Methods of forming fasteners and anchors

Abstract

To provide a fastener capable of moving an anchor without untying and retying a knot of a rope when performing high-altitude work using a climbing rope. [Solution] The fastener 1 comprises a belt 20, a ratchet buckle 10 having a fixed shaft 11 that fixes one end of the belt in a wound state, and a rotating shaft 12 that rotates intermittently in one direction to wind up the other end of the belt, a flat belt loop 31 that has a pair of insertion holes (first insertion hole 34, second insertion hole 35) that extend perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the belt, and through which the belt is inserted in opposite directions, and a flat annular portion 32 that is integral with the belt loop 31, whose position on the belt is adjusted by the belt loop, and has at least one through hole (first through hole 37, second through hole 38).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fastener that is fastened to a tree, utility pole, steel pillar, etc. to form an anchor when working at height, and to a method of forming an anchor using the fastener. [Background technology]

[0002] When working at heights using ropes, an anchor (anchor point, fulcrum) is formed to support the worker's body and prevent falls. There are two types of anchors: bottom anchors and canopy anchors. Taking tree pruning or felling as an example of work at height, a bottom anchor is used by tying one end of a climbing rope to the base or trunk of the tree, and the rope is hung partway around a tree branch and folded back toward the ground, after which the worker climbs toward the branch to which the rope is hung. A canopy anchor is used by tying one end of a rope to a high location such as a tree branch to form an anchor, and the worker climbs toward the anchor.

[0003] Bottom anchors can be created by tying the climbing rope directly to the base or trunk of a tree, or by tying the climbing rope indirectly to the base or trunk of a tree via another rope. In the latter case, as shown in Figure 5, a rope 91 other than the climbing rope is wound around the tree trunk 80, passed through a ring 93, and then tied around the trunk 80 by tying a figure-eight knot 94. The rope is then attached to the descender 70 via a connecting ring 95 such as a carabiner. Inside the descender 70 is a guide that curves and changes the direction of the rope. By passing the rope through the guide, the rope is slidably attached to the descender. By attaching the climbing rope 75 to the descender 70 in this way, the climbing rope 75 and the other rope 91 are connected, forming anchor A.

[0004] However, whether it is a canopy anchor, a bottom anchor formed only with climbing rope, or a bottom anchor formed with climbing rope and another rope, they are all the same in that they form an anchor by tying a rope together. Therefore, if something goes wrong with the rope knot when untying and retie-tying the rope knot during the process of moving the anchor, there is a risk that the rope knot will come undone during subsequent work and the climber will fall.

[0005] In particular, the position of the bottom anchor may need to be moved when moving from one work site to another while climbing at high altitudes. It is also necessary to move the position of the bottom anchor when pruning or felling trees, if the cut branches are expected to damage the climbing rope. In such cases, the worker at height instructs the ground worker, who then unties the rope knot, moves to a new location, and re-ties the rope to move the anchor. For the safety of the worker at height, it is essential that the newly tied knot be knotted correctly and without slack. Repeatedly untying and re-tying the rope knot every time the anchor is moved is not only tedious, but also increases the likelihood of human error, such as making an error in the knotting technique. In high-altitude work, where the lives of those working with the rope are at stake, knotless (eliminating or reducing the number of knots) ropes is recommended to reduce such human error. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In view of the above situation, the present invention aims to provide a fastener that allows an anchor to be moved when performing high-altitude work using a climbing rope without having to untie and re-tie the rope knot, and a method for forming an anchor using the fastener. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the fastener according to the present invention comprises: A fastener used in the anchor forming method described below, "One belt and a ratchet buckle having a fixed shaft that fixes one end of the belt in a wound state, and a rotating shaft that rotates intermittently in one direction to wind up the other end of the belt; a flat belt loop having a pair of insertion holes extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the belt, the belt being inserted through the pair of insertion holes in opposite directions; and a flat annular portion which is either integral with or separate from the belt loop, whose position on the belt is adjusted by the belt loop, and which has at least one through hole.

[0008] According to the fastener of the present invention, one end of a belt is fixed to the fixed shaft of a ratchet buckle, and the other end (free end) is wound around the rotating shaft of the ratchet buckle, thereby securing the belt to an anchor-forming object. The belt is fitted with a looped portion that is positioned on the belt by a belt loop, and the looped portion has at least one through-hole. Therefore, by directly or indirectly attaching one end of a climbing rope to the through-hole of the looped portion, an anchor can be formed when using the climbing rope for work at height.

