Zipline trolley
View Patent ↗For A zip line trolley brake system includes a cable suspended between upper and lower support platforms which, together, function with rider harnessing, loading, and take-off with a passive braking trolley allowing a controlled descent and barrel spring system providing addition braking near the end of a cable termination. The zip line trolley positioned atop a cable includes a frame assembled from a pair of parallel side plates, a four-sided rotational brake pad, and a parabolic groove wheel which is sandwiched between side plates, and a lever. A lever from which a rider is suspended, can be pinned anywhere within the trolley's circular toothed slot instilling a brake force for the cable slope. A trolley brake generally square sides are grooved for cables and fabricated from a durable polymeric material is rotatably within affixed side plates. A spring system includes a football-shape springs, spring spacers, bump spring spacer receiver, and a locking inserts designed to fasten the springs and allow the springs to collapse within themselves reducing the compression length. A bump spring spacer receiver makes contact with the zipline trolley further decelerating the suspended rider as contact is made with the springs.
1. A zipline trolley comprising:
one wheel, wherein the wheel is disposed on a proximal end of a frame and comprises a groove that receives a cable at a lower portion of the wheel and a wheel bearing;
a brake disposed on a distal end of the frame and is connected to a given lever point and comprising a groove along a brake bottom that receives the cable;
the frame comprising an array of lever points disposed between the brake and the wheel;
a hanger connected to a given lever point and suspends a weight, wherein the weight applies a force about the wheel to the brake at a lever angle and a lever distance to control a rate of descent of the device along the cable, wherein the brake applies a first frictive force to the cable with a first force to surface area ratio in a direction of travel and a second frictive force opposite the direction of travel, and wherein the hanger is further connected to at least one sliding bar that slides within a slider groove and a brake force is applied by downward motion atop the cable by a weight of a suspended rider; and
a lower slot configured to receive the cable and to allow the device to be removed from the cable when the hanger is removed from the given lever point.
2. The zipline trolley of claim 1 , the zipline trolley further comprising a spring segment, the spring segment comprising:
two spring sub-segments each comprising a set of spring coils, each spring coil set comprising a large diameter end and a small diameter end, wherein each of the spring coils of the spring segment nests completely within a neighboring spring coil and a cable passes through the spring coils;
an end cap disposed on the large diameter end of the spring coils, the end cap comprising a hole that receives the cable; and
a guide that connects the two sets of spring coils of the spring sub-segments at the small diameter ends, the guide guiding the cable through a center of the spring segment, wherein the guide and the end caps are configured to be in contact upon a full compression of the spring coil segment.
3. The zipline trolley of claim 2 , wherein an insert lock seamlessly fills a spring spacer slot.
4. The zipline trolley of claim 2 , wherein the insert lock is secured to the guide with lag screws.
5. The zipline trolley of claim 2 , wherein an outer diameter of the spring coils are 5 inches plus or minus 0.5 inches.
6. The zipline trolley of claim 2 , wherein the spring spacer is formed of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene.
7. The zipline trolley of claim 2 , wherein the spring coils are 4-10 mm carbon or stainless spring steel and compress in the range of 40 to 100 lbs.
8. The zipline trolley of claim 2 , the spring segment further comprising a spring termination hook that is rotated into a lock position in the guide.
9. The zipline trolley of claim 8 , wherein the spring termination hook is locked into the guide and the insert secures the spring end in place.
10. The zipline trolley of claim 1 , wherein the brake slides atop a zipline cable.
11. The zipline trolley of claim 1 , the zipline trolley further comprising a lever and a safety lock pin, wherein the safety lock pin and a rider suspended carabiner is removed from the lever allowing the lever to be ratcheted up in a vertical motion.
12. The zipline trolley of claim 11 , wherein the lever is rotated to another numbered position then slid downward to another numbered toothed position.
13. The zipline trolley of claim 11 , wherein the lever is in a numbered position locked in place by the safety lock pin.
14. The zipline trolley of claim 11 , wherein the safety lock pin is repositioned after brake rotation.
15. The zipline trolley of claim 4 , wherein the safety lock pin is removed allowing a 90-270 degree the rotation worn brake to an unworn brake side.
16. The zipline trolley of claim 1 , wherein the wheel descends atop a ⅜-¾ cable.
17. The zipline trolley of claim 1 , wherein the zipline trolley brake groove worn by numerous cable descents through one brake side bolt circles holes.
18. The zipline trolley of claim 1 , wherein the wheel comprises a parabolic groove.