A cord lock includes a main body having front and rear walls and two side walls, an elongated hole, and an inclined portion formed in an inner surface of the side walls; and an operating button having front and rear wall side operating portions arranged on the front wall and the rear wall, respectively, a connecting portion integrally connected to the front and rear wall side operating portions through the elongated hole, a biasing device biasing the front and rear side operating portions to the one side opening to cooperate with the inclined portion, and a gear-shaped engagement portion adapted to pinch the band inserted into the tubular shape. The operating button has a pivot portion, wherein a distance between an axial end of the pivot portion and a shaft end supporting the gear-shaped engagement portion is narrower than a thickness of the gear-shaped engagement portion.

A cleat for a boat includes a cam mounted to the boat, where the cam has a rotatable toothed surface for pressing against a line. The cleat also includes a guide mounted to the boat adjacent the cam, where the guide has a surface for directing the line above a top of the cam. In addition, the cleat has a slot formed in the surface of the guide, which permits the line to be moved into opposition with the rotatable toothed surface of the cam.

A line ascender for enabling a person to ascend a line including a receiver which tapers laterally to the line to receive the line laterally and a clamp provided for clamping the received line responsive to weight of the person. Advantageously, an errant rope can be readily received within the tapered receiver for re-engagement by the clamp.

A pre-stressed cast concrete structure comprises embedded fibrous reinforcing tendons in tension. The fibrous reinforcing tendons each comprises a plurality of continuous non-metallic fibers extending substantially the entire length of the tendon. A system for pre-stressing a cast concrete structure includes a mold for containing concrete, fibrous reinforcing tendons, chuck assemblies associated with the reinforcing tendons and a tensioning mechanism. When cured, the concrete rigidly surrounds the reinforcing tendons such that the reinforcing tendons are maintained in tension. The chuck assemblies have a plurality of jaws that contact the reinforcing tendons in a manner to resist damage to the fibers.

One aspect relates to a tensioning device comprising a pulley including a drive spindle and a pulley wheel connected to the drive spindle, a lifeline passing, in use, around the pulley wheel; a locking member configured to engage, in use, with a part of said lifeline to prevent relative movement of the lifeline with respect to the locking member in a first direction; and a handle assembly connected to the drive spindle, the handle assembly being moveable between a first, disengaged position in which rotation of the handle assembly does not cause rotation of the drive spindle and a second, engaged position in which rotation of the handle assembly rotates the drive spindle, rotation of the drive spindle rotating the pulley to move the lifeline in a second direction relative to the locking member, thereby tensioning the lifeline.

A directional lock or a headgear or interface assembly comprising one or more directional locks that include a catch arrangement for initiating or assisting in movement of a lock member of the direction lock. In some configurations, the catch arrangement assists movement of the lock member in only a portion of a range of travel of the lock member. In some configurations, the directional lock has a housing and a sleeve and the catch arrangement has a catch arm carried by the sleeve. The catch arm includes a catch end that contacts the lock member, which can be a lock washer in some configurations.

A bungee cord securing device comprising a block housing containing a clamping device, and a method for securing cargo using the bungee cord securing device and a pull cylinder. A single bungee cord is folded so that the folded bungee cord passes through an opening in the securing device. The two ends of the bungee cord is capped with a pull cylinder adjacent to the securing device. The loop formed by folding the bungee cord is wrapped around cargo and the portion of the bungee cord on which the securing device and pull cylinder are located is inserted through the loop to secure cargo. To tighten the loop, the securing device is pushed away from the pull cylinder. A cam-wheel located inside the block housing is rotated to clamp the bungee cord. The excess portion is looped back into the bungee cord with the pull cylinder to avoid dangling.

A pressing portion is housed movably in a front-and-back direction inside a main member portion. In the main member portion, two main-member-portion holes through which a string member passes are formed on a side wall forming an opening portion. The pressing portion includes a pressing face on a front face, and internally provides a pressing-portion string insertion portion which can communicate with the two main-member-portion holes and through which the string member passes. A bend insertion portion for inserting the string member to pass through by bending the string member inside the pressing portion is provided. An urging device for urging the pressing portion is provided at a position wrapping a virtual three-dimensional shape obtained by connecting, with straight lines, two imaginary faces on which an inner face of the side wall and an outer shape of the string member passing through the two main-member-portion holes intersect.

A tensioning device is provided comprising a locking device. The locking device comprises a locking enclosure comprising a groove and a locking pin comprising teeth. The tensioning device further comprises a suture comprising first and second portions. The first and second portions of the suture and the locking pin are positioned within the groove of the locking enclosure and the locking pin is movable within the groove between a first, outer position in which the teeth are disengaged from the suture so that the locking device is movable along the first and second portions of the suture and a second, inner position in which the teeth are engaged with the suture so that the locking device is not movable along the suture. Methods for treating mitral valve regurgitation are also provided.

A fastening element for a shoe of a boot comprising a disk-shaped single or multi-part main part, comprising a base side for fastening to the shoe, a cover side lying opposite the base side, and two grooves molded into a casing between the base side and the cover side for receiving and guiding a respective end of a shoelace. The grooves have an entrance angle at which shoelaces are to enter into the fastening element when laced in the pulling direction and an exit angle at which shoelaces are to exit the fastening element when pulled in the pulling direction, and wherein the entrance angle is greater than or equal to the exit angle.