Patent ID: 7946007

Claim:
A blocking device for blocking movement of at least one strand, said blocking device comprising: a body; a cavity defining a pathway for the strand, the pathway having a bottom and an entry and an exit for the strand relative to the body; a blocking member adapted to engage the strand while the strand is in said pathway; a blocking-member guide for guiding movement of said blocking member relative to said body; an elastic biaser for biasing said blocking member in a direction to press the strand against movement within said pathway with a wedging effect and to maintain a tension on the strand between the blocking member and the entry of the pathway; said pathway comprising an open pathway between the entry and the exit to allow the strand to be inserted into the pathway and to be freed from the blocking device other than in a direction along the pathway; said open pathway being defined in part by a keeper comprising a guide surface extending over the bottom of the cavity, said guide surface being positioned along the pathway between the blocking member and the entry of the pathway.