Horizontal lifeline system

Abstract

Horizontal lifelines [Solution] A chamber is provided inside the main body, a central shaft is provided traversing the chamber, a drum and main gear that can rotate coaxially are attached to the central shaft, a cable member that can extend from the bottom end of the chamber is wound around the drum, and a through bolt hole is provided at the upper end of the chamber of the main body. The coupler is provided with a plug member that can slide along the axial direction of the plug hole, and a leaf spring is placed between the plug member and the plug hole. In addition, an identification member, a main nut and a receiving seat are placed outside the plug hole of the plug member, and the main nut screws in along the plug member to tighten the identification member and prevent it from rotating, thereby allowing the leaf spring to apply a predetermined preload and position the plug member in the plug hole.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of horizontal lifelines, and more particularly to a technique for determining whether the tension of a horizontal lifeline is appropriate based on whether an identification member can be rotated.

Background Art

[0002] Conventional horizontal lifelines, as shown in, for example, U.S. Patent No. US 8739929, are used in high-place work sites where workers' safety belts and other safety devices cannot be directly suspended (for example, steel structures and rooftop platforms), and enable workers to safely move and work in the horizontal direction even at such sites. As shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the same patent, a first anchor point and a second anchor point are first installed at the relevant site, and a horizontal lifeline is constructed to be stretchable between them, so that the worker's safety belt and safety device can be suspended on the lifeline, and the worker can work while moving along the horizontal lifeline. However, the tension of the cable material of the horizontal lifeline according to the patent depends on the personal experience and intuition of the worker, and there is no fixed judgment criterion, which causes operational inconvenience. If the tension is too high, the relevant members may be fatigued and their service life may be impaired. On the other hand, if the tension is insufficient, there is a risk of excessive slack when a worker falls.

[0003] In view of the above drawbacks of the existing art, it is an issue to be solved by the present invention to enable a worker installing a lifeline to understand what level of tension is appropriate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a horizontal lifeline, comprising a main body having a chamber inside, a central shaft running across the chamber, a drum and main gear attached to the central shaft that can rotate coaxially, a cable that can extend from the bottom of the chamber wrapped around the drum, and a through bolt hole provided at the upper end of the chamber of the main body. The coupler is provided with a plug member that is slidable along the axial direction of the plug hole, and a leaf spring is positioned between the plug member and the plug hole. In addition, an identification member, a main nut, and a seat are positioned outside the plug hole of the plug member, and the main nut screws in and moves along the plug member, tightening the identification member and preventing it from rotating, thereby allowing the leaf spring to apply a predetermined preload and position the plug member in the plug hole.

[0006] A winding device attached to the main body is provided to achieve the above and other purposes, the winding device drives a main gear, thereby causing the drum to wind up the rope and increase the tension when installing a horizontal lifeline. When the tension exceeds the predetermined preload, the leaf spring is overcome and the plug member slides along the axial direction of the plug hole, releasing the identification member and making it rotatable, and the rotation of the identification member allows identification that the tension is appropriate. As is clear from the above, according to the present invention, the tension of the rope can be gradually increased by operating the rope winding device with one hand when installing a horizontal lifeline, while a slight rotational force is continuously applied to the identification member with the other hand. By stopping the operation of the rope winding device when the identification member becomes rotatable, the installer can understand that the rope tension at that time is appropriate. As a result, the overall operation is extremely simple, the inconvenience of not having a judgment criterion as in the conventional method is effectively improved, and the need to rely on visual inspection is eliminated, thereby improving the safety of workers in work at heights. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the combined appearance of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an exploded schematic diagram of Figure 1 of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of Figure 1 of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 3 of the present invention is a schematic diagram of a partial combination of Figure 3, and Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of Figure 3. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of the exploded view of the coupler of the present invention. [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view of the combined connector of the present invention [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram of the rear portion combination of the present invention. [Figure 8A] Figure 7 is a combined cross-sectional view of the present invention. [Figure 8B] This is a schematic diagram showing the winding device of the present invention in a state where it is detached from the main gear. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the implementation of the horizontal lifeline of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the horizontal tension adjustment of the cable has been completed using the identification member of the present invention.

