US2290745A - Lifesaving device - Google Patents

Description

July 21, 1942. y Y J.FRAV\NKEL 2,290,745

LIFESAVING DEVICE Filed April 8, 1941' 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Jarck Buzz/tel I BY w I L ATTORNEY I July2l, 1942. J F ANKEL 2,290,745

LIFESAVING DEVICE Filed April 8, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jack flux/fez July2l,1942. J,FRANKEL 2,290,745

LIFESAVING DEVICE Filed April 8, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 w-rL-avb Ja INVENTOR Jack Fran k'eZ BY 4m? I I I. ATTORNEY Patented July 21, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT 7 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a life saving device.

More particularly, the invention proposes a certain clamp to be used in a life saving device for persons working in elevated positions on scaffolds and the like, near a guy rope and who are provided with safety belts.

More specifically, it is proposed to characterize each safety clamp by a pair of pivotally connected jaw members for gripping said guy rope and each jaw member having a tail portion, and a certain clamping arrangement for the tail portions to clamp the jaw members on the guy rope in selected positions.

Furthermore the invention contemplates the use of a member swivelly mounted on one tail portion, and a screw rotatively abutting the other tail portion and threadedly engaging said member for clamping said jaw members closed upon said guy rope.

Still further the invention proposes auxiliary clamp jaws associated with said pair of jaw members in a certain way.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a person working on a scaffold and equipped with a life saving device constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of said person and scaffold with certain parts arranged in a different position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the safety belt for the person.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged detailed view of the upper portion of the safety rope.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the clamp and a portion of the guy rope illustrated, per se.

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an end View of Fig. 6. r

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 6. r

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 99 of Fig. '7.

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional viewtaken on the line Ill-40 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary end view similar to Fig. 7 but illustrating a modified construction.

Fig. 12 is an elevational view similar to Fig. 6

but completely illustrating the form of the invention shown in Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is an end view of Fig. 12% with the guy rope eliminated.

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View taken on the line l4l4 of Fig. 12.

The life saving device, in accordance With this invention, includes a pulley 15 for attachment on a window sill or other support. As illustrated in Fig. 1 the pulley I5 is mounted on a hook I6 which is mounted on the window frame or sill H. The device includes a safety belt [8 for a person, such as the man I 9 working on a scaffold 20 or other elevated place. The safety belt [8 comprises a body engaging strap 2| provided with the usual buckle 22 by which it may be adjusted about the Waist. Side straps 23 are mounted upon the sides of the belt 22. Leg engaging straps 24 are mounted upon the bottom of the side straps 23 and are provided with the usual buckles 25 by which they may be strapped to the legs, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

A rope 26 is attached to the safety belt l8 and is extended over the pulley 15; This rope is made from several strands 21 and 28 which are secured together at closely spaced points by strands of wire 29. The rope 26 is provided with several end strands 30, three such strands are illustrated, which are attached to the belt 2|. The three strands 30 may extend down the back of a person, as illustrated in Fig. 1, or two of the strands may extend down the front while the third one extends down the back, as illustrated in Fig. 2. This depends upon the convenience of the person using the device.

A fastening element 3| is mounted on the belt 2| and is connectible with various points along the rope 26 as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. This fastening element 3| is in the nature of a hook which may be snapped on to one of the strands of the rope 26 at a point between a pair of the wire braces 29. With this arrangement the fastening element 3! may be connected at a suitable point with the rope as illustrated in Fig. 1.

A customary guy rope 32 must be used in conjunction with the life saving device. A clamp device 33 (see Figs. 1 and 5) is attached to a convenient point on the guy rope 32 and is adapted to be released and shifted to other points, as desired. Means is provided for attaching the clamp 33 with the belt 2|. This means comprises a cable or chain 34 or other suitable attaching device. The clamp means 33 is characterized by a pair of pivotally connected jaw members 35 and 36 which are adapted to grip the guy rope 32. These jaw members have gripping serrations 31 at those areas which engage the guy rope. The jaw members are pivotally connected by a pintle bolt 38. At this area the jaw members cross each other as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Each of the jaw members is provided with a tail portion. The jaw member 36 has a relatively large tail portion 39, while the jaw member 35 has a much smaller tail portion 4|].

