GB2355186A - Walking stick with inbuilt retractable line - Google Patents

Abstract

The handle 2 of a walking stick or pole houses a reel or bobbin 4 on which is wound a spring-loaded retractable line 5 or 8. The line may exit from the lower end of the handle, or at its top 11 via the guidance of rollers 9,10. The housing, which may contain up to four separate lines, may be a separate item adapted to be clamped to the stick or pole. The line may be used with the stick to form a support for a tent or bivouac. An additional hole 7 for an external line may be included. A ring 6 provides an attachment point to the line and prevents its retraction into the housing.

Description

2355186 WALKING SUPPORT POLES AND RELATED ITEMS This invention relates to

walking support poles, in particular the provision, either as part of or as an attachment to a walking support pole, of means allowing the storage of a line on a reel or drum within a housing, permitting the preferably corded, tensionable line to be unwound from and rewound to the reel. The line may be used to support a tent or bivouac. The support pole may also have means for attaching another tensionable line to it.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Walking in the countryside is a popular pastime, enjoyed by many. Participants usually have a variety of articles to carry. These typically containing food and drink, eating and drinking implements, cooking implements, electric or gas lighting, portable outdoor tenting and bedding, and orienteering aids. Usually these are carried in or attached to haversacks.

The distances for and durations of such excursions vary considerably. The activities typically cover hill walking, trekking and hiking. Mountain climbers also have to walk in the open countryside to reach their points of climb.

In addition to proper footwear, many countryside walkers take with them walking, hiking or trekking support poles which enable the walker to transfer weight from the arms to the pole and to use the pole as a support on uneven terrain. For trekking two poles are usually used and the main equipment load is carried on the back.

There is a general need for countryside walkers to be supplied with equipment for such walking activity, and for there to be savings of weight and multifunctionality in the equipment.

It is the object of the present invention to provide new equipment for countryside walkers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention there is provided a walking support pole formed of handle and tip elements attached to a pole element, which support pole comprises means for storing a retractable and tensionable line.

In the walking support pole apparatus, the retractable line is stored on a reel or drum located within a moulded housing. This housing may be an integral part of the handle assembly of the walking support pole or may be attached to an otherwise plain walking support pole.

By providing the retractable and tensionable line as part of the walking support pole apparatus, the pole can be used as a support for a tent or bivouac opening. The integral support line may be extended and tensioned to act as a guy line for example to support tent or bivouac bag fabric.

2 The invention allows the walking support pole to double as both a walking support pole and as a pole for a temporary outdoor shelter. The countryside walker or trekker may therefore be able to reduce or eliminate the need to carry the or so many tent or bivouac bag poles needed for the expedition, or can have an additional facility for example to use as a line for drying clothes, to act as a simple barrier or act as a simple throw lead.

In one embodiment of the invention the new walking support pole may have one support line. In another embodiment it may have two or more, independently operating support lines. Two parallel lines can be supplied from one reel.

In one embodiment of the invention the line-carrying pole of the invention may also comprise line attachment means such as a ring, clip or socket to which one or more support lines may be attached.

Preferably the reel and line are located at the handle end rather than the tip end of the pole apparatus.

Countryside walking support poles are already known products. Principally they comprise a handle element attached at one end of a straight pole element, and a hardened tip element attached to the other end of said pole element.

The handle element may be formed of rubber, plastic, wood, cork or similar compositions and is shaped for a comfortable grip. The main gripping surface may be approximately arranged to follow the line of the axis of the pole or to be orthogonal to it. A wrist band may also be provided from the handle element.

The pole element may be solid or tubular and is usually linear in shape. If tubular for example formed from alumimium or an alloy, it may be made in sections to allow the length to be altered and also comprise sectional locking rings or the like. The pole can also be made of three pole forming elements plus optional springing means to allow telescopic lengthening and optionally to provide shock absorbency.

The tip element, used for ground contact, is typically made of a hard metal such as hardened steel or has a tungsten carbide tip, and may also be provided with a skirting basket attachment for use in preventing the pole tip penetrating snow or soft ground too readily.

The means for storing the line retractably comprise a housing, and held within the housing, there is a reel on which the line is stored. One end of the line is attached to the reel. The other end, on which a fastening such as a metal ring is present projects through an aperture in the housing. In use the trekker pulls the ring or end of the line to cause the line to dispense from the reel.

The reel may have a cranking handle to allow it to wind up the dispensed line or it may have a spring mechanism similar to that found in automatically retractable 3 measuring tapes to allow the reel to rewind automatically. Here a release button Is provided to allow the retraction mechanism to operate.

