GB2426254A - Flexible rope-like elongate members - Google Patents

Flexible rope-like elongate members Download PDF

Info

Publication number
GB2426254A
GB2426254A GB0510008A GB0510008A GB2426254A GB 2426254 A GB2426254 A GB 2426254A GB 0510008 A GB0510008 A GB 0510008A GB 0510008 A GB0510008 A GB 0510008A GB 2426254 A GB2426254 A GB 2426254A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
elongate member
flexible elongate
strand
retro
inner flexible
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB0510008A
Other versions
GB0510008D0 (en
Inventor
Paul Michael Hall
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
GENESIS REFLECTIVE ROPES LIMITED
Original Assignee
GENESIS REFLECTIVE ROPES Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by GENESIS REFLECTIVE ROPES Ltd filed Critical GENESIS REFLECTIVE ROPES Ltd
Priority to GB0510008A priority Critical patent/GB2426254A/en
Publication of GB0510008D0 publication Critical patent/GB0510008D0/en
Priority to PCT/GB2006/001764 priority patent/WO2006123115A1/en
Publication of GB2426254A publication Critical patent/GB2426254A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D02—YARNS; MECHANICAL FINISHING OF YARNS OR ROPES; WARPING OR BEAMING
    • D02G—CRIMPING OR CURLING FIBRES, FILAMENTS, THREADS, OR YARNS; YARNS OR THREADS
    • D02G3/00—Yarns or threads, e.g. fancy yarns; Processes or apparatus for the production thereof, not otherwise provided for
    • D02G3/22—Yarns or threads characterised by constructional features, e.g. blending, filament/fibre
    • D02G3/38—Threads in which fibres, filaments, or yarns are wound with other yarns or filaments, e.g. wrap yarns, i.e. strands of filaments or staple fibres are wrapped by a helically wound binder yarn
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D02—YARNS; MECHANICAL FINISHING OF YARNS OR ROPES; WARPING OR BEAMING
    • D02G—CRIMPING OR CURLING FIBRES, FILAMENTS, THREADS, OR YARNS; YARNS OR THREADS
    • D02G3/00—Yarns or threads, e.g. fancy yarns; Processes or apparatus for the production thereof, not otherwise provided for
    • D02G3/22—Yarns or threads characterised by constructional features, e.g. blending, filament/fibre
    • D02G3/34—Yarns or threads having slubs, knops, spirals, loops, tufts, or other irregular or decorative effects, i.e. effect yarns
    • D02G3/346—Yarns or threads having slubs, knops, spirals, loops, tufts, or other irregular or decorative effects, i.e. effect yarns with coloured effects, i.e. by differential dyeing process
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D07—ROPES; CABLES OTHER THAN ELECTRIC
    • D07B—ROPES OR CABLES IN GENERAL
    • D07B1/00—Constructional features of ropes or cables
    • D07B1/14—Ropes or cables with incorporated auxiliary elements, e.g. for marking, extending throughout the length of the rope or cable
    • D07B1/148—Ropes or cables with incorporated auxiliary elements, e.g. for marking, extending throughout the length of the rope or cable comprising marks or luminous elements
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D07—ROPES; CABLES OTHER THAN ELECTRIC
    • D07B—ROPES OR CABLES IN GENERAL
    • D07B2501/00—Application field
    • D07B2501/20—Application field related to ropes or cables
    • D07B2501/2069—Climbing or tents

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Ropes Or Cables (AREA)

Abstract

The invention provides a rope 1 (flexible elongate member) of twisted construction having two or more strands 2a, 2b and 2c. At least one strand 4 that is retro-reflective is twisted around the outside of the rope 1 such that it lies between two adjacent strands (2a and 2b) of the rope 1. The rope 1 has a variety of uses and applications because of its improved visibility in low-light environments.

