US1643150A - Attachment for wire strand and process for producing the same - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 20 1927.

E. A. CNNER ATTACHMENT FOR WIRE STRAND AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME Filed Deo. 4, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheetl INVENTOR ZJZMV 021 71er .idf

f BY l MM ATTORNEY sept. 2o, 1927. 1,643,150

E. A. CONN ER ATTACHMENT FOR WIRE STRAND AND PROCES-S FOR PRODUCING THE SAME Filed Deo. 4, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNvENToR 'a/wad/ fozzner www@ ATTORNEY Patented Sept. .20, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.Y

EDWARD A. CONNER, OF STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T AMERICAN CABLE COMPANY, INC., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

ATTACHMENT FOR WIRE STRAND AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING TH-E SAME.

Application filed December 4 1925. Serial No. 73,136.

l stranded Wire struct-ures With'attachments,

Cil

, and the present application is in part a continuation of my application for United States Letters Patent upon attachments for wire cables and process for producing the same, Serial No. 691,219, tiled Feb. 7, 1924, to the extent of the disclosure contained in the aforesaid application, the present appli-l cation disclosing,r also various improvements in themode of eiecting attachments and in details of structure which I have devised in practising the aforesaid process, with the object of facilitating the general use of the novel attachments upon stranded Wire structure throughout the field of its employment, whether in the form of simple strand, using that term to designate a plurality of wires laid together, or in the form of Wire rope constituted by a plurality of such strands, with or Without'a metallic or nonmetallic core or a w-ire cable formed of several wire ropes, in all of which forms individual strands are used wholly or in part as components.

The invention relates to means for securing to stranded wire structures attachments for anchoring the same either at the ends or upon .an intermediate portion of the structure, and to means for lproviding stranded wire structurey withl` fixed stops, and for securing to it various kinds of attaching devices as may be desired, such as eyes, hooks, yokes and other connecting members of a similar type.

A method commonlyv employed of securing attachments to stranded wire structure consists in the utilizing of thimbles socalled. The stranded Wire structure is looped about the thimble and` secured by splicing, or by clamping. Splicing is not only a laborious operation requiring considerable skill, but an operation which seldom or never results in a union that possesses a degree of strength equal to that of the strand proper. This method is readily adaptable only for securing attachments to the ends of the stranded structure.

Another conventional method of securing anchoring means and connecting attachments to the ends of'stranded'wire structure is that known as socketing, and consists in passing the end of the stranded wire' structure through a socket, then splaying or spreading the Wires at the end and then tilllng the interstices of the splayed end with zinc or some other soldering substance. In that way an enlargement is made at the end of the stranded wire structure which prevents it from being pulled through the socket whereby it is to be anchored. This method requires inthe first place the use of heat and a little more than the average skill found among Workmen. Furthermore, any sort of soldering material which can be used at low temperatures is necessarily soft and, consequently, gives Way under the severe strains and wear to which it is subjected in ordinary service. Again, this method is not readily adaptable to the securing of stops, anchoring means or attachments at points on the stranded wire structure intermediate its ends. Whenever it is desired to secure stops or anchorage attachments at points intermediate the ends of the stranded Wire structure, it is usually customary to use clips or clamps of one kind or another which are fastened with bolts or rivets. For this pur- 'pose open U-shaped pieces are frequently employed, which after being put in place on the stranded wire structure are merely closed about it with pliers or other suitable tools,

such attachments being sometimes soldered or brazed `for greater security. The soldering or brazing however, is particularly objectionable where such stranded wire structure is to be used for running over sheaves, for the reason that unless eXtreme care is taken in the solderiudg1 or brazing operation the solder or brazing material runs along the stranded Wire structure for a considerable distance on one side or the other, or both sides, of the attachment, thus making a por-` tion of the stranded wire structurel stili and unyielding to the curvature of the sheave. Under such conditions the portion of the stranded wire structure which is filled with solder obviously speedily disintegrates. In addition, the use of soldering material, particularly zinc, frequently requires acid iluxes and as is lwell known, acid iuxes are extremely corrosive and are especially objectionable on that account. A

l So also, the use of heat by unskilled workmen in applying an attachment of any form is liable to anneal the high carbon steel wires of which strand, Wire ropes and cables are composed in much the largest proportion of having been found decidedly inferior to properly installed sockets.

