US2141138A

US2141138A - Bridge cable strand

Info

Publication number: US2141138A
Application number: US107742A
Authority: US
Inventors: Howe James Forrest; Malcolm W Reed
Original assignee: American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey
Current assignee: American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey
Priority date: 1936-10-26
Filing date: 1936-10-26
Publication date: 1938-12-20
Anticipated expiration: 1955-12-20

Description

Dec. 20, 1938. l J,F. HWE ET AL 2,141,138

BRIDGE CABLE STRAND Filed Oct. 26, v1936 4 2 Sheets-Sheet l @L w Q/ v JAI/W56 Fo/eefrf/@WE 'md /W/QLCOLM 144 E550.

Dec. 20, 1938. J. F, HowE ET AL 2,141,138

BRIDGE CABLE STRAND Filed Oct. 26, 1936 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' fag@ - [Wei/50715: a//wf FOB/@56T Hon/5 am 'M4/couv /fI/. E550.

Patented Dec. 20, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRIDGE @ABLE STRAND Application October 26, 1936, Serial No. 107,742

1 Claim.

This invention relates in general to suspension bridges and is particularly concerned with the making of suspension bridge cable strands and the like, one of the objects being to improve on the usual procedure of spinning bridge cable strands.

The accompanying drawings schematically illustrate the principles of the invention, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan.

Figures 2 through 6 are enlargements from Figure 1.

Figure 7 is an anchorage for a complete cable strand.

According to the invention, a plurality of reels I carrying coils of strand components 2 may be arranged either horizontally or vertically. These components may be Wires, ropes, various co-mbinations of Wires, etc., and their shape may vary as desired, but for convenience these components are illustrated as comprising round Wires and they Will therefore be referred to as wires throughout the remainder of the specication.

The wires 2 are led from the coils through a spreader 3 which consists of a platey of suitable strength in which a plurality oi wire passage- Ways 3a are formed. These Wire passageways are arranged in a predetermined pattern which is the same, -except for the spacing, as the Wires are to have in the strand. Th-e Wires, now in conical formation, next encounter a condenser 4 which may be exactly like the spreader 3 excepting that the spacing of the wire passageways, in this case numeraled 4b, is reduced.

The Wires 2 continue from the condenser 4 in straight lines until they encounter a lay-plate 5, which is also constructed like the spreader excepting that thespacing of the wire passage- Ways, here numeraled 5b, is very much less. 'I'his lay-plate functions to further compact the wires, the latter then proceeding directly to a die 6 which may be removably mounted in a suitable holder 1. This die may be much like that used by a conventional Wire stranding machine. However, it is stationarily mounted and is much larger and stronger. Although not previously mentioned, the spreader, condenser and lay-plate are all stationary, this term being here used in the sense that the various elements are non-revoluble respecting one another.

When the wires have been passed through the vdie in the manner mentioned, their various ends are provided with a single socket which may be a large a'air providing a split conical basket 8 having an external surface 9 about which wires l0 may be wound. Zinc or other metal may be poured inside this socket to rmly unite the various wires in the socket. The wires l0 are wound on the outside of the socket to provide the extreme strength required, the amount of wire used depending upon this requirement.

By pulling on this just described socket the Wires may be drawn through the die so as to be laid together in the desired pattern, this being predetermined by the spreader, condenser and lay-plate. As the wires leave the die they are bound together by a suitable binder Il, which may consist of a couple of reels Ila carrying binding material Illo and adapted to revolve about the wires 2. The rate at which the wires are pulled through the die will normally be very slow, because of the stresses and the mass of the various elements involved. The lengths of Wire drawn from the reels I depend upon the length of the strand required. This strand is in finished form as it leaves the binder Il.

It is possible tol pull the strand as it is being formed directly over the supports of the bridge structure. When the opposite end is reached the unsocketed end of the strand may be socketed in the manner described in connection with the pulled end of the strand. To d-o this the pulled end is first mounted at the other end of the bridge structure by a suitable anchorage. The individual wires are then tensioned to equalize the stresses throughout the strand and this other socket applied and suitably anchored. It is, of course, possible, the terrain permitting, to form the strand along one side of the bridge location, and to then carry the strand in line with the bridge and hoist it into place. Furthermore, the sockets mentioned need not necessarily be used since any suitable clamp can function to pull the Wires through the die and it is possible to socket and anchor the strand wires individually.

Although the principles of the present invention have been disclosed by a specific example in accordance with the patent statutes, it is to be understood that its scope is not to be limited exactly to this example, except as defined by the app-ended claim. Thus, the present inventors dol not intend that the claim be limited to the sole use of Wires as the strand components, since they contemplate the use of the various other types of components mentioned early in the specication.

We claim;

A method of making a suspension bridge cable end of the bridge site While applying cable strand binding to said elements at a position adjacent the rst named end.

JAMES FORREST HOWE. MALCOLMI W. REED. v