Rope locking device
AssigneeHarris-Johnson Industries, Inc.
InventorGregory F. Pipan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rope locking device and method are provided to prevent inadvertent rope movement of counterbalanced riggings as used in theaters and auditoriums. The locking device housing is rigidly supported on a floor or wall and includes a handle to manually release a handline passing therethrough as needed. Resiliently mounted jaws with teeth within the housing adjustably grip the handline and prevent slippage thereof. When there is an out-of-balance condition, the jaws grip the handline even though the manual release handle is moved to its release position.
Claims12
A rope locking device comprising:
- a housing, first and second opposing jaws, said jaws each having a top and a bottom, said jaws contained within said housing for engaging a rope passing therebetween, a means to adjust the tension of said jaws against the rope, said tension adjusting means positioned on said housing and in contact with said first jaw, a rope release handle, said release handle pivotally mounted on said housing to close said jaws, a first resilient member, said first resilient member contiguous to the top of said first jaw, and a second resilient member, said second resilient member in vertical alignment with said first resilient member, said second resilient member contiguous to the bottom of said first jaw.
A rope locking device comprising:
- a housing, said housing having interior walls defining opposing guide grooves, first and second jaws, said jaws each having a top and a bottom, said jaws opposingly mounted within said housing to engage a rope passing therethrough, said jaws each defining an axle shaft, a pair of guide axles, one of said axles contained within each of said jaw axle shafts, said guide axles positioned within said housing wall guide grooves, a first resilient member, said first resilient member contiguous to the top of said first jaw, a second resilient member, said second resilient member contiguous with the bottom of said second jaw, and a release handle, said release handle mounted on said housing to manually open and close said jaws.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.