ZA200506646B - Aeriel runway - Google Patents

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

® This invention resides in the field of aerial runways, particularly those used in fun-fares, theme parks, adventure parks and other recreational and motivational installations.

BACKGROUND

Aerial runways are used to provide an exciting and enjoyable ride as a recreational pursuit, many have been built for some generations by amateurs, including youngsters, and are described in the vernaculars as “foefie slides” and “zip slides” amongst other names. These slides may consist of a wire rope or cable with a sheave or a wire, often single strand with a pipe, often in rather rough and ready installations. The rider hangs on by the hands to a handle at the sheave or in the case of a pipe on a wire simply onto the pipe.

These are typically 20 or 30 metres long at the most, leading from a height to the ground, with often soft sand or other means to brake the rider's descent speed when reaching the ground. Commercial exploitation of aerial runways for recreation is scant and the present invention is primarily focused on providing a commercially exploitable aerial runway of exceptional length and safety to the public paying to ride it. The phenomenal speeds that can be attained (e.g. 160 km/hr) can give excitement and appeal at a level akin to modern high technology fun-fare rides.

THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an aerial runway, which employs a wire rope or cable and sheave arrangement, characterised by one or more of the following : a safety over-lock on the sheave, one or two harnesses for the rider of the runway, a fin attached to the rider's ankles, a horizontal length of one to four kilometres long (or longer), a height at the high position of the runway of between 0.05 to 0.4 times the horizontal length, preferably about

0.2 times, ground anchors at the high position and the low position of the runway for the cable, release means for a safe launch of a rider and recovery ® means for safe recovery of the rider at the low position of the runway.

The wire rope is preferably a high technology cable with a breaking load at a level that gives a factor of safety in use many times the loads resulting from the rider(s), wind loads and dynamic effects.

The sheave arrangement is preferably a two-sheave frame carrying two sheaves, with a safety over-lock which allows embracing arms to embrace the rope and be locked by suitable means to provide security of attachment to the wire, even in the unlikely event of sheave failure. The sheaves must have high specification bearings (for example, rotational speed of the sheaves can reach 9000 r.p.m. at speeds of the order of 140 to 160 km/hr).

The sheaves are preferably made of a polymer (e.g. nylon) that has impregnated in the polymer a lubricant which maintains a lubrication of the rope as the runway is used.

The two sheave arrangement preferably has a swing arm connection to the harness for the rider of the runway, to provide for the incline of the rope, which hangs in a catenary and hence the incline varies over the length of the runway and is steepest at the high position of the runway. The swing arms are pivotally connected to the frame at a position equidistant between the two sheaves, to equalise the load carried by them.

The sheave frame preferably has a safety connection provision, which allows a safety connection to be made to the sheave frame to secure it at the high position of the runway until a rider is safely prepared to be launched on the ride. Preferably the safety connection is made so that it can be let out and pulled in, in a controlled manner from a position in which the rider and harness are connected to the sheave arrangement to a position in which a release connection means takes up the strain holding the rider.

The harness preferably has a release connection means, which allows a release of the rider after the safety connection has been released, the tie ® means to the harness being aligned so that an imaginary extension of the tie is reasonably close to the centre of mass of the rider. This avoids or minimises any transverse components of force on the rider, which allows the rider to be launched onto the ride in a stable manner. This avoids any undue swinging or swaying of the rider suspended from the sheave arrangement.

Preferably this is true both in a horizontal plane and a vertical plane.

Preferably the sheave arrangement and the harness connection means to the sheave arrangement is adapted to allow two riders to be hitched to the sheave arrangement side by side, so that they can ride the aerial runway in tandem.

The harness preferably comprises straps at the pelvic area of the rider and also at the shoulders, arranged to allow the rider to be suspended horizontally face down. Preferably to the harness is added a body support bag, which provides a half-tubular flexible container for the prone body, extending from the region of the shoulders to the region of the knees, typically. The rider can proceed along the runway head first or feet first, chest facing down or back facing down. In all cases the fin is preferably used, located to the trailing part of the person, either feet if head first or hands if feet first .

