Choker assembly

A choker assembly slidably mountable to a ferrule ended logging winchline, comprising:

• a choker rope formed of a length of interwoven wire rope having a central core strand surrounded by a plurality of outer interwoven twisted strands;
• a choker ferrule fixed at one end of the rope;
• a choker hook slidably mounted on the choker rope and adapted to releasably receive the choker ferrule;
• slider means for releasably mounting the remaining end of the choker rope to the winchline;
• wherein the slider means includes an elongated longitudinally curved slider body having an enlarged winchline receiving opening formed transversely through one end and a choker rope receiving opening formed longitudinally through the other end of the slider means and in open communication with the winchline receiving opening for receiving the remaining choker rope end therethrough;
• wherein the choker rope receiving opening tapers from an enlarged open end opening into the winchline receiving opening to a reduced open end at the terminus of the slider body;
• wherein the choker rope receiving opening includes spiral grooves complementary to the outer twisted strands of the choker rope;
• and
• a wedge means separate from the slider body which includes a conical sleeve of sufficient size to be mountable into the tapered choker rope receiving opening by access through the enlarged winchline receiving opening in which the conical sleeve has a longitudinal base for slipping over the central core strand and a conical exterior surface for spreading the outer interwoven strands radially outward into the spiral grooves to releasably grip the outer strands in the choker rope receiving opening and thereby prevent the remaining end of the choker rope from being drawn through the choker rope receiving opening.