Safe–Hi	Hi–Binder

Overview

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Safe–Hi #2551
(#692)

Front	Side

Technical Details

I acquired my Rose Mfg. Safe–Hi from Theresa Williams and Maury Benamy in 1995.

My Rose Mfg. Safe–Hi is 150 mm. long, 300 mm. wide, 58 mm. high, and weighs 963 g.

The Safe–Hi consists of two stamped steel plates with a third plate welded to one of the others. The two main plates have a U-shaped notch in one end and two "curls" at the side of the notch. The curls on the two plates nest. The plate with the inner curl has a bend so that it sits about 20° away from the straight plate. The straight plate has a dimple near the notch. The other ends of the plates have punched holes that admit a 1/3" (12.7 mm.) braided rope. The third plate is welded to the straight plate so that its hole is offset enough to keep the rope from freely sliding under light load.

The straight plate is stamped as follows:

SAFE-HI
ROPE GRAB
NO.2551
USE ON ¾IN
ROPE ONLY

PAT.2,914,139

ROSE MFG .CO.
DENVER, COLO .
N.Y.B.S.A. #5853

Comments

The Rose Manufacturing Safe–Hi is an old design that is so different from anything else in my collection that it took me a long time to figure out how it was rigged. The device can be opened by releasing the rope catch (blue arrow) and pulling a lot of slack into it. The two main pieces can then be separated, using the two "curls" (green arrow) as a hinge, and then sliding the two pieces sideways to separate them completely. The main line is placed in the notch, and the two main pieces are reassembled. The rope is now running along the path indicated by the red arrow. The lanyard is pulled tight and held their by the rope catch.

When the worker takes the attempted suicide plunge, the lanyard tightens and pulls the two main pieces together. This squeezes the main line, bringing the worker to a stop and averting the big splat. The instructions on the device indicate that 15 feet (5 meters) of clear space are needed for this to happen.

I don't see how this principle could be used in a working ascender, but perhaps a rappel safety could utilize the idea.

The Rose Manufacturing Safe–Hi is protected by U.S. Patent 2,914,139.

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Hi–Binder
(#3858)

Front	Rear

Front Open for Rigging	Inside: Open for Rigging

Technical Details

Carroll Bassett gave me this Rose Hi–Binder in 2023.

My Hi-Binder is 382 mm. long, 153 mm. wide, 51 mm. high, and weighs 1517 g.

The Hi-Binder has a U-shaped shell made out of aluminum. Inside is an aluminum block with a U-shaped groove to fit the rope. This block fits inside a carrier made from two pieces of stamped aluminum sheet metal. Two roll pins hold the block in place. Two 12.7 mm. pins connect the aluminum sheets and act as axles for two aluminum type-I lever cams. Hard rubber spacers keep the cams centered. and a spring on the lower cam acts to hold it closed. the outer ends of the lever cams are connected by an aluminum channel that extends well below the Hi–Binder body, acting as a handle. the lower third of this channel is coated with a plastic material to form a handgrip.

The cam axles project from the carrier, and fit into slots in the U-shaped shell. A spring-loaded latch on the lower front of the frame holds that pins in place directly, and indirectly holds the other in place as well.

There are several stickers on the device. The first is on the upper portion of the shell.says:

HI-BINDER
ROSE MFG. CO.
ENGLEWOOD,
COLORADO

WARNING

APINT, CEMENT, OR OTHER
FOREIGN MATERIAL MAY
CAUSE IMPROPER
FUNCTIONING
CHECK BEFORE EACH USE

KEEP CLEAN
USE ON 3/4" NYLON OR
MANILA ROPE ONLY

The second sticker on the lower front of the shell explains how to use a "<B" stamped into the shell as a gauge to check the rope diameter. I will not repeat everything it says here. Basically, it looks at the alignment of the lower portion of the rope block.

There are tour stickers on the handle. The first has a filled up-pointing arrow with "THIS END UP" beneath. The second says, "If fall occurs while holding Hi– Binder RELEASE UNIT IMMEDIATELY." The third says, "USE THREE STRAND ROPE ONLY" and "DO NOT USE BRAIDED ROPE." The fourth and final sticker says "USE THIS HANDLE ONLY FOR ADJUSTMENT" over a filled down-pointing arrow.

Comments

The Hi–Binder is huge.

The rope block face reminds me of the one on the Atlas Kwik-Stop, but it is pressed into the rope by a more conventional means.

The warning to release the Hi–Binder when falling is critical. Doing so goes against almost every natural instinct of every human on earth, and so I don't expect that many people would let go, but they were warned.

The warning against braided ropes and the recommendation to use laid nylon or manila - yes, manila - seems curious at first, especially to modern climbers and cavers, but it makes sense for its time. The Hi–Binder will not function properly on very soft lay ropes, and the softest lay ropes found in industrial workplaces are nearly always braided.

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