Mooring connector for connecting synthetic fibre ropes

A marine mooring connector for connecting a first mooring rope and a second mooring rope including a central core, a shell that includes a first rope running surface for engaging the first mooring rope and a second rope running surface for engaging the second mooring rope, and an outer casing that is configured to substantially surround the shell;

• wherein the central core has an outer surface defining a core surface profile;
• wherein the shell has an inner surface defining a shell inner surface profile and an outer surface defining a shell outer surface profile;
• wherein the core surface profile is configured to correspond to the shell inner surface profile;
• wherein the shell outer surface profile is different in shape to the core surface profile;
• and wherein the shell outer surface profile defines the first and second rope running surfaces;
• wherein the outer casing includes a plurality of recesses that are configured to allow a rope to pass therethrough;
• and
• wherein the outer casing further includes a first casing part and a second casing part in which the first casing part includes at least one recess of the plurality of recesses that are configured to allow the first mooring rope to pass therethrough and the second casing part includes a further at least one recess of the plurality of recesses that are configured to allow a second mooring rope to pass therethrough;
• wherein the central core includes a central portion and arms that extend from opposite sides of the central portion to respective outer flanges;
• wherein a diameter of the arms is less than a diameter of the central portion;
• and
• wherein a diameter of the outer flanges is greater than the diameter of the arms.

A marine mooring connector for connecting together a first mooring rope, a second mooring rope, and a third mooring rope, the mooring connecter including:

• a central core;
• a shell, the shell having an outer surface defining:
• at least one central groove which forms a first rope running surface for the first mooring rope;
• and
• two outer grooves which respectively form second and third rope running surfaces for the second and third mooring ropes, the outer grooves being arranged on opposite sides of the central groove and each outer groove being separated from the central groove by a respective protruding part of the shell;
• wherein, when the first mooring rope is engaged in the first rope running surface, the second mooring rope is engaged in the second rope running surface, and the third mooring rope is engaged in the third rope running surface,
• wherein, when tension is applied to the first, second, and third mooring ropes, the marine mooring connector is configured to be positioned by the first, second, and third mooring ropes transverse to a direction of the first mooring rope in the first rope running surface,
• wherein the second and third mooring ropes in the second and third rope running surfaces are prevented from contacting the first mooring rope in the first rope running surface by the protruding parts of the shell, and
• wherein the grooves are not equally spaced from the central groove around a circumference of the shell such that the second mooring rope extends at a non-zero angle with respect to the first mooring rope and the third mooring rope extends at a non-zero angle with respect to the first mooring rope when the first, second, and third mooring ropes are received in the respective first, second, and third rope running surfaces;
• and
• an outer casing that is configured to substantially surround the shell, wherein the outer casing includes a recess that is configured to allow a rope to pass therethrough.