Fast Rope Glove

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Fast-roping, also known as “fast rope insertion” is a descending technique using thick rope for deploying soldiers from helicopters in places where the helicopter itself cannot touch down. Fast roping is quicker than abseiling (rappelling), although more dangerous, particularly if the person is carrying a heavy load, because the rope is not attached to them with a descender. The person grasps the heavy rope with gloved hands and feet and slides down the rope without being attached to it.

Fast roping requires heat resistant gloves to protect the individual descending from friction-generated heat. Heat-resistant gloves are generally not dexterous enough to be useful after the descent has been completed, though specialized gloves have been developed for this purpose. More often, a glove-inside-glove technique is used, with tactical gloves worn inside heavy leather metalworking gloves. After descending the rope, the wearer removes the outer gloves to regain dexterity.

The fast rope gloves of this invention include weighted slugs sewn into or bonded to the distal ends of each digit sleeve to assist in doffing the glove. The slugs are sewn into the back of the digit sleeves overlying the wearer's thumb nail or finger nails. The weights allow the user to fling the glove off the hands by swinging the arms downward in a rapid movement.

The above described features and advantages, as well as others, will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention may take form in various system and method components and arrangement of system and method components. The drawings are only for purposes 26 of illustrating exemplary embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. The drawings illustrate the present invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the fast rope glove of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the fast rope glove of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the fast rope glove of FIG. 1 showing one of the cover flaps pulled back from the distal end of one of the finger sleeves;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross section of the distal end of one of the finger sleeves of the fast rope glove of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the fast rope glove of FIG. 1 and a conventional tactical glove;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of wearers of the fast rope glove of FIG. 1 fast roping from a helicopter;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a wearer's hand using the fast rope glove of FIG. 1 grasping a conventional fast rope;

FIG. 8 is a front view of a wearer using the fast rope glove of FIG. 1 showing the wearer's landing on the ground after fast roping down the rope; and

FIG. 9 is a front view of a wearer doffing the fast rope glove of FIG. 1 by swinging his arms downward.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific preferred embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical, structural, mechanical, electrical, and chemical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. To avoid detail not necessary to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1-9 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the gloves of this invention, which are designated generally as reference numeral 100. Gloves are designed and intended for use by soldiers to descend from helicopters on fast ropes 10 (FIG. 2). Fast ropes are thick woven ropes having a diameter of approximately 40 millimeters (1.6 inches). The soldiers descend down the fast ropes 10 gripping the rope with their hands and between their feet.

Fast rope gloves 100 are designed and intended to be used in pairs, that is both a glove fashioned for the wearer's right hand 100 and a glove fashioned for the wearer's left hand (not shown). It should be noted that both right hand and left hand gloves are symmetrical and identical in style, construction and function. Gloves 100 are generally worn over another pair of gloves, usually a tactical glove or similar utility glove. Consequently, gloves 100 are configured and dimensioned to readily receive and fit over the wearer's gloved hands while still maintaining sufficient dexterity to grasp and hold the weight of the wearer while fast roping.

Fast rope gloves 100 are constructed from heavy fabrics and/or leather selected for durability and dexterity. The body of the gloves are fashioned from component parts sewn or joined together. These components include anterior (“palm”) and posterior (“back of the hand”) tranks, fourchettes, gussets, and vents as desired dependent on the desired style and size of the gloves. Typically, the component parts of the gloves are assembled and sewn together and/or otherwise fashioned using conventional methods and equipment. The anterior or “palm” trank or side of glove 100 is constructed of a thick leather or heat and abrasion resistant material suitable to handle the friction of fast roping. As shown, gloves 100 are also configured to have a wide cuff 118 and an elastic gusset to assist in donning the gloves over a conventional tactical or utility glove 20.

As shown, the anterior and posterior tranks are cut and joined to digit sleeves 110 (four finger sleeves and a thumb sleeve). Each digit sleeve 110 includes a flat weighted slug 120 bonded to or sewn into the distal ends of the digit sleeve on the posterior side thereof. Weight elements or slugs 120 are generally small flat oval, rectangular or tombstone shaped plates stamped, cut, cast or otherwise formed from a suitable dense or heavy metal, such as lead, tungston, or suitable heavy materials. Slug 120 is sewn to the body of the sleeve to overlie the wearer's thumb nail or finger nails. As shown, the sleeve portions of the anterior trank have a distal sleeve flap 112 that wraps over the distal end of the sleeve portions of the posterior tranks to form a slug pocket 111 on the posterior side of each digit sleeve 110. Slugs 120 are sewn or bonded in place within slug pockets 111. In use, the wearer generally dons glove 100 over a conventional utility or tactical glove 20 (FIG. 5). The wearer uses glove 100 to slide down the fast rope (FIG. 7). The heavy anterior tranks protect the wearer's hands from the heat and friction. Generally when the wearer touches down, i.e. reaches the landing surface (FIG. 8), the wearer's hands are generally positioned or raised above the wearer's head. Immediately upon touching down, the wearer releases fast rope 10 and rapidly swinging both arms downward in a aggressive motion to doff gloves 100 (FIG. 9). The rapid downward motion of the wearer's arms flings 8 both gloves 100 from the wearer's gloved hands. The momentum of slugs 120 generated 9 by the rapid downward motion of the wearer's arms pulls glove 100 linearly from the distal end from the wearer's hands. Slugs 120 provide sufficient weight at the end of finger sleeves 110 to allow glove 100 to be flung off under the gravitation, centrifugal and linear forces. Because the slugs are located at the distal ends of the glove, the glove comes free of the hands and inner glove without glove 100 rolling over itself or binding on the inner glove or naked hand. It should be noted that slugs 120 do not interfere with the wearer's use of the glove.

It should be apparent from the foregoing that an invention having significant advantages has been provided. While the invention is shown in only a few of its forms, it is not just limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof. The embodiment of the present invention herein described and illustrated is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It is presented to explain the invention so that others skilled in the art might utilize its teachings. The embodiment of the present invention may be modified within the scope of the following claims.

Fast Rope Glove

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