting plate 60, the shape of which resembles the silhouette of a bird, and rotates on an axle 62 connected to the plate 60. The pivoting plate 60 was described, in part, above. The plate 60 itself rotates about a pivot or axle 64 spaced from the axle 62 about which the fourth roller 52 rotates. The far end or tail of the plate 60 is connected to a linkage, generally indicated at 66, by means of a pin 68. The fourth roller 52 is positioned and adapted to create a rolling three-point bending deflection in the zip line 12, thereby slowing the trolley 16 as it moves across the zip line 12. The extent of that deflection, and thus, the extent of the slowing or braking effect that it provides, depends on the position of the fourth roller 52. The position of the roller 52 is controlled by the linkage 66.
Within the linkage 66, a pin 68 makes a pivoting connection between the plate 60 that carries the fourth roller 52 and a gear selector arm 76. The linkage 66 also comprises a constrained arm 80 that terminates in an opening or loop 86. The constrained arm 80 is constrained because it is sandwiched between two adjacent lower tongues 81 of the body of the trolley 16. Each tongue 81 has a long slot 83 formed in it, and a carabiner 85 goes through the slots 83 and the opening or loop 86 at the end of the constrained arm 80, fixing the position of the constrained arm 80 while the carabiner 85 is attached. Typically, that carabiner 85 would be a locking carabiner, although any sort of hardware may be used.
An upper end 87 of the constrained arm 80 comprises a smooth, curved surface, broken by a number of slots 82. In essence, the upper end 87 resembles, and somewhat behaves as, a partially-toothed gear. The gear selector arm 76 abuts the upper end 87 of the constrained arm 80 and has an upper portion that includes a pawl or catch 84. The arrangement of the elements 84, 87 is such that the catch 84 may slide freely along the curved surface of the upper end 87 of the constrained arm 80 until it drops into one of the slots 82. When the catch 84 is engaged with a slot 82, the gear selector arm 76 is secured in position, the fourth roller 52 is locked in a corresponding position, and the trolley 16 is ready for use. The catch 84 is resiliently biased, again by magnets 44, toward engagement with the slots 82 and moves within the gear selector arm 76. The locations of the slots 82 along the upper end 87 of the constrained arm 80 are chosen to correspond with desired positions of the fourth roller 52 and may vary depending on the speed control requirements of a particular zip line course 10, or the preferences of rider P.
As was noted above, in
In
While
Ultimately, the speed should be chosen such that, given particular zip line course conditions (wind, inclination, passenger weight, and zip line length, to name a few), the passenger P will have sufficient energy to reach the end of the zip line 12 without having so much energy that he or she comes in at an uncontrollable speed. (Although the primary and secondary brakes 22, 24, if present, can dissipate some excess energy near the end of the zip line 12.)
As can be appreciated from
The sets of housing plates 122, 124 have a number of components mounted between them, some movable and some fixed. As can be seen in
A bracket 154 is suspended within the housing 122 on a load-bearing bar 158 which is mounted within the slots 126 and is adapted to move along the slots 126. The bracket 154 has a recess 156 (i.e., a curved depression) that has essentially the same curvature as a circumference of the lower roller 132. As will be described below in more detail, the bar 158 also passes through a plate 160 with a long slot.
An additional, optional upper roller 136 is rotatably mounted such that the roller 136 rides above the zip line 12 during operation. The roller 136 is attached to a pair of corresponding links 138. The opposing sides of the links 138 are moveably mounted to the housing 122, 124 at the rear end of the trolley 120. The links 138 and roller 136 are expected to pivot around a link axle 140. This optional upper roller 136 contains a clutch bearing that allows the trolley 120 to roll forward (i.e., down slope on the zip line 12), while preventing the trolley 120 from rolling backwards on the zip line 12, as was described above. While the roller 136 of the illustrated embodiment is adapted to ride along an upper surface of the zip line 12, the roller 136 may also be configured to ride along a lower surface of the zip line 12 in other embodiments.
Like the trolley 16, the trolley 120 also includes an optional capture barb 142 that would allow the trolley 16 to positively engage and be captured by a zip line brake 22 or another device. The capture barb 142 operates in much the same way as the capture barb 72 described above, and is biased toward the position illustrated in
The trolley 120 also has a top mounting mechanism, and is constructed and arranged such that the zip line 12 cannot be inserted into the trolley 120 or removed from it unless the trolley 120 is moved into very specific positions. Thus, the trolley 120 itself acts as a safety mechanism to prevent accidental detachment from the zip line 12.
