US2688172A

US2688172A - Cable grip

Info

Publication number: US2688172A
Application number: US228449A
Authority: US
Inventors: David L Kellems
Original assignee: KELLEMS Co
Current assignee: KELLEMS Co
Priority date: 1951-05-26
Filing date: 1951-05-26
Publication date: 1954-09-07
Anticipated expiration: 1971-09-07

Description

Sept. 7, 1954 D. L. KELLEMS CABLE GRIP Filed May 26, 1951 INVENTOR. 2W/ L /fELLEM Patented Sept. 7, 1954 CABLE GRIP David L. Kellems, Mystic, Conn., assgnor to Kellems Company, Stonington, Conn., a partnership consisting of Vivien Kellems and David Loyal Kellems Application May 26, 1951, Serial No. 228,449

19 Claims. l

This invention relates 1to braided, open mesh, wire cable grips and more particularly to the shoulders or places at which the Wires of the mesh are brought together to form the pulling or supporting loops at the draft end of such devices.

In the past it has been the practice with devices of this type to gather the individual wires of the braided open mesh together into one or more groups at the draft ends of such devices and to bind the wires in each such group together by the use of one or more tubular bands or clips so that each group may be stranded or secured to form pulling or holding loops, commonly known as eyes. In such prior devices, the portions of the wires forming the body of the mesh are held in spaced parallel relationship principally by the over and under crossing of the braid. From such parallel, spaced relation in the body of the mesh, the wires are converged by the tubular bands or clips into a group without attempting to maintain such original parallel relationship thereof. This convergence of the wires is clearly illustrated in Patent No. 1,769,479, issued to S. E. Whaley, July 1, 1930, with particular reference to Figure 4 ofsuch patent. Also the same elTect is shown in the E. E. Kellems Patent No. 2,017,625, issued October 15, 1935.

The disadvantage of the above described practice is that in the use of a grip so constructed, there is placed an uneven load upon the individual wires of the mesh at theshoulder thereof which is a critical point in a grip. Since the wires in the shoulder of such a grip are unevenly loaded and are disposed at varying angles from the gathering point, the maximum strength of the grip is reduced. Further, it has been found that the soft jackets of the cables upon which grips of this type were used are frequently heavily marked or cut into by those wires in the shoulders of the grips which have the greatest load or were disposed at the shortest angle.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of grip which is free of the above noted disadvantages. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved grip in which the parallel spacing of the wires is maintained throughout the entire body of the grip so that in the use of such a grip the wires will be loaded more evenly.

A further object of the invention is to provide an open mesh cable grip which does not have the restrictions caused by the previous methods of bringing the wires or strands of the mesh together and thereby may be more easily installed on the cable.

Other objects, as well as the advantages of the invention, will become apparent after a perusal of the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is an elevational view of a cable grip constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a detailed View on an enlarged scale of one of the shoulders or gathering points of the grip shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating more clearly the means whereby the equalizing of the spacing and loading of the wires is accomplished; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a modified form of the invention; Fig. 4 is a similar view of the construction of Fig. 3 but illustrates the preferred manner in which it may be used; Fig. 5 is a View simila-r to Fig. 2 showing a further embodiment of the invention, and Figs. 6 and 7 are views similar to Fig. 2 and showing still further forms of practicing the invention.

In the drawings, the reference numeral l0 indicates generally the body of the grip in all of the several illustrated modications of the invention. The body IU of the grip is composed of a plurality of Wire strandsY interlocked or interwoven to form an open mesh structure adapted to be placed in surrounding gripping relationship with an article and having any suitable form. Some examples of the forms in which the grip body Ill may be made are illustrated in the E. E. Kellems Patent No. 2,017,625, issued October l5, 1935. The strands of the grip body I0 usually extend beyond the draft end thereof and may be divided into two o-r more groups or branches to form one or more looped ends or eyes. In the construction shown in Fig. l of the drawings, the strands extending from the draft end of the grip body l0 are shown divided to form two double branches Il, each containing a like number of strands which are preferably twisted upon each other into rope form. The outer ends of the strands in each pair of branches Il are inserted into opposite ends of a U-shaped metal tube l2, and preferably so that the ends of each pair of branches Il overlap within the tube. The metal tubes l2 are tightly compressed upon the overlapping ends of the branches llso as to form each pair thereof into an open shaped loop or eye.

