It requires much strength and energy for people to overcome
big heights. Especially climbing on ladders and stairs is a
heavy physical exertion for human beings, which is dependent
on the time and the frequency.
You can get different systems of ladders for climbing of buildings like high chimneys, lattice masts, wind turbines or similar which all have in common that they prevent falls of climbers with the help of a safety belt. Those ladder systems and safety belts must be approved and checked by the employers’ liability insurance company.
To support the ascent of people to big heights you can get different elevator or maneuverable systems for one or a few people. Those systems are not particularly comfortable. But the costly and lawful orders of elevators are also applicable to those ancillary equipment and they have to be regular controlled by authorities like the TÜV or the employers’ liability insurance company. Due to those high safety requirements the acquisition and the support of such systems is very expensive.
Investors do not like to install them because of a low cost-benefit effect. They are just economically useable if they will or have to be used frequently and by many people.
There are types of constant-tension winches, that do not break a preset traction and bring in or let out the rope if the rope-force is smaller or greater than the preset traction, respectively.
Those winches are also available for small tractions like 500 N. In order to give an economical and effective support to a single person who only infrequently has to climb big heights on ladders or stairs, a constant-tension winch will be used.
The well-known and usually used ladder or stair with its fall prevention systems is combined with a constant-tension winch to get an intermediate device between a ladder and an elevator. The ladder and its safety system take care of the person and give the possibility for climbing as before. The constant-tension winch combined with the safety belt take over a part of the persons weight and serves as a relief during the accent (500N traction are about 50 kg weight-relief).
If the climbing person wants to stay, he just has to stop climbing. He can stay so at any point of the ladder as long as necessary. The constant-tension winch still holds the traction, but no more rope will be tightened or released. The climbing person is also able to switch the constant-tension winch on or off by pulling on a pendant switch. The control member is mounted parallel to the whole length of the ladder and so it can be used on every position to switch the winch. The functions are: upwards & stop or down & stop, respectively. On the descent the winch is not used.
Additional to the use as Climbing aid for people, the constant-tension winch is now also usable for transportation of small loads.
For this purpose a suitable transport box is connected to the free guide, and right away the transportation of tackles and tools can start. The transportation is possible in both directions (up and down).
Normally first, one technician is climbing up the ladder, using the climbing aid, which gives him a support of about 50 kg. When he has arrived at the top, he sends the free guide back by pulling the left hand control member once.
When the free guide arrives at the bottom of the ladder, it will stop automatically. Now the second technician can add the transport box to the free guide with only one bolt, and then immediately send safety equipment as well as tools etc. to the top of the tower.
After transportation of all goods is finished, the second technician can climb up the ladder by using the advantage of the climbing aid.
On the descent of persons, the climbing aid is not used, since it is not necessary.
Click here for brochure LW50 (PDF 1,5 MB) 