Description

TITLE
Flexible elongate members
DESCRIPTION
Icbnical Field
The present invention relates to flexible elongate members such as ropes, cables, hawsers, lines and the like, and in particular to flexible elongate members that are highly visible in the dark.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention provides a flexible elongate member (which may be commonly referred to as a rope, cable, hawser, line or the like) comprising an inner flexible elongate member of twisted construction having two or more strands, and at least one strand that is retroreflective and which is twisted around the outside of the inner flexible elongate member such that it lies in a helical channel between two adjacent strands of the inner flexible elongate member.
It will be readily appreciated that the inner flexible elongate member is formed by twisting the two or more separate strands together in the same direction.
Although the term "strand" is used to describe the individual flexible elongate elements (or ply) from which the inner flexible elongate member is constructed, and the individual flexible elongate element that is twisted around the inner flexible elongate member, it will be readily appreciated that these individual flexible elongate elements may also he commonly referred to as yarns, tapes, threads, fibres, wires and the like.
The strands of the inner flexible elongate member can be formed of any suitable natural or synthetic material such as cotton, acrylic, nylon, polyester, polypropylene, manila, sisal or metal, for example. The choice of material for the strands of the inner flexible elongate member will depend on the intended use of the final product. One or more of the strands can be dyed or otherwise coloured a bright or distinctive colour to make the flexible elongate member more visible during the day when the at least one retro-reflectjve strand is not as effective because of the reduction in contrast between the light that is retro-reflected and the background environment. The individual strands of the inner flexible elongate member can be dyed or otherwise coloured different, optionally contrasting, colours to give the flexible elongate member a distinctive multi-coloured appearance.
Because the at least one (outer) strand is retro-reflective it means that any light that is incident on the flexible elongate member will be principally returned in the direction from which it came. This means that the flexible elongate member is particularly useful for roadside applications during the night or in periods of low visibility because any light from the headlights of a passing vehicle will be directed back towards the driver making the flexible elongate member highly visible from a distance. For example, the flexible elongate member can be strung between roadside cones to provide a highly visible boundary around or alongside areas of road construction, a crash site or a vehicle awaiting breakdown assistance. The flexible elongate member is also useful for a variety of other applications where its high visibility would improve safety. For example, the flexible elongate member can be used as a mooring rope or tow rope for marine vessels, or for lifting or hauling in the construction industry. In addition to safety applications, the flexible elongate member can be used for decorative purposes. For example, the flexible elongate member can be used as a guy rope for illuminated tents and marquees.
A suitable retro-refleclive material for the at least one outer strand is a flat elongate tape supplied by 3M Company under the registered trade mark "Scotchlite" (high visibility product number 8910). The outer strand can also be covered in a retro- reflective coating. For example, if the strands of the inner flexible elongate member are made of metal then the outer strand can also be made of metal that is covered with a suitable retro-reflective paint or other retro-reflectjve coating. The retro-reflective coating may optionally include tiny glass beads or micro-prisms in a suitable adhesive or binder.
The at least one retro-reflectjve strand can also be fluorescent.
Further strands can he twisted around the outside of the inner flexible elongate member. In this case, the outer strands are preferably arranged so that they do not cross over each other but run parallel with each other around the outside of the inner flexible elongate member. This can be achieved by twisting the strands around the outside of the inner flexible elongate member such that they all lie in different helical channels between two different adjacent strands of the inner flexible elongate member. For example, if the inner flexible elongate member has three strands then it will be readily appreciated that up to three different outer strands can be twisted around it to run in parallel. One of the outer strands will lie in the helical channel between the first and second strands of the inner flexible elongate member, another of the outer strands will lie in the helical channel between the second and third strands of the inner flexible elongate member, and yet another of the outer strands will lie in the helical channel between the third and first strands of the inner flexible elongate member. Increasing the number of strands twisted together to form the inner flexible elongate member will increase the number of outer strands that can be twisted around the inner flexible elongate member in a parallel manner.
The outer strands can be made of different materials and have different properties.
For example, although at least one of the outer strands will be retroreflective, one of the strands can be made of a fluorescent material, covered in a fluorescent coating or dyed with a fluorescent paint or dye. This will improve the visibility of the flexible elongate member during the day because the fluorescent material, coating, paint or dye is activated by ultraviolet light from the sun. One of the strands can be made of a material that is dyed or otherwise coloured to have a contrasting colour to the colour of the strands of the inner flexible elongate member.
The at least one outer strand does not form an integral part of the inner flexible elongate member and the physical properties of the inner flexible elongate member such as strength, flexibility and durability remain unchanged. This means that there is greater freedom of the choice of the size and material of the outer strand. However, the twisted construction of the inner flexible elongate member means that the outer strand is effectively constrained between the adjacent strands of the inner flexible elongate member which prevents the outer strand from moving along the outside surface and becoming loose. fhis is important because it means that the outer strand is an integral part of the flexible elongate member as a whole. The flexible elongate member can therefore be used for certain applications where strength or durability is important and where it would not be acceptable for the outer strand to come loose and snag or catch. For the best results, the diameter of the outer strand (or its width in the case where the at least one retro- reflectjve strand is a f1at elongate tape) is less than the diameter of the individual strands that are twisted together to form the inner flexible elongate member. This way, the outer strand will sit securely within the helical channel or groove between the larger adjacent strands of the inner flexible elongate member. For example, for an inner flexible elongate member of 25 mm diameter, the diameter or width of the outer strand can be about 5 mm.
The outer strand can be twisted around a completed length of inner flexible elongate member or can be added during the final stages of manufacture of the inner flexible elongate member.
Drawing Figure 1 is a side view of a rope according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a side view of a rope according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 3 is a side view of a rope according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 1 shows a rope I of three-ply twisted construction where three acrylic strands 2a, 2b and 2c are twisted together in the same direction. A flat elongate tape 4 made of retro-reflective material is twisted around the outside of the rope I and lies in the helical channel 6 between two adjacent strands 2a and 2b of the rope.
In Figure 2, a second flat elongate tape 8 made of retro-reflective material is twisted around the outside of the rope I and lies in the helical channel between the two adjacent strands 2c and 2a of the rope. The tapes 4 and 8 therefore run parallel around the outside of the rope 1.
In Figure 3, a thin acrylic strand 10 is twisted around the outside of the rope I and lies in the helical channel between the two adjacent strands 2b and 2c. The strand 10 has a different contrasting colour to the strands 2a, 2b and 2c of the rope I. The tapes 4 and 8, and the strand 10, run parallel around the outside of the rope I. 4.

