Lace or line locking device

Claim 1

A LINE LOCKING DEVICE INCLUDING A BODY MEMBER, SAID BODY MEMBER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY THICKER AND WIDER THAN THE LINE BEING RETAINED, SAID BODY BEING PROVIDED WITH A SINGLE APERTURE SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER THAN THE LINE BEING RETAINED, A RESILIENT LINE RETAINING MEANS INTEGRAL WITH SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID RESILIENT MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST TWO PAIRS OF OPPOSING RESILIENT ELEMENTS HAVING OPPOSED GRIPPING SURFACES, EACH OF SAID PAIRS OF RESILIENT ELEMENTS BEING DISPOSED IN A GENERALLY V-SHAPED CONFIGURATION IN SPACED APART RELATION, SAID SPACED APART RELATION OF SAID MEMBERS DEFINING A FRICTIONAL LINE ENGAGING SLOT, SAID TWO PAIRS BEING EQUIDISTANTLY SPACED FROM SAID SINGLE APERTURE, SAID FRICTIONAL LINE ENGAGING SLOT BEING ADAPTED TO FRICTIONALLY ENGAGE A LINE INSERTED THEREIN, SAID SINGLE APERTURE BEING LARGER THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE OPPOSED GRIPPING SURFACES OF THE OPPOSED RESILIENT ELEMENTS, SAID GENERALLY V-SHAPED RESILIENT RETAINING MEANS BEING POINTED AWAY FROM THE DIRECTION OF THE FORCES TENDING TO PULL ON THE LINE WHILE FRICTIONALLY GRIPPING THE LINE RETAINED THEREIN.