Tractel Stopfor S

Side View

End View

I acquired my Tractel-Stop used from Jame Bullard in January, 2002.

The Tractel-Stop is made of stamped steel like the Komet and Miller rope grabs. It operates on the same principle as a Type 1 Lever Cam Ascender. The cam is made of 5 pieces of sheet steel riveted together, providing the unusual tooth pattern (at least for an ascender). The more interesting feature is how the frame opens to accept the rope. The frame is hinged, and a threaded knob that secures the back of the frame when it is closed. A spring-loaded lever engages a groove in the knob's bolt, keeping it from opening. One must depress the lever to open the Tractel-Stop. The closure bolt has a tapered end, so there is no need to depress the lever to close the device.

The Tractel-Stop has a hard plastic roller above the cam. This reduces friction in the same way as the rollers on the Komet rope grabs or the Lewis ascender.

In March, 2008, Christer Hogne sent me some additional information, including a technical sheet from Tractel Ltd. Fallstop Division. Christer wrote the following:

"I believe that you have insufficient information on that particular rope grab. The rope grab's model number is WS58 and the name is Stopfor S. One of the key features of this particular rope grab is the gravity lock. If the rope grab is not in the upright position, it will not close. This helps prevent untrained user's from making fatal errors."

I cut my Stopfor S off of my display boards and confirmed that Christer was correct. The back of my Stopfor S is stamped with the following:

Tractel Stopfor S Cap 310 lbs
WARNING: Use only with 5/8" (16 mm) dia
Synthetic rope with arrow pointing up
Do not use unless properly trained Before use read,
understand, and follow all manufacturers instructions.
Made in France.

Other markings include an up-pointing arrow and "HAUT," "UP, "OBEN," and "ALTO" near the knob, the same arrow and words inside the rope channel, and on the cam, "CONNECT D.L.SNAP HOOK TO PIN ONLY" and "ENSURE THERE IS NO GAP BETWEEN SIDE PLATES" on the right and "9712238" on the left. "WS58" does not appear anywhere on the device.

As for the gravity lock, this is a lightweight steel piece that slides on the hinge pin. When the device is right-side-up, an ear clears a notch in the rear channel, allowing it to open easily. When the device is inverted, gravity pulls it out of alignment with the notch. Unfortunately, a mild shake is all one needs to realign the pin. Once again, my personal preference is to rely on doing things right rather than on gadgetry for safety.