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention there Is added to the use of the harness a fin, which has means for securing it to the legs, e.g. ankles and calves or feet of the rider, aligned with an imaginary line running from the rider's head to the rider's feet. Optionally further items having an aerodynamic effect at speed can be added to the rider, the harness or otherwise, to influence in a horizontal and/or vertical plane the ride that is experienced. It will be appreciated that the fin will tend to align the rider into the direction of the ride along the ride. The harness and body support bag preferably has a tie that ties the feet of the rider together, the fin being located between the lower legs, feet, or shoes, if proceeding head first.

The ground anchor at the high position of the runway preferably is fixed to a tower, frame or mast, which raises the launch position of the rider to a ® comfortable level above a launch position adopted by the rider prior to launch.

Preferably a launch platform is provided, located at a level below the rope which accommodates the rider in the harness in a comfortable position while being connected to the sheave arrangement and secured prior to launch and facilitates safe manoeuvres during this stage. The launch platform could be made movable, to facilitate an unhindered launch. The frame may comprise an “A” frame in form, with a clevis connection to the rope from the frame apex.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention the low position of the runway ends at a tower, mast or other structure or height such that the lowest position of the rope to the ground in its catenary is some distance away from the end of the rope. This allows the design of a deceleration portion of the runway, where the rider moves up an incline approaching the end of the rope, allowing a smooth and safe deceleration of the rider to a stop. The rider may even then move back in a reverse direction to a final stationary position.

Due to the fin, the rider will turn around when moving in a reverse direction so as to go head first again in this direction. From this position the recovery of the rider may be carried out.

A preferred means of recovery comprises a hook which may be hooked onto the rope and used to pull the rope downwards, to alter the catenary form to bring the rider to a position from which the rider harness may be disconnected from the sheave arrangement. The sheave arrangement must then be removed from the rope to render to rope all clear for a following ride. The hook may be connected to a tie that is winched on a winch to alter the form of the catenary to bring the rider to the disconnect position. This also must be executed in a safe way, requiring a disconnecting position or platform at which the exercise is carried out. The hook must hold the rope in the altered catenary until the rider is safely disconnected from the rope. Preferably the hook is used to return the catenary to the unaltered position and the hook also has a trip line, which can be pulled to flip the hook off the rope, when the work of the hook is completed.

THE DRAWINGS e The invention will be more fully described by way of an example, with reference to the drawings, in which : -

Figure 1 is an elevation of an aerial runway,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of an “A” frame at the high end of the runway,

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the “A” frame,

Figure 4 is a front elevation of a detail on section B - B,

Figure 5 is a plan view of a detail on view C — C,

Figure 6 is a plan view of a detail on the top attachment of the runway cable,

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the tower at the low end of the runway,

Figure 8 is a side elevation of a detail of the saddle for the runway cable,

Figure 9 a side elevation of a detail of the anchorage of the lower end of the runway cable,

Figure 10 is a side elevation of a detail of the anchorage of the guys,

Figure 11 is a side elevation of a detail of the attachment of the guys to the tower,

Figure 12 is a side elevation of the sheave arrangement,

Figure 13 is an end elevation of the sheave arrangement,

Figure 14 is an end elevation of a hook used to deform the catenary,

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Figure 15 is a side elevation of the hook,

Figure 16 is an oblique view of the hook,

Figure 17 is a side elevation of a fin used at the feet of a rider,

Figure 18 is an end elevation of the fin,

Figure 19 is a side view of a harness and body support bag,

Figure 20 is a side elevation of a bungie stop for the runway, and

Figure 21 is an end elevation of the bungie stop.

THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in figure 1, the aerial runway 1 consists of a cable 2 spanning in a catenary shape a horizontal distance of 2003 metres (2 kilometers), between a high end 3 and a low end 4. The high end is 275 meters higher than the lowest part of the track. This lowest part is at a position 8, which is the lowest part of the catenary curve and in accordance with a distinctive feature of this invention, the runway rises beyond this position by a height of about 35 metres to the top of a tower 7. The high end achieved in this example by mounting an “A” frame 5 on top of a hill 6. The low end is established by the tower 7, which is 43 meters high, the cable runs over a saddle on the top of the tower. This provides the lowest position of the catenary shape of the suspended cable at 8 with an upwards incline between this position and the end of the cable at the tower. At the lowest part 8 of the runway the cable is horizontal and hence at this position the component of force in the direction of the cable, which is due to gravity acting on a rider of the runway is zero.

Above this position where the catenary shape of the cable gets steeper towards the high end this component of force, which drives the rider down the ) cable, is a maximum at the high end, where the cable is steepest. As the rider is released and rides down the cable the acceleration is a maximum at the top end, where the cable is steepest. As the speed of the rider increases wind resistance increases and a position is reached where the rider attains a terminal velocity. This velocity has been recorded by GPS in the case of this example to be about 160 kilometres per hour. If there is wind this affects the position positively or negatively, as well as the terminal velocity. This position is somewhere above the lowest position of the cable, about one third of the way down and from this position onwards the rider commences a deceleration. This deceleration increases as the rider passes the lowest position of the cable and commences the incline of the cable towards the tower. This deceleration portion, approximately indicated by 9 on the runway, brings the rider to a halt safely and smoothly. This is a significant feature of the invention having regard to issues of public safety, it is styled a gravity stop system, but several other structural features also focus on this important aspect, as well as the procedural steps or method by which the runway is used. These include, for example, adjusting body position according to rider weight and wind conditions. Operational knowledge plays a role here. The invention can also be implemented by suspending the cable between two natural features, like two hills or koppies, in place of the tower at the low end.

At the high end the A-frame may be retained to provide a convenient launching platform arrangement.

The rider 10 suspended from a sheave arrangement 11 and normally comes to a halt short of the tower. The rider then rolls slowly back towards a recovery position. A safety snag or bungie stop 12 is placed on the cable 43 metres short of the tower in case the rider happened to go further than normal. This could occur due to exceptional wind conditions, for example, caused by thermal action. A further emergency stop is provided 3 metres from the top of the tower. The recovery position is at a platform or pad 13, at which the catenary is deformed to bring the rider(s) sufficiently close to the recovery position to release the harness and body support bag or ride positioning harness from the sheave arrangement in comfort and safety. ® The aerial runway equipment includes two-way radio communication means, used at the high position and the low position of the runway, to confirm from the high position that the runway is clear and activities are complete so far as visible from both the high position and the low position.

Referring to figures 2 and 3, and the details of figures 4 to 6, the “A” frame 5 at the high end of the runway comprises steel channels 14, a transverse base and longitudinal base 16 with a tubular tensile component 17. A fish plate 18 has a double clevis structure 19 with a collar swaged or resin socket to the end of the cable. The double clevis allows for upwards and downwards flexion of the rope and side to side flexion due to side winds. The cable or steel rope is a 20 mm outside diameter stranded rope of 19 wires and hop dip galvanised. The foundations 20 of the “A” frame have extremely deep ground anchors and anchors known by the trade name “TITAN ANCHORS" are used.

These anchors sink steel bars 21 deep into the ground and rock and have pull out forces way above the necessary safe limits.

Referring to figure 7 and the details of figures 8 to 11, the tower 7 is a lattice girder structure with a pin base held up by six steel guy ropes 22 in the form of two backstays and four side stays. The horizontal distance of the runway rope from the tower to the ground anchor is 150 metres. The side stays are oriented in plan view at 120 degrees from each other and from the back stay.

At the top of the tower a saddle 24 is pivotally mounted to carry the runway cable over the top of the tower to an earth anchorage at 23. The earth anchorage also uses a “TITAN ANCHOR” which is driven extremely deep into the ground and rock. Estimated strain on the runway rope is about 8 tons and estimated breaking strain of the rope is about 45 tons. A chain adjuster system 23 is provided at the anchorage to allow adjustment of the runway, as the cable is affected by temperature and other factors. All wire terminations are backed up.

