AU710462B2 - Safety rope - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a safety rope, more particularly to a safety rope which is particularly adaptable for the mooring of marine vessels.

In the mooring of marine vessels, whether ocean going, fishing, or private recreational vessels and craft, it is necessary to quickly moor or tether the craft to the wharf, landing or buoy or other fixture to secure the craft, boat, vessel, house boat or the like, particularly when it is subject to tides and wind and mooring movement of the craft. This usually entails a person on the vessel or boat to throw a rope to a person on the wharf or other area to which the craft is to be tethered, the rope being securely and quickly attached to a 10 bollard or pile or other structure on the wharf or pier or the like by a suitable S•knot. This knot must be of an approved type, ie., a knot which is easily and quickly tied, which knot can be easily undone when required to release the :;craft, even if the rope is wet and sodden.

If the person receiving the thrown rope is not adept at tying a secure knot or 15 hitch the craft or vessel may move away from the mooring position under its momentum or under the influence of wind and or tide. This often occurs where non-professional personnel have to catch the thrown rope and moor the vessel, particularly in pleasure craft and with amateur fishing craft and this can also occur where the person receiving the thrown rope, in haste, does 20 not correctly secure the vessel.

Thus it is an object of the invention to provide a mooring or securing rope which is easy to secure to a fixture to which the craft or vessel is to be moored.

Thus there is provided according to the invention a mooring or securing rope, the rope comprising two portions, a first portion having a plurality of spaced slits or divisions along at least a portion of its length, and a second portion comprising a further rope having a knot at each end thereof, where each knot is adapted to be passed through a respective slit in the first portion and be prevented from being removed from the slit when the rope is under tension by the knot engaging the closed portions of the slit against one end of the slit.

Also there is provided according to the invention a mooring or securing rope, the rope having a plurality of spaced slits or divisions along at least a portion of its length, one end adapted to be secured to a craft to be moored, and a knot at the other end thereof, wherein said knot is adapted to be passed through a respective slit in the rope and be prevented from being removed from the slit when the rope is under tension by the knot engaging the closed portions of the slit against one end of the slit.

Further the rope may be a braided rope and the slits or openings formed during the manufacture of the rope by dividing the rope and braiding the 10 divided portions.

4 the rope at each end of each slit is provided with a clip, collar or binding o to close the end of the slit and prevent the slit from extending further along the rope.

Further the fastening rope is preferably of the same diameter as the main 15 rope with a large knot at each end of the rope.

In order to more fully describe the invention reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:- °*o4 Figure 1 is an illustration of one form of rope having a slit therein, Figure 2 shows a further form of rope, Figure 3 shows a main rope with a secondary rope knotted at both ends, Figure 4 shows one application of the ropes of Figure 3, Figure 5 shows a second embodiment of the invention, and Figure 5 shows an application of the rope of Figure Figures 1 shows one from of the main rope 1 The main rope 1 is a rope which during manufacture is provided with a slit or openings 2 spaced along its length. Thus in Figure 1 the rope is a twisted rope, the rope during its manufacture will have portions 3 which are divided in order to provide the slits or openings 2. Each portion is again divided and these portions are then twisted to form twisted rope portions. In order to prevent further unravelling of the rope, each end of the slit or opening will be terminated by a collar, clip or sleeve 4 to tightly clamp the end of the rope to prevent the slit opening further. Alternately there may be a binding which will encircle the rope and also pass between the ends of the slit or opening.

So* If the rope 5 is of the braided type as shown in Figure 2, during manufacture the braiding is be stopped, the strands and core divided into two portions 6 which portions are then braided to create the slit or opening, and then the manufacture of the rope is continued. At each end of the opening or slit, the slit or opening is controlled by a sleeve, collar clip 8 or binding crimped or clamped to the rope adjacent the opening, or by a binding passing around the rope and through the end of the slit at each end of the slit. If the braided rope has a central core of parallel strands, then this can also be divided so that the braided portions will have the central core of the parallel strands.

20 In the form of the invention as shown in Figure 3 there is shown a fastening rope having a large knot 10 at each end. The size of the knot 10 and the slits or openings 11 in the main rope 12 are so chosen that the knot can be quickly and easily passed through the respective slit by slightly opening the slit. However the two portions of the slit will then close under tension so that the knot cannot be removed therefrom unless the portions of the slit are manually moved to open the slit. Furthermore when tension is applied to the main rope, however slight, the slit will then become closed.

