Improvements in or relating to Rope-gripping, Climbing, and similar Apparatus.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 5th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 16th Sept, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Rope-gripping, Climbing, and
similar Apparatus.
I, ANDERS WILHELM LEWIN, Commercial Agent, of Tegnérlunden 8,
Stockholm, in the Kingdom of Sweden, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The present apparatus is so constructed that when it is actuated in a given
direction along a rope, it catches, a rope automatically so that it cannot, without a
particular manipulation, be carried further along. Owing to this property the
apparatus may be used with advantage in the different instances indicated in the
above title. Thus for instance it will afford sure protection for any person being
at a height or in any other dangerous place, if the person has the apparatus
attached to him and the same traversed by a rope, secured at any convenient point
above him. In the event of the person falling, the apparatus will clutch the rope
and the person will thus be caught in the fall and suspended on the rope.
apparatus however so constructed that it can be prevented from acting, and is
also combined with a suitable brake device, it may be used as a climbing apparatus
by using two rope catchers, when wanted to mount or descend on a rope, and as an
escape apparatus, when it is desired to get down on a rope from a height.
As the
In
The apparatus consists of two clamps situated one opposite another on either side
of the rope and acting as eccentrics, being preferably pivotted to the casing of the
apparatus. From the clamps project two bars or legs pivotted to the former and
having their ends turned from the same pivotally connected to each other. The
pivots of the bars in the clamps are situated at a greater distance from the rope
than the pivots of the clamps and it is clear that if there is a strain on the bars the
clamps will be turned in towards the rope which will thus be firmly gripped, and it
follows that the greater the strain the tighter will be the grip upon the rope.
order that the clamps may catch the rope they may be made concave, so as to fit
the rounding of the rope and they may also be provided with teeth which however
are not so sharp as to wear the rope. It is evident that the above turning in of the
clamps towards the rope will likewise occur when pulling the rope in the direction.
opposite to the force pulling the bars. This however assumes that the clamps are
always resting against the rope so as to be ready to catch the same.
effect that, there are between the wall of the casing and the outer ends of the
clamps, spiral springs which keep the clamps pressed against the
The bars
rope.
reach so far below the lower edge of the casing that they may be easily taken hold
of and besides they are gutter-shaped and edges of the one overlapping the other
having the rope between them forming thus, as it were, a pipe which conveniently
may be seized by the hand. Further their ends united with each other are
provided with a hook or loop serving as attachment to the load carried by the rope
catcher.
In order to
In order that the rope catcher now described may be used as an escape-
apparatus on a rope suspended at a height, it is combined with a brake device, by
means of which the clamps can be caused to release the rope, so that the rope
catcher may travel along the rope, its speed being regulated at will by the brake
device.
The brake device consists preferably of two brake clamps pivotted in such a way
to each of the catching clamps of the rope catcher, that their points of contact on
the rope are situated below the corresponding points of the catching clamps. At
the one of the catching clamps there is further pivotted a lever by means of which
The other brake
one of the brake clamps may be actuated towards the rope.

page_text: clamp is at its lower end supported by one of the bars in such a manner that there
is a slot receiving a pin fixed in the brake clamp, which pin works in the slot, when
the catching clamp is turned. When by seizing the bars and the downward
lengthened part of the lever with the hand the lever is approached to the rope, the
brake clamp will be pressed against the rope and on the opposite side of the latter
the brake clamp is reposing. This clamp is hereby caused to turn upwards the
catching clamp united with the same which, in its order causes the catching clamps
to be released from the rope. At the same moment the whole weight is brought
over to the brake clamps, which now evidently act in the same way as a knee-joint
and by this action the catching clamps are perfectly removed from the rope. In
order however that the said clamps may not tilt over, they are provided with
shoulders which when they have turned sufficiently far will rest against the
opposite edges of the brake clamps. If the brake clamps now mentioned are
suitably adjusted the loaded rope catcher can, as already stated, glide down the
rope, and by acting more upon the lever the gliding of the rope catcher will be
stopped. This may also be effected by releasing the catch round the lever and the
bars when the catching clamps instantaneously will catch the rope under the
influence of the spiral springs.