As can be appreciated from
With the trolley 120 in the position illustrated on the left side of
There is a safety mechanism that prevents the trolley 120 from assuming the positions necessary to insert and remove the zip line 12, and that safety mechanism can be appreciated by comparing
However, as was also described above, a recess 156 is placed in the bracket 154 such that when the bracket 154 is rotated approximately 90°, into the position shown in
The bracket 154 provides the primary connection points for the passenger's harness and tether 18, including an opening 159 at the lower end sized for a carabiner or another suitable piece of hardware, and a slot 162 that can be used to mount additional hardware. Because of this, the bracket 154 will typically be extended straight down during operation. If it does rotate slightly to one side or another, for example, because of the inclination of the zip line 12, that rotation would be unlikely to reach the angular position of the recess 156. Thus, even if the rollers 128, 130 come off of the zip line 12, the trolley 120 is unlikely to come off the zip line 12.
Speed Control MechanismAtop and mounted to the axle 134 of the lower roller 132 is a toggle switch 164 that is biased, again by magnets 165, into a downward position. A downwardly-extending prong 166 is connected to the toggle switch 164. The prong 166 is sized to insert into and be seated within one of a number of speed selection positions 168, 170, 172, 174, 176 in the housing plate 122. As can be appreciated in this view, the speed selection positions are openings 168, 172, 174, 176, while one position 170 is a bend in the housing plate 122. (In the position 170, the prong 166 extends over the side of the housing plate 122 and is held in position by the bend at that position.) The positions 168, 170, 172, 174, 176 are arrayed along an arc adjacent to the toggle switch 164. The toggle switch 164 allows a user to select the degree of speed control desired by altering the amount the upper rollers 128, 130 pivot relative to the lower roller 132, which is mounted on the same axle 134 as the toggle switch 164. The prong 166 is sized such that it can insert into the smallest of the openings 168. The position shown in
The details of the speed control mechanism are shown in
The bar 158 that acts to connect the elements of the trolley 120 is carried by a pair of corresponding elongate slots 178 with rounded ends, within the pair of plates 160. As shown in
Thus, in contrast to the trolley 16 described above, in which the fourth roller 52 is moved up and down, in the trolley 120, the lower roller 132 does not move up and down; rather, everything else moves around it. This occurs because when the rack and pinion 180, 182 engage and move relative to one another, the bar 158, which is carried by the plates 160 of which the racks 180 are a part, is moved into various vertical positions along the slot 126. That is, the bar 158 is the central point or axis around which everything else rotates or pivots, and it is moved, thus causing the relative positions of the other components to change. For example, when the bar 158 is closest to the lower roller 132 and axle 134, the lower roller 132 would not be expected to make much or any contact with the zip line 12; however, when the bar 158 is furthest from the lower roller 132 and axle 134, the lower roller would be expected to make the most contact with the zip line 12. In other words, the toggle switch 164 controls the position of the bar 158, which limits the extent to which upper rollers 128, 130 pivot around the lower roller 132 and axle 134. When upper rollers 128, 130 are closer together, little to no engagement of the lower roller 132 should occur, whereas when the rollers 128, 130 are farther apart, a greater amount of lower roller 132 engagement is expected to occur on the zip line 12.
Additionally, the long piece 186 is sandwiched between two smaller outer plates 188. These outer plates 188 cover the pivoting connection between the long piece 186 and two elongate grips or holds 190, which are intended to be held by the passenger P. The holds 190 are rotatable between two positions: the position illustrated in
Both trolleys 16, 120 are typically constructed of metal parts, although certain parts, including the housings, may be made of composites or other materials in some embodiments. Steel and aluminum are both suitable materials, and some components may be anodized or otherwise surface treated to resist weather and wear.
Although this description refers to a “speed control mechanism,” it is possible that under certain conditions of inclination, wind speed, and passenger weight, certain speed settings may bring the trolley 16, 120 to a stop. Thus, a course operator will generally select the appropriate degree of speed reduction for a particular course, taking into account the relevant factors to give a passenger just the amount of energy necessary to reach the end of the zip line 12 at a reasonable speed.
That said, the mechanisms of trolleys 16, 120 according to embodiments of the invention may be advantageous as compared with traditional braking systems for several reasons. For one, trolleys 16, 120 according to embodiments of the invention apply a consistent, rolling speed reduction over the entire length of the zip line. Braking systems do not typically do this. Whether the brake in question is a gloved hand or a mechanical brake, brakes are typically applied suddenly and unevenly by the passenger, which means that using a brake might inadvertently remove too much energy, leaving the passenger stopped and stranded in the middle of the zip line.
Additionally, a top-loading feature allows more flexibility in how the passenger is attached to the trolley—specifically, the passenger can be attached either before or after the trolley is placed on the zip line.
While the speed control mechanism described above has advantages over traditional brakes in providing consistent speed control across the zip line 12, brakes 22, 24 may be used to bring the trolley 16, 120 and passenger P to a stop at the end of the zip line 12. A secondary brake 24 was described briefly above.
