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US 6,305,669 B1Granted
Bearing block tether using fine lines
AssigneeHarken, Inc.
InventorsOlaf T. Harken, Charles J. Lob, Kenneth E. Lange, Thomas G. Hanson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bearing block has a head, a central hub, bearing means facilitating rotation of the sheave about the central hub. The block further has locking means for removably locking a length of high strength, fibrous material, such as cord, to the block for tethering the block to a boat deck or the like. The locking means may be a part of the block head, cheeks, or may be located at the block central hub. Preferred locking means are a plurality of passages for the cord ends to pass through, with set screws in two of the passages for removably holding the cord ends therein. A center portion of the cord length thus forms a loop for tethering the block.
Claims35
A bearing block comprising a head, a pair of side cheeks, a central hub connected to said head by said side cheeks, a sheave, bearing means for facilitating rotation of said sheave about said central hub;
- with said block head having locking means engaging a length of high strength fibrous material, said length of high strength fibrous material having two free ends;
- said locking means engaged proximate said free ends of said length, said fibrous material thereby removably locked in place with the center portion of said fibrous material thereby forming a loop for tethering the block.
A bearing block comprising a head, said head having top and bottom sides and four sidewalls, the bearing block comprising a pair of side cheeks, a central hub connected to said head by said side cheeks, a sheave, bearing means for facilitating rotation of said sheave about said central hub;
- with said block head having locking means engaging a length of high strength cord, said locking means engaged proximate the ends of said length, said length of cord thereby removably locked in place with the center portion of said length of cord thereby forming a loop for tethering the block;
- and wherein said locking means comprise:
- a) a substantially vertical slot in said head spanning said head top and bottom sides, a substantially horizontal cross pin through said vertical slot;
- said vertical slot having first and second sides parallel to said cross pin;
- b) a passage in said head spanning an opposing two of said sidewalls and intersecting said vertical slot below said cross pin, said passage having a first length coincident with said vertical passage first side, side passage having a second length coincident with said vertical passage second side;
- and
- c) said cord having first and second end portions, said cord first portion extended into said vertical slot along said first side, around a first side of said cross pin, crossed to said slot second side and extended into said passage second length, said cord second portion extended into said vertical slot along said slot second side, around a second side of said cross pin, crossed to said slot first side and extended into said passage first length, said cord first and second portions removably held in place in respective of said passage lengths.
4 more elements
A bearing block comprising:
- a) a head, a central hub connected to said head, a sheave, bearing means for facilitating rotation of said sheave about said central hub, said head having a substantially vertical passage therethrough, said central hub having an axial passage therethrough;
- and
- b) a length of high strength cord having two end portions extended through said head passage and through said central hub passage, said fibrous material end portions removably locked in place proximate said central hub, said length of cord having a center portion between said end portions creating a loop for tethering the block.
A bearing block comprising:
- a) a head, a central hub connected to said head, a sheave, bearing means for facilitating rotation of said sheave about said central hub, said head having a substantially vertical passage therethrough, said central hub having an axial passage therethrough;
- and
- b) a length of rope having two end portions extended through said head passage and through said central hub passage, said rope removably locked in place by stop knots in each of said end portions preventing passage of said end portions back through said central hub passage;
- with a center portion of said rope between said end portions thereby forming a loop for tethering the block.
1 more element
A bearing block comprising:
- a) a head, a central hub connected to said head, a sheave, bearing means for facilitating rotation of said sheave about said central hub, said head having a substantially vertical passage therethrough;
- said sheave having a screw adjustment passage;
- b) an axial passage through said central hub, said axial passage having a sidewall;
- an adjustable locking set screw extending through said passage sidewall and into said passage;
- said locking screw having a head, said head accessible through said sheave screw adjustment passage;
- and
- c) a length of high strength rope having two end portions extended through said head vertical passage and through said central hub axial passage, said adjustable locking set screw removably locking said rope end portions therein;
- said rope having a center portion between said end portions thereby forming a loop for tethering the block.
5 more elements
A bearing block comprising:
- a) a head, a central hub connected to said head, a sheave, bearing means for facilitating rotation of said sheave about said central hub, said head having a substantially vertical passage therethrough, said central hub having a plurality of axial passage therethrough;
- and
- b) a length of rope having two end portions;
- said rope extending through said head passage and through said plurality of central hub passages, said rope end portions removably locked in place in two of said plurality of central hub passages.
1 more element
A bearing block comprising:
- a head, a central hub connected to said head, a sheave, bearing means for facilitating rotation of said sheave about said central hub, said head having a substantially vertical passage therethrough, a first axial passage through said central hub, a plurality of secondary smaller axial passages through said central hub;
- and
- a length of rope having two end portions, said length of rope looped through said head vertical passage and said central hub first passage a plurality of times, said rope passing through said plurality of central hub smaller secondary passages one time each;
- respective of said rope two end portions removably locked in place in two of said smaller secondary passages, a center portion of said rope thereby forming a loop for tethering the block.
1 more element
A bearing block comprising:
- a) a head, a central hub connected to said head, a sheave, bearing means for facilitating rotation of said sheave about said central hub, said head having a passage, said central hub having a first passage and a plurality of smaller secondary passages;
- b) continuous rope looped through said head passage and through said central hub first passage a plurality of times thereby creating a rope loop for tethering the block, said rope passing through each of said central hub secondary passages once;
- and
- c) two adjustable locking set screws, one each of said screws extending into one each of two of said secondary passages, said set screws having heads, said sheave having a passage for accessing said heads to removably lock said rope in place in said respective passage.
1 more element
A bearing block comprising:
- a) a head, a central hub, two sets of two side arms connecting said head to said central hub, cross members connecting individual of side arms, a sheave, said head having a slot, said central hub having a first axial passage and a plurality of smaller secondary axial passages;
- b) said hub having a first and a second annular race, said sheave having a first and a second annular race, a first annular set of ball bearings rotatably engaged between said sheave and hub first races, a second annular set of ball bearings rotatably engaged between said hub and sheave first and second races, said first and second sets of ball bearings facilitating rotation of said sheave about, said hub;
- c) continuous rope looped through said head passage and through said central hub first passage a plurality of times thereby creating a loop for tethering the block, said rope passing between said side arms and over said cross members between said head passage and said central hub first passage, said rope passing through each of said central hub secondary passages once, said rope comprised of thermoplastic polymer strands;
- and
- d) two adjustable locking set screws, one each of said screws extending into one each of said central hub secondary passages, said set screws having heads between said hub first and second annular races, said sheave having a passage for accessing said heads to removably lock said rope in place in respective said passage.
2 more elements
A bearing block comprising a head, a pair of side cheeks, a central hub connected to said head by said side cheeks, a sheave, bearing means for facilitating rotation of said sheave about said central hub;
- with said block head having locking means engaging one and only one length of cord, said one length of cord having two free ends;
- said locking means engaged proximate said free ends of said one cord, said one cord thereby removably locked in place with the center portion of said one cord thereby forming a loop for tethering the block.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.