Abstract:
A device for placing a work line into a space that is normally difficult-to-reach, comprising a tubular handle having a locally terminated distal end and a hand-gripped slingshot attached to a butt end of the handle. A spool of a pull line attaches to the handle. The spool is selectively operated for freely releasing the pull line from the spool and for rewinding the pull line onto the spool for pulling a work line into a remote space which is difficult to reach. A weight attached to the free end of the pull line is fired by the slingshot into the difficult-to-reach space to move the pull line thereinto. A work line is secured to the pull line and pulled into the difficult-to-reach space. Embodiments of a traveller for connecting the pull line to the work line and for guiding the engagement of the pull line and the work line upwardly into and through an upper portion of a tree. A method of placing a work line into an upper portion of a tree for use by tree climbers in performing tree maintenance services is disclosed.

Description:
This application is a continuation-in-part of prior application Ser. No. 08/796,053, filed Feb. 7, 1997, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,156. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to devices for placing lines into spaces which are normally difficult to reach. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device for placing pull lines into areas which are normally difficult to reach and for connecting pull lines through travellers to working lines which are thereafter pulled into the spaces, and to the traveller which guides the connected pull and work lines over obstructions to reduce snagging. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Strong, elongate work lines, such as ropes, cords, and the like, are commonly used for work purposes in a wide range of applications in various industries and work environments, including tree service industry, rigging, and rescue. Work ropes are often used in the tree service industry for moving tree servicers into areas of trees, for moving saws and tools into upper portions of trees, and for holding branches being removed from trees. Riggers use ropes to pass tools and equipment from one location to another. Search and rescue operations use ropes to pull persons to safety, for example, from a car in a flooded stream. These are but a few examples of situations requiring the use of work ropes, and further illustrate the need to place work ropes in to difficult-to-reach spaces. 
     The tree service industry particularly requires the placing of lines into remote areas of trees that are difficult-to-reach. The problems faced by persons in this industry for placing lines into remote areas have similarities with the placing of lines into difficult-to-reach spaces in other industrial applications. Generally, the tree service industry provides maintenance and control services of trees, including pruning of branches, removal of nuisance and dead branches, and removal of trees. Often this work requires workers to be located in the upper portions of trees in order to reach the branches to be cut away. For safety and handling purposes, work ropes (referred to herein as lines), are secured to the tree. Workers connect to the lines through repelling devices known as carabineer. The workers thereby are suspended and can swing from one part of the tree to another or move vertically on the line to reach other parts of the tree. Lines secured to the upper portions of trees also are used to support branches cut from the tree. These lines permit the cut branches to be lowered in a controlled manner to the ground. 
     Gaining access to upper portions of trees for the purpose of securing lines for tree workers and supporting branches is difficult and dangerous work. Typically, a tree climber free-climbs the trunk and branches to the upper portion of the tree. By this is meant that the tree climber is not secured with a safety line to hold the tree climber in the event of a fall. Such work is dangerous. The tree climber typically carries at least the end of a rope that feeds from a coil on the ground. The tree climber secures an end portion thereof to the upper portion of the tree. The tree climber and other workers may then repel to and from the tree on the line for placing other lines as necessary and for performing work on the tree. 
     Once a climber has reached an upper portion of a tree, other lines can be pulled into the tree for use in reaching other parts of the tree, for pulling equipment such as saws into the tree, and for restraining branches being cut from the tree. The ends of the lines are knotted together, or a line to be pulled is knotted at its end to an intermediate portion of a line already in the tree. The second line is then pulled into the tree by the climber pulling on the first line. However, the knots sometimes snag and catch on branches in the tree. Efforts to release the line caught by the branches include loopingly tossing the line outwardly from the branches, pulling the line back to the ground, or by the climber moving through the tree to the snag and releasing it. These efforts are not only time-consuming, but incur some risk of injury as the climber works to release the line. 
     While ladders may be used to provide initial access into trees, ladders are also dangerous to use due to balance and positioning problems. Ladders also have a limited height. Once the work in the tree is completed, the various lines in the tree must be unsecured from the tree, and the tree climber then repels from the tree to reach the ground. 
