Synthetic organic polymeric sling protected by vulcanized or cured elastomeric laminate at load contacting area thereof

Abstract

A web sling, such as one of the endless, standard eye-and-eye or twisted eye type, is made from a web of woven synthetic organic polymeric plastic strands, such as those made from nylon or polyethylene terephthalate filaments, with a lamina of elastomeric material, such as chloroprene rubber, vulcanized or cured onto a load contacting surface thereof. The elastomer penetrates surface openings between the polymeric plastic strands but may be prevented from penetrating through the web, when so desired. To assist the elastomer in holding tightly to the strands there is applied to the web before vulcanization a thin coating of a curable adhesive material, such as resorcinol-formaldehyde. In preferred embodiments of the invention particular thicknesses of filaments, strands, webs, adhesive coatings and elastomeric coverings are employed, the sides of the web are also integrally covered with the elastomer in the areas thereof designed to contact a load to be lifted and the areas thereof designed to contact the lifting member are also so covered. Also within the invention are methods of manufacturing the described webs and slings. The slings of this invention are longer lasting than conventional nylon or polyester fiber slings because the rubber physically insulates the fibers of the web from loads carried and protects it against abrasion and cutting by the load, helps to reduce any shocking forces applied to the web by shiftings of loads and better secures the load in position in the sling. Similarly, when the lift contacting portions of the sling are covered with vulcanized elastomer they also last longer, primarily due to the elastomeric covering protecting against abrasion and cutting of the polymer filaments and strands by the lifting hook or other lifting member.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.