Leg rope

#This invention relates to an improved cord or the like for connecting a surfboard to a surfer's ankle band, thereby providing a means for rapid recovery of a surfboard should a surfboard rider fall therefrom during a ride or otherwise. Such cords are commonly known as "leg ropes" and for convenience of description will be referred to hereinafter as such.

#Previously known leg ropes have suffered a number of disadvantages from the point of view of cost and simplicity of construction and a number of operational disadvantages when in use. One of the simplest forms of leg rope currently available is a length of braided or woven nylon cord provided at each end with a loop, one loop being for connection to a surfboard, the other for connection to a surfer's ankle band. The loops in such a leg rope may be formed by whipping a free end of the cord back on itself in known manner, or by splicing. Such techniques, being very time consuming, are expensive to perform. In addition, woven or braided ropes have the disadvantage that they are effectively in-elastic and thus afford no shock absorbing effect should a rider become separated from his surfboard. Further, such ropes, being of a particularly flexible nature, easily form kinks or knots which reduce the effectiveness of such a leg rope.

#Improved forms of leg ropes have been provided with swivel means to reduce the tendency to kink, and also shock absorbing means have been provided by firmly attaching a rubber sleeve over a portion of the rope which is slightly greater in length than the sleeve itself.

#Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of end piece according to the invention,

#FIG. 2 is a slightly enlarged view in sectional side elevation of the end piece shown in FIG. 1, connected to one end of a flexible cord,

#As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, end piece A comprises a body, one end portion 2 of which is of generally frustoconical shape, while the other end portion 3 of which is of generally cylindrical shape. The cylindrical end portion 3 is provided with an axial inwardly extending opening 4, the dimensions of which are chosen to accommodate one end of a swivel. The cylindrical portion of the body is also provided with a transverse opening 5 which passes through the centre of the body at right angles to the opening 4 and opens into the opening 4 for a purpose hereinafter referred to. The end piece is formed from injection moulded polyurethane and is heat welded or sonically welded to one end of an extruded solid polyurethane cord 6 to obtain a homogenous joint with a tensile strength approximately identical to that of the cord itself.

#Referring now to FIG. 5, one end 7 of a brass, bronze, stainless steel or other corrosion resistant swivel of diameter substantially the same as the axial opening 4 is inserted into that opening in end piece A and a brass, bronze, stainless steel or other corrosion resistant retaining pin 8 is then inserted into the transverse opening 5 and a hole in the end 7 of the swivel in order to retain the swivel firmly in position in the end piece. The other or free end 7' of the swivel, which extends axially outwards from the end piece A, is also provided with a hole through which passes a loop 9 formed from braided nylon cord, the loop 9 also passing through a loop of material 10 forming part of an ankle band whereby the band is connected to the cord 6 by means of a swivel connection.

#At the opposite end of the cord 6, there is provided an end piece B which is identical to end piece A, and similarly to end piece A, is attached to the cord 6 by means of heat welding or sonic welding. A braided nylon cord 11 is passes through the transverse opening in the end piece B and knotted at each end to retain the cord in the end piece, the looped portion 12 then being withdrawn from the interior of axial opening 4. The cord 11 thus provides an adjustable means for connection of the cord 6 to a surfboard, said adjustment being effected by withdrawing one or both knotted portions from the end piece and tying a fresh knot or knots to shorten the length of the looped portion 12 as desired.