Braking system for a zip line
View Patent ↗Improvements in a braking system for a zip line are presented. Braking occurs when a zip line rider makes contact with a braking carriage that slides along the zip line. The braking carriage pulls on a rope. The rope pulls on a length of chain in a chain reservoir to slide and lift the claim through the chain reservoir. The chain reservoir is an elongated tube that is mounted at an angle. As the zip liner moves further into the landing platform they lift a continuing greater amount of chain from the chain reservoir. The angle of the chain reservoir, coefficient of friction between the chain and the chain reservoir affects the pull-back. After the zip liner comes to a complete stop they remove the carriage from the zip line and gravity returns the brake mechanism. Minimum pull-back makes removal of the cable trolley easier.
1. A braking system for a zip line comprising:
a braking carriage on a zip line;
said braking carriage is connected to a flexible leader;
said flexible leader extends to links of chain and into an angled length of pipe that is angled from horizontal at an angle greater than a static coefficient of friction of said links of chain on said angled length of pipe and then into a collecting reservoir to a progressive load of links of chain wherein said progressive load is created by moving sequentially more weights that are resting within said collecting reservoir to said angled length of pipe and out of said angled length of pipe;
an initial load is determined by initial links of chain that are displaced from said collecting reservoir;
said progressive load is determined by a sum of said initial links of chain that are displaced from said collecting reservoir and by all additional links of chain that are displaced from said collecting reservoir;
whereby when said braking carriage is moved along said zip line said progressive load increases with each said lifted sequential weight to provide braking of said braking carriage.
2. The braking system for a zip line according to claim 1 wherein said progressive load and said initial load provides a return force that retracts said links of chain to said collecting reservoir that returns said progressive load into said collecting reservoir.
3. The braking system for a zip line according to claim 1 wherein said angled length of pipe is set at an angle of between 30 and 50 degrees.
4. The braking system for a zip line according to claim 2 wherein said connected links of chain include both a length of chain existing in said collecting reservoir and collected at the bottom of said reservoir.
5. The braking system for a zip line according to claim 1 wherein said angled length of pipe guides said flexible leader to said sequentially more weights within said collecting reservoir.
6. The braking system for a zip line according to claim 5 wherein said angled length of pipe is between three and 18 inches in diameter.
7. The braking system for a zip line according to claim 1 wherein said angled length of pipe is between two feet and 20 feet in length.
8. The braking system for a zip line according to claim 1 wherein said flexible leader is a rope.
9. The braking system for a zip line according to claim 2 wherein said flexible leader connects to said at least one links of chain outside of said collecting reservoir.
10. The braking system for a zip line according to claim 2 wherein said at least one links of chain is straight link chain or twisted-link chain.
11. The braking system for a zip line according to claim 5 wherein at least a portion on the top of said angled length of pipe is open.
12. The braking system for a zip line according to claim 1 wherein said braking carriage is separate from a user zip line trolley or carriage.
13. The braking system for a zip line according to claim 3 wherein said angle of said angled length of pipe minimizes pull-back of said sequentially more weights back into said collecting reservoir.
14. The braking system for a zip line according to claim 3 wherein said angle of said angled length of pipe creates an increase of frictional drag on said at least one links of chain as additional links of chain make contact within said length of pipe.
15. The braking system for a zip line according to claim 1 wherein braking occurs predominantly as progressive amounts of said at least one links of chain are lifted from said collecting reservoir.
16. The braking system for a zip line according to claim 2 wherein said braking system is adjustable to alter the amount and rate of braking by changing the weight of said more than one link of chain.
17. The braking system for a zip line according to claim 1 wherein said progressive load is an elongated length of linked chain that is initially piled at a bottom of said collecting reservoir.
18. The braking system for a zip line according to claim 17 wherein said progressive load is created by forces of gravity as a greater length of linked chain is lifted from said pile of links of chain.