MEANS FOR FLEXIBLY GUIDING THE TRAVEL OF AN UPWARDLY PROPELLED WEIGHT

Arms extending laterally from an upwardly moving weight, such as a rebounding seismic gas exploder, terminate in guide assemblies adapted to engage a plurality of parallel semi-rigid, resilient ropes connected between the top and the bottom of a supporting frame so that the weight must follow their path. Each guide assembly contacts its respective rope at several vertically spaced positions so as to distribute side loads along the rope resulting from eccentric exploder movement. The construction prevents the exploder from tilting sufficiently to catch or lock on the one or more ropes, thus avoiding pendulum movement of the exploder and abrasion of the ropes.