In general, all forms of attachment heretofore employed were developed for use with iron ropes, which develop only a fraction of the strength of stranded steel Wire of the same dimensions, so that the existing attachments are not designed to meet the exacting requirements of the modern steel stranded wire.

An unfavorable characteristic common to the clamps and clips has been their formation with members of very rigid metal, especially those used in the attempt to adapt these devices to steel stranded Wire ropes, so that when bolted tightly upon the stranded Wire structure they have crushed and deformed the Wire, and when less tightly bolted the attachment has not developed the full strength of the stranded Wire structure, so that several clips or clamps are often used, making the attachment too bulky, a disadvantage that is often shared by the H sockets, when it is found necessary to make the latter very long.

The object of my invention is to provide an attachment that will develop the full strength of the modern steel Wire strand, rope and cable, and other high-tensile strength stranded Wire structure, as Well as of those formed of iron Wire; is adaptable for any part of the stranded wire structure, obviating the above mentioned difficulties, and which is uniformly reliable and capable of ready inspection.

Another object of the ihvention is to provide an attachment member of steel or other high-tensile strength met-al having a degree of hardness less than that of the stranded Wire structure, and which is capable of being Worked in place While cold, by a method which results in hardening the sleeve, While the stranded Wire structure is Worked also and its quality improved, rather than impaired, by the application of the attachment.

Another object ef my invention is to provide an attachment that ivill accomplish the purposes above described, and which is coinpact in size and will be susceptible of being givenvarious external shapes and contours.

Another object of my invention is to providea method of securing attachments to stranded wire structure which can be carried out by the use of a machine and which .iii furtherance of the above invention, is to provide an improved method of applying an attachment sleeve to the stranded wire structure, in such fashion that the sleeve is in tegrated with the strand components by impacting the material of the sleeve into the peripheral intci'stices of the strand or strands and thereby preserving the integrity of the stranded Wire structure, and at the same time fioiving the sleeve, over substantially the entire exposed arca of the stranded wire structure throughout a region of attachment suflicient to form a joint substantially equal in tensile strength to that of the stranded wire structure outside of the joint. Another object is to fioiv the material ofthe sleeve by impactment which diminishes in force from the above described region of maximum integrating impactment, toward the region of exit of the stranded Wire structure from the sleeve, With a coi'- iespondingly progressive diminution of compactment of the stranded Wire structure until the latter is of normal diameter and o iily so confined that it may be bent relatively to the joint Without deleterious strain.

The preferred ai'ea of the joint proper, the degree of conipactment necessary to secure integration with the stranded Wire structure, and the angle of diminishing impactment relatively to the main longitudiiial a. ;is of the structure, are determinable in practise by taking into account the compressibility of the stranded Wire structure, in which the leading factors are the structure of the strand components and the relative hardness of the materials employed, which may vary considerably Within vvide desirable limits, and illustrative examples of such variations Will behereinafter set forth.

The various features of the invention are illustrated and described fully in the accompanying drawings and specification and are pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vien7 showing a portion of a wire strand, constituting one forni of stranded ivire structure partly broken away, with an attachment in place thereon ready to be integrated with the stranded Wire structure by the process forming the subject of this lit? invention, the attachment being shown 1n, longitudinal section, partly in side elevation. i

Fig. 1l is an end elevation of the same.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, sectionaly View of the assembled wire structure and attachment shown in Fig. l after the process of attachment has been carried into effect.

Fig. 2a is a section on the line 23-22 of Fig. 2, the parts being shown on a larger sca e.

isn

` prising the a Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the wire structure and its attachment completed.

Fig. 4 1s a view, similar to Fig. 2, of a' wire rope, constituting a modification of the stranded wire structure.

Fig. 44 is a section on-tlie line 44 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4* is an end .elevation thereof.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 ofv another modification.

