EP3736025A1 - Flipline, in particular for workplace positioning and and rope-based access to a tree - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a flipline (6), in particular for workplace positioning and rope-supported access to a tree, comprising a steel cable (7) and a textile jacket (8), a first cable section (S1) of the steel cable (7) from the jacket (8 ) and a second cable section (S2) of the steel cable (7) adjoining the first rope section (S1) is folded back to form an eye (4), a third rope section (S3) adjoining the second rope section (S2) of the steel cable (7) with essentially the same length (L) as the first cable section (S1) is guided within the jacket (8), the first and third cable sections (S1, S3) at their two ends (9, 10) are fixed to each other.

Description

The invention relates to a flipline, in particular for workplace positioning and rope-assisted access to a tree, comprising a steel cable and a textile jacket, a first cable section of the steel cable being surrounded by the jacket and a second cable section of the steel cable adjacent to the first cable section being folded back to to form an eye.

In the field of tree care in particular, fliplines, also known to those skilled in the art as a special form of lanyards / connecting means, are used as part of personal protective equipment for people working on trees. In general, such fliplines comprise a rope which has an eye at at least one end. On the flipline, especially if the rope has only one eye, a mechanical rope shortener or a clamping knot is also guided, each of which has an additional eye.

To secure themselves on the tree with the flipline, the person working on the tree wears a belt with two fastening elements, one on the left and one on the right. The flipline is then led around the tree so that the tree is between the flipline and the person. The eye of the flipline is then hooked into one fastening element of the belt with a carabiner and the eye of the rope shortener in the other in the same way. Depending on the thickness of the tree, the rope shorter can be moved along the flipline to adjust it. After the flipline is anchored in the harness, the person can lean back to be secured to the tree by the flipline.

To move up or down the tree, the person leans forward to loosen the flipline from the tree and swings ("flips") it up or down before climbing up or down and then himself lean back again to protect yourself. Since flipping only works in a targeted manner if the flipline has adequate rigidity, it usually has a steel cable core which is surrounded by a textile jacket for easier handling of the flipline.

It is also known from the prior art to form the end eye of the flipline by folding back one end of the steel cable and fixing it to itself by means of a ferrule. However, it has been found that the force in the In practice, shear forces occur in the ferrule, so that there is rapid wear and tear, which defines the service life of the flipline. A further complicating factor is that this critical point is difficult to check, which means that the risk of a breaking flipline cannot be recognized at an early stage.

Alternatively, fliplines with spliced eyes can be used, which do not require a ferrule. However, here it is the splice that determines the lifespan of the flipline. In these embodiments, there is also the fact that the splice is made entirely by hand, which implies an increased risk, since the splice may not be carried out correctly due to human error. In addition, the manual work is time-consuming and costly. The aforementioned embodiments with ferrule and splice can also be combined, but this means an extremely complex process.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a flipline which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art and in particular has an increased service life.

This object is achieved with the aforementioned flipline, in which a third cable section of the steel cable adjoining the second cable section and having essentially the same length as the first cable section is guided inside the jacket, the first and third cable sections being fixed to one another at their two ends are.

This ensures that no more shear forces occur in the fixation means when there is a tensile load, since in the solution according to the invention the steel cable is guided twice over the entire length, whereby tensile forces that occur are evenly absorbed by both cable sections. By eliminating the shear forces in the ferrule or any other fixation means used, it is no longer the weak point of the flipline, which increases the overall lifespan of the flipline.

Another advantage of the flipline according to the invention is the increased safety, because, in particular during tree maintenance work, tree surgeons can inadvertently saw the flipline with chainsaws. Even if one of the cable sections is damaged in the flipline according to the invention, it is able to secure the arborist by means of the remaining cable section.

In the case of the flipline according to the invention, the jacket has the advantageous property that both cable sections of the Steel cables are held together over the entire length. It can therefore not happen that the rope sections are separated when "flipping".

The fixing of the first cable section with the third cable section at the end facing the eye has the effect that the eye is dimensionally stable, for which ferrules are particularly suitable. The fixing of the first cable section with the third cable section at that end that is facing away from the eye serves in particular to ensure that the force is evenly transmitted to the first and third cable sections, i.e. the fixing at this end could also be carried out through the jacket itself, if it is tight enough, although a ferrule is preferred here as well.