Claims (11)

  1. I. A flexible elongate member comprising an inner flexible elongate member of twisted construction having two or more strands, and at least one strand that is retro- reflective and which is twisted around the outside of the inner flexible elongate member such that it lies in a helical channel between two adjacent strands of the inner flexible elongate member.
  2. 2. A flexible elongate member according to claim 1, wherein the at least one strand is made of a retro-reflectjve material.
  3. 3. A flexible elongate member according to claim 1, wherein the at least one strand is covered with a retro-reflectjve coating.
  4. 4. A flexible elongate member according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one retro-reflective strand is fluorescent.
  5. 5. A flexible elongate member according to any preceding claim, further comprising a second strand twisted around the outside of the inner flexible elongate member.
  6. 6. A flexible elongate member according to claim 5, wherein the second strand runs parallel with the first strand around the outside of the inner flexible elongate member.
  7. 7. A flexible elongate member according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the second strand is twisted around the outside of the inner flexible elongate member such that it lies in a different helical channel between two different adjacent strands of the inner flexible elongate member.
  8. 30. A flexible elongate member according to any of claims 5 to 7, wherein the second strand is retro-reflective.
  9. 9. A flexible elongate member according to any of claims 5 to 8, wherein the second strand is fluorescent.
  10. 1 0. A flexible elongate member substantially as herein described and with reference to the drawings.
    Amendments to the claims have been tiled as follows 1. A flexible elongate member comprising an inner flexible elongate member of twisted construction having two or more strands, and at least one strand that is retro- reflective and which is twisted around the outside of the inner flexible elongate member such that it lies in a helical channel between two adjacent strands of the inner flexible elongate member but does not form an integral part of the inner flexible elongate member.
    2. A flexible elongate member according to claim I, wherein the at least one strand is made of a retro-reflective material.
    3. A flexible elongate member according to claim 1, wherein the at least one strand is covered with a retro-reflective coating.
    4. A flexible elongate member according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one retro-reflective strand is fluorescent.
    5. A flexible elongate member according to any preceding claim, further comprising a second strand twisted around the outside of the inner flexible elongate member.
    6. A flexible elongate member according to claim 5, wherein the second strand parallel with the first strand around the outside of the inner flexible elongate member.
    7. A flexible elongate member according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the second strand is twisted around the outside of the inner flexible elongate member such that it lies in a different helical chamiel between two different adjacent strands of the inner flexible elongate member.
    8. A flexible elongate member according to any of claims S to 7, wherein the second strand is retro-reflective. 0\
    Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 9. A flexible elongate member according to any of claims 5 to 8, wherein the second strand is fluorescent.
    1 0. A flexible elongate member substantially as herein described and with reference to the drawings.
  11. 11. A method of making a flexible elongate member comprising the steps of: forming an inner flexible elongate member of twisted construction by twisting together two or more strands; and twisting at least one strand that is retro-reflective around the outside of the inner flexible elongate member such that it lies in a helical channel between two adjacent strands of the inner flexible elongate member but does not form an integral part of the inner flexible elongate member.
GB0510008A 2005-05-17 2005-05-17 Flexible rope-like elongate members Withdrawn GB2426254A (en)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0510008A GB2426254A (en) 2005-05-17 2005-05-17 Flexible rope-like elongate members
PCT/GB2006/001764 WO2006123115A1 (en) 2005-05-17 2006-05-15 Flexible elongate members

