Strain dead end clamp

A dead end clamp, comprising:

• a body;
• a clevis on a proximal end of the body;
• a sag eye formed integrally with a distal end of the body;
• a retaining portion of the body, the retaining portion including a cavity with a bottom wall, a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a plurality of holes in the bottom wall of the cavity for receiving fasteners, wherein each of the first and second sidewalls includes a plurality of depressions spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the cavity, each of the depressions at least partially circumscribing one of the plurality of holes;
• a conductor groove extending through the body to the cavity;
• a keeper configured to engage at least partially within the cavity including an upper surface, a lower surface, two side surfaces between the upper surface and the lower surface including a first side surface and second side surface opposite the first side surface;
• at least one slot in the first sidewall of the cavity positioned longitudinally between two adjacent ones of the plurality of depressions on the first sidewall of the cavity;
• and
• at least one tab extending from the first side surface or the second side surface of the keeper, in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the keeper, the at least one tab having a length from the first side surface or the second side surface to a distal end of the at least one tab and a width in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the keeper, wherein the length is greater than the width;
• wherein the at least one tab is configured to engage within the at least one slot to align and prevent slippage of the keeper.

A method of clamping an elongated element, comprising steps of:

• extending the elongated element through a conductor groove of a dead end clamp and into a cavity of a body of the dead end clamp, the dead end clamp comprising a clevis on a proximal end of the body, a sag eye on a distal end of the body, a retaining portion including the cavity with a bottom wall, a first sidewall, a second sidewall, at least one cavity engagement mechanism comprising a first slot in the first sidewall of the cavity, and a plurality of holes in the bottom wall of the cavity, the conductor groove extending through the body to the cavity, and a keeper configured to engage at least partially within the cavity, the keeper including an upper surface, a lower surface, two side surfaces between the upper surface and the lower surface including a first side surface and second side surface opposite the first side surface, at least one keeper engagement mechanism comprising a first tab extending outward from the first side surface of the keeper, in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the keeper, configured to engage with the first slot to align and prevent slippage of the keeper, the first tab having a length from the first side surface to a distal end of the first tab and a width in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the keeper, wherein the length is greater than the width, wherein each of the first and second sidewalls of the cavity includes a plurality of depressions spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the cavity, each of the depressions at least partially circumscribing one of the plurality of holes, and wherein the first slot is positioned longitudinally between two adjacent ones of the plurality of depressions on the first sidewall of the cavity;
• positioning the keeper over the elongated element in the cavity with the at least one keeper engagement mechanism engaged with the at least one cavity engagement mechanism;
• and
• securing the keeper in the cavity with a plurality of fasteners extending into the plurality of holes.