Fall restraint system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10537757-B2
Application number	US-201816179345-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2018
Priority date	Apr 29, 2016
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

The present system for fall restraint includes a mounting frame connected to a trigger mechanism and firing blocks, with a trigger cable extending through apertures in the mounting frame and trigger mechanism. Sudden movement by a user, such as a fall, actuates the trigger mechanism to trigger the firing blocks. The firing blocks are loaded with anchors and firing cartridges. Triggering the firing blocks causes the cartridges to fire, propelling the anchors into an anchoring surface, such as a roof. Because the user is connected to the trigger cable, once the anchors deploy the user is anchored to the roof and their fall arrested.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for fall restraint, comprising:
a trigger cable connectable at a first end to a user;
a mounting frame connected to a second end of the trigger cable;
a trigger mechanism operably coupled to a plurality of firing pins, wherein the second end of the trigger cable contacts the trigger mechanism to actuate the trigger mechanism; and
a plurality of anchors extendable from the mounting frame upon actuation of the trigger mechanism.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mounting frame is v-shaped, having a vertex extending to divergent ends.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of anchors are located at the divergent ends of the mounting frame.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of anchors are located at each divergent end of the mounting frame.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the trigger mechanism is located at the vertex of the mounting frame.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the trigger cable comprises a cable stop near the second end, the cable stop having a diameter larger than a diameter of a trigger aperture in the trigger mechanism.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein movement of the cable stop actuates the trigger mechanism to fire the plurality of anchors from the mounting frame.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of anchors are actuated by powder.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the powder is gunpowder.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the powder is contained in a plurality of removable firing barrels.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of removable firing barrels also contains one of the plurality of anchors.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of removable firing barrels is attached to the frame by a threaded connection.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein one of the plurality of firing pins is located at an upper end of each of the plurality of removable firing barrels.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of firing pins actuate the powder.

15. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a shell surrounding the mounting frame and the trigger mechanism.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a trigger safety connected to the shell.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the trigger mechanism is rotatably mounted to the mounting frame.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of firing pins are linear firing pins.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of firing pins are rotary firing pins moved by a spring.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the spring is a torsional spring.

Assignees

• Univ Auburn

Inventors

• Dyer David
• Sherer Tyler
• Carrell David
• Flaniken Jim
• Gaddes Chris

Classifications

• A62B35/0062

  Rail-form lifelines for permanent installation · CPC title

• A62B35/0043

  Lifelines, lanyards, and anchors therefore (attachments A62B35/0037) · CPC title

• E04G21/3233

  without permanent provision in the floor or roof · CPC title

• F16H35/18

  Turning devices for rotatable members, e.g. shafts · CPC title

• A62B35/005

  Vertical lifelines · CPC title