| LATCHWAYS PLC Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
|---|
| 20120132481 | Fall Arrest System - A fall arrest safety system has a traveller arranged to travel along a safety line and including a securing arrangement deployable in response to a fall event to secure the traveller in fixed position on the safety line. An energy absorber device is connected intermediately between the traveller and the user, the energy absorber device including a plastically deformable energy absorber deployable in response to a fall event to plastically deform from a stowed orientation to a deployed orientation. The energy absorber may have a coil-form portion and an elongate tongue portion extending in a linear direction at the periphery of the coil-form portion, the elongate tongue portion of the energy absorber being arranged to extend to project from the housing for connection to a karabiner, lanyard or other connection device. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120031701 | Speed Responsive Engagement Device - A speed responsive engagement device for use in a fall arrest system has a ratchet wheel having outwardly projecting spaced apart teeth and a pawl arranged for pivotal movement to engage the ratchet wheel teeth. The pawl and the ratchet wheel are rotatable relative to one another such that when relative rotation occurs between the ratchet wheel and the pawl in a first direction the pawl contacts the ratchet wheel, generating an oscillating movement of the pawl with an amplitude dependent on the speed of the rotation, and when the speed of rotation reaches a predetermined value the increased oscillating movement causes the pawl to move into the engaged orientation brakingly engaging with the ratchet wheel teeth preventing further relative rotation between the ratchet wheel and the pawl in the first direction. A biasing arrangement arranged to bias the pawl towards the disengaged orientation. A capture arrangement arranged to capture the pawl in the engaged orientation when the pawl is brakingly engaged with the ratchet wheel. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20110226549 | Safety Line Traveller and Support - A traveller for a fall arrest system including a body having a bore and a slot narrower than the bore linking to the bore to the exterior of the body. A load member is connected to the body for pivotal movement relative to the body and suitable for attachment to fall safety equipment. The body has a centre of gravity positioned so that when the traveller is supported on a safety line passing through the bore, the body will be urged by gravity to rotate about the safety line towards a position in which the slot has a predetermined orientation relative to the safety line. | 09-22-2011 |
| 20110088976 | SPEED RESPONSIVE ENGAGEMENT DEVICE - A speed responsive engagement device comprises: a wheel arranged for rotation about a first axis and having a plurality of outwardly projecting spaced apart teeth with each pair of adjacent teeth being separated by a circumferential surface with a constant radius; a pawl arranged for pivotal movement about a second axis between a first unengaged position and a second engaged position in which the pawl engages one of said teeth and contacts a circumferential surface; and a resilient means arranged to urge said pawl towards the first position when the pawl is not in contact with a circumferential surface. When the wheel rotates in a first direction each tooth contacts the pawl, generating an oscillating movement of the pawl from the first position towards the second position with an amplitude dependent on the speed of the rotation. When the speed of rotation reaches a predetermined value the oscillating movement brings the pawl into the engaged position, preventing further rotation of the wheel in said first direction. | 04-21-2011 |
| 20090260919 | SAFETY LINE ANCHOR - An anchor assembly for an elongate safety line comprises safety line gripping means connected to a bracket means by a releasable clamping means. The releasable clamping means comprises a tapered clamp formed by first and second opposed clamping surfaces defining a tapered space between them, a tapered member having a tapered profile matching the tapered space and a clamping element adapted to urge the first and second clamping surfaces together to clamp the tapered member between them. | 10-22-2009 |
| 20090032785 | SAFETY DEVICE - A safety device for a fall arrest system comprises: a body, attachment means for attaching the safety device to a support structure, a drum mounted for rotation relative to the body, a safety line wound on the drum, a speed sensitive clutch connected to the drum, and a linear energy absorber connecting the body to the attachment means, in which the speed sensitive clutch is adapted to respond to rotation of the drum relative to the body in a direction tending to unwind the safety line from the drum and above a predetermined speed by locking the drum against further rotation in said direction relative to the body, and the linear energy absorber is adapted to respond, when the speed sensitive clutch has locked the drum, to an applied load along the safety line greater than a threshold value by deploying and absorbing energy so that the attachment means moves away from the body. | 02-05-2009 |
