| CPC A62B 1/06 (2013.01) [B66D 1/04 (2013.01); B66D 1/7489 (2013.01); A62B 35/0075 (2013.01)] | 17 Claims |
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1. A pulley assembly, comprising:
first and second spaced plates; and
a sheave carried by both the first and second plates for rotation about an axis normal to the plates,
at least one aperture formed through each one of the plates in a direction parallel to the sheave axis,
the first and second plates having a closed condition in which the apertures of the plates are coaxial with one another and a portion of each one of the plates in a vicinity of the coaxial apertures are in contact with one another, so that the plates in the closed condition form a rope passage delimited by the sheave and inner surfaces of the plates and extending from a top opening to a bottom opening,
wherein a top portion of the plates in the closed position includes a top-facing lip that partially surrounds the top opening, and
portions of the inner surfaces of the plates, located along a lower portion of the passage and extending in a direction toward the bottom opening, form curved walls that curve away from one another so that the lower portion of the passage forms a throat that widens progressively toward a bottom-most end of the passage and terminates in a bottom-facing lip that partially surrounds the bottom opening and flares outward and away from the bottom opening, wherein the bottom-facing lip is wider than the top-facing lip,
the bottom opening partially delimited by the bottom-facing lip being wider than the top opening at the upper end of the rope passage.
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