A member 4| is swivelly mounted within an opening 42 formed in the tail portion 39. This member 4| is supported by screws 43 engaged through the sides of the tail portion 39 and engaging into the sides of the member 4 I. Washers 44 are mounted on these screws and separate the sides of the opening 42 from the sides of the member 4| to facilitate turning or swivelling of the member 4 A screw 45 threadedly engages the member 4| and extends through a vertical elongated slot 46 (see Fig. 9) formed in the tail portion 4|. This screw has an enlarged head 41 which abuts against the outer face of the material of the tail portion 4| so that it may be turned and force the tail portions together to cause the jaw members 35 and 36 to grip and clamp the guy rope 32. One of the tail portions, namely the tail portion 39, is provided with a lug 48 having an opening 49 through which the said cable or chain 34 engages for securing the clamp means 33 to the safety belt l8.

In Figs. 11 to 14 inclusive a modified form of the invention is disclosed which distinguishes from the prior form in the provision of an auxiliary arrangement to grip the guy rope 32 in the event that an accident occurs and the rson with the safety belt I8 is falling and the jaw members 35 and 36 are slipping along the guy rope 32. This auxiliary means is characterized by auxiliary clamp jaws 50 and pivotally mounted by pintle bolts 52 upon the bottom ends of lugs 48 formed upon the tail portions of the jaw members 35 and 36 of the device.

Resilient means is provided for urging the auxiliary clamp jaws 50 and 5| into open positions. This means comprises a spring 54 mounted between the clamp jaws 50 and 5|. The clamp jaws 50 and 5| are also provided with laterally extending lug portions 55 and 55' formed with openings 56 through which the support cable or chain 34' may pass. The lugs 48 are also formed with openings 49 through which the chain or cable 34' also passes. One of the lugs 48' is provided with a guide ring 51 for the guy rope 32. This guide ring 51 is formed from two sections, a stationary section 58 and a movable section 59..

The sections 58 and 59 are pivotally connected by a. pintle 66. A spring 6| is mounted on this pintle and acts between the two sections for resiliently urging them into a closed position. The arrangement is such that the section 59 may be pulled open when the guide ring 51 is engaged upon and removed from, the guy rope 32. The clamp jaws 56 and 5| are provided with sharp downwardly extending gripping elements 63 which are adapted to dig into the guy rope 32 in an emergency.

The operation of the device is as follows:

When a person l9 wishes to change the position of the scaffold 20 it is necessary that he first disengage the fastening element 3| from the rope 26. Then the fastening element 3| may be reengaged on another portion of the rope 26 by pulling up a section of the rope 26. Then the screw 45 must be loosened so that the jaw members 35 and 36 are loose enough to slide on the guy rope 32. The scaffold 20 is now raised or lowered. Immediately after the scaffold has been correctly positioned, the screw 45 is re-engaged firmly by turning on the handle 41. This causes the clamp jaw members 35 and 36 to reclamp the guy rope 32. The fastening element 3| may then be readjusted.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 11 to 14 there is an additional safety provision. The chain or cable 34 is passed through the openings 56 and the openings 49' and has both ends connected with the safety belt I8. If the scaffold falls the person will be supported against falling by the rope 26 and the fastening element 3|. But should this rope or the fastening element break, the person will now be supported by the clamp means 33 and the chain 34. Should the clamp means 33 start slipping along the guy rope 32 the persons Weight will cause the auxiliary jaws 56 and 5| to close against the guy rope 32. The gripping elements 63 will grip into the guy rope 32 and the fall of the person will be arrested.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a life saving device for persons working in an elevated position near a guy rope and provided with a safety belt, a clamp attached to said safety belt and comprising a pair of pivotally connected jaw members for gripping said guy rope and each having a tail portion, a member swivelly mounted on one of said tail portions, and a screw rotatively abutting the other of said tail portions and threadedly engaging said member for clamping said jaw members closed, said member being pivotally supported upon screws extended inwards from the sides of the tail portion.

