Lineman's Safety Belt

Abstract

For use with a body belt component secured around the waist of the user such as a utility pole lineman, a safety belt component includes a safety strap having latching hooks to pass around the pole and be latched to suitable loops on the body belt component, and a pole belt coupled to the safety strap. The safety strap and pole belt are coupled together at their midpoints, with the pole belt having buckle means at the ends for buckling the belt relatively closely around the pole. The pole belt includes barbs disposed to bite into the pole in the event of downward sliding movement of the pole belt.

Description

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a belt for use by lineman engaged in climbing utility poles, or persons engaged in similar occupations; and particularly to such a belt having means for preventing downward sliding of the belt in the event the user loses his foothold on the pole.

Most lineman's belts which are used at the present time consist of a tool belt which encircles the body of the lineman, and which is referred to hereafter as a body belt, and a safety belt which is adapted to be secured thereto by means of snaps and which extends about the pole to allow the lineman to lean outwardly with his feet spurred to the pole to balance himself. In this position, the lineman is supported at three points, namely the two spurs strapped to each foot and the pole encircling strap, and this support allows the lineman to lean away from the pole to allow working distance from the pole so that he may reach out and perform such tasks as are required. However, should the lineman lose the support of either one or both of his foot spurs for any reason (and one common reason is electric shock), the weight on the safety strap is relaxed and the strap then loosely encircles the pole and allows the lineman to drop. It has been found that such a drop is more apt to kill a lineman while unconscious, but in any event such a drop normally results in at least serious injury to the lineman.

Since the safety strap is maintained in position by tension, one dangerous and likely condition occurs where the lineman while, working on cross arms, insulators or the like, moves his body inwardly toward the pole with a resulting slackening of the belt allowing it to drop downwardly to a dangerous position without his awareness of this situation. When he then leans back to again tension the belt, he is overbalanced and may easily lose his footing.

An object of this invention is to provide a lineman's belt which will prevent or minimize any downward slipping of the belt in the event of the loss of footing for any reason.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved lineman's belt having means for relatively closely gripping the pole to obviate any inadvertent downward sliding of the belt, and yet to permit the lineman to lean outwardly from the pole as required to perform his usual tasks.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved lineman's belt having means for relatively tightly engaging the pole during use, and also during ascent and descent, to prevent downward slipping of the belt on the pole in the event of loss of footing.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved lineman's belt having means for relatively closely encircling the pole, and having means for ready manipulation by the user to facilitate ascent and descent of the pole.

These objects are accomplished in a lineman's belt which includes a safety belt component for attachment to the body belt component. The safety belt component includes an elongated strap having snap hooks attached at each end for coupling to attachment rings or loops of the body belt component, and a pole belt which is attached to the safety strap for closely encircling the pole. Means are provided for coupling the pole belt at its midlength point to the safety strap at its midlength point, whereby the coupling means is positioned at the far side of the pole in use. The pole belt has buckle means for coupling its free ends at the front face of the pole in use; and also has barb means attached to it along the middle portion and being disposed to bite into the pole at the rear and side faces relative to the user. Handle means may be provided on the pole belt adjacent to its free ends to be grasped by the user to manipulate the safety belt component particularly during ascent and descent. Preferably the pole belt is hingedly coupled to the safety strap.

The novel features and the advantages of the invention, as well as additional objects thereof, will be understood more fully from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating the lineman's belt in use by a lineman on a utility pole;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view generally from the top of the safety belt component, with the body belt component illustrated in broken lines;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view from the rear and slightly from the top of the safety belt component;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken in the plane 4--4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken in the plane 5--5 of FIG. 3 illustrating a use condition.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The illustration of FIG. 1 illustrates all of the components and parts of a lineman's safety belt according to the invention; the principal components being the body belt 10 and the safety belt 20, with the safety belt component including an auxiliary pole belt 30. As best seen in FIG. 2, in broken lines, the body belt 10 includes a belt portion 11 which encircles the users body and is buckled tightly around his waist, and may include accessories for carrying various types of tools and supplies which would be used by the lineman for example. The body belt also includes side extensions 12 which carry loops or rings 13 at their ends to which the safety belt component is attached.

As best seen in FIG. 2 the safety belt component consists of an elongated strap 21 having a snap hook 22 securely attached at one end and having a snap hook 23 secured to the other end, said other end having adjustment means such as a looped end and a buckle 24 for adjusting the overall length of the safety strap. Alternatively, both ends of the safety strap might have such adjustment means.

The auxiliary pole belt includes a separate belt or strap 31 having a suitable length to encircle the poles of intended use, with the pole belt having coupling means such as a conventional belt buckle for buckling or coupling the free ends around the pole in use.