[0008] In light of the above, please refer to Figure 9 of the prior art. The present invention enables the operation of tensioning or winding a horizontal lifeline between a first anchor point A and a second anchor point B, and is provided for suspending a worker's safety harness or safety device, and includes at least the following: As shown in Figures 1 to 7, the main body 10 is fixed as a single unit by butting together a front case 11 and a rear case 12 and fastening them with multiple screws, and has a hollow chamber 100 inside, and a handle 13 on one side for carrying a lifeline. The front case 11 has a front hole 14 that penetrates from front to back in the center of the chamber 100, and the rear case 12 has a rear hole 15 corresponding to the front hole 14. Furthermore, the front case 11 and the rear case 12 have a rectangular cross-section plug hole 16 that penetrates vertically at the butt joint at the upper end of the chamber 100, and an upper recessed hole 161 whose diameter is expanded outward on the same axis communicates with the upper end of the plug hole 16, and a lower recessed hole 162 whose diameter is expanded outward on the same axis communicates with the lower end of the plug hole 16, the diameters of the upper recessed hole 161 and the lower recessed hole 162 are the same. Furthermore, the front case 11 and the rear case 12 are provided with a wire hole 17 that penetrates vertically at the abutting position at the lower end of the chamber 100. When observed in conjunction with Figure 7, the rear case 12 has a pivot hole 18 that penetrates front to back at one lower edge of the chamber 100, and the front case 11 is provided with a rotation hole 19 corresponding to the pivot hole 18. The central shaft 20 is horizontally mounted within the chamber 100, with its front end attached to the front hole 14 via a front bearing 21 and its rear end attached to the rear hole 15 via a rear bearing 22. The central shaft 20 rotates to accommodate the tensioning or winding of the horizontal lifeline. The central shaft 20 is provided with a stepped portion 23 and an external threaded portion 24, respectively. A key member 25 is fitted between the stepped portion 23 and the external threaded portion 24, and a nut 26 is screwed onto the external threaded portion 24.

[0009] The drum 30 has a shaft hole 31 through which the central shaft 20 passes, and the rear end of the drum 30 abuts against the stepped portion 23. The drum 30 can be tightened and fixed to the stepped portion 23 by screwing the nut 26 along the external thread portion 24. A keyway 32 for fitting a key member 25 is recessed in the shaft hole 31, allowing the central shaft 20 and the drum 30 to rotate coaxially as a single unit. Furthermore, an annular recessed position-limiting space 33 is formed on the outer circumference of the drum 30. A washer 34 is also fitted between the rear end of the drum 30 and the stepped portion 23. The cable member 40 is preferably 60 feet long, with one end fixed in the positioning space 33 and the other end extending outside the main body 10 through the wire hole 17 to which the first locking device A1 can be attached. The majority of the cable member 40 is wound annularly in the positioning space 33 of the drum 30, so that the first locking device A1 is locked to the first anchor point A as shown in Figure 9, and when the worker moves the main body 10 toward the second anchor point B, the cable member 40 is sequentially pulled out, rotating the drum 30 and the central shaft 20.

