IMPROVEMENTS IN CLIMBING APPARATUS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Guy Wilson, of the British and Foreign Patent
Office, 71, Market Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical
Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLIMBING
APPARATUS." A communication from abroad by Jean Frings, of St. Petersburg,
in the Empire of Russia.
Sealed the 6th January 1880, and dated the 9th July 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Guy Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th July 1879.
JOHN GUY WILSON, of the British and Foreign Patent Office, 71, Market Street,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer and Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CLIMBING APPARATUS." A communication from abroad by
Jean Frings, of St. Petersburg, in the Empire of Russia.
The object of this Invention is the construction of an apparatus whereby a person
can climb a rope, telegraph, or scaffold pole, tree, or other object of small diameter,
and whereby he could with equal facility descend into mines, wells, and other deep
places, the apparatus being useful in repairing telegraph wires, in ascending aud
descending scaffolding, in getting on to fortifications or points of observation, in
escaping from fire, in erecting lightening conductors, repairing steeples, towers,
factory chimneys, and for other analagous purposes.
The apparatus consists of an adjustable metallic bow or frame, to each extremity
of which an arm is jointed, these arms being capable of crossing each other, and of
being secured together by the insertion of a suitable pin in one or other of a series
of holes formed through such arms.
This metallic frame forms the fulcra of a pair of levers mounted horizontally on
suitable studs, and provided at their outer extremities with wooden or other bandles,
and at their inner extremities with serrated jaws. These levers act as clamps for
gripping the pole or other object requiring to be ascended or descended when the
wooden handles are laid hold of by the hands of the operator, and he allows his
weight to bear upon them. Straps are affixed to the handles, in order that when
passed round the body security shall be afforded in case of the operator loosing his
hold of such handles.

page_text: Similar apparatus is also provided for the feet of the operator, in which, instead
of-the-levers-being-provided with handles foot plates are substituted, and to which
the feet of the operator are secured by means of straps.
The action and mode of arranging this apparatus is as follows:-
Being placed around the pole, tree, or other object requiring to be ascended, the
hand apparatus is pushed upwards along such object by the hands of the climber as
far above his head as he can reach; by then allowing his weight to act upon the
handles, the clamping levers are caused to effectually grip the object, and so the
operator becomes suspended upon the handles. In this position, and whilst still
-hanging his weight upon the handles, the operator now draws his feet upwards, to
which the foot plates of the apparatus are affixed, and then, by allowing his weight
to be exercised upon the foot plate, he is at liberty to push the hand apparatus
further up, and so, by repeating the operation, to ascend to the desired height.
A modification of this Invention consists of an apparatus whereby the hands of
the operator are left at liberty, and the box of which is formed in two halves hinged
together and secured to a plate, which is fastened by straps to the body of the
operator, the ends of the levers being arranged to grip a rope, and straps being
provided to be laid hold of by the hands, but only when actually ascending or
descending the rope, the hands being otherwise at liberty to-be used for any desired
purpose.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Guy Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th January
1880.
JOHN GUY WILSON, of the British and Foreign Patent Office, 71, Market Street,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer and Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CLIMBING APPARATUS." A communication from abroad by
Jean Frings, of St. Petersburg, in the Empire of Russia.
The object of this Invention is the construction of an apparatus whereby a person
can climb a rope, telegraph, or scaffold pole, tree, or other object of small diameter,
and whereby he could with equal facility descend into mines, wells, and other deep
places, the apparatus being useful in repairing telegraph wires, in ascending and
descending scaffolding, in getting on to fortifications or points of observation, in
escaping from fire, in erecting lightening conductors, repairing steeples, towers,
factory chimneys, and for other analogous purposes.
The apparatus consists of two parts, one to be actuated by the hands, and the
other by the feet of the operator. Figure 1 on the accompanying Drawing repre-
sents a plan; Figure 2, a front view; and Figure 3, a side view of the hand
apparatus; whilst Figure 4 is a plan; Figure 5, a front view; and Figure 6 is a
side view of the feet apparatus. In Figures 1, 2, and 3, A and A' is an adjustable
metallic bow or, frame (hereinafter called the bow A), capable of being made wider
or narrower to suit the size of pole or other object requiring to be traversed, the
adjustment being effected by turning the toothed pinion a, and so causing the part
A to travel along the bar B by such pinion gearing with the toothed rack v, a
spring pawl C taking into a ratchet wheel C' secured on the axis of the pinion a,
preventing any accidental displacement of the frame whilst the apparatus is
in use.
To each extremity of the bow A an arm C is jointed, and these arms are capable
of crossing each other as illustrated, and of being secured together by the insertion
of a split pin d in one or other of a series of holes d¹ formed through such arms.
The bow A also forms the fulcra of a pair of levers D mounted horizontally on
suitable studs e, and provided at their outer extremities with wooden or other
handles D', and at their inner extremities with serrated jaws D². The levers D
may be formed in two parts, hinged together at or about the centre, so that by
removing the pins & such levers may be caused to double up and so occupy less
space, for instance, when being transported from place to place. The studs e also
carry a pair of strong springs e¹, the ends of which bear against the pins d², and
so cause the serrated jaws D2 of the lever D to act as clamps for gripping the pole
or other object requiring to be ascended or descended when the wooden handles D'
are laid hold of by the hands of the operator, and he allows his weight to bear
upon them. A strap E is affixed by its extremities to the handles D¹ or levers D,
as illustrated, provided with a cross strap E', in order that when the strap E is
passed round the body, and the strap E' across the chest of the operator, security
may be afforded to him in case of his losing his hold of such handles. The foot
apparatus is similar to the hand apparatus just described, the only difference being
that the foot plates F are substituted for the wooden handles D¹, and secured to the
levers D, as illustrated, these foot plates being fastened to the feet of the climber or
operator by the front strap F" and by the heel strap F2, the back part of such foot
plates being provided with a piece of half circular metal G projecting upwards to
receive the heel or back part of the foot.
The mode of applying and the action of this hand and foot apparatus may be
thus described. After the bow A of the hand and foot apparatus has been adjusted

