Other

Research & Trading Corporation

Meyer Ostrobrod

J Nigel Ellis

A pass-through cable grab system which allows a workman wearing a harness to move up and down a ladder on a tower or similar structure while being protected from falling by a vertically extending safety cable attached to the tower. The system includes at least one standoff bracket having a rear end secured to the tower and a forward end secured to the cable. A cable grab assembly includes a housing that can move vertically up and down the cable and further includes a brake mechanism. A lever extends from the housing and is connected to the workman through a lanyard. In the event of a fall, the lever moves downwardly activating the brake mechanism. The housing includes a vertically extending slot which allows the cable grab assembly to pass over the forward end of the standoff bracket as the cable grab assembly moves up and down. The standoff bracket also includes cam surfaces adjacent the top and bottom thereof which engage the housing as it moves toward the bracket to properly align the cable grab assembly so that it can pass over the standoff bracket.

Pass-through cable grab system

A remote overhead anchor system for use at an elevated overhead position and adapted to be secured to a ring or similar anchor point includes a substantially U or C shaped hook with two ends, one of which is adapted to pass through the anchor point to secure the hook to the anchor point. A latch is pivotally connected adjacent the other end of the U and can move between a closed position wherein it engages the first end and an opened position wherein it is spaced therefrom and a spring biases the latch into the closed position. To prevent the latch from unintentionally opening, a lock mechanism is carried by the other end of the U shaped hook and engages the lever. A conically shaped receiver secured to the hook faces downwardly to receive the upper end of an elongated vertically extending pole. A manually operable remote actuator including a cord extending downwardly from the anchor substantially the length of the pole is adapted to first unlock the lock mechanism and then subsequently move the latch into its opened position.

Remote overhead anchor system

A remote overhead anchor for use at an elevated overhead position and adapted to be secured to a horizontally extending structural member. The anchor includes first and second substantially half ring members that are hinged together at their bottoms. The members can move between a closed position wherein they lie in substantially the same plane and an open position wherein the tops are separated from each other so that they lie in different planes. A spring biases the members into the closed position. The tops of the members include cam surfaces arranged such that when said first and second half ring members are moved upwardly and engage a horizontal structural member, the structural member causes the cam surfaces to move away from each other to move the half ring members into the open position. A spring biased lock prevents the half ring members from opening but can be deactivated remotely so that the anchor can be removed by a worker standing on the ground. A conically shaped receiver adjacent the bottom of the anchor receives the upper end of an elongated vertically extending pole for attaching and detaching the anchor to and from the overhead support.

Remote overhead anchor

The cable grab safety device releasably attaches a workman's safety lanyard to a steel cable. A primary frame constructed of an elongated U-shaped bracket having a pair of spaced apart parallel side plates fits around the cable. A secondary frame also comprised of a pair of side plates fits within the U-shaped bracket after the cable is inserted. The secondary frame carries a brake in the form of a pulley mounted in an elongated slot movable toward or away from the cable. A lever attached to a worker's lanyard moves the pulley only in the inward direction to engage the cable in the event of a fall. A bent pin connected between the primary and secondary frames allows for limited pivotal and axial movement between them allowing the cable to be inserted into the U-shaped bracket. A separate locking pin secures the frame members together.

Anti-panic cable grab

A tool for setting an anchor at an elevated overhead position over a horizontal structural member wherein the anchor includes a length of webbing with a ring at each end. The tool includes a vertically extending adjustable length pole having a handle at the bottom and an elongated adapter at the top. The adapter has one end connected to the top of the pole and is movable between a position where it is in axial alignment with the pole and a position where it is perpendicular to the pole. A hook extends from the free end of the adapter and is capable of engaging the rings. A pair of spaced apart pins extends outwardly from the adapter to support the webbing when the adapter is perpendicular. With the webbing in place, the adapter is positioned over the support and maneuvered by lowering or tilting the same so that the webbing comes off of the pins and onto the support. Using the hook, one ring is then drawn through the other to provide an anchor.

Remote anchorage installation tool and method

A concrete anchor for securing the lanyard of a workman's harness to a fixed position on a concrete surface includes a cylindrical housing having an outer wall with openings therein and a rod that extends above the housing to which a harness can be attached. Hard metal balls within the housing are associated with each opening and are dimensioned so that a portion of each ball can pass through each opening but the entire ball can not pass therethrough. A pair of cones within the housing move the balls radially outwardly as the cones are moved upwardly by the rod which is spring biased upwardly. A visual marker carried by the rod normally lies within the housing but is visible from outside of the housing if said rod has moved up by a predetermined amount. This gives an indication that the anchor has been used.

Concrete anchor

A horizontal lifeline traversing device is capable of traversing intermediate lifeline supports without detachment from the lifeline but is easily attached to or detached from the lifeline. A paddle wheel having a plurality of radially spaced apart paddles prevents the device from vertical movement. The paddles are made of first and second sets of paddles rotatable about the same axle. The first set is substantially fixed on the axle but the second set is movable axially between a first position where it is axially spaced from the first set and a second position where it is in substantial axial alignment with the first set. A spiral spring biases the second set into the first position. By rotating the second set of paddles slightly, it can be moved axially into the second position where the device can be attached to or detached from a horizontal lifeline.

Horizontal lifeline traversing device

A combined extendable pole and counterbalance system for washing the windows of a building includes an elongated pole including a handle portion adjacent the lower end thereof and a window cleaning utensil adjacent the upper end. The handle portion is adapted to be grasped by a workman while standing on the ground. An elongated flexible line is suspended from the roof or some other an upper part of the building above the windows to be washed. The line extends downwardly toward the ground and is connected to the pole. A spring driven drum biases the line upwardly thereby lifting part of the weight of the pole. The line is preferably connected to the pole adjacent the handle portion thereof but passes around and is guided by a pulley located adjacent the upper end of the pole so as to stabilize the upper end of the pole to prevent it from falling from side to side.