Thus constructed, the rope catcher constitutes a safe escape apparatus, whereas
the same may at will be stopped or brought in motion on the rope and further to
catch the same automatically, in the event of the person supported by the rope
catcher eventually releasing his grasp round the lever of the brake device.
Besides it can speedily and with the greatest facility be adapted to ropes of varying
diameter.
The rope catcher may le modified to adapt it to a climbing and safety apparatus
in which the question is not only to displace the rope catcher downwards along a
suspended rope but also to displace it upwards on the saine rope.
In the modified rope catcher it is not the catching clamps but the ends of the
bars turned from the catching clamps which are pivotted to the casing the pivots of
the catching clamps being on the contrary united by means of a link. Between this
and the casing are spiral springs which tend to turn the catching clamps towards
the rope. From the link there extends further a bar fixed in the same and which
at its lower end is bent to a hook or an eye. The latter can be taken hold of by a
finger, while the lower, lengthened and thinner part of the casing is grasped by the
hand. The bar projects through an oblong slot in the wall of the casing and
further down on the outer side of the said wall the bar passes through a guide. If
it is required to displace the rope catcher upwards or downwards ou the rope it has
only to be grasped in the manner just stated, whereupon the bar is pulled down-
wards and the catching clamps are removed from each other. As soon as the bar is
released the clamps are returned by the spiral springs into such a position, that
they can catch the rope, when the rope catcher is loaded.
The rope catcher may also be adapted as a climbing apparatus in which case the
rope is preferably suspended from a building. Two rope catchers are applied one
above the other and displaceable up and down the rope and mutually united with a
supplemental rope. At the lower rope catcher there is further fixed the seat or
cross-tree on which the climber is seated. Further there descend from the upper
rope catcher preferably three ropes, of which one is fixed at the waist-belt of the
climber, while the other two ropes descend to the feet of the climber the lower end
of which being provided with stirrups serving as supports to the feet. If the
climber ascends the rope he has to move the upper apparatus upwards in the
described manner as far as permitted by the rope. At this movement the feet will
evidently be drawn upwards by means of the two ropes. This having been effected
the climber supporting himself by the main rope has to rise so as to be standing in
the stirrups and then to move the lower rope catcher upwards in the same manner
as the upper one, until the seat has attained just the right height. When the
climber then sits down upon the seat he has mounted the distance he first brought
the upper rope catcher upwards. The descent takes place in the same way,

page_text: although in the reverse order. Then the climber first rises so as to be standing in
the stirrups whereupon he moves the lower rope catcher downwards. Having then
seated himself he moves the upper rope catcher downwards.
The rope fixed to the waist-belt is to support the climber in case he should
accidentally fall backwards. The seat can further be combined with a back
consisting of one or two ropes fixed to the upper rope catcher.
It will be understood that modifications may be made without departing from the
spirit of the invention.
Dated this 7th day of December 1892
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Of London, Nottingham, Liverpool, and Manchester,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Rope-gripping, Climbing, and
similar Apparatus.
I, ANDERS WILHELM LEWIN of Tegnérlunden 8, Stockholm, in the Kingdom
of Sweden, Commercial Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The present apparatus is so constructed that when it is actuated in a given
direction along a rope, it catches the rope automatically so that it cannot, without
a particular manipulation, be carried further along. Owing to this property the
apparatus may be used with advantage in the different instances indicated in the
above title. Thus for instance it will afford sure protection for any person being
at a height or in any other dangerous place, if the person has the apparatus
attached to him and the same traversed by a rope secured at any convenient point
above him. In the event of the person falling the apparatus will clutch the rope
and the person will thus be caught in the fall and suspended on the rope.
apparatus is however so constructed that it can be prevented from acting, and is
also combined with a suitable brake device, it may be used as a climbing apparatus
by using two rope catchers, when wanted to mount or descend on a rope, and as an
escape, when it is desired to get down on a rope from a height.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus showing the mechanism.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same viewed from the edge.
As the
Figures 3 and 4 represent similar views of a modification of the apparatus and
Figure 5 illustrates its use for climbing.
