Strand brake for load lowering assembly

Claim 1

FOR USE IN A LOAD-LOWERING ASSEMBLY, FRICTION SLIDER MEANS FOR FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING AND SLIDING DOWN A ROPE AND FOR CARRYING A LOAD WHICH URGES SAID SLIDER MEANS DOWNWARDLY ALONG THE ROPE, AND MANUALLY OPERABLE BRAKE MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SLIDER MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY ASSUMING A BRAKING POSITION BRAKING MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDER MEANS AND A LOAD CARRIED THEREBY DOWNWARDLY ALONG THE ROPE, SAID BRAKE MEANS BEING MANUALLY DISPLACEABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID SLIDER MEANS FROM SAID BRAKING POSITION TO A RELEASE POSITION RELEASING SAID SLIDER MEANS FOR MOVEMENT DOWNWARDLY ALONG THE ROPE, SAID SLIDER MEANS AND BRAKE MEANS RESPECTIVELY INCLUDING A PAIR OF ELONGATED BODIES BOTH OF WHICH ARE FORMED WITH OPENINGS THROUGH WHICH THE ROPE PASSES FOR FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING SAID BODIES, SAID SLIDER MEANS HAVING AN UPPER END AND SAID BRAKE MEANS BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID SLIDER MEANS BELOW THE UPPER END OF SAID SLIDER MEANS, AND SAID BRAKE MEANS WHEN IN SAID RELEASE POSITION THEROF EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE PIVOTAL CONNECTION OF SAID SLIDER MEANS AND BRAKE MEANS TO EACH OTHER, SAID BRAKE MEANS WHEN RELEASED BY THE OPERATOR COACTING WITH THE ROPE FOR RESPONDING AUTOMATICALLY TO TENSION IN THE ROPE TO BE PULLED UPWARDLY BY THE TENSION IN THE ROPE TO SAID BRAKING POSITION, SAID BRAKE MEANS WHEN IN SAID BRAKING POSITION THEREOF EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID PIVOTAL CONNECTION AND BEING SITUATED ALONGSIDE OF SAID FRICTION SLIDER MEANS.