Patent ID: 8522919
Filing Date: 2013-09-03
Classification: A62B

Abstract:
1. A fall arrest device for use on an elongate support, said device comprising: a chassis having safety support retaining means to retain an elongate support whilst allowing movement of the device therealong, and including a sliding element for slidably engaging said elongate support; first and second locking cam means for locking the device to the elongate support in a fall arrest situation; first and second link means; and attaching means for attaching personal safety means to the device and transmitting a load from the personal safety means to said link means; wherein said first and second locking cam means comprise respective first and second cam elements each arranged for rotation about a respective first axis relative to the chassis, wherein the first cam element has a first end disposed opposite a second end, the first end of the first cam element having a connection that connects the first cam element to the first link means, and the second end of the first cam element having a portion moveable between a locking position in which the portion of the first cam element traps the elongate support between itself and the sliding element and a released position in which the portion of the first cam element does not trap the elongate support, and wherein the second cam element has a first end disposed opposite a second end, the first end of the second cam element having a connection that connects the second cam element to the second link means, and the second end of the second cam element having a portion moveable between a locking position in which the portion of the second cam element traps the elongate support between itself and the sliding element and a released position in which the portion of the second cam element does not trap the elongate support; wherein each of the first and second link means is connected to a respective second end of the first and second cam elements for rotation about a respective second axis separated from the corresponding first axis by a fixed offset defined by the respective cam element, the first and second link means being connected together for rotation about a third axis separated from said first and second axes and spaced apart from the first and second locking cam means, and the attaching means being able to move relative to the link means, so that the first and second locking cam means can be moved between their first and second positions by loads applied to the device through the attaching means; and wherein the first and second link means each include two separate and distinct parts with coupling means that provides for pivoting movement of the two parts relative to one another about a respective axis separate from the first, second and third axes, wherein the two parts pivot relative to one another in response to a downward load applied to the two parts from the attaching means such that respective portions of the two parts intermediate said second and third axes descend relative to said second axis.