     In other work, ropes are useful tools. During search and rescue operations, rescuers may need to place a rope into a place which is difficult-to-reach, such as into a car in a swollen stream. Also, it may be difficult to throw a line or rope to a boat disabled in rough waters. Riggers may place ropes between buildings to pass tools and materials between work sites. While ropes provide useful tools, the placing of the ropes into these positions for use is often difficult, time-consuming, and impractical. 
     A device for placing lines into trees was evaluated. It was found that structural features of the device caused the device to experience problems with the reliability of operation in placing lines into remote areas of tall trees. Consequently, repeat efforts were required in order to successfully place a pull line into a tree. Specifically, the device has a slingshot mounted to a tubular handle of a conventional fishing rod to which a spool of fishing line is attached. A significantly elongate pole extended longitudinally from the handle to which the slingshot was mounted. The pole extended to a distal end remote from the spool and terminated in a loop through which the fishing line extended. A weight is connected to the free end of the fishing line. The weight was fired by the slingshot towards the difficult-to-reach area of a tree. In this device however the fishing line would frequently become enwrapped and entangled at the distal end portion of the elongated pole during the initial flight of the line as induced by the slingshot, and thus, repeat firings of the weight and line were required to position a line into the difficult-to-reach area. Once the fishing line was positioned into the remote upper portions of trees, the problem then become placing the work line into the tree. Knots connecting the fishing line and the work line often became caught on branches in the upper portion of the trees. Dislodging the knot was difficult from the ground. This would necessarily delay the tree service work and sometimes required free climbing the tree to dislodge the knot. 
     Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an improved apparatus for placing work lines into spaces which are normally difficult-to-reach for the purpose of placing work lines. It is to the provision of such that the present invention is directed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     The present invention solves the need in the art by providing an improved line placing device for placing work lines into remote, difficult-to-reach spaces. The device comprises a hand-gripped slingshot attached to a handle with a spool of a thin pull line, such as a fishing line, attached to the handle. The spool is selectively positioned for freely releasing the pull line from the spool and for retrieving the pull line onto the spool. The handle has a locally terminated distal end with an eye at the distal end local to the spool, and the pull line passes therethrough, with a weight attached to a distal end of the line. The weight is fired by the slingshot towards the difficult-to-reach area and thereby carries the pull line to the area. A work line, being attached through a connector to the pull line, is thereafter pulled to the difficult-to-reach area. 
     In one aspect of the invention, the connector defines a conical traveller or housing having a tapered end and a wide end encloses the engagement of the work line for guiding travel of the work line to the difficult-to-reach spaces. An elongate wire loop twisted at a junction defines a small loop that extends outwardly from the narrowed end of the conical housing and a larger opposing loop. The small loop engages the pull line from the rewindable supply after the pull line is communicated through an upper portion of a tree. The larger loop engages a work line within the housing. The work line, being connected to the second loop and enclosed within the housing, is thereby shielded by the conical housing from being caught by branches in a tree as the pull line is rewound into the supply and thereby pulling the work line into the upper portions of the tree for placing the line therein. 
     Objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the disclosed embodiment of the present invention, in conjunction with the appended drawings and claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a line placing device made in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a line placing device in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the line placing device shown in FIG. 1 being used for placing a line in a tree. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a traveller useful with the line placing device of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded side view of an alternate embodiment of the traveller useful with the line placing device of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a side partially cut-away view of the alternate embodiment of the traveller illustrated in FIG.  5 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now in more detail to the drawings in which like parts have like identifiers, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a traveler  10  made in accordance with the present invention for connecting a work line to be pulled by an attached pull line, for example through an upper portion of a tree. Preferably the pull line is a light weight, narrow diameter line such as fishing line. The traveller  10  comprises a first conical elongate housing  12  having a narrowed end  14  and a wide end  16 . An elongate wire  18  extends along a longitudinal axis of the first conical housing  12 . The wire  18  defines a small loop  20  that extends outwardly from a forward tip  22  at the narrowed end  14  of the housing  12 , for a purpose discussed below. The wire  18  further defines a large loop  24  at a second end. A second conical elongate housing  26  having a narrowed end  28  and an wide end  30  is slidably received on the wire  18  intermediate the first loop  20  and the second loop  24 . The second conical housing  26  is selectively movable along the elongate wire  18  between a first position slidably received within the first conical housing  12  and thereby exposing the second loop  24  (as illustrated in FIG. 1) outwardly of the second conical housing and a second position for enclosing the second loop  24  within the wide end portion of the second conical housing. The small loop  20  connects to a pull line  32  and the large loop  24  connects to a work line  36 , for placing the work line into an remote difficult-to-reach space; for example, into an upper portion of a tree, as discussed below. In a preferred embodiment, the pull line is a fishing line supplied from a spool, as discussed below. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a line-placing device  40  for placing the pull line  32  into an upper portion of a tree, as discussed below. The traveller  10  is used with a line-placing device  40  which generally comprises a projectile delivery and retrieval apparatus. As illustrated in FIG. 1, and generally designated “A”, the pull line  32  is first attached to the projectile (typically a weight  72 ) which is fired into the upper portions of a tree and subsequently retrieved. The weight  72  is removed and the work line  36  connected through the traveller  10  to the pull line  32 , as also illustrated in FIG.  1  and generally designated “B”. The line-placing device  40  comprises a slingshot frame  42  having a pair of arms  44  extending from a hand grip  46 . An elastic band  48  attaches to each of the arms  44 . A pocket  50  connects to the distal ends  52  of the bands  48 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, an arm brace  54  extends laterally from the hand grip  46 . The arm brace  54  comprises two parallel members  56  which slidingly receive a pad  58  disposed between the members. The hand grip  46  connects to a butt-end portion  59  of a handle member  60  which extends from the hand grip  46  longitudinally in a direction opposite of the arm brace  54  and terminates in a local distal end. The member  60  includes at least one eyelet  62  at a distal end of the member. A conventional fishing reel  64  with a rewind handle  66  attaches to the handle portion of the member  60  and includes a spool of a supply of the pull line  32 . 
     As illustrated, the reel  64  for the pull line  32  is disposed laterally of the handle member  60  at an oblique angle  67  relative to a plane  68  defined by a longitudinal axis of the handle member and a center line of the sling shot handle  46 . A free end  70  of the line  32  extends through the eyelet  62 , which is distally local to the spool. A weight is selectively attachable to the free end  70  of the line  32 . As discussed below, the free end  70  is also selectively connected to the small loop  20  of the traveller  10  for communicating the work line  36  into a difficult-to-reach space, such as into and through an upper portion of a tree. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an alternate embodiment  80  of the traveller  10 . In this alternate embodiment, the traveller  80  comprises a single conical housing  82  having a narrow end  84  and a wide end  86 . A first engaging member  88  extends outwardly at the narrow end  84  for being connected to the free end  70  of the pull line  32  which extends from the rewindable spool of the fishing reel  64 . A second engaging member  90  extends outwardly at the wider end  86  of the conical housing  82  for being connected to the free end of the work line  36 . In the illustrated embodiment, the first engaging member  84  and the second engaging member  90  are defined by loops formed in a metal wire  92  which is disposed within the traveller  80 . The metal wire  92  is secured within the housing  82  by a solidified media, such as an adhesive, epoxy, crimping device, or the like. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a second alternate embodiment  120  of the traveller  10 . In this alternate embodiment, the traveller  120  comprises a single elongate, conical housing  122  having a narrow end  124  that defines an opening  126  therein and a wide end  127  defining an opening  128 . The free end  70  of the pull line  32  extends through the opening  126 , the interior of the housing  122 , and through the opening  128 . The free end  70  connects to a clip  130  or other coupler device, such as a snap clip used commonly with fishing lines for connecting weights, lures, and bobbers. The work line  36  engages the clip  130  by being tied with knot  132  thereto. After the work line  36  is secured to the pull line  32 , the engagement thereof is covered by sliding the housing  122  longitudinally over the engagement, whereby the pull line  32  and the work line  36  are connected together and the engagement thereof are enclosed by the traveller which guides the travel of the engaged lines over obstacles, such as branches in trees, for placing the work line into a difficult-to-reach place in a tree. 
