Patent ID: 9387351
Filing Date: 2016-07-12
CPC Classification: A62B

Claim Text:
1. A support post assembly for supporting a fall safety line, the support post assembly comprising: a support post having opposite first and second ends, an axis extending between said ends, and at said first end, a base portion for fixing the assembly to a supporting surface; a safety line mount to which a safety line may be secured, the safety line mount extending away from the second end of the support post; and a shock absorber housed within the support post between said first and second ends, the shock absorber comprising a pivot, a first resilient block and a second resilient block, such that in the event of a fall by a worker secured to said safety line, lateral forces imparted to the safety line mount by the fall are transmitted to the shock absorber thereby causing the shock absorber to deflect laterally with respect to said axis, wherein the pivot is connected to the base portion and located between said first and second ends of the support post, said first and second resilient blocks of the shock absorber being located on, respectively, opposite first and second sides of the pivot, each of said resilient blocks having a pair of opposite end faces each of said end faces extending transversely to the axis of the support post, a first one of said end faces being fixed in place at said pivot and a second one of said end faces being free to rotate with respect to the pivot, said lateral deflection causing at least a part of both said first and second resilient blocks to rotate with respect to the pivot, and wherein deformation of each of said first and second resilient blocks of the shock absorber absorb energy from the fall.