Patent Document

GOVERNMENT RIGHTS 
     This invention was not made with Government support under. The Government does not have any rights in this invention. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     What is needed is a device to reduce compression forces on zipline apparatus. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An aspect of the present invention comprises a zipline transfer device ( 10 ), comprising: a tower ( 200 ); a device to device cable ( 110 ) extending from a first tower ( 200 ) to a second tower ( 200 ); and a trolley ( 100 ) having a trolley wheel carriage ( 790 ) secured to said trolley ( 100 ). 
     Another aspect is a zip line transfer device ( 10 ), comprising: a tower ( 200 ) a device to counterweight cable ( 270 ) extending from a counterweight ( 430 ) to an inline transfer device ( 460 ); and a device to device cable ( 110 ) connected at one end to said inline transfer device ( 460 ), and at another end to at least one of either another tower ( 200 ) or another inline transfer device ( 460 ); an adjustable height termination means ( 500 ) movably disposed on said tower ( 200 ), said device to counterweight cable ( 270 ) extending from a counterweight ( 430 ) upwardly to said inline transfer device ( 460 ) via said adjustable height termination means ( 500 ); a moveable member ( 100 ) that is capable of being displaced on said device to device cable ( 110 ); a non tensioned cable ( 220 ) connected to said inline transfer device ( 460 ), said non tensioned cable ( 220 ) extending from said inline transfer device ( 460 ) to at least one of either a landing ramp exit device ( 650 ) or a safety cable transfer device ( 630 ), said landing ramp exit device ( 650 ) and said safety cable transfer device ( 630 ) secured to said tower ( 200 ); an ascencion-descencion means ( 750 ), whereby a person may be able to ascend or descend the tower ( 200 ) so that the person may removably be connected to a moveable member ( 100 ) at ground level before ascension, and the person may then traverse said device to device cable ( 110 ) and said non tensioned cable ( 220 ); and at least one of either said device to device cable ( 110 ), said non tensioned cable ( 220 ) and said device to counterweight cable ( 270 ) is a dual cable. 
     Another aspect of the invention is a trolley ( 100 ), comprising: a trolley upper portion ( 770 ); a trolley wheel carriage ( 790 ) secured to said trolley upper portion ( 770 ); and a trolley lower portion ( 780 ) extending downwardly from said trolley upper portion ( 770 ), whereby said trolley ( 100 ) can be displaced along a device to device cable ( 110 ). 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a pictorial view of one embodiment of the present invention  10  showing towers  200  and device to device cables  110 ; 
         FIG. 2  is a pictorial top view of an embodiment of a portion of the tower  200  and the inline transfer device  460 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a pictorial of an embodiment of the tower  200  and counterweight  430 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a pictorial of an embodiment of an inline transfer device  460 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a pictorial a side view of the inline transfer device  460 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a pictorial of a portion of the stairwell  750  and tower  200  of an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a pictorial of an embodiment of a portion of the tower and the inline transfer device  460 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a pictorial of an embodiment of the trolley  100  or moveable member  100 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a pictorial of another embodiment of a moveable member  100  or trolley  100  of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 10  is a pictorial of an embodiment of a trolley wheel carriage  790  of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of a zip line transport device  10 , also referred to herein as a transport device  10 , or the present invention  10 . In one embodiment, the transport device has a tower  200  and a second tower  200 . As seen in  FIG. 1 , a plurality of device to device cables  110  may be disposed between the first tower  200  and the second tower  200 . The device to device cable  110  may form a zip line profile  280 . In addition, a plurality of device to device cables  110  may form a zip line profile  280 . In one embodiment, there may be two device to device cables  110  disposed next to each other to form a double zip line cables, also referred to as a double device to device cable  110 , as best seen in  FIG. 2 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , which is a top view of an embodiment of the present invention  10 , a device to device cable  110  may be disposed between two inline transfer devices  460 . Adevice to counterweight cable  270  may be connected at one end to the inline transfer device  460 , and at another end to a counterweight  430 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . In one embodiment, there may be two device to counterweight cables  270 . A non-tensioned cable  220  may be disposed between the inline transfer device  460  and a landing ramp exit device  650 . This configuration may allow the counterweight  430  to become displaced in a substantially vertical direction when a person or people are causing a load on the device to device cable  110 . This also may reduce the tension within the device to device cable  110  and whatever the device to device cable  110  may be attached to, as compared with the device to device cable  110  secured to a fixed post, rather than a counterweight  430 .  FIG. 2  also illustrates a landing ramp exit device  650 , which extends away from the termination beam  640 . 
     A person may traverse the device to device cable  110  by using a moveable member  100 , also referred to herein as a trolley  100 , as seen in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an inline transfer device  460 . The inline transfer device  460  may have a zip line cable receiver  660 . A moveable member  100  may be able to be moved past the zip line cable receiver  660  because the moveable member  100  (as seen in  FIGS. 8 and 9 ) cable receiving aperture  710  may have a diameter or area that is larger than the diameter or area of the zip line cable receiver  660 . The inline transfer device  460  may also have a counterweight cable receiver  670  secured thereto and capable of receiving a device to counterweight cable  270  therein. The device to counterweight cable  270  may have a body  690  attached thereto so that the device to counterweight cable  270 , when in tension, may force the inline transfer device  460  in a first direction  695 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The device to device cable  110  may, when in tension, force the inline transfer device  460  in a direction opposite the first direction  695 , which is called a second direction  115 . Thus, if a person is displacing the device to device cable  110 , the inline transfer device  460  may shift in the second direction  115 . This may then cause the counterweight  430  to ascend upwardly, which may then reduce tension in the device to device cable  110 . The counterweight  430  may be heavy enough to limit the amount of ascension, and thus tension reduction in the device to device cable  110 . 
