WO2011018195A1

WO2011018195A1 - Protection element for loop ends of nautical use ropes

Info

Publication number: WO2011018195A1
Application number: PCT/EP2010/004849
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marino Douglas Scotti
Original assignee: Douglas Marine S.R.L.
Priority date: 2009-08-10
Filing date: 2010-08-09
Publication date: 2011-02-17
Also published as: ITMI20091460A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a protection element (1) for loop ends (7) of ropes (8) for nautical use. Advantageously such an element (1) is shaped as a thimble structured with an annular body (2) peripherally provided with a C groove (6) open toward the outside to host the loop end (7) of the rope. Such a protection element is elastically deformable being obtained from an elastomeric material or from an elastomeric rubber.

Description

Title: Protection element for loop ends of nautical use ropes

DESCRIPTION

Field of application

The present invention relates to a protection element for loop ends of nautical use ropes.

The present invention refers in its more general aspect to the technical sector of pleasure boating and, more particularly, to the systems of mooring of these boats to rings (or to bitts) of harbour quays by means of mooring ropes.

Even more particularly, the present invention refers to a system of the aforesaid type, wherein a mooring rope is secured to a respective ring with interposition of a cleat device.

Prior art

As is well known in pleasure boating the mooring of boats to a harbour quay is generally achieved by securing at least one mooring rope of the boat to a ring of the quay or to a bitt.

It is likewise known that, for this purpose and to facilitate the operation of mooring, one end of the rope is shaped as a slot and is engaged along its perimeter by a rigid support known as "thimble", to contrast as effectively as possible any possible damage due to wear and to keep the same slot open and thus ready for use.

The thimble has a drop or ring with cusp shape and is placed inside the end slot of the mooring rope to guarantee the integrity thereof in time against wear caused by the rubbing with other lines or with spring clips, hooks and the like. In fact, even in the case of forces applied repeatedly to the mooring rope, the thimble always ensures a good distribution of the force on a relatively long section of the slot loop of the rope itself.

Nowadays thimbles in stainless steel are used, and also in rigid nylon, more or less with the drop shape of the thimble in stainless steel.

Figure 1 shows a thimble of the known type which has a U section for holding externally by way of a groove the end slot section of the mooring rope. The connection between a thimble and a respective mooring ring takes place normally by means of a shackle or a spring clip.

It is likewise known that in the areas of mooring subject to tides and wave motion undertow the mooring to the quay provides, appropriately, for the use of a cleat device between the mooring rope and the respective mooring ring.

Figure 2 illustrates by way of an example a spring cleat device placed between the mooring ring and the thimble of a mooring rope.

Albeit advantageous in various ways, this solution is undeniably costly as the cleat device has a considerable cost and bulk.

Alternative solutions of this kind are disclosed for instance in the European patent application No. EP 1 533 222 or in the International patent application No. WO 01/90596. Both document relates to spring cleat devices crossed by the rope. In the first case the rope is passing through two opposite passing holes formed in the spring device while in the second case the rope is wrapped around a projecting portion and the ring form of the spring device.

Moreover the use of this spring cleat device also requires a pair of shackles or spring clips to complete the connection between the thimble and the mooring ring.

The technical problem at the basis of the present invention is that of devising a protection element for loop ends of ropes for nautical use having such structural and functional features as to confer to the mooring rope even more improved protection above all in places subject to undertow.

Another object of the present invention is that of making available a protection element having such structural features and number of components that the disadvantages mentioned with reference to the prior art are simultaneously overcome.

Summary of the invention

The proposed solution at the basis of the present invention is that of devising a protection element for the loop ends of ropes which is yielding and which can also perform the function of a cleat device like a mooring spring. On the basis of this proposed solution the technical problem is solved by a protection element for loop ends ropes or nautical use ropes structured with an annular body peripherally provided with a C groove open toward the outside to host the loop end of the rope and characterised in that it is elastically deformable being obtained from an elastomeric material.

More particularly, the invention includes the following additional and/ or optional features, taken alone or in combination if necessary.

The protection element of the present invention has a shape similar to that of a thimble of a traditional type, yet is structured with a soft and yielding material capable of returning to assume the same initial shape should it be stressed through stretching.

The materials suitable for this kind of application were chosen from the group of elastomeric and thermoplastic rubbers, which can be vulcanised or injection moulded, such as for example:

Hypalon, Neoprene, Dutral (EPDM), etc., or from the group of yielding synthetic-plastic substances, which can be obtained through casting and/ or can be injection moulded, such as for example: thermoplastic and/ or thermosetting polyurethanes, etc.

The features and advantages of the protection element according to the present invention will be made clearer by the description, given herein below, of an embodiment given by way of a non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a thimble made according to the prior art;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a thimble connected to a mooring quay by means of a cleat device with mooring spring;

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the protection element made according to the present invention;

Figure 4 shows a view from above of the protection element of Figure 3 associated with an end slot of a mooring rope;

Figure 5 shows a view from above of the protection element of Figure 4 tensile stressed in the direction indicated by the arrows F; Figures 6, 7 and 8 show respective schematic views from above of alternative embodiments of the protection element of the present invention.

Detailed description

Referring to these drawings, and more particularly to the example of Figure 3, 1 denotes schematically and overall a protection element made in accordance with the present invention for protecting loop ends of ropes for nautical use.

