Ascent Safety / Fall Protection System

Abstract
(EN)
An ascent safety system includes a travelling block slidingly couplable to a track stop with a brake portion. The brake portion may include a trough and peak arrangement, or a primary channel with one or more displacement chambers and movable interference members permitting unhindered progressive movement but blocking regressive movement, and a bypass channel attainable only by manual intervention to permit intentional regressive movement. The ascent safety system may include a track stop connectable to an existing track, or a continuous track including one or more track stops. The system may be connectable to a structure, or integrated into a structure such as a marine vessel mast.
(FR)
Un système de sécurité de montée comprend un bloc mobile pouvant être accouplé de manière coulissante à une butée de piste avec une partie de frein. La partie de frein peut comprendre un agencement d'auge et de pic, ou un canal primaire avec une ou plusieurs chambres de déplacement et des éléments d'interférence mobiles permettant un mouvement progressif non entravé mais bloquant le mouvement régressif, et un canal de dérivation pouvant être obtenu uniquement par une intervention manuelle pour permettre un mouvement régressif intentionnel. Le système de sécurité de montée peut comprendre une butée de piste pouvant être reliée à une piste existante, ou une piste continue comprenant une ou plusieurs butées de piste. Le système peut être relié à une structure, ou intégré dans une structure telle qu'un mât de navire.

SUMMARY AND ADVANTAGES
[0008] An ascent safety system to provide ease of movement by a connected person in a progressive direction but to prevent uncontrolled movement along the continuous track in an opposed regressive direction, the regressive and progressive directions defining an ascent path, the safety system includes at least a one track stop, the track stop including a first track portion, a brake portion, and a second track portion, together defining a track stop path, the first track portion extending from the brake portion in the regressive direction and the second track portion extending from the brake portion in the progressive direction and at least the track stop second track portion connectable to a continuous track conforming to the ascent path; and, a travelling block, the travelling block including a saddle portion and a safety line coupler portion connected to the saddle portion, the saddle portion slidingly couplable to the continuous track and track stop and movable along the track stop and continuous track, the safety line coupler portion including at least a first safety line coupler removably connectable to at least a first safety line. The system may include a second safety line coupler.
[0009] The track stop brake portion may trace a half-cardioid profile, sinusoidal profile, or similar non-linear path, and include a low-point drain.
[0010] The track stop and continuous track may include a semi-enclosed channel having a T, round, dovetail or similar positive retention cross-section and complementary travelling block saddle cross-section.
[0011] The system may comprise a track stop connectable to an existing track system, or an entire continuous track including one or more track stop sections.
[0012] The system may be connectable to a marine mast or other structure, or may be integrated into a structure such as a mast.
[0013] The track stop brake portion may include a first channel with one or more displacement chambers, each retaining a movable interference member, and a second channel to bypass the first channel and displacement chambers. The displacement chambers may include tapered regions defining rest positions for the movable interference members. The displacement chambers may include retaining channels at their regressive ends which retain the movable interference members and prevent displacement during heavy system movement, such as that of a marine vessel in seas. The displacement chambers may include magnets to assist in retaining the movable displacement members in their rest positions.
[0014] The ascent safety system described and claimed herein provides many advantages: (1) the system is essentially fail-safe; (2) requires minimal maintenance and minimizes potential failure points; (3) is intuitive for the user; (4) provides continuous connection; (5) can accommodate dual safety tethers; (6) is easy to utilize in poor visibility; (7) does not require high dexterity so can be operated with gloves and/or in cold conditions; (8) is less vulnerable to icing; (9) is less vulnerable to failure caused by corrosion; (10) can be attached or integrated into many different structures, such as a boat mast, building, tank or other structure; (11) can accommodate stepped, curved or multi-sloped path profiles; and, (12) can be utilized by multiple climbers simultaneously.

Patents:
US 2,019,040,725 issued 2021-01-14   [MORE INFO]

Type of Offer: Sale or Licensing

Asking Price: US$1,000,000



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