The apparatus consists of two clamps A situated one opposite another on either
side of the rope D and acting as eccentrics; the clamps are preferably pivotted
at S to the casing L. From the clamps project two bars or legs F pivotted to the
former and having their ends turned from the same pivotally connected to each
other. The pivots of the bars F in the clamps A are situated at a greater distance
from the rope D than the pivots S of the clamps and it is clear that if there is a
strain on the bars F the clamps will be turned in towards the rope D which will
thus be firmly gripped, and it follows that the greater the strain the tighter will be
the grip upon the rope.
In order that the clamps A may catch the rope D they
may be made concave so as to fit the rounding of the rope and they may also be
provided with teeth which however are not so sharp as to wear the rope. It is
evident that the above turning in of the clamps A towards the rope D will likewise
occur when pulling the rope in the direction opposite to the force pulling the
bars F. This however assumes that the clamps A are always resting against the
rope so as to be ready to catch the same. In order to effect that, as shown on
the drawing, there are between the wall of the casing L and the outer ends of the

page_text: clamps A the spiral springs K which keep the clamps pressed against the rope D.
As it is further shown in the drawing the bars F reach so far below the lower edge
of the casing that they may be easily taken hold of and besides they are gutter-
shaped and edges of the one overlapping the other having the rope between them
forming thus, as it were, a pipe which conveniently may be seized by the hand.
Further their ends united with each other are provided with a hook or loop T
serving as attachment to the load carried by the rope catcher.
In order that the rope catcher now described may be used as an escape-apparatus
on a rope suspended at a height, it is combined with a brake device, by means of
which the clamps A can be caused to release the rope, so that the rope catcher
may travel along the rope, its speed being regulated at will by the brake device.
The brake device consists preferably of two brake clamps B and C pivotted in
such a way to each of the catching clamps A of the rope catcher, that their points
of contact on the rope D are situated below the corresponding points of the catching
clamps. At one of the catching clamps A there is further pivotted a lever E by
means of which one of the brake clamps B may be actuated towards the rope D.
The other brake clamp C is at its lower end supported by one of the bars F in
such a manner that there is a slot G receiving a pin H fixed in the brake clamp C,
which pin works in the slot, when the catching clamp is turned. The lever E may
also constitute an extension of the brake clamps B. When by seizing the bars F
and the downward lengthened part of the lever E with the hand the lever is
brought towards the rope D, the brake clamp B will be pressed against the rope on
the opposite side of which the brake clamp C is resting. This clamp is hereby
caused to turn upwards the catching clamp A united with the same which, in its
order causes the catching clamps to be released from the rope. At the same
moment the whole weight is brought over to the brake clamps, which now act in
the same way as a knee-joint and by this action the catching clamps A are perfectly
removed from the rope D. In order however that the said clamps may not tilt
over, they are provided with shoulders I which when they have turned sufficiently
far will rest against the opposite edges of the brake clamps as easily understood
from the drawings. If the brake clamps now mentioned are suitably adjusted the
loaded rope catcher can, as already stated, glide down the rope, and by acting more
upon the lever E the gliding of the rope catcher will be stopped. This may also
be effected by releasing the catch round the lever E and the bars F when the
catching clamps A will instantaneously catch the rope under the influence of the
springs K.
Thus constructed the rope catcher constitutes a safe escape apparatus as it may
at will be stopped or brought in motion on the rope and further automatically
caught in the event of the person supported by the rope catcher eventually
releasing his grasp round the lever of the brake device. Besides it can speedily and
with the greatest facility be adapted to ropes of varying diameter.
The rope catcher illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 is a modification of that above
described it being so modified as to be adapted to a climbing and safety apparatus,
in which the question is not only to displace the rope catcher downwards along a
suspended rope but also to displace it upwards on the same rope.
In the modified rope catcher, it is not the catching clamps A but the ends of the
bars F turned from the catching clamps, which are pivotted at M to the casing L
the pivots of the catching clamps being on the contrary united by means of a
link N. Between this and the casing L are spiral springs O which tend to force
the catching clamps A towards the rope. From the link N and fixed to it extends
a bar P, which at its lower end is bent to a hook or an eye. The latter can be
taken hold of by a finger, while the lower, lengthened, and thinner part of the
casing L is grasped by the hand. The bar P projects through an oblong slot Q in
the wall of the casing L and further down on the outer side of the said wall the
bar passes through a guide R. If it is required to displace the rope catcher
upwards or downwards on the rope it has only to be grasped in the manner just
stated, whereupon the bar P is pulled downwards and the catching clamps A are

page_text: removed from each other. As soon as the bar P is released the clamps are
returned by the spiral springs O into such a position, that they can catch the rope,
when the rope catcher is loaded.
