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(11) | EP 2 476 803 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Rope comprising means for indicating the approach to the end of the rope and corresponding method |
| (57) A rope (10) has a stiffening mechanism (14) applied at or near its end (12) to warn
a user moving along the rope that he is approaching its end. The stiffening mechanism
(14) can take a variety of forms such as a rigid collar (16) which fits over the rope.
The collar may be made of plastic or metal and may be fixed in position using an adhesive
or by crimping. Other forms of stiffening mechanism include: a rod (20, Fig. 5) inserted
into the rope, a collar (26, Fig. 9) placed between an outer sheath and an inner core
of said rope, and, where the rope is made from strands or woven fibers, the stiffening
mechanism may comprise the fibers in said segment being adhered to one another by
an adhesive or the application of heat. Methods of placing an indicating indicia proximate
the end of a rope are also disclosed.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] In many applications it is desirable that ropes have an identifying indicia located near their end, for example, when ropes are used to ascend or descend a rock wall, a mountain, a building or the like, a single rope may not be long enough to cover the entire distance. In this situation it is desirable that the rope have such an indicia located at or near its ends to inform the user that he is approaching the end of the rope so that he will not accidentally become separated from the rope. One way this is accomplished is by placing one or more knots in the rope at or near its lower end. This is effective, but it is a manual solution. Forgetting to tie knots at the ends of the ropes can be disastrous. In addition some climbers choose not to tie knots at the ends of their ropes, for fear that a knot will cause the rope to become stuck on an obstruction. When climbing, a climber ties into the end of the rope. If the knot they use for this is too close to the end of the rope or is inadvertently not tightened, it could work its way off of the end of the rope.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The subject invention provides a rope having a stiffening mechanism located at or near its end. The stiffening mechanism causes a segment of the rope to be sufficiently stiff and have a sufficient length that the segment will not significantly bend and that a person moving hand to hand along the rope will perceive the segment when it is reached.
[0003] In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a device for indicating the approach of the end of a rope as defined in claim 1. Further, optional features of the first aspect of the invention are set out in the claims dependent on claim 1.
[0004] In accordance with second and third aspects of the invention, there are provided methods for placing an indicating indicia proximate the end of a rope as defined in claims 14 and 15.
[0005] The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, which is provided by way of example only, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL DRAWINGS
[0006] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a rope embodying the subject invention used in conjunction with a rappelling device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0009] The following description refers to a rope and particularly to a rope used for climbing purposes. However, the subject invention can be used in conjunction with any flexible line where it is desirable to mark the end of the line. Accordingly when used here in the term rope referring to any such line.
[0010] Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, a rope 10 has an end 12 which typically will be the bottom of the rope when the rope is deployed substantially vertically for use in rock or mountain climbing, or for suspending a window cleaner or similar maintenance person from the top of a building. A stiffening mechanism 14 is applied to the rope at or near its bottom end to indicate to someone traveling down the rope that they are approaching the end of the rope. The stiffening mechanism is applied to a short segment of the rope which is long enough to serve the intended purpose but short enough that it does not impede the use of the rope. For example, it needs to be long enough to jam in a rappelling, belaying or positioning device or a friction knot but short enough to pull through a carabiner. For ropes used for climbing purposes, this typically would be three to six inches. However, with ropes used for other purposes the stiffened segment could be much shorter or much longer. The stiffened segment will normally will be located at the end of the rope, Fig. 1, but it often will be desirable for it to be located slightly before the end of the rope, Fig. 2. Again, for climbing ropes the stiffened segment would normally be within three feet of the end of the rope but it could be much further from the end for ropes used for other purposes. The drawings show the stiffening mechanism 14 applied to only one end of the rope, but it typically would be applied to both ends.
