GB2135267A

GB2135267A - Rope guides for cliff rescues

Info

Publication number: GB2135267A
Application number: GB08401401A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Clifford Jones; Gareth Wynford Williams
Original assignee: UK Secretary of State for Defence
Current assignee: UK Secretary of State for Defence
Priority date: 1983-01-21
Filing date: 1984-01-19
Publication date: 1984-08-30
Also published as: GB8401401D0; GB2135267B

Abstract

A cliff rescue rope guide for emplacement at a cliff edge to guide a rescue rope thereover and avoid chafing the guide comprising rung support means 23 which are articulated, and a series of rungs 20 mounted on the support means and arranged to afford a minimum frictional resistance to a rope moving on a rope bearing surface thereof. The rungs may comprise rollers mounted such that when the guide is placed on the ground, the rollers are generally spaced therefrom and freely rotatable. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Rope guide The present invention relates to rope guides, in particular to a device for emplacement at the edge of a cliff for assisting in the deployment and use of ropes in cliff rescues and the like.

According to the present invention a rope guide comprises rung support means, and a series of rungs mounted on the support means, the rungs being arranged to afford minimum frictional resistance to a rope moving on a rope bearing surface thereof, the rung support means being articulated, and the arrangement being such that when the guide is placed on a convex ground surface it can adapt to said surface and distance from the ground a rope borne thereon.

According to a feature of the invention the rope guide may also have side guides, mounted on the support means, for retaining a rope over the rungs. It preferably also has anchorage means, whereby the rope guide can be anchored to the ground for example. The anchorage means may comprise eyes, through which ropes or ground pegs can pass, or spikes on the support means, or both, interalia.

The rungs may be rollers. Alternatively if they bear a low friction outer surface carrying for example a strip of nylon, they may have side surfaces of higher friction so that the guide may also afford foothold, and even act as a ladder. Rungs are preferably mounted at all articulation nodes of the rope guide.

The side guides may also be rollers or have a low friction guide surface together perhaps with high friction hand grip surface.

The rung support means may comprise a series of pairs of rigid strips, with rungs mounted approximate the ends thereof, and link means linking the pairs of strips. The link means may restrain the rope guide to articulate in a single plane only, that being the plane containing the guide longitude but normal to that in which the guide might lie when flat.

However if the link means comprise chains they may facilitate storage of the whole guide as well as sideways articulation.

Rope guides in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment.

The rope guide shown in Figure 1 comprises a support means carrying rollers 11, side guide 12, and anchorage means 13 at one end. The support means comprises a series of pairs of L-section strips 14 carrying some of the rollers, the strips being articulated by means of links 15.

The rope is emplaced over the edge of a cliff as shown in the drawing, being anchored in situ using the anchorage means 13 and stakes, vehicle, trees etc, the emplacement being arranged as far as possible to avoid contact, certainly chafing contact, between a rope and the cliff. The rope is then deployed over the guide and in being raised or lowered may turn one or more of the rollers. In the event of sideways movement of the rope the side guides 12 are arranged to prevent the rope leaving the rope guide.

In a particular example of this embodiment of the invention each pair of strips 14 supports three rollers and the side guides 12 are formed of a low friction plastics material while the remainder of the apparatus is made of a lightweight, oxidation resistant metal.

In this second embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, the rope guide comprises a support means carrying rungs 20 and side guides 21. The support means comprises a series of pairs of L-shaped strips 22 linked in articulated fashion by link, 23 Each rung 20 and its associated side guides 21 are formed as a unit and are carried non-rotatably, one rung at each end of each pair of strips 22. The outer edge of each rung 20 and the inner edge of each side guide 21 carry a nylon strip 25. The side faces 26 of the rungs 20 and of the guides 21 are knurled, while the outer end of each guide has a tip which serves both to assist in retaining a rope to the guide and in affording a hand grip if the rope guide is used as a ladder.

Anchorage eyes 27 are attached to an end pair of strips 22.

1. A rope guide comprising rung support means, and a series of rungs mounted on the support means, the rungs being arranged to afford minimum frictional resistance to a rope moving on a rope bearing surface thereof, the rung support means being articulated, and the arrangement being such that when the guide is placed on a convex ground surface it can adapt to said surface and distance from the ground a rope moving thereover.

