Cable anchor

• US 8,051,615 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2008
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Precision-Hayes International, Inc. (Enerpac Tool Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Actuant Corporation (Enerpac Tool Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mathews, Thomas F., Landry, Stan, Van Noord, Robert K.
• Primary Examiner(s): A, PHI DIEU TRAN
• Application Number:
  US12/120,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20080282640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: 521/46, 521/48, 521/49, 521/52, 522/231.3, 522/236, 522/237, 527/11, 403/78
• US Class Current: 52/223.13
• CPC Class Codes: F16G 11/106 using a toothed surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32213 Articulate joint is a swivel

Abstract

A cable anchor has ball surfaces that permit misalignment between the cable and a stem of the anchor, and a fitting that permits the introduction of a corrosion inhibitor to the interior of the anchor.

Claims

1. In an apparatus for anchoring an end of a cable to a structure, the apparatus having a tubular body with an opening in one end into which the end of a cable may be inserted, a gripper for gripping the end of a cable within the tubular body, a threaded stem mounted to the other end of the body and extending from the body, the stem having an enlarged head that is captured against a facing surface at the other end of the body, the improvement wherein:

a frusto-spherical surface is formed on at least one of the head of the stem and the facing surface, the frusto-spherical surface permitting the stem to articulate relative to the tubular body so as to allow angular deflection of the stem relative to the body

the cable gripper comprises a set of jaws;

a fitting in an opening through a side of the tubular body through which a corrosion inhibitor can be introduced into the tubular body.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tubular body has a wedge-shaped bore section and wherein the gripper comprises a set of jaws that collectively have a generally wedge-shaped exterior surface adapted to be moved within and operatively wedged by the tubular body bore section into gripping engagement with a cable end positioned within the jaws.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a flat surface secured to the stem whereby the stem may be fastened to an insert by wrench engagement of the flat surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the insert is set in concrete.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the facing surface is formed on an end cap mounted to the body, the end cap having a hole through which the stem extends and wherein the enlarged head is in rotatable sliding contact with the facing surface of the end cap.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the head of the stem is a convex surface and the facing surface is concave.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the cap is screwed into the body.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a spring mounted within the body that biases the cable gripper toward a gripping position.