EP1234089B1 - Catch device for a climbing protection system - Google Patents

Abstract

A fall arrester for a climbing protection system to prevent a person from falling from a ladder, platform, or similar structure. The fall arrester can be guided in a guide rail and has a housing and a pawl with an attachment point where the person to be secured is attached. The pawl is swivellable between an unlocked and a locked position of the fall arrester so that in the unlocked position, the connection line between the rotational axis and the attachment point form an acute angle to the horizontal, and the torque exerted by the spring on the pawl is less than the torque produced by the weight force of the fall arrester when the fall arrester is held at the attachment point.

Description

The invention relates to a safety device for a climbing protection system for preventing a person from falling from a ladder, a pedestal or the like. The catcher runs in a vertical guide rail. The person to be secured carries a safety harness and is connected by a connecting means with the catching device. The catching device has a runner or carriage running in the guide rail. The rotor has a housing and a rotatably mounted therein pawl, which is loaded by a spring. The spring pushes the pawl into a locked position. In the unlocked position, the connecting line between the axis of rotation and the stop point forms an acute angle with the horizontal. In the event of a fall, the pawl then hits against catch pegs or a perforation in the guide rail. The connecting means is attached to the attachment point of the pawl. To descend the pawl is pivoted against the force of the spring in an unlocked position.

Such a catching device, which is suitable for a fall arrest system, is out EP-A-0 168 021 . DE-A-27 36 037 and DE-A-19 61 757 known. In these fall arrest systems a guide rail with C-profile is used. The edges of the longitudinal opening of the C-profile are the guide flanges on which the catching device is guided. In the rear wall of the C-profile catch pegs are pushed out or holes punched, against which the pawl runs in a crash, so that the locking takes place positively.

The pawl points downwards, so that when ascending the pawl passes over the catching pegs or the perforation in the rear wall of the C-profile. When descending along the ladder, the user can lean back (back pull) so that the pawl is pulled away from the rear wall of the guide rail and the carriage can travel freely downhill. At the DE-A-2 736 037 and DE-A-1 961 757 However, this known catching device is not described as absolutely necessary.

In these trapping the connection line of the pivot point of the pawl and the abutment point forms an acute angle of about 30 ° with the horizontal and the pawl is pivoted about 25 to 30 ° from the fully unlocked to the fully locked position. For reasons of operational reliability, the pawl is pressed by a relatively strong spring in the locked position. For distributing the load and the abrasion on the rollers of the pivot point of the pawl is approximately in the middle between the two axes of the rollers.

In some cases it is not possible to dismount with the back. In order to climb through narrow manhole covers, shafts, spine ladders, etc., the ascending or descending person must hold himself close to the ladder. Due to the lack of backward pull the pawl is pressed by the spring in the guide rail profile, so that the catching device is held up by the catching pegs or the perforation in the rear wall of the guide rail and a descent is not possible. For the use of the catcher in such cases special runners are used, which are constructed so that the weight of the body of the rotor is greater than the force of the pawl loading spring, so that the pawl is unlocked when the catcher stops at the anchor point ,

There is a fishing direction is known, which is only suitable for descending without backward pull, as would be pulled by the back of the pawl in the locked position.

Out EP-A-0 812 606 a riser device is known which is similar to a pawl DE-A-19 61 757 having. However, the pawl does not contain a stop point for a safety belt, but at her a handle tube is attached.

The object of the invention is a catching device, with which one can climb without problems in narrow shafts (descend without backtrack), but which can also be used in the usual way on ladders (dismount with backtrack).

According to the invention this object is achieved in that the catching device is unlocked when the connecting line between the pivot point of the pawl and stop point forms an angle with the horizontal of about 5 °, so that the spring exerts an optimal torque on the pawl, which is smaller than that Torque generated by the weight of the catcher.

So you can use the catcher universally in all conditions and allows the user at the same time the greatest comfort.

When dismounting with back pull, an angle of about 2 ° to the horizontal is established in the connecting means, the person applying a force of up to about 600 N into the connecting means. Due to different friction between rotor and guide rail or the state of the guide rail, this angle can be slightly smaller (0 °) or larger (4 °). If you want to get off now unhindered, the pawl must remain pulled in this range of 0 ° to 4 ° in any case by the back pull.

The stop point of the pawl is below the going through the pivot point of the pawl horizontal. The connecting line of the stop point and pivot point of the pawl forms an angle of approximately 5 ° with the horizontal when the pawl is in the unlocked position. This ensures that the pawl is safe in the unlocked position when dismounting with back pull.

