US2661978A - Grapple - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 8, 1953 T. LAURO GRAPPLE Filed June 25, 1951 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEY Patented Dec. 8,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRAPPLE Timotheo Lauro, San Francisco, Calif.

Application June 25, 1951, Serial No. 233,299

The present invention relates to improvements in life saving devices and its principal object is to provide a device of the character described that may be used for the recovery of a human body from the bottom of a well, mine shaft or other cavity. I More particularly it is proposed to provide an open frame structure adapted for lowering into the well and for encircling the body, the lower end of the frame structure being provided with catches adapted to yield on the downward movement over the body and operative to automatically move into body-gripping position after they have passed the body.

It is further proposed to provide guide means for the device by means of which the latter may be guided toward the body as it is being lowered for establishing supporting engagement with the body.

It is further proposed to provide flexible means such as a cable or a rope for lowering and raising the device.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a protecting disc in the upper portion of the frame structure to protect the head or upper portion of the body upon which the device has been lowered.

It. is additionally contemplated to provide an alarm device within the structure operable by the protective disc to indicate to the rescuers that the device has reached the proper position with respect to the body to be recovered.

And finally, it is proposed to provide a device of the'charatcer described that is light in weight, easy to operate, economic in construction and that may be readily engaged over the body without causing any physical injury to the latter.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds, and the novel features of my invention will be fully defined in the claims attached hereto.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows a side view of my life saving device, with certain portions broken away,

Figure 2, a top plan view of the same, as seen from line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3, a horizontal section taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4, a horizontal section taken along line 44 of Figure 1.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, I wish to have it understood that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims attached hereto 2 Claims. (Cl. 294-457) 2 without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my life saving device comprises in its principal features four vertical legs I arranged in circumferentially spaced relation and arranged to form a crown 2 at the upper end, catches or gripping fingers 3 arranged at the lower ends of the legs, and a belt 4 encircling the legs intermediate their height and adapted to hold the legs at approximately uniform spacing to one another.

The legs I are made in the form of thin, elastic metal straps, and in the preferred form I make two opposing legs of a single strap which is suitably bent intermediate its length, the two bent portions of the two straps making up the crown indicated at 2.

The two central portions of the two straps are suitably secured upon one another by means of a socket 5 and a nut 6, the nut being also used to secure in place a small bracket I adapted to receive the lower end of a cable or rope 8. The socket 5 has a sleeve 9 threaded thereinto, and the sleeve is'adapted to receive the lower end of a rigid guide tube I0 which may be held in place by a pin I I and a wing nut I2. Each of the four vertical legs I has a catch or finger 3 pivoted to the lower end thereof as at I3, each of the fingers being swingable between a position adjacent its leg and in inwardly pointed position, the downward swing to an inwardly pointed position being limited by a stop I4 furnished by the lower end of the leg. The inner end of each finger is preferably serrated as at I5 to insure a better gripping action.

As the fingers are crowded into vertical position When the lower ends of the legs pass the body, they impinge upon Springs I6 which tend to initiate downward movement of the fingers or catches after the body has been passed.

The belt 4 is also made in the form of a thin, elastic, metallic strap which forms a circle surrounding the four legs and which is permanently secured upon the legs except for one loose end I? which may be adjustably secured upon the other end by means of a series of slots I8, any one of which may be engaged over the pin I9.

Due to the elasticity of the material the frame formed by the four legs may thus be expanded or contracted by the proper positioning and adjustment of the belt.

A pair of reinforcing straps 20 may be provided intermediate the top of the device and the belt to connect adjacent legs without interfering with the belt adjustment.

A light-weight disc 2| is movably supported in the crown of the frame by suspension members 22, and above the disc I provide a, bell 23 which may be of conventional construction, and the details of which are not shown in the drawing. It may sufiloe to state that the bell is operated by a spring in the manner of an alarm clock and that the hammer of the bell is normally locked by a member carrying a button 24 operable by the disc 3| for releasing the lock and for cause.- ing the bell to ring.

The operation of the device will be readily understood by the foregoing description.

When it becomes necessary to rescue a body from the bottom of a well or the like, the frame structure which may be about four or six feet in height, is lowered into the well by the rescuers and is guided by means of the tube! 0 toward the body, preferably in such a, manner that the frame telescopes over the latter. While the fingers 3 a the ow nds o th less ass the h es the are crowded inwardly, against the springs fte h h e as ed the body heir retu mov ment toward herizehta hes tieh is i itiates by th sp in a d con u d by t eir own wei ht unt l the reach the imi o thei mov ment. hi h time the ex end nwa y below the bo y er h ma n por ion of he bod Wh n the ,head or part of t body ea s the isc 21 i wil li t t e lette again t th butto 24 and ill eeuse the alarm to ri so as to ad.- yise the res uers that the ame is aged Over e bod The letter is n w fi m y h d in th am o case and may h recover d y upward Phil th a le o r e v t s ould b n ted that du to the lightn ss of the structure, the flexibility of the legs and the bel a d the rather ions t etch f he l be ow the be t, the wi l ea ily adjust it.-

Self to the outlin of th h ly no matter in what pos tion th atter i fo nd. Wh n the body in u ri ht or s m -up ht position, the frame or cage will naturally telescope over the body W thout much change in shape. But when the. bo y is n a y o her position, slumped or pros,- tr ate, the legs will readily find the contour and adjust themselves to it. The legs and even the belt may expand and contract to form an oval outline or the legs may spread, with one pair on one side of the body and the other pair on the other side while exerting gentle pressure from all around. The fingers age in, while normally occupying the semiangu-lar position shown Figure 1, may adjust themselves, individually, to almost horizontal position by tensioning the lower ends of the legs outwardly, and each finger may thus find, for itself, the best supporting position for its particular location with respect to the body. 1

I claim:

1. A life saving device for recovering a body from a well or the like, comprising an open frame structure adapted for lowering upon the body and including a plurality of straight legs arranged in circumferentially spaced relation and connected at their upper ends to form a substantially rigid crown, a belt encircling the legs intermediate their height for holding the legs in assembled relation, and gripping fingers hinged to the lower ends of the legs with freedom of swinging movement between positions adjacent the legs and inwardly pointed positions, the legs being unconnected below the belt and flexible ier hcie ehcieht yie din n response. to re ste e .ofi reei h the eeh eu of the. body structure adapted for lowering upon the body and .ihe iieiihs a plu ali o st ai ht le s arran ed in eii mterenti ii seeeeti r lation and. connected at their u e end e form ubstantially ri id w en ele t e he t joi i the less subs ne i liy midway o the r h t, and grippin se hin d o t e ower e ds of the less w h reedom o swin ing movement between positions adjacent the legs and inwardly pointed positions, he le s bein unconnected below the, belt and. xi le r independ nt ielding in resp ns t re istan e en ered b t e contour of the bod 111 0 1 ii h h t is: lowered. and the elastic. belt serving to collectively urge the legs upon the e y n t e relative positions b o ut y the eeh our oi the body.

TIMOTI-IEO LAURO.

fe ences C ed in the fil i i paten UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date :-.-.rr-.-r=:".-.-. .49145 Howard. et all Sept. 17, 193 1 98 ,062 Ha pton. -,T---.--.- J ne '8, .1937

FQB'EIGN PATENTS Number Gouptry pate

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