[0010] The main gear 50 is an annular gear with multiple teeth 51 formed on its outer circumference, and is coaxially fixed to the front edge of the drum 30 via multiple bolts 52, so that the main gear 50 and the drum 30 rotate together coaxially. The coupler 60 is attached to the plug hole 16, and by connecting the second locking device B1 shown in Figure 9 to the outside, the main body 10 can be installed at the second anchor point B. Please refer to Figures 5 and 6 as well. The coupler 60 mainly comprises a plug member 63 that can slide along the axial direction of the plug hole 16, a leaf spring 64 concealed below the plug hole 16, an identification member 65 exposed to the outside above the plug hole 16, a main nut 66 located above the identification member 65, and a receiving seat 67 located above the main nut 66. As shown in the drawing, an upper seat 61 is positioned in the upper recessed hole 161, and an upper hole 611 communicating with the plug hole 16 is coaxially provided in the upper seat 61, the diameter of which is larger than that of the plug hole 16, and the upper surface of the upper seat 61 protrudes from the upper end of the main body 10 and abuts against the lower surface of the identification member 65. A lower seat 62 is positioned in the lower recessed hole 162, the lower seat 62 is symmetrical to the upper seat 61 and has a lower hole 621 communicating with the plug hole 16. The plug member 63 comprises a cap head 631, a shaft portion 632, a threaded portion 633, and a pivot portion 634, all coaxially arranged from bottom to top with progressively decreasing outer diameters. The cap head 631 is held within the chamber 100 and contacts the lower surface of the leaf spring 64. While a disc spring is used for the leaf spring 64 shown in the illustration, other types of springs such as laminated leaf springs, coil springs, and annular springs can be used equivalently. The leaf spring 64 is sandwiched between the cap head 631 and the lower surface of the lower seat 62, preventing direct wear of the lower recessed hole 162. The leaf spring 64 is provided with a spring hole 641 for the shaft portion 632 to pass through.

[0011] The outer diameter of the shaft portion 632 fits the upper hole 611 and the lower hole 621, and the middle portion is further machined to form a rectangular inner plug 632A that fits the plug hole 16. As a result, the shaft portion 632 is divided into an upper plug 632B, an inner plug 632A, and a lower plug 632C in order from top to bottom. The upper plug 632B passes through the upper hole 611 and protrudes from the upper end of the upper hole 611, and the lower plug 632C passes through the lower hole 621 and the spring hole 641, allowing the leaf spring 64 to be stably positioned between the plug member 63 and the plug hole 16. During assembly, the lower seat 62, plug member 63, and leaf spring 64 are first arranged in a modular manner, and then the inner plug 632A is sandwiched between the split plug holes 16 of the front case 11 and the rear case 12, thereby installing the inner plug 632A in the plug hole 16 and ensuring practicality. The arrangement of the plug hole 16 and the inner plug 632A restricts the rotation of the plug member 63, enabling stable tightening of the identification member 65 by torque wrench operation using the main nut 66 described later, and preventing the plug member 63 from escaping from the upper and lower ends of the plug hole 16. Furthermore, the present invention controls the inner plug 632A to have a clearance M that allows it to move in the axial direction of the plug hole 16. The identification member 65 is stacked on the upper surface of the upper seat 61 and has a rotating hole 651 that allows it to rotate around the upper plug 632B. The main nut 66 is attached to the threaded portion 633 (see Figure 6), and by using a torque wrench to spirally move the main nut 66 along the threaded portion 633 of the plug member 63 and tightening the identification member 65 so that it cannot rotate, the leaf spring 64 applies a predetermined preload, allowing the plug member 63 to be positioned in the plug hole 16. To prevent the main nut 66 from loosening and losing the set preload, the main nut 66 is provided with a radially penetrating threaded hole 661, which is fixed to the threaded portion 633 with a set screw 662. The upper end of the pivot portion 634 has a groove 634A in its longitudinal section for inserting the receiving seat 67, and a radially penetrating rivet hole 634B is also provided. By riveting the receiving seat 67 to a pre-made receiving hole 671 on the bottom edge of the receiving seat 67 via a rivet 68, the receiving seat 67 is pivoted, the second locking device B1 is adapted and installed at the second anchor point B, and the installation of the horizontal lifeline between the first anchor point A and the second anchor point B is completed.

