first big wall... solo, Wired Bliss and other memories

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mellpat

Big Wall climber

Sweden

Feb 28, 2012 - 08:23am PT

The patentability of the "Monkey Paw" seems a bit doubtful to me, in view of e.g. the earlier published patents in Europe FR2440206 (Jean-Claude Bibollet) and GB2157355 (Curt Svensson). The latter patent was drafted by myself (a patent professional) for free as a thanks to Curt who helped me manufacture prototypes to my own patented product that was later marketed by Salewa beginning in 1986. My corresponding patent application EP47232 was published in 1982 and it shows a cylindrically grooved wedge in one of the drawings. But Salewa choosed instead to make the rock side of the locking wedge cylindrically curved for the same purpose - better load distribution and holding power in flared cracks.

Steve says he "hates that the Ball patent stopped the Monkey Paw". But I don't see why it should stop it. A full sphere between two grooved wedges appears to be something completely different from what is shown and claimed in Steve's patent (US4834327).

I think Steve's idea of using a spherical section combined with a plan opposing surface as a locking wedge was good and well deserved of a patent. The "Ball nuts" are still in the market place today.

If anyone cares to look up the patents mentioned, go to http://worldwide.espacenet.com/numberSearch?locale=en_EP and insert the numbers as shown (i.e. with the two nation letters) in the box. Then click, click and go to "Original document".

Ingemar Mellgard

drljefe

climber

El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson

Feb 28, 2012 - 09:11am PT

Bummer.
Still a good read. Sorry it comes at the expense of a broken friendship.

For the record, thank you both for your contributions.
Still using gear from both you guys.
In fact, an early gen Bliss tcu is racked on a Grade VI biner.
I'll keep'm like that, and light a white candle.

justthemaid

climber

Jim Henson's Basement

Feb 28, 2012 - 09:26am PT

Good post Riley. I was close to posting a similar sentiment, but yours sounds more eloquent. This is a great piece of climbing history. Thank you all for sharing.

Gunkie

Trad climber

East Coast US

Feb 28, 2012 - 10:42am PT

Why do I feel like banging in a piton?

WBraun

climber

Feb 28, 2012 - 11:49am PT

JM -- "Just like in climbing, when two climbers discuss an idea for a first ascent and the idea develops in subsequent discussions, then one of them goes off and does it with someone else without letting the other know, ..."

Now ain't that the truth. It's happened to me. It happened to Charlie Porter and many others.

That is one of the hardest thing to swallow when someone does that.

Also if someone confides in a route to keep secret and that person spills it to someone else and that party runs out there and does it sucks too.

And as an example pertaining to the above "ball nut" ... The "Bird Beak" was an interesting observation.

Gene Foley came up with that idea originally even prior to the "crackin up".

He displayed his prototype in Camp 4 and there was not much interest at that time.

Years later after the invent of the "crackin up" they cut one end off and some how Bridwell becomes the father of the invention?

LOL ain't it grand. :-)

All in all pretty interesting stuff in this thread please carry on :-)

deuce4

climber

Hobart, Australia

Feb 29, 2012 - 02:07pm PT

Thanks everyone for the good words. I have revised my post and actually feel much better letting it go and also just remembering the good stuff. cheers

Jaybro

Social climber

Wolf City, Wyoming

Feb 29, 2012 - 02:37pm PT

Time moves on. Yesterday I went for a trail run with my A5 butt pack (buddy bag?) to carry my iPhone and keys, instead of a lighter and wherever else I would have carried in it 20 odd years ago....

nutstory

climber

Ajaccio, Corsica, France

Mar 1, 2012 - 10:20am PT

micronut

Trad climber

Mar 1, 2012 - 11:22am PT

Steve,
Thanks for the inspiring and page turning memoir. We've never met, but thanks for sharing.

One of my very first cams (I was 19) was one I found at the bottom of a swimming pool at Auburn University in Alabama. I found the thing, a blue, Wired Bliss mid sized cam down in the deep end near the drain. I air dried it, sandpapered off the stem.....cause "I dont want the chlorine to degrade the metal", and promptly added it to my rack of wired nuts and slung chocks.

I loved that thing, though I'm not sure I ever fell on it. What a moron. I couldve died a few times over in those early days. Who knows how long it had been in that pool. That sling must have been worth about 14 lbs of load.

I'll try to find a picture of it.