Preferably, the pawl passes through a pivoting of only about 15 ° in the locked position. The pawl protrudes so far from the underside of the rotor out that they against the catch pegs or the perforation in the rear wall of the Guide rail abuts. In order to achieve a sufficient displacement of the tip of the pawl between the unlocked and the locked position despite this relatively small pivot angle, the distance of the tip of the pivot point is as large as possible. The pivot point is preferably located at the upper end of the rotor and the tip of the pawl at the lower end.

Due to the small angle, the stop point is in the unlocked position below the horizontal and the small pivot angle between unlocked and locked position, the horizontal path is very small, the stop point travels between two positions. Despite the relatively low force of the spring, therefore, the full reliability is guaranteed.

Overall, the runner is an approximately rectangular housing with a central opening. The pawl is rotatably mounted in the central opening about a horizontal axis of rotation.

The catcher is guided by guide means in the guide rail. The guide means are on the outside and inside of the guide flanges of the guide rail. The guide means are provided at the top and bottom of the rotor and can, as from the DE 299 06 047 known, each having two pairs of stationary rollers. Preferably, two additional standing rollers are provided in the catcher according to the invention, which are in use within the guide rail, wherein the pivot point of the pawl is approximately between these additional rollers and the guide means at the upper end of the catcher.

Figur 1

die Fangeinrichtung in einer isometrischen Ansicht von oben vorne rechts;

Figur 2

die Fangeinrichtung in einer isometrischen Dar- stellung von oben hinten rechts;

Figur 3

die Fangeinrichtung im Vertikalschnitt, wobei die beim Absteigen mit Rückenzug auftretenden Kräfte veranschaulicht sind und

Figur 4

die Fangeinrichtung im Vertikalschnitt, wobei die beim Absteigen ohne Rückenzug auftretenden Kräfte dargestellt sind.

An embodiment of the invention will be explained below with reference to the drawing. Show it:

FIG. 1

the catcher in an isometric view from the top front right;

FIG. 2

the catcher in an isometric view from the top rear right;

FIG. 3

the catcher in vertical section, wherein the forces occurring when descending with backward pull are illustrated and

FIG. 4

the catcher in vertical section, wherein the forces occurring when dismounting without backward pull are shown.

The catcher 10 forms the moving part of a climbing protection system and runs in a guide rail. The secured person wears a safety harness and strikes himself with a connecting means and a snap hook on the capture device 10. The secured person is thereby held in a crash.

The catching device 10 has a housing 12 with a central opening 14, in which a pawl 16 is mounted pivotably about a horizontal axis 18. At the upper and lower ends of the catching device 10 are each guide means 20, 22 are provided for guiding the catching device 10 in the guide rail.

The guide rail has that off DE 299 06 047 known C-profile with guide flanges along the opening in the front of the C-profile and with a rear wall. The catcher 10 is guided in this opening. The guide means consist of four standing rollers 24, which are arranged in pairs, so that rolls of each pair, a roller 24 on the inside of the guide flanges and one on the outside. The axes of rotation of the rollers 24 are parallel to the horizontal axis of rotation 18 of the pawl sixteenth

Between each pair of rollers 24 are incorporated sliding elements 25 of low-wear, high-density polyethylene with a low coefficient of friction, which guides the catch laterally.

In addition, the housing 12 is provided with a common base 26, which fills almost the entire width of the interior of the C-profile of the guide rail. The widespread base 26 adjoins front and rear directly to stationary rollers 24. The widespread base 26 is interrupted approximately to the upper third by additional standing rollers 28, which are also in use within the C-profile of the guide rail and roll on the inside of the guide flanges. In the additional rollers 28, the opening 14 is bridged on the underside of the housing 12 by a web 30 which stiffen the housing 12 and the base 26 stabilized. Within the web 30, the axis of the additional rollers 28 runs.

The horizontal axis of rotation 18 of the pawl 16 is located approximately between the upper standing rollers 24 and the additional rollers 28 and approximately in the plane of the axes of these roles. The pawl 16 has a tip 32 at the lower end and has as an attachment point an opening 34. The connecting lines between the tip 32 and the axis 18 on the one hand and between the opening 34 and the axis 18 on the other hand form at the axis 18 at an angle of about 90 ° , By a pressing from above approximately in the middle between the axis 18 and the opening 34 against the pawl 16 spring 36 is the pawl - in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 pivoted clockwise so that the tip 32 of the pawl 16 on the back of the catching device 10 projects ( FIG. 2 ). The pawl 16 is pivotable between a locked position and an unlocked position. In the in FIG. 2 shown locked position, the tip 32 protrudes on the back of the catcher 10. In the unlocked position, the pawl 16 is pivoted back so that its tip 32 flush in the back of the catcher 10 and does not project.