[0009] When moving the anchor, all that is required is to loosen or release the belt wound around the rotating shaft of the ratchet buckle. Therefore, there is no need to untie and retie the rope knot when moving the anchor. This eliminates the risk of workers at height falling while working due to abnormalities in the rope knot during the anchor movement process.

[0010] The method for forming an anchor according to the present invention comprises the steps of: A method for forming an anchor for work at height using the fastener having the above configuration, "beforeThe belt is wound around the anchor formation object by the rotation shaft of the ratchet buckle, thereby fixing the belt to the anchor formation object; One end of a climbing rope used by workers to climb to high places is attached directly or indirectly to the at least one through hole.

[0011] This is a method for forming an anchor using the fastener having the above-described configuration, and exhibits the above-described effects. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] As described above, the present invention provides a fastener that allows an anchor to be moved when performing high-altitude work using a climbing rope without having to untie and re-tie the rope knot, and a method for forming an anchor using the fastener. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fastener according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a plan view of the belt loop and loop portion that are integrated in the fastener of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a state in which an anchor is formed using the fastener of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a fastener according to a second embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an anchor formed on a tree trunk by a conventional method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] A fastener 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The fastener 1 comprises a ratchet buckle 10, a belt 20, a belt loop 31, and an annular portion 32. In this embodiment, the belt loop 31 and the annular portion 32 are integral with each other.

[0015] The belt 20 is flat and long, and is made of synthetic resin fibers such as nylon fibers or polyester fibers, which have excellent strength and abrasion resistance, and is woven in a plain weave, twill weave, etc. The width of the belt 20 is 35 mm to 55 mm, and the length is 1 mm to 10 mm.

[0016] The ratchet buckle 10 includes a fixed shaft 11, a rotating shaft 12, a gear 15 that rotates integrally with the rotating shaft 12, and a lever 13 that can rotate freely around the axis of the rotating shaft 12. The fixed shaft 11 is non-rotatably attached to one end of the base portion 10b, and one end of the belt 20 is fixed in a wound state around the fixed shaft 11. The rotating shaft 12 is used to take up the free end of the belt 20, and is rotatably attached to the other end of the base portion 10b. The rotating shaft 12 has two axially long slits S that open opposite each other. The gears 15 are attached to both ends of the rotating shaft 12, respectively, and have teeth that are inclined in one direction.

[0017] The ratchet buckle 10 also includes a pawl 16 provided on the lever 13 and rotating integrally therewith, and a pawl 17 supported by the base portion 10b. The pawl 17 is pressed toward the gear 15 by the bias of a spring 19 and fits between the teeth. When the lever 13 is rotated around the axis of the rotating shaft 12 in a direction away from the fixed shaft 11, the pawl 16 engages with the teeth of the gear 15, causing the rotating shaft 12 to rotate together with the gear 15. Meanwhile, the pawl 17 slides along the inclined teeth of the gear 15 against the bias of the spring 19, allowing the rotating shaft 12 to rotate. Conversely, when the lever 13 is rotated around the axis of the rotating shaft 12 in a direction toward the fixed shaft 11, the pawl 16 slides along the inclined teeth of the gear 15. Meanwhile, the pawl 17 engages with the teeth of the gear 15, preventing the gear 15 and the rotating shaft 12 from rotating. Therefore, when the handle 18 of the lever 13 is gripped and the lever 13 is rotated back and forth, the rotary shaft 12 can be rotated intermittently in only one direction.

[0018] The ratchet buckle 10 is provided with a release lever 14 that separates the pawl 16 from the gear 15, thereby releasing the state in which the pawl 16 is engaged with the teeth of the gear 15. The lever 13 also has a protrusion 13b at the end near the rotation shaft 12.

[0019] The belt loop 31 is a flat plate-like body and has a pair of insertion holes (first insertion hole 34, second insertion hole 35) extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the belt 20. The lengths of the first insertion hole 34 and the second insertion hole 35 (lengths extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the belt 20) are greater than the width of the belt 20, and the width perpendicular to this length is greater than the thickness of the belt 20. The belt 20 is inserted in opposite directions through the first insertion hole 34 and the second insertion hole 35. By lifting and bending the portions of the belt 20 that pass through the first insertion hole 34 and the second insertion hole 35, the belt loop 31 can be slid in the longitudinal direction of the belt 20, and its position on the belt can be adjusted. Furthermore, by preventing the belt 20 from bending between the first insertion hole 34 and the second insertion hole 35, the belt loop 31 can be positioned on the belt 20.

