Improved Means for Rapidly Securing Cables, Ropes and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 16th Dec., 1898-4ccepted, 11th Feb., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Rapidly Securing Cables, Ropes and the like.
We, WARREN E. SARGENT, of Haverhill, and WILLIAM W. SARGENT, of Merrimac,
both in the County of Essex, Massachusetts, United States of America Gardeners,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide means for rapidly securing, cables,
ropes and the like, such as when mooring a vessel, binding loads upon wagons,
securing ropes used on derricks, clotheslines, hammocks, etc.
The invention comprises a post or pin which is pivoted on a base in such manner
as to rotate in one direction but not in the other; this object being most conveniently
attained by means of a pawl and circular rack engaged thereby. A groove is made
around the post or pin and has annular flanges, in the upper one of which four
notches are made and oppositely arranged. The notches coincide with slots crossing
cach other diametrically across the post or pin and extending down to the upper
one of the flanges.
In use, the cord is drawn around the post or pin within the groove; the post
or pin turning to ease the movement as the cord tightens. The free end of the cord
is then passed upwardly through one of the notches into the slot opposite to it,
and then into one of the slots at right angles thereto.
When the posts or pins are small, the mechanism for permitting their rotation
can be conveniently dispensed with.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Rapidly Securing Cables, Ropes and the like.
We, WARREN E. SARGENT, of Haverhill, and WILLIAM W. SARGENT, of Merrimac,
both in the County of Essex, Massachusetts, United States of America, Gardeners,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement:
The object of this invention is to provide means, commonly known as belaying
pins, for rapidly securing cables, ropes, and the like, such as when mooring a
vessel, binding loads upon wagons, securing ropes used in derricks, clotheslines,

page_text: A further object of our invention is to provide a grip for these and other pur-
poses which will afford a secure attachment for a rope and will hold the same in
a position to be cast off by a single movement.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which like
characters are used to indicate like parts wherever they occur.
Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of our invention, shewing the manner of
attaching a cord, or rope; and Fig. 2 is a plan thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspective view
of a more simple, form of the device, and Fig. 4 is a plan thereof. Fig. 5 is a side
view of Fig. 4 in a different plane.
Although our improved belaying-pin is adapted for use in a variety of ways where
it is desired to quickly secure the end or any portion of a rope or cord, its con-
struction tends to render it particularly useful for attaching sheets and halyards
on sailing vessels. To those accustomed to sailing vessels and especially small
crafts of this class, it is well known that the management of the main sheet or the
rope by means of which the position of the main sheet is controlled is often a matter
of difficulty. It is necessary that the sheet should have a secure attachment and
at the same time that it should be possible to cast it off at a moment's notice, if
necessary, in case of squalls or other emergencies. The same may be said of the
head sail sheets and of the various halyards. The belaying-pin which is in common
use for these purposes permits of a secure attachment of the rope, but does not
allow the same to be cast off readily, by reason of its construction. Inasmuch as
our belaying pin is revoluble, friction on the rope when drawing it taut is avoided.
Referring to the drawings, 1 is the base-plate of our improved belaying-pin, which
can be secured to a support, such as a deck or rail of a vessel, etc., by screws 2. The
belaying-pin comprises the annular revoluble base 3 journalled and retained in
the base-plate at 4, by the washer or disc 5 secured by screws 6. The base 3 is
provided with ratchet-teeth 7 engaged by a spring pressed pawl 8, on the base-
plate 1, though in some cases, this feature of the invention may be dispensed
with. The base 3 is formed integral with the upper part of the belaying pin which
consists of the body portion 9, having crossed vertical grooves or recesses 10 having
inclined sides to form a cleft, and which recesses communicate with an annular
groove 11-formed by the base 3 and annular flange 12-through peripheral open-
ings or grooves 13. The vertical grooves extend about half way down the body
portion 9.
It will be noticed in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 that the revolving mechanism is dispensed
with, that the body portion has only one vertical groove, and that the base is
provided with a preferably left-handed central screw 15 to cnable the device to be
quickly secured in the place in which it is required. The screw being left-handed
prevents its withdrawal by the tendency of the belaying pin to rotate when the
cord or cable is drawn around it.
The method of attaching the rope consists in placing it in the groove 11, passing
it around the neck of the grip, carrying it up into one of the vertical recesses 10
and forcing it down into the cleft the whole operation requiring but a moment's
time. The rope may be wound into the groove as many times as desired for the
sake of great security, but it is only necessary to take a portion of a turn and then
bind the rope in the cleft in order to enable it to bear all ordinary strains. The
cast off is accomplished by merely lifting the free end of the rope from the cleft.
It will therefore be seen that our improved belaying pin will be extremely service-
able on sailing vessels, where an immediate release of sheets and halyards is often
desirable and is sometimes necessary to the safety of the vessel.
It will be understood that when the cable is being drawn taut, the belaying grip
as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 will rotate but will be prevented from revolving in the
opposite direction by the pawl. It will be found, however, that the rope will be
securely held when properly adjusted, and the rotation of the belaying pin in the
opposite direction be prevented by the rope even when the pawl and ratchet mech-
anism is dispensed with.

page_text: Dar
Heretofore various forms of belaying pins and rope fasteners have been devised,
some of which depend for their action upon a binding action of the rope upon itself,
as the case in the ordinary T-shaped cleat, and some of which depend merely upon
the binding action upon the rope of a wedge-shaped cleft. The latter method does
not give sufficient security and the former does not allow of a ready cast-off.
improved belaying pin obviates both of the disadvantages as hereinbefore ex-
plained. Its efficiency depends upon the fact that the rope makes a turn on the
grip first in one plane and then in another plane before being forced into the cleft,
a method whereby great friction between the rope and belaying-pin is produced,
and it will be understood that a very small portion of the strain which the rope may
be bearing is transmitted to that portion which is held in the cleft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
:-
(1) As a means for securing a rope or cord, a belaying-pin comprising a base-
plate adapted to be secured to a vessel deck or other support, a body portion revoluble
in the base-plate, ratchet teeth on said revoluble body portion, a pawl arranged for
engagement with said revoluble portion, a peripheral cord-receiving recess between
Baid base and body, one or more cord receiving recesses communicating with said peri-
pheral recess and in a different plane therefrom, and a cleft in said body adapted to
receive and bind the cord, the said recess and cleft together forming a continuous
cord confining channel.
(2) As a means for securing a rope or cord, a belaying-pin comprising a base-
plate adapted to be secured to a vessel-deck or other support, a body portion re-
voluble in the base-plate, a peripheral cord receiving recess between said base-plate
and body, one or more cord receiving recesses communicating with said peripheral
recess and in a different plane therefrom, and a cleft in said body adapted to receive
and bind the cord, said recess and cleft together forming a continuous cord con-
fining channel substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
(3) As a means for securing a rope or cord, a belaying-pin having communication
recesses situated in different planes and forming a continuous cord-confining
channel, and a cleft in addition to said recesses for binding the cord, and the means
described for securing the belaying-pin to a deck or other support substantially as
hereinbefore set forth.
(4) As a means for securing a rope or cord, a belaying-pin comprising a base
and body portion, a peripheral cord-receiving recess between said base and body,
one or more cord receiving recesses communicating with said peripheral recess and
in a different plane therefrom, and a cleft in said body adapted to receive and bind
the cord, the said recess and cleft together forming a continuous cord confining
channel, and the means described for securing the belaying-pin to a deck or other
support substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
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