The individual wires of the mesh body I0 in accordance with the invention are brought together at the shoulders of the grip and are held in parallel, spaced relationship at such shoulders by two members i3 which may be termed stems It will be understood that the body l0 of the grip may be considered as terminating in the lower 3 portions of the stems I3 and that the shoulders of the grip extend from the lower portions of the stems I3 to the upper portions thereof. The branches II of the grip start in the upper ends of the stems I3 and terminate in the metal tubes I2 in the mannerpreviously explained.

As is shown more clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, each of the stems I3 is composed of a tubular metal member having two series of spaced holes I4, the holes in each series or lines being paired with holes I4 in the other series and .being spaced apart.from the latter approximately 180. Preferably the holes I4 in each series are arranged in vertical lines parallel with the axis of the member, as shown, but may be arranged in other than vertical lines. The arrangement of the holes I4 is controlled by the weave in the grip body Ill, and should preperably be so spaced and arranged that the individual wires from the body enter the member I3 at xed points so as to maintain the parallel relationship of such wires established by the weave in the body IB. In assembling the stems I3 on the grip, the individual wires from the body of the grip are each inserted into its proper hole I4 of a stem and then extended upwardly in the stem so that it projects out of the upper end of the latter, the stranded branches I I being formed from such projecting portions of the wires. Because of the paired relation of the holes Id, pairs of converging Wires will be progressively gathered at the longitudinally spaced points or places where such pairs of holes are located on the stern I3, as shown in Fig. 2. After the wires are thus properly positioned in the stems, the latter may then be attened so as to iit smoothly against the surface of a cable and to securely hold the wires in fixed relation, thereby forming a lock for said wires at the places where they come together.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the stern I5 is shown as consisting of a flat piece of metal material which has been cut to form holes I6 and transverse slits I'I extending from such holes to the side edges of such slit; and then bent into substantially tubular form with the side edges of paired sections I8 inopposed relation. Due to the spacing between the side edges of the paired sections I8 and the slits I'I the wires may be laid in the holes or slots I6 without the necessity of threading the ends of the wires through the holes as is required in the construction shown in Fig. 2. By

means of this, the construction shown in Fig. 3 has been found to be particularly advantageous inthe manufacture of very small grips, grips requiring rapid production, and of grips in which the branches II thereof are longer than usual. After the stem I5 has been assembled on the grip, in the manner shown in Fig. 3, the grip may be used with the stem in this condition because the wires will remain in the positions in which they have been arranged with respect to such stem. It is preferred however that the stem be pressed or flattened to a closed position with the side edges of the paired sections I8 in abutting relation and the slits Il closed as is shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. In this condition of stem I5, it resembles the construction shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

In very large grips or those using relatively large wires, the invention may best be practiced with the use of two or more separate pieces of short tubing in the manner shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. In this construction, individual tubes or clips I9 are mounted on the wires in spaced relation so as to progressively connect successive pairs of wires to the first selected pair in such manner that the parallel arrangement of the wires in the mesh body I0 is continued into theshoulders of the grip. The tubes .I 9 may be of progressively largeridiameters ytowards the pulling end of the grip, as succcessive pairs of wires enter the shoulder to form the branches, as is shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. I am aware that clips or tubes have been used previously to hold vtogether above the body of the grip groups of wires 'from which the branches are formed. In such prior constructions the clips are used solely for gathering together in one group at one point the number of wire strands vwhich'are to be included in such group and without regard to the formation of a built-up shoulder of a predetermined form or the maintence of the wires in such shoulder in the parallel relation established inthe pattern of the braided mesh I0. In the construction of Fig. `5, on the other hand, a plurality of clips are utilizedin the building up of each group, a separate tube 'I9 being provided for each pair of wires as they progressively and at predetermined spacedintervals enter to form the shoulder and by which they are Ymaintained. in proper relation to accomplish the purposes of the invention. As each clip I9 is properly positioned with relation to the wires it is to enclose, such clip is flattened to secure it in position thereon and to prevent the pair of wires which have been added at that point .from pulling loose and .moving forward under load.