     The elongated housings  12 ,  26 ,  120  of embodiments of the traveller  10  can be manufactured by molding with a plastic material. The traveller  10  is assembled by inserting the wire  18  through the narrow end  14  and securing the small loop  20  thereto. The second housing  36  is slidingly received on the wire  18 , and the larger loop  24  formed in the wire. The alternate embodiment of the traveller  80  likewise is formed in a mold with a plastic material. Embodiments can be made wherein the wider end  86  has diameter sufficient to accommodate lines of different diameters. For example, a series of embodiments of the traveller  80  can be made wherein the wider end of the travellers in the series have incrementally larger diameters; i.e., of ½ inch, ⅝ inch, ¾ inch, and so forth. 
     With reference to FIG. 3, the travellers of the present invention are operated to connect the pull line  32  with the work line  36  and to guide the movement of the work line  36  into and through the upper portions of a tree  102 , for placing the work line therein. A tree climber  100  stands near a tree  102  for which tree work is to be done in an upper portion  103 . The tree climber  100  holds the line placing device  40  by inserting one hand and a portion of his arm between the members  56  and gripping the hand grip  46 . The pad  58  covers the forearm of the tree climber  100  to cushion and support the slingshot line placing device  40 . 
     A weight (not illustrated) such as a fishing line weight is attached to the free end  70  of the pull line  32 . The weight defines a projectile which is fired by the slingshot into the upper portions of the tree. This is accomplished by placing the weight within the pocket  50 . The tension on the spool of line in the fishing reel  64  is released. The pocket  50  with the weight is grasped with the free hand of the tree climber  100 . The pocket  50  is pulled rearwardly, thereby stretching the elastic bands  48  relative the grip  46 . The climber  100  aims the line placing device towards the upper portion  103  of the tree  102 . The pocket  50  is suddenly released, and the elastic bands  48  pull the pocket  50  forwardly rapidly. The weight attached to the free end  70  of the line  32  is propelled forwardly from the line-placing device  40  towards the upper portion  103  of the tree  102 . The weight carries the pull line, freely unwinding from the spool  64 , through the locally disposed eyelet  62 , and through the upper portions  103  of the tree  102 . The weight causes the pull line  32  to move downwardly to the ground. An alternate embodiment of the line-placing device uses compressed gas to fire the weight as a projectile from the device into the upper portions of the tree. In this embodiment (not illustrated), a gun-like apparatus includes the reel  64  with the spool of fishing line. The projectile weight pulls the fishing line from the spool into the tree. In yet another alternate embodiment, the line-placing device includes an explosiveefired projectile to which the pull line is secured for delivering the pull line to places normally difficult-to-reach with a rope. 
     The tree-climber  100  then detaches the weight from the free end  70  of the pull line  32 . The traveller  10  of the present invention is then attached to the pull line  32  by connecting the free end  70  to the loop  20 . The pull line  32  may be tied to the loop  20  or attached with a connecter (not illustrated). The work line  36  is then attached to the traveller  10 . First, the second housing  26  is moved to the forward position relative to the first housing  12 , whereby the loop  24  is exposed outwardly of the second housing. The work line  36  is tied to the loop  24 . The second housing  26  is then moved to the rearward position relative the first housing  12 , whereby the loop  24  is enclosingly received within the second housing. The second housing  26 , while in the second position, is at least partially received within the first housing  12 . The second housing  26  accordingly defines a smooth, tapered exterior for the knotted connection between the traveller  10  and the work line  36 . 
