UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. MCNEELY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

MEANS FOR CLIMBING TELEGRAPH-POLES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 26,280, dated November 29, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, James II. McNeely, of the city of Indianapolis, Marion county, and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Implement for Ascending and Descending Telegraph-Poles or other Upright Objects; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which--

Figure 1 is an inverted view of the climber. Fig. 2 is a view of the climber as used when ascending or descending upright objects, represented as having hold of the pole P. which letter represents a transverse section of the object to be ascended, and Fig. 3 is a side section of the climber, designed to show the peculiar twist or angle in the bend of the hooks, by which allowance is made for the taper in an object ascended or descended.

The nature of my invention consists in preparing a piece of iron A shaped as shown in Fig. l, to the bottom of which are attached the loops (D), (E), and F (Fig. 1) in which works the adjustable hook B. which is secured by the thumb screw (G). The hook (C) is riveted to loops D, E, and F, and the whole implement is attached to the foot of the user, by the toe and heel straps II and I, in the manner of an ordinary skate. The curved arms of the hooks (B) and (C) are twisted parallel to each other in such a way, that as the climber ascends, and the pole becomes smaller, the heel of the implement lowers, and the gage of the hooks becomes narrower, and while the climber is descending, the heel is elevated and the gage becomes wider. This peculiar arrangement is shown by the twist or angle of the hooks B and C in Fig. 3.

The climbers are made to be used in pairs, one for each foot, of the person using them; and the hooks B and C are bent so as to point in toward the pole, from each foot on which they are worn respectively.

The mode of using this implement is, after one of them is firmly strapped or otherwise secured to each foot, then, by throwing the feet out and in alternately, against the object which the climber is ascending, the hooks B and C spanning the pole as is represented in Fig. 2 and being twisted as represented in Fig. 3 the lower edge of the hook (C) and the upper edge of the hook (B) come in contact with the pole, and enables the person to ascend and work with great facility. As the climber ascends, if the pole is tapering, the heel of the implement becomes depressed, when, in consequence of the twist in the bend of the hooks B and C as represented in Fig. 3 the gage becomes narrower, to correspond with the decreased diameter of the pole. A still further change of gage may be made by loosening the set screw (G) and sliding the hook (B) in the proper distance. In descending, the climber reverses the operation described, and thus provides for the increases diameter of the pole, or other objects to be ascended and descended.

By the use of this invention, telegraph poles or other upright objects can be ascended with about as much ease, as the climbing of a ladder, as the wearer is enabled to obtain a fair foot hold, giving him an opportunity of strapping himself to the post, mast, tree, pole or whatever he ascends, by which means he is enabled to work with great ease, advantage and safety.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is--

The combination and arrangement of the hooks B and C with the loops D, E, and F and set screw G, when constructed and operated substantially as set forth.

JAMES H. McNEELY,

Witnesses: 
R. S. GEE,
JOHN H. REDSTONE