BOZEMAN, Mont. - With twin goals of Spiderman-like vertical mobility and safety, Capewell Components, Inc. of South Windsor, Connecticut, has licensed from the U.S. Army, a lightweight, retractable grappling hook for scaling walls and buildings, and boarding boats. The device, which Capewell plans to bring to market later this year, offers a material edge to first-responders and special operations soldiers.

The Individual Protection Directorate and the Army Natick Soldier Center originally designed, developed, and tested the hook as part of its mission to provide warfighters with high-quality, safe, and easily portable equipment. "This hook is soldier tough" says Jim Sadeck, inventor of the hook, "it passed all the Army requirements." The hook, which folds up into a compact, portable cube weighing less than 1.5 pounds, when deployed can support 1,608 pounds, or six 268-pound men.

A smaller hook is also a safer hook: it doesn’t get hung up accidentally while being carried, it can be thrown farther, which offers greater mobility in scaling obstacles, and it affords greater distance in clearing hazards. "That’s why we like the Natick hook" we want to offer products that provide the highest level of mobility and safety," says Capewell Business Manager Bill Ehler.

Grappling hooks have many uses, including gaining entry or providing exit from buildings. For climbing and descending, the user places or tosses the grappling hook onto a roof, through a window or anywhere that catches and secures itself to give the necessary support. The other end of the hook is attached to a rope, which the user climbs or fastens to an item that is to be raised or lowered.

Most grappling hooks are large, heavy, bulky, and risky to use because the breaking strength of the metal is largely unknown. To improve the safety of this useful equipment, engineers at the Natick Soldier Systems Center in Massachusetts developed super new lightweight, high-strength materials that cut the weight and bulk by 50 percent over the standard grappling hook. Capewell has licensed this technology and will mass-produce a high-quality retractable grappling hook for diverse markets.

TechLink, a nationally recognized technology transfer organization located in Bozeman, Mont., worked with Capewell and the Natick Soldier Systems Center to assist Capewell in applying for the exclusive right to license and commercialize this technology. TechLink also is assisting the company in transitioning the productized grappling hook back to the Army for potential use in warfare.

The grappling hook will complement Capewell’s life support systems, such as its military compact descenders. These products are used by military personnel, SWAT teams, and firefighters. In addition, Capewell offers a line of ascent/descent products for use by the same plus construction and oil rig workers, and building maintenance personnel.

About Capewell
Capewell was established in 1881 in Hartford, Connecticut and quickly became known as a world-class manufacturer of metal fasteners. During WWII, Capewell designed and manufactured parachute hardware for the US Army Airborne Infantry. The Capewell Parachute Release has become the standard canopy release used by paratroopers worldwide for almost 60 years. Today Capewell is also known as the world’s leading supplier of Life Support and Aerial Delivery equipment, including their latest development, the Affordable Guided Airdrop System.

About Natick
Natick Soldier Systems Center provides the material edge for the 21st Century warfighter by providing the best equipment in the world. The center is an Army Research, Development and Engineering Installation with world-class R&D and testing facilities, supporting the entire Department of Defense community and located in Natick, Massachusetts.

CONTACT:

Dan Swanson
MSU TechLink
406-994-7736
dss@montana.edu

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