2007/068537

1

KNOT TYING AND TEACHING DEVICE

The present invention relates to the tying of knots in cords and ropes and provides a device to enable the user to tie a range of knots without prior knowledge of said knots and without reference to illustrations and or detailed instructions for the tying of said knots and thus also provides a teaching aid for the tying of said knots. For the purposes of this application the terms "knots", "bends" and "hitches" are considered as equivalent and used interchangeably.

Books and other instructional materials such as The Ashley Book of Knots, Ashley C. W., Doubleday, New York (1944) that illustrate the structure of, and method of tying different types of knots, bends and hitches in ropes and cords are well-known but suffer the disadvantage that, especially with the more complex knots, the process of following instructions, even with reference to one or a number of illustrations, can often prove difficult and thus mistakes can easily be made. Furthermore, once completed, it can also be difficult to verify that the desired knot has been tied correctly with reference to an illustration or photograph of the intended knot alone.

According to the present invention there is provided a knot tying and teaching device comprising a pane or frame through which are formed a plurality of apertures. Each aperture can be identified on either side of the pane or frame by a letter, number or symbol or combination thereof unique to that aperture and relative to the side of the pane or frame from which said aperture is seen. For example, with a pane or frame through which are formed 48 apertures arranged in 6 columns and 8 rows, the columns of apertures may be identified by the letters A,

B, C, D, E and F on one side of the pane or frame and by the letters G, H ₁ 1, J, K and L on the other side of the pane or frame and the rows of apertures identified by the numbers l to 8 on either side of the pane or frame. In this way the top left-hand aperture as viewed from one side of the pane or frame may be identified by the letter and number combination Al and the same aperture identified by the letter and number combination Li on the other side of the pane or frame.

To form a desired knot, a rope or cord B threaded through the device from one aperture of the device to another in accordance with a pre-determined list of letter and number combinations or "knot tying code". One or more ropes or cords may be threaded through the device in this manner to form, for example, stopper type knots, loop type knots and to form "bends" - knots for joining together two or more ropes or cords of the same or different diameters. Where two or more ropes or cords are to be used to form a knot, the rope or cord to be used for each threading operation is identified in the relevant knot tying code or codes.

It is highly desirable that the device be composed of a number of panels or "fingers" lying side by side with the ends of each finger and one edge of the outer-most fingers lying adjacent to the inner edges of a frame with one half of each aperture being formed through and along the edge of one finger or the frame and the other half of the aperture being formed through and along the edge of an adjacent finger or the frame and that each finger be releaseably attached to said frame by means of, for example, latches or snap fittings so that once these latches or snap fittings are released, each finger may be removed from the frame thereby enabling a rope or cord or a knot formed in said rope or cord to be removed from the device.

Alternatively, and yet more preferably, each finger is attached at one end to the frame by means of a hinge and releaseably attached to the frame at the other end by means of, for example, a latch or snap fitting so that, once the latch or snap fitting relative to a particular finger is released, the finger may be rotated relative to the frame about the hinge and independently of the other fingers thus enabling the size of the apertures between that finger and another adjacent finger or the frame to be increased thereby allowing a rope or cord or a knot formed in said rope or cord to be removed from the fingers and hence the device.

Where the device is composed of a number of fingers lying side by side within a frame with said fingers attached to the frame by means of hinges or releasably attached to the frame by means of latches or snap fittings, the frame may be so configured as to fully or partially surround the fingers.

It is also desirable that, where the device comprises a frame with fingers that may be rotated relative to the frame and independently of the other fingers about hinges at one end of each finger, a gap of a distance less than the minimum diameter of the apertures is formed between each adjacent finger and each finger adjacent to the frame of the device to facilitate the removal of a knot from said fingers. It is appreciated that ropes or cords of a diameter less than the minimum diameter of each aperture of the device but of a diameter greater than the gap distance between any two adjacent fingers or a finger adjacent to the frame should be used to facilitate the threading of the rope or cord through the device and to prevent a rope or cord from slipping between or becoming jammed in the gap between each adjacent finger and each finger adjacent to the frame.

A particular advantage of the present invention is that by simply threading a rope or cord through the apertures of the device in accordance with a pre- determined knot tying code or codes, the user is able to form a desired knot without reference to detailed instructions or illustrations of the intended knot. The structure of the knot formed through the device can be examined throughout the tying process to assist the user in learning how to tie the knot independently of the device. Furthermore, where the device comprises a frame with detachable fingers or fingers that may be rotated about a hinge at one end of each finger relative to the frame and independently of the other fingers, the completed knot can be removed from the device, adjusted or tightened as necessary and inspected as an example of the desired knot correctly tied.

Another advantage of the present invention where the device comprises a frame with detachable fingers or fingers that may be rotated about a hinge a one end of each finger relative to the frame and independently of the other fingers is that, where applicable, and subject to the use of ropes or cords of a suitable diameter relative to the size of the apertures of the device, the device may be used to tie knots in situ for practical applications. For example, to tie a figure of eight stopper knot in the end of a sailing boat main sheet.

