Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
r ?l ~ 861D2
.
This invention relates to a device for use in applying tension to
elongate members such as electrical conductors, support wires, or the like.
There is often a need to apply tension to one or more elongate
and possibly flexible members, and a difficulty which arises is holding the
members satisfactorily to enable them to be manually pulled to apply the
necessary tension.
There is thus a need for a device which can easily be attached to
one or more elongate members to provide them with a means for applying
tension thereto by manually pulling the members longitudinally.
Preferably a single device should be selectively usable with more
than one number of members with adaption to any particular number of members
being easy to effect.
According to this invention, a device for use in applying tension
to elongate members comprises an elongate tubular body having a longitudinally
tapering passage extending longitudinally therethrough, and two elongate core
members adapted to be arranged together and with one or more elongate members
to be tensioned, for wedging reception in the passage in the body, each core
member having a first major surface with a central longitudinally extending
semi-circular cross-section groove therein, and a second opposite major sur-
face with a parallel rectangular cross-section groove therein, the major
surfaces being joined by opposed minor surfaces to define longitudinally ex-
tending corners, the corners defined by the major surface containing the
semi-circular groove being concave to receive an elongate member, and the
cornors defined by the other major surface containing the rectangular cross-
section groove being convex to mate with longitudinally extending corners
Oe the body when the core members are received in the passage in the body,
whereby the core members can be orientated selectively with the first major
surfaces of the core members facing each other for entrapment of an elongate
-2- ~
: ~ -
-
- .
6~Z6
member to be tensioned between the semi-circular cross-section grooves of the
two core members and the core members can also be orientated selectively
- with the second major surfaces of the core members facing each other for
entrapment of two or more elongate members to be tensioned respectively be-
tween a concave corner of a core member and the body, when the body is pull-
ed in the direction to apply tension to the elongate member or members to be
tensioned.
Preferably the body of the device is split longitudinally whereby
an elongate member to be tensioned can be moved into the passage in the body
by movement transversely of its longitudinal axis through the split in the
body.
Such a split in the body will also render the body sufficiently
resilient to ensure satisfactory wedging of the core members and elongate
members to be tensioned therein, and will also permit the body to be opened
sufficiontly to permit removal of the core members from the body after use
of the device.
Further, the core members can each be provided on their end to be
adjacent the larger cross-sectional end of the passage in the body, with
means such as an apertured boss, for engagement by a suitable tool to assist
in removal of the core members from the body after use of the device.
Preferably the body has a handle mounted thereon by which the de-
vice can readily be manually pulled axially of any elongate member or members
wcdged in the body by the core members.
A device according to this invention will now be described by way
o oxample with reference to the drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the body of
6~26
: ~730
the device;
Figure 2 is a perspectlve view o~ the core
members of the device arranged for use in applylng
tension to a single elongate member;
S Figure 3 is a perspective view of part of the
core members of the device arranged for use in applyi.ng
tension to two elongate members; and '.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the core
members of the devlce arranged for use in applying
tension to four elongate members.
. The device comprises an elongate tubular body
1 moulded from pl.astics material and having
circumferential ribs 2 which serve to render the body
- relati.vely rigid.
The body 1 defines a longitudinally tapering,
longitudinally extending passage 3, with the smaller
. .
cross-sectional area end of the passage 3 being to the
left in Figure 1.
The body 1 has a longitudinally extending split
~0 4 in one side, through which split 4 an elongate member
(see Figures 2 to 4) can be moved transversely of its
longitudinal axis into the passage 3.
A handle S is pivotally connected to the body
1 at the larger cross-sectional area end thereof.
~5Considering now Figures 2 to 4 also, the device
.~ also comprises two tapered core members 6 also moulded
from plastics material and adapted to be arranged
'
.
.
-
~86~2 Ei
together with one (Figure 2) or more (Figures 3 and 4)
elongate members, such as electrical conductors 7, to
be tensioned, for wedging reception in th~ passage
3 in the body 1.
As shown~ each core member 6 has a central
longitudinally extending semi-circular cross-section
groove 8 in one major surfaca, and a parallel rectangular '~
cross-section groove 9 in the opposite major surface.
The longitudinally extending corners defined by the
major surface containing the groove 8 are concave as
shown at 10, to receive an elongate member 7, while
those defined by the other major surface containing the
groove 9 are convex as shown at 11, to mate with a
longitudinally extending corner 12 (Figure 1) of
the body 1 when the core members 6 are received in the
passage 3.
Each core member 6 has at its end for
reception in the larger cross-sectional end of the
passage 3 ln the body 1 (right hand end in Figures 2 to
4) an apertured boss 13 for engagement by a tool to
assist in removal of the core members 6 from the body 1
after use of the device.
~190 at this end of each core member 6 are two
laterally extending wings 14 which serve to limit
lnsertion of the core member 6 into the body 1.
Referring now specifically to Figures 1 and 2,
when the device is to be used for tensioning only a
- 5 -
: . . . ..
: ., . ' . ~ . ' . .. ,. , ' ,
.. . .
' . : ~ ' ., .' .. ~ -
;:
~730
single conductor 7, the conductor 7 is introduced i.nto
the passage 3 in the body 1 either from one end thereof
or through the split 4.
The core members 6 are then arranged about the
conductor 7 as shown in Figure 2, that i5 with the
grooves 8 in the core members 6 ~acing each other and
with the conductor 7 received in the grooves 8.
~his arrangement is made at the larger
cross-sectional area end of the passage 3, and with the
smaller ends of the core memb~rs 6 adjacent the body 1.
The body 1 is then moved over the arrangement
o~ core members 6 and conductor 7 axially of the
conductor 7, until the convex corners 11 of the coxe
members 6 engage the corners 12 of the passage 3 and
the arrangement thus becomes wedged in the body 1.
The conductor 7 can then be tensioned by pulling
on the handle 5, such pulling being opposed by the
conductor 7 such that the wedging flt of ~he core
members 6 in the body 1 is maintained.
When the conductor 7 has been tensioned and
held as required the handle 5 can be released, and the
device removed from the conductor 7 by xemoving the
core members 6 from the passage 3 by pulling them
axially of the conductor 7 by means of the bosses 13
and a suitable tool if necessary.
If the device is to be used to tension two
conductors 7 simultaneously, then the core members 6
' ~ `
QZ~i
4730
are arranged as shown in Figure 3, that is with the
groove 8 of one facing the groove 9 of the other.
The two conduc~ors 7 are then received in the
outwardly facing concave corners 10 of one of the core
members 6, and in use of the device becom~s wedged
between this core member 6 and the body 1.
Assembly of the device and removal of the device
from the conductors 7 after use, are as described above
with reference to Figure 2.
When the device is to be used to tension four
conductors 7 simultaneously, then the core members 6
are arranged as shown in Figure 4, that is with the
grooves 9 therein facing.
The four conductors 7 are then received in the
four outwardly facing concave corners 10 of the core
members 6, to become wedged between the core members
6 and the body 1.
Assembly and removal of the device are again as
described with reference to Figure 2.
. . :