       FIG. 4  also illustrates the non-tensioned cable receiver  730 . The non-tensioned cable  220  may be secured thereto. The non-tensioned cable receiver  730  may route users off of the apparatus  10  back to the ground as seen in  FIG. 2 . In one embodiment, the non tensioned cable  220  may be routed to a landing ramp exit device  650 , or to a safety cable transfer device  630 . 
     Therefore, the user may use the moveable member  100  to traverse along the device to device cable  110 , after the user has left the take off ramp  50  and before the user is on the landing ramp  40 . The user may also use the moveable member  100  to traverse along the non tensioned cable  220  when walking on the stairwell  750 . The user may be hooked into the non tensioned cable  220  when on the ground when first being hooked into the system  10 , up to being on the device to device cable  110 . 
     The user is typically never traversing the device to device to counterweight cable  270 . 
     The adjustable height termination assembly  500  may be able to be adjusted vertically by a fastener means, such as screws, or pins. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates at side view of the inline transfer device  460 , and how a user may traverse from the device to device cable  110  to a landing ramp exit device  650 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates an embodiment of a tower  200  of the present invention  10 . The tower  200  may have a stairwell  750  so people can ascend and descend to various destinations, such as the ground, to a landing ramp  40 , or to a takeoff ramp  50 . The tower  200  may have a termination post  640  that is oriented substantially vertical. The termination post  640  may have an adjustable height termination assembly  500  adjustably mounted thereon. The adjustable height termination assembly  500  may receive a device to counterweight cable  270 . The zip line cables  220  may extend through the adjustable height termination assembly  500  to a counterweight  430 , as illustrated in  FIG. 7  So at one end, the zip line cables  220  may be connected to the counterweight  430 , and at the other end to a termination post  640 . In another embodiment, one end of the zip line cables  220  may be connected to a counterweight  430 , and the other end also to a counterweight  430 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the moveable member  100  or trolley  100  may have a head  700  having a cable receiving aperture  710  therein. In one embodiment, there may be more than one cable receiving aperture  710 . A neck  740  may extend from said head  700 . The neck  740  may have a safety cable attachment  720  to allow a user to attach a safety cable (not illustrated) to the neck  740 . In one embodiment the cable receiving aperture  710  has a rotatable pulley (not illustrated) secured therein, which can rotate to allow the moveable member  100  to move relative to a cable, such as a device to device cable  110 , or a non tensioned cable  220 . In one embodiment, as illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the trolley  100  slides on the device to device cable  110 . In another embodiment, as illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the trolley  100  has a trolley wheel carriage  790  pivotally disposed within a trolley upper portion  770 . The trolley wheel carriage  790  may have four trolley wheels  760  rotatably disposed to the trolley wheel carriage  790 . The four trolley wheels  760  may be aligned in two pairs, each pair may be displaced on one cable, so that there may be a “front” set of wheels, and a “rear” set of wheels, to keep the trolley  100  aligned, and reduce angular displacement  820  along a substantially vertical axis  830  as the trolley  100  is moving along a cable, such as the device to device cable  110 , or any other cable. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates an embodiment of a trolley wheel carriage  790  of the present invention. The trolley wheel carriage  790  may be able to receive two pairs of rotatably disposed wheels  760 . A trolley carriage pivot  810  may be pivotally attached to the trolley upper portion  770  to allow some pivoting about the axis (not illustrated) of the trolley carriage pivot  810 . This may allow the trolley carriage pivot  810  to pivot according to the positioning of any cable that the wheels  760  may be on. In addition, in one embodiment each trolley wheel carriage  790  may be pivotally disposed to said trolley upper portion  770 , but independent of the other trolley wheel carriage  790 , to allow for independent suspension of each pair of wheels  760 . 
     In one embodiment, two trolley wheel carriages  790  may be secured to the trolley  100 . The trolley wheel carriage  790  may have two trolley wheels  760  rotationally disposed in-line thereon. “In-line” is defined as being able to roll along the same device to device cable  110 . The two in-line wheels may be oriented in a manner similar to a front left and rear left wheel of a 4-wheeled motor vehicle. This may allow the trolley  100  to be displaced on two adjacent device to device cables  110 . 
     In one embodiment a separator  840  may be disposed between the trolley lower portion  780  and a neck  740 . This way the neck  740  acts as a handle, and the separator  840  prevents the user from holding the trolley  100  above the separator  840 . The neck  740  may extend downwardly from the trolley lower portion  780  to terminate in a safety cable attachment  720 . The safety cable attachment  720  may be have an attachment aperture  725  so that a cable may be tied to it, or may go through the attachment aperture  725  and tied to another part of the cable. 
     It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Technology Category: 7