Rope connection system, devices, and methods
AssigneeSafeWorks, LLC
InventorsMorgan Knickrehm, Gregory Vincent Crew
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device configured to join two ropes includes a device body that extends from a first end to a second end along a central axis, the device body including an inner surface defining a through hole that extends through both the first end and the second end, the device body defining an inner dimension. The device defines an unassembled configuration in which the first and second ropes are positioned outside the through hole and the inner dimension is smaller than both the first outer diameter and the second outer diameter. The device defines an assembled configured in which a portion of each of the first and second ropes are positioned in the through hole, and the inner dimension is greater than both the first outer diameter and the second outer diameter.
Claims20
A system configured to join at least two ropes, the system comprising:
- a first rope that defines a first outer diameter;
- a second rope that defines a second outer diameter;
- and
- a device configured to join the first rope to the second rope, the device including a device body that extends from a first end to a second end along a central axis, the device body including an inner surface defining a through hole that extends through both the first end and the second end, the device body defining an inner dimension measured from a first point on the inner surface to a second point on the inner surface along a straight line that is both perpendicular to and that intersects the central axis,
- wherein the device defines an unassembled configuration in which:
- 1) an entirety of the first rope is positioned outside the through hole, 2) an entirety of the second rope is positioned outside the through hole, and 3) the inner dimension is smaller than both the first outer diameter and the second outer diameter,
- wherein the device defines an assembled configuration in which:
- 1) a portion of the first rope is positioned in the through hole, 2) a portion of the second rope is positioned in the through hole, and 3) the inner dimension is greater than both the first outer diameter and the second outer diameter, and
- wherein, the device maintains the joining of the first rope and the second rope up to a maximum force, the maximum force being at least 75% of a maximum tensile strength of one of the first rope and the second rope.
A method of joining a first rope to a second rope, the method comprising the steps of:
- increasing an inner dimension of a device from a first size to a second size, the inner dimension measured from a first point on an inner surface of the device to a second point on the inner surface along a straight line that is both perpendicular to and that intersects a central axis of the device;
- inserting a first end of a first rope into a through hole of the device, the through hole defined by the inner surface, the first rope defining a first outer dimension that is greater than the first size and smaller than the second size;
- inserting a first end of a second rope into the through hole such that the first end of the first rope faces the first end of the second rope, the second rope defining a second outer dimension that is greater than the first size and smaller than the second size;
- and
- reducing the inner dimension from the second size until the inner surface applies a force to each of the first rope and the second rope sufficient to prevent removal of each of the first rope and the second rope from the through hole, and
- wherein, the device maintains the joining of the first rope and the second rope up to a maximum force, the maximum force being at least 75% of a maximum tensile strength of one of the first rope and the second rope.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.