Fig. 6 of the drawings shows another manner in which the invention may be practiced. .In the construction shown in Fig. 6, the individual wires of the mesh I0 which are brought together to form the shoulderof the grip and thebranch II, are maintained in approximately parallel spaced relation in a vmanner conforming -to the weave of such body, by ya method of braiding which dispenses with the need for a plurality of tubular clips as in the construction of Fig. 5 and which requires the use of only one .ferrule 20. While this construction does not provide the rigidly held and accurately placed shoulder wires as in the previously described constructions, it .possesses advantages in applications of use in which complete flexibility is of greater importance than close accuracy. This braid is constructed by bending back and uniting into parallel ,strands individual wires of the mesh which spiral .from the left with those which spiralfrom the rightat the crossing point where they meet in the shoulder. Thus as-shown in Fig. 6, the wire 2| is bent back at its lmeeting point 22 with wire 23 and fromthere on is held parallel and against the ,wire 23. This procedure is followed with theother three pairs of wires entering the shoulder andmeeting approximately at'the rplaces indicated by the

numerals

24, 25 and26. The .parallelly arranged pairs of .wires .are then formed into a single flat braid `2I as they emerge from the thus .formed shoulder. This dat braided -branch 21 may be continued to any desired lengthiandended in any'suitable clip or fastening 20. It will be noted that in ,such braided portion Z'Lthere are twice as-many -wires in each strand of -the ybraid as in `each strand of the-body of the mesh I0. Above :the clip 20, .the wires are zwoven into rope form to produce=thebranch II.

A still further embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. '7 of the drawings. In this embodiment, the stem means consists of a flat piece 28 of metal material, which has preferably been shaped to conform to the curved surface of the cable and which has been slitted transversely to provide transverse sections 29 that have been formed or bent away from the piece 28 to enable the wires of the mesh to be threaded therethrough in the same manner as in the constructions of Figs. 1 to 5. After the wires have been so threaded through the sections 29 of piece 28, such sections are pressed against the wires to secure the latter in their arranged position. This construction possesses several advantages over the previously described embodiments of the invention. In the rst place, the piece 24 being a single iiat piece of material is relatively inexpensive to make and can readily be manufactured in large quantities. Also the piece 28 provides a strand equalizing stem which is of considerably wider proportions than the other constructions. This not only enables the load to be more evenly distributed over the cable surface, but reduces to a minimum any possibility of damage to the sheath of the cable upon which the gripping device is used. In this connection, the stem 28 can be formed to t halfway around the cable giving almost complete protection at this central point, namely, in the shoulders of the grip. Also the stem 28 may be extended completely around the cable to form a surrounding tube. The stem 28 may also be split longitudinally for a portion of its length at a point approximately midway of its width, and such split parts each formed to each embrace a group of wires, whereby the stem 28 can hold or grip a plurality of groups of wires formed into a plurality cf branches. It will be observed from the foregoing explanation, that the constructions shown `in Figs. 1 to 5 and 7 are essentially similar, the

constructions of Figs. 5 and 7 differing from those of Figs. 1 to 4 merely in that instead of threading the wires through holes and then up through the stems, the wires are threaded through prede terminedly spaced members. In the use of all of such constructions, the wires of the mesh body will be held in xed relationship and will be perfectly spaced to attain the results described. Further, where the greatest force is exerted in the grip during use, namely in the shoulders thereof, the wires of the mesh, by the reason of the inclusion of such stems, will be held away from the cable surface thus reducing to a minimum the marking or cutting of the cable. It is also within the contemplation of the invention to form the stems of Figs. 1 to 4 so that they are progressively reduced in cross-sectional area in the same manner as the stems of Figs. 5 and 7. Furthermore, it will be understood that while I have illustrated the invention with grips made of single strands, the invention is equally applicable to grips in which a plurality of strands are utilized in making the weave of the grip. Thus, while I have hereinabove described and illustrated preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

l. In a gripping device of the character described, a plurality of wire strands interwoven to form an open mesh body portion adapted to be placed in surrounding gripping relation with an article, a plurality of the strands in said body portion being extended from the draft end of the latter and continuing in the direction of their weave in such body portion to form a substantially triangularly-shaped, shoulder portion at the draft end of the grip, a number of the strands forming such shoulder spiralling from the left and a number of the strands forming such shoulder spiralling from the right, each of said left spiralling strands converging with a strand spiralling from the right, and a tubular member secured to the strands in said shoulder and extending longitudinally of said body portion, said tubular member having pairs of spaced openings located at spaced intervals thereon, a pair of right and left spiralling strands in said shoulder extending into each pair of spaced openings in said tubular member and then extending outwardly through such member, `said member being flattened to secure said strands in proper relation to each other.

