US2172094A - Clench tube for safeguarding scaffold workers - Google Patents

Description

F. A. VOIGT' 2,172,094

CLENCH TUBE FOR SAFEGUARDING SCAFFOLD WORKERS I Sept.-5, 1939.

Filed Sept. 27, 1938 Patented Sept. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES CLENCH TUBE FOR SAFEGUARDING SCAFFOLD WORKERS Frederick A. Voigt, Park Ridge, Ill.

Application September 27, 1938, Serial No. 231,927

Claims.

In general the present invention relates to metallic clench-tubes for safe-guarding scaffold workmen against injury in the event that they should inadvertently fall from the scafiold or 5 the scaffold should accidentally drop as the result of failure of the scaffold sustaining ropes or the rope hooks. More particularly the invention relates to that type of clench-tube which is designed for attachment to a safety belt, is adapted to extend loosely around the usual workmans hand or guide rope so as not to interfere with the wearers scaffold activities, and has at the upper and lower ends thereof diagonally opposite V-shaped notches which are adapted when the tube becomes inverted as the result of dropping or falling of the wearer to have the contiguous portions of the guide rope become wedged therein in such manner that the tube becomes locked to the rope and serves to hold the wearer until he can right himself and slide down the guide rope to safety.

As evidenced by United States Letters Patent No. 1,127,832 granted to me February 9, 1915, it has heretofore been the practice to form a clenchtube of this type of a pair of complemental semicylindrical sections, one of which embodies at its upper end an apertured lug for a ring on the safety belt and has in its lower end one of the guide rope receiving notches and the other of which has the other notch in its upper end and is connected to the one section by a latch at one side and a hinge at the other side so that it may be swung into an openposition in connection with application of the tube to the guide rope and removal of the tube from the rope. A clench-tube of the aforementioned character has proved in practice to be defective or faulty because its strength is limited or restricted to the strength of the latch and the hinge. If either or both of these should fracture or break as the result of the terrific shock or strain to which they are subjected when the tube is brought into its operative inverted position in response to falling or dropping of the wearer, the tube would not fulfill its intended purpose.

One object of the present invention is to provide a clench-tube of the type under consideration which is an improvement upon, and eliminates the defects of the tube of the aforementioned patent by reason of the fact that it comprises instead of a pair of complemental semicylindrical sections a one-piece three-quarters round section which has both V-shaped notches for rope wedging purposes formed therein and is closed at the open side by way of a hinged previously designed clench-tubes by reason of the 1 fact that the one-piece three-quarters round section embodies on the portions thereof that are disposed diametrically opposite to the notches novel 'means whereby when the tube is inverted into its operative position as the result of falling or dropping of the wearer, the portions of the guide rope that are adjacent to the notches are deflected in a quick manner into wedged relation with the notches and there is hence less sliding of the tube with respect to the rope upon inversion thereof.

A further object of the invention. is to provide a clench tube which is generally of new and improved construction and includes spring means whereby the door'is urged into its closed position and thus preventsdislodgment of the guide rope from the tube in the event of breakage or failure of the latch.

Other objects of the invention and the various advantages and. characteristics of the present clench-tube will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description,

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification or disclosure and in which like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a safety belt having applied thereto a clench-tube embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a similar perspective view showing the tube in its inverted or operative position and in clenched relation with a workmans hand or guide rope; r I

Figure 3 is a side view of the clench-tube showing the construction and design of the door for closing the open side of the one-piece threequarters round sectionj."

Figure 4 is a front vi ew of the tube;

Figure 5 is a vertical-or longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4 and showing in detail" the rounded lugs which are notch it disposed opposite to the V-shaped notches and serve quickly todeflect the contiguous portions of the guide rope into the notches in connection with inversion of the tube;

Figure 6 is a horizontal or transverse sectional View taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3; and

Figure 7 is a top view of the tube.

The clench-tube which is shown in the drawing constitutes the preferred embodiment of the invention. It is designed to be carried by a safety belt b around the waist of a scafiold workmanand is adapted in conjunction with a hand or guide rope r to act as a safety device whereby the wearer of the tube is prevented from being injured in the event that he should fall inadvertently or otherwise from the scaffold, or the scaffold should drop accidentally as the result of failure of scaffold sustaining ropes or the rope hooks. The belt I) embodies a buckle h for releasably and adjustably securing its ends together. It is adapted to be worn in a tight manner around the waist and embodies at one side thereof a D-ring U The, latter is suitably held against horizontal sliding movement with respect to the adjacent portion of the belt and constitutes anchor means for the tube. The tube comprises as the main parts thereof an elongated three-quarters round section 8 and a door 9.

