Lift line tension limiter

A tension limiter for a lift line comprising:

• a generally cylindrical container which is adapted to contain the lift line, and which has a lift end and a payload end;
• a generally cylindrical casing of larger diameter than the container and having a lift end and a payload end, the lift end having an opening for slidably receiving the container and the payload end having an aperture for the passage of lift line therethrough;
• the payload end of the container having a flange for reciprocatory movement in the casing between the casing ends;
• a compression spring muonted in the casing between the flange and the lift end of the casing for biasing the payload end of the container toward the payload end of the casing;
• means for stopping movement of the lift end of the casing toward the lift end of the container;
• the payload end of the container having an aperture for the passage of lift line therethrough;
• the payload end of the casing having a projection extending inwardly therein adjacent the aperture in the payload end of the container for pinching the lift line in response to the spring force, and thereby preventing payout of the lift line through the container aperture;
• and
• means attached to the payload end of the casing and extending exteriorly thereof for frictionally receiving an intermediate portion of the lift line,
• whereby tension loading of the lift line above a predetermined amount will lessen the pinching action to allow payout of the lift line from the container until the tension is relieved.

A tension limiter for a lift line comprising:

• a container which is adapted to contain the lift line and which has a lift end and a payload end, the payload end having a flange, the flange in turn having an aperture for passage of the lift line therethrough;
• a casing;
• said casing having a pair of opposing ends, one end of the casing having an opening for slidably receiving the container flange and the other end of the casing having an aperture for passage of the lift line therethrough;
• a compression spring mounted in the casing about the container between the container flange and the container receiving end of the casing for spring biasing the container flange toward the aperture end of the casing and thereby providing for pinching of the lift line therebetween;
• and
• the aperture end of the casing being capable of frictionally engaging the lift line,
• whereby, upon utilizing the lift line with the tension limiter, predetermined tension loading on the lift line will pull the aperture end of the casing away from the container flange to relieve the pinching action and allow a portion of the lift line to be payed out of the container until the tension loading has been lessened below the predetermined amount.