It is desirable that a post or other structure so configured as to simulate a cleat, bollard or other object around which ropes or cords are commonly tied be included on the pane or frame of the device. The post or other structure may be used when forming loop type knots, a rope or cord being passed from an aperture through the device around the post or other structure to form a loop before being threaded back through another aperture through the device. The post or other structure may also

be used independently of the apertures through the device for practising the tying of hitches and other knots intended for the securing of a rope or cord to a cleat, bollard or other object.

It is highly preferred that the device be produced from a transparent material, or where the device comprises a frame with detachable fingers or fingers that may be rotated about a hinge at one end of each finger relative to the frame and independently of the other fingers, at least the fingers of the device be produced from a transparent material to enable the entire structure of a knot formed through the device to be seen from either side of the device.

It is preferable that the edges of each aperture through the device and, where the device comprises a frame with detachable fingers or fingers that may be rotated about a hinge at one end of each finger relative to the frame and independently of the other fingers, the edges of each finger be smoothly rounded to facilitate the threading of a rope or cord through the device and or to facilitate the release of a formed knot from the device.

Preferably , where the device comprises a frame with fingers that may be rotated relative to the frame and independently of the other fingers about hinges at one end of each finger, the device is formed as a single unit by means of injection moulding for example.

Preferably a range of knot tying codes are included on the pane or frame of the device by means of printing or imprinting.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure i shows, in perspective, the back of the device with the fingers in an open position.

Figure 2 shows, in perspective, the front of the device with the fingers in the closed position.

Figure 3 shows, in perspective, the device with the fingers in the closed position and a rope passed through the apertures of the device to form a "Figure of Eight" knot.

Figure 4 shows the side of the device with the fingers in the closed position and a rope passed through the apertures of the device to form a "Figure of Eight" knot.

Figure 5 shows, in perspective, the "Figure of Eight" knot formed in the rope partly released from the device with the fingers in open positions.

Figure 6 shows, in perspective, the "Figure of Eight" knot fully released from the device with the fingers in an open position.

With reference to the accompanying drawings the embodiment of the knot tying and teaching device comprises a frame 1 with male snap fittings 4 and cleat 6 and fingers 2 with female snap fittings 3 attached to the frame 1 by means of integral hinges 5 as shown in Figure 1. Each of the fingers 2 may be rotated independently

of the other fingers and relative to the frame l about the integral hinges 5 and releaseably secured to the frame 1 in the closed position by means of the female snap fittings 3 and male snap fittings 4, thereby providing the apertures 9 as shown in figure 2. Printed on the frame 1 are aperture column identification letters 7 and aperture row identification numbers 8 as shown in figures 1 and 2. By referring to the column identification letters 7 and row identification numbers 8 printed upon the front and back of the frame 1, each of the apertures 9 relative to the side of the device from which each aperture is seen can be identified by a unique letter and number combination, for example, the top left-hand aperture on the front of the device is identified as "Ai" and same aperture is identified on the back of the device as "Li".

To form a particular knot, a rope is threaded through the device with the fingers secured in the closed position with the frame from one aperture to another in accordance with a pre- determined letter and number code for said knot. For example, to produce a figure of eight knot, the rope 11 is threaded through the apertures 9 between the fingers 2 and the frame 1 in the order "C5 to H2 to A2 to I4 to E6 to G6 to C2. The structure of the knot now formed through the device can be examined from all angles as shown in figures 3 and 4.

To remove the knot from the device, the female snap fittings 3 on the fingers 2 are released from the male snap fittings 4 on the frame 1 allowing each of the fingers 2 to be rotated around the integral hinges 5 relative to the frame 1 and independently of the other fingers thus enabling the size of the apertures between any two adjacent fingers or a finger adjacent to the frame to be increased allowing the rope 11 to be removed from the fingers 2 as shown in figure 5. The removal of the rope 11

from fingers ₂ as shown in figure 5 is facilitated by the gaps 10 between the fingers and those fingers adjacent to the frame as shown in figures 2 and 3 and by the rounded edges of the apertures and fingers as shown in figures 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. Once fully removed from the fingers 2 and the frame 1, the knot formed in the rope ₁₁ can be inspected independently of the device and adjusted as necessary as shown in figure 6,

The cleat 6 as shown in figures 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 may be used when forming loop type knots, the rope being passed from an aperture between two adjacent fingers or a finger and the frame of the device around the cleat 6 to form a loop before being threaded back through another aperture between any two adjacent fingers or a finger and the frame of the device. The cleat 6 can also be used independently of the apertures between the fingers and or a finger and the frame of the device for practising the tying of hitches and other knots intended for the securing of a rope or cord to a cleat, bollard or other object.