US3711901A

US3711901A - Rope tightener and slack remover

Info

Publication number: US3711901A
Application number: US00130978A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Close
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-04-05
Filing date: 1971-04-05
Publication date: 1973-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 1990-01-23

Abstract

The rope tightener is supported by or is engageable with a rope, line, cord or the like before or after it is manually tensioned and thereafter manipulated to draw the rope taut. The rope is stressed by having it located at a fulcrum point about which the device is turned in the plane of the device or in a plane normal thereto to stretch the rope. The device is secured against reverse rotation by placing a reach of the rope under a spaced reverse lock at the end thereof. The device is a compact, rigid element and the one herein illustrated is capable of applying a tension of approximately 175 pounds to the stretched rope.

Description

United States Patent 91 Close Jan. 23, 1973 ROPE TIGHTENER AND SLACK REMOVER [76] Inventor: Robert Howard Close, 3900 Oakhills Drive, Birmingham, Mich. 48010 [22] Filed: April 5, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 130,978

Primary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam Attorney-Harness, Dickey & Pierce [5 7] ABSTRACT The rope tightener is supported by or is engageable with a rope, line, cord or the like before or after it is manually tensioned and thereafter manipulated to draw the rope taut. The rope is stressed by having it located at a fulcrum point about which the device is turned in the plane of the device or in a plane normal thereto to stretch the rope. The device is secured against reverse rotation by placing a reach of the rope under a spaced reverse lock at the end thereof. The device is a compact, rigid element and the one herein illustrated is capable of applying a tension of approximately 175 pounds to the stretched rope.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures ROPE TIGHTENER AND SLACK REMOVER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Reference may be had to US. Pat. Nos. 1,586,174 and 2,338,747 to show the state of the art of rope tighteners over which the present device is believed to be patentable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention pertains to a rope tightener and slack remover that has a central body portion which forms a spool on which the slack in a rope may be wound. The side edges of the central body portion has hooks which extend in opposite directions; and locking portions are provided at the ends of the body. The body may have an aperture therethrough so that the device can be permanently attached to a rope when extending therethrough. A loop may be tied or otherwise formed in the rope and engaged over a notched projecting finger on one of the opposite ends of the device so as to permit the rope to be secured by a hook and tightened when the device is turned in the plane thereof with one reach of the rope secured under an extending locking finger to prevent reverse turning. The same principal is employed as that above mentioned when the rope is extended through the aperture in the body and secured by one of the hooks.

If slack is present in the rope, this may be taken up on the central spool portion after which a reach of the rope is secured over one of the hooks at one or the other side thereof depending upon which direction the rope was wound. The turning of the device normal to its plane will place the device upon one of the rope reaches which is snapped over the locking finger to secure the device on the rope with the rope drawn taut. The device is molded from plastic, metal or other material as a unit and is reinforced by ribs to strengthen all portions thereof. After a tie-down, tent line, guy line or the like has had tension applied thereto manually, the device is of particular use in drawing the rope or line taut to have it operate more effectively for the purpose for which it is employed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of the rope tightening and slack removing device embodying features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1 taken on the line 3-3'thereof;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the rope tightening device of this invention illustrated in FIG. 1 and showing a mode of use utilizing a loop tied in the slack portion of the rope;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the rope tightener structure showing another mode of use which is particularly useful when only a small amount of slack is to be taken up in the rope;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the rope tightener showing the latter threaded on the rope and engaged with the rope to remove slack therefrom; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the rope tightener showing a mode of use that is adapted primarily for removing a relatively large amount of slack from the rope.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The rope tightening device 11 has a central body portion 12 and side edge portions 13 and 14. The central portion 12 has end notches 15 to function as a spool on which slack in a secured rope is wound. The side portions 13 and 14 are of like construction but of opposite hand. Each central side portion of the device 11 has a plurality of hooks 16 which face a spaced reverse locking hook 17 disposed at one end and at one side of the body 12 and a finger 18 containing an end notch 19 is disposed at the other side of the body opposite the locking hook.

Strengthening ribs

21 and 22 are provided on the locking hooks 17 to reinforce the same and to confine the rope in locked condition. A central aperture 23 is provided through the central portion of the body 12 adjacent one end thereof through which the rope may be threaded for retaining the device thereon so that it will not be lost when the rope is loosened.

In FIG. 4, the device 11 is illustrated as being applied to a rope 24 having a small loop 26 tied therein which is secured in the recess 19 at the end of a finger 18. One reach 23 of the rope 24 is wrapped around a hook 16 on the same side of the body 12 as the recess, the hook being judicially selected to take up the slack on the rope. The device is then turned in its plane with the loop as a fulcrum to draw the rope 24 taut after which the other reach 25 of the rope is engaged under the locking hook 17 at the opposite end of the body as shown.