     The climber  100  then rotates the handle  66  of the fishing reel  64  in order to rewind the pull line  32  on to the spool of line within the fishing reel. This causes the traveller  10  to move upwardly towards the upper portion  103  of the tree  102 . The traveller  10  guides the connection between the pull line  32  and the work line  36  over branches of the tree. The tapered exterior surface of the traveller defines a narrowed portion which first contacts branches of the tree  102 . The tapered exterior of the traveller  10  facilitates passage of the traveller across the branches of the tree  102  in order to reduce snags. The climber  100  continues to rewind the pull line  32  into the spool until the traveller  10  moves downwardly out of the tree to the ground near the climber. This pulls the work line  36  through the upper portion  103  of the tree  102 . Once the traveller  10  is grounded, the traveller is disconnected from the work line  36 . The work line  36  is then used by the climber for gaining access to the upper portion  103  of the tree for performing tree service work. 
     The present invention accordingly provides a device  40  for placing work lines  36  into difficult-to-reach spaces and a traveller  10  in various embodiments for connecting the pull line  32  to the work line  36  for placing the work line into difficult-to-reach spaces; for example as discussed herein, into the upper portions of trees for tree service work, wherein the placing device  40  fires a projectile or weight  72  with the pull line  32  attached thereto into the tree. The weight  72  thereafter falls to the ground and thereby pulls the pull line down to the ground. The traveller  10  connects the pull line  32  and the work line  36  together. The tapered exterior of the traveller  10  shields the engaged connection of the work line  36  to the pull line  32  through the traveller. The traveller guides passage of the work line through the tree as the pull line  32  is rewound into the supply spool and thereby pulling the work line  36  through the upper portions of the tree for placing the work line therein. 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded side view of an alternate embodiment of a traveller  150  comprising an elongate conical housing  152  having a narrow end  154  that defines a first opening  156  and a wide end  158  defining a second opening  160 . A connector  162  is defined by an elongate wire loop twisted at a junction  164  to define a first loop  166  and a second opposing loop  168 . The first loop  166  is sized for passing through the opening  156  of the traveller  152 . A free end of the work line  36  extends through the second loop  168  and is secured with a knot  170 . The free end  70  of the pull line  32  connects to the fishing clip  130  or other coupler device, such as a snap clip used commonly with fishing lines for connecting weights, lures, and bobbers. 
     FIG. 6 illustrates the assembled traveller  152  for guiding the work line  36  through tree branches. The work line  36  is pre-attached to the traveller  152 . The connector  162  passes through the open end  160  and the first loop  166  extends through the opening  156  forwardly of the traveller  152 . The open tapered distal end portion  158  of the traveller  152  shelters the knot  170  securing the work line  36  to the connector  162 . After the pull line  32  is placed in the tree and the weight detached from the pull line, the traveller  152  is attached to the pull line. The snap clip  130  engages the pull line  32  to the first loop  166  forwardly of the traveller  152 . After the pull line  32  and the work line  36  are secured to the connector  162 , the pull line  132  is then retrieved through the branches of the tree. The traveller  152  encloses the engagement of the work line  36 , which housing guides the travel of the engaged work line over obstacles, such as branches of trees, for placing the work line into a difficult-to-reach place in a tree. 
     It is to be appreciated from the disclosure herein of the preferred embodiments of a device for placing lines into places which are difficult normally to reach with a line with reduced entangling of the line on a distally remote end of the device and that the present invention is gainfully employed in industries and applications other than tree service. For example, the line placing device of the present invention is gainfully used in rescue operations, rigging activities, and the like. For example, the line placing device accurately places the weight with the pull line to a car in a swollen stream. The traveller is readily connected to an intermediate portion of the pull line. The persons to be rescued thereafter pull the work line, connected to the pull line by the traveller, to themselves. It is noted that for visual assistance, the weight  72  and the pull line  32  can be phosphorescent. Similarly, the device and traveller are gainfully used by riggers for positioning a rope or work line to a remote place for transfer of tools and equipment. Accordingly, the present invention is readily used in a range of industries and applications in which ropes (or lines) function as useful tools. 
     The principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the present invention have been described in the foregoing specification. The invention is not to be construed as limited to the particular forms disclosed because these are regarded as illustrative, rather than restrictive. Moreover, variations and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as described by the following claims.