Quick Release Lariat Honda

Abstract

A quick-release honda for mounting on a rope in making a lariat comprises a closed eye portion dimensioned to receive the rope in running noose relation, a socket extending from the eye portion, and a ferrule mountable on the end of the rope. Two-position rotary catch means are mounted on the socket and releasably interengage the socket and ferrule. Trip means is connected to the catch means for tripping it by jerking the rope, thereby opening the noose and releasing the lariat. The catch means operates in both of its positions completely independently of the eye portion, thus ensuring the continued loose running movement of the rope therethrough.

Description

This invention relates to lariat hondas. It pertains particularly to lariat hondas of the class provided with a quick release for opening the noose of the honda under difficult conditions, or from a remote location.

The conventional honda comprises an eye spliced on the end of the rope. The rope is passed through the eye to form a running noose.

Hondas of this class are characterized by the serious disadvantage that once applied they are difficult to release. It is not an uncommon occurrence for the cowboy to spend fifteen seconds in lassoing a berserk old range cow, who is prone to fight back, and then to spend two hours in releasing his lariat.

The lariat can be released only by slipping it over the cow's head. This in turn requires that the cowboy stand in front of the animal, where he is likely to be gored and stomped.

Attempts have been made to overcome this problem by the provision of various mechanical appliances designed to release the lariat. However, these also have had serious disadvantages.

The release mechanism tends to bury itself in the cow's neck, so that it can not be tripped. The trip tends to bind when under heavy strain. The release mechanism includes a heavy metal component mounted on the end of the rope. When the honda is released, the rope tension causes the metal component to fly out at high velocity, thereby presenting a serious hazard to the cowboy as well as to bystanders.

In addition, the known honda releases are not of a class which can be tripped easily from a remote station.

It is the general purpose of the present invention to provide a quick-release lariat honda which overcomes the foregoing difficulties and which not only is usable safely and efficiently in serious range work, but which also is adaptable for use by the cowboy in practice work while he is trailing the herd, without demounting from his horse.

The manner in which the foregoing and other objects of the present invention are accomplished will be apparent from the accompanying specification and claims, considered together with the drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views illustrating the manner of use of the herein described lariat honda;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view illustrating the construction of the honda; and

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3 and further illustrating the construction and manner of operation of the honda.

Generally stated, the herein described lariat honda comprises an eye receiving the lariat rope in a loose sliding fit, forming a running noose; a ferrule on the end of the rope; and catch means such as tongue and socket catch means releasably interengaging the eye and the ferrule. Trip means is associated with the catch means. It is operable from a remote station by movement of the lariat itself. Accordingly an animal may be roped and released at the will of the cowboy, all without demounting from his horse.

Considering the foregoing in greater detail and with particular reference to the drawings:

In the form of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the honda is applied to a rope 10 of heavy duty characteristics and made of Nylon, manila or other suitable rope-forming material.

The honda is in two parts: a tongue part, indicated generally at 12, and an eye-mounting socket part, indicated generally at 14.

The tongue part 12 may be formed integrally from a single piece of cast and machined metal. It includes a ferrule 16 dimensioned to receive the end of rope 10, which is secured in the ferrule by suitable means such as set screw 18. The ferrule acts as a base for a tongue 20 having one of its side faces shaped with an inclined guide surface 22 which merges with a recess 24.

Socket part 14 also may be formed integrally from a single piece of cast, machined metal. It includes a socket 26 dimensioned to receive tongue 20 in a snug sliding fit, with recess 24 located centrally in the socket. The socket serves as a base for an eye 28. This is dimensioned to receive rope 10 in a loose sliding fit to form a running noose, when ferrule 20 is inserted in socket 26.

Releasable catch means are provided for releasably retaining the ferrule in the socket. The construction and mode of operation of a preferred form of catch are illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The side wall of socket 26 is formed with a centrally located, hemispherical seat 30 which is aligned with an opposed pair of bearing openings 32. An eccentric shaft 34 is journaled for rotation in the opening and maintained in position by means of riveted or bolted ends. One side of the shaft has a flat area 36. The other side is rounded on a radius substantially coaxially with seat 30.

