Patent ID: 7264227

Claim:
A self-climbing apparatus comprising: a support member having a longitudinal length defined by a first end and an opposed second end; a first cable at said first end of the support member and a second cable at said second opposed end of the support member, said first and second cables each including an upwardly extending run for connection to a higher structure and each cable including longitudinal runs extending along the length of the support member; a linear drive mechanism coupled to the support member; a traveling member carried by said support member and operatively connected to the longitudinal runs of the cables and coupled to the linear drive mechanism, the traveling member adapted to traverse a portion of the longitudinal length of the support member in response to an impulse from the linear drive mechanism, wherein in response to the traveling member moving towards one of the ends of the support member the upwardly extending runs of the cables are shortened, and in response to the traveling member moving towards the other end of the support member the upwardly extending runs of the cables are lengthened.