# US 8,782,910 B1 · Motion-restraint tether for safely starting gasoline-powered chainsaws and the like > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,782,910 B1 - Document ID: US8782910B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 14/027,000 - Filed: 2013-09-13 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2013-09-13 - Applicants: Wayne E. Lofton; Linda C. Lofton - Inventors: Wayne E. Lofton; Linda C. Lofton - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8782910B1 ## CPC - B23D 59/00: Accessories specially designed for sawing machines or sawing devices (lubricating or cooling machine tools in general B23Q11/12) - B27B 17/00: Chain saws; Equipment therefor {(slotting or mortising machines equipped with chain cutters B27F5/06)} - Y10T 24/13: Article holder attachable to apparel or body - Y10T 24/1397: Article held by flexible connector [e.g., chain] - B23D: PLANING; SLOTTING; SHEARING; BROACHING; SAWING; FILING; SCRAPING; LIKE OPERATIONS FOR WORKING METAL BY REMOVING MATERIAL, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (making toothed gears or the like B23F; cutting metal by applying heat locally B23K; arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - B27B: SAWS FOR WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL; COMPONENTS OR ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (saws specially adapted for pruning or debranching A01G3/08; sawing apparatus specially adapted for felling trees A01G23/091; features not restricted to a particular type of wood saw B23D, e.g. attaching saw blades B23D51/00; machine tool frames, beds, pillars or like members, in general B23Q1/01) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract An inventive device to aid mobility-limited users of gasoline-powered handheld tools while crank-starting of same is disclosed. In particular, the invention is a tethering device to prevent a tool such as a chainsaw from jumping or kicking back when crank-started by an operator with limited bodily mobility, particularly of the back, preventing placing of the tool on the ground for crank-starting. The inventive tethering device allows the operator to remain upright while safely cranking the on-board engine. The inventive device comprises an elongated tether member having first and second ends, a foot placement member for placement of the operator's foot to secure the device and restrain its movement, affixed to the first end and an attachment means for attaching the tether to a chainsaw, affixed to the second end of the elongated tether member. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A lightweight and compact motion restraint tether for safely starting a gasoline-powered chainsaw having an onboard engine in combination with the gasoline-powered chainsaw, comprising: (i) a-foot engagement member comprising a foothold base structure and an aperture, said aperture having a perimeter, said perimeter having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the upper-portion of the perimeter comprises an arch-shaped frame, and the lower portion of said aperture perimeter comprises at least a part of the foothold base structure, whereby the operator of said gasoline-powered chainsaw extends at least one foot through said aperture so that the bottom of the chainsaw operator's at least one foot presses against said foothold base structure to hold the foot engagement member securely against a solid surface using at least a portion of the body weight of the chainsaw operator, said foot engagement member further adapted to be lightweight and compact for facile portability by said operator; and (ii) an elongated tether member adapted to restrain the upward motion of said gasoline-powered chainsaw when said onboard engine is started by an operator of said gasoline-powered chainsaw, said tether member having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the elongated tether member is attached to the foot engagement member, and the second end is affixed to the gasoline-powered chainsaw, said elongated tether member further adapted to be lightweight and compact for facile portability by said operator; wherein the foothold structure of the foot engagement member comprises a substantially flat pedal portion comprising a plurality of sides, ends of the arch-shaped frame being affixed to two of the plurality of sides of the substantially flat pedal portion, forming a stirrup having an enclosed aperture configured to accommodate at least one foot of the operator extended through it, and wherein the stirrup further comprises a pocket structure, the pocket structure integral with the pedal portion of the foothold structure of the foot engagement member, whereby when the operator inserts a front portion of at least one foot therein, the pocket at least partially covers the operator's at least one foot. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The motion restraint tether of claim 1, wherein the elongated tether member has an adjustable length. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The motion restraint tether of claim 1, wherein the elongated tether member comprises two independent segments, each segment having two ends and attached together by an attachment means to form a single tether, the attachment means having two mating members, each of the two mating members being disposed on one end of each of the two tether segments. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The motion restraint tether of claim 3, wherein the attachment means is a quick-release buckle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The motion restraint tether of claim 1, wherein the foothold structure of the foot-engagement member is a substantially flat plate section. