Guarded snap hook
OwnerRichard T. Klein, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A keeper-equipped snap hook includes a guard member which can be readily positioned by a user in either a closed position or an open position. In the closed position the keeper is secured in a U-shaped channel provided by the guard member to protect the keeper from unintended or inadvertent actuation. In the open position the keeper is exposed for ready activation to an open position by the user to either install the snap hook on or remove the snap hook from a D-ring or the like. A cam actuator in the hook body and a camming surface on the guard member interact to bias the guard member in the open and closed positions for ease of use during installation or removal of the snap hook.
Claims37
A snap hook comprising:
- an elongated body member including a ring-engaging portion at one end and a connecting portion at the other end;
- said ring-engaging portion including an open hook-shaped tip defining a ring-receiving slot;
- a keeper pivotally secured at one end to said body member, and having an open position allowing access to said ring-receiving slot, and a closed position extending to said hook-shaped tip to close said ring-receiving slot;
- a guard member pivotally secured at one end to said body member and having an open position allowing access to said keeper and a closed position extending to said hook-shaped tip;
- said guard member adapted in said closed position to at least partially receive and enclose said keeper to prevent displacement of said keeper by an externally applied force;
- said guard member being actuable between said open and closed positions independently of the position of said keeper;
- and
- means for indexing said guard member in said open position, said indexing means comprising a camming surface on one of said members, and a cooperating camming member on the other of said members.
A snap hook comprising:
- an elongated body member including a ring-engaging portion at one end and a connecting portion at the other end;
- said ring-engaging portion including an open hook-shaped tip defining a ring-receiving slot;
- a keeper pivotally secured at one end to said body member, and having an open position allowing access to said slot and spring-biased into engagement with an inside surface of said hook-shaped tip to close said ring-receiving slot;
- a guard member pivotally secured at one end to said body member and having an open position allowing access to said keeper and spring biased into engagement with the outside surface of said hook-shaped tip in a closed position;
- said guard member being generally U-shaped in cross-section to at least partially receive and enclose said keeper when in said closed position to prevent displacement of said keeper by an externally applied force;
- said guard member being actuable between said open and closed positions independently of the position of said keeper;
- and
- means for indexing said guard member in said open position, said indexing means comprising a camming surface on one of said members, and a cooperating camming member on the other of said members.
A personal fall protection system comprising:
- a body belt adapted to extend around the waist of a user;
- said body belt having at least one D-ring thereon at one side of the user's waist;
- a positioning strap attached at one end to said body belt at the other side of the user's waist;
- a snap hook at the other end of said positioning strap;
- said snap hook including an elongated body member including a ring-engaging portion at one end and a connecting portion attached to said positioning strap at the other end;
- said ring-engaging portion including an open hook-shaped tip defining a ring-receiving slot;
- a keeper pivotally secured at one end to said body member and having an open position allowing access to said slot, and a closed position extending to said hook-shaped tip to close said ring-receiving slot;
- a guard member pivotally secured at one end to said body member and extending to said hook-shaped tip;
- said guard member being adapted in said closed position to at least partially receive and enclose said keeper to prevent displacement of said keeper by an externally applied force;
- said guard member being actuable between said open and closed positions independently of the position of said keeper;
- and
- means for indexing said guard member in said open position, said indexing means comprising a camming surface on one of said members, and a cooperating camming member on the other of said members.
A snap hook comprising:
- an elongated body member including a ring-engaging portion at one end and a connecting portion at the other end;
- said ring-engaging portion including an open hook-shaped tip defining a ring-receiving slot;
- a keeper pivotally secured at one end to said body member, and extending to said hook-shaped tip to close said ring-receiving slot, said keeper being spring-biased into engagement with the inside surface of said hook-shaped tip;
- a guard member pivotally secured at one end to said body member and extending in a closed position to said hook-shaped tip, said guard member being spring-biased into engagement with the outside surface of said hook-shaped tip in said closed position;
- means for indexing said guard member in said open position, said indexing means comprising a camming surface on said guard member having a detent surface corresponding to said open positions, and a camming member on said body member spring-biased into engagement with said camming surface whereby said detent surface maintains said guard member in said open position;
- and
- said guard member adapted in said closed position to at least partially receive and enclose said keeper to prevent displacement of said keeper by an externally applied force.
A snap hook as defined in claim,34 wherein said guard member includes at least a pair of flange portions, said body member includes a mounting hub portion, said flange and hub portions each include apertures aligned along the pivot axis of said guard member, and said snap hook includes a pin extending through said apertures for pivotally mounting said guard member to said body member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.