Grappling Hook Belt

Grappling Hook Belt

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

I've had this idea for awhile but haven't done much research on it up until a few days ago. The problem with researching novel ideas, especially with a search engine designed to assume that humans make mistakes and otherwise aren't sure what they are looking for, is that instead of giving you exactly what you are asking for Google will more often suggest things that are simply more popular. Searching with the terms that this post is titled render results of traditional grappling hooks and attachments for belts or even worse, Batman fandom. The best of modern grappling hook designs is more recent but is made more to be portable than hidden (although it's size make me question practicality). Instead, I'd like to develop my idea of allowing the grappling hook to be concealed as a belt.

The buckle / hook

The main purpose to the design here is that the hook is solid enough to take a force without breaking. This means any transformable pieces may be detrimental to the structural integrity of the hook. For example, the hinge by be flexible by definition but load bearing on the hinge may break the unit unless we are careful with the design. Here is a design concept:

The top is a view with the front panel, the bottom is without the front panel. The front and back panels would be identical and hinged together vertically on the right side. Also on the right side of the device, the orange features are curved which allows Z-rotation. However there are stoppers that are part of the profile that do not allow the wings to extend past roughly 45 degrees. The rotational axis would be attached to the back panel while the front panel would flip up and allow for rudimentary locking mechanisms for keeping the wings from closing while thrown in the air and also for keeping the belt secure around the waist. Neither locking mechanism need be tough enough to withstand the weight of a man. Indeed, the material used throughout the unit would have to withstand this sort of weight.

The belt / cord

To prepare enough slack for typical use, I'd design paracord to thread through intervals of the belt as in the diagram below.

In this design, the wearer can thread the paracord as desired and potentially use the spacers as a climbing harness apparatus. Fastening the belt is simply a matter of putting the cord through one of the belt locking mechanisms and potentially tying it off. Without the spacers, an intricate knot system regularly featured in paracord bracelet designs could be used instead.