[0020] The annular portion 32 is a flat plate integral with the belt loop portion 31 and has at least one through hole. Here, the annular portion 32 has two through holes (a first through hole 37 and a second through hole 38) as an example.

[0021] Next, a method for forming an anchor A using the fastener 1 configured as described above will be described. Here, an example will be shown in which a bottom anchor is formed on a tree trunk 80 near the base. The portion of the belt 20 near the end fixed to the fixed shaft 11 of the ratchet buckle 10 is inserted through the first insertion hole 34 and the second insertion hole 35 of the belt loop 31 in opposite directions. The belt 20 is then wound around the tree trunk 80, and the free end of the belt 20 is inserted through two slits S formed in the rotating shaft 12 of the ratchet buckle 10 toward the fixed shaft 11 and then folded back outward. In this state, gripping the handle 18 and rotating the lever 13 back and forth around the axis of the rotating shaft 12 rotates the rotating shaft 12 in only one direction as described above, and the belt 20 is wound around the rotating shaft 12. Once the belt 20 has been wrapped around the tree trunk 80 with sufficient fastening force, the lever 13 is tilted toward the fixed shaft 11. This keeps the belt 20 wrapped around the tree trunk 80 with sufficient fastening force.

[0022] In this state, a connecting ring 50 such as a carabiner is passed through both one of the through holes of the annular portion 32 (here, the first through hole 37) and the through hole 71 provided in the descender 70. Then, by attaching the climbing rope 75 to the descender 70 as described above, the climbing rope 75 and the belt 20 are connected, forming anchor A. In this state, the climbing rope 75 is indirectly connected to the through hole of the annular portion 32 (here, the first through hole 37) via the descender 70 and the connecting ring 50.

[0023] A backup rope can be attached to the other of the two through holes of the annular portion 32 (here, the second through hole 38), and another climbing rope may also be attached thereto.

[0024] To move anchor A, release lever 14 is pulled up to release the engagement between the teeth of gear 15 and pawl 16, and lever 13 is then rotated widely in the direction opposite fixed shaft 11. This rotation causes protrusion 13b, which is provided at the end of lever 13 near rotating shaft 12, to press pawl 17, releasing the engagement between the teeth of gear 15 and pawl 17 against the bias of spring 19. Therefore, rotating shaft 12 becomes rotatable, and belt 20 wound around rotating shaft 12 can be loosened or removed. After moving anchor A, as described above, the free end of belt 20 is again passed through slit S of ratchet buckle 10, and lever 13 is rotated back and forth to tighten belt 20 around the anchor formation object with sufficient fastening force.

[0025] As described above, with the fastening device 1 of the first embodiment, when working at height using a climbing rope, there is no need to untie and re-tie the rope knot when moving the anchor A. Therefore, unlike conventional techniques, there is no risk of a worker at height falling due to an abnormality in the rope knot occurring during the repeated movement of the anchor A. Because the rope knot is not affected during the repeated movement of the anchor A, it is sufficient to tie the rope correctly before starting work at height.

[0026] The fastener 1 uses a ratchet-type buckle 10 to wind and tighten the belt 20, so that by simply gripping the handle 18 and rotating the lever 13 back and forth, it can be fastened easily, quickly, and with little force to an anchor-forming object such as a tree trunk with sufficient fastening force.

[0027] In this embodiment, the belt looping portion 31 and the annular portion 32 are integral, which simplifies the configuration, and by attaching the belt 20 to the belt looping portion 31, the annular portion 32 can be attached to the belt 20 at the same time. Furthermore, because the annular portion 32 is integral with the belt looping portion 31, when the belt looping portion 31 is slid relative to the belt 20 to adjust the position of the belt looping portion 31 on the belt 20, the position of the annular portion 32 on the belt 20 is simultaneously adjusted.

[0028] Next, a fastener 2 of a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The fastener 2 differs from the fastener 1 of the first embodiment in that the belt loop portion 41 and the annular portion 42 are separate bodies. The belt loop portion 41 is similar to the belt loop portion 31 of the first embodiment in that it is flat and has a pair of insertion holes (a first insertion hole 44 and a second insertion hole 45) extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the belt 20, that the lengths of the first insertion hole 44 and the second insertion hole 45 are greater than the width of the belt 20 and that the widths thereof are greater than the thickness of the belt 20, that the belt 20 is inserted through the first insertion hole 44 and the second insertion hole 45 in opposite directions, and that the position of the belt loop portion 41 on the belt 20 can be adjusted by sliding it in the longitudinal direction of the belt 20, thereby enabling positioning of the belt 20.