2. In a gripping device of the character described, a plurality of wire strands interwoven to form an open mesh body portion adapted to be placed in surrounding gripping relation with an. article, a plurality of the strands in said body portion being extended from the draft end of the latter and continuing in the direction of their weave in such body portion to form a substantially triangularly-shaped, shoulder portion at the draft end of the grip, a number of the strands forming such shoulder spiralling from the left and a number of the strands forming such shoulder spiralling from the right, each of said left spiralling strands converging with a strand spiralling from the right, and a member secured to the strands in said shoulder and extending longitudinally of said body portion, said member being composed of a at sheet of material formed into substantially tubular form and being cut at spaced intervals to provide transversely spaced places of entry at the places of convergence of pairs of right and left spiralling strands in such shoulder, a pair of right and left spiralling strands in such shoulder extending into its associated transversely spaced places of entry in Said member and then extending outwardly through such member.

3. A gripping device of the character described comprising a plurality of strands interwoven to form an open mesh body adapted to be placed in surrounding gripping relation with an article, a plurality of spaced pairs of converging strand portions at one end of said body being gathered at spaced points extending longitudinally of the grip and being progressively assembled at successive such points to form a single strand group extending longitudinally toward one end of the grip, and means extending as a whole longitudinally of said grip and mounted on said progressively increasing single strand group to maintain the converging parts of said strand portions in substantially the same parallel relationship established by the Weave of the strands in said body portion and to maintain such strands in gathered relation outwardly from said gathering points, said means comprising tubular means constructed and arranged to provide places of entry for said pairs of strand portions at said spaced points and to hold the gathered parts of said strand portions in longitudinally extending relation, said pairs of strand portions extending into said tubular means at said places of entry and then extending outwardly through such tubular means.

assegna 4. A gripping'device ofthe character described comprising a plurality ofv strands interwoven to form an open mesh body adaptedto be placed in surrounding gripping relation with an article, a plurality of spaced pairs of converging strand portions at one end of said body being gathered at spaced points extending longitudinally of the grip and being progressively assembled at successive such points to form a single strand group extending longitudinally toward one endv of the grip, and means extending as a whole longitudinally of saidk grip and mounted on said progressively increasing single strand group to maintain the converging parts of said strand portions in substantially the same parallel relationship established by the weave of the strands in said body portion and to maintain such strands in gathered relation outwardly from said gathering points, said means consisting of a longitudinally extending tubular member having an open inner end for receiving one pair of strand' portions and having at least one pair of holes located intermediate its ends and at one of said spaced points, the pair of holes adjacent to the inner end of said member being spaced therefromv a distance corresponding to the spaced relation of the converging parts of the pair of strand'portions received in such end and the next adjacent outer pair of strand portions, the latter of which are received through such holes into said tubular member, the pair of wires gathered by said member extending longitudinally therethrough and beyond the outer open end thereof, the outer end of said member holding all of the gathered wire portions in a single group.

5. A- gripping device of the character described comprising a plurality of strands interwoven to form an open mesh body adapted to be placedr in surrounding gripping relation with an article, a plurality of spaced pairs of converging strand portions at one end of said body being gathered at spaced points extending longitudinally of the grip and being progressively assembled at successive such points to form a single strand group extending longitudinally toward one end of the grip, and means extending as a whole longitudinally of said grip and mounted on said progressively increasing single strand group to maintain the converging parts of said strand portions in substantially the same parallel relationship esz tablished by the weave of the strands in said body portion and to maintain such strands in gathered relation outwardly from: said gathering points, said means consisting of a longitudinally extending tubularlike member having a plurality ofV pairs of entry openings intermediate its ends and located at said spaced points, each adjacent pair of openings being spaced from each other a distance corresponding to the spaced'relation of the converging parts of adjacent pairs of strand portions, the latter of which are received through said' entry openings into said member, said pairs of Wires gathered by said member extending longitudinally therethrough and beyond the outer end thereof, the outer end of said member'holding allv of the gathered wire portions in afsingle group.

