Method of securing a termination element to an end portion of a wire rope

• US 6,170,145 B1
• Filed: 10/21/1999
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Crosby Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Crosby Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Lucas, Charles E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, I Cuda
• Assistant Examiner(s): Omgba, Essama
• Application Number:
  US09/426,069
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 292/37, 295/05, 295/17, 292/82, 297/53, 298/63, 724/16
• US Class Current: 29/517
• CPC Class Codes: B21F 15/06 with additional connecting elements or material B21F27/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 9/00 Binding or sealing ends, e.g. to prevent unravelling
• CPC Class Codes: F16G 11/02 with parts deformable to grip the cable or cables; Fastening means which engage a sleeve or the like fixed on the cable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49185 of terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49908 Joining by deforming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49929 Joined to rod
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53235 Means to fasten by deformation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53987 Tube, sleeve or ferrule

Abstract

A method of securing a termination element to an end portion of a wire rope, the termination element having an elongated, ductile tubular sleeve portion, including the steps of positioning the end portion of a wire rope within the tubular sleeve portion, positioning the sleeve portion between co-acting dies, the dies having an opening that is non-circular in cross-section, closing the dies a first time to deform the sleeve portion about the wire rope and into a non-circular external cross-section shape opening dies rotating the sleeve portion less than 180° closing the dies a second time to form the sleeve portion into a final external non-circular shape and opening the dies to remove the termination element.

Claims

1. A method of securing a termination element to a terminal end of a wire rope, the termination element having an elongated, ductile tubular sleeve portion and an integral socket portion, comprising:

positioning the terminal end portion of the wire rope within the tubular sleeve portion of the termination element, said sleeve portion having a cylindrical external surface;

positioning said sleeve portion of said termination element between co-acting dies, said dies having abuttable lands and having an opening that is quasi-polygonal in cross-section with n sides, where n is an even number greater than four, said co-acting dies having at least one of said sides forming a reservoir area wherein a pair of said reservoir areas are on oppositely facing sides said reservoirs accommodating flashing from said sleeve portion;

fully closing said dies upon said sleeve portion to form a preformed quasi-polygonal swage opening said dies;

rotating said sleeve portion with respect to said dies an amount V, where V is equal to 360°

/n;

fully closing said co-acting dies whereby said lands abut to form a final quasi-polygonal opening of predetermined after swage dimension, said reservoir again accommodating flashing from the sleeve; and

opening said dies to remove said swaged termination element, said swaged termination element having a quasi-polygonal external surface.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said termination element is an open swage socket having spaced apart paralleled integral tang portion from which said integral tubular sleeve portion extends.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said termination element is a closed swage socket having a body portion from which said integral tubular sleeve portion extends, the body portion having an opening therethrough.

4. The method of claim 1 where n equals 6.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said after swage dimensions are that which will provide a working load limit including design factor rating for a given size of wire rope.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the percentage of air gap in a completed swage is determined as follows:

$\mathrm{AIR}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{GAP}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\%=\frac{A_D-\left(2<br><br>A_r+A_S\right)}{A_r}·<br><br>100=\le <br><br>40<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\%$

where A_r is the metallic rope area and A_D is the cross-sectional area of the die cavity and

7. A method of securing a termination element to a terminal end of a wire rope, the termination element having an elongated, ductile tubular sleeve portion and an integral socket portion, comprising:

positioning the terminal end portion of the wire rope within the tubular sleeve portion of the termination element, said sleeve portion having a cylindrical external surface;

positioning said sleeve portion of said termination element between co-acting dies, said dies having abuttable lands, said dies having an opening that is quasi-polygonal in cross-section;

fully closing said co-acting dies upon said sleeve portion whereby said lands abut to form a predetermined quasi-polygonal cross-sectional swage;

opening said dies;

rotating said sleeve portion with respect to said dies an amount less than 180°

;

fully closing said co-acting dies whereby said lands abut to form a final quasi-polygonal opening of predetermined after swage dimensions; and

opening said dies to remove said swaged termination element.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein said termination element is an open swage socket having spaced apart paralleled integral tang portions from which said integral tubular sleeve portion extends.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein said termination element is a closed swage socket having a body portion from which said integral tubular sleeve portion extends, the body portion having an opening therethrough.

10. The method according to claim 7 wherein said opening in said dies has an internal cross-sectional configuration providing at least one reservoir are, said reservoir accommodating flashing from said sleeve portion.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein said after swage dimensions are that which will provide a working load limit including design factor rating for a given size of wire rope.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the percentage of air gap in a completed swage is determined as follows:

$\mathrm{AIR}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{GAP}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\%=\frac{A_D-\left(2<br><br>A_r+A_S\right)}{A_r}·<br><br>100=\le <br><br>40<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\%$

where A_r is the metallic rope area and A_D is the cross-sectional area of the die cavity and $A_s=\left(\mathrm{OD}-\mathrm{ID}\right)·<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\frac{\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}}{4}.$