Rope lock device

Claim 1

In a rope lock device for receiving a length of flexible rope and holding the rope against movement until selectively released therefrom, the combination comprising: a yieldable, central support member, a pair of spaced apart arm means secured to said yieldable, central support member and extending therefrom in a first direction selectively to be pressed together from a neutral position for bending of said yieldable, central support member, first and second spaced apart, movable gripping members secured to said yieldable, central support member and extending therefrom in a second direction, said first and second gripping members having aligned apertures formed therethrough of a size to receive at least one length of a rope of given diameter, said first and second spaced apart gripping members being movable away from and toward one another upon pressing and releasing, respectively, of said arm means, and a third gripping member secured to said yieldable, central support member to be positioned between said first and second spaced apart movable gripping members, said third gripping member having an aperture therethrough which is substantially completely out of registry with the apertures through said first and second gripping members when said pair of arms are in their neutral position for forming a bight portion of the rope segment passing through said apertures of said first, second and third gripping means to lock the rope in place, the apertures of said first, second and third gripping members being placed in substantial registry with one another when said arm means are pressed together, thereby removing said bight portion from said rope segment for releasing the rope for free movement through said first, second and third gripping members.