2. A rope as claimed in claim 1 and having side guides, mounted on the support means, for retaining a rope over the rungs.

3. A rope guide as claimed in claim 2 and wherein the side guides comprise rollers.

4. A rope guide as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 and wherein the side guides have low friction bearing surfaces.

5. A rope guide as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4 and wherein the side guides incorporate rope retaining means.

6. A rope guide as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5 and wherein the side guides incorporate hand grips.

7. A rope guide as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and wherein the rungs are rollers.

8. A rope guide as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 and wherein the rungs have low friction rope bearing surfaces.

9. A rope guide as claimed in claim 8 and wherein the rungs incorporate high friction foothold surfaces.

10. A rope guide as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and having anchorage means.

11. A rope guide as claimed in claim 10 and

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Rope guide The present invention relates to rope guides, in particular to a device for emplacement at the edge of a cliff for assisting in the deployment and use of ropes in cliff rescues and the like. According to the present invention a rope guide comprises rung support means, and a series of rungs mounted on the support means, the rungs being arranged to afford minimum frictional resistance to a rope moving on a rope bearing surface thereof, the rung support means being articulated, and the arrangement being such that when the guide is placed on a convex ground surface it can adapt to said surface and distance from the ground a rope borne thereon. According to a feature of the invention the rope guide may also have side guides, mounted on the support means, for retaining a rope over the rungs. It preferably also has anchorage means, whereby the rope guide can be anchored to the ground for example. The anchorage means may comprise eyes, through which ropes or ground pegs can pass, or spikes on the support means, or both, interalia. The rungs may be rollers. Alternatively if they bear a low friction outer surface carrying for example a strip of nylon, they may have side surfaces of higher friction so that the guide may also afford foothold, and even act as a ladder. Rungs are preferably mounted at all articulation nodes of the rope guide. The side guides may also be rollers or have a low friction guide surface together perhaps with high friction hand grip surface. The rung support means may comprise a series of pairs of rigid strips, with rungs mounted approximate the ends thereof, and link means linking the pairs of strips. The link means may restrain the rope guide to articulate in a single plane only, that being the plane containing the guide longitude but normal to that in which the guide might lie when flat. However if the link means comprise chains they may facilitate storage of the whole guide as well as sideways articulation. Rope guides in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment. The rope guide shown in Figure 1 comprises a support means carrying rollers 11, side guide 12, and anchorage means 13 at one end. The support means comprises a series of pairs of L-section strips 14 carrying some of the rollers, the strips being articulated by means of links 15. The rope is emplaced over the edge of a cliff as shown in the drawing, being anchored in situ using the anchorage means 13 and stakes, vehicle, trees etc, the emplacement being arranged as far as possible to avoid contact, certainly chafing contact, between a rope and the cliff. The rope is then deployed over the guide and in being raised or lowered may turn one or more of the rollers. In the event of sideways movement of the rope the side guides 12 are arranged to prevent the rope leaving the rope guide. In a particular example of this embodiment of the invention each pair of strips 14 supports three rollers and the side guides 12 are formed of a low friction plastics material while the remainder of the apparatus is made of a lightweight, oxidation resistant metal. In this second embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, the rope guide comprises a support means carrying rungs 20 and side guides 21. The support means comprises a series of pairs of L-shaped strips 22 linked in articulated fashion by link, 23 Each rung 20 and its associated side guides 21 are formed as a unit and are carried non-rotatably, one rung at each end of each pair of strips 22. The outer edge of each rung 20 and the inner edge of each side guide 21 carry a nylon strip 25. The side faces 26 of the rungs 20 and of the guides 21 are knurled, while the outer end of each guide has a tip which serves both to assist in retaining a rope to the guide and in affording a hand grip if the rope guide is used as a ladder. Anchorage eyes 27 are attached to an end pair of strips 22. CLAIMS

11. A rope guide as claimed in claim 10 and wherein the anchorage means include eyes.

12. A rope guide as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11 and the anchorage means includes spikes on the support means.

13. A rope guide as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and wherein the rung support means comprises a series of pairs of rung support strips, and link means pivotally linking one pair of strips to another.

14. A rope guide as claimed in claim 13 and wherein the link means comprises chains.

15.A rope guide substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.