On the right side of the catching device 10 is a pin 37, which runs at a wrong orientation of the catcher 10 against a cast on the left side of the guide rail or screwed protruding cam and the catcher 10 stops.

A person climbing the ladder wears a harness and strikes the opening 34 of the pawl 16 by means of a lanyard and snap hook. When ascending the pawl 16 is pivoted, depending on the attitude taken by the person in the unlocked position, in the Figures 3 and 4 is shown in bold, or, when in the locked position, it travels from below over the catching latches 38 in the rear wall 39 of the guide rail.

When descending along a ladder with sufficient back freedom, the person leans away from the ladder, exerting a traction illustrated by the arrow 40 up to 600 N on the pawl 16. On the catcher also acts dargestelle by the arrow 42 friction. The pawl 16 is formed so that the line connecting the axis of rotation 18 and opening 34 is approximately 5 ° below the horizontal when the pawl 16 is then in the unlocked position, i. the tip 32 is flush with the rear of the catcher 10. The torque exerted by the spring 36 on the pawl 16 torque can be neglected. After pivoting through an angle of only 14.7 °, the pawl 16 comes into the locked position in which the tip 32 projects on the underside of the catching device 10 and abuts against the catching pawls 38.

In FIG. 4 are the forces acting on the catcher 10 and the pawl 16 when the secured Person descends the ladder without backtrack, as is necessary eg in narrow shafts or ladder ladders. The secured person can not lean back from the ladder, so that the catcher 10 hangs down under its own weight. The arrow 40 is the force acting on the knockout point 34 traction. It therefore points vertically upwards. Since the connecting line between the axis of rotation 18 and the opening 34 is approximately horizontal, acts on the pawl 16, the maximum torque. The spring 36 presses approximately in the middle between the axis 18 and the opening 34 against the pawl 16. The force of the spring 36, which is represented by the arrow 44, is chosen so that the torque exerted by it on the pawl 16 is smaller than the torque generated by the tensile force 40. The size of the tensile force 40 is determined by the weight of the capture device 10. It is opposite to the weight force represented by the arrow 46.

Since the pawl 16 from the unlocked position in which the connecting line between the rotation axis 18 and stop point 34 is only 2 to 5 ° below the horizontal, only needs to be pivoted by 14.7 ° in order to get into the locked position, is the horizontal path very small, which the anchor point travels. Despite the relatively low force of the spring 36, therefore, the full reliability is guaranteed.

List of reference numbers

10

catcher

12

casing

14

Opening,

16

pawl

18

axis of rotation

20, 22

upper, lower guide device

24

roll

25

Sliding elements

26

Base

28

additional roles

30

web

32

top

34

Opening, lifting point

36

feather

37

pen

38

catching stops

39

guide rail

40

traction

42

friction

44

spring force

46

weight force

Claims (3)

1. Fall arrester (10) for a climbing protection system which can be guided in a vertically extending guide rail (39) and has a housing (12) and a pawl (16) housed therein rotatably about an axis (18) with an attachment point (34) for attaching a connection means, the pawl (16) being swivellable between an unlocked and a locked position of the fall arrester (10), the pawl (16) being loaded by a spring (36) into the locked position, and in the unlocked position, the connection line between the rotational axis (18) and the attachment point (34) forming an acute angle to the horizontal, such that the torque exerted by the spring (36) on the pawl (16) is less than the torque produced by the weight force of the fall arrester (10) when the fall arrester (10) is held at the attachment point (34), wherein, in the unlocked position of the pawl (16), the connection line between the rotational axis (18) and the attachment point (34) forms an angle of approx. 5° to the horizontal.
2. Fall arrester according to claim 1, wherein the rotational axis (18) of the pawl (16) is located at the top end of the fall arrester (10).
3. Fall arrester according to claim 2 with guide devices (20, 22) at the top and bottom ends, wherein additional guide devices (28) in the centre of the fall arrester (10), the rotational axis of the pawl (16) being arranged approx. in the centre between the additional guide device (28) and the guide device (20) at the top end of the fall arrester.

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