page_text: according to the size of the pole (or other object) requiring, say, to be ascended, in
case of small objects the pin H may be passed through the holes I formed in the
-bow-A, and the serrated-jaws D2-placed around the same, the arms C are crossed
and pinned together by the pin d, the hand apparatus is pushed upwards-along-the-
pole-by-the-hands-of the operator as far above his head as he can reach by their
Fallowing his weight to act upon the handles D¹; the clamping levers D are caused to
effectually grip the pole by their serrated jaws D, and so the operator becomes
suspended upon the handles. In this position, and whilst still hanging his weight
upon the handles, the operator-now draws his feet upwards (to which the foot
plates F of the foot apparatus are affixed), and then by allowing his weight to be
exercised upon the foot plates he is at liberty to push the hand apparatus further
up, and so by repeating the operation to ascend the desired-height. For descending
or going backwards the action is simply reversed. The strap E, which is put across
the back, and the strap E' placed across the chest of the operator, will prevent any
possibility of his falling in case of an accession of cramp or accidental leaving hold
of the handles by causing the weight of the climber to be transferred to the
clamping levers, the serrated jaws of which will be brought into action as a self
acting clamp to lay hold of the pole.
A modification of this Invention suitable for climbing ropes and for remaining
suspended thereupon, leaving the hands at liberty for, say, repairing purposes, is also
constructed on the same principle, and is illustrated on the accompanying Drawing,
Figure 7 being a front view; Figure 8, a side view; and Figure 9, a plan of what
may be termed the chest apparatus; Figure 10 shews the box of the same opened;
Figure 11 is a front view; Figure 12, a side view; and Figure 13, a plan of the foot
apparatus; and Figure 14 illustrated the side view of a man using both apparati. In
Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10 I is an iron box or frame made in two halves, hinged together,
and capable of being closed and secured by the insertion of the pin i, as seen in
Figures 7, 8, and 9, or opened, as shewn in Figure 10; each end j of the book or frame I
forms a guide and rings, or openings K are formed at suitable distances apart inside the
box, and serve to guide the apparatus along the rope. Upon studs I', arranged inside
the box I, are pivoted the clamping levers L, the inner arms L' of which are pegged
or otherwise roughened on the semi-cylindrical service L², so as to effectually grip
the rope, whilst the outer arms L of such levers have slots at their extremities, by
means of which they are connected to straps M, as illustrated. Springs 12 (seen
dotted in Figure 7) being secured upon the studs I', and arranged to press against the
pins projecting from the levers L, to ensure their jaws opening self actingly when
the pressure is removed. To the back part of the box I is riveted a breast plate N
provided with straps N' and N2, the strap N¹ being placed across the chest and
fastening round the body of the climber, whilst the strap N2 is passed round bis
neck, as seen in Figure 14. The strap 0, which passes between the legs of the climber,
is connected at one extremity to the lever straps M, and at the other end to the
strap N The foot-apparatus-is-similar_in principle to the chest apparatus, con-
sisting of a hinged box or frame P, provided with similar levers R, but instead of
having straps at their extremities foot plates S are substituted, which are secured
to the feet of the climber, as will be well understood from the description already
given with reference to the foot plates in Figures 4, 5, and 6. The action of this
modification may be described as follows:-Being fixed to the body and feet of the
climber, and the respective hinged boxes I and P closed around the rope T, say, to
be ascended (see Figure 14), the weight of the body is allowed to be exercised, first,
on the chest apparatus, by drawing up the feet as far as possible, so causing the
levers L to grip the rope Towing to the weight suspended upon their straps M, and
then transferring the weight to the foot apparatus (the action of which is the same)
until another grip can be obtained by the chest apparatus, when the same operation
is repeated until the desired height is attained. The first mentioned apparatus is
specially designed to be used by workmen in ascending scaffolding, for climbing
telegraph posts, for effecting repairs, and other purposes, by pioneers for getting on

page_text: to fortifications or points of observation, for firemen in getting on to buildings, and
other analagous purposes; the last mentioned apparatus, which leaves the hands of
the climber at liberty, especially useful for the following, amongst other purposes,
erecting lightening conductors, repairs of walls, steeples, towers, factory chimneys,
for descending coal and other mines, wells, and other deep places. Having thus
particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention, along with
the best methods with which I am acquainted for carrying the same into practical
effect, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise details, relative proportions, or dimensions of the various parts of the
climbing apparatus bereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
Drawing, as the same may be considerably varied without departing from the
Invention, but what I claim is,-
1st. The general construction and arrangement of climbing apparatus, substan-
tially hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
2nd. In an apparatus for climing or descending, the use and application of gripping
levers when mounted and operating, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated on the accompanying Drawing..
In witness whereof, I, the said John Guy Wilson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
JOHN G. WILSON. (L.S.)