[0012] This is a winding device 70 that is attached to the main body 10, and should be referred to in conjunction with Figures 7, 8A, and 8B. The winding device 70 consists of a support shaft 71, a secondary gear 72, a ratchet 73, a spring 74, a handle 75, and a ratchet block 77. The support shaft 71 is connected to the pivot hole 18 and the rotation hole 19 and is equipped with a secondary gear 72 and a ratchet 73. The support shaft 71 is configured to move axially along the pivot hole 18 and the rotation hole 19, so that the secondary gear 72 switches from a first position of meshing with the main gear 50 to a second position of disengaging from the main gear 50. The spring 74 is in contact between the rear end face of the ratchet 73 and the rear case 12, providing a force that always returns the secondary gear 72 toward the first position and maintains the position in which the secondary gear 72 is meshed with the main gear 50. The rear end of the support shaft 71 protrudes from the pivot hole 18, and the shaft rod 76 passes through it radially and is connected to a deployable or retractable handle 75. When the handle 75 is deployed, the support shaft 71 is rotated in the opposite direction, as shown in Figure 8A, and the tension of the cable 40 of the present invention when it is installed as a horizontal lifeline can be gradually increased. A cam 751 is provided protruding from the part where the handle 75 is connected to the shaft rod 76, and a crank 752 is vertically connected to the free end of the handle 75. As shown in Figure 8B, when the handle 75 is rotated upward toward the rear of the rear case 12 with the shaft rod 76 as the pivot point and retracted, the cam 751 abuts against the rear end of the pivot hole 18, causing the support shaft 71 to slide in the rear axial direction, overcoming the spring 74 and moving the auxiliary gear 72 to a second position where it is separated from the main gear 50, so that the winding device 70 does not interfere with the tensioning of the cable 40 wound on the drum 30.

[0013] Please refer to this in conjunction with Figure 3. One end of the ratchet block 77 is pivotally connected to the rear case 12 via a pin 771, the other end is provided with a pawl 772, and a torsion spring 773 is further mounted. One end of the torsion spring 773 abuts against the rear case 12, the other end is interlocked with the ratchet block 77, and the pawl 772 always maintains a state of meshing with the ratchet 73 at the first position or the second position. Accordingly, when the auxiliary gear 72 is at the first position, it cannot rotate in the forward direction in response to the pulling out of the cable member 40, and rotates in the reverse direction to drive the main gear 50, so that the drum 30 winds the cable member 40 and increases the tension. When the tension exceeds a predetermined preload, it becomes possible to overcome the leaf spring 64 (see Figure 10), and by further pushing and deforming the leaf spring 64, the plug member 63 moves upward along the plug hole 16 with a sufficient margin M, so that the identification member 65 can be released. As a result, the identification member 65 can be rotated by the operator, and the operator can confirm that the tension is appropriate. At this point, the tension of the cable member 40 has reached the design-required value, which can inform the operator that there is no need to continue rotating the handle 75. More specifically, the fact that the identification member 65 becomes rotatable by the operator when the tension of the cable member 40 reaches a predetermined value per se belongs to the present invention.

[0014] The initial state of the present invention is a state in which the handle 75 is stored as shown in Figure 8B, whereby the state in which the cable winder 70 drives the main gear 50 is released. When installing a horizontal lifeline, as shown in Figure 9, the first locking tool A1 is locked to the first anchor point A to fix the other end of the cable member 40. After that, the operator moves the main body 10 toward the second anchor point B, pulls out the cable member 40 sequentially, so that the coupler 60 can be locked to the second anchor point B by the second locking tool B1. Next, when the handle 75 is deployed and operated as shown in FIG. 8A, the operator operates the drum 30 via the handle 75 with one hand, and winds the rope member 40 to increase the tension of the rope member 40 during installation of the horizontal lifeline. A slight rotational force is applied to the identification member 65 with the other hand, and when the identification member 65 becomes rotatable as shown in FIG. 10, the installation operator can determine that the tension is appropriate and stop the operation of the rope winder 70. As a result, the overall operation is very simple, the inconvenience caused by the absence of a judgment criterion as in the conventional art can be largely eliminated, and there is no need to rely on visual inspection, so that the safety of workers working at height can be effectively improved.