Fig. 6 is a view in longitudinal section illustrating a set of dies for carrying the invention into effect, by a modification of the process, showing also a portion of wire .rope a-nd an attachment in process ofbeing applied to the -wire rope. Fig. 7 is a view of a section of stranded wire structure showing the first step in my process.-

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectionl of the assembly shown in Fig. 7 with part of thel i ence number 1 designates part of a wire strand comprising several wires 2, which may be for example formed of steel, and constituting one form of stranded wire structure suitable for embodiment of the invention, being laid together in helical relation around a central core wire 3, and this strand is shown as surrounded by 'a cylindrical sleeve 4 of steel preferably somewhat softer than the steel of the strand wires 2, the interior diameter of the sleeve being sucient to permit the sleeve to be slipped readily upon the strand prior to attachment. Part of the strand is broken away at 5 to show the inner wall 6 of the sleeve, which may be smooth, as indicated at 6, prior to carrying the process of attachment into effect, and in accordance with a now preferred and notably advantageous feature of the invention the sleeve is shown as provided at its mouth with a beveled or countersunk portion 7.

In pursuance of the invention the sleeve is worked upon the stranded wire by subjecting the sleeve to an impacting process, complication thereto of impacting forces pre erably consisting of a series of light blows, applied by a swedging machine, a hammer or other suitable device acting against the periphery of the sleeve from numerous radial directions successively, so that the material of the sleevei4 is impacted into the helical, peripheral interstices 8 of the strand. The sleeve is thus caused to flow gradually from its original position, shown in Fig. 1 in full lines, and indicated in dotted lines in Fig 2, into the position shown 1n full lines in Fig; 2, where it occu ies a space of .less diameter but greaterV en h than in Fig. 1. The countersunk portion is thereby extended slightly as indicated in Fig. .2, the lip of the countersink taking approximately the form shown at 9 in Fig 2. At the saine time that the sleeve has thus b een flowed slightly lengthwise, the operation of impacting has caused a gradual compression and, if carried far enough, a slight elongation of the strand, as indicated at 10,

in a somewhat exaggerated degree, for the sake of 'clearness in illustration, for a distance extending from the end 11. toward the the compactness is somewhat less, owing to the decreased thickness of the wall 4of the sleeve at its countersunk mouth ortion, so that by this means the compression of the strand is gradually lessened, avoiding any sharp constriction of the strand at the region where it leaves the mouth of the attachment sleeve. By the gradual impactment,

.any local sharp constriction of the strand is avoided, so that there is nov tendency to rupture the strand or impair its strength.

Fig. 4 shows a wire rope 12 comprising several strands 13, laid around a hemp core 14, and therefore of somewhat mushier character than the strand l already described, and accordingly the sleeve 15, which otherwise maybe similar to the sleeve 4, is

shown as somewhat shorter, as the wire rope has many more peripheral interstices to permit mtegration of the sleeve therewith, the

effect produced being illustrated clearly at 16, where the inner wall of the sleeve 15 is revealed in the drawing by omitting a portion of the wire rope. The countersunk portion 17 initially provided in the blank Sleeve may be tapered more gradually, say at an angle of 12 to the longitudinal axis of the rope, as compared with an angle of say in the case of the sleeve for wire strand shown in Fig. 2 at 7.

The working of the metal of the sleeve,

and of the strand to the extent desirable has been devised by me to produce the novel and desirable effect of producing a `completed joint uniform in character and at the same time to integrate the sleeve with "the .stranded wire structure so that a 'j oint thus constituted T will develop the maximum breaking strength of the stranded wire structure even Vwhere a stranded wire structure of high carbon steel regionk of the countersink 7, at which region is providedwith a steel sleevefof less -hardness,

and accordingly I am thus able to Cil produce an al1-steel joint that is even stronger than the stranded Wire structure, and which can be produced mechanically in quantities by workmen of average skill, and with a constant uniformity that insures a reliability not possible to accomplish by the use. of conventional attachments such as splices, sockets, clamps, clips or the other types heretofore used.

This reliability is not only evidenced in the tensile strength of the joint and strand, but also in the absence of fatigue under bending strains, so that the life of the stranded wire structure and joint is greatly prolonged.

The desirable advantages above recited are exhibited in their greatest extent when the attachment is eected by repeated light blows, but in some instances the desired strength may be produced by the application of the forces through the instrumentality of dies forced repeatedly against the sleeve from different radial directions in suitable presses, particularly When provision is made for the diminishing pressure at the mouth of the joint.