The rope tightening device 11 is used as shown in FIG. 5 primarily to tighten a line that has only a small amount of slack and under circumstances where the tightener is separate from and not attached to the line. In this situation, an intermediate relatively slack portion of the line is bent around one end of the device 11 in one of the end notches l5, presumably with the device disposed substantially at right angles to the length of the line. One reach of the line is then placed around one of the side hooks 16 which is selected to remove all of the slack from the rope when the device 11 is rotated in the plane of the body 12 to substantially the position shown in the drawing. This maneuver places the hook 16 over which the rope is'engaged in line with the main length of the rope and with both reaches of the rope extending along one side of the body slightly inwardly from the edge thereof and both under the body 12. It is only necessary then to lift the reach which extends away from the notch 15 in which the loop of line is engaged and snap it over the locking end hook 17 at the end of the device remote from the notch. When this is accomplished, both reaches of the rope will be in line with each other but one reach will extend from the body 12 at the underside thereof and the other reach will extend from the upper side of the body. The forces imposed on the body by the tautly stretched reach portions of the line are then balanced in such a way that they will not tend to rotate or turn the device 11 in a reverse direction or to release the line.

In FIG. 6, a rope 24 is illustrated extending through the aperture 23 of the device. After the ends of the rope have been secured and the rope drawn hand-tight, one reach of the rope is drawn over one of the side hooks 16 which is selected to remove all slack from the secured under the locking end hook 17, the device is retained locked on the rope.

In FIG. 7, the device 11 has been used to take up a large amount of slack from the rope 24. In this mode of use, the rope 24 is doubled back on itself to form a loop, and the loop thus formed is engaged in one of the end notches 15, as shown. The slack portion of the rope 24 is then wound double around the body 12 in the end notches 15 until subsequently all of the slack has been removed; One reach 23 of the rope 24 is then engaged over one of the side hooks 16 with the device disposed athwart the rope, the hook 16 being selected which will remove all of the slack from the rope when the device 11 is rotated in the plane of the body 12 to position the latter in line with the rope. As shown, the reach 23 extends over the top of the device 11 at one side thereof and it is only necessary to snap the other reach 25 over the locking hook l7 at the same side of the device to secure the device to the rope.

By employing the hooks at both sides of the device, a winding of the slack on the spool portion can be done in either direction since the sides of the device are oppositely disposed facing in opposite directions. The size of the device will vary in accordance with the size of rope which is to be tightened thereby. The one herein illustrated can be employed for tightening any cord, line or rope up to approximately inches in diameter; as a tension of about 175 pounds can be applied to such a rope by a device of this size.

As suggested, the rope tightener of this invention can be used for a wide variety of purposes and in fact in any situation where it is necessary or desirable to remove slack from a line or rope. Rope tie-downs, lines and guys that have first been secured by means of knots, snaps, clamps or other means between two fixed points are typical examples of such situations. As more and truckers, on rope guys of all kinds, on luggage tiedowns for car top carriers, on tie-downs of all kinds for boaters and yachtsmen, and to take the slack out of clothes lines. The device is used most frequently to tighten a rope or line that already has been drawn hand-tight; however, as suggested, it may be used also to remove substantial amounts of loose slack from a line. In this latter mode of use, as much as 9 feet of slack in a 35-inch rope can be taken up by spooling the loose slack lengthwise around the device, as shown in FIG. 7. It will be readily apparent that, by using two or more tighteners on a line, almost any amount of slack can be taken up. Furthermore, by applying leverage progressively through two or more of the hook arrangements available, it is possible to draw the slack and the stretch out of a complicated tie-down so as to assure a secure tie that will hold effectively under all normal conditions of use.

I claim:

1. In a rope tightening device, a molded rectangular body having a central elongated solid spool portion and substantially like edge portions at the sides, each said edge portions having a plurality of hooks therealong fro receivinga turn of the rope which is drawn taut when the device is turned end for end to produce the winding of the rope, and a reverse hook at the end of each side over one of which a reach of the taut rope is placed for securing the device thereon.

2. In a rope tightening device as recited in claim 1, wherein the hooks on the opposite sides of the body face in opposite directions.

3. In a rope tightening device as recited in claim 2, wherein a finger having a notch in the end extends from the ends at the sides opposite to the ends having the reverse hook thereon.

4. In a rope tightening device as recited in claim 3, wherein the body has an aperture adjacent to one end of the spool through which the rope extends for retaining the device permanently thereon and to function as a fulcrum when the device is turned in its plane to draw the rope taut.

Claims

1. In a rope tightening device, a molded rectangular body having a central elongated solid spool portion and substantially like edge portions at the sides, each said edge portions having a plurality of hooks therealong fro receiving a turn of the rope which is drawn taut when the device is turned end for end to produce the winding of the rope, and a reverse hook at the end of each side over one of which a reach of the taut rope is placed for securing the device thereon.