Climbing-wall and pendulum-fall, swing apparatus and method

Abstract

A climbing wall defines vertical, transverse (horizontally in-and-out, toward-and-away-from wall) and lateral (horizontally sideways) directions, mutually orthogonal. A surface treatment simulates rock by texture, holds, or both. A line (rope, cable) extends from a belay anchor, spaced away from the wall, to a climber at the wall. Line distance is controlled to eliminate slack to start, and continuously if the wall is increasingly steep and possibly curving sideways (laterally). When climbing ends, the climber swings transversely (and, optionally, laterally sideways) away from the wall in a pendulum fall, swinging (oscillating) about the belay anchor for multiple cycles and clear of contact with the wall. The fall may be intentional (the climber releasing a grip on the wall), accidental (falling from own weight), or due to line tension initiated by an automated timer or operator intervention.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is: 
     
         1 . A method of thrill riding combining climbing and swinging, the method comprising:
 providing a climbing structure extending upward from a surface, a pivot point moveable thereabove from a first position proximate the climbing structure to a second position spaced away therefrom, and a line extending from the pivot point and capable of connecting to a user harnessed and proximate the surface;   belaying the user by taking up the line during the user climbing up the climbing structure;   swinging the user by initiating falling of the user, supported by the line, away from the climbing structure; and   precluding contact between the user and the climbing structure during the swinging by moving the pivot point from the first position to the second position during the falling.   
     
     
         2 . For use in the method of  claim 1 :
 a climbing wall as a portion of the climbing structure; and   a belay takeup device operably connected to take up slack in the line.   
     
     
         3 . For use in the method of  claim 2 :
 a track;   a trolley as a carrier of the pivot point and capable of traveling along the track between the first position and second position; and   a trolley takeup device capable of moving the trolley to the first position and releasing the trolley to travel to the second position in response to weight of the user.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 attenuating the swinging by drawing the trolley and pivot point toward the climbing structure during a portion of the swinging toward the climbing structure.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising:
 controlling height of a user above the surface by moving the trolley with the line passing over a sheave, on the trolley, defining the pivot point as a center of rotation of the sheave.   
     
     
         6 . An apparatus comprising:
 a climbing structure;   a support system providing a center of pivot positioned above the climbing structure to support the center of pivot in a first position proximate the climbing structure and a second position spaced away from the climbing structure;   a line descending from the center of pivot and capable of connecting to and belaying a user ascending the climbing structure;   a belay takeup effective to tension, retrieve, and pay out the line, independently from movement of the pivot point;   a trolley providing support and movement of the pivot point in moving along a track; and   a trolley takeup system capable of moving the trolley toward the climbing structure and away from the climbing structure, independently from operation of the belay takeup.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the track is secured to the support system and extending in a direction away from the climbing structure;   the center of pivot is secured to be selectively movable along the rail; and   the line is reaved over sheaves on the support system and the center of pivot to descend to the user while ascending.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , comprising a wall as part of the climbing structure, provided with holds and texturing for engagement by the user in the ascending. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , comprising a controller capable of controlling the belay takeup and the trolley takeup system during the ascending and a pendulum fall subsequent to the ascending. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , comprising:
 a harness capable of connecting the user to the line and supporting the user during the pendulum fall;   the controller programmed to belay the user by tensioning the line during the ascending and locking the line against paying out from the belay takeup consequent to a fall of the user from the climbing structure.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is programmed to control the belay takeup paying out the line to lower the user to the surface by paying out the line over the center of pivot in a fixed position thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the trolley is movable away from the climbing structure during the pendulum fall. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the line has an effective length between the user and the belay takeup, and the effective length is constant during the pendulum fall. 
     
     
         14 . A method of amusement riding comprising:
 providing a climbing structure extending upward away from a surface, a belay line capable of connecting to and belaying a user ascending the climbing structure, a support system oriented to swing the user on the belay line away from the climbing structure in response to a pendulum fall by the user, a center of pivot about which the belay line turns down to the user and which remains movable away from the climbing structure during the pendulum fall;   connecting to a proximate end of the belay line a harness secured about the user proximate the surface;   taking up slack in the belay line;   drawing the user toward a registration position proximate the climbing structure and the support system;   dropping the user in a pendulum fall by moving the pivot point away from the climbing structure;   swinging by the user away from and then back toward the climbing structure;   attenuating the swinging by moving the center of pivot toward the climbing structure during the swinging back toward the climbing structure; and   descending the user to the surface by paying out the belay line with the pivot point remaining in a fixed location.