For this purpose, instead of providing the sleeve blank with a countersink at the mouth, as already described With reference to the attachments shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the diminishing pressure may be provided for by tapering the sleeve blank externally, as indicated at in Fig. 5, Whlch shows a sleeve 21 applied to a wire-rope 22, the sleeve blank having a straight inner Wall throughout, as shown in dotted lines at 23, prior to carrying out the process of attachment,` Whereas the completed product is practically identical in form With that of Fig. 4, as shoivn in full lines in both Figures 4 and 5, the latter exhibiting a final tapered mouth 24 and lip 25 like the mouth 18 and lip 19 of Fig. 4, the exterior of the sleeve being straight throughout, if so desired, in each instance.

lVhere the attachment sleeve has in part a non-circular peripheral shape or enlargement, as for example in the inst-ance illustrated in Fig. 6, which shows a sleeve 26 in process of being applied to a Wire-rope 27, thesleeve having a hexagonal operating head 28, a convenient mode of providing for the diminishing compression, at the region 29 of the mouth, is to Work the sleeve with dies 30 having Working surfaces tapered as indicated at 3l, While the periphery of the sleeve blank, as indicated in dotted lines at 32, may be straight for the greater portion of its length.

The result of working the sleeve 26 by the dies 30 is to integrate the portion 26 of the sleeve with the portion 33 of the Wire rope 27, compressing the latter for the distance necessary to produce the desired strength, and reducing the sleeve from the .dotted line dimensions to the full line dimensions, the

tapered surfaces' 31 of the dies causing the Walls of the sleeve at 29 to assume a taper of a diameter increasing toward the mouth, so that there may be an actual clearance at 34 between the hexagonal head 28 and the uncompressed portion of the Wire rope 27.

lVhile I have shown several.vvays of providing the diminishing compresslon, othermeans for accomplishing the desired result may be utilized, without departing from the invention.

A possible effect of the impactment as carried out in some instances according to my improved process, may be to compress the strand components uniformly and symmetrically at the region Where they are confined by the sleeve, so that they assume individually for example the-non-circular cross-section shown in Fig. 2a (on a larger scale) as compared with the individual circular section of the Wires shown in Fig. l, which latter figure illustrates the original shape of the strand components before compactment, and also illustrates the shape of that unconipacted portion of the strand beyond the confines of the sleeve after the attachment has been eHected.

Each strand component changes graduallyI in shape, accordingly, from the non-clrcular form shoivn in Fig. 2n to the original circular form shown in Fig. 1, at cross-sections taken at successive points in the region of diminishing impactment. The gradual change of shape of the individual strand components above described may also be secured, if desired, in those embodiments shown in Figs. 4, 4, 5 and 6 Where each strand component comprises several Wires, instead of a single wire. Such compression is not however an essential feature of the process in every embodiment thereof, and is shown to a somewhat exaggerated degree for the sake of clearness in illustration.

The cross-section of the Wire strand as a whole may desirably retain a generallyT circular form throughout its length,l both Within the sleeve, and outside the sleeve, only changing in diameter. t

Any of the attachments above described may be threaded as indicated at 35 in Fig. 3, or otherwise fitted to receive nuts, eyes, clevises, hooks or any suitable connecting device, and may be formed with peripheral shapes of -any suitable character, the hexagonal head 2S shown in Fig. 6 being an illustration of one convenient form of such a shape. The shank of the attachment sleeve 26 may be threaded at any suitable stage of its formation, as for example after it has been removed from the dies 30; or any suitable thread may be formed thereon as part of the' svvedging process as hereinafter described.

So also, dies such as those shown in Fig. 6, with tapered mouths 31, may be used advanlua tageously in the swedging machines or hamm'ers employed for carrying the process into structure.

effect, as the tapered mouth operates desirably to fiow the material longitudinally as the dies are moved along the sleeve of any of the forms illustrated.

