Implements or apparatus for applying pushing or pulling force – Device or member for contacting and guiding moving cable – Including rotatable – cable contacting – pulley wheel element
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-15
2001-10-23
Marcelo, Emmanuel M. (Department: 3653)
Implements or apparatus for applying pushing or pulling force
Device or member for contacting and guiding moving cable
Including rotatable, cable contacting, pulley wheel element
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305669
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a bearing block wherein the block has tethering means for attachment to a boat or the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Bearing blocks are commonly used on sailboats for controlling and changing the direction of lines, to provide a mechanical advantage, or otherwise adjust the rigging. These blocks must be anchored to fixtures on the boat, such as padeyes, eyestraps, u-bolts, booms, and the like. Blocks are typically anchored to the fixtures by use of metal shackles, or by using a length of strap or webbing. Various disadvantages are associated with each of these anchoring configurations.
Anchoring a block by use of a metal shackle may require the use of a substantial shackle piece with an associated substantial weight. In addition, the metal shackle is rigid and not compact. Lightweight components are preferred for sailboats, particularly for performance type sailboats. Likewise, there is a desire in sailing to keep decks as clutter free as possible. This has led to interest in low profile bearing blocks, which may be kept close to the deck surface. Rigid metal anchor shackles for bearing blocks do not lend themselves well to these applications requiring low weight and low profile bearing blocks.
In order to address these problems, block anchor configurations utilizing a length of strap or webbing have been developed. These configurations offer comparable strength to metal anchors with the advantage of being significantly lighter. In addition, webbed or strapped configurations provide a lower profile block than a metal anchor can.
A disadvantage, however, that these webbed or strapped anchors share with metal anchors is that they may hamper movement of the block to a different location for use in alternate applications. There are a great number of places on a boat that a block may be attached. Some of these potential anchoring places, such as to a boat mast or boom, will not allow for use of a rigid metal anchor designed to be used with an eyelet or the like. Although a webbed or strapped anchor could be used in a variety of places on a boat, it will not easily be moved to a different location, as the web or strap anchor must be sewn on in place. Once sewn in place, the webbing must be cut to remove the block. Also, the process of sewing the web or strap in place requires a high degree of skill, particularly when a boat is in water and unsteady. The strap or web must be tightened to a desired tightness and then sewn while being held at this tightness.
An unresolved need therefore exists for more versatile light weight and low profile boat block tether configurations.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a low weight boat bearing block that may be easily and removably attached to a boat deck or the like using lightweight strapping or cordage.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a bearing block with means for removably locking a tether to the block.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a boat block that may be attached to a boat deck or the like with the attachment load born by the center of the block.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally comprises a bearing block having a head, a center hub connected to said head, bearing means, and sheave means, with the bearing means facilitating rotation of the sheave about the center hub. The block of the invention further comprises means for removably attaching and locking in place end portions of a length of high strength fibrous material, preferably rope or cordage, to the block, with the center portion of the length thereby forming a loop for tethering the block to a boat deck or like location. The block of the invention is preferably comprised of lightweight, high strength plastic.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the head and the central hub of the block each have a passage. End portions of the high strength fibrous material, preferably rope or cordage, are looped through the head passage and through the central hub passage. By looping the cord through the central hub, this preferred block offers various advantages of having the tethering load carried within the sheave. The block cheeks and head, for instance, may then be constructed of lighter weigh materials as they are not required to carry significant loads. In addition, should the block break or fail, the load will be effectively captured and retained by the tethering loop passing through the sheave.
In the preferred block, the rope ends may be removably locked in place proximate to the central hub passage by tying a stop knot or by otherwise fitting the cord end so that it will not be able to pass back through the passage. Or, more preferably, the block of the invention further comprises locking means for removably locking the cordage in place. Preferred cord locking means comprise an adjustable set screw that extends tangentially into the passage through a passage sidewall for removably locking the rope in place. For access to and adjustment of the set screw, the block sheave preferably has a passage through which a screwdriver, Allen wrench, or other suitable tool may be extended to adjust the bolt head.
In the most preferred block embodiment of the invention, the central hub has a first passage that is larger than a plurality of secondary central hub passages. The rope may be looped through the head passage and larger first passage a number of times, and then laced through each of the secondary passages a single time. Because the larger first hub passage contains several passes of the cord, the amount of load that the block may bear is much larger than would be allowed by a single cord. As the continuous rope is laced back and forth through the plurality of secondary passages, frictional resistance resiliently holding it in place increases. The rope ends may be knotted or otherwise configured to prevent them from passing back through a passage. As a preferred alternative to knotting, at least one of the plurality of passages, and preferably two, comprise the set screw locking means described above for removably locking the rope in place.
In addition to the preferred block of the invention, other embodiments comprise a block having cord locking means within the block head or side cheeks.
The high strength fibrous material of the invention preferably comprises small diameter cords and ropes with low stretch and low water absorption. It has been discovered that the block of the invention comprising these preferred cords and ropes provides a lighter weight block that eliminates the need for metal shackles, u-bolts, or other heavy structure tethering devices. The preferred cords are of small diameter, have good flexibility, and are thus easy to work with and give the block some ability to twist and auto-align with loads. The cords also have high tensile strength, thus providing the block of the invention with required load bearing strength.
The various embodiments of the block of the invention thus provide a lightweight block with high tensile tethering strength that eliminates the need for metal shackles, u-bolts, or other heavy structure devices for tethering it to a boat deck or the like. Also, there is no need to sew webbing in place for block tethering. The block of the invention may be easily removed and re-tethered. In addition, the cord may be easily cinched up tight to bring the block of the invention to an advantageous low position on the deck or other article to which it is tethered.
The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present disclosure so that the detailed description that follows may be better understood, and so that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In this respect, before explaining a preferred embodiment of the disclosure in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is
Hanson Thomas G.
Harken Olaf T.
Lange Kenneth E.
Lob Charles J.
Harken, Inc.
Marcelo Emmanuel M.
Pyle & Piontek
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