US20040010892A1

US20040010892A1 - Drip tube and tied rope combination

Info

Publication number: US20040010892A1
Application number: US10/199,391
Authority: US
Inventors: Gary Clark
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-07-19
Filing date: 2002-07-19
Publication date: 2004-01-22

Abstract

A short tube of large enough diameter to allow a rope, wire, cable or cord to pass through the center and wrap around the wall of the tube easily one or more times. The purpose of which is to drain off water when the highest end of a moored rope or cable is exposed to rain. As water runs down the rope it will drip off at the lowest part of the bend created by the wrap around the wall of the tube. The length of the tube being a ratio of the diameter of the rope and the slant at which the rope is moored so that a long enough wrap and an optimum angle are obtained with respect to gravity.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Camping hammocks are suspended in such a way that the ropes are always tied to trees at a higher level than the bed of the hammock. Because the rain-fly over the hammock can only protect the hammock and a small portion of the rope when it rains, water follows the rope down and can soak the bed of the hammock including its occupant. A dripping tube and tied rope combination as shown in the present invention, which is placed close to the hammock and under the rain-fly canopy, is convenient in this situation because it will keep the rope dry below the tube and not allow water onto the bed of the hammock.

Other methods have been tried to drain off water, such as wrapping an absorbent cloth (cotton or the like) around the rope above the bed with an end of the rope tie hanging down to draw off water. However, because water soaks into a rope, most of the water still gets through. Another idea that has been tried is to sew cotton string through the rope with the ends hanging out and down below the rope. This has worked a little better because it puts the absorbent cotton inside the rope where most of the water is. However, this has still been unsatisfactory because it only bleeds off a small percentage of the water.

There has thus been a demonstrated need to provide a more effective and efficient means to wick off water running down a tie rope and prevent the water from soaking the hammock.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a means to drain water from a moored rope, cable or cord. By inserting the rope through and around the wall of a tube of sufficient thickness and smoothness so as not to cut the rope; and sufficient diameter so that the rope can easily fit through the tube at least twice; and of sufficient length so as to provide a bend of sufficient height and angle; water will drip off at the low point of the bend created by the tube, leaving the rope dry on the low downward side.

By threading the rope through a tube and then wrapping it around it's wall, a bend is forced into the rope which allows water to drip off at the low point. The length and angle of the bend is determined by the length of the tube. The tube should be of sufficient length as to produce a high enough rise from the low point so that the water will drip off because it will not defy gravity. Sometimes water does defy gravity through capillary attraction, where liquids can be drawn up through a string or rope such as a wick in an oil lamp. However, this is minimal in synthetics and is usually only a problem in cotton ropes. This can be controlled by lengthening the tube and/or wrapping the rope more times around the wall of the tube.

Because stress is applied to the tube from inside out, it is important that the tube be made of a material that has sufficient strength to match the load on the rope. Tubes can be made of any material such as plastic, aluminum, steel, etc. The walls of the tube should be thick enough so that they can be smoothed off at the edges to prevent the rope from being cut or damaged.

THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: [0007]
FIG. 1, is a perspective view of a tube portion of the invention; [0008]
FIG. 2, is a perspective view of the combination tube and rope tie of the invention as it is being tied; [0009]
FIG. 3, is a perspective view of the combination tube and rope tie of the invention; [0010]
FIG. 4, is a perspective view of the combination tube and rope tie of the invention as applied to a hammock; [0011]
FIG. 5, is a perspective view of the combination tube and rope tie of the invention as applied to a clothesline; and [0012]
FIG. 6, is a perspective view of the combination tube and rope tie of the invention as applied to a hanging food bag.[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a drawing of the Drip-Tube A. The tube can be made of many materials, such as plastic, aluminum, steel, etc. The edge of the wall B must be smooth and thick enough so that it does not damage the rope that is wrapped around it. The tube should be long enough so that a bend can be forced into a rope when wrapped around the wall of the tube. The Drip-Tube A should be large enough in diameter to accommodate the size of the rope used when inserted through the tube at least twice. [0014]
FIG. 2 is a view showing how the rope C is threaded through the Drip-Tube A and is wrapped around the wall. [0015]
FIG. 3 shows the Drip-Tube A ready for use. When the rope C is pulled tight a bend D is forced into the rope. Water will drip off at the low part of the bend. [0016]
FIG. 4 shows the Drip-Tube A applied to the rope of a hammock. When rain soaks the upper end of rope C, the water runs down the rope through the Drip-Tube and drips off at the lower part of the bend D that is forced into the rope by wrapping the rope around the wall of the tube. [0017]
FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are examples of other applications for the Drip-Tube. A clothesline and a food bag hanging on a line at a campsite. [0018]
While this invention has been described and illustrated herein with respect to preferred embodiments, it is understood that alternative embodiments and substantial equivalents are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. [0019]

Claims

I claim:

1. A combination tube and tied rope, wherein the rope is extended through the tube and wrapped around the tube, exiting the tube at the end thereof opposite the end into which the rope is introduced.

2. A combination tube and tied rope, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rope is tied at one end thereof to a fixed location.

3. A combination tube and tied rope, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the opposite end of the rope is secured to a hammock.

4. A combination tube and tied rope, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the opposite end of the rope is secured to a fixed location to permit clothing items to be hung from the rope.

5. A combination tube and tied rope as set forth in claim 2, wherein the opposite end of the rope is secured to a fixed location to permit a hanging food bag to be hung from the rope.