ANCHORAGE DEVICE FOR ANCHORING A PERSON TO A SAFETY LINE

Abstract

 Invention relates to an anchoring device provided with a body and a locking arm characterized in that the body (1) is provided with a locking unit (29) with a locking pin (32) locking the arm (18) in the open position. Preferably the locking unit (29) includes a locking pin (38) provided with a locking part (38), preferably in the form of a ring, a locking connector (34) and a locking spring (36).

Description

[0001] The subject of the invention is an anchoring device with a fall arresting function, especially for the belaying by means of steel cables placed horizontally and vertically.

[0002] The fall arresting devices are devices used to stop people falling from a height. Such devices, depending on their design, are coupled with a rail or steel rope forming part of the belaying system for persons working at height. The purpose of a self-locking device is, on the one hand, free movement on a rail or steel line along the belayed user's path and, on the other hand, blocking during their uncontrolled fall from height. The special requirements for fall-arresting devices are contained in the PN-EN 353 standard.

[0003] The European Patent Description EP 1514994 (B1) discloses a braking device for safety systems for persons climbing or being raised to a height, fitted with a slide housing that can move along the guide rail, with a stop latch fitted in this housing. The braking device according to this solution is equipped with a sensor roller assembly moving in relation to the slider housing in the form of a sensor roller, which is directed by a pre-tensioned spring device towards the rail with stopping hooks, whereby the sensor roller assembly can hit these hooks. The movement of the sensor roller assembly may cause the stop latch to stop the braking device, the inertia of the spring device being greater than that of the sensor roller assembly such that, at a speed of movement of the slider housing greater than that prescribed, the stop latch collides with one of the stop hooks and locks the sensing roller assembly.

[0004] The international application description no. WO 2016/15073 (A1) discloses a braking device fitted with a housing, a main unit and a latch. The housing is equipped with at least one rope guide. The main unit is attached to the housing so that it can be rotated. The main unit is designed to allow the rope to be placed in the guide in the open position, and to latch the rope in the guide in the closed position. The latch is designed and fixed so as to selectively prevent movement of the main unit when the housing is oriented horizontally relative to the rope.

[0005] However, the international application description no. WO 2016/093850 (A1) discloses a fall arresting device consisting of a housing, a guide structure, a clamping part, a locking part and a closing part. The guide structure is so designed, as to allow the rope to pass through it and the device to move relative to it. The clamping part is attached to the housing so that it can move from the open position in which the device can move freely relative to the rope to the clamped position, where the clamping part prevents the device movement relative to the rope. The locking part is attached to the housing so that it can move between the closed position, where it is impossible to remove the rope from the guides and the open position where the locking device does not block the rope. The closing part is attached to the housing in such a way that it can move between the open position and locked position. The closing part in the closed position prevents the movement of the fall arresting part to the open position. The fall-arresting part is coordinated with the locking part so that the locking part can be moved from closed to open position when the fall-arresting part is moved from the open to the clamped position.

[0006] The American patent description no. US 7108099 (B2) discloses a safety device to attach the user to an essentially vertical safety structure, such as a rope. The device according to this invention contains a back plate to which a roller, an inner cam assembly and an outer cam assembly are attached pivotably. Each cam assembly has a lever arm. The rope used to secure the user is placed between the cams that clamp around the rope in the event of a force exerted by the weight of the falling user.

[0007] The purpose of the invention is to develop a new, universal anchoring device with a fall-arresting function, preferably one which, thanks to its specially designed locking unit, is suitable for use both as a fall-arresting device in vertical belaying systems and as a guiding device in horizontal belaying systems, i.e. a device whose fall-arresting mechanism can be locked by the user.

[0008] The essence of the anchoring device according to the invention is that the provided locking arm and the body are equipped with a locking unit containing a locking pin to lock the arm in the open position.

[0009] Preferably, the locking unit includes a locking pin, provided with a locking part, preferably in the form of a ring, a locking connector and a locking spring.

[0010] The locking unit preferably contains an eccentric part having a swinging connection by means of a bolt with the locking pin.

[0011] Preferably the eccentric part is provided with an eccentric arm.

[0012] Preferably the locking unit contains a sliding locking plate, located between the locking link and the fixed plate, provided with an elongated hole whose width at the ends is smaller than the diameter of the locking spring.

[0013] Preferably, the body consists of two plates, one of which is a sliding plate and the other a fixed plate, equipped with holes in the upper part that in the lower part, they form a rope socket and a gap.

[0014] The body is preferably equipped with a sliding plate locking mechanism comprising a lock housing, a locking bolt placed in it, a spring, placed in the recess between the locking bolt and the lock housing, and a retaining ring placed around the lock housing.

[0015] Preferably, in the sliding and fixed plates, there are longitudinal vertical recesses that are mirror images of each other.

