GB2343124A

GB2343124A - Relocatable climbing wall attachment

Info

Publication number: GB2343124A
Application number: GB9823683A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Allen William Newby
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-10-30
Filing date: 1998-10-30
Publication date: 2000-05-03
Also published as: GB9823683D0

Abstract

The attachment 100, 200, 300 is releasably connected to a climbing wall 302 and enables a climber to "belay" using chocks 304, camming devices or slings 101 within the attachment. The attachment is located in an aperture within the wall, the wall having a backing piece (Figure 3) to which the attachment is secured using bolts. The backing piece has a strong cable, rope or chain attached as a safety feature. The attachment may be internally strengthened using reinforcements (310, fig 5).

Description

RELOCATABLE BELAY PLACEMENT FIELD D OF THE INVENTION.

The invention relates to artificial climbing walls and more particularly to relocatable belay placements.

BACKGROUND.

The term'belaying'is the name rock climbers and mountaineers give to the act of securing themselves whilst dimbing. The term'belay'refers to a particular arrangement of ropes and climbing aids.

According to tradition, climbers typically use a variety of climbing aids including slings, fixed shaped anchors known at chocks or nuts and mechanically expanding anchors known as camming devices.

US patent 4,422,607 refers to a generally wedge shaped chock with opposing concave and convex faces. US patent 3,948,485 refers to a chock in the form of an Irregular polygon. US patent 4,643,377 refers to a mechanically expanding spring loaded camming device. The climber forms a belay by selecting a chock or camming device and inserting it a suitable crack. The climbing aids described so far are generally placed by the lead climber and are removed by the second or subsequent climbers.

These climbing aids can be used and reused many times.

If however, the rock face is very steep or smooth it may be difficult or impossible to find such belays. In this case, permanent belays commonly referred to as bolts can be used. These can be made by drilling a hole into the rock and gluing in place a ring or eyelet. Alternatively an expansion fixing may be bolted into the hole.

Artifiaal climbing walls attempt to recreate the diversity of natural rock. For example, EU patent 481900 describes an artificial dimbing wall with a reconfigurable modular surface. Many such dimbing walls have a wide variety of holds including cracks, holes and spikes. These may resemble natural features but they are not generally designed as belay placements. Indeed, if used in such a manner, the hold could break under the load of a falling climber. Instead, most artificial climbing walls use bolt belays for the purpose of preventing or arresting a fall.

Many such dimbing walls also feature relocatable climbing holds which are bolted onto the climbing surface. Alternatively, relocatable climbing holds can be inset into the climbing surface. Relocatable climbing holds are manufactured in a wide variety of shapes and are often coloured to identify and distinguish specific routes. Superficially, some relocatable dimbing holds, those in the form of cracks, holes and spikes may resemble natural features but once again, these are not designed as belay placements and either the hold or the artificial climbing wall could break under the load of a falling climber.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary objective of the invention is to provide relocatable belay placements for use on artificial climbing walls.

Another objective is to provide a range of relocatable belay placements with different forms to enable a belay using the normal range of chocks, camming devices or slings to be effected.

A further objective is to provide relocatable belay placements with means of security to prevent the relocatable belay placement becoming separated from the artificial climbing wall under the load of a fallingclimber A further objective is to provide relocatable belay placements with means of reinforcement to prevent the relocatable belay placement breaking under under the load of a falling climber.

A further objective is to provide relocatable belay placements which can be readily secured onto or set into the surface of new or existing artificial climbing walls and be subsequently moved with relative ease.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1. shows a typical section of artificial climbing wall and features by way of example three different types of relocatable belay placements.

Figure 2. shows the front elevation of the preferred embodiment of the relocatable belay placement.

Figure 3. shows the side elevation of the preferred embodiment of the relocatable belay placement.

Figure 4. shows the rear elevation of the preferred embodiment of the relocatable belay placement.

Figure 5. shows a cross section of the preferred embodiment of the relocatable belay placement.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to Figure 1, a relocatable belay placement 100 is fixed onto the surface of the artificial climbing wall 302. The relocatable belay placement 100 is in the form of a protrusion in which a hole has been formed and through which a rope or webbing sling 101 may be threaded. Altematively the relocatable belay placement 100 may be in the form of a crack or spike or any other form which may enable a belay using chocks 304, camming devices or slings 101 to be effected.