The protection element 1 is shaped substantially like a thimble with a substantially annular main portion or body 2 provided peripherally with a C-shaped groove 6. The groove 6 is open towards the outside of the same body 2 to hold circumferentially a loop or slot end 7 of a mooring rope 8.

In the hole 4 defined by the annular body 2 a shackle or spring clip is inserted (visible as a dotted line in Figure 5) for connection to a mooring ring.

The body 2 has an appendage 3 of triangular shape or with cusp, formed in one part, which confers to the entirety of the protection element 1 an essentially drop shape.

The slot end 7 of the rope 8 is held in the groove 6 and the free end of the rope 8 is made to match and is restrained by means of leading 9 to the same rope 8 in proximity of the tip of the appendage 3, maintaining stable the loop configuration of the slot 7.

Between the annular body 2 and the appendage 3 there is a second hole 5 with an essentially triangular shape.

Advantageously, according to the invention, the protection element 1 is elastically deformable, being obtained from an elastomeric material, that is to say with a material having elastic properties or memory shape properties.

Even more particularly, the protection element 1 is structured as a unit which can be singly manipulated with a synthetic elastomeric material, for example a material forming part of the group of thermoplastic and/ or thermosetting polyurethanes.

Alternatively, the protection element 1 can be made by means of an elastomeric rubber for example of the types known commercially as: Hypalon, Neoprene, Dutral (EPDM), etc.

Preferably the capacity for elastic deformation of the protection element 1 is chosen with a prefixed elastic yielding, substantially equal to that of a cleat device like a mooring spring.

Figures 6 to 8 illustrate schematically alternative embodiments of the protection element 1 according to the invention.

In these embodiments the annular body 2 can take on a different shape compared to the first embodiment of Figure 3 and the appendage 3 can be present or otherwise. For example the body 2 can be a hoop as in Figure 6 or a diamond with rounded edges as in Figure 8. Or again the body 2 can have a cavity, as shown in Figure 8, for housing the leading 9 of the loop 7.

What counts is that the annular body 2 is elastically deformable being obtained from an elastomeric material or from an elastomeric rubber.

Advantageously, the protection element 1, in its various embodiments, is deformable under force, that is to say it can modify its shape under the action of a force F of traction.

Taking for granted the fact that the protection element 1 is connected to a mooring ring, possibly by means of a shackle or spring clip, such as the one shown for example as a dotted line in Figure 5, the force Fl of traction, due for example to the moving away of the boat whereto the mooring rope 8 is connected, causes an equal and contrary force of reaction F2 which tends to elongate the protection element 1.

Preferably the elastic deformation of the material which forms the element 1 can be chosen so as to confer such elastic yielding as to reach the force of preloading of a cleat device after a prefixed yielding of a few centimetres.

The elastomeric material with which the protection element 1 is obtained allows it to elongate as far as the point when the annular body 2 may take on an elongated ellipsis shape. Similarly the appendage 3 of triangular shape is also stressed to elongate towards the top of its triangle shape.

This deformation is only temporary.

The action of the force Fl having dissipated due to the continuous movement of the boat through the effect of the undertow, the protection element 1 regains its original shape, that for example of Figure 4. The force induced in the rope 8 by the wave motion rises gradually from zero. In this way, even in the case of particularly high wave motion, over- stresses to the rope 8 are avoided and the boat at the mooring benefits from the fact that a noticeable intervention of the cleat is not noted.

Experimental tests performed on the premises of the Applicant have demonstrated how the protection element 1 according to the invention can withstand traction forces higher than 2000 kg and return to take on the original shape, before traction, for hundreds of thousands of times.

The thimble protection element made according to the invention thus solves the technical problem and achieves numerous advantages, the first of which definitely comes from the fact that it performs at least two different functions, that of its original nature and that of mooring spring.

With the thimble according to the invention it is in fact no longer necessary to connect the mooring rope with cleat device like a mooring spring to dampen the tensioning of the rope, also saving on all the accessories designed for this connection.

In fact the protection element according to the invention allows abandoning of the use of a specific cleat device and of the relative means of connection in line between the cleat device and the quay mooring ring on the one hand, and the thimble on the other.

The thimble 1 according to the invention also has the advantage of being particularly economical to make, for example through moulding or through injection of elastomeric material.

Claims

1. Protection element (1) for loop ends ropes (7) or nautical use ropes (8) structured with an annular body (2) peripherally provided with a C groove (6) open toward the outside to host the loop end (7) of the rope, characterized by being elastically deformable being obtained by an elastomeric material.

2. Protection element according to claim 1, characterized by being implemented through an elastomeric rubber.

3. Protection element according to claim 1, characterized by that said annular body (2) is elastically deformable or has memory shape properties.

4. Protection element according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that said annular body (2) is a circle.

5. Protection element according to claim 3, characterized by comprising a triangular appendix (3) integrally formed with said annular body (2).

6. Protection element according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that said annular body (2) with said triangular appendix (3) has a drop shape.

7. Protection element according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said annular body (2) is a diamond ring with rounded edges.

8. Protection element according to claim 1 , characterized by being a thimbles.

9. Protection element according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said elastomeric material is derived from groups of polyurethane obtained by casting thermoplastic or by thermosetting and elastomeric rubber or by vulcanization or printable injection, such as: Hypalon, Neoprene, Dutral (EPDM), etc..