Patent ID: 9132297
Filing Date: 2015-09-15
Classification: A62B,F16B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A rope grab comprising: a housing having an elongated member guide forming an elongated member passage, the elongated member passage configured and arranged to receive an elongated member; a locking cam pivotally coupled to the housing, the locking cam configured and arranged to selectively engage the elongated member received in the elongated member passage; a cam biasing member coupled between the housing and the locking cam to provide a biasing force on the locking cam towards the elongated member received in the elongated member passage, the biasing force being countered by gravity during normal operations of the rope grab while inertial loads acting on the locking cam and the biasing force of the cam biasing member during a fall event work in tandem to rotate the locking cam onto the elongated member to lock the locking cam onto the elongated member in the elongated member passage; a locking arm pivotally coupled to the housing, the locking arm having a first end configured and arranged to be coupled to a safety harness of a user and a second end configured and arranged to selectively engage the locking cam to selectively lock the locking cam on the elongated member in the elongated member passage during a fall event; a rotating side plate pivotally coupled to the housing to selectively block a side opening to the elongated member passage of the housing; a fixed side plate coupled to the housing, the locking cam, the locking arm and the rotating side plate positioned between the fixed side plate and the housing; a spring spacer positioned between the locking arm and the fixed plate, the spacer having a spring holding slot formed in an end of the spacer; and an arm spring having a first end portion, a second end portion and a coiled portion positioned in between the first end portion and the second end portion, the coiled portion received around the spring spacer, the first end portion of the arm spring received in the spring holding slot of the spring spacer, the first end portion of the arm spring further engaging a portion of the housing, the second end portion of the arm spring engaging the locking arm to provide a biasing force on the locking arm.