The first and third cable sections are preferably fixed at both ends by means of a ferrule. This represents a proven and inexpensive means of fixing, but other types of clamps or even soldered or welded connections could also be used.

In principle, the steel cable could be continued behind the first and / or third cable section at the end facing away from the eye, for example with a fourth or fifth cable section adjoining the first or third cable section in order to equip the flipline with further safety measures. Preferably, however, the steel cable itself has an end at the end of the first and third cable section facing away from the eye, i.e. terminates there. This can be achieved in particular with two preferred embodiments as follows.

In the first alternative embodiment, the steel cable terminates essentially directly at the end of the first and third cable section facing away from the eye. Thus the flipline at one end is from the first eye, i.e. the second rope section, bounded and at the other end by the immediately terminating first and third rope sections, whereby a "blunt", i.e. eyeless, end of the flipline results.

In the second alternative embodiment, the steel cable has a further eye at the end of the third cable section facing away from the eye, which is formed by a fourth or fifth cable section of the steel cable that is folded back and adjoins the first or third cable section. At the end of the first cable section facing away from the eye, the steel cable terminates essentially directly. In this embodiment, the flip line ends in two eyes, the other eye being designed according to the prior art and therefore not having the advantages according to the invention.

However, this is less relevant because the other eye is only used in exceptional cases, as a cable shortener arranged along the flipline on the first and third cable section is used, which is connected to the second fastening element of the belt. The other eye is therefore only rarely the load-bearing eye, which results in less wear.

Preferably, an inner circumference of the eye is reinforced with a thimble, which reduces wear on the eye.

It is advantageous if the ends of the jacket are fixed to the first and third cable sections, preferably by means of further ferrules. This prevents the jacket from slipping on the steel cable. Fixing can be carried out directly next to or on the ferrule. E.g. the two ferrules for the jacket can each be attached essentially directly next to or on the ferrules that fix the first and third rope sections.

It is favorable if the flip line comprises a stopper which is arranged at the end of the flip line facing away from the eye. This stopper is usually used to stop a shorter rope at the end of the flipline if it accidentally slips along the flipline. The stopper can be formed, for example, by the already mentioned further eye or by the press clamp or further press clamp facing away from the eye.

In the case of the flipline according to the invention, the steel cable preferably has a diameter of 2 to 10 mm, preferably 4 to 8 mm. Due to the double guidance of the steel cable, the flipline will have an overall oval cross-section, which then preferably has a nominal diameter of 10 to 20 mm (measured according to EN1891: 1998 test method 5.3).

The first and third cable sections advantageously have a length of 1.5 to 15 m, preferably 2 to 10 m, so that the flipline can be used in particular as a safety device in building maintenance.

So that the eye can interact well with the snap hook, this forms an opening of 0.5 to 40 cm ² , preferably 2.5 to 15 cm ² . However, depending on the intended use, the eye can also have other dimensions.

The remaining breaking force of the flipline after a complete severing of the first or third rope section is preferably at least 9 kN, preferably at least 12 kN, particularly preferably at least 15 kN. This ensures sufficient safety even after an unintentional severing of the first or third rope section, as can certainly be the case with tree maintenance work using a chainsaw.

• Fig. 1 zeigt ein Ende einer Flipline gemäß dem Stand der Technik.
• Fig. 2 zeigt ein Ende einer erfindungsgemäßen Flipline.
• Fig. 3 zeigt die Flipline von Fig. 2 in ihrer Gesamtheit.

Advantageous and non-limiting embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

• Fig. 1 shows one end of a flip line according to the prior art.
• Fig. 2 shows one end of a flipline according to the invention.
• Fig. 3 shows the flipline of Fig. 2 in their entirety.

According to the prior art, a flipline 1 comprises a steel cable 2 as the cable core and a textile jacket 3 which surrounds the steel cable 2 on a first cable section S1. Overall, the steel cable 2 according to the prior art has a first cable section S1, a second cable section S2 adjoining the first cable section S1 and a third cable section S3 adjoining the second cable section S2.