2. In a life saving device for persons working in an elevated position near a guy rope and provided with a safety belt, a clamp attached to said safety belt and comprising a pair of pivotally connected jaw members for gripping said guy rope and each having a tail portion, a member swivelly mounted on one of said tail portions, and a screw rotatively abutting the other of said tail portions and threadedly engaging said member for clamping said jaw members closed, said gripping jaws having gripping elements on those portions engaging the guy rope, auxiliary gripping jaws pivotally mounted upon the bottom ends of said tail portion to grip said guy rope, a cable passing through said auxiliary jaws and connected with said safety belt, and auxiliary gripping elements formed on said auxiliary gripping jaws for gripping said guy rope when the tension on said cable becomes sufiiciently great to close said auxiliary gripping jaws to assist said first mentioned gripping elements in holding said clamp in position on said guy rope.

3. In a life saving device for persons working in an elevated position near a guy rope and provided with a safety belt, a clamp attached to said safety belt and comprising a pair of pivotally connected jaw members for gripping said guy rope and each having a tail portion, a member swivelly mounted on one of said tail portions, and a screw rotatively abutting the other of said tail portions and threadedly engaging said member for clamping said jaw members closed, said member being located within an opening formed in said tail portion, and pintle screws being engaged through the sides of the tail portion and engaging the sides of said member to accomplish said swivel mounting.

4. In a life saving device for persons working in an elevated position near a guy rope and provided with a safety belt, a clamp attached to said safety belt and com-prising a pair of pivotally connected jaw members for gripping said guy rope and each having a tail portion, a member swivelly mounted on one of said tail portions, a screw rotatively abutting the other of said tail portions and threadedly engaging said member for clamping said jaw members closed, auxiliary clamp jaws pivotally mounted on said tail portions, resilient means urging said auxiliary clamp jaws open, and a cable passing through openings in said tail portions and auxiliary clamp jaws and connected with said safety belt.

5. In a life saving device for persons working 7 in an elevated position near a guy rope and provided with a safety belt, a clamp attached to said safety belt and comprising a pair of pivotally connected jaw members for gripping said guy rope and each having a tail portion, a member swivelly mounted on one of said tail portions, a screw rotatively abutting the other of said tail portions and threadedly engaging said member for clamping said jaw members closed, auxiliary clamp jaws pivotally mounted on said tail portions, resilient means urging said auxiliary clamp jaws open, and a cable passing through openings in said tail portions and auxiliary clamp jaws and connected with said safety belt, said auxiliary jaws having downwardly directed gripping elements.

6. In a life saving device for persons working in an elevated position near a guy rope and provided with a safety belt, a clamp attached to said safety belt and comprising a pair of pivotally connected jaw members for gripping said guy rope and each having a tail portion, a member swivelly mounted on one of said tail portions, a screw rotatively abutting the other of said tail portions and threadedly engaging said member for clamping said jaw members closed, auxiliary clamp jaws pivotally mounted on said tail portions, resilient means urging said auxiliary clamp jaws open, and a cable passing through openings in said tail portions and auxiliary clamp jaws and connected with said safety belt, said auxiliary clamp jaws being provided with laterally extending lug portions formed with openings for a supporting cable or chain to pass substantially as described.

7. A life saving devicecomprising a pulley for attachment on a window sill or other support, a safety belt for a person working on a scaffold or other elevated place, a rope attached to said safety belt and extended over said pulley, at fastening element mounted on said belt and connectible with various points along said rope, a guy rope, clamp means for attachment at various positions on said guy rope, and means for attaching said clamp means on said belt, said clamp means comprising a pair of pivotally connected jaws for gripping said guy rope, and means for clamping said jaws closed.

JACK FRANKEL.

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