Conductor loop-forming tool
OwnerGayland M. Williamsinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A loop-forming tool for forming a loop in a conductor has a grip with a first end section having a central post and an off-axis post mounted therein. The two posts are spaced to allow a conductor to pass therebetween and to grip the conductor when the tool is rotated, bending the conductor around the central post to form a U-shape. Rotating the tool in the opposite direction changes the U-shaped hook to a “?”-shaped hook for attaching to a tie-down bolt. Index marks can be provided on a terminal surface of the first end section to facilitate making consistent loops. The relative sizes of the posts can be configured to allow the tool to also serve to wrap the loop around the tie-down bolt, and to provide a screwdriver for subsequently tightening the tie-down bolt to secure the looped conductor thereto.
Claims20
A conductor loop-forming tool for forming a loop of desired size and shape in a conductor wherein the loop includes a free end of the conductor and is configured to be readily installed about a portion of a tie-down post, the loop-forming tool comprising:
- a grip having a grip axis and terminating in a grip first end section having a substantially planar grip terminal surface;
- a central post having a central post axis that is substantially aligned with said grip axis, said central post having a central post embedded section and a central post exposed section, said central post embedded section being mounted in said grip first end section and said central post exposed section terminating in a central post free end that is spaced apart from said grip terminal surface,
- said central post exposed section being further configured so as to form, in combination with said grip terminal surface, a conductor bending cradle for bending a portion of the conductor about a portion of said central post exposed section that is configured to provide a line of contact with the conductor, said line of contact having a contact radius RC for the conductor;
- an off-axis post having an off-axis post axis, said off-axis post being partially embedded in said grip first end section with said off-axis post axis parallel to and spaced apart by a separation S from said central post axis, said off-axis post terminating in an off-axis post free end spaced apart from said grip terminal surface to form an off-axis post exposed section,
- wherein said off-axis post has an off-axis post effective radius Ro and the separation S is sufficient to allow the conductor to be passed between said central post and said off-axis post;
- and
- a hook length indexing mark on said grip terminal surface located at a distance from said central post and positioned with respect to said off-axis post so as to indicate a position for the free end of the conductor when the conductor passes between said posts and extends sufficiently far as to be engaged by said off-axis post when bent around said central post by rotation of said grip and to define a desired hook length LH to establish a consistent loop tail size.
A conductor loop-forming and winding tool for forming a loop in a conductor and winding the loop about a shank portion of a tie-down bolt when installed thereabout so that a portion of the conductor resides under a retaining head of the tie-down bolt, the loop-forming tool comprising:
- a grip having a grip axis and terminating in a grip first end section having a substantially planar grip terminal surface;
- a central post having a central post axis that is substantially aligned with said grip axis, said central post having a central post embedded section and a central post exposed section, said central post embedded section being mounted in said grip first end section and,
- said central post exposed section having a central post exposed height HC and terminating in a central post free end that is spaced apart from said grip terminal surface, said central post exposed section having a central post effective radius RC,
- said central post exposed section thereby providing, in combination with said grip terminal surface, a conductor bending cradle for bending a portion of the conductor when the conductor is held and said grip is rotated;
- an off-axis post having an off-axis post axis, said off-axis post being partially embedded in said grip first end section with said off-axis post axis parallel to and spaced apart by a separation S from said central post axis, said off-axis post terminating in an off-axis post free end configured to be rotatably engageable with the retaining head of the tie-down post and being spaced apart from said grip terminal surface to form an off-axis post exposed section having an off-axis post exposed height HO,
- wherein said off-axis post has an off-axis post effective radius RO and the separation S is sufficient to allow the conductor to be passed between said central post and said off-axis post;
- and
- further wherein said off-axis post exposed height HO is less than said central post exposed height HC and the difference in height is such that ( HC−HO) is at least 3/32″ and not more than ¼″,
- whereby, when said off-axis post free end is engaged with the retaining head of the tie-down post, said central post extends beyond the retaining head a sufficient distance to engage the conductor and force a portion of the conductor under the retaining head as said grip is rotated.
A conductor loop-forming and winding tool for forming a loop in a conductor and winding the loop about a shank portion of a tie-down bolt when installed thereabout so that a portion of the conductor resides under a retaining head of the tie-down bolt, the loop-forming tool comprising:
- a grip having a grip axis and terminating in a grip first end section having a substantially planar grip terminal surface;
- a central post having a central post axis that is substantially aligned with said grip axis, said central post having a central post embedded section and a central post exposed section, said central post embedded section being mounted in said grip first end section and,
- said central post exposed section having a central post exposed height HC and terminating in a central post free end that is spaced apart from said grip terminal surface, said central post exposed section having a central post effective radius RC,
- said central post exposed section thereby providing, in combination with said grip terminal surface, a conductor bending cradle for bending a portion of the conductor when the conductor is held and said grip is rotated;
- an off-axis post having an off-axis post axis, said off-axis post being partially embedded in said grip first end section with said off-axis post axis parallel to and spaced apart by a separation S from said central post axis, said off-axis post terminating in an off-axis post free end configured to be rotatably engageable with the retaining head of the tie-down post and being spaced apart from said grip terminal surface to form an off-axis post exposed section having an off-axis post exposed height HO,
- said off-axis post having an off-axis post base section that intersects said grip terminal surface and has an off-axis post effective radius RO, and
- said off-axis post free end terminating an off-axis post terminal section having an off-axis terminal radius ROT that is less than the off-axis post effective radius RO,
- wherein the separation S is selected with respect to said central post effective radius RC and said off-axis post effective radius RO so as to provide sufficient separation between said central post exposed section and said off-axis post base section to allow the conductor to be passed therebetween;
- and
- further wherein said off-axis post exposed height HO is less than said central post exposed height HC,
- whereby, when said off-axis post free end is engaged with the retaining head of the tie-down post, said central post extends beyond the retaining head a sufficient distance to engage the conductor and force a portion of the conductor under the retaining head as said grip is rotated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.