UKC

Whilst doing some research, I'm looking for pictures of an old Black Diamond autolocking carabiner I owned some time around 1998. It had a pretty unique locking mechanism with a pin through the gate which was a bit like a bayonet fitting on a lightbulb. Arounf the gate there was a plastic sleeve and over this there was an aluminium thimble with a shaped slot. It was unique in that it would be retained open until you triggered it to close. I just am curious as to how it was made and although I've been searching on the interweb I can't find any trace of it. Does anybody know the one I'm talking about and maybe have the name? Been searching patents aswell but can't find it there either! Bit of a long shot I know...

Not a long shot at all Mike, this is UKC! I believe I have two in the garage, one a conventional screwgate and the other a belay krab. PM me your email address and I'll send you a couple of pics. cheers. Paul

You absolute beauty!

This is the sort of gate I mean - although the image quality is rubbish!

https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/a54AAOSwldZbH9~e/$_1.JPG

Yep, those are the ones. Just sent you a few phone pics, but if you need higher quality I'll stick a macro lens on a proper camera and take some decent pics. They're well made, still going strong 20 years after I bought them!

Cheers

Paul

Thanks Paul - just what I needed!

As I like a challenge, I can now report that the locking krab was called a" BD big easy". Something of a misnomer, since it would regularly have any of my seconds who hadn't encountered  it before, cursing me for using it. And it wasn't especially big I have no idea what the belay krab was called. 

Haha - good man! I just realised why they needed the bayonet catch thingy - so the locking sleeve wouldn't close ifyou let go of it before it had snapped shut... I'm betting it got dropped to conform with CE regs which would dictate that it locks automatically...

Do those regs cause any issues for the type of snapgates that you can pin open until they're pushed against a bolt (e.g. the Kong Panic)?

Or do they only apply to screwgates?

I suspect those ar not catagorised as locking carabiners.

Hi Mike we may have a couple in the old gear cupboard. I think they were first available in 1995 the early model was recalled due to the nylon pin locating the barrel breaking. The later model had a steel pin.

We are away at the moment so unable to check if we still have any. 

Tony