Have a good one,
Scott

deuce4

climber

Hobart, Australia

Mar 1, 2012 - 07:01pm PT

Stephane-

Steve made both those objects d'art pictured in your photo--really, he was the only one in the shop capable of that level of machining precision. I believe Steve drilled out that 'biner on a drill press, which is no mean feat.

Steve Byrne

Trad climber

Flagstaff, AZ

Topic Author's Reply - Mar 2, 2012 - 03:08pm PT

Hi everyone, and thanks again for all the kind words and support.

I've thought a lot about everything that has transpired. My conclusions are pretty simple... Friends need to share their feelings. It is what defines friendship. We live in a culture where the sharing of feelings, dreams and expectations are generally discouraged, except maybe in chick movies. A lot of times we hide them to get along better and sometimes it backfires. Sharing ideas is another part of being friends and then how those ideas are handled can become the issue. It happens in all walks of life, not just to inventors.

I think John and I both messed up by not being clear about our expectations, and we understand each other a lot better now from going through this. In the end, I made a friend's life less positive from what I did. I didn't see it coming, but any pride I felt from developing the Ball nut is overbalanced by this and other results. In terms of how inventor friends can work together, I think it just comes down to understanding each other and being clear about intentions. Being friends means splitting it up won't be an issue, as long as everybody who wants a piece is heard out before the patent is written. That's where I got off track.

I wish patents weren't necessary, but free market capitalism seems to demand them. The original intent of the patent system was to protect the investment of the inventor and to educate the public on the new technology. So far, I haven't found it to be very useful as a source of technology and as far as protecting anyone on a budget, it doesn't. Something is missing for the small scale. Perhaps a cheaper, 5 year patent for small scale inventions would work with an equivalent to small claims court for litigations... I don't know. I see patents the same way I see internet, get rich quick scams... there's always that nagging doubt that this one might actually be the real deal and worth pursuing. If patents were cheap or affordably defensible, I'd feel a lot better about them.

I'd like to leave this part of it for others to ponder and maybe for John and I to forget and move foward. This was way longer overdue than I had realized. I'm really sorry about that.

Thanks All,

Steve

jfailing

Trad climber

Lone Pine

Mar 2, 2012 - 03:17pm PT

It appears civil discourse is not dead?

This thread has been a great read. Thanks Steve for the rich personal story, and for some history on your experience making climbing gear, and also to John for providing a secondary take on the whole story.

Is the hatchet buried?

deuce4

climber

Hobart, Australia

Mar 2, 2012 - 03:55pm PT

Hatchet buried, I reckon.

Stay hungry, stay inventive....

R.B.

Trad climber

47N 122W

Mar 2, 2012 - 09:43pm PT

As I said in earlier post,

I fondly remember both you (Steve) and John from BITD. Both of you contributed (greatly) to the culture of not only the local Flag climbing scene, but (both of you were) innovative to the climbing world as well.

I am glad both of you worked thru it ... some things needed to be said. I will say though, it hurts to watch friends have issues about the past ... as I tend to forget the bad times and reminesce on the good times.

But in the end, the memories of your friends and family is what are most important in LIFE! Embrace it and be glad that you BOTH were there. Today is all there is for now.

Peace on ... RB

Edit: Thanks John, Maybe a future thread for me to write about.

deuce4

climber

Hobart, Australia

Mar 2, 2012 - 10:33pm PT

and best to you too, RB. I recall you were pretty innovative back in the day, being the first to compile all the routes of El Cap at the same relative scale on one massive sheet of paper. That was cool.

bmacd

Boulder climber

100% Canadian

Mar 2, 2012 - 10:41pm PT

good to see a happy ending here ...

Jaybro

Social climber

Wolf City, Wyoming

Mar 2, 2012 - 11:27pm PT

Remember this one?

Mimi

climber

Mar 3, 2012 - 01:07am PT

I'll never forget partying with you, Steve, in Flag on a wild weekend when a lot of AZ climbers were there. A bunch of us had been in the Valley, you too, and I was really psyched about climbing and doing it right. It got really crazy that night at Alpine Pizza. Jim G. was breaking glasses, some were tripping after a rad day of cinder cone scree plunging, I was reeking on an old beau for being a hangdog on Butterballs. It was effing great!!!

I have one of RB's blue prints of El Cap. After leaving the Valley I somehow got wind of his map and had to have one. Rand, you were nice enough to send one for a nominal fee. It's faded now but still legible. The precursor to Clay Wadman's nice map.