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Handled Type 1 Lever Cam Ascenders

In elementary school science we all learned that a type 1 lever has the fulcrum between the load and the applied force, so it made sense for me to define a Type 1 Lever Cam Ascender as one where the pivot was between the sling and the rope.

Lever cam ascenders generally rely on the mechanical advantage of the lever arrangement to provide sufficient force to keep the cam from slipping. Specifically, the lever acts to provide a higher normal force between the cam face and the standing rope, so the friction generated parallel to the standing rope is sufficient to hold the load. As load is increased, the normal force increases, and so does the parallel frictional force. The cam teeth are secondary in importance to proper lever design, and so lever cam ascenders can often withstand severe tooth wear without losing their ability to hold a load.

The ascenders listed here use the same design, i.e., a hinged frame to connect the lever to the sling rope. I've seen Czech ascenders that have a rigid frame where the sling rope passes through a tube in the handle and ties to the lever, but I haven't been able to obtain any of these for my collection. I believe these were noncommercial, since I didn't seen any of them in any of the Czech Sport shops during my many visits to that country (where the Budvar is excellent, and the Ceské Budéjovice women are gorgeous).

Gallery

Image ID Device Description Acquired Weight Height Width Thickness Std. volume
Black Diamond nForce 219
2106
Black Diamond nForce LH & RH, stamped pivoting frame, plastic grips, round top & bottom holes, lever cam, Z teeth, hold-open catch
  • Mountain Gear, 2007
  • Bob Thrun Collection, 2017
182 194 105 33 663
Kong-Bonaiti, Version A 2959
3564
Camp RH, stamped pivoting frame, plastic grips, round top & bottom holes, lever cam, sloping & Z teeth, hold-open catch /w removable safety extension
  • Jasmine Mikulecky, 2020
  • Vintage Climbing, 2022
258 208 94 42 827
Kong-Bonaiti, Version A 55
2958
Kong-Bonaiti, Version A LH & RH, stamped pivoting frame, plastic grips, round top & bottom holes, lever cam, Z teeth, hold-open catch
  • Speleoshoppe, 1982
  • Jasmine Mikulecky, 20
237 206 94 30 578
Kong-Bonaiti, Version B 56
1556
2107
Kong-Bonaiti, Version B LH & RH, stamped pivoting frame, plastic grips, round top & bottom holes, lever cam, sloping & Z teeth, hold-open catch /w removable safety extension
  • Speleoshoppe, 1985
  • Robert M. Blake, 2011
  • Bob Thrun Collection, 2017
263 206 95 30 587
Leningrad Experimental Shipyard, Version A 58 Leningrad Experimental Shipyard
(Ленинградская Экспериментальная Судоверфь ВЦСПС),
Version A
LH, stamped pivoting frame, plastic grips, round top & bottom holes, lever cam, sloping & Z teeth, hold-open catch John E. Weinel, Inc., 1989 275 207 98 29 588
Leningrad Experimental Shipyard, Version B 3529 Leningrad Experimental Shipyard
(Ленинградская Экспериментальная Судоверфь ВЦСПС),
Version B
LH & RH, stamped pivoting frame, plastic grips, round top & bottom holes, lever cam, sloping & Z teeth, hold-open catch Artyom Babin (Артём Бабин), 2022 259 204 95 28 538
Tashkent Aviation Plant 3539 Tashkent Aviation Plant
(Ташкентское авиационное производственное объединение имени В.П.Чкалова)
RH, stamped pivoting frame, plastic grips, round top & bottom holes, lever cam, Z teeth, hold-open catch Artyom Babin (Артём Бабин), 2022 343 223 106 33 775

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