The second rope section S2 is turned back to an eye 4, i. to form a loop. In the prior art, the third cable section S3 only serves to fix one end of the steel cable 2 to itself, so that the eye 4 retains its shape. For this purpose, the first cable section S1 and the third cable section S3 are fixed to one another by means of a ferrule 5, the cable section S3 terminating almost immediately behind the ferrule 5.

In use, the eye 4 of the flipline 1 is e.g. connected via a carabiner to a belt of a person who wants to secure himself to a tree. The flipline 1 is led around the tree, whereupon another end of the flipline is also attached to the belt, for example by means of another eye at the other end of the flipline or by means of a rope shortener. During tree care work, the person can then lean back in the belt, which is secured by the flipline 1 that attacks the tree.

During the securing process, tensile forces FZ1, FZ2 occur between the eye 4 and the first cable section S1, which are shown schematically in FIG Fig. 1 are shown. In the ferrule 5, however, there are considerable shear forces due to the asymmetrical construction of the flipline 1 FS1 and FS2, which cause the flipline 1 to wear out quickly and define the service life of the flipline 1.

Fig. 2 shows a flipline 6 according to the invention, in which shear forces in the ferrule 5 are essentially avoided. The flipline 6 according to the invention is particularly suitable for workplace positioning and rope-assisted access to a tree, but also for any other activity in which a person is to be secured to an essentially vertical structure. This can include, for example, sporting activities such as climbing, maintenance work on masts or cleaning work on artificial objects such as pillars.

The flipline 6 according to the invention comprises a steel cable 7 and a textile jacket 8 ( Fig. 3 ; in Fig. 2 the jacket 8 was not shown for the sake of clarity). Here too, the steel cable 7 has a first cable section S1, a second cable section S2 adjoining the first cable section S1 and a third cable section S3 adjoining the second cable section S2. However, in contrast to the flipline 1 of the prior art, the third rope section S3 has essentially the same length as the first rope section S1. In the longitudinal direction, the steel cable 7 is preferably made in one piece, ie the cable sections S1, S2, S3 are cable pieces or the like that are not welded together.

In the flipline 6 according to the invention, too, the second rope section S2 is folded back to form the eye 4, and the ferrule 5 fixes the first and third rope sections S1, S3 at one end 9 of the first rope section S1. In order to avoid shear forces in the ferrule 5, the third cable section S3, which, as explained above, has essentially the same length as the first cable section S1, is also fixed at that end 10 with the first cable section S1 that is opposite the second cable section S2. Since the ends of the first and third rope sections S1, S3 essentially coincide in terms of their position with respect to the flipline, they are denoted below with the same reference numerals 9, 10.

As in Fig. 3 As shown, the first and third rope sections S1, S3 are thus arranged essentially parallel to one another in the flipline and are fixed to one another at their two ends 9, 10, ie the end 9 of the first rope section S1 facing the eye 4 is facing the eye 4 End 9 of the third cable section S3 is fixed and the end 10 of the first cable section S1 facing away from the eye 4 is fixed to the end 10 of the third cable section S3 remote from the eye 4. To fix the first and third rope section S1, S3 at the end 10 opposite the eye 4, a ferrule 11 can be used, which can be of the same type as the ferrule 5. In general, instead of the ferrule 5, 11, another type of connection can also be used. Fixed means that movement of the first and third cable sections in relation to one another in a longitudinal direction is prevented.

By fixing the two rope sections S1, S3 by means of the ferrules 5, 11, the flipline 6 is given a symmetrical structure, which means that the ferrule 5 is no longer loaded on one side when there is a tensile load on the eye 4, thereby avoiding shear forces. According to the invention, both rope sections S1, S3 absorb tensile forces evenly, which is shown in FIG Fig. 2 is shown schematically by FZ1 and FZ2.

As in Fig. 3 shown, both the first and the third cable section S1, S3 are guided within the jacket 8, ie surrounded by the jacket 8. The jacket 8 completely envelops the first and third rope sections S1, S3, depending on the embodiment, but it can also be provided that a part of the first and third rope sections S1, S3 is not enveloped in the area of the ends 9, 10. The second cable section S2 is usually not surrounded by the jacket 8, but can have a separate covering, in particular a plastic cladding. Alternatively, a thimble 12, usually made of metal, can be provided in the eye 4 in order to make it dimensionally stable.

