Patent Publication Number: US-4650033-A

Title: Gravity impelled personal lowering vehicle

Description:
SUMMARY 
     A compact, harness-seat type vehicle to lower oneself by gravity from a high place or a building on fire in a quick, efficient manner using controlled descent mechanisms, hand holds and treated rope connected to a separate, moveable arm and having the ability to be put on or removed at any point on the rope without threading. Additional control is provided by a hand brake. 
     The device has a swivel handle on the front connected to a slotted swivel hub in a housing into which a rope is put vertically. When handle is turned to one of a number of holes selected by weight requirements, on an arc on face of housing, a pin connected to handle is inserted. This traps the rope and impedes the unit from moving on the rope but will not hold much weight until a turning screw mounted on the side of the housing and connected to a drag bar on the inside is tightened causing drag bar to be pressed hard against the rope near entrance point at bottom. 
     If the proper hole on the arc has been selected, the use may, after allowing the rope to fall, mount the vehicle without it moving and take himself out over empty space at any height, loosen the turning screw until movement is felt and ride the unit to the ground at about walking speed. He may use the hand brake mounted on the handle to slow or stop his descent if he meets an obstruction. 
     The unit may then be drawn back up by another person, repositioned on the rope and used again. 
     People of a wide range of weight may use the vehicle. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
     FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a lowering device drawn according to the form of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the lowering device according to section line 2--2 of FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the lowering device according to section line 3--3 of FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 4 shows a top view of the rope guide swivel hub. 
     FIG. 5 shows a breakaway cross-sectional view of rope trapped in locked position in housing part. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     A descent unit according to the teachings of the present invention is wholly shown in the drawings and generally designated 10. A rope used for descent, but not part of the invention, is bent around to inside of a rope guide 11 above unit 10 which forces the rope into a vertical slot 42 in unit housing generally designated 20 and out bottom of housing unit past a lower rope guide 12. 
     Rope is secured in place within unit housing 20 by turning the circular handle support housing 17 by means of rope lock handle 18, on the outside vertical face of unit housing 10 facing the rider, counter-clockwise to one of a series of holes on an arc 19 on lower face of unit housing 20 into which a pin 21, secured pivotally within rope lock handle 18, inserts itself horizontally. Rope lock handle 18 is secured pivotally in its upper central region to stem 43 of rope swivel hub 16 through an opening 65 in center of handle support housing 17. A pulling, turning action is required to release the rope lock handle 18 which returns to its lock position automatically by means of a free-floating compression spring 45 located in a depression 46 of handle support housing 17 where it meets top of rope lock handle 18. 
     Parts forming the unit housing 20 are housing locking blocks 13 and 14 and housing block 15 with housing locking blocks 13 and 14 secured by means to housing block 15 and facing each other to form a cylindrical chamber 47 to contain part of rope swivel hub 16 and to form vertical slot 42 in combination with a matching slot 48 in rope swivel hub 16, from top surface of housing to bottom surface and horizontally from inside surface of housing block 15 to outside surfaces of housing locking blocks 13 and 14. Shaped depressions 49 and 50 on the inside surfaces of housing locking blocks 13 and 14 facing housing block 15 make space for brake bar 36 and lock drag bar 22 respectively to move within the unit housing 20. 
     The rope swivel hub 16 centered within cylindrical chamber 47 in unit housing 20 is designed to bend rope trapped in its slot 48 to meet weight categories of riders of different weights. It is formed of a stem 43 with a rectangular cross-section extending outwardly to attach by connecting means 51 to rope lock handle 18 from the center of the end of a larger cylindrical neck 52 which fits into hole 44 centrally located in housing block 15. Neck 52 extends to center of end of a larger cylindrical shape 53 which is divided midway along its length by a groove 54 encircling its circumference. A slot 48 to hold rope wholly divides the larger cylinder 53 equally from the outside to and through groove 54. Two roller pins 16A are positioned diametrically on opposite corners of the slot 48 at the groove to facilitate rope movement. 
     Helping to lock the rope in place within housing unit 20 is the lock drag bar 22 attached pivotally at its top end within space 50 and arches downward to meet rope near entrance point 55 at bottom of housing unit where it crimps the rope tightly enough to hold a rider motionless on the unit when in tightened or locked position. 
     Lock drag bar 22 is activated by turning the lock turning knob 23 above unit handle 35 clockwise which turns a screw 56 connected vertically through threaded hole 57 in unit handle 35 to the movable lock housing 24 by means which allows screw end to rotate freely in hole 58 in top of movable lock housing 24. The lock housing 24 which covers the full length of the stationary lock mount 26 on side of housing unit 20 is attached to said stationary lock mount by two pins 25 secured to sides of movable lock mount 24 near the top and bottom and extending horizontally through elongated vertical slots 59 on both sides of stationary lock mount 26. This arrangement enables the movable lock housing 24 to move up or down within the limits of the slots 59 which activates the lock and spring swivel 27. The lock and spring swivel 27 which is generally kidney shaped, is rounded at the top to enable it to slide easily under bottom of movable lock housing 24 and is connected by a tension spring 30 from its top to a rivet 60 or other means inside the stationary lock mount 26 at the top and pivotally to a central part 61 of the lock drag bar 22 by a lock pressure arm 28 located in space 50 through opening 62. Downward movement of movable lock housing 24 tilts the top of the lock and spring swivel 27 down and inward pushing the lock drag bar 22 inward toward rope. Tension spring 30 pulls the lock and spring swivel 27 back to upright position when pressure from movable lock housing 24 is released. 
     To descend, the rider sitting on the folding seat 40 attached to housing unit 20 by extender parts 39 must slowly turn lock turning knob 23 counter-clockwise. This allows tension spring 30 to pull up movable lock and spring swivel 27 by releasing the pressure put on it by the movable lock housing 24 which in turn pulls the lock drag bar back from its pressure position on rope allowing unit 10 to gradually start to descend about walking speed. 
     The hand brake 31 attached on unit handle 35 extends pressure to rope in housing 20 through opening 32 by means of linkage members 33 and 34 attached to brake bar 36 in area 37 by squeezing handle of hand brake 31 back to unit handle 35. This causes top of brake bar 36 which is anchored at bottom end by pin 38 to move inward toward rope exit point and put pressure on rope. Brake bar is brought back to original position by tension spring 41 secured to rivet 63 or other means inside bottom of brake arm housing 64 on vertical side face of unit housing 20.