6. A gripping device of the character described comprising a plurality of strands interwoven to form an open mesh body adapted to be placed in surrounding gripping relation with an article, a plurality of spaced pairs of converging strand portions at one end of said body being gathered at spaced points extending longitudinally of the grip and being progressively assembled at succes-- sive such points to form a single strandfg-roup -ex- 8. tending. longitudinally toward one endof the' grip, and means. extending as a. whole longitudinally of said gripv and mounted on said progressively increasing sing-le strand group to maintain the converging parts ofv said strand portions in substantially the same parallel relationship established by the weave of the strands in said body portion and to' maintain such strands in gathered' relation outwardly from said gathering points,. sa'id means consisting of a tubular-like member split longitudinally and having at least one pair of' transverse splits located intermediate its length and at one of said spaced points and extending in opposed relation from the longitudinal `edges of said. member, the inner ends of said transverse slits being enlarged to receive a pair of strand portions, the enlargements of said pair of transverse slits'being spaced from an adjacent spaced point a. distance substantially equal to the distance between such adjacent spaced points, the pair of strand portions entering such enlargements extending longitudinally outwardly through such member and beyond the outer end thereof, the outer end of said member holding all.

of the gathered'wire portions in a single group.

'7. A gripping device of the character described comprising a plurality of strands interwoven to form an open mesh body adapted to be placed in surrounding gripping relation with an article, a plurality of spaced pairs of converging strand portions at one end of said body being gathered at spaced points extending longitudinally of the grip and being progressively assembled at successive such points to form a single strand group extending longitudinally toward one end of the grip, and means extending as a whole longitudinally of said grip and mounted on said progressively increasing single strand group to maintain the converging parts of said strand portions in substantially the same parallel relationship established. by the weave ofv the strands in said body portion and to maintain such strands in gathered relation outwardly from said gathering points, said means .comprising an elongated member constructed to gather progressively withinv the coniines thereof pairs of strand portions at said spaced points and to hold the gathered parts of said strand portions in longitudinally extending relation, the portions of said member intermediate adjacent spaced points being clamped to the parts of the strand portions extending therethrough.

8. A gripping device of the character described comprising a plurality of strands interwoven to form an open mesh body adapted to be placed in surrounding gripping relation with an article, a plurality of spaced pairs of converging strand port-ions at one end of said body being gathered at spaced points extending longitudinally of the grip and being progressively assembled at successive such points to-form a single strand group extending longitudinally toward one end of the grip, and means extending as a whole longitudinally of said grip and mounted on said progressively increasing single strand group to maintain the converging parts of said strand por-tions in substantially the same parallel relationship established by the weave of the strands in said body portion and to maintain such strands in gathered relation outwardly from said gathering points, said meanscomprisng a plurality ofy memberssecured to said progressively increasing. single. strand group in longitudinally spacedv relation, a.. pair of; strand' portions entering into. eachy of-A said members at one of said points and then extending outwardly therethrough, the innermost member receiving onepair of strand portions and each succeeding member receiving in addition to the pair of strand portions entering at one of said points, the longitudinally extending parts of strand portions received by preceding members so that in the outermost member all of the pairs of strands are grouped together.

9. A gripping device of the character described comprising a plurality of strands interwoven to form an open mesh body adapted to be placed in surrounding gripping relation with an article, a plurality of spaced pairs of converging strand portions at one end of said body being gathered at spaced points extending longitudinally of the grip and being progressively assembled at successive such points to form a single strand group extending longitudinally toward one end of the grip, and means extending as a whole longitudinally of said grip and mounted on said progressively increasing single strand group to maintain the converging parts of said strand portions in substantially the same parallel relationship established by the weave of the strands in said body portion and `to maintain such strands in gathered relation outwardly from said gathering points, said means comprising a plate having a plurality of members connected thereto and arranged thereon in longitudinally spaced relation, said members being secured to said progressively increasing single strand group in longitudinally spaced relation, a pair of strand portions entering into each of said members at one of said points and then extending outwardly therethrough, the innermost member receiving one pair of strand portions and each succeeding member receiving in addition to the pair of strand portions entering at one of said points, the longitudinally extending parts of strand portions received by preceding members so that in the outermost member all of the pairs of strands are grouped together.

