Ski lift safety device

Claim 1

APPARATUS OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED FOR USE WITH A ROPE TYPE SKI LIFT DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, FIRST AND SECOND GENERALLY TUBULAR MEMBERS FOR EMBRACINGLY SURROUNDING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID ROPE AND CONSTRUCTED TO CLOSELY FIT BUT HAVE CLEARNACE WITH SAID ROPE TO PERMIT SAID ROPE TO RUN FREELY THERETHROUGH WHILE BEING EFFECTIVE TO STRIP ENTANGLED MATERIAL FROM SAID ROPE, MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID FIRST TUBULAR MEMBER WITH RESPECT TO SAID ROPE AND OPERATE, WHEN SAID FIRST TUBULAR MEMBER IS SO MOUNTED, TO HOLD SAID FIRST TUBULAR MEMBER AGAINST MOVEMENT IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF SAID ROPE, SAID SECOND TUBULAR MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED UPSTREAM OF SAID FIRST TUBULAR MEMBER RELATIVE TO NORMAL ROPE TRAVEL, FIRST AND SECOND PAIRS OF PIVOTALLY INTERCONNECTED LINKS EXTENDING BETWEEN AND CONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND TUBULAR MEMBERS FOR MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND TUBULAR MEMBER TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID FIRST TUBULAR MEMBER, ONE OF THE LINKS OF EACH OF SAID PAIRS PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED ON SAID SECOND TUBULAR MEMBER AND INCLUDING A ROPE ENGAGING PORTION ARRANGED FOR MOVEMENT, IN RESPONSE TO A FORCE ON SAID SECOND TUBULAR MEMBER IN THE DIRECTION OF ROPE TRAVEL, TRANSVERSELY OF SAID SECOND TUBULAR MEMBER FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A ROPE MOVING THROUGH SAID SECOND TUBULAR MEMBER TO EXERT A RETARDING FORCE ON AND MEANS NORMALLY BIASING SAID FIRST AND SECOND TUBULAR MEMBERS AWAY FROM EACH OTHERR.