Line tending marker float

• US 5,782,663 A
• Filed: 02/24/1997
• Issued: 07/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles Van Raden
• Original Assignee: Charles Van Raden
• Inventors: Van Raden, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): AVILA, STEPHEN P
• Application Number:
  US08/805,159
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 441/1, 441/6, 441/21, 441/23, 441/24, 441/25, 441/26, 441/27
• US Class Current: 441/25
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/18 having means to control attitude or position, e.g. reaction surfaces or tether
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 59/06 by devices acting on material leaving the package
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/40 mobile or transportable

Abstract

A line tending device includes a clutch hub that controls the paying out or extension of a line when the line is under tension. The clutch hub includes an O-ring around a hub outer surface and under which the line extends. The O-ring permits the line to extend in direction substantially parallel to the axis of the hub that supports the O-ring, but the O-ring exerts a load on the line to tighten and effectively clamp the line against an edge of a flange on the clutch to prevent the line from extending when the angle of the line relative to a hub axis exceeds a preselected amount. The line tending device, is adapted for providing floating markers in a body of water.

Claims

1. A line tending device including a base having a central axis, a clutch hub on the base, a source of a line length that will extend from the base in response to a tension load thereon, said clutch hub having a clutch hub outer surface and having at least a first flange extending outwardly from a clutch hub central axis, and an elastomeric member overlying the clutch hub outer surface, said line length passing from along the clutch hub between the clutch hub outer surface and the elastomeric member, the line length having an end which is under tension loading as it extends from the clutch hub and moves between the elastomeric member and the clutch hub outer surface, the elastomeric member urging the line length toward the clutch hub outer surface to tend to provide a clamping action on the line length around the first flange which increases as the angle of the line length relative to the central axis of the clutch hub increases.

2. The device of claim 1 including a float for supporting one end of the line length in a body of water, and a weight providing member applying a tension load on the line reacted by the float.

3. The device of claims 1, wherein the source of a line length comprises a line reel portion on the base, the line being wound around a line reel hub on a side of the first flange opposite the clutch hub, and extending around an outer edge of the first flange to pass under the elastomeric member.

4. The device of claim 1 and a retainer member spaced in a direction along the clutch hub central axis from the first flange to retain the elastomeric member on the clutch hub.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the elastomeric member comprises an annular elastomeric ring surrounding the clutch hub outer surface.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein the reel hub outer surface has a portion tapering from a first transverse dimension outwardly to join the first flange near an outer edge of the first flange.

7. The device of claim 3, wherein the line Length has an opposite end extending from the reel hub in direction away from the clutch hub, and a connector at the opposite end for connection to a separate object.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the base is floatable and a coupler extending from the base for attachment to a diver, the line length having a floating marker attached thereto for providing a tension load between a diver coupled to the body and the marker.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the marker comprises a floating diver'"'"'s flag.

10. The device of claim 3, wherein the body is tubular, a float member at a first end of the body for supporting the body with the line reel above the clutch hub, and a light coupled to a lower end of the body and positioned to project light through an internal passage of the tubular body toward the float member.

15. The device of claim 10 including a float coupled to one of the housing and the one end of the line, and a weight providing member coupled to the other of the housing and the one end of the line, wherein the float and weight providing member provide tension in the line as they tend to separate.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the housing has a line cleat at one end of the housing for securing a line to prevent extension of the line.

11. A line tending device including a housing having a clutch hub adjacent one end thereof, a line reel formed on the housing and having a line thereon that will unwind in response to a tension load on a free end of the line and extend from the housing, said clutch hub having a clutch hub outer surface and at least one flange, the line extending from the line reel around the one flange and along the clutch hub as the line unwinds from tension loading on the one end, and an elastomeric ring surrounding the clutch hub outer surface, said line passing from the line reel over an outer edge of the one flange and inwardly to the clutch hub between the clutch hub outer surface and the elastomeric ring, tension loading on the one end of the line causing the line to extend from the housing and move between the elastomeric ring and the clutch hub outer surface as the line unwinds from the reel hub around the edge of the one flange, when the line extends substantially aligned with an axis of the clutch hub outer surface, the elastomeric ring providing a tension to force the line toward the clutch hub outer surface and around the one flange, and as an angle of the line extending from the housing relative to the axis of the clutch hub outer housing increases, the elastomeric ring moving toward the first flange to snub the line around an outer edge of the first flange.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the housing has a float attached thereto to support, the line reel above the clutch, hub, and a ballast for maintaining the axis of the clutch hub outer surface in a generally upright position with the first flange oriented substantially horizontally and the axis of the clutch hub outer surface oriented substantially vertically while the housing is floated relative to the surface of the body of water.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the line reel has a tapered annular surface joining the first flange and tapering to a smaller size in direction away from the clutch hub.

14. The device of claim 12 including a coupling for attaching a light to the housing at a lower end thereof.