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US 11,781,610 B2Granted
Systems for line device
AssigneeCMC Rescue, Inc.
InventorsOle Kils, Tyler J. Mayer, Alex Hurd, Shaun Reed
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for a device. In one example, the device is configured to automatically grab and slip a line. The device is further configured to decrease degradation to the line by limiting a rotation of the device via contact with the line.
Claims17
A device configured to couple to a rope, comprising:
- a cam shaped to increase a camming angle as an angle of rotation of the cam increases relative to a starting position due to the cam rotating in a direction of rotation, wherein the camming angle is an angle between a first axis and a second axis, the first axis extending from a center of a pivot point of the cam to a net contact point of the cam, the second axis extending from the center of the pivot point and orthogonal to a line path extending tangentially from the net contact point, the net contact point being a point or an average of two or more points where the cam is configured to contact the rope at a given angle of rotation of the cam, wherein the cam comprises a protrusion shaped to maintain a same camming angle throughout a first range of angles of rotation of the cam and a tail configured to contact the rope in response to the cam rotating beyond the first range of angles of rotation, wherein the camming angle increases when the cam rotates beyond the first range of angles of rotation, wherein the cam comprises a transition region where the protrusion couples to the tail, wherein the camming angle increases when the net contact point includes the tail, and wherein the tail blocks rotation of the cam beyond a second angle of rotation.
A rope grabbing device, comprising:
- a cam comprising a protrusion having a logarithmic shape and a tail having a non-logarithmic shape, the cam further including a V-shaped groove increasing in width away from a bearing of the cam;
- and
- a spring configured to initiate a turning motion of the cam in a direction of rotation to urge the cam towards contact with a rope configured to extend through the V-shaped groove;
- wherein the tail of the cam is configured to block rotation of the cam beyond a threshold rotation, and wherein at a range of cam angles prior to the threshold rotation, only the protrusion is configured to contact the rope and, beyond the threshold rotation, both the tail and the protrusion are configured to contact the rope,
- wherein the spring is configured to initiate the turning motion of the cam in the direction of rotation such that when a load is placed on the rope by the rope grabbing device, the cam rotates in the direction of rotation and the protrusion contacts the rope to grab the rope and prevent slipping of the cam, and wherein, as the cam continues to rotate in the direction of rotation, the tail is configured to block rotation of the cam in the direction of rotation and initiate slipping of the cam when the load on the rope overcomes friction between the cam and the rope.
2 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a rope grabbing device comprising an unlevered cam and a baseplate, the cam having a protrusion and a tail extending from the protrusion with a linear shape from the protrusion to a rounded tip of the tail;
- and
- a rope extending through an opening arranged between a groove of the cam and a recess of the baseplate, wherein the groove of the cam decreases in width in a direction away from the rope, wherein the tail of the cam blocks rotation of the cam greater than a threshold rotation, and wherein the cam is configured to slip the rope in response to a force on the rope applied by the rope grabbing device being greater than a friction applied on the rope by the rope grabbing device at a position corresponding to the threshold rotation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.