Referring to figures 12 and 13, the sheave arrangement or trolley 11 comprises two steel side plates or cheeks 24 and sheaves 25 made of a ® polymer which has a lubricant impregnated in it to provide lubrication on the runway cable. The sheaves have low load high speed bearings specified, the sheaves reach speeds of around 9000 r.p.m. at speed on the runway. The trolley has two swing bars 26 that have a slotted hole 27 for this purpose. This allows the bar to hang vertical even at steep inclinations of the runway rope.

The swing action of the swing bars allows the bars to be swung to one side to allow the trolley to be put onto the runway rope and when swung back into the operative position the harness is clipped to the bars and assures that the trolley cannot fall off the rope. Two drop nose pins 28 each have a nylon sleeve 29 which will prevent the rope jumping out of the sheaves should vibration of the rope arise. The construction of the troliey allows it to be removed from and fitted to the runway rope. In use each ride is done with a trolley that is fitted to the rope preparatory to the ride and removed from the rope at the end of the ride. The trolley is bi-directional so that it cannot be fitted to the rope incorrectly. The trolley has a very large factor of safety in its strength, being tested to deformation at 2.3 tons, load tested at 300 kg and impact resistant at its ends.

The bungie stop (see item 12 in figure 1) is a trolley with an impact pad at the end facing approaching ride trolleys and held by stretchable bungie cords so as to yield elastically should a ride trolley impact it. The bungie stop trolley is lighter than the ride trolley and has spreader arms to direct he bungie cords away from the trolley and rope. Merely by way of an example of one arrangement, four 10 mm or 12 mm bungie cords are used, tethered to a wire cable that is anchored in the earth.

Referring to figures 14 to 16, a hook 30 is used to deform the catenary shape of the runway cable to bring the rider down to ground level or the level of a landing platform 13. The hook has a cast nylon insert 31 which engages the cable so as to ensure that the cable is not frayed or damaged. The hook is raised to the cable by a pole linked to it at 32 and a rope connected at 33 is winched in on a hand operated winch or a speed controlled electric winch to pull the hook and hence the cable down. This is done slowly to ensure that a wave oscillation is not induced in the runway cable. The harness is ® disconnected from the trolley and the rider is safely removed from the harness. The trolley is disconnected from the runway cable and will have to be taken back up to the high position of the runway for use in further rides.

The hook rope is then slowly released to return the runway cable to its normal catenary position. A trip rope connected at 34 is then used to trip the hook from the cable and it falls to the ground. A further pole (not shown) is used to position the rider before he is pulled down, as may be required.

Referring to figures 17 and 18 the fin 35 has straps 36 to attach it to the two ankles and at the knees of a rider, the ankles being held firmly together by straps of the harness and by being strapped to the fin. The fin acts as a stabiliser to ensure that the rider progresses face first, while held in the prone position by the harness. The size and aerodynamic shape of the fin may be varied as well as for aesthetic reasons.

Referring to figure 19, the harness has a body support bag 37, which adopts the form of a trough in which the trunk of the person is supported in the prone position. Straps 38 suspend the bag from a linkage means 39, which is clipped to the trolley. A foot strap 40 suspends the feet and ankles and ties them firmly together, the fin being clamped between the ankles and held by its straps 36. A strap 41 provides support for the shoulders. Goggles are worn by the rider, the arms may be left free and some are inspired to spread their arms like wings as the sensation of flying grips them.

The harness may be provided with a firm or rigid plank or structure like a stretcher or sled to support the rider more fully than a body bag.

The procedure or method of using the runway is important for safe use of it and must be adopted strictly without any deviation as ride after ride, eventually hundreds and ultimately thousands are carried out. A launching platform is provided at the “A” frame. A trolley is attached to the runway cable and held to the “A” frame by a rope and sheave system called an “adjustable cow's tail’. The trolley is backed up to the “A” frame to a safe position on the launching platform. The rider is asked to don the support bag and itis clipped to the trolley and the rider is suspended from the trolley. The foot and ankle ® straps are applied and by straightening the legs the bag is pulied taught to about knee position and the rider is suspended horizontally, the cow's tail retaining the trolley from which rider is suspended at the “A” frame. The rider has the fin attached to the ankles and calves by the straps, which conveniently can use “Velcro” strips to secure them. The cow's tail is used then to ease the rider forward to a ready position, a tie or other release mechanism is attached to the ankles and the cow's tail released. The two way radios are then used between the high position and the low position of the runway to confirm that the runway is clear. The tie is cut and the ride begins.

