Front View: Closed	Top View

Side View	Open for Rigging

Technical Details

I acquired this Delbert Province box from Kelley Deem at the 2022 Old Timers Reunion.

My Delbert Province box is 83 mm. wide, 70 mm. high, 66 mm. thick, and weighs 254 g. It is a double channel chest box consisting of a 4.9 mm. aluminum back plate, a 6.2 mm. extruded aluminum channel, and two 16 mm. cylindrical rollers (separated by four washers) mounted on a common bolt through the channel. Two carriage bolts with wing nuts hold the channel against the back plate. The back plate has two 54 mm. vertical slots for attaching the box to a chest harness.

There are no markings on the box.

Comments

Kelley remembers getting this box from Delbert Province in the 1970s.

The cutout on the side of the box is interesting. Although not obvious at first, especially if one holds the box upside-down, the cutoffs provide additional clearance between the top edge of the box and the main rope and long foot sling. Delbert was certainly familiar with Francis McKinney's 1975 death resulting from a failed polypropylene sling rope Polypropylene rope has very poor abrasion resistance and broke after rubbing in the chest box. Perhaps Delbert provided the extra clearance to reduce the risk of a similar event.

Warning: Never use polypropylene, Polyester or similar ascender sling ropes, lest ye die.