The safety rope can be used in a variety of places. One is shown in Figure 4 where the main rope 12 is passed around a bollard 13 or the like and is joined together by the fastening rope 9. When the main rope is thrown from the vessel, one end of the fastening rope is already connected to one slit of the main rope, preferably the slit nearest the end of the main rope. The person on the wharf or pier then catches the main rope, passes it around the bollard, and inserts the other knot of the fastening rope through the same or further slit in the main rope.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the fastening rope may be looped through a slit in the main rope with both knots extending from the slit. In this instance both knots can be inserted into a further slit of the main rope after the main rope is passed around a bollard or the like Also the fastening rope can join two separate ropes together to form a longer rope if desired. In a still further form of the invention the knots, instead of being all rope, the knot may be formed around a plastic ball to thus form a 10 more circular knot.

Figure 5 shows a further form of the invention where the main rope 14 has a o knot 15 at its free end. As shown in Figure 6, the end of the rope 14 can be passed around an anchorage such as a bollard and the knot 15 passed ,.;.through the respective slit 17 to firmly anchor and secure the rope.

In a further embodiment of the invention instead of dividing a rope, the main rope may comprise two separate ropes 18 which are secured together in parallel fashion along their length with the securing being periodically terminated to provide slits between the two ropes 18. In one example the ropes may be secured together by braiding along the length of the main rope, and a second step the braiding at the required locations slit and removed, clips 20 being tightly clamped on the rope at the ends of the slits. It is also envisaged that the braiding which joins the two ropes be terminated when desired and restarted to produce the unbraided portions to form the slits.

Thus as shown in Figure 5 the rope may be used in either of two ways, by passing the knot 15 through a selected slit, or alternately the fastening rope can be used as previously described.

The main rope may be manufactured with the spaced openings or slits throughout its length, the length of each slit and the spacing between the slits being determined by the diameter of the rope. Thus a large mooring rope for large vessels will have the slits spaced at a greater distance than a smaller rope for mooring smaller vessels. Thus the length of each slit will be determined by the size of the knot either on the main rope or on the fastening rope.

6 Although various forms of the invention have been described in some detail, it is to be realised that the invention is not limited thereto, but can include variations and modifications falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

S* S...i **4 THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. A mooring or securing rope, the rope having a plurality of spaced slits or divisions along at least a portion of its length, and a securing rope having a knot at each end thereof, where each knot is adapted to be passed through a separate respective slit in the rope and be prevented from being removed from the slits when the rope is under tension by the knot engaging the closed portions of the slits against one end of the slits.

2. A mooring or securing rope, the rope having a plurality of spaced slits or divisions along at least a portion of its length, one end adapted to be 10 secured to a craft to be moored, and a knot at the other end thereof, wherein said knot is adapted to be passed through a selected slit in the rope and be prevented from being removed from the slit when the rope is under tension by the knot engaging the closed portions of the slit against one end of the slit.

3. A mooring or securing rope as defined in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the slits in the rope are formed by dividing the rope and securing clips at the ends of the slits to prevent the slits increasing in length.

4. A mooring or securing rope as defined in either of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the rope comprises two smaller ropes joined in parallel fashion throughout their length, the means joining the smaller ropes being terminated at spaced locations to provide the slits.

A mooring or securing rope as defined in claim 4 wherein the means joining the smaller ropes together comprises braiding joining the ropes together the braiding being terminated at spaced locations to define the slits, securing clips being clamped to the rope at the ends of the slits.

6. A mooring or securing rope as defined in claim 4 wherein the means joining the ropes together comprises braiding joining the ropes together, the slits being form by removing the braiding at spaced locations and securing clips at the end of the slits

Claims (1)

1. 7. A mooring or securing rope substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. Dated this 8th day of April 1998 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING RESEARCH AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED By their Patent Attorneys COLLISON CO 4 o ABSTRACT A mooring rope for marine craft which eliminates the need to tie knots when mooring the craft. The rope is divided to form slits at spaced locations along at least portion of the rope, a knot being provided at the end of the rope. To moor a craft the rope is passed around the mooring post or the like and the knot inserted through a selected slit. Under tension the knot cannot be removed from the slit. Alternately there may be a short second rope with a knot at each end, whereby the mooring rope is passed around the mooring post, the short O rope connecting two cooperating slits in the mooring rope. °o 0 e..6 S