Abstract: A band retaining unit includes a female retaining body adapted to be mounted securely on a canvas, a male retaining body connected pivotally to the female retaining body, a gripping element disposed slidably on the male retaining body, and a spring element biasing the engagement arms of the gripping element to engage within the gripping notches of the female retaining body, so as to clamp tightly a retaining band between the male retaining body and the female retaining body. The gripping element is provided with a projection which is positioned so that when a rope is passed through the rope holes of the female retaining body and into the depressions of the male retaining body, the projection is obstructed by the rope from moving in the band retaining unit, thereby locking the gripping element on the female retaining body.

Abstract: This invention relates to an emergency descending device having a life line, one end of which is adapted to be fixed at a high position, the other end of which is adapted to be extended to a low position, and a descending apparatus movably affixed around the life line and usually kept at a high position before operation. The descending apparatus is adapted to suspend a person and carries the person along the life line at a low speed from a high position to a low position. The improvement is characterized by the descending apparatus comprising a decelerating element which is a tubular member axially passed by the life line, forming a contact surface within the tubular member, and in addition, the contact surface being corrugated so as to increase the friction between the contact surface and the life line and reduce the descending speed of the descending apparatus while it suspends a person and lowers him/her from the high position.