Suspension device for cable or a like linear body

• US 4,991,802 A
• Filed: 02/21/1990
• Issued: 02/12/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deacon, Lawrence A.
• Original Assignee: Deacon, Lawrence A.
• Inventors: Deacon, Lawrence A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ramon O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Olson, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US07/482,703
• Time in Patent Office: 356 Days
• Field of Search: 248/60, 248/51, 248/61, 248/58, 248/63, 248/328
• US Class Current: 248/60
• CPC Class Codes: F16G 11/14 Devices or coupling-pieces designed for easy formation of adjustable loops, e.g. choker hooks; Hooks or eyes with integral parts designed to facilitate quick attachment to cables or ropes at any point, e.g. by forming loops
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 11/003 using gravity-loaded or spring-loaded loop

Abstract

A suspension device for cable or the like, formed of nonmetallic flexible material woven or braided into elongated, tubular or sleeve-like form so that the cable or a like flexible linear body, can be passed through the central passageway of the suspension device and out an opening formed in the defining sidewall of the device and be frictionally gripped or held by the device against lengthwise movement relative to the suspension device, and wherein the latter can be formed at one end thereof into a self-retaining loop for securing the device and gripped cable or other linear body to an overhead support, thus transmitting any tensile load applied to the cable or other linear body to the support via the suspension device and thus preventing any tensile load being transmitted along the cable or other linear body to its connection point, such as, for instance, an electrical junction box.

Claims

1. A device for suspending an elongated generally flexible cable and the like, from an overhead support said device comprising:

an elongated braided or woven member formed of flexible nonmetallic strands and defining a wall encompassing an elongated generally lengthwise extending passageway in said member, the diameter of said passageway being enlarged by imposing a lengthwise compressive force upon said member and decreased by imposing a lengthwise tensile force;

a first end of said member being doubled back upon itself for insertion from exteriorly of said member through a first opening formed through the strands of said wall of said member and into said passageway, to provide a formed securement loop at said first end for attaching said member to said overhead support; and

said member having a second opening through the strands of said wall thereof below the first mentioned opening and from said passageway for receiving therethrough said cable or the like, the suspended weight of said cable upon said member providing sufficient lengthwise tensile force upon said member to put said member into gripped relation with said cable or the like.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said member is formed of plastic strands and the strands at said one end are secured to one another by heat fusion of the strands at said one end for facilitating insertion of said one end into the first mentioned opening and thence into said passageway for formation of said formed loop.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said strands at said one end are secured to one another by tape binding said one end of said member for facilitating insertion of said one end into the first mentioned opening and thence into said passageway for formation of said formed loop.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said one end of said member is of generally pointed configuration with said strands at said one end being generally secured to one another for facilitating entry of said one end into the first mentioned opening and thence into said passageway upon said doubling back of said member upon itself.

5. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said strands are braided or woven in a relatively tight weave, so that no readily apparent openings appear in said wall of said member in the absence of lengthwise compressive force upon said member.

6. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said strands are braided or woven into a relatively loose weave whereby formed openings exist between adjacent strands and provide the first mentioned opening for receiving said one end therethrough in the formation of said securement loop.

7. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said device is provided by initially severing from a length of said braided or woven strand material a selected sectional length, to form said member of a selected length.

8. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said member is formed of flexible plastic strands.

9. A device in accordance with claim 8 wherein said flexible plastic strands are polypropylene.

10. A method of suspending a cable or the like on an overhead support, said method comprising:

providing a length of braided or woven member formed of nonmetallic flexible strands defining said member with a flexible wall encompassing an elongated lengthwise directed passageway through said member, the diameter of said passageway being enlarged by imposing a lengthwise compressive force upon said member and decreased by imposing a lengthwise tensile force;

providing a first opening through the strands of said member and into communication with said passageway and doubling said member adjacent a first end thereof back upon itself and around said overhead support, and inserting said first end through said first opening and into said passageway, to form a closed loop which is operative for attaching said member to the overhead support,

providing a second opening below the first opening through said wall of said member and inserting said cable or like flexible linear article into said passageway and through said second opening and extending said cable or the like from said passageway in a direction away from said loop, whereby the suspended weight of said cable or the like upon said member provides a sufficient lengthwise tensile force to put said member into gripped relation with said cable, minimizing lengthwise movement of said cable relative to said member.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein the first mentioned opening is provided in said wall by forcing the strands at a selected location in said wall laterally apart sufficiently to receive said one end of said member therethrough and into said passageway, in order to provide said closed loop.

12. A method in accordance with claim 10 which includes providing the braided or woven member of flexible plastic strands, defining said wall.

13. A method in accordance with claim 10 which includes providing the braided or woven member as a length of braided or wove polypropolylene rope.

14. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein said first mentioned opening and said other opening are provided by forming said member with a relatively loose weave whereby formed openings exist in said wall between adjacent of said strands.

15. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein said first mentioned opening and said other opening are provided by forming said member with a relatively tight weave so that no readily apparent openings appear in said wall, and then forcing adjacent of said strands apart at selected locations along said member to form said first mentioned and said other openings.

16. In a method of providing a gripping suspension of a cable or the like from an overhead support comprising:

providing a length of flexible braided or woven member formed of flexible strands defining said member with a flexible wall encompassing an elongated lengthwise directed passageway through said member, doubling said member back upon itself adjacent one end thereof and around the overhead support at the site of use;

providing an opening through the strands of said member and into communication with said passageway; and

inserting said end through said opening and into said passageway, to form a closed selected size loop operative to attach said member to said overhead support.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein the flexible braided or woven member consists of a predetermined length of flexible polypropylene rope and including the step of heat bonding said one end of said member to cause securement of the strands at said one together, said heat bonding securement facilitating the entry of said one end of said member through said opening into said passageway, in the process of forming said loop.

18. A method in accordance with claim 16 including the step of taping said one end of said member with tape to form a generally pointed configuration to said one end which generally pointed configuration facilitates entry of said one end of said member through said opening and into said passageway in the process of forming said loop.

19. A method in accordance with claim 16 including the step of forming said opening in said wall by forcing selected of said strands laterally away from one another to define said opening in the process of forming said loop.

20. A method in accordance with claim 16 including providing said braided or woven member in the form of braided or woven flexible plastic strands defining said wall, and providing a generally pointed configuration to said one end for facilitating the entry of said one end through said opening and into said passageway in the process of providing said closed loop.

21. A method in accordance with claim 16 including the step of inserting a flexible linear member such as said cable or the like into said passageway for suspending said cable or the like in gripped relation by said member.

22. A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein said cable or the like is inserted into said passageway from the lower end of said member and then out an opening in said wall disposed below the first mentioned opening for attachment of an end of said cable or the like to a power fixture such as a junction box.

23. A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein said cable or the like is inserted through an opening in said wall from exteriorly thereof and thence into and through said passageway out the bottom end thereof, with the last mentioned opening being disposed below the first mentioned opening.