Patent ID: 8651499

Claim:
An alerting system for signaling the displacement of a leading end portion of a long, flexible object from a stored position on a vehicle, comprising: a mechanical gripping unit comprised of at least two gripping members dimensioned and configured to cooperatively grip therebetween, in direct surface contact, an end portion of a long, flexible object; means mounting said gripping members for movement between at least one first position, in which engaging elements of said gripping members are proximate one another, and at least one second position in which said engaging elements are remote from one another; means for biasing said gripping members toward said at least one first position; and a housing for containment of said gripping members and having an aperture through which said gripping members may at least partially extend, said gripping members being mounted for movement between an extended position, with said gripping members extending through said aperture of said housing to an extent that is at least sufficient for gripping of the long, flexible object, and a retracted position with said gripping members contained either fully within said housing or protruding from said housing to an extent that is substantially less than in said extended position; signaling means operatively connected for activation to produce an alert signal in response to displacement of said gripping members of said gripping unit from said at least one second position to said at least one first position; and attaching means operatively connected to said gripping unit for effectively connecting said gripping unit to a support structure.