Referring now to the embodiment shown in Fig. 7, the numeral -41 indicates a section of stranded wire structure of conventional type. On this is slipped a blank in the form of a tubular piece of metal stock or collar 42, (best shown in Figure 8), the bore of which is preferably of such diameter as to comfortably fit on the stranded wire If the stranded wire structure is of the so-called inert lay type, that 1s, the type which is made by pre-forming' the components of the stranded wire structure before or after laying, it is unnecessary to tie or otherwise fasten together the ends of the components, since in the case of this type of stranded wire structure there is no tendeney on the part of the individual strands or wires to untwist or spring away from the core. If, however, the stranded wire struc- -ture is of the common type produced by forcibly twisting the wire or strands about the core, itis usually necessary, before inserting the end of the stranded wirestructure in the blank to bind the end with small steel wire, or to fasten together the wires by soldering or otherwise, in order tolprevent them from untwist-ing or springing out.

After the blank 42 has been slipped on the stranded wire structure, the next step consists, as already described, in forcing the stock of the blank into the helical threads or grooves of the stranded wire structure.

This step is preferably done with the work cold, since any temperature which would serve any useful purpose in the operation would be so high that the stranded wire structure, especially if of high carbon steel as it often is, would-be seriously weakened. Forging under heat, therefore, 1s not under ordinary conditions, a desirable method of carrying out the step now under considera; tion.

Therefore, since the step now under c'onsideration is to be carried `out with the work cold, a method is desired which will causel such internal and external distortion of the stock of the` blank as not only to cause it to flow and conform closely to the conigurationof the stranded wire structure but which will do so not only without weakening either the stock or the stranded wir'e structure, but also with actual improvement 1n the quality of the material of the stock. The best way that -I have found of carrying out this purpose consistsv in swedging the stock to shape. as hereinbeforej. set forth. The rapid series of light, elastic but high velocity blows causes the stock to-closely conform to the configurations' of the stranded Wire cated at 45.

the individual wires of the latter,l and without distorting it as a whole otherwise than to slightly compact it.

As shown in Fig. 9 the bore of the stock as indicated at 43 is, after swedging, virtually threaded to conform to the threads or helical grooves of the strandedwire structure. It is obvious that under these circumstances a strong union. is created between the attachment and stranded wire structure. In point of fact the resistance to parting or .rupture is considerably higher than the resistance to parting of rupture of the stranded wire structureitself, provided proper care is taken to carry the swedging operation to the proper point. I have found that an ordinary hammer swedging machine 1sA admirably adapted for the purpose, since it is easily regulatable and adjustable, and the ordinary workman can be quickly instructed in its use as applied to my'process. A rotary swedging machine is, however, entirely satisfactory in instances in which the work may be passed' through the dies.

The operation of swedging the stock to a union with the stranded wire structure may, if desired, be coupled with a second operation; namely, that ,of giving to the exterior of the stock a desired shape, such, for instance, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. In Fig. 9` it will be observed that the shoulder 44 has been left, but that the remainder of the stock has been exteriorly threaded as indi- The exterior threading may be produced simultaneously with the shaping of the stock to the stranded wire structure, ythe swedge dies being suitably shaped for the purpose in accordance with wellknown practice. On the other hand, the thread 45 may be produced by machining or other conventional process. The fact, however, that my process makes it easily possible to produce variations in the eX- terior shape of the stock, is a distinctadvantage.

`. In Fig. l() I have shown, bythe Iway of example, another type of connector which consists of a cylindrical shaped body threaded its entire length, as indicated at 46.

In Fig. 11 I show two connectors each in the form of a stop, one indicated by 47 being positioned at the end of the stranded wire structure, and the other by 48, intermediate the ends of thestranded wire structure.

The attachments may be applied to any suitable portion of the wire strand, rope or cable, eithery at they end, as illustrated,v or at an intermediate portion of the stranded 4structure without rupturing or weakening i wire article, and may be utilized to connect a In general, such attachments may be employed instead of existing attachments of any form, and with notable advantages over the latter, both as to economy in the cost of application, reliability in operation, and ease ofinspection. They are found in practice to develop uniformly the full strength of the Wire strand, rope or cable, so that they furnish a standard heretofore not found practicable.

Vhile I have shown and described certain simple and practical speciiic embodiments of my invention, and ways of carrying it out, it is to be understood that many of the features described may be Varied and yet not depart from the scope of my claims, which are as follows.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. The process of securing an attachment upon stranded wire structure of the type adapted to sustain high tensile stresses, saidprocess consisting in fitting a piece of high tensile strength metal stock, capable of cold iowing, -upon said stranded wire structure and impacting said stock in such manner and to such an extent as to integrate the stock with the individual components of the stranded wire structure substantially throughout the region of attachment.