The section 8 is in the form of a one-piece casting and is adapted normally to be suspended from the safety belt b. It is adapted when in its. operative position loosely to encircle the guide rope r so as not to impair or hamper the scaffold activities of the wearer of the tube. At its upper end the tube section 8 embodies an integral longitudinally extending apertured lug it! which, as shown in Figlhes 1 and 2, is adapted to interengage the D-ring b on the safety belt I). Th aperture in the lug I9 is of greater diameter than the thickness of the ring with the result that the tube is free to swing upwardly from a normal suspended position into an inverted position, as shown in Figure 2, in response to falling or dropping of the wearer of the tube. A, v-shaped notch H is formed in the upper end of the tube sece tion 8 directly opposite to the apertured lug l0 and an inverted V-shaped notch I2 is formed in the lower end of the tube section directly be neath the lug I9 and diagonally opposite to the When the tube is inverted as a result of falling or dropping of the wearer of the tube, as hereinbefore described, the portions of the guide rope T which are adjacent or contiguous to the notches become wedged in the notches, as shown in Figure; 2, with the result that the tube becomes clenched or clamped to the guide rope, stops the fall or dropping of the tube wearer, and servesto hold the latter suspended from the guide rope until he can right himself and slide down the rope to safety. The portions of the tube equal in width to the diameter of the rope with the result that the section 8 may be readily brought into encircling relation with the rope in connection with placement of the tube in its operative position and also readily withdrawn '28 and a lower internal rounded lug 29.

from the rope in connection with release of the tube.

The door 9 serves to close the side opening in the section 8 and thus to complete the tube. This door is substantially the same in length as the section 8 and is connected to the latter by a hinge connection [4. The upper and lower ends of the door are shaped conformably to the upper and lower ends of the section 8. The

. hinge connection I4 is located at one side of the door 9 and are arranged in lapped relation with the lugs l5, as shown in Figure 3. The pivot pin H extends through aligned holes in the lugs l5 and i6 and has heads H3 at its ends whereby'it is held against longitudinal displacement. The specific hinge connection shown permits the door 9 to be swung outwardly into an open position. In such position of the door, the. section 9 may be placed in encircling relation with the guide rope r or withdrawn from the guide rope.

Upper and lower stop ears l9 are formed on the outer distal margin of the door and are adapted when the door is in its closed position to abut against the contiguous side margin of the section 8 and prevent inward movement of the door. A coil spring 29 on the pivot pin i1 urges the door 9 into its closed position. This spring is mounted on the central portion of the pin between the lugs l5 and has the ends thereof arranged one in abutment with the section 8 and the other in abutment with the door 9. By employing the spring there is no likelihood of the door swinging into its Open. position during inversion or operation of the clench tube. In order releasably to lock the door in its closed position, a latch 2| is provided. This latch comprises a latch dog 22 which is slidably mounted in a horizontally elongated housing 23 inthe central portion of the outer face of the door 9. The end of the dog which is remote from the hinge connection I4 is adapted when the dog is shifted away from the hinge connection to enter a socket equipped lug 24 on the section 8. The dog is urged toward the. lug 24 by way of a compression spring 25 which surrounds the dog and is disposed in the housing 23. A pin 26 extends through a slot 21 in the housing and is attached to the dog 22. This pin embodies a head which is adapted to be engaged by the finger in connection with retraction of the latch dog.. Whenthe dog is retracted by shifting it towards the hinge connection and thus disengaging the end from the socket equipped lug 24 release of the latch is effected and the door 9 is free to be swung open in connection with application of the tube to the guide rope or removal of the tube from the rope.

In order quickly to deflect the guide rope 1' into the V-shaped notches H and 12 upon inversion of the clench-tube as the result of falling or dropping of the tube wearer, the section 8 is provided with an upper internal rounded lug The upper lug is disposed beneath the apertured lug ill and in opposed relation with the V-shaped notch I I. It is substantially hemispherical and is positioned substantially in alignment with the mouth or upper portion of the notch H. The lug 29 is the same in size and shape as the lug 28 and is located in opposed relation with the inverted V-shaped notch 12. It is positioned in substantial alignment with the lower or mouth portion of the notch l2, and is formed as an integral part of the section 8. The lug 29 is also formed as an integral part of the tube section 8, When the clench-tube is inverted as the result of falling or dropping of the tube wearer there is a tendency for the rope to swing back and forth. When the portions of the rope which are contiguous to the lugs 28 and 29 strike such lugs they bounce or are deflected quickly away from the latter into the notches II and 12. Because of the action of the lugs the guide rope is quickly deflected into the notches dur ing inversion of the tube and the tube hence is locked to the rope in a quick manner and without sliding to any appreciable extent on the rope. By obtaining a quick locking of the tube to the rope the fall of the tube wearer is materially restricted and hence the wearer and the section 8 are subjected to but a minimum amount of shock.

