Fitting for attachment to a rope

• US 6,012,204 A
• Filed: 11/23/1998
• Issued: 01/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dura Plastic Products Inc. (Tigre SA Participações)
• Original Assignee: Marty B. Roethler
• Inventors: Roethler, Marty B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sakran, Victor N.
• Application Number:
  US09/198,321
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 24/129 R, 24/130, 24/131 C, 24/300, 24/265 H, 24/598.5, 24/18
• US Class Current: 24/129.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 7/0823 Straps; Tighteners
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 7/08 Equipment for securing luggage on carriers
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 15/62 Pegs, stakes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 45/00 Hooks; Eyes if the attaching parts or means are concerned, groups F16B13/00, F16B15/00, F16B19/00, F16B25/00, F16B35/00, F16B47/00 take precedence; for hanging pictures or the like A47G1/16; towing hooks for ships B63B21/58; for hoisting or hauling purposes B66C; hooks or eyes with integral parts designed to facilitate quick attachment to cables or ropes at any point F16G11/14
• CPC Class Codes: F16G 11/103 deforming the cable by bending it around or inserting it into the fastener
• CPC Class Codes: F16G 11/14 Devices or coupling-pieces designed for easy formation of adjustable loops, e.g. choker hooks; Hooks or eyes with integral parts designed to facilitate quick attachment to cables or ropes at any point, e.g. by forming loops
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/3916 One-piece
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/3918 Wedge slot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/3922 Cord runs through center of coil
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45293 Plural hooks entering opposite sides of same cavity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4755 Hook

Abstract

One preferred embodiment includes an elongate tubular body having a passage for insertion of a rope therethrough along the lengthwise axis of the body. A V-shaped or tapered notch is defined through a walling structure of the body with a wider open mouth portion of the notch open through a first end of the body, the notch extends in a narrowing fashion toward a second end of the body. Secured to the exterior of the walling of the body near the second end is a rope holding structure, the rope holding structure sized for receiving and holding a portion of the rope. A preferred embodiment the rope holding structure is a slotted tube or hook. The rope holding structure is positioned relative to the V-shaped notch to hold a rope in a curved shape between the mouth of the V-shaped notch and the rope holding structure wherein with pulling on the rope in a direction to draw the rope through the passage from the body first end toward the second end, the curved portion of the rope is drawn tightly into the V-shaped notch where it is tightly pinched to secure the rope stationary relative to the rope fitting. One embodiment uses solid material such as plastics or metal to define the tubular body; another embodiment uses stiff resilient coiled wire to define the tubular body, and yet another embodiment uses an elongate plate body instead of a tubular body.

Claims

1. A fitting for attachment to a rope, said fitting comprising:

an elongate tube having a first end and an oppositely disposed second end;

said tube having a lengthwise passage for receiving a rope through said tube;

a rope pinching slot through a side of said tube for receiving a portion of a rope angling and exiting from within said passage and for frictionally restraining the angling portion of the rope in said rope pinching slot;

said rope pinching slot including a wider mouth portion tapering to a narrower portion;

a rope holding hook secured to said tube and extending laterally outward from an exterior surface of said tube, said rope holding hook positioned extending outward over generally the same side of said tube through which said rope pinching slot extends, said rope holding hook sized for receiving and holding a portion of a rope adjacent to the exterior of said tube, whereby a rope retrained by said rope pinching slot can be further angled into a tighter curvature and located in part within said rope holding hook and thereby held curved in the tighter curvature.

2. A fitting for attachment to a rope according to claim 1 wherein said rope holding hook includes a structure having a passage and having a lateral entrance slot for allowing a portion of a rope to be inserted through said entrance slot and positioned within said passage of said structure.

3. A fitting for attachment to a rope according to claim 2 further including an attached auxiliary anchoring structure for use in anchoring said fitting to an item.