The relationship between shaft 34 in the socket and recess 24 in the tongue is such that the shaft provides a catch, preventing withdrawal of the tongue from the socket when the shaft is in its FIG. 4 full line position. However, when the shaft is moved to its dotted line position, flat area 36 of the shaft becomes operative and permits passage of the tongue.

Trip means is provided for rotating shaft 34 between its two positions.

In the illustrated form of the invention, the trip means comprises lever means in the form of a U-shaped, angularly bent lever 40 having on its ends eyes which are received over the ends of shaft 34. The lever is connected to the shaft by welding, riveting, bolting, or other suitable means.

Lever 40 may be operated manually. However, means may be provided for operating it from a remote station merely by jerking rope 10. The means for accomplishing this is illustrated in FIG. 3.

One end of a flexible trip cord 42 is connected centrally to the lever. The other end of the cord is receivable in a hook 44 welded or otherwise fixed to the side of a lever 40. The relative proportions of the hook and cord are such that the cord may be releasably anchored in the hook in a wedging, friction fit. Accordingly the cord may be looped around rope 10 in the illustrated manner and the free end wedged in hook 44. Jerking on the rope then will operate the lever, tripping the catch.

The lariat including the herein described honda thus may be used for serious roping and also for practice roping. In the former application, rope 10 is slipped through eye 28 to form a running noose, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Trip cord 42 is left free. When it is desired to release a roped animal, all that is necessary is to pull on the cord in the direction to rotate the lever 40 counterclockwise in FIG. 4. This moves lever 40 to the dotted line position of FIG. 4, wherein tongue 20 slides freely out of socket 26, opening the noose.

Since cord 42 may be five or six inches in length, it is easily reached, even though the honda hardware is buried in the animal's neck. Also, when an animal shakes free, injury to the cowboy or to bystanders by the flying rope end is avoided because the rope end is weighted solely by the minimal weight of ferrule 16 and tongue 20.

In the practice application of the lariat, the noose is rigged with pull cord 42 in its FIG. 3 position, looped around rope 10 adjacent eye 28. Then, as the cowboy rides along, he is able to lasso an object such as post 46 of FIG. 2. After completing the throw, a jerk on the end of the lariat in the direction to swing the lower portion of the rope in FIG. 3 toward the right, causes the loop 42 to be pulled toward the right. The lever 40 thus is rotated to the dotted line position of FIG. 1 wherein the tongue 20 is released from the socket 26, opening the noose. This all may be accomplished without demounting.

Claims

Having thus described my invention in preferred embodiments, I claim:

1. A quick-release honda for mounting on a rope in making a lariat, the honda comprising:

a. a closed eye portion dimensioned to received the rope in a loose sliding fit,

b. a socket extending from the eye portion;

c. a tongue adapted to be mounted on the end of the rope and to be received in the socket, and

d. rotary catch means mounted on the socket and spaced from said eye portion for releasably interengaging the tongue and socket;

e. said catch means having a first position for interengaging said tongue and socket and a second position for releasing the tongue from said socket, and

f. said catch means operating in both of said positions completely independently of said said eye portion, thereby ensuring the continued loose sliding movement of that portion of said rope passing through said eye portion.

2. The honda of claim 1 wherein the catch means comprises a recess on the tongue and rotary detent means on the socket.

3. The honda of claim 1 wherein the catch means comprises a recess on the tongue, an eccentric shaft mounted in the socket for rotary oscillation between said first position in which the catch means enters the recess and said second position in which it clears the same, and lever means fixed to the shaft for rotating the latter.

4. The honda of claim 3 including trip cord means fastened to the lever means and extending therefrom for rotating the latter and said shaft.

5. The honda of claim 4 wherein the trip cord means is of sufficient length to loop around the rope adjacent the eye, and including releasable retainer means mounted on the lever means for releasably retaining the end of the looped trip cord means.

6. The honda of claim 5 wherein the retainer means comprises a hook fixed to the lever means and dimensioned to receive the trip cord means in a wedging fit.