GB2113732A

GB2113732A - Connecting device and method of producing a connecting device

Info

Publication number: GB2113732A
Application number: GB08202119A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Soichiro Sato
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-01-26
Filing date: 1982-01-26
Publication date: 1983-08-10

Abstract

A connecting device, for the end of a rope or bar, has a cylindrical coupling (3) with a bore (3c) and an internal screw thread (3b) for receiving the threaded shank of a connecting element such as a bolt or a hook (4). The bore (3c) receives the end of the rope or bar over which a sleeve is swaged to prevent it being pulled through the bore. In a swaging operation a punch pushes the sleeve fitted over the rope or bar through a die, thereby locking the sleeve into position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Connecting device and method of producing a connecting device This invention relates to a connecting device, and more specifically to a connecting device for the end of rope or bar, and to a method for producing such a connecting device, which device is used to connect the end of the rope or the bar to a support such as a hook or bolt in an efficient and adequate manner.

It is well-known to provide a connecting device such as a ring on the end of a wire rope by hand splicing, but this method has the disadvantage that it requires a great deal of skill to splice the rope. In another method the end of the wire rope is turned up and a sleeve made of aluminium is pressed into it, but this is expensive due to the cost of the press and other instruments.

In another known method, molten metal is poured into a socket arranged around the end of a wire rope but this is disadvantageous as it tends to damage the rope around the socket.

The invention seeks to provide a connecting device which can be produced easily, and which is strong and adequate.

According to the invention there is provided a connecting device in which consists of a rope or bar at the end with a sleeve and a hook or bolt having at the end a thread exteriorly and interiorly threaded and removably engaged with interior thread in the other end of the coupling and receiving the threaded end of the hook or bolt, the end on which the threads are formed being integrally of a greater diameter than the body portion of the hook or bolt, the sleeve at the end of the rope being loosely held within the coupling and held against displacement by the end of said coupling, and a method for passing the end of the rope through the coupling at the inner face attached a shoulder and thread, passing the rope through the sleeve, pressing the sleeve around the end of the rope by means of the swaging machine which is arranged the punch with the piston and the holding means and the die, connecting the end of the rope with the end of the hook or bolt by the sleeve.

The invention will now be described in greater detail by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which like parts are provided with the same reference numerals and in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a coupling and sleeve in longitudinal section; Figure 2 is a sectional view showing the coupling prior to forming fitted over one end of the wire rope; Figure 3 is a side elevation with the coupling passed over the wire rope, showing the swaging machine in longitudinal section; Figure 4 is a side elevation with the coupling passed over the wire rope, showing the sleeve passed over the end of the rope in the swaging machine in longitudinal section; Figure 5 is a side elevation with the coupling passed over the wire rope, showing the punch engaging the sleeve in the swaging machine in longitudinal section;; Figure 6 is a side elevation with the coupling passed over the wire rope, showing the die swaging the sleeve at the end of the wire rope in the swaging machine in longitudinal section; Figure 7 is a perspective view with the coupling passed over the wire rope, showing the sleeve fixed over the end of the wire rope.

Figure 8 is a detailed cross sectional view with a greatly enlarged partly sectional view of a second embodiment.

Figure 9 is a side elevation with the coupling passed over an iron bar, showing the sleeve passing over the end of the iron bar with a coil; and Figure 10 is a detailed cross sectional view with a greatly enlarged partly sectional view of a third embodiment.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows particularly the connection between a wire rope 1 and a hook 4. This is the first embodiment of this invention. The wire rope 1 is engaged at one end by a sleeve 2 having preferably a flat or square shoulder as seen at 2a so as to have a flat bearing against the inner end 3a of the coupling. A connecting coupling 3 may be of any suitable material and is preferably in the form of a cylinder having at one end an opening 3c through which passes one end of wire rope 1, and against the inner end 3a of which the flat or square shoulder 2a of the sleeve engages. The other inner face of the coupling 3 is provided with a thread 3b which is adapted to receive the threaded end 4a of the hook 4.This thread 4a is removably held within the end of the coupling; preferably being threaded upon its periphery to engage interior threads 3b on the coupling 3 and screwed against a lock nut 3d, which is sleeved over the thread 4a of the hook 4 prior to fitting it through the coupling 3, against the outside face. The threaded end 4a of the hook 4 is enable to employ larger threads and thus increases the life of the same. The material of the rope may be not only metal wires but also nylon, vinyl or cotton. In case of using rope made of plastics materials, it is preferable to provide a covering of soft metal such as aluminium or lead between the rope and the inner face of the sleeve, in order to increase engagement between both faces.

The parts are assembled by first engaging the coupling 3 with the threaded end 4a of the hook 4 and turning it around until the inner end 3a of the coupling abuts against the end 2a of the sleeve 2 and the end of the coupling engages the lock nut 3d.

