# US 2009/0260922 A1 · Distance limiting self-retractable lifeline > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2009/0260922 A1 - Document ID: US20090260922A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/148,883 - Filed: 2008-04-22 - Published: 2009-10-22 - Earliest claimed: 2008-04-22 - Assignees: GF Protection Inc. d/b/a Guardian Fall Protection - Inventors: Edward R. Marquardt; Evan M. Choltco-Devlin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20090260922A1 ## CPC - A62B 1/10: mechanically operated - A62B: DEVICES, APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR LIFE-SAVING (valves specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; life-saving devices, apparatus or methods specially adapted for use in water B63C9/00; divers' equipment B63C11/00; specially adopted for use with aircraft, e.g. parachutes, ejector seats, {B64D17/00, B64D25/10}; rescue devices peculiar to mining E21F11/00) ## Abstract A self-retractable lifeline (“SRL”) having the combination of an active fall arrest braking system and a passive restraint distance limiting mechanism that allows a user to pretension and preset the distance that its cable is capable of paying out. The SRL's cable limiting mechanism includes a pretension assembly, which may include a pair of aligned plates and an actuator that temporarily mobilizes an arbor when the lever is opened. The arbor is affixed to the SRL housing and to an interior of a power spring that rewinds the cable back into the housing when the cable is paid out. The other end of the arbor is in a mechanical relationship to one of the aligned plates that prohibits rotational movement of the arbor when the aligned plates are engaged but allows rotational movement of the arbor when the aligned plates are temporarily disengaged. When pretensioning of the power spring is desired, the actuator is activated and a tension is applied onto at least one of the aligned plates to temporarily disengage them and to temporarily mobilize the arbor. As the arbor is affixed to the interior of the power spring, the number of rotational turns that the arbor makes causes the power spring to “pretension” and thereby limits the maximum cable payout by the number of turns. The active braking system for fall arrest is independent of the cable limiting mechanism. The SRL may optionally include a mechanism affixed to the opposite end of the arbor to reduce or eliminate overtensioning due to human error. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A self-retracting lifeline (“SRL”) having both an active fall restraint braking system and a passive restraint system; the lifeline comprising: a housing defined by an interior having an aperture; a reel rotatable within the confines of the interior in which the reel rotates about an arbor; a length of cable that is wound about the reel in which one end of the cable is fixed to the central reel and the other end can extend outside of the housing through the aperture; an active braking mechanism that is capable of quickly stopping the cable from paying out upon sensing a predetermined condition; a power spring having an interior portion that is connected to the arbor; said power spring is capable of retracting the cable back into the housing about the central reel when the cable is paid out or is taken before the power spring binds in on itself, the other end of the power spring being secured to the reel; a pair of aligned plates capable of being disengaged to mobilize the arbor in order to rotate and wind the power spring, wherein one of the aligned plates is secured to the housing and the other plate is securable to a portion of the arbor such that when the plates are engaged the arbor is prohibited from movement; and an actuator that is connected to the arbor and can temporarily mobilize the arbor when the actuator is activated and applies a tensioning force to disengage the aligned plates. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The SRL of claim 1 wherein the actuator is a cammed actuation lever. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The SRL of claim 2 wherein the lever further comprises a quick release lever and a handle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The SRL of claim 1 further comprising a tensioner in order to apply a tension force to the aligned plates. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The SRL of claim 4 wherein the tensioner is a compression spring. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The SRL of claim 1 wherein the pair of aligned plates comprises a polygon shaped lock ring and a corresponding lock ring plate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The SRL of claim 6 further comprising a perch ring to secure the lock ring plate to the housing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The SRL of claim 6 wherein the lock ring is hexagonal in shape. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The SRL of the claim 6 wherein the actuator is a cammed quick release lever and handle assembly. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The SRL of claim 1 further comprising an overtension elimination mechanism. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The SRL of claim 10 wherein the overtension elimination mechanism further includes a pair of fittings in which one of the fittings is secured to the housing and the other fitting is used to stop the end of the arbor opposite that which is secured to the actuator from lateral movement beyond a certain point. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The SRL of claim 1 wherein the pair of fittings further includes a spin stop fitting and a corresponding spin stop nut. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The SRL of claim 12 wherein the spin stop nut comprises an internally threaded hex nut. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The SRL of claim 11 further comprising an end plate and fastener secured to the spin stop fitting opposite where the spin stop fitting is secured to the housing. ### Claim 15 An SRL comprising: a housing defined by an interior having an aperture; a reel fixed to the interior in which the reel rotates about an arbor; a length of cable that is wound about the reel in which one end of the cable is fixed to the reel and the other end can extend outside of the housing through the aperture; an active braking mechanism that is capable of quickly stopping the cable from paying out upon sensing a predetermined condition; and a passive distance limiting mechanism that functions independently of the active braking mechanism and can prelimit the amount of cable pay out. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The SRL of claim 15 wherein the passive distance limiting mechanism further includes a pair of engaged aligned plates in which one plate is fixed to the housing and the other is affixed to an actuator that is affixed to the arbor, said aligned plates are capable of being temporarily disengaged in order to temporarily mobilize the arbor in order to pretension the power spring. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The SRL of claim 16 wherein the aligned plates comprise a lock ring and a lock ring plate and the lock ring plate is affixed to the housing. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The SRL of claim 16 wherein the actuator is a cammed quick release activation lever and handle assembly. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The SRL of the claim 16 wherein the aligned plates can be disengaged through a tension spring. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The SRL of the claim 15 further comprising an overtension elimination mechanism including a pair of fittings in which one of the fittings is secured to the housing and the other fitting is used to stop the end of the arbor opposite that which is secured to the actuator from lateral movement beyond a certain point. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The SRL of claim 16 wherein the aligned plates further comprise a plurality of projecting pins on one plate and a plurality of corresponding apertures on the other plate. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The SRL of claim 16 wherein the aligned plates further comprise a plurality of splines/teeth on one plate and a plurality of corresponding splines/teeth on the other plate.