Abstract: A stress relief apparatus for a conductor has two bodies, at least one of which pivots so as to grip the conductor. The bodies have first and second contours, respectively. The contours face each other, so that the smallest distance between the first and second contours changes as the pivoting body pivots. First and second elastic members bias the first and second bodies, respectively, so that each of the first and second bodies engage a cable positioned between the first and second bodies. The bodies may both be pivoting bodies, and may be mirror images of one another. The contours of the bodies may have an elliptical shape. Alternatively, the bodies may have a circular shape, in which case each body pivots about a pivot point that is located at a non-zero distance from the center of that body.

Abstract: A footwear device with an improved means of closing thereof utilizing a lacing means extending through eyelets or hooks and being fixedly secured in a tightened position extending therethrough by being positioned through a cam cleat. Preferably the configuration of the cam cleat includes two individual cam cleating devices one on each opposite side of the ankle of the wearer which each may include a guide ring for facilitating guiding and retaining of the shoelace extending therethrough. It is preferred that the shoelace include a plurality of slits defined therein which are adapted to be positioned extending over and retained by studs mounted in spaced relation with respect to one another adjacent to each of the camming cleats to neatly and in an orderly manner prevent the laces from becoming dislodged from the cam cleat as well as to prevent them from being undesirably loosened.

Abstract: A clothesline connector for connecting two ends of a clothesline to each other to form a loop. The connector has a frame and two spring loaded gripping members. The frame is a two piece assembly having a top piece ultrasonically welded to top ends of pivot posts on a bottom piece. The gripping members are pivotably mounted on the pivot posts and have finger contact sections. A user can move the finger contact sections towards each other with a single hand to open a path between the two gripping members.

Abstract: An exercise apparatus for assisting a person to safely do free weight lifting exercises without the aid of a human assistant. The apparatus is comprised of a pair of vertical cables secured at their upper ends to an overhead support structure, such structure dependent on the physical environment at the apparatus location, e.g. ceiling beams and trusses, weightlifting frames. The lower ends of the cables are not secured. A pair of clamp assemblies telescope over the cables and the weight bar is secured to the clamp assemblies. A control bar, parallel, above and proximate to the weight bar, connects to clamp assemblies. The control bar causes the clamp assemblies to grip and release the cables. When doing an exercise, the user squeezes the control bar towards the weight bar to release the cables. To terminate the exercise the user releases the control bar which in turn causes the clamp assemblies to grip the cables and therefore support the weight bar.

Abstract: An optical fiber cable closure assembly includes a base member and a mating cover which, when assembled form a hollow splice closure with openings at each end. Mounted to the base member at at least one end thereof is a grip block assembly which grips the optical cable entering the adjacent open end, and which automatically adjusts to differing sizes of cables. The grip block assembly has an upper member and a lower member and includes first and second pivotally mounted arms on the lower member which are actuated by actuating pins on the upper member and which, as the upper member is tightened down on the lower member, pivot until they bear against and grip the cable. Included within the closure assembly are one or more optical fiber splitters which are used to separate and segregate individual fibers or groups of fibers to be spliced.

Abstract: A rope clutch having a plurality of apertured pivoted plates which grip or release a rope passing through their apertures according to the angle they make to the rope, has a mechanism for initiating release of the rope which includes a variable toggle linkage.

Abstract: A self-jamming safety device for a rope comprises two pulleys, one of which is fixed on a base flange, and the other on a support plate capable of pivoting on an articulation spindle. The pulley is provided with a first braking surface, against which the rope is pressed by a boss of the pulley when the support plate is driven by the tension of the rope to a first jamming position. The pulley is equipped with a second braking surface operating in conjunction with the first surface following continued pivoting movement of the support plate to a second jamming position. Switching between the two jamming positions takes place after the tension of the rope has exceeded a preset threshold.

Abstract: A camming cleat for securing a length of line or rope to a boat or other such object, with the camming cleat being designed to simultaneously retain and hold one or a pair of lines in cleated relationship. The device includes a generally conically arranged base plate with a pair of rope receiving slots formed chordally therewithin and having a spring-biased camming plate disposed and received coaxially within the base plate and arranged for rotation relative to the plate. The camming plate is provided with a pair of generally "U" shaped channels each with a profiled depth which decreases as the camming radius increases, and furthermore may be provided with retainer prongs which are curved arcuately in a direction so as to be more generally normal to the axis of the cleated rope.

Abstract: A cam cleat includes at least two gripping members mounted in space apart relation. The gripping members provide a line gripping passage therebetween through which a line can extend. At least one of the gripping members includes a cam shaped gripping pawl mounted on a base member for pivotal movement relative to the upper gripping member. Movement of the gripping pawl toward the other gripping member closes the line gripping passage so that a line in the passage is gripped between the gripping members. Each gripping pawl has a pair of gripping surfaces arranged in symmetrical relation so that one of the pair of gripping surfaces engages the line during gripping. The surface allocated for gripping depends on the orientation of the gripping pawl relative to the other gripping member.