4. A fitting for attachment to a rope according to claim 3 wherein said auxiliary anchoring structure is an anchoring hook:

and said tube, said rope holding hook and said anchoring hook comprise formed wire.

5. A fitting for attachment to a rope according to claim 3 wherein said auxiliary anchoring structure is an anchoring plate mountable to a surface.

6. A fitting for attachment to a rope according to claim 3 wherein said auxiliary anchoring structure is a ground stake.

7. A fitting for attachment to a rope according to claim 3 wherein said auxiliary anchoring structure is a handle.

8. A fitting for attachment to a rope, said fitting comprising:

an elongate tube having a passage therethrough for allowing insertion of a rope through said tube so as to have said tube over a length of the rope;

an auxiliary anchoring structure attached to said tube for use in anchoring said tube to a relatively stationary item;

a tapering slot defined through a wall of said tube, said slot having a mouth open through a first end of said tube and tapering in width from said mouth in extension toward a second end of said tube;

rope holding means on an exterior surface of said tube positioned adjacent said tapering slot and sized for receiving and holding a portion of a rope exiting said tube through said tapering slot;

whereby a rope in part within said passage of said tube can be curved to place a curved portion of the rope within the tapering slot and with the rope extending therefrom into said rope holding means so as to be held in tight curvature.

9. A fitting for attachment to a rope according to claim 8 wherein said tube is formed of wire coiled to form said tube and said tapering slot is a crack between wire coils of the coiled wire with the crack having an opening at a first end of the tube;

said auxiliary anchoring structure is a hook structure fashioned of a portion of the wire extending outward beyond said tube; and

said rope holding means includes a structure fashioned of a portion of the wire extending outward at a second end of the tube.

10. A fitting for attachment to a rope according to claim 8 wherein said auxiliary anchoring structure is an anchoring hook.

11. A fitting for attachment to a rope according to claim 8 wherein said auxiliary anchoring structure is an anchoring plate mountable to a surface.

12. A fitting for attachment to a rope according to claim 8 wherein said auxiliary anchoring structure is a ground stake.

13. A fitting for attachment to a rope according to claim 8 wherein said auxiliary anchoring structure is a handle.

14. A fitting for attachment to a rope according to claim 8 wherein said auxiliary anchoring structure is a second tube attached to a bottom lengthwise side of said tube of said fitting, said second tube having a first end and an oppositely disposed second end;

a rope passage through said second tube for allowing a rope to be inserted through said second tube;

a tapering slot defined in a wall of said second tube, said slot of said second tube having a mouth open through said first end of said second tube and tapering in width from said mouth in extension toward said second end of said second tube;

rope holding means attached to an exterior surface of said second tube for receiving and holding a portion of a rope.

15. A fitting for attachment to a rope according to claim 14 wherein the first and second ends of said second tube are positioned in opposite relation to the first and second ends of said tube of said fitting.

16. A fitting for attachment to a rope according to claim 14 wherein the first and second ends of said second tube are positioned adjacent to the first and second ends respectively of said tube of said fitting.

17. A rope fitting comprising:

a plate having a top surface and an oppositely disposed bottom surface;

rope pinching slot means extending through said plate between said top surface and said bottom surface for allowing a portion of a rope to extend from below said bottom surface to above said top surface and for frictionally restraining the rope in said rope pinching slot means at a first restraining location for aiding in holding said rope in an approximate 180 degree bent back condition;

rope holding means attached to said plate for receiving and holding a portion of the bent back rope at a second restraining location adjacent to said top surface of said plate for aiding in holding the rope in the approximate 180 degree bent back condition.

18. A fitting for attachment to a rope according to claim 17 further including an auxiliary anchoring structure attached to walls connected to said plate for use in anchoring said plate to an item.

19. A fitting for attachment to a rope according to claim 18 wherein said auxiliary anchoring structure is an anchoring hook and said plate and said walls together define a tubular body of said fitting.

20. A fitting according to claim 19 wherein the fitting is formed of molded plastics.