US3459156A

US3459156A - Device for impregnating wire rope

Info

Publication number: US3459156A
Application number: US619718A
Authority: US
Inventors: John W Harter
Original assignee: United States Steel Corp
Current assignee: BRIDON AMERICAN Corp A CORP OF NEW YORK
Priority date: 1967-03-01
Filing date: 1967-03-01
Publication date: 1969-08-05
Anticipated expiration: 1986-08-05

Description

' Allg- 5, 1969 y. J. w. HARTER 3,459,156

DEVICE FOR IMPREGNATING WIRE ROPE Filed March 1, 1967 /NVE/VTO? JOHN W HA/PTER Attorney United States Patent O 3,459,156 DEVICE FOR IMPREGNATING WIRE ROPE John W. Harter, Rocky River, Ohio, assgnor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 1, 1967, Ser. No. 619,718 Int. Cl. Bc 3/12; F1611 13/22; H02g 15/20 U.S. Cl. 118-405 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for impregnating a wire rope. Intended particularly for injecting a sealing material to prevent water from traveling through the interstices of the rope. The device includes a shield, a foam rubber sleeve and a hose surrounding the shield. The shield carries a stem through which liquid is injected.

This invention relates to an improved device for impregnating a wire rope with a liquid.

I define the term wire rope as used herein to include various forms of stranded wire structures, such as strands, ropes, cables, etc. Although the invention is not thus limited, one application in which the device is particularly useful is in filling interstices of a wire rope with a sealing material to exclude water. For example, in some building designs the roof is suspended from wire ropes which pass through openings in the roof. The spaces around the ropes at the openings are readily sealed against leakage by the use of flashings and elastic hoses which surround the rope. Nevertheless water can flow through the interstices of the ropes and thus leak into the building. However, it is apparent the invention may have broader application, for example in lubricating a wire rope.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved impregnating device which enable a viscous liquid to be forced effectively into interstices throughout the cross section of a wire rope.

A further object is to provide an improved impregnating device which effectively seals off a length of a wire rope while providing means for distributing a liquid through the interstices of the sealed portion.

A further object is to provide a device of the foregoing type which can be installed and removed readily or moved along the length of rope.

A further object is to provide a means for preventing leakage through a roof of the construction aforementioned.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of a root` and a wire rope which has my device installed thereon; v

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section on a larger scale of the device installed on a rope;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross section on line III-III of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross section on line IV-IV of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE \1 shows a roof 10 which is suspended by a large number of wire ropes 12 (only one shown). The rope passes through an opening 13 n the roof and is anchored to a fitting 14 fixed to a beam 15 immediately beneath the roof. The other end of the rope is attached to a superstructure, not shown. A metal flashing, which includes telescoping upper and lower sleeves 16 and 17, surrounds the rope above the opening. A hose 18 is iitted within the upper sleeve around the rope. Suitable caulking also may be applied. This arrangement effectively prevents leakage through the opening 13 around the outside of the rope, but does not in itself prevent water from traveling thrcugh the interstices of the rope to the underside of the roo In accordance with my invention, l impregnate a length of the rope 12 immediataely above hose 18 with a sealing material which excludes water. A wide choice of sealing materials are suitable, including asphalt-base materials, silicone rubber, polyurethane, acrylic resin, other plastics or even viscous grease.

The impregnating device of my invention includes a metal shield 21 which is substantially semicircular in cross section and has semicircular metal inserts 22, 22a fixed within its end portions, leaving a semicircular recess 23 therebetween. The shield carries a radial stern 24 which communicates with recess 23 and within which I x a conventional grease fitting 25. I fit an inner resilient O-ring 26 around stern 24 where it joins the shield. The shield is of a length at least equal to the length of rope I wish to impregnate. After placing the shield on rope 12, I wrap a foam rubber sleeve 27 around the rope and shield. Sleeve 27 is split at 28 substantially opposite stem 24 (FIGURES 3 and 4) and extends beyond the shield at both ends. Next I place an arcuate inner metal strip 29 over sleeve 27 at the stem side. Conveniently strip 29 may extend 50 to 60 each way from the stem axis, although the exact angle is not critical. I place arcuate outer metal strips 30 and 30a over the end portions of the inner metal strip 29. The metal of strip 29 is easily deformed, preferably light gauge aluminum. The metal of the outer strips preferably is steel. Next I fit an outer resilient O-ring 31 around stem 24 outside strips 30 and 30a. Finally I place a length of hose 32 around the parts. The hose is split at 33 along the line of stem 24. I clamp the hose with a plurality of conventional hose clamps 34, two of which are located immediately adjacent stem 24.

With the device assembled as described, I inject liquid through the grease fitting 25 under pressure, which may be as high as 1500 p.s.i. I may use any conventional equipment, such as a grease gun, for injecting liquid through the fitting. The liquid flows through recess 23 directly over the surface of rope 12 through approximately half its circumference. From the recess the pressure forces the liquid into the interstices of the rope and also into spaces between the rope and shield 21. Contact between the foam rubber sleeve 27 and the rope seals off the portions of the rope beyond the shield and prevents any appreciable quantity of liquid from flowing along the rope surface beyond the shield. The O-rings 26 and 31 prevent leakage of any liquid which -backs up around the outside of the shield. The edges of hose 32 do not necessarily meet when clamps 34 are tightened (FIGURE 4), but the inner metal strip 29 covers the otherwise exposed portion of the foam rubber sleeve 27. The outer metal strips 30, 30a slide easily over the surface of the inner strip as the clamps are tightened.

From the foregoing description it is seen that my invention affords a simple and effective device for im-pregnating a wire rope, as well as a method of preventing a roof from leaking where the roof is supported by wire ropes extending through holes in the roof. After I have impregnated the rope, I may either remove the device for use elsewhere or leavel it in place. If I use the device to lubricate a rope, I loosen the clamps and slide the device along the rope to a new location after lubricating one section.

I claim:

1. A device for impregnating a wire rope with a liquid comprising a shield adapted to be placed over the portion of the rope to be impregnated and having an aperture, a tubular stem extending radially from the aperture in said shield, a fitting in said stem through which liquid can be injected under pressure, a foam rubber sleeve surrounding said shield and the rope and sealing the outside of the rope beyond the shield, a metal strip covering said sleeve on the side at which said stem is located, a hose surrounding said sleeve and strip, and clamps holding said hose.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 in which said shield is of metal and is substantially semicircular in cross section and includes inserts delining a substantially semicircular recess communicating with said stern.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 in which said sleeve is split along a line removed from said stem and said hose is split along the line of said stem.

4. A device as deiined in claim 1 in which said strip is of an easily deformed metal, and said device further comprises outer metal strips which are covered by said hose and which cover the respective ends of said firstnamed strip.

5. A device as dened in claim 1 further comprising a pair of resilient O-rings surrounding said stem and dis- 20 posed in sealing relationship at the joinder of the stem with the shield and at the juncture of the stem with the strip respectively.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 296,645 4/ 1884 Stubbe 118-405 X 302,051 7/ 1884 Stubbe a 118-405 X 1,589,108 6/ 1926 Caretta. 2,140,426 1,2/1938 Hodson 184-15 2,665,773 1/ 1954 Osmun 118-405 X 2,712,862 7/1955 Pemberton 184-15 X 3,101,812 8/1963 Mercer. 3,283,854 11/1966 Self 118-404 X FOREIGN PATENTS 531,561 1/1941 Great Britain. 257,514 10/ 1948 Switzerland.

MORRIS KAPLAN, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.