Fall protection device

Claim 1

In a fall protection safety device comprising: (1) an elongated tubular housing having an upper open end, a lower open end, and an elongate volume therebetween; (2) an upper end guide block having a centrally located opening therein, said upper end guide block being secured to said upper open end of the housing; (3) a lower end guide block having a centrally located opening therein, said lower end guide block being secured to said lower end of the housing, said upper and lower end guide block openings defining a central passageway through which a safety line may be threaded; (4) a wedging ring having a centrally located conical bore, said wedging ring being secured within the elongate volume; (5) an axially movable line-gripping means for gripping a safety line upon movement upwardly within the conical bore of the wedging ring, said axially movable line-gripping means being associated with an axially movable piston having a centrally located opening and an outer surface adjacent to and circumscribed by the inner surface of said elongate tubular housing; and, (6) moving means for moving the axially movable piston and the associated line-gripping means upwardly within the conical bore of the wedging ring; the improvement which comprises: (7) a serrated outer piston surface on said axially movable piston; and, (8) a plurality of openings spaced apart from and around the centrally located opening of said lower end guide.