The steel cable 7 of the flip line 6 according to the invention can be designed as is customary in the prior art and has a rigidity that enables the flip line 6 to flip. The steel cable 7 usually has a circular cross-section, but this can be deviated from, in particular in order to make the cross-section of the flipline 6, for example, circular. For this purpose, the steel cable 7 could be designed, for example, as a composite of several steel cables with a smaller cross section than the steel cable 7.

The textile sheath 8 can be made of any fiber, i.a. Polyester (PES), polyamide (PA), high molecular weight polyethylene (HMW-PE), polypropylene (PP), are manufactured and braided, knitted, woven, etc. During the production of the flipline 6, the steel cable 7 can be braided around or also encased in a textile tube.

In order to fasten the jacket 8 to the first and third cable sections S1, S3, further ferrules 13, 14 can be used, which can each be arranged essentially next to or directly next to one of the ferrules 5, 11. Instead of ferrules, other types of clamps or fasteners can also be used here Use. In other embodiments, the jacket 8 can also be fixed simultaneously with the first and third cable sections S1, S3, ie under the ferrule 5, 11.

Fig. 3 also shows that the flipline 6 ends on one side in the eye 4 and on the other side has a blunt, eyeless end, ie the steel cable 7 terminates at the end 10 of the first and third cable sections S1, S3 facing away from the eye 4 essentially directly, ie the steel cable 7 has only the first, second and third cable sections S1, S2 and S3 and thus has two ends, both of which lie at the end 10 of the first and third cable sections S1, S3 facing away from the eye 4.

In an alternative, not shown embodiment, the flipline 6 ends at both ends in one eye, one of the eyes 4 having the advantages according to the invention and the other according to the prior art as in FIG Fig. 1 shown is formed. In this embodiment, the steel cable 7 has a further eye at the end 10 of the third cable section S1, S3 facing away from the eye 4, which is formed by a fourth or fifth cable section of the steel cable 7 that is folded back and adjoins the first or third cable section S3. For example, an additional ferrule can be used to form the eye according to the prior art, whereby this additional clamp is arranged essentially next to the ferrule 11.

If the flipline is also equipped with a further eye at the end opposite the eye 4, this acts as a stopper, for example for a rope shortener 15 slipping in the direction R. Alternatively or in addition to this eye according to the prior art, a further stopper can also be used at the end 10 be provided, for example can be formed by the ferrule 11, the further ferrule 14, or another stopping element.

The dimensions of the flipline 6 are chosen so that it is suitable for the respective application. For tree care work, the steel cable can, for example, have a diameter of 2 to 10 mm, preferably 4 to 8 mm, and / or the first and third cable sections S1, S3 have a length of 1.5 to 15 m, preferably 2 to 10 m , exhibit. For conventional carabiner connections, the eye 4 forms an opening of 0.5 to 40 cm ² , preferably 2.5 to 15 cm ² .

However, these dimensions can be deviated from, particularly if the flipline is to be trained for sporting activities. For example, the steel cable can have a correspondingly thinner cross section so that the flipline becomes lighter, or the Length can be adapted to a certain tree or column diameter in order not to use a rope shorter 15.

Since the jacket 8 envelops both the first and the third cable section S1, S3 and the steel cable 7 usually has a circular cross-section, the flipline 6 has an overall oval cross-section, which, depending on the thickness of the steel cable, has a nominal diameter of 10 to 20 mm (measured according to EN1891: 1998 test method 5.3). If, however, a steel cable 7 with a non-circular cross-section is selected, the flipline can also have a different, preferably even circular, cross-section.

An exemplary flipline 6 according to the invention was made as follows. A 6.2 m long galvanized steel cable 7 with a diameter of 6 mm and a structure 6x37 with a fiber core and an essentially round cross-section was pulled back to form an eye 4. A thimble 12 made of stainless steel was inserted into the eye 4. The two steel cable ends were threaded into a Talurit clamp No. 6.5 / length: 28 mm and pressed using a hydraulic press with a force of 470 kN. The eye 4 formed had an opening with an area of 6 cm ² . The steel rope used had a minimum breaking force of 20.8 kN according to the manufacturer's specification.

