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.

An apparatus for securely joining ropes for rope suspension or payload tie down. The apparatus includes a two substantially identical channel assemblies configured having a first bend to form a rope groove on one end and a second bend to form a cam channel on the other end, the cam channel having a rivet hole and a pin therethrough to enable a cam to rotate therein, and an attachment mechanism to secure the channel assemblies back-to-back thereto. By opening the cam of either assembly, a rope may be threaded through the rope grove, then again on the opposite assembly. The rope can be pulled from its end away from the assemblies to tighten prior to closing the cam(s) upon the ropes. The rope can further be secured by continuing to pull after the cam has been closed, or by using an optional tightening mechanism and method. A method of tying down cargo or rope suspension using the apparatus of the disclosure for uses such as general-purpose camping, hiking, and other general-purpose tie-down and/or suspension uses of ropes. A method of tightening one or more ropes using the tie-down apparatus disclosed.

A cable lock and seal device with features preventing the locking mechanism from engaging the cable fibers too tightly to cut or fray is disclosed. A conventional device is made up of a body (10) and a cover (20) halves to complementarily form a block enclosing therewithin a passage (30) and a chamber (50). The body (10) is integrally formed with an anchor block (12) in which one end of a cable (14) is anchored. The other free end of the cable (14) may be inserted into the passage (30) which is preferably curved upward in traversing the assembled body-and-cover block. The chamber (50) is adapted with a ramp (52) rising towards the passage (30), a slot (54) for retaining a spring (56) which second end is disposed to urge a locking wheel (53) up the ramp (52) against the passage (30). The improvement lies in providing a rib (51) along the lower wall of the passage (30) proximal to the top end of the ramp (32) so that the urging of the locking wheel (53) by the biasing means (56 or 58) up the ramp (52) is restrained when the locking wheel's axle (55) engages the rib (51) and limits the wheel (53)'s further entry into the passage (30) upon having sufficiently engaging the cable (14). While preventing the wheel edge from over-engaging and cutting the cable fibers it also prevents the withdrawal of the inserted cable.

A fall protection device or cable grab device for use with a generally vertically-extending cable, comprising: an articulating frame comprising: (i) a plurality of members; (ii) a channel configured to receive and retain the cable; and (iii) an attachment member opening extending through at least a portion of the articulating frame and configured to facilitate attachment of an attachment member to the cable grab device; wherein, when the frame is articulated in a generally downward (or first) direction, and at a specified point, at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of members contacts the cable and brakes movement of the cable grab device; wherein, when the frame is articulated in a generally upward (or second) direction, and at a specified point, at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of members contacts the cable and brakes movement of the cable grab device.

A rope restraining and selective release device is provided that may be incorporated with a carabiner or other device for selective interconnection to an anchor. The device employs a selectively rotatable cam lever with a plurality of teeth and gripping geometry that cooperates with the corresponding geometry in a rope cradle to restrain a rope. Tension in the rope will allow it to pass through the device in one direction, but tension in the opposite direction will prevent rope movement through the device.

A gripping arrangement (110) is disclosed for gripping an elongate article (111). The gripping arrangement comprises a body (112) defining a pathway (128) along which the article can extend and a gripping member (116) in the body for gripping the article. The gripping member is moveable from a non-gripping position to a gripping position. The gripping arrangement further includes urging means (122) to urge the gripping member towards the gripping position, and locking means (130) moveable from a non-locking position to a locking position. The locking means is configured to lock the article to the gripping member, when the locking means is in the locking position.

A rope restraining and selective release device is provided that may be incorporated with a carabiner or other device for selective interconnection to an anchor. The device employs a selectively rotatable cam lever with a plurality of teeth and gripping geometry that cooperates with the corresponding geometry in a rope cradle to restrain a rope. Tension in the rope will allow it to pass through the device in one direction, but tension in the opposite direction will prevent rope movement through the device.

A fall protection device or cable grab device for use with a generally vertically-extending cable, comprising: an articulating frame comprising: (i) a plurality of members; (ii) a channel configured to receive and retain the cable; and (iii) an attachment member opening extending through at least a portion of the articulating frame and configured to facilitate attachment of an attachment member to the cable grab device; wherein, when the frame is articulated in a generally downward (or first) direction, and at a specified point, at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of members contacts the cable and brakes movement of the cable grab device; wherein, when the frame is articulated in a generally upward (or second) direction, and at a specified point, at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of members contacts the cable and brakes movement of the cable grab device.

A seal housing body, extruded AL or molded plastic or metal, has cavity portions communicating through an interface region formed by one at least one frangible projection protruding from the first body into the cavity, a first cavity portion for receiving a locking body, the second cavity portion forming a shackle receiving passageway. The locking body has a channel inclined relative to and in communication with the passageway. A spring in the channel urges a shackle locking ball up the channel partially into the interface region, the ball, having a diameter sufficient to pass through the passageway, is captured in the channel by the at least one projection. The locking body has indicia and/or flanges, at one or both opposing ends, to provide tampering evidence. The channel is offset from the locking body's central plane forming a single channel side wall to preclude trapping the ball by tampering.

A connecting device (10) is disclosed for connecting an article (12) to a support (14). The connecting device (10) comprises a flexible elongate member (20) and a clamping arrangement (18) for clamping the flexible elongate member (20) around the article (12). The clamping arrangement (18) comprises a body (22) and a clamping element (34). The clamping element (34) is movable between clamping and non-clamping positions. In the clamping position, the clamping element (34) clamps the flexible elongate member (20) to the body (22), thereby attaching the article (12) to the clamping arrangement (18). In the non-clamping position, the flexible elongate member (20) is movable through the body (22).