Karabiners

Abstract

A karabiner comprises a generally C-shaped body, with its free ends curved towards each other and forming a gap therebetween, and a gate for closing the gap, the gate being formed of a wire member shaped and located on one free end of the body, such that it is constrained to close the gap and the other end of the gate having a slot for receiving a shaped end of the gate.

1 . A karabiner comprising a generally C-shaped body, with its free ends curved towards each other and forming a gap therebetween, and a gate for closing the gap, the gate being formed of a wire member shaped and located on one free end of the body, such that it is constrained to close the gap and the other end of the gate having a slot for receiving a shaped end of the gate.  
     
     
         2 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the gate is formed by a wire that is bent double and has each free end further bent inwards towards the other to locate in a different hole on opposite sides of the free end of the body, one hole being above the other.  
     
     
         3 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein from its locations in the free end of the body, the two strands of the wire are bent towards each other to approximately a mid-point of the gate until they overlap in a plane of the body.  
     
     
         4 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at its free end the gate is shaped by bending of the wire to form a shaped end.  
     
     
         5 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the end of the gate is bent over sideways.  
     
     
         6 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the loop at the end of the gate is enlarged.  
     
     
         7 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the loop formed where the wire is bent double has a captures a shaped nut that can locate in the slot of the free end of the body.  
     
     
         8 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a shaped nut is slid onto the gate.  
     
     
         9 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the slot has from the free end of the body a first narrow part to accommodate the wire gate leading to a wider second part to accommodate the shaped end of the gate.  
     
     
         10 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein a ledge is provided between the wide and narrow parts of the slot.  
     
     
         11 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the ledge is in a plane substantially normal to a longitudinal axis of the gate.  
     
     
         12 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein one of the gate and the free end of the body carry additional locking means for when the gate is closed.  
     
     
         13 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein a thimble is provided on the gate that can be moved up the gate to overlap at least partially the free end of the body.  
     
     
         14 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein an outwardly screw threaded sleeve is provided on the gate and an internally screw threaded thimble is provided on the sleeve.  
     
     
         15 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein a locking ring is mounted rotatably on the free end of the body, the ring having a slot therein, whereby in one position the gate can pass through the slot of the ring for its shaped end to locate in the slot of the free end of the body and then by rotating the ring, the slot therein is no longer accessible to the gate.  
     
     
         16 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the gate is provided with a slidable locking member.  
     
     
         17 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the locking member is slidable upwards when the gate is closed, the locking member having a finger or the like that extends over the opposite side of the body to that of the slot opening to prevent the gate being pushed open.  
     
     
         18 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 12  having a locking pin that is insertable through the free end of the body of the karabiner and into or through the end of the gate to prevent it being pushed open.  
     
     
         19 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the locking pin is on a flexible or spring-biased tab attached to the gate.  
     
     
         20 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the pin is rotatably mounted in the slot of the free end of the body between a first position wherein a lip on the end of the pin can pass through a loop of the wire gate and a second position wherein the lip retains the loop of the gate in the slot.  
     
     
         21 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the slot of the free end of the body faces inwards towards the body of the karabiner.  
     
     
         22 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the slot is on the side of the free end of the body.  
     
     
         23 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the slot is shaped with a part that interengages with a loop of the wire gate.  
     
     
         24 . A karabiner comprising a generally C-shaped body with its free-ends curved towards each other and forming a gap therebetween and a spring-biased gate for closing the gap located on one free end of the body and the other free end having a wire cage thereon for receiving the gate.  
     
     
         25 . A karabiner comprising a generally, C-shaped body with its free ends curved towards each other and forming a gap therebetween and a spring-biased gate for closing the gap located on one free end of the body and means for locking the gate in a closed position.  
     
     
         26 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 25 , wherein the locking means is a slidable locking member.  
     
     
         27 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the locking member is slidable upwards on the gate and has a finger to extend over the opposite side of the body to that of the direction of opening of the gate.  
     
     
         28 . A karabiner as claimed in  claim 25 , wherein a locking pin is provided on a flexible or spring-biased tab attached to the gate, which pin can be inserted through a hole in the free end of the karabiner body and into a slot of the gate when closed.