l0. A gripping device of the character described comprising a plurality of strands interwoven to form an open mesh body adapted to be placed in surrounding gripping relation with an article, a plurality of spaced pairs of converging strands in said mesh body being gathered at spaced places within the weave of said mesh body at one end of said body, the strands of each converging pair extending in gathered relation outwardly beyond said end of the body from the gathering place of such pair within the weave of said body, a lock at the gathering place of each pair of converging strands, said locks maintaining the converging strands in said pairs in substantially the same relationship established by the weave of the strands in said mesh body substantially to the gathering places of such pairs and maintaining said strands in their gathered relation outwardly from said gathering places, said pairs of strands being progressively gathered within the weave of said mesh body and all oi said strands being gathered together near the end of the mesh body.

11. A gripping device of the character described comprising a plurality of strands interwoven to form an open mesh body adapted to be placed in surrounding gripping' relation with an article, a plurality of spaced pairs of converging strands in said mesh body xtending toward a, plurality of gathering places located at one end of and to one side of the longitudinal axis of said body,

the strands of each said converging pairs being gathered together at one of such gathering places on such side of the body within the weave of said mesh body and spaced from the gathering places of the other said converging strand pairs and the strands of each converging pair extending in gathered relation outwardly beyond said end of the body from such gathering place thereof, a lock at the gathering place of each pair of converging strands, the gathered portions of said pairs of strands being progressively gathered together within the weave of said mesh body and all oi the gathered portions of said strands being gathered together into a group extending from the weave `of said mesh body on said side of such body toward one end of the grip, and said locks maintaining the converging strands in said pairs in substantially the same relationship established by the weave of the strands in said mesh body substantially to the gathering places of such pairs and maintaining said strands in their gathered relation outwardly from said gathering places to said group.

12. A gripping device of the character described comprising a plurality of strands interwoven to form an open mesh body adapted to be placed in surrounding gripping relation with an article, a plurality of spaced pairs of converging strands in said mesh body being gathered at spaced places within the weave of said mesh body, the strands of each converging pair being gathered at a place longitudinally spaced from the gathering place of an adjacent strand pair and the gathering places of all of said pairs being aligned longitudinally of the grip, each pair of said strands from the gathering place thereof extending in gathered relation toward one end of the grip and the gathered portions of said pairs of strands being progressively gathered together approximately at the gathering places of such pairs to form a single group extending from the weave of said mesh body toward such end of the grip, a lock at the gathering place of each pair of converging strands, said locks maintaining the converging strands in said pairs in substantially the same relationship established by the weave of the strands in said mesh body substantially to the gathering places of such pairs and maintaining said strands in their gathered relation outwardly from said gathering places.

13. A gripping device of the character described comprising a plurality of strands interwoven to form an open mesh body adapted to be placed in surrounding gripping relation with an article, a plurality of spaced pairs of converging strands in said mesh body being progressively gathered at longitudinally spaced places starting within the weave of said mesh body and continuing to the end of said body, the strands of all of said converging pairs extending in a grouped relation outwardly beyond said end of the body, a lock at the gathering place of each pair of converging strands, said locks maintaining the converging strands of said pairs in substantially the same longitudinally spaced relationship established by the weave of the strands in said mesh body and maintaining said strands in a grouped relation outwardly from said gathering places,

1d. A gripping device oi the character described comprising a plurality of strands interwoven to form an open mesh body adapted to be placed in surrounding gripping relation with an article, a plurality of spaced pairs of converging strands in said mesh body being progressively gathered at spaced places within the weave of said mesh body and extending as a whole longitudinally toward one end of said body, the strands of all of said converging pairs extending in gathered relation outwardly beyond such end of the body and all of said gathered strands beyond the weave of said body forming at least one branch of a draft loop, a lock extending as a whole longitudinally of said mesh body from a point beyond the weave at such end of the body to the innermost gathering place in such weave and securing such pairs of strands at each of said gathering places to maintain the converging strands in said pairs in substantially the same relationship established by the weave of the strands in said mesh body substantially to the gathering places of such pairs and to maintain said strands in their gathered relation outwardly from said gathering places.