In using the safety device which is composed of the safety belt and the clench tube, the belt is first buckled around the wearers waist. The door 9 is then unlatched and swung into its open position, and thereafter the section 8 is brought into encircling relation with the guide rope. After the section 8 is brought into such relation with the guide rope, the door is closed and locked in place by proper manipulation of the latch dog 22. In the event that the tube wearer should fall from the scaffold or the scaffold should drop because of failure of the scaffold sustaining ropes or the rope hooks, the tube becomes inverted and during inversion of the tube and the portions of the guide rope which are disposed adjacent to the lugs 28 and 29 bounce or are deflected away from such lugs into wedged relation with the notches H and I2, and the tube thus becomes locked to the guide rope and prevents further falling of the tube wearer.

The herein described clench-tube effectively and efliciently fulfills its intended purpose. It may be manufactured at a comparatively low and reasonable cost, and in addition, is especially strong due to the fact that the rope receiving V- shaped notches H and I2 are formed in a single section and no shock or strain is imparted either to the hinge connection 14 or the latch 2| during swinging or inversion of the tube into its operative position. When the tube is in its normal position it slides freely with respect to the guide rope and hence the tube wearers activities on the scaffold are not restricted or hampered.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. As a new article cf manufacture, a clenchtube adapted to encircle a guide rope and to be carried loosely by, and serve as a safety device for, a scaffold workman, and comprising a onepiece elongated transversely rounded section having at one side thereof a full length opening of substantially the same width as the rope is in diameter for permitting the section to be brought into encircling relation with the rope and removed from the rope after use thereof, and also having a V-shaped notch in one end thereof and adjacent one side of the opening and a v-shaped notch at its other end adjacent to the other side of said opening for receiving the contiguous portions of the rope upon inversion of the tube due to fall of the workman, and a door shaped correspondingly to, and serving to close, the side opening in the section.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a clenchtube adapted to encircle a guide rope and to be carried loosely by, and serve as a safety device for, a scaffold Workman, and comprising a onepiece elongated transversely rounded section having at one side thereof a full length opening of substantially the same width as the rope is in diameter for permitting the section to be brought into encircling relation with the rope and removed from the rope after use thereof, and also having a V-shaped notch in one end thereof and adjacent one side of the opening and a V-shaped notch at its other end adjacent to the other side of said opening for receiving the contiguous portions of the rope upon inversion of the tube due to fall of the workman, a door for closing the side opening in the section hinged to one side margin of said section and having a latch between it and the other side margin of said section, and spring means for urging the door into its closed position.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a safety device for a scaffold workman comprising a clench-tube adapted to encircle a guide rope and to be carried loosely by the workman and having a pair of diagonally opposite V-shaped notches at its ends for receiving the contiguous portions of the rope upon inversion of the tube due to fall of the workman, and means at the ends of the tube and in opposed relation with the notches for deflecting said contiguous portions of the rope into the notches upon inversion of the tube.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a safety device for a scaffold workman comprising a clench-tube adapted to encircle a guide rope and to be carried loosely by the workman and having a pair of diagonally opposite V-shaped notches at its ends for receiving the contiguous portions of the rope upon inversion of the tube due to fall of the workman, and a pair of rounded lugs in the ends of the tube in opposed relation with the notches for deflecting said contiguous portions of the rope into the notches upon inversion of the tube.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a clenchtube adapted to encircle a guide rope and to be carried loosely by, and serve as a safety device for a scaffold workman, and comprising a onepiece elongated substantially three-quarters round section having a pair of diagonally opposite V-shaped notches at its ends for receiving the contiguous portions of the rope upon inversion of the tube due to falling of the workman and also having at its ends a pair of internal integral substantially hemispherical lugs opposite the notches for deflecting said contiguous portions of the rope into said notches in connection with inversion of the tube, and releasable means for closing the open side of the section.

FREDERICK A. VOIGT.

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