[0011] The stiffening mechanism can take many forms. Referring now also to Fig. 3, a collar 16 has an inside dimension which allows the rope to be pulled through it without being so loose that it moves easily along the rope. The collar 16 is made from a relatively rigid material, such as plastic or metal. The collar can be attached to the rope at the desired location with an adhesive 18. The adhesive can be applied to the collar before it is placed on the rope or it can be injected between the collar and the rope when the collar is in place. If the collar is metal it also can be attached to the rope by placing a crimp in the collar with a crimping tool after it is located on the rope, Figs. 4 and 7. In another embodiment, shown in Fig. 5, the stiffening mechanism is a rod 20 which is embedded in the rope. Typically, the rod would be imbedded in the rope when the rope is being made but it could be embedded later. The rod can be held in place simply by the rope braiding being draw tightly around it, or it could be held in place by an adhesive 22. The rod is made from a substantially rigid material such as metal or plastic. Referring now to Fig. 6, in another embodiment the stiffening mechanism is the fibers 24 which comprise the outer surface of the rope being stiffened. This can be accomplished by impregnating the fibers with an adhesive. If the rope is made from a synthetic heat sensitive material a segment of the rope can be stiffened by applying heat and possibly a compressive force to the segment. In another embodiment, Fig. 8, the entire collar 16 is squeezed with a crimping tool to where its outer diameter is close to the outer diameter of the rope 10. This allows the stiffened segment to have essentially the same diameter as the rest of the rope. In Fig. 9 the collar 26 has a smaller diameter and is placed between the outer sheath 28 and inner core 30 of the rope. While the various types of stiffening mechanisms are described separately, multiple stiffening devices could be used together. For example, a collar could be attached both by crimping and by an adhesive.
[0012] In any event, once the stiffening mechanism has been applied to the rope the rope is used in the normal manner. When someone is descending the rope, the stiffened segment will warn them as they approach the bottom of the rope. If the rope is being used in conjunction with a rappelling, belaying or positioning device or a friction knot, when the stiffened segment reaches the device it will be unable to pass through it and the user knows they are approaching the end of the rope. In either case, unlike a knot or a series of knots, the stiffening mechanism 14 cannot be inadvertently forgotten or not tightened, leaving a false sense of security to the person using the rope. In addition if a climber is tied to the end of the rope the stiffened segment will prevent this knot from working its way off of the end of the rope.
[0013] The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.
1. A device for indicating the approach of the end of a rope, comprising:
(a) a rope having an end;
(b) a stiffening mechanism which is applied to a segment of said rope near said end;
(c) said stiffening mechanism causing said segment to be sufficiently stiff and have a sufficient length such that said segment will not significantly bend and that a person moving along said rope toward said end will perceive said segment.
2. A device for indicating the approach of the end of a rope as claimed in claim 1 wherein
said stiffening mechanism has a length of three inches to six inches.
3. A device for indicating the approach of the end of a rope as claimed in claim 1 or
claim 2 wherein said stiffening mechanism is located within at least three feet from
the end of the rope.
4. A device for indicating the approach of the end of a rope as claimed in any one of
the preceding claims wherein said stiffening mechanism comprises a substantially rigid
collar which fits over said rope.
5. A device for indicating the approach of the end of a rope as claimed in claim 4 wherein
said collar is affixed to said rope by an adhesive.
6. A device for indicating the approach of the end of a rope as claimed in claim 4 or
claim 5 wherein said collar is made from a plastic material.
7. A device for indicating the approach of the end of a rope as claimed in claim 4 or
claim 5 wherein said collar is metal.
8. A device for indicating the approach of the end of a rope as claimed in claim 7 wherein
said collar is crimped to affix it to said rope.
9. A device for indicating the approach of the end of a rope as claimed in any one of
the preceding claims wherein said stiffening mechanism comprises a rod which is inserted
into said rope.
10. A device for indicating the approach of the end of a rope as claimed in claim 9 wherein
said rod is affixed to said rope by an adhesive.
11. A device for indicating the approach of the end of a rope as claimed in any one of
the preceding claims wherein said stiffening mechanism comprises a collar which is
placed between an outer sheath and an inner core of said rope.
12. A device for indicating the approach of the end of a rope as claimed in any one of
the preceding claims wherein the rope is made from strands or woven fibers and the
stiffening mechanism comprises the fibers in said segment being adhered to one another
by an adhesive.
13. A device for indicating the approach of the end of a rope as claimed in any one of
claims 1 to 11 wherein the rope is made from strands or woven fibers and said stiffening
mechanism comprises the fibers in said segment being adhered to one another by application
of heat.
14. A method for placing an indicating indicia proximate the end of a rope, comprising:
(a) placing a stiffening mechanism on a segment of said rope proximate an end thereof; and
(b) said stiffening mechanism causing said segment to be sufficiently stiff, having a sufficient length and being located on said rope such that a person moving along said rope toward said end will perceive said segment before reaching the end of said rope.
15. A method for placing an indicating indicia proximate the end of a rope, comprising:
(a) placing a stiffening mechanism on a segment of said rope proximate an end thereof; and
(b) said stiffening mechanism causing said segment to be sufficiently stiff that it cannot be bent enough to pass through a rappelling, belaying or positioning device or a friction knot that said rope is being used with.