×

Flexible supporting sheath for cables and the like

  • US 5,046,764 A
  • Filed: 04/12/1990
  • Issued: 09/10/1991
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1985
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A combined flexible supporting sheath and cable or the like wherein the sheath comprises a series of interconnected links, each link having an internal passage, with circular cross-sections transverse to said link length, extending through it from one end to the other, an inner concave spherical surface formed in the passage at one end of the link, and an outer convex spherical surface formed on the outer surface of the link at its opposite end, in which for each pair of adjoining links of the sheath, the convex surface of one of said adjoining links is engaged with a concave surface of the other one of said adjoining links, in which the centers of the engaged convex and concave surfaces coincide, and in which the concave surface of said other link overlaps the convex surface of said one link to an extent such as to prevent separation of the links, said pair of adjoining links having means for limiting their articulation, the internal passage of each of said pair of links having an intermediate portion located between the concave surface of its passage and the end portion of the passage inside the portion of the link having the outer convex surface, characterized by the fact that the diameter of said end portion of the passage of said one link, from its opening to a location spaced inwardly from said opening a by a distance substantially greater than the distance from said opening to the center of curvature of said outer convex surface, is greater than the minimum diameter of the intermediate portion of the passage of said other link, whereby said pair of adjoining links form a continuous hollow passage for a cable or the like to pass through, and in which said diameter of said end portion is sufficiently greater than the minimum diameter of the intermediate portion of the passage of the other one of said pair of adjoining links, that, when said one link and said other link are bent relative to each other to their limit of articulation, said end of said one link does not extend beyond said intermediate portion of said other link into said continuous hollow passage, whereby flexing of the sheath is prevented from imparting shear and tension to said cable or the like, and in which at least one pair of adjoining links of the sheath has stop means inserted between the outer surfaces of the last-mentioned adjoining links for substantially preventing any articulating movement of said last-mentioned links in any direction.

View all claims
  • 0 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×