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US 5,480,203 AGranted
Pulling tool for pulling connectorized cable
AssigneeHubbell Incorporated
InventorsMark L. Favalora, Randolph J. Minor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pulling tool for gripping a cable or cables, especially fragile cables such as fiber optic cables. The pulling tool can pull such fragile cables with or without fragile connectors coupled to their free ends. The pulling tool has a mesh sleeve with an open tail end for receiving the ends of the cables, and a closed lead end with a ring or pulling member coupled thereto. The sleeve is constructed of a plurality of thin, flexible strands tightly interwoven together to form a longitudinally compressible and laterally expandable tube. The strands are tightly interwoven to prevent the cables or connectors from protruding outwardly from the sleeve. The sleeve is also highly flexible to permit the sleeve to be folded or rolled up.
Claims19
A pulling tool for gripping a member such as a cable having a terminal end, comprising:
- a pulling member;
- a resilient mesh sleeve formed of a plurality of thin, flexible strands braided together to encapsulate the terminal end of the cable, and having a closed lead end and an open tail end, said strands being tightly interwoven to laterally expand said sleeve during longitudinal compression of said sleeve and to laterally contract said sleeve during longitudinal extension of said sleeve, said lead end having a first portion of said sleeve overlying a second portion of said sleeve to form a loop for receiving said pulling member therein, said strands being arranged in a plurality of spirally extending groups with each of said groups of said strands being positioned side by side and one of said strands in at least one of said groups of said strands having a diameter larger than at least one other of said strands in said at least one of said groups of said strands;
- and
- fastening means for fixedly coupling said first portion of said lead end of said sleeve to said second portion of said sleeve.
1 more element
A pulling tool for gripping a member such as a cable having a terminal end, comprising:
- a pulling member;
- a resilient mesh sleeve formed of a plurality of thin, flexible strands braided together to encapsulate the terminal end of the cable, and having a closed lead end and an open tail end, said strands being tightly interwoven to laterally expand said sleeve during longitudinal compression of said sleeve and to laterally contract said sleeve during longitudinal extension of said sleeve, said lead end having a first portion of said sleeve overlying a second portion of said sleeve to form a loop for receiving said pulling member therein, said strands being arranged in a plurality of spirally extending groups with each of said groups of said strands being positioned side by side and each of said groups having one of said strands with a diameter larger than at least one other of said strands within each of said groups;
- and
- fastening means for fixedly coupling said first portion of said lead end of said sleeve to said second portion of said sleeve.
1 more element
A pulling tool for gripping a member such as a cable having a terminal end, comprising:
- pulling member;
- a resilient mesh sleeve formed of a plurality of thin, flexible strands braided together to encapsulate the terminal end of the cable, and having a closed lead end and an open tail end, said strands being tightly interwoven to laterally expand said sleeve during longitudinal compression of said sleeve and to laterally contract said sleeve during longitudinal extension of said sleeve, said lead end having a first portion of said sleeve overlying a second portion of said sleeve to form a loop for receiving said pulling member therein, said strands being arranged in a plurality of spirally extending groups with each of said groups of said strands being positioned side by side and each of said groups having one of said strands with a diameter larger than the remaining said strands within each of said groups;
- and
- fastening means for fixedly coupling said first portion of said lead end of said sleeve to said second portion of said sleeve.
1 more element
A pulling tool for gripping a member such as a cable having a terminal end, comprising:
- a pulling member;
- a resilient mesh sleeve formed of a plurality of thing flexible strands braided together to encapsulate the terminal end of the cable, and having a closed lead end and an open tail end, said strands being tightly interwoven to laterally expand said sleeve during longitudinal compression of said sleeve and to laterally contract said sleeve during longitudinal extension of said sleeve, said lead end having a first portion of said sleeve overlying a second portion of said sleeve to form a loop for receiving said pulling member therein, said first portion of said sleeve extending through a space formed between a pair of adjacent said strands so as to be positioned inside said sleeve;
- and
- fastening means for fixedly coupling said first portion of said lead end of said sleeve to said second portion of said sleeve.
1 more element
A pulling tool for gripping a member having a free end, comprising:
- a nonmetallic mesh sleeve with an inner cross-sectional area formed of a plurality of thin, flexible strands interwoven together so that longitudinal compression of said sleeve causes lateral expansion of said inner cross-sectional area of said sleeve and longitudinal extension causes lateral contraction of said inner cross-sectional area of said sleeve, said sleeve having a closed lead end and an open tail end, said strands being spaced at least less than about 0.100 inch apart from any adjacent said strand, said strands being arranged in a plurality of spirally extending groups with each of said groups of said strands being positioned side by side and one of said strands in at least one of said groups of said strands having a diameter larger than at least one other of said strands in said at least one of said groups of said strands.
A pulling tool for gripping a member having a free end, comprising:
- a nonmetallic mesh sleeve with an inner cross-sectional area formed of a plurality of thin, flexible strands interwoven together so that longitudinal compression of said sleeve causes lateral expansion of said inner cross-sectional area of said sleeve and longitudinal extension causes lateral contraction of said inner cross-sectional area of said sleeve, said sleeve having a closed lead end and an open tail end, said strands being spaced at least less than about 0.100 inch apart from any adjacent said strand, said strands being arranged in a plurality of spirally extending groups with each of said groups of said strands being positioned side by side and each of said groups having one of said strands with a diameter larger than at least one other of said strands within each of said groups.
A pulling tool for gripping a member having a free end, comprising:
- a nonmetallic mesh sleeve with an inner cross-sectional area formed of a plurality of thing flexible strands interwoven together so that longitudinal compression of said sleeve causes lateral expansion of said inner cross-sectional area of said sleeve and longitudinal extension causes lateral contraction of said inner cross-sectional area of said sleeve, said sleeve having a closed lead end and an open tail end, said strands being spaced at least less than about 0.100 inch apart from any adjacent, said strands being arranged in a plurality of spirally extending groups with each of said groups of said strands being positioned side by side and each of said groups having one of said strands with a diameter larger than the remaining said strands within each of said groups.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.