The use of the tie provides that the tension of the tie is directed through the centre of mass of the rider so that upon release the rider does not rock or swing from the suspending straps. Instead of a tie a “3-ring circus” can be used, which is a release mechanism used in parachute work.

At the low position of the runway the rider comes gently to a halt and rolls back to the dismounting position. A pole is used to move him if necessary to a position above the dismount platform. The hook is hooked onto the cable and the cable is pulled down by use of the winch, distorting the catenary shape until the rider is brought down to ground level. The harness is then safely released and the trolley s removed from the cable. The cable is then eased up again to the natural position of the catenary shape. The hook is tripped by pulling the trip rope and the hook falls to the ground. A crash mat can be provided for the hook to fall onto, to prevent damage to the hook as it falls.

The runway is then ready for the next ride.

For some cases, e.g. a very heavy rider or a strong wind directed down the runway, it may be advisable to provide a drag chute attached to the rider: thus the invention preferably provides a drag chute for such use when required.

This can be a chute as is used in parachute work, such as a chute used to open a big chute.

Figures 20 and 21 show a bungie stop 12 for stopping the rider, should the rider not stop as a result of the upwards slope of the cable as it approaches ® the tower 7 (see figure 1). The bungie stop is a trolley frame 42 somewhat similar to the rider's trolley, but having a buffer 43, shown here as a mere metal plate but having added to it a shock absorbing padding of suitable kind.

The trolley also differs from the rider's trolley in having two arms 44 and 45 which are splayed and to which bungie cords are attached. The bungie cords lead to ground level and are anchored to the ground, so that they tend to retain the bungie stop at a suitable position on the runway (se figure 1). If the rider overruns the usual stop position the trolley carrying the rider contacts the bungie stop trolley and, transferring the momentum of the rider and trolley to the bungie stop trolley, this is moved along the runway cable, stretching the bungie cords, until the kinetic energy is taken up and the rider brought to a halt. The bungie stop trolley has two sheaves 46 and 47, which run on the cable and apart from what has been here mentioned is generally the same as the rider's trolley.

REFERENCES

1 aerial runway 2 cable /wire rope 3 high end 4 low end “A” frame 6 hill profile 7 tower 8 lowest position 9 deceleration portion rider 11 sheaves trolley 12 bungee stop 13 landing platform 14 “A” frame steel channels transverse steel channels

16 longitudinal steel channels 17 tubular tensile component ® 18 fish plate 19 double clevis “A’ frame foundations 21 steel anchor bars 22 guy ropes for tower 23 earth anchorage 23A saddle 24 side plates or cheeks sheave 26 swing bars 27 slotted hole 28 drop nose pins 29 nylon bush hook 31 polymer insert 32 hole 33 hole 34 hole fin 36 straps 37 support bag 38 straps 39 linkage means 40 foot and ankle strap 41 shoulder strap 42 bungie stop trolley 43 buffer on bungie stop 44 splayed arm 45 splayed arm 46 sheave 47 sheave.

SRESRPIISN | ES

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS @® 1. An aerial runway, which employs a wire rope or cable and sheave arrangement, characterised by one or more of the following features: a safety over-lock on the sheave, one or two harnesses for the rider of the runway and a fin attached to the rider's ankles.

   2. An aerial runway as claimed in claim 1, which is further characterised by one or more of the following features: a horizontal length of one to four kilometres long (or longer), a height at the high position above the low position of the runway of between 0.05 to 0.4 times the horizontal length, ground anchors at the high position and the low position of the runway for the cable.