Also referring to Figure 1, an alternative form of relocatable belay placement 200 is fixed onto the surface of the artificial climbing wall 302. The relocatable belay placement 200 is in the form of an elongated protrusion with a variety of belay placements including holes, cracks or spikes to enable a belay using chocks 304, camming devices or slings 101 to be effected. The alternative form of relocatable belay placement 200 may be used singly or joined together to form a contiguous set of relocatable belay placements.

Also referring to Figure 1, an alternative and preferred form of relocatable belay placement 300 has a cylindrical body which is set into circula holes in the surface of the artificial climbing wall 302. Making use of the depth behind the artificial dimbing wall 302 allows more realistic and deeper cracks and holes to be made. The cylindrical body allows the relocatable belay placement 300 to be rotated and refixed in different positions. The relocatable belay placement shown in Figure 1. is in the form of a crack into which a chock or camming device may be fitted. Alternatively the relocatable belay placement 300 may be in the form of a hole or spike or any other form which may enable a belay using chocks 304, camming devices or slings 101 to be effected.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In order to best understand the invention it is necessary to refer to the following description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to Figures 1,2,3,4 and 5 the relocatable belay placement 300 has a cylindrical casing 301 which Is set into circula holes in the panels of the artificial dimbing wall 302. The material 303 within the casing 301 is shaped into the form of a crack into which a chock 304 or camming device may be fitted. Alternatively the material 303 within the casing 301 may be in the form of a hole or spike or any other form which may enable a belay using chocks 304, camming devices or slings 101 to be effected.

To enable the relocatable belay placement 300 to be readily removed or substituted, the relocatable belay placement 300 is fixed to a backing piece 305 and thereby the panels of the artificial climbing wall 302 by means of one or more bolts 306. The backing piece is prefixed to the back surface of the panels of the artificial climbing wall 302 by several screws 307.

To ensure that the relocatable belay placement 300 does not become separated from the panels of the artificial dimbing wall 302 under the load of a falling dimber, the backing piece 305 is fitted with an eyelet 308 to which a strong cable 309, rope or chain may be fitted. The other end of the cable 309 can be anchored to a strong fixed point.

Referring to Figure 5, to ensure that the material of the relocatable belay placement 300 does not break the load of a falling dimber, the base and sides of the relocatable belay placement 300 are formed by a strong cylindrical casing 301. Reinforcements 310 fixed inside the casing 301 define the edges of the crack and disperse the lateral forces which occur when the chock 304 is subjected to the load of a falling dimber.

Claims

CLAIMS A relocatable belay placement comprising: A form to enable a belay using chocks, camming devices or slings to be effected, means of fixing and removal.

A relocatable belay placement according to claim 1 with means of security to prevent the relocatable belay placement becoming separated from the artificial climbing wall under the load of a falling climber.

A relocatable belay placement according to claim 1 with means of reinforcement to prevent the relocatable belay placement breaking under under the load of a falling climber.

A relocatable belay placement according to any of claims 1 to 3 whereby the relocatable belay placement is set into the surface of the artificial dimbing wall.

A relocatable belay placement according to any of claims 1 to 3 whereby the relocatable belay placement is fixed onto the surface of the artificial dimbing wall.

A relocatable belay placement according to daim 5 whereby several relocatable belay placements may be joined to form a contiguous relocatable belay placement.

A relocatable belay placement according to claim 4 whereby the outline of the relocatable belay device, when viewed from the front is in the form a drde.

A relocatable belay placement according to claim 4 whereby the outline of the relocatable belay device, when viewed from the front exhibits one or more degrees of rotational symmetry.

A relocatable belay placement according to claim 7 with means to prevent rotation under the load of a falling climber.

A relocatable belay placement according to claim 9 whereby said means comprise one or more bolts, at least one of which is positioned off-centre.

A relocatable belay placement according to any of daims 4 to 10 whereby the relocatable belay placement may be fixed to or removed from a backing piece fixed behind the surface of the artifidal dimbing wall.

A relocatable belay placement according to claim 11 whereby the means of security is fixed to said backing piece.

A relocatable belay placement according to claim 12 whereby said means of security comprises a wire cable firmly anchored to a fixed point.

A relocatable belay placement according to daim 12 whereby said means of security comprises a rope firmly anchored to a fixed point.

A relocatable belay placement according to daim 12 whereby said means of security comprises a chain firmly anchored to a fixed point.

A relocatable belay placement according to any of claims 11 to 15 whereby reinforcing means are formed by an outer casing.

A relocatable belay placement according to preceding claims whereby reinforcing means are internal.

A relocatable belay placement substantially as described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.