Sheave

A strand engaging sheave comprising a hub, an annular body formed of a soft elastomer and defining a sheave axis, said body having outwardly diverging sidewall portions defining between opposing inner surfaces a circumferential strand receiving groove of predetermined radial depth and having a plurality of strand gripping abutments projecting inwardly into said groove from opposing sidewall surfaces, each said abutment having a predetermined circumferential dimension, adjacent ones of said abutments projecting inwardly from alternate ones of said opposing sidewall surfaces and being spaced circumferentially one from another at a predetermined circumferential distance, each said abutment having a predetermined radial dimension less than said radial depth and an arced, planar abutment surface facing an opposing sidewall surface which abutment surface is arcuate about a center spaced further said opposing sidewall surface than from the sidewall surface from which said abutment projects and defines a planar radial wall lying on a plane including said sheave axis, said abutment surfaces of adjacent abutments defining a tortuous cusp-like strand engaging zone for positively gripping a strand received within said groove, said sheave further comprising a plurality of resilient spoke members extending generally tangentially of said hub for compression and tension loading upon gripping engagement of said body with a strand.

A strand engaging sheave comprising a hub defining an axis of sheave rotation, a plurality of elastomeric spoke members extending generally tangentially outwardly from said hub, and an annular body of soft elastomeric material mounted on said spoke members, said body having outwardly diverging sidewall portions defining between opposing inner surfaces a circumferential strand receiving groove of predetermined radial depth and a plurality of strand gripping abutments formed integrally with said sidewall portions and projecting inwardly into said groove from said opposing sidewall surfaces, said abutments having predetermined, uniform circumferential dimensions and terminating circumferentially in radial walls lying on planes including said axis, adjacent ones of said abutments projecting inwardly from alternate ones of said opposing sidewall surfaces and being spaced one from another at predetermined, uniform circumferential distances, each said abutment having a predetermined, uniform radial dimension less than said radial depth and an arced planar abutment surface facing an opposing sidewall surface and which describes an arc about an abutment axis perpendicular to and spaced radially from said sheave axis and spaced further from said opposing sidewall surface than from the sidewall surface from which said abutment projects, said abutment surfaces of adjacent abutments defining a tortuous cusp-like strand engaging zone for positively gripping a strand received within said groove.