2. The process of securing an attachment to stranded Wire structure which consists in swedging a piece of metal stock surrounding the stranded wire structure by recurrent impacting forces applied thereto in such manner and to such an extent as to impact the stock into the peripheral interstices of the stranded Wire structure and thus integrate the stock and stranded Wire structure with each other and Without rupturing or unduly heating or straining the individual Wires of the stranded Wire structure.

3. The process of securing an attachment to stranded Wire structure 'which consists in fitting a surrounding ieee of metal stock thereto and swedging tiie same by recurrent impacting forces applied thereto until the stock flows longitudinally along the stranded Wire structure and firmly grips and becomes embedded in the helical grooves of the stranded Wire structure, thereby integrating the attachment and stranded Wire structure as a unitary structure of uniform strength.

4. In the process of securing an attachment upon stranded Wire structure, the steps which comprise surrounding the stranded Wi re structure With a metal sleeve having the property of flowing under peripheral pressure, and subjecting said sleeve to forces acting to impact said sleeve upon said stranded Wire structure, said forces being applied by swedging said sleeve with a series of light high-velocity hammer blows or impacts distributed uniformly about each section of said stranded Wire structure and acting to cause flow of the metal of said sleeve while cold into the interstices of said stranded wire structure, thereby to integrate said sleeve with said stranded Wire structure and constitute said attachment portion a part of substantially equal tensile strength with the unsl-eeved portion of the stranded Wire structure.

5. The process of securing an attachment to stranded wire structure which consists in swedging a piece of metal stock to a desired shape about the stranded Wire structure, by recurrent impacting forces applied thereto, the swedging being continued until thesurface of the stock in contact with the stranded Wire structure conforms to the surface of the latter.

6. In the process of forming an attachment of desired shape upon a stranded Wire structure, the steps which comprise swedging a piece of metal stock about the stranded Wire structure by recurrent impacting forces applied peripherally thereto in such a manner as to impact the stock into the peripheral recesses of said' stranded Wire structure and also to swedge a thread upon the periphery of said stock. Y

7. In the process of securing an attachment upon stranded wire structure, the step which comprises applying to said stranded Wire structure a metal sleeve having seamless Walls of uniform thickness. at' any selected cross-section, then compressing said sleeve and stranded Wire structure and impacting the material of the sleeve into the interstices of the strand in a multiplicity of pressure operations by forces applied successively around said sleeve in numerous directions respectively normal to the periphery thereof, unt-il the material of said sleeve is iiowed into said interstices completely and uniformly around the stranded Wire structure and the sleeve is thereby integrated with the stranded Wire structure, constituting a part of equal tensile strength therewith.

8. In the process of. securing an attachment upon a stranded Wire structure, the steps which comprise surrounding the stranded Wire structure with a sleeve of metal, and subjecting said sleeve to forces acting peripherally thereupon to impact said sleeve upon said stranded Wire structure in multiple pressure operations with a compressive stress varying gradually from a maximum stress adapted to integrate said' sleeve With said stranded wire structure, to a minimum stress at the region of exit of said stranded Wire structure from said sleeve, thereby to form an attachment which will develop the full strength of said stranded Wire structure under tensile and bending stresses and which isfree from any sharp localized constriction of the stranded Wire structure.

9. In the process of securing an attachment upon stranded Wire structure, the steps which comprise surrounding the stranded l'lS property of flowing under peripheral preswire structure with a sleeve of metal having the property of flowing under peripheral pressure, and subjecting said sleeve to the action of tapered dies acting peripherally thereu on in multiple pressure operations to set said sleeve upon said stranded wire structure with a compressive ually from tegrate said sleeve with said stranded wire structure, to a minimum stress at the region of exit of said stranded Wire structure from said sleeve, thereby to form an attachment which is free from any sharp localized constriction of the stranded wire structure.