The device is then ready for use. To remove or change a hook 4 the coupling 3 is screwed off the threaded end of the hook 4. The new hook 4 of the bolt is engaged with the thread 3b and screwed up sufficiently to prevent disengagement of the parts.

A method of forming the coupling according to a first embodiment of the invention will be more completely understood by references in detail to the drawings which show one form of a press indicated generally at Figs. 2 to 7, suitable for the practice thereof. Figs. 2 to 7 show particularly the process of this method for engaging a sleeve 2 with the end of a wire rope which is to be connected to a hook 4. Referring to Fig. 2, there is shown the coupling 3 which is passed over the end of the wire rope.

Turning next to a consideration of Figs. 3 to 5 of the drawings, there is illustrated therein a process in which the end of the wire rope 1 is passed into the die 5 of a swaging machine 6 as shown in Fig. 3, the sleeve 2 is then passed over the end 1 a of the wire rope 1 as shown in Fig. 4 and engaged by the cylindrical holding means 7 attached to a punch 8 of piston 9 in swaging machine 6, as shown in Fig. 5. The punch 8 is connected to the piston 9 of hydraulic cylinder 10 in the swaging machine as shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 6 depicts the sleeve 2 which is fixedly arranged on the holding means 7 through the side opening of the swaging machine 6; the sleeve 2 is then pressed and swaged onto the end of wire rope 1 by means of the die 5 which is fitted into the end wall 11 of the swaging machine 6 around opening 12.

Furthermore, the punch 8 and the holding means 7 push and press the sleeve 2 and the wire rope 1 in the axial direction of the wire rope 1 through the die 5 to prevent the sleeve and the rope from becoming eccentric.

The second embodiment according to this invention will be more completely described by references in detail to the drawings which show one form of a construction indicated generally at Figs. 8 and 9; this arrangement is characterised in that a coil 101 is twined around the end of an iron bar or wire rope 101. Other constructions and processes are the same as the first embodiment.

The coil 113 may be twined over the bar, or twined around the inner face of the sleeve beforehand.

Accordingly, the coil 113 is arranged between the end of the bolt 101 and the inner face of the sleeve 102, and during swaging by means of the die 105 of the swaging machine 106, the coil 113 becomes intertwined with the thread of the wire rope or the surface of the iron bar and tightly unites the iron bar or the wire rope with the sleeve; preferably the coil 113 is tightly and closely coiled. The materials of the coil 113 are preferably a hard metal, plastics or a ceramic.

The third embodiment according to this invention is illustrated in Fig. 10, and is characterised in that a soft sleeve 214 is engaged between the wire rope 201, the coil 213 and the sleeve 202. The soft sleeve 214 is made of a soft metal such as zinc or aluminium, and fills up the clearance between the elements to fix them after the swaging machine swages and presses the sleeve 214.

it will be apparent that other presses can be substituted for the specific press 8 illustrated and described herein, and that various other changes and modifications can be made to the method of the invention without departing from the spirit of

Claims

the claims. CLAIMS

1. A connecting device fitted to a rope or bar, comprising a generally hollow coupling on one end of the rope or bar, and a hook, bolt or like connecting element having an externally threaded shank removably connected to said coupling, said coupling being formed at one end with an internal screw thread matching the thread on said shank for receiving the connecting element, and at the other end with an opening in one wall through which the rope or bar extends, a sleeve being fixed over the free end of the rope or bar which is loosely received within the coupling, and which prevents removal of the rope or bar through said opening.

2. The combination as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said rope is made of a material such as wire, plastics or cotton-thread.

3. The combination as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein said connecting element comprises an eye-bolt, a snap-hook, or a link having a threaded end.

4. The combination as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein a coiled element is engaged between said sleeve and said rope or bolt.

5. The combination as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein a soft metal sheath is fixed between said sleeve and said rope or bolt.

6. A connecting device fitted to a rope or bar, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7, Figs. 8 and 9, or Fig. 10 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A method of making a connecting device as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 6, comprising passing the end of the rope or bar through the opening in the coupling, passing the rope or bar through a sleeve, and pressing the sleeve around the end of the rope or bar by means of a swaging machine which is provided with a punch having holding means for the sleeve and a die, connecting the end of the rope to the end of the hook or bolt or other connecting element by engaging the thread on the coupling with the shank thereof.

8. A method as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the sleeve passed over the end of the rope is held by a cylindrical holding means arranged on the end of a power-operated piston in the swaging machine, and is forced through the die in the axial direction of the rope or bar.

9. A method as claimed in Claim 6 or Claim 7, wherein a coiled element is disposed between said sleeve and said rope or bolt, before or after passing the sleeve over the end of the rope or bolt in the swaging machine and swaged in the die and thereby fixed between them.

10. A method as claimed in Claim 9, wherein a sheath of soft material is disposed between said sleeve and said coiled element after the coiled element has been fitted around the rope or bolt and is swaged with them through the die.

11. A method of making a connecting device for a rope or bar, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.