[0015] When the operator performs winding after finishing work at height, the handle 75 is stowed to release the tension as shown in FIG. 8B, and the second locking tool B1 is loosened. Thereafter, the handle 75 is deployed as shown in FIG. 8A, and the handle 75 drives the drum 30 to wind the rope member 40 while moving toward the first anchor point A. After the rope member 40 is completely wound up, the handle 75 is stowed again as shown in FIG. 8B, and the first locking tool A1 is released from the first anchor point A. This completes a series of work procedures.

[0016] Reference is made to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. In the present invention, in order to further notify the operator that the aforementioned tension has become appropriate, a notification structure 80 is provided between the identification member 65 and the main body 10, and the notification structure 80 includes a plurality of female nodes 81 recessed in the main body 10 around the plug hole 16, and corresponding male nodes 82 protrudingly provided on the identification member 65. When the identification member 65 is tightened by the main nut 66 and cannot rotate, the female nodes 81 and the male nodes 82 are fitted to each other. When the tension becomes appropriate, if the operator applies a rotational force to the identification member 65, the male nodes 82 move in and out of the female nodes 81, generating a vibration sensation and a sound, which can further notify the operator to stop the operation of the rope winder 70. The above description represents only one preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the scope of the invention thereto. In other words, equivalent variations and modifications based on the claims of the present invention are all included within the scope of the present invention.

[0017] A. First anchor point A1 First locking device B Second anchor point B1 2nd locking tool 10 Main Unit 100 chambers 11 Previous Case 12 Rear case 13 Handle 14 Anterior foramen 15 Posterior foramen 16 Bunghole 161 Upper concave hole 162 Lower recessed hole 17 wire holes 18 pivot holes 19 Rotating holes 20 center axis 21 Front bearing 22 Rear bearing 23 Stepped section 24 external thread 25 Key Member 26 nuts 30 drums 31 Shaft hole 32 keyways 33 Limited space 34 Washers 40 Rope members 50 Main gear 51. Chewing teeth 52 volts 60 Coupler 61 Upper seat 611 Upper hole 62 Lower seat 621 Pilot hole 63 Plug component 631 hat head 632 Shaft 632A Inner stopper 632B Upper plug 632C Bottom plug 633 Threaded part 634 Central 634A Groove 634B Rivet Hole M (Spacious) 64 Leaf springs 641 Spring hole 65 Identification member 651 Rotary Hole 66 Main nut 661 Screw holes 662 Set screws 67 catch seat 671 Receiving hole 68 rivets 70 Rope winder 71 Spindle 72 Sub-gear 73 Ratchet 74 springs 75 Handle 751 Cam 752 Crank 76 Axis rod 77 Ratchet Block 771 pins 772 Nails 773 Torsion spring 80 Notification structure 81 Female node 82 Male Nodes

Claims

1. A horizontal lifeline including at least the main body, coupler, and winding device, The main body has a chamber, a central shaft that traverses the chamber, a drum and main gear that are coaxially rotatable attached to the central shaft, a cable member that can protrude from the bottom end of the chamber is wound around the drum, and furthermore the main body has a plug hole that penetrates to the top end of the chamber. The coupler comprises a plug member that is axially slidable along the plug hole, a spring positioned between the plug member and the plug hole, an identification member, a main nut and a seat provided on the outside of the plug hole of the plug member, the main nut tightening the identification member as it moves along the threaded portion of the plug member to prevent rotation, and the spring applying a predetermined biasing force to the plug member to hold the plug member in a predetermined position relative to the plug hole. A horizontal lifeline having a winding device attached to the main body, which drives the main gear to wind the rope member on the drum to increase the tension when the horizontal lifeline is installed, and when the axial force acting on the plug member due to the tension exceeds the biasing force of the spring, the plug member is axially slid along the plug hole against the biasing force of the spring, releasing the identification member and making it rotatable, thereby allowing identification that the tension is appropriate.