15. A gripping device of the character described comprising a plurality of strands interwoven to form an open ymesh body adapted to be placed in surrounding gripping relation with an article, a plurality of spaced pairs of converging strands in said mesh body being progressively gathered at spaced places within the weave of said mesh body and extending as a whole longitudinally toward one end of said body, `the strands of all of said converging pairs extending in gathered relation outwardly beyond such end of the body and all of said gathered strands beyond the Weave of said body forming at least one branch of a draft loop, a lock extending as a whole longitudinally of said mesh body froma point beyond the weave at ysuch end of the body to the innermost gathering place in such weave and progressively receiving said progressively gathered pairs of strands at said spaced places and securing such pairs of strands at each of said gathering places to maintain the converging strands in said pairs in substantially the same relationship established by the weave of the strands in said mesh body substantially to the gathering places of such pairs and to maintain said strands in their gathered relation outwardly from said gathering places.

16. A gripping device of the character described comprising a plurality of strands interwoven to form an open mesh body adapted to be placed in surrounding gripping relation with an article, a plurality of spaced pairs of converging v strands in said mesh body being progressively gathered at longitudinally spaced places starting within the weave of said mesh body and continuing tothe end of said body, the strands of all of said converging pairs progressively entering into and forming a braid extending outwardly beyond said end of the body, each of said individual pairs of strands being locked at its gathering place by said braid, and said braid thus maintaining the converging strands of said pairs in substantially the same longitudinally spaced relation established by the weave of the strands in said `mesh body and maintaining said strands in a grouped relation outwardly from said gathering places.

17. A gripping device of the character described comprising a plurality of strands interwoven to form an open mesh body adapted to be placed in surrounding gripping relation with an article, a plurality of spaced pairs of converging strands in said mesh body being progressively gathered at spaced places within the weave of said mesh body and extending as a whole longitudinally toward one end of such body, the gathered portions of said pairs of strands `progressively entering into and forming .a braid extending outwardly beyond said end of the body, said braid maintaining the converging strands in said pairs in substantially the same relationship established by the weave of the strands in said mesh body substantially to the gathering places of such pairs and maintaining said strands in their gathered relation outwardly from said gathering places, said strands extending beyond the outer end of said braid and forming at least one branch of a draft loop for the grip.

18. A gripping device of the character described comprising a plurality of strands interwoven to form an open mesh body adapted to be placed in surrounding gripping relation with an article, a plurality of spaced strands in said mesh body converging together in pairs at one side of said body and being gathered at at least four spaced places in the weave of said mesh body, the strands of each converging pair extending in gathered relation outwardly beyond one end of the body from the gathering place of such pair within the weave of such body and all of the gathered strands so extending forming at least four groups of such strands, said groups of strands being braided together in a braid extending from a place substantially within the weave of said mesh body to and beyond said end of such body, two of said groups of strands starting such braid at places substantially within the weave of said mesh body and two of said groups of strands entering said braid from the weave of said mesh body at places spaced outwardly from such starting places.

19. A gripping device of the character described comprising a plurality of strands interwoven to form an open mesh body adapted to be placed in surrounding gripping relation with an article, and a braid extending from a place substantialh7 Within the weave of said body to and beyond one end of said body at one side of said body, said V' mesh body at such side thereof including a plurality of spaced strands converging together in pairs and being gathered at at least four spaced places in the weave of said mesh body, the strands of each converging pair extending in gathered relation outwardly beyond said end of the body from the gathering place of such pair within the weave of such body and all of the gathered strands so extending forming at least four groups of strands braided together to form said braid, each of said strand groups being composed of a strand that crosses a converging strand substantially at the longitudinal central axis of said braid, crosses the next outwardly positioned adjacent converging strand at a point offset from such central axis, turns back toward said longitudinal axis to be grouped with the third outwardly positioned converging strand, then enters in such grouped relation with said latter third strand into said braid, two of said groups of strands crossing such longitudinal axis at a place in said braid substantially Within the weave of such mesh body and outwardly of the gathering places of such groups and two of said groups of strands entering said braid at places spaced outwardly from the place of crossing of said rst mentioned two strand groups.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,114,637 Nolan Oct, 20, 1914 1,819,430 Martin Aug. 18, 1931 2,093,838 Kellems Sept. 21, 193'? 2,249,119 Di Palma July 15, 1941 2,463,116 Lewis Mar. 1, 1949