[0029] The annular portion 42 is flat and has a first through-hole 47, a second through-hole 48, and an elongated hole 46 extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the belt 20. The annular portion 42 can be attached to the belt 20 by passing the belt 20 through the elongated hole 46, and the belt 20 is passed through the first insertion hole 44, the elongated hole 46, and the second insertion hole 45 in this order. As a result, when the belt looping portion 41 is slid in the longitudinal direction of the belt 20, the annular portion 42 can be slid in the longitudinal direction of the belt 20 accordingly, and the positions of the belt looping portion 41 and the annular portion 42 on the belt 20 can be adjusted.

[0030] Fastener 2 can also form an anchor in the same manner as fastener 1, and can move the anchor in the same manner.

[0031] In the second embodiment, the belt loop portion 41 and the annular portion 42 are separate bodies, so the load of the connecting ring, backup rope, etc. is not concentrated on one member, and the load can be distributed. Also, the fastener 2 can be constructed using commercially available parts for the belt loop portion 41 and the annular portion 42.

[0032] The present invention has been described above by citing preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various improvements and design changes are possible as described below, without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0033] For example, in the above embodiment, the climbing rope 75 is indirectly attached to one of the through-holes of the annular portions 32, 42 via the connecting pipe 50 and the descender 70, but the climbing rope 75 may also be directly tied to one of the through-holes of the annular portions 32, 42. Even in this case, there is no need to untie the knot of the climbing rope 75 when moving the anchor.

[0034] In the above embodiment, the annular portions 32, 42 of the fasteners 1, 2 are shown to have two through holes, but the number of through holes is not limited to this and may be one, or three or more. One of the through holes is used to indirectly or directly attach a climbing rope, but if there are multiple other through holes, multiple backup ropes can be connected.

[0035] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case where the object to be anchored is a tree trunk and the anchor A formed is a bottom anchor is exemplified, but a canopy anchor can also be formed using the upper branches of a tree as the object to be anchored, and in that case, there is also no need to untie the knot in the rope when moving the anchor.In addition, the object to be anchored for the fastener of the present invention is not limited to trees, and can also be an electric pole, a steel pillar, etc.

[0036] While the above example uses descender 70 to indirectly connect climbing rope 75 to fastener 1, as illustrated in Figure 3, a figure-eight loop may be used instead of descender 70. A figure-eight loop is a component with a large through-hole and a small through-hole aligned with a constricted portion, forming an eight-shaped configuration in plan view. The rope can be wound around the constricted portion and both ends can be pulled out through the large through-holes, while the small through-holes can be connected to the through-holes of annular portions 32, 42 via connecting tube 50.

[0037] Furthermore, if the annular portion has one through hole, the same effect as a ring portion having multiple through holes can be obtained by connecting that one through hole to a rigging plate having multiple through holes with a connecting ring such as a carabiner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1 Fastener 2 Fasteners 10 Ratchet Buckle 11 Fixed axis 12 Rotation axis 20 Belt 31 Belt loop 32 Annular section 34 First insertion hole 35 Second insertion hole 37 First through hole 38 Second through hole 41 Belt loop 42 Annular section 44 First insertion hole 45 Second insertion hole 47 First through hole 48 Second through hole 50 Connection Ring 75 Climbing Rope Anchor

Claims

1. A method for forming an anchor for work at height using a fastener, comprising: The fastener is A belt and a ratchet buckle having a fixed shaft that fixes one end of the belt in a wound state, and a rotating shaft that rotates intermittently in one direction to wind up the other end of the belt; a flat belt loop having a pair of insertion holes extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the belt, the belt being inserted through the pair of insertion holes in opposite directions; a flat annular portion that is integral with or separate from the belt loop, the annular portion having at least one through hole and whose position on the belt is adjusted by the belt loop; It is equipped with The belt is wound around the anchor formation object by the rotation shaft of the ratchet buckle, thereby fixing the belt to the anchor formation object; One end of a climbing rope used by a worker to climb to a high place is attached directly or indirectly to the at least one through-hole. A method for forming an anchor.

2. A fastener for use in the method of forming an anchor according to claim 1.

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