2. The horizontal lifeline according to Claim 1, wherein the plug member is attached to the plug hole in a non-rotatable state, the spring is located below the plug hole, the identification member is located above the plug hole, the main nut is located above the identification member, the seat is located above the main nut, the plug member passes through the spring and the identification member in order from bottom to top before the main nut and seat are attached, and the plug member further comprises a cap capable of pressing the bottom surface of the spring.

3. The main body is constructed by butting a front case and a rear case together, the front end of the central shaft is attached to the front case and the rear end is attached to the rear case, a plug hole is formed at the butting position on the top end side of the chamber of the front case and the rear case, and an outlet is formed at the butting position on the bottom end side of the chamber. One end of the cable member is fixed to the drum, and the other end is capable of protruding outside the main body through the outlet. The plug member comprises a cap, shaft, threaded portion, and pivot portion in order from bottom to top. The cap is held within the chamber, the spring has a spring hole through which the shaft passes, and the identification member has a rotation hole around the shaft, allowing it to rotate. The horizontal lifeline according to claim 2, wherein the main nut is fastened to the threaded portion and a bearing seat is attached to the pivot portion.

4. The horizontal lifeline according to claim 3, wherein the top end of the plug hole communicates with an upper recessed hole larger in diameter than the plug hole, an upper seat is placed in the upper recessed hole, an upper hole is provided in the upper seat through which the shaft portion passes, the top surface of the upper seat protrudes from the top end of the main body and abuts against the bottom surface of the identification member, the bottom end of the plug hole communicates with a lower recessed hole larger in diameter than the plug hole, a lower seat is placed in the lower recessed hole, a lower hole is provided in the lower seat through which the shaft portion passes, and the spring is sandwiched between the cap head and the bottom surface of the lower seat.

5. The horizontal lifeline according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the cross-section of the plug hole is rectangular, the shaft portion is provided with a rectangular inner plug in the middle portion that fits the plug hole, and the rectangular inner plug has a margin that allows it to move axially along the plug hole.

6. The horizontal lifeline according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the pivot portion is provided with a groove that allows insertion of a seat and a radially penetrating rivet hole, and the seat is pivotably attached to the pivot portion by rivets inserted through the rivet hole and a seat hole provided in the seat.

7. The horizontal lifeline according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the main nut is provided with a threaded hole that penetrates radially, and the main nut is fixed to the threaded portion of the plug member by a set screw screwed into the threaded hole contacting the threaded portion of the plug member.

8. A notification structure is provided between the identification member and the main body, which can be used to notify that the tension is appropriate, the horizontal lifeline according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

9. The notification structure comprises a plurality of female nodes provided on the main body with a plug hole as the center, and a plurality of male nodes provided on the identification member and corresponding to the female nodes, as described in claim 8.

10. The main body has a pivot hole and a rotation hole extending in the front-rear direction of the chamber, the winding device is supported in the pivot hole and the rotation hole and has a pivot shaft that is movable in the axial direction, a secondary gear and a ratchet attached to the pivot shaft, the secondary gear is switchable between a first position in which it meshes with the main gear and a second position in which it is disengaged from the main gear, and the winding device has a spring that biases the secondary gear toward the first position. The rear end of the support shaft protrudes from the pivot hole and is connected to a retractable handle via a radially extending shaft. When the handle is extended, it rotates the main gear via a secondary gear, allowing the tension to be adjusted. A cam is provided at the connection point between the handle and the shaft, and when the handle is retracted upward toward the main body with the shaft as the pivot point, the cam contacts the main body, causing the pivot shaft to move axially, and moving the auxiliary gear to the second position against the biasing force of the spring. Furthermore, a ratchet block is provided in the chamber, one end of the ratchet block is pivotally connected to the main body via a pin, and the other end has a pawl, and a torsion spring is provided that biases the ratchet block toward the ratchet, one end of the torsion spring abuts against the main body, and the other end of the torsion spring engages with the ratchet block, so that the pawl engages with the ratchet in both the first and second positions, and prevents the rotation of the auxiliary gear by pulling out the cable member when the auxiliary gear is in the first position, as described in any one of claims 1 to 4.

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