The double-guided steel cable 7 with eye 4 in this way was braided with 3 m of textile jacket 8 as follows. Several prepared double-guided steel cables 7 with eye 4 were hung together, here with auxiliary cables, and braided together. After the braiding process, the individual fliplines 6 were separated. For this purpose, the textile jacket 8 was severed with a heat cutter and the auxiliary rope was removed. The jacket 8 had the following structure: 24 braid; One thread made of polyester per bobbin with structure: (1100 dtex x7 / 70S) x3 / 50 Z or (1100 dtex x7 / 70Z) x3 / 50S; Bond 1/1; Lay length 40 mm. The jacket 8 was cut through on the one hand above the ferrule 5 with the hot cutter, so the ferrule 5 was braided over. On the other hand, the textile coat ended 5 cm before the end of the two steel cable ends of the same length.

The textile jacket 8 was fixed with a ferrule 13 at the end near the eye 4. For this purpose, a Talurit clamp No. 11 / length: 20 mm was pushed up to the thimble and pressed there with a force of 470 kN. A second Talurit clamp no. 11 / length: 20 mm was used to fix the textile jacket 8 at the end facing away from the eye 4 and to press it. This clamp served as a stopper. The two steel cable ends were attached to the end facing away from eye 4 with another Talurit clamp No. 6.5 / length: 28 mm pressed and fixed. In the present example, all clamps, regardless of their size, were loaded with a force of 470 kN during pressing.

On the flipline according to the example, the first rope section S1 was cut with the aid of a metal cutting disk and the third rope section S3 was also slightly damaged in the process. The Flipline 6, which was severely damaged in this way, had a minimum breaking force of 20.6 kN. In general, it is preferred if the flipline 6, after one of the cable sections S1, S3 has been severed completely, still has a remaining breaking force which is at least 9 kN, preferably at least 12 kN, particularly preferably at least 15 kN.

Claims (11)

Flipline (6), especially for workplace positioning and rope-supported access to a tree, comprising a steel cable (7) and a textile sheath (8), a first rope section (S1) of the steel cable (7) being surrounded by the sheath (8) and a second cable section (S2) of the steel cable (7) adjoining the first cable section (S1) is folded back to form an eye (4),
characterized in that a third cable section (S3) of the steel cable (7) adjoining the second cable section (S2) and having essentially the same length (L) as the first cable section (S1) is guided inside the jacket (8),
wherein the first and the third cable section (S1, S3) are fixed to one another at their two ends (9, 10). Flipline according to claim 1, wherein the first and the third cable section (S1, S3) are fixed at their two ends (9, 10) in each case by means of a ferrule (5, 11). Flipline according to Claim 1 or 2, the steel cable (7) terminating essentially immediately at the end (10) of the first and third cable sections (S1, S3) facing away from the eye (4). Flipline according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the steel cable (7) at the end (10) of the third cable section (S1, S3) facing away from the eye (4) has a further eye, which is knocked back by a fourth, adjacent to the third cable section (S3) Cable section of the steel cable (7) is formed. Flipline according to one of Claims 1 to 4, an inner circumference of the eye (4) being reinforced with a thimble (12). Flipline according to one of Claims 1 to 5, the jacket (8) being fixed at its ends to the first and third cable sections (S1, S3), preferably by means of a ferrule (13, 14). Flipline according to one of Claims 1 to 6, comprising a stopper which is arranged at the end (10) of the flipline (6) facing away from the eye (4). Flipline according to one of Claims 1 to 7, the steel cable (7) having a diameter of 2 to 10 mm, preferably 4 to 8 mm. Flipline according to one of Claims 1 to 8, the first and third cable sections (S1, S3) having a length (L) of 1.5 to 15 m, preferably 2 to 10 m. Flipline according to one of Claims 1 to 9, the eye (4) forming an opening of 0.5 to 40 cm ² , preferably 2.5 to 15 cm ² . Flipline according to one of Claims 1 to 10, the remaining breaking force of the flipline (6) after a complete severing of the first or third rope section (S1, S3) is at least 9 kN, preferably at least 12 kN, particularly preferably at least 15 kN.

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