Figure 5 represents the rope catcher adapted as a climbing apparatus.
D is the rope preferably suspended from a building. U and V are the two rope
catchers applied one above the other and displaceable up and down the rope and
mutually united with a supplemental rope X. To the lower rope catcher V is
fixed the seat or cross-tree Y on which the climber is seated. Further there
descend from the upper rope catcher U preferably three ropes, of which one Z is
fixed at the waist-belt of the climber, while the two other ropes a descend to the
feet of the climber the lower end of which being provided with stirrups serving
as supports to the feet. If the climber being in the position shown in Figure 5
desires to ascend the rope D he has to move the upper apparatus U upwards in the
described manner as far as permitted by the rope X. At this movement the feet
will evidently be drawn upwards by means of the two ropes a. This having been
effected the climber supporting himself by the main rope D has to rise so as to be
standing in the stirrups b and then to move the lower rope catcher V upwards in
the same manner as the upper one; until the seat Y has attained just the right
height. When the climber then sits down upon the seat he has mounted the
distance he first brought the upper rope catcher U upwards. The descent takes
place in the same way although in the reverse order. Then the climber first
rises so as to be standing in the stirrups whereupon he moves the lower rope
catcher V downwards. Having then seated himself he moves the upper rope
catcher U downwards.
b
The rope Z fixed to the waist-belt is to support the climber in case he should
accidentally fall backwards. The seat Y can further be combined with a back
consisting of one or two ropes fixed to the upper rope catcher U.
It will be understood that modifications may be made without departing from the
spirit of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A rope catcher consisting of two eccentrics pivotted at opposite sides of the
rope to a piece placed across the rope and resting against it; links being pivotted
to the eccentrics in such a manner that the latter are pressed tightly against the
rope when there is a strain on the links in the longitudinal direction of the rope
said links being further pivotted at their lower ends to a common attachment device
such as a hook, a bow, a cross-piece or such like substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. The adaptation of the rope catchers referred to in Claim 1 to a climbing
apparatus for climbing on ropes and poles said apparatus being provided with two
rope catchers placed one above the other on the rope or pole and movable up and
down the same and so arranged that to one rope catcher supports for the feet of
the climber are fixed while to the other is fixed a seat or cross-piece upon which
the climber can be seated, with the view that at the alternate displacement of the
rope catchers one after another when ascending or descending, the climber may
alternately be able to stand and sit and that he may remain seated when he desires
to stop some time at a place along the rope or pole substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. The adaptation of such a rope catcher as described in Claim 1 to an escaping
apparatus consisting of two brake clamps BC pivotted at either side of the catching
clamps A and acting below these clamps on the rope D those brake clamps being
so combined with the catching clamps A that when applying the brakes the
catching clamps are removed from the rope D and brake clamps Care further
provided with extensions reaching below their points of contact with the view that
by bringing the extensions towards each other the brake clamps B C may be

page_text: pressed against the rope D and at the same time turn the catching clamps A
away from the same substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
4. In the arrangement described in Claim 3 the modified form in which the one
brake clamp B has a longer extension than the other C or even no extension in
which latter event there is a lever E fixed to the catching clamp A resting against
the outer side of the clamp B by means of which lever E the brake clamp can be
pressed against the rope D and that in both events the shorter extension of the
other catching clamp is supported by some of the other parts of the rope catcher
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. In such a rope catcher as described in Claim 1 the arrangement whereby
between the catching clamps A and the frame for the pivots of these clamps or the
frame for the lower pivots M of the links F there are springs K O tending to turn
the catching clamps A towards the rope D and that on the frame there is a hand P
of suitable shape by means of which the two catching clamps A may be removed
from the rope D substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 4th day of August 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.