Abstract: A rope cleat having a base, a rope abutment structure on the base, a cam, and components for mounting the cam on the base so that the cam can rotate about a rotational axis for purposes of gripping a rope between the cam and the rope abutment structure is configured to better grip truck rope such as that fabricated from monofilament polypropylene. Teeth are provided on at least one of the cam and the rope abutment structure to provide edges disposed generally toward the other one of the cam and the rope abutment structure while a groove is provided to enhance the gripping of a rope having a known diameter against movement between the cam and the rope abutment structure along a path that is generally tangential relative to the rotational axis.

Abstract: A safety grab protection device that both operates bi-directionally for connecting a safety belt lanyard to a vertical safety rope and has contoured cam surfaces that engage the safety rope in such a way that the shape of the braking surfaces engage the rope without damaging it.

Abstract: A portable hand held rope cleat has two opposing rope gripping rotatable cams affixed to a tubular handle by two convergent side arms. The size and structure of the device allows for easy and comfortable gripping of jib sheets while trimming sails during boating. The addition of a support brace elevates the user's hand sufficiently to help prevent injury from the rotating cams and from rope burns.

Abstract: A rope cleat includes a rectangular plastic bottom plate and a nesting sheet steel top plate. Bolt holes in the corners of the plates allow bolts to retain the plates together and to mount the cleat onto a mounting surface. A pair of cam spindles and back-to-back rope abutments, integral to the bottom plate, protrude through matching cam spindle openings and rope abutment openings in the top plate.The edge of each cam spindle opening is rounded upward into a cam spindle boss to support the cam spindle. A cam, with rope gripping teeth on its rise, rotates on each cam spindle, is retained thereon by a washer and self tapping screw, and is biased by a C-shaped leaf spring.The front of each rope abutment also has rope gripping teeth. The back of each rope abutment is reinforced by a boss, bent upward from the top plate to leave the rope abutment opening. Each boss is strengthened by a vertical crimp, the apex of which supports and is supported by the apex of the crimp in the other boss.

Abstract: A cam cleat having opposed rotatable rope-gripping cams can be remotely operated by the action of the free end of the rope on an open rope-engaging face of a cam actuating arm, there being a rope-restraining lip overlying the rope-engaging face of the arm.

Abstract: A pair of elongated clamp levers are provided and interconnected intermediate their opposite ends for substantially coplanar relative oscillation of the levers to inversely swing corresponding pairs of ends of the levers toward and away from each other. One pair of lever ends defines opposing jaw ends between which a sheet metal marginal portion may be clamped and a wedge assembly is moveably connected between the other pair of ends of the levers and includes operating structure moveable lengthwise of the levers and to which one end of an elongated pull member may be anchored.

Abstract: An assembly is disclosed comprising a turnable member and a mounting therefor. The turnable member may be one cam of a cam set for gripping a rope and acting as a cleat. The turnable member has a through bore and is mounted on a pillar of a mounting member by a plastics sleeve which is deformable so that a press fit of the pillar in the sleeve is achieved. The sleeve may have a flange by which the turnable member is retained in position. The assembly may be assembled in a factory as a unit and can be mounted by passing a screw or bolt through the assembly.

Abstract: A quick release locking device to hold a tiller arm of a sailing boat is disclosed. The device allows a helmsman to engage or disengage the locking mechanism almost instantaneously with one hand, and also allows the tiller arm to be locked in any position. The device comprises two rope attachment anchors, one at each side of the boat, positioned an equi-distance from the rudder axis, rope locking device located on the underside of the tiller arm which includes two opposing cam detents to positively grip the rope, flexible rope tautly strung between the two attachment anchors passing through the rope locking device, quick release control lever located on the tiller arm and a connection between the control lever and the rope locking device such that depression of the control lever releases the rope from the locking device allowing the tiller arm to rotate as desired, and release of the control lever grips the rope in the locking device preventing the tiller arm from rotating.

Abstract: A strain-relief device for a cable, having a clamping space for accommodating a cable portion bounded by three clamping members, the center clamping member being stationary and the two outer clamping members being disposed at the ends of two resilient movable arms. The clamping space thus automatically adapts itself to the cable thickness and insertion of the cable is particularly simple.

Abstract: A reversible cable connector to connect a lanyard to a vertically suspended cable of the type which combines a U-shaped shoe to hold the cable in the crotch of the shoe with a lever arm pivotally mounted upon a pivot pin between the side plates of the shoe, the lever having a cam surface at the inner end of the lever arm engaging the cable when the lever is pulled downwardly and a connecting means at the outer end of the lever arm connecting with the lanyard.