Combined extendable pole and counterbalance system for washing the windows of a building

An extendable pole for window washing includes a plurality of substantially hollow elongated rigid tubular sections, each of which has a lower end and an upper end and a substantially cylindrical outer side wall. The upper end of one section is mechanically connected to the lower end of a section there above to form a substantially continuous pole. Apertures are formed in the side wall of each of the tubular sections adjacent the lower ends and adjacent the upper ends. An elongated flexible tube which is slightly longer than its associated tubular section extends through the interior of the tubular section with its ends passing through the lower and upper apertures to the exterior thereof. Fluid connectors at the ends of each of the tubes connect them together so that the tubes are in fluid communications with each other.

Extendable pole for window washing

A beam anchor safety device for use by workers wearing a lanyard for attachment to the device for preventing falls from elevated locations. The safety device includes an elongate round bar and a pair of L-shaped members affixed to the bar adjacent opposite ends thereof for releasably and slideably connecting the device to a flanged beam. Preferably both of the L-shaped members are moveable along the bar. A lanyard attachment portion is carried by the bar between the L-shaped members and circular washers surround said bar on either side of the lanyard attachment means for rolling engagement with the beam for assisting the sliding of the device along the beam. The elongated bar has a plurality of spaced apart grooves formed in the outer surface thereof and the L-shaped members include means for creating an interference fit with a selected one of the grooves to thereby secure the L-shaped member at a desired position on said bar. In one embodiment, the L-shaped member includes an aperture therein that is adapted to be aligned with a selected one of the grooves and a pin passes through the aperture and lies within the groove to prevent movement of the L-shaped member. In a second embodiment, the L-shaped members include a rotatable element capable of being rotated by a knob between an operative position wherein a portion of the element lies within a groove to create the interference fit and an inoperative position wherein the L-shaped members can be moved along the bar. A spring normally biases the rotatable element into its operative locking position.

Beam anchor

A descent controller for lowering a workman or other person along a vertically extending rope from an elevated position to a relatively lower position includes a friction device that may be in the form of a cylinder having a plurality of turns of rope wrapped therearound or a plurality of spaced apart horizontal bars with the rope woven between the bars. The friction device interacts with said rope to retard the movement of the controller along the rope. A lever operated pawl is mounted beneath the friction device and is used by the workman to applying an adjustable force on said rope in order to control his descent down the rope. A centrifugal brake is mounted below the lever centrifugal brake. The centrifugal brake includes a wheel mounted for rotation and has the rope passing around at least a portion of said wheel. Included within the brake is a pawl brake mounted for rotation with the wheel and a fixed stop member. Upon sensing rapid rotation of the wheel, the pawl brake moves outwardly by centrifugal force to engage the fixed stop member and applies a positive stopping force on the wheel to prevent movement of the descent controller relative to said rope thereby preventing accidental freefall.

Descent controller with safety brake

A load attachment system such as commonly used as a horizontal lifeline safety system ( ) includes a substantially horizontal lifeline ( ) secured at its ends to a building structure ( ) and supported intermittently along its length by intermediate supports ( ). Each support ( ) includes a horizontal bar ( ) for supporting the line ( ). The system ( ) further includes a load attachment device ( ) having a pair of grooved rollers ( ) that rides on the lifeline. A load ( ) is supported from the bottom ( ) of a C-shaped member ( ) which has its top ( ) connected to the rollers ( ) thereby allowing the device ( ) to traverse the supports ( ). The bottom ( ) of the C-shaped member also carries a rotatable paddle wheel ( ) which prevents the device ( ) from being removed from the line ( ). The paddle wheel ( ) rotates when a paddle ( ) is engaged by the support's horizontal bar ( ) as the device traverses the support ( ).

A safety apparatus is capable of tensioning a horizontal lifeline while providing an adjustable shock absorber and a gauge or indicator for indicating the amount of tension on the lifeline. A housing is adapted to be secured to an anchor point through an anchoring line. The free end of a horizontal lifeline is connected to a cable which passes around and is attached to a drum within the housing. The cable wraps around the drum as the drum is rotated and winds into a plurality of grooves located on the drum. A wheel located in front of the drum and a guide member located behind the drum ensure that the cable does not tangle as it winds upon the drum. A lever is utilized to rotate the drum in order to tension the lifeline. The lever, however, is interconnected to the drum through an adjustable disk brake which can be preset to a desired force. When the tension on the lifeline reaches its desired level, the brake slips and the lever can freely rotate. A second series of disk brakes connected to the drum function as a shock absorber. In the event of a fall, the initial force on the horizontal lifeline exceeds the braking force of the shock absorber brakes and the drum can rotate through a limited number of turns. Eventually, however, the shock absorber brake slows the fall and eventually stops the same. The amount of tension on the shock absorber brake can also be adjusted to thereby control the amount of shock being absorbed.

Safety apparatus for horizontal lifeline

A load attachment system such as commonly used as a horizontal lifeline safety system includes a substantially horizontal lifeline secured at its ends to a building structure and supported intermittently along its length by intermediate supports. Each support includes a horizontal bar and a partial vertical bar. The system further includes a load attachment device having a pair of grooved rollers that rides on the lifeline. A load is supported from the bottom of a C-shaped member which has its top connected to the rollers thereby allowing the device to traverse the supports. The bottom of the C-shaped member also carries a rotatable paddle wheel which prevents the device from being removed from the line. The paddle wheel rotates when a paddle is engaged by the support's horizontal bar as the device traverses the support.

Growing community of inventors

Philadelphia, PA, United States of America

Meyer Ostrobrod