As can be appreciated from
The slots 216 are elongate and straight, whereby they are longer than their width. The width of the slots 216 correspond to a diameter of the pin 214, such that the pin 214 may be inserted into both slots 216 and the lower portion 206. The length of the slots 216 allows for a vertical adjustment to the pin 214, which affects the position of the lower portion 206 which is carried by the pin 214. Adjustments to the height of the lower portion 206 may be useful if, for example, different diameters of zip lines 12 are used, or the level of braking force requires an adjustment. The height of the lower portion 206 may be adjusted with a series of set screws 218, located in corresponding threaded holes (not shown) terminating in a lower extent of the slots 216. An upper extent of the screws 218 are expected to be the surface upon which the pin 214 is carried, once inserted into the slots 216, and through the lower portion 206. Thus, the setscrews 218 allow for a fine adjustment to the vertical position of the pin 214, and also the height of the lower portion 206 relative to the zip line 12. For example, turning the setscrews 218 in a clockwise direction is expected to raise the pin 214 and lower portion 206 (e.g., closer to the zip line 12), while turning the setscrews 218 in a counter clockwise direction is expected to lower the pin 214 and lower portion 206 (e.g., farther from the zip line 12).
While the invention has been described with respect to certain embodiments, the embodiments are intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting. Modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims.
Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.
Claims
1. A trolley, comprising:
- a housing;
- a first roller and a second roller connected to the housing and spaced from one another, the first and second rollers being adapted to rotate;
- a lower roller mounted movably within the housing and placed in opposition to the first and second rollers, the lower roller being movable in a direction that takes it closer to or farther away from the first and second rollers.
2. The trolley of claim 1, further comprising a channel provided along a top surface of the trolley, the channel configured to allow the first and second rollers to be seated atop a zip line with the zip line within the trolley.
3. The trolley of claim 1, further comprising a channel formable along a top surface of the trolley, the channel comprising an opening to allow the first and second rollers to be seated atop a zip line with the zip line passing through the trolley.
4. The trolley of claim 1, the lower roller further comprising a rotatable pivoting plate and a linkage wherein said lower roller is configured to adjust the speed of the trolley.
5. The trolley of claim 1, wherein the lower roller promotes braking of the trolley when the lower roller is moved in a direction that is closer to the first and second rollers.
6. The trolley of claim 1, further comprising a clutch bearing coupled to the trolley and a third roller, wherein the clutch bearing is configured to prevent the trolley from rolling backwards.
7. The trolley of claim 3, the channel further comprising a gate biased toward the closed position.
8. The trolley of claim 1, further comprising a capture barb configured to engage a cavity of a brake disposed on the zip line.
9. The trolley of claim 1, the zip line further comprising a brake disposed on the zip line to receive and capture the trolley.
10. The trolley of claim 8, the capture barb further comprises magnets to bias the position of the capture barb.
11. The trolley of claim 2, further comprising a magnetic rope connected to a brake and the zip line, wherein said magnetic rope is ferromagnetically attracted to the zip line.
12. A trolley, comprising:
- a housing;
- a first roller and a second roller connected to the housing and spaced from one another, the first and second rollers being adapted to rotate;
- a lower roller mounted within the housing and placed in opposition to the first and second rollers, the first and second rollers being movable in a direction that takes the first and second rollers closer to or farther away from the lower roller.
13. The trolley of claim 12, further comprising a channel formable along a top surface of the trolley, the channel configured to allow the first and second rollers to be seated atop a zip line with the zip line passing through the trolley.
14. The trolley of claim 12, further comprising a switch configured to adjust the speed of the trolley by altering a position of the first and second rollers relative to the lower roller.
15. The trolley of claim 12, further comprising a clutch bearing coupled to the trolley and a third roller, wherein the clutch bearing is configured to prevent the trolley from rolling backwards.
16. The trolley of claim 12, further comprising a capture barb configured to engage a cavity of a brake disposed on the zip line.
17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a tether coupled to the trolley.
18. The system of claim 12, further comprising a brake configured to stop the trolley before it reaches a support.
19. The trolley of claim 12, further comprising a handle coupled to the trolley.
20. A method of controlling speed of a trolley, comprising:
- advancing a trolley adapted to ride on a zip line along a specified direction of travel;
- engaging, with a zip line, a first roller, a second roller, and a third roller connected to a housing, said first roller, said second roller, and said third roller spaced from one another; and
- adjusting the speed of the trolley by moving a position of said first, second, and third rollers relative to the zip line.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 26, 2018
Publication Date: Aug 2, 2018
Inventor: Donald Andrew HACKETT (Hendersonville, TN)
Application Number: 15/881,549