[0016] Preferably the body and arm are provided with recesses for the torsion spring.

[0017] The solution according to the invention, in the embodiment, is shown in the enclosed figures, where:

Fig. 1

shows the device according to the invention in the first embodiment (equipped with an eccentric locking unit) in a perspective view from the side of the fixed plate, equipped with a connector;

Fig. 2

shows the device according to the invention in the second embodiment in a perspective view from the side of the fixed plate (without a connector);

Fig. 3

shows the device according to the invention in a perspective view from the side of the sliding plate, provided with a connector;

Fig. 4

shows the device according to the invention in the first embodiment, in a side view;

Fig. 5

shows the device according to the invention in the second embodiment in a side view;

Fig. 6

shows the device according to the invention in the first embodiment in a general view from the side of the sliding plate;

Fig. 7

shows the device according to the invention in the first embodiment, in a cross section along the A-A line of fig. 6;

Fig. 8

shows the device according to the invention in the first embodiment in an exploded view;

Fig. 9

shows the sliding plate from the inside in a general view;

Fig. 10

shows the fixed plate from the inside in a general view;

Fig. 11

shows the arm from the sliding plate side;

Fig. 12

shows the arm from the fixed plate side;

Fig. 13

shows the arm in a side view;

Fig. 14

shows the locking mechanism of the sliding plate;

Fig. 15

shows the locking mechanism of the sliding plate in a cross-section along the B-B line of fig. 14;

Fig. 16

shows the eccentric locking unit in the retracted position in a perspective view;

Fig. 17

shows the eccentric locking unit in the retracted position in a side view;

Fig. 18

shows the eccentric locking unit in a cross-section along the C-C line of fig. 17;

Fig. 19

shows the eccentric locking unit in the tensioned position;

Fig. 20

shows the locking unit equipped with a locking plate (in the second embodiment) in a perspective view from the outside;

Fig. 21

shows the locking unit provided with a locking plate (in the second embodiment) in a perspective view from the side of the body;

Fig. 22

shows the locking unit provided with a locking plate (in the second embodiment) in a top view;

Fig. 23

shows a cross section through a blocking assembly equipped with a blocking plate (in the second embodiment) along the D-D line of Fig. 22;

Fig. 24

shows the device provided with an arm locking unit in the third version embodiment in a perspective view from the fixed plate side;

Fig. 25

shows the locking plate in a perspective view;

Fig. 26

shows the device equipped with an arm-locking unit in the third embodiment variant presented in fig. 24 in the front view from the fixed plate side;

Fig. 27

shows the section through the device according to the invention along the E-E line of fig. 26

Fig. 28

shows the device according to the invention (equipped with a connector) shown on a guide equipped with an unlocking arm in a perspective view;

Fig. 29

shows the device according to the invention (equipped with a connector) shown on a guide equipped with an unlocking arm in a side view.

[0018] The anchoring device according to the invention and as shown in the enclosed figures is provided with a body 1 made of two plates 2,3, of which one is a sliding plate 2 and the other - a fixed plate 3, provided in the top part with longitudinal holes 4, 5 of an arched shape and rounded ends for placing the connector 6 in them. The sliding plate 2 and the fixed plate 3 in the bottom part form a socket 7 for the rope and a gap 8, to enable a smooth travel of the device through the rope passages (not shown). The body 1 is provided with a locking mechanism 9 of the sliding plate 2 placed in the hole 10 of the sliding plate 3 containing the lock housing 11 in the form of a sleeve, a locking bolt 12 placed in it, whose end is located in the recess 13 of the moving plate 2, a spring 14 placed in the recess between the locking bolt 12 and the lock housing 11 and preferably a screw 15 with a knurled head for pulling the lock away. The lock housing 11 is anchored in the fixed plate 3 by means of the fixing ring 16. In order to place the device on the rope, the user pulls the screw 15 causing the locking bolt 12 to move relative to the lock housing 11, releasing the sliding plate 2, which is then pulled away, increasing the width of the gap 8. Additionally, in the sliding plate 2 and the fixed plate 3 there are longitudinal vertical recesses 17', 17" placed as a mirror image of each other, used for placing pressure springs (not shown) in them. These springs are compressed when the gap 8 is opened, and then, when the rope is placed in the socket 7 cause the sliding plate 2 to return to the home position.

[0019] In the body 1, between the sliding plate 2 and the fixed plate 3, there is an arm 18, of a shape similar to the letter L. The arm 18 in its top part is provided with an opening 19 for placing the connector 6 in it. On the other hand, in the lower part of the arm 18, there is an opening 20 used for placing the arm bolt 21 in it, around which the arm can rotate. At the end of the arm 18, in the part where the opening 20 for the arm bolt 21 is located, there is an appendage 22 used for locking the rope in the fixed position. The arm 18 is provided with a recess 23 used for placing the torsion spring 24 in it along with its top arm 25', whereas the lower arm 25" of the spring 24 is placed in the recess 26 of the fixed plate 3.