It should be mentioned here that all of the belts or straps which make up portions of the body belt component, the safety strap and the pole belt are fabricated from suitable belting material which may be high quality leather or suitable fabric belting material, for example.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 the pole belt strap 31 is coupled at a midlength point or area to the safety belt strap 21 at its midlength point or area, by means of an elongated hinge strap 33 which overlies adjacent edges of the safety belt strap 21 and the pole belt strap 31 and is secured thereto by stitching 34. Rivets 35 may be employed to secure the ends of the hinge strap to the respective coupled straps. Preferably the adjacent edges of the straps 21 and 31 are slightly spaced from each other, and the hinge strap is fabricated of suitable material such as leather which will permit flexing at the adjacent coupled edges. While this hinge strap 33 is illustrated and described as a preferred form of coupling between the safety strap and pole belt, it will be understood that other suitable forms of coupling may be used.

Four elongated metal barbs 36 and 37 are fabricated from strap metal for example, and have their upper ends secured to the pole belt by means of rivets. The free ends of the barbs then project downwardly from the pole belt, as best seen in FIG. 3, with the free ends being formed into sharpened points and preferably being bent inwardly relative to the plane of the pole belt strap to encourage engagement with the pole surface. By way of example, two of these barbs 36 are positioned at the midportion of the pole belt which would normally be disposed at the far or rear face of the pole relative to the user when in use. The two additional barbs 37, as best seen in FIG. 2 are positioned toward the free ends of the pole belt strap where they would normally be disposed along the side faces of the pole relative to the user. In particular applications it may be desirable that a lesser or a greater number of barbs be mounted on the pole belt.

Also secured on the pole belt, as seen in FIG. 2, are a pair of handles 38 preferably in the form of luggage type handle grips which are positioned toward the free ends of the pole belt straps so that they will be toward the near face of the pole in the use condition. These handles, then, are in good position to enable the lineman to lift the pole belt 30 and the attached safety belt strap while ascending a pole, and also to manipulate the pole belt to free the barbs and permit descent of the pole while retaining the pole belt in the use condition for availability in the event of loss of footing.

A particular feature of the above described hinge connection is particularly illustrated in FIG. 5. This figure is intended to illustrate the condition of portions of the safety belt component relative to the rear face 40 of a utility pole when a lineman has lost his footing. While the belt straps as above described are flexible, they are relatively heavy and do have a certain stiffness. When a lineman is hanging by his belt then the safety strap 21 of the safety belt component will tend to assume the position illustrated with its upper edge bearing against the face of the pole and with its lower edge pulling away from the pole. The coupling of the hinge strap 33 will then pull the upper edge of the pole belt strap 31 away from the pole face with the hinge connection then urging the lower edge of the strap 31 toward the pole face encouraging the barbs 36 to dig into the pole face and prevent sliding of the pole belt. This of course is the purpose of applicant's lineman's belt assembly; and this particular hinge arrangement enhances that purpose.

What has been described is a novel and useful improvement in a lineman's belt which provides greatly increased safety and protection for the user; and at the same time does not present such a complex and cumbersome arrangement such as to discourage the use of the safety feature by the lineman whose safety is intended to be protected. This positive protection is not in evidence on any lineman's safety belt being marketed or used today.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A safety belt component for attachment to the body belt component of a lineman's belt comprising:

an elongated safety strap having snap hooks attached at each end for coupling to attachment rings of the body belt component;

a pole belt attached to said safety strap for closely encircling a pole;

means coupling said pole belt at a midlength point to said safety strap at a midlength point, whereby said coupling means is positioned at the far side of a pole in use; said coupling means defining a hinge axis generally parallel to the coupled strap and belt portions;

said pole belt having adjustable fastener means for coupling the free ends thereof at the near side of the pole in use; and barb means attached to said pole belt along the middle portion thereof, being disposed to bite into the pole at the rear and side faces thereof relative to the user.

2. A safety belt component as set forth in claim 1

said barb means extending downward and inward from said pole belt in the use position.

3. A safety belt component as set forth in claim 1

handle means on said pole belt adjacent to the free ends thereof enabling the user to position said pole belt and coupled safety strap relative to the pole.

4. A safety belt component as set forth in claim 3

said handle means comprising luggage type grips secured to said pole belt.

5. A safety belt component for attachment to the body belt component of a lineman's belt comprising:

an elongated safety strap having snap hooks attached at each end for coupling to attachment rings of the body belt component;

a pole belt attached to said safety strap for closely encircling a pole;

means coupling said pole belt at a midlength point to said safety strap at a midlength point, whereby said coupling means is positioned at the far side of a pole in use; said safety strap and said pole belt being coupled together in edge-to-edge relation by said coupling means, with said pole belt being disposed beneath said safety strap in the use position; and said barb means projecting from said pole belt downward and away from said safety strap in the use position;

said pole belt having adjustable fastener means for coupling the free ends thereof at the near side of the pole in use; and barb means attached to said pole belt along the middle portion thereof, being disposed to bite into the pole at the rear and said faces thereof relative to the user.

6. A safety belt component as set forth in claim 5

said coupling means comprising a flexible strip overlying said safety strap and said pole belt and secured thereto to define a flexible hinged connection therebetween.

7. A safety belt component as set forth in claim 6

said coupling strip being secured to both said safety strap and said pole belt by means of stitching.