Front View: Closed	Rear View: Closed
Front View: Open for Rigging	Rear View: Open for Rigging

Technical Details

I acquired my Kong-Bonaiti double rope new on eBay from Rostislav Burdenyuk in 2009.

The Kong-Bonaiti double rope is 209 mm. tall, 92 mm. wide, 56 mm. thick, and weighs 397 g.

The Kong-Bonaiti double rope is a derivative of the discontinued Kong Modular ascender, with two modular ascender assemblies and a climber handle riveted together. The ascenders are mounted back to back, with the climber handle between.

The ascender assemblies

The front ascender assembly is right-handed and the rear ascender assembly is left-handed. Each shell is a tall irregular shaped stamping made from 3.4 mm. anodized aluminum alloy sheet metal that is later anodized. A rope channel is formed in of one side and a smaller cam channel lies opposite the first. A hole drilled through both sides of the cam channel accepts a 5 mm. rivet. The cam and cam spring are mounted on this rivet, along with a flat washer on the inner side of the cam. A 14.0 by 17.5 mm. oval hole through both sides of the rope channel provide an attachment point just above the cam. There is a punched cam stop above the cam, and a 12.3 mm. wide, 10.6 mm.high D-shaped hole above the cam stop. There is a 12.9 mm.hole punched at the base of each ascender assembly shell, but it is blocked by the handle. Two rivets above this hole help hold the two ascender assemblies and climber handle together. There is another rivet below the cam channel.

The cam is a steel casting. The cam has number of small conical teeth, all of which have their axes approximately parallel to the upper cam surface. The tooth pattern is (3)(4.H)^2(3.H)^2(3.3.2) where H is an oval hole. Like the other ascenders, the inner cam face radius reduces from top to bottom to accommodate various sized ropes. Each cam is asymmetric, with the back of the cam face angled toward the outside of the ascender. A spring-loaded manual safety bar is mounted on the bottom of the cam with a small semi-tubular rivet. The normal action of the spring holds the safety against the cam. When the cam is opened, the shell interferes with the safety bar, thus preventing opening the cam. If the safety bar is moved away from the cam (opposing the spring), it will clear the shell and the cam will open. At full open the safety can be released and the spring will hold the safety against the back of the shell. This provides a means of locking the cam open. An 11.3 mm. tall, 6.9 mm. thumb post is riveted to each cam safetyto assist in operating the safety mechanism.

The front ascender assembly is printed with a rigging icon (showing the ascender assembly only) and the word "MODULAR."

Handle

The climber handle attaches between the two ascender assemblies by the rivets mentioned earlier. The handle is made from 3.5 mm. anodized aluminum alloy. There are no reinforcing ribs. The handle has a 103 mm. by 49 mm. oval hand opening. A phosphorescent plastic hand grip is molded to the sheet metal frame. The handgrip has four shallow, closely spaced finger grooves. A 13.6 mm. attachment hole is punched near the bottom of the handle.

The front side of the caver handle is printed with the UIAA logo, "CE," "EN 567, "0426," "AG564," "Made in EEC," "00425 02 0058," and a "PRO" icon. The front side of the handle has "KONG-BONAITI-ITALY" molded into it, and the rear has the molded word "PHOSPHORESCENT."

Comments

Cavers and climbers seldom need an ascended for doubled rope, but arborists find them useful in their trade.