[0020] The sliding plate 2, the arm 18 and the fixed plate 3 are connected with the arm bolt 21 placed in the opening 27 of the fixed plate 3, arm opening 20 and the opening 28 of the sliding plate 2. Movement of the connector 6 causes movement of the arm 18 around the arm bolt 21 and locks the movement of the device according to the invention along the rope, e.g. when the user falls from height. This is the mode of operation of the device clipped on a vertical rope.

[0021] For the safe use of the anchoring device in connection with a rope placed horizontally, the device according to the invention, in the embodiment variant presented in figs. 14-17, is provided with an eccentric locking unit 29 used for locking the arm 18 in the open position and preventing rotation of the arm 18 towards the rope. Locking of the device around the ropes does not allow the use of such devices clipped on ropes placed horizontally in relation to the surface, as these devices lock automatically when pulled along the rope placed horizontally.

[0022] The locking unit 29 contains an eccentric part 30, provided with an eccentric arm 31, and a locking pin 32 placed in the opening 33 of the fixed plate 3 by means of the lock connector 34. The eccentric part 31 has a swinging connection with the locking pin 32 by means of a bolt 35. The locking pin 32 is anchored in the locking connector 34 by means of the eccentric spring 36 placed in the socket 37 of the locking connector 34, and is maintained in the required position by the locking ring, 38 placed around the locking pin 32. The locking connector 34 is attached to the fixed plate 3 preferably by means of at least one bolt.

[0023] The locking unit 29 is provided with an eccentric part 30, which by rotating by 90 degrees causes the tensioning or releasing of the eccentric spring 36. In the retracted position, as shown in fig. 15, the eccentric 30 releases the spring 36, which in turn presses the locking pin 32, which locks the arm 18 of the device in the open position. In this configuration, the device can be operated when connected to a rope in a horizontal position. Whereas in the tensioned position, as shown in fig. 14, the eccentric part 30 tensions the spring 36 and unlocks the locking pin 32, which is retracted inside the fixed plate 3 of the device and unlocks the arm 18. In this configuration, the device, according to the invention, can be operated when attached to a rope placed vertically, because it allows to stop the user from falling from a height by automatically locking itself on the rope.

[0024] Whereas providing the eccentric part 30 with an arm 31 makes it possible to lock the arm 18 of the device not only manually, but also by means of the mechanism placed next to the rope, along which it moves. Preferably, at the anchoring point, after which there is a change of the rope direction from horizontal to vertical, there is a locking arm 39, which automatically folds the arm of the eccentric part 31.

[0025] In other embodiment variants, as shown in fig. 2, 5, 20-27, the locking unit 29 need not be provided with the eccentric part 30. The immobilization of the locking pin 32 in this embodiment variant of the device according to the invention is affected by means of a sliding locking plate 40 placed between the fixed plate 3 and the locking connector 34. In the locking plate 40, there is an opening 41, whose width at the ends is narrower than the diameter of the spring 36.

Claims

1. Anchoring device provided with a body and a locking arm characterized in that the body (1) is provided with a locking unit (29) with a locking pin (32) locking the arm (18) in the open position.

2. The anchoring device according to claim 1 characterized in that the locking unit (29) includes a locking pin (38) provided with a locking part (38), preferably in the form of a ring, a locking connector (34) and a locking spring (36).

3. The anchoring device according to claim 2 characterized in that locking unit (29) contains an eccentric part (30) having a swinging connection by means of a bolt (35) with the locking pin (32).

4. The anchoring device according to claim 3, characterized in that the eccentric part (30) is provided with an eccentric arm (31).

5. The anchoring device according to claim 2 characterized in that it contains a sliding locking plate (40), located between the locking link (34) and the fixed plate (3), provided with an elongated opening (41) whose width at the ends is smaller than the diameter of the locking spring (36).

6. The anchoring device according to claim 1 characterized in that the body (1) consists of two plates (2, 3), one of which is a sliding plate (2) and the other a fixed plate (3), equipped with holes (4, 5) in the upper part that where in the lower part they form a rope socket (7) and a gap (8).

7. The anchoring device according to claim 6, characterized in that the body(1) is provided with a sliding plate (2) locking mechanism (9) comprising a lock housing (11), a locking bolt (12) placed in it, a spring (14), placed in the recess between the locking bolt (12) and the lock housing (11), and a retaining ring (16) placed around the lock housing (11).

8. The anchoring device according to claim 6 characterized in that in the sliding (2) and fixed plates (3) there are longitudinal vertical recesses (17', 17") that are mirror images of each other.

9. The anchoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the body (1) and the arm (18) are provided with recesses (23, 26) for the torsion spring (24).

Drawing