Means may also be provided to lock the line at any dispensed length, such as a by providing a lever operated clamping mechanism.

The line may be made of braided cord, braided tape or the like.

In one embodiment, the line store may be included in a housing which also comprises a hand grip and this will replace a standard, non-operational, handgrip.

In another embodiment the line store may also be included in an housing, such as a moulded plastic housing attachable to the pole element of the walking support pole. It may be attached by means of clamps or connectors.

The reel housing is designed to be externally smooth, without sharp edges or points so that it does not catch against the walker's clothing when the poles are being used as walking supports.

In one embodiment of the invention the pole may be supplied with three lines which may be on one, two or three independent drums. Here the pole can be held upright, in use, when the three lines are tensioned and fixed to the ground triangularly. The ends of the lines may be pegged into the ground.

The pole may be held by three lines which are independent of it i.e. not being stored within it.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an erected tent in which a supporting element of said tent is a walking support pole, which support pole comprises means for storing a retractable and tensionable line According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided an erected bivouac bag in which a supporting element of said bag is a walking support pole, which support pole comprises means for storing a retractable and tensionable line.

The erected tent and bivouac structures may have their fabric partly supported by the pole, a line from the pole or both.

An erected tent comprises canopy sheet portions, side wall sheet portions and end wall sheet portions. The sheets are flexible. The structure is supported by poles to which tensioned guy lines may be attached. Tensioned guy lines may also be attached to the tent sheet material itself.

A bivouac bag had the general shape of a single end closed tube of waterproof fabric, the open end allowing the user to slip into it, legs first. The upper fabric portion of the open end of the bag, when in use, will be unsupported without a support but may be held open by a walking pole of the invention, optionally with one or more tensionable lines attached to it.

4 In one embodiment of the invention the reel, drum or bobbin mechanism may be clamped to a walking support pole which does not already have a line dispensing mechanism. It can also be clamped to a support pole which does so as to increase the number of lines.

Thus the outer reel case or housing may be made of anodised alumimium or moulded plastic, and be of generally circular outer section and having its axis parallel to the pole's axis. The outer reel housing may however incorporate a mating flange for the pole or be moulded so that it fits snugly to the side of the pole to which it is clamped.

Such a housing can include one, two, three or four lines, usually each on a separate bobbin. Each bobbin is connected to a loose coiled clockworktype spring which tightens when the reel in unwound and unwinds when retraction is needed.

Each bobbin is mounted on a spindle. Around the bobbin on its carrying surface is wrapped line such as nylon line or cord or the like ending in a loop or ring. The end portion is arranged that it is too large to retract into and be lost inside the casing. The length of line may be two or three metres or more.

Each casing may have integral or separate clamps such as screw clamps to enable the casing to the securely fixed to the pole.

The various features of the invention herein may be combined in any combination as appropriate.

Certain aspects of the invention will now be illustrated with reference to the drawings but without limiting the scope of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure I shows a side view of a walking pole handle of the invention.

In Figure 1, the upper end (1) of the upper pole element is covered by the handle assembly (2), this being formed of a moulded composition and having finger grip nidges and contours to suit a countryside walker's hand.

As part of the moulded handle is the casing (3) for the reel (4) which carries the line (5). The end of the line has a ring (6) attached to it. Associated with the reel or winding drum and mounted co-axially but not shown for clarity are a hardened steel recoiling spring and a locking lever when depressed will allow the drum automatically to rewind in accordance with the coil spring tension.

A line such as a second, external line can be secured to the handle of the pole by the attachment port (7). The corded line may be typically be from I to 5 metres in length and brightly coloured.

In another embodiment of the invention the line (8) is wound round bearing rollers (9, 10) and exits at an aperture (11) provided at the top of the handle.

The pole and its line may be brightly coloured for high visibility.

Claims (8)

1. CLAIMS 1. A walking support pole formed of handle and tip elements

   attached to a pole element, which support pole comprises means for storing a retractable and tensionable line.
2. 2. A pole of Claim 1, in which said means are located within the handle assembly of said support pole.
3. 3. A pole of Claim 1, in which said means are located within an attachment to the pole element of said support pole.
4. 4. A pole of any of Claims I to 3, in which said storage means comprise a winding spring.
5. 5. A pole of any of Claims I to 4, comprising means for storing at least two such lines.
6. 6. A pole of any of Claims I to 5, said pole also comprising line Attachment means.
7. 7. An erected tent in which a supporting element is a walking support pole of any of Claims I to 6.
8. 8. An erected bivouac bag in which a supporting element is a walking support pole of any of Claims I to 6.