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0510008A GB2426254A (en) 2005-05-17 2005-05-17 Flexible rope-like elongate members

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB0510008D0 GB0510008D0 (en) 2005-06-22
GB2426254A true GB2426254A (en) 2006-11-22

Family

ID=34708277

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB0510008A Withdrawn GB2426254A (en) 2005-05-17 2005-05-17 Flexible rope-like elongate members

Country Status (2)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2426254A (en)
WO (1) WO2006123115A1 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN102191703A (en) * 2010-03-17 2011-09-21 江南大学 Retroreflective rope
CN105862209A (en) * 2016-06-06 2016-08-17 寿光市嘉信生态科技有限公司 Preparing method of slub AB yarn

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE202007000328U1 (en) * 2007-01-10 2007-06-14 Titze, Steffen Cord useful for tensioning and securing tents and covers is fluorescent
KR100937494B1 (en) 2009-05-22 2010-01-19 굿 와이어(주) Photoluminescent wire rope and manufacturing method
CN110234807B (en) * 2017-12-26 2022-03-18 理研兴业株式会社 Steel wire rope with resin wire, resin wire winding mold, and method for manufacturing steel wire rope with resin wire
TWI728689B (en) * 2020-02-10 2021-05-21 勤倫有限公司 Fibers with reflective and luminous functions and textiles with such fibers

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4697407A (en) * 1980-03-24 1987-10-06 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Retroreflective fiber and method of making same
JPH03267408A (en) * 1990-03-17 1991-11-28 Matsumura Seiko Kk Manufacture of light reflecting rope
JPH09292845A (en) * 1996-04-25 1997-11-11 Sanesu Giken Kk Manufacture of retroreflective material and usage thereof
US20020012795A1 (en) * 1998-04-23 2002-01-31 Jeffrey J. Chizmas Reflectively enhanced coated cable
JP2003082590A (en) * 2001-09-12 2003-03-19 Marujin:Kk Rope interlined with core material

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1366429A (en) * 1917-10-03 1921-01-25 William H Fullington Spreader and swivel for rope-making
US1343854A (en) * 1919-08-16 1920-06-15 Pearl O Neill Spreader for rope-making
JPH10240181A (en) * 1997-02-26 1998-09-11 Hoshino Sogo Shoji Kk Self-light emitting rope for signal
JPH11102782A (en) * 1997-09-26 1999-04-13 Ebakku:Kk Electroluminescence fiber hose
EP1359248B1 (en) * 2002-05-02 2009-06-03 Fatzer AG Luminous rope

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4697407A (en) * 1980-03-24 1987-10-06 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Retroreflective fiber and method of making same
JPH03267408A (en) * 1990-03-17 1991-11-28 Matsumura Seiko Kk Manufacture of light reflecting rope
JPH09292845A (en) * 1996-04-25 1997-11-11 Sanesu Giken Kk Manufacture of retroreflective material and usage thereof
US20020012795A1 (en) * 1998-04-23 2002-01-31 Jeffrey J. Chizmas Reflectively enhanced coated cable
JP2003082590A (en) * 2001-09-12 2003-03-19 Marujin:Kk Rope interlined with core material

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN102191703A (en) * 2010-03-17 2011-09-21 江南大学 Retroreflective rope
CN105862209A (en) * 2016-06-06 2016-08-17 寿光市嘉信生态科技有限公司 Preparing method of slub AB yarn

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2006123115A1 (en) 2006-11-23
GB0510008D0 (en) 2005-06-22

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
COOA Change in applicant's name or ownership of the application

Owner name: GENESIS REFLECTIVE ROPES LIMITED

Free format text: FORMER APPLICANT(S): HALL, PAUL M

WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)