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The lightweight and compact chainsaw motion restraint tether of claim 1, wherein the foothold structure of the foot engagement member comprises a substantially rod-shaped portion having two ends, the ends of the arch-shaped frame being affixed to the two ends the rod-shaped portion, forming a stirrup having an enclosed aperture through which at least one foot of the operator is extended. ### Claim 7 A lightweight and compact motion restraint tether for safely starting a gasoline-powered chainsaw having an onboard engine in combination with the gasoline-powered chainsaw, comprising: (i) a-foot engagement member comprising a foothold structure, an arch-shaped structure comprising an apex and two ends, the two ends of said arch-shaped structure being affixed to the foothold structure in such a way that an enclosed aperture is formed, whereby an operator of said chainsaw extends at least one foot through said aperture in such a way that the bottom of said at least one foot presses against the foothold structure to hold the foot engagement member securely against a solid surface using at least a portion of the body weight of the operator; and (ii) an elongated tether member adapted to restrain the upward motion of said gasoline-powered chainsaw when said onboard engine is started by an operator of said gasoline-powered chainsaw, said tether member having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the elongated tether member is attached to the foot engagement member, and the second end is affixed to the gasoline-powered chainsaw, said elongated tether member further adapted to be lightweight and compact for facile portability by said operator; wherein the foot engagement member is a stirrup comprising an arch-shaped bracket forming the upper portion of the aperture perimeter, and wherein the foothold structure comprises a substantially flat pedal portion with a plurality of sides, the arch-shaped bracket having two ends, the two ends being affixed to two of the plurality of sides of the pedal portion so as to from an enclosed aperture, wherein the foothold structure further comprises a pocket integral with the pedal portion of the foothold structure, whereby when the operator inserts a front portion of at least one foot therein, the pocket at least partially covers the operator's at least one foot. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The lightweight and compact chainsaw motion restraint tether of claim 7, wherein the foot engagement member is a stirrup comprising an arch-shaped bracket forming the upper portion of the aperture perimeter, and wherein the foothold structure is a rod having two ends, the arch-shaped bracket having two ends, the two ends being affixed to the ends the rod so as to form an enclosed aperture. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The motion restraint tether of claim 7, wherein the elongated tether member has an adjustable length. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The motion restraint tether of claim 7, wherein the elongated tether member comprises two independent tether segments, each having two ends, and attached together by an attachment means to form a single tether, the attachment means having two mating members, each of the two mating members being disposed on one end of each of the two tether segments. ### Claim 11 A lightweight and compact motion restraint tether for safely starting a gasoline-powered chainsaw having an on-board engine in combination with the gasoline-powered chainsaw, comprising: (i) a-foot engagement member comprising a stirrup having an arch-shaped frame comprising an apex and two ends and forming the upper portion of the stirrup, the two ends of said arch-shaped structure being affixed to a foothold structure wherein the foothold structure forms the bottom portion of the stirrup, whereby an operator of said chainsaw extends at least one foot through said stirrup in such a way that the bottom of said at least one foot presses against the foothold structure to hold the foot engagement member securely against a solid surface using at least a portion of the body weight of the operator such that the tether member is securely anchored to the solid surface, said foot engagement member further adapted to be lightweight and compact for facile portability by said operator; and (ii) an elongated tether member adapted to restrain the upward motion of said gasoline-powered chainsaw when said onboard engine is started by an operator of said gasoline-powered chainsaw, said tether member having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the elongated tether member is attached to the foot engagement member, and the second end is affixed to the gasoline-powered chainsaw, said elongated tether member further adapted to be lightweight and compact for facile portability by said operator, and wherein the foot engagement member is adapted to anchor the attached elongated tether member securely to a solid surface; wherein the foothold structure of the stirrup comprises a substantially flat pedal bottom portion that is integrally fixed to the upper arch-shaped frame, and wherein the stirrup further comprises a pocket structure, whereby the pocket structure is integral with the substantially flat bottom portion of the foothold structure and is configured to at least partially cover a front of the operator's foot. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The lightweight and compact chainsaw motion restraint tether of claim 11, wherein the foothold structure of the stirrup is a substantially rod-shaped bottom portion that is integrally affixed to the upper arch-shaped frame. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The motion restraint tether of claim 11, wherein the elongated tether member has an adjustable length. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The motion restraint tether of claim 11, wherein the elongated tether member comprises two independent tether segments, each having two ends, and attached together by an attachment means to form a single tether, the attachment means having two mating members, each of the two mating members being disposed on one end of each of the two tether segments. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The motion restraint tether of claim 14, wherein the attachment means is a quick-release buckle.