   3. An aerial runway as claimed in either one of claims 1 or 2, which is further characterised by one or more of the following features: release means for a safe launch of a rider and recovery means for safe recovery of the rider at the low position of the runway.

   4. An aerial runway as claimed in either one of claims 2 or 3, in which the height at the high position above the low position is 0.2 times the horizontal length.

   5. An aerial runway as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the sheave arrangement is a two-sheave frame carrying two sheaves, with a safety over-lock which allows embracing arms to embrace the rope and be locked by suitable means to provide security of attachment to the wire, even in the unlikely event of sheave failure.

   8. An aerial runway as claimed in claim 5, in which the two sheave arrangement has a swing arm connection to the harness for the ® rider of the runway, the swing arms being pivotally connected to the frame at a position equidistant between the two sheaves.

   7. An aerial runway as claimed in either one of claims 5 or 6, in which the sheave frame has a safety connection provision, which allows a safety connection to be made to the sheave frame to secure it at the high position of the runway until a rider is safely prepared to be launched on the ride.

   8. An aerial runway as claimed in claim 7, in which the safety connection is made so that it can be let out and pulled in, in a controlled manner from a position in which the rider and harness are connected to the sheave arrangement to a position in which a release connection means takes up the strain holding the rider.

   9. An aerial runway as claimed in either one of claims 7 to 8, in which the harness has a release connection means, which allows a release of the rider after the safety connection has been released, the tie means to the harness being aligned so that an imaginary extension of the tie is reasonably close to the centre of mass of the rider.

   10. An aerial runway as claimed in either one of claims 5 to 9, in which the sheave arrangement and the harness connection means to the sheave arrangement are adapted to allow two riders to be hitched to the sheave arrangement side by side, so that they can ride the aerial runway in tandem.

   11. An aerial runway as claimed in either one of claims 1 to 10, in which ® the harness comprises straps at the pelvic area of the rider and also at the shoulders, arranged to allow the rider to be suspended horizontally face down.

   12. An aerial runway as claimed in claim 11, in which to the harness is added a body support bag, which provides a half-tubular flexible container for the prone body, extending from the region of the shoulders to the region of the knees.

   13. An aerial runway as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, in which the fin has means for securing it to the legs or ankles and calves or feet of the rider, aligned with an imaginary line running from the rider's head to the rider's feet.

   14. An aerial runway as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 13, in which the ground anchor at the high position of the runway is fixed to a tower, frame or mast, which raises the launch position of the rider to a comfortable level above a launch position adopted by the rider prior to launch.

   15. An aerial runway as claimed in claim 14, in which a launch platform is provided, located at a level below the rope which accommodates the rider in the harness in a comfortable position while being connected to the sheave arrangement and secured prior to launch.

   16. An aerial runway as claimed in claim 15, in which the launch platform is made movable, to facilitate an unhindered launch.

   17. An aerial runway as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 16, in which the low position of the runway ends at a tower, mast or other ® structure or height such that the lowest position of the rope to the ground in its catenary is some distance away from the end of the rope, which allows the design of a deceleration portion of the runway. ’ 18. An aerial runway as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 17, in which the means of recovery comprises a hook which may be hooked onto the rope and used to pull the rope downwards, to alter the catenary form to bring the rider to a position from which the rider harness may be disconnected from the sheave arrangement.

   19. An aerial runway as claimed in claim 18, in which the hook is connected to a tie that is winched on a winch to alter the form of the catenary to bring the rider to the disconnect position.

   20. An aerial runway as claimed in claim 19, in which the hook is used to return the catenary to the unaltered position and the hook also has a trip line, which can be pulled to flip the hook off the rope, when the work of the hook is completed.

   21. An aerial runway as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 20, in which a bungie stop is located on the runway, comprising a trolley frame somewhat similar to the rider's trolley, but having a buffer, having a shock absorbing padding and having two arms which are splayed and to which bungie cords are attached, the bungie cords leading to ground level and anchored to the ground, so that they tend to retain the bungie stop at a suitable position on the runway.

   CY 22. An aerial runway as herein described and as illustrated in the drawings.

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