10. In the process of securing an attachment upon strandedwire structure, the steps which comprise surrounding a stranded steel Wire structure with a steel sleeve having the stress varying gradsur'e, and subjecting said sleeve to forces acting to compact said sleeveV and stranded steel wire, said forces being appliedin a series of deformino' operations distributed uniformly about ca h section of said stranded steel wire and acting to cause flow of the steel of said sleeve while cold into the interstices of saidstranded steel wire, thereby to integrate said sleeve with said stranded steel wire and constitute said attachment portion part of substantially equal ten- Sile strength with the unsleeved portion of the stranded steel wire, said sleeve being impacted with a gradual reduction in the degree of compactness as the end of the sleeve at which the wire emerges is approached.

1l. An attachment formed upon stranded wire structure, said attachment comprising a piece of metal stock surrounding the stranded wire structure .and integrated intimately therewith by the process of applying impacting forces to said stock.

l2. In an attachment for stranded' wire structure of the type adapted to sustain high tensile stresses, a body of metal surrounding and iowed into the' peripheral recesses thereof, closely gripping the stranded Wire structure, the surface of said body which is in contact with the stranded wire structure conforming integrally with the configurationiof the entire exposed area of the latter, substantially ment, whereby said attachment is fitted to develop substantially the entire strength of the stranded wire structure.

13. An article of manufacture comprising a standard wire structure of the type adapted to sustain high tensile stresses having an integral impacted body of high tensile strength metal surrounding and closely griping the stranded wire structure, the surface of the body which is in contact with the stranded wire structure conforming intimately with the configuration of the latter, substantially throughout their mutually exposed areas, whereby said attachment is ta maximum stress adapted to in throughout the region of attachted to develop substantially the. .entire strength ofthe stranded wire structure.

14. The combination with a' stranded Wire structure, of an attachment comprising a piece of high tensile strength metal stock surrounding the stranded wire structure and filling the interstices of the individual components thereofl so that the region of attachment between the stock and stranded Wire structure is free from voids throughout their mutually exposed areas.

15. In an attachment for stranded Wire structure of the type adapted to sustain high tensile stresses, a metal collar on and integrated with said stranded wire structure, the surface of the collar in contact with the stranded wire structure conforming toI the configuration of the latter, so that'the material of the collar is embedded in .and fills completely the exposed grooves of the stranded wire structure and closely grips the entire exposed area of the latter, whereby said attachment is fitted to develop substantially the entire strengthof the stranded Wire structure.

16. An article of manufacture comprising .a stranded wire structure having a metal sleeve impacted thereon by forces applied peripherally, said sleeve having a thread formed upon its periphery 'by said impacting forces. l

17. In an attachment for stranded Wire, an integral impacted body of metal Asurrounding and closely gripping said stranded Wire, the surface of the body which is in contact with the wire conforming to the configuration of the latter throughout their mutually 'exposed areas for a substantial portion of said region of contact and holding said portion under compression diminishing gradually toward the region of exit of said Wire from said body.

18. In an attachment for stranded steel wire, an integral impacted body of steel surrounding and closely gripping said stranded wire, the surface of the body which is in contact with the wire conforming to the configuration of the latter throughout their mutually exposed areas for alsubstantial yportion of said region of contact.

19. As a new article of manufacture, a

-Wire strand formed of high-carbon stranded steel wire, land a separately formed seamless sleeve of relatively 10W-carbon steel coldiowed thereon and constituting an integral part thereof, said sleeve having a cylindrical threaded periphery. i

20. The combination with a stranded wire structure comprising a plurality of wire strands, of a metal sleeve impacted thereon, said strandspbeing of circular form respectively where unconfined by the sleeve, and of non-circular section respectively where confined thereby, said non-circular sections merging gradually into said circular sections within the region of said confinement.

2l. The combination with a stranded Wire article of the class described, of an attachment comprising a. sleeve having a cylindrical shank impacted upon said stranded Wire, said shank having a non-cylindrical shaped operating portion.

22. The comblnation with a stranded Wire article of the class described, of an attachl0 ment comprising a sleeve having a polygonal head and having a shank impacted upon smd stranded wire, the Walls of said shank being enlarged in diameter gradually from the portion of said shank which is impacted upon said strand toward the region of union of said shank and head, and said head surrounding Said strand loosely.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

EDWARD A. CONNER.

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