The present description relates generally to the installation of a cable lacing tape and more particularly to an apparatus for tensioning a cable lacing tape device.
Cable lacing tapes may be used for a variety of applications. Modern cable lacing tapes typically are a thin, relatively flat, woven or braided cord, often referred to as a “tape”, having filaments that may be made of materials such as Nylon, polyester, or NOMEX®, and which may be impregnated with coatings to enhance particular performance characteristics. However, cable lacing tape has drawbacks in that the cable lacing tape typically is tied by hand in a costly, labor-intensive, and time-consuming process. Due to these problems, several attempts have been made to automate the cable lacing and tensioning process.
One such device for automated knot tying is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,648,378. The described device includes an automatic knot-tying device for tying a discrete knot about a workpiece, such as a bundle of wires. The device works by pulling a lacing tape, transversely around the workpiece and wrapping the filament around the workpiece. A shuttle moves the filament between carriage rings and along the workpiece at the appropriate steps, and a plurality of hooks pull the filament away from the workpiece at the appropriate steps. The operation is finished by cinching, cutting, and reloading so that the resulting knot is discrete and secure. At least one drawback of the described device is that it requires a complicated mechanism to both wrap and tie a knot about the workpiece.
In still another example, International Application Number PCT/US2012/044413, describes a hand held tool for tensioning and severing a cable tie. The device includes a reciprocating tensioning mechanism such as a pawl link for tensioning the cable tie tail, a locking mechanism to prevent further tensioning upon the attainment of a preselected tension level in the tie tail, and a severing device to sever the tie tail from the cable tie head once installed.
The following description of example methods and apparatus is not intended to limit the scope of the description to the precise form or forms detailed herein. Instead the following description is intended to be illustrative so that others may follow its teachings.
Copending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 14/223,685 and 14/527,214, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety, both generally disclose a cable lacing tie for holding a plurality of objects together. The disclosed cable lacing tape devices generally include a head assembly and a length of cable lacing tape that can be retained by the head assembly upon activation of the retaining device. In the disclosed example devices, a free end of the cable lacing tape is routed (generally be hand) through an opening in the head around retainer, which is actuatable from an unlocked position to a locked position by pulling the free end of the cable lacing tape with sufficient force.
In at least some instances, the example cable lacing tie devises comprise of a length of woven aramid fiber tape with a synthetic rubber coating attached to a polymer fastener. While the free end must be activated with sufficient force to actuate the retainer, this tape material may be difficult to grip by hand and furthermore may be difficult to grip mechanically utilizing the standard cam action of existing cable tie guns due to the coating acting as a dry lubricant as well as the abrasive nature of the aramid fiber.
It has been found that a directional change and/or folding of the lace assists in the grip allowing the tool to build tension in the lace. This tension is required to both activate the retainer in the fastener head as well as activate the cutting action in the tool linkage.
Referring now to the figures, an example apparatus 10 for tensioning a cable lacing tape device, such as the cable lacing tape device 5 (see
The apparatus 10 generally comprises a reciprocating spur shaft 20 and a tensioning assembly 22, formed by a pair of meshed gears 24, 26 each rotatably mounted within the barrel portion 16 of the housing 12. For instance, in one example, each of the gears 24, 26 includes a mounting shaft 28 that is rotatably retained within apertures defined by each respective housing sidewall 12a, 12b, such that when the two housing sidewalls 12a, 12b are coupled together, the gears 24, 26 are secularly maintained by the housing 12. In still other examples, at least one of the housing sidewalls 12a, 12b, may define each of the gear shafts 28 to allow the gears 24, 26 to be mounted on the shafts as desired.
In the illustrated example, at least one of the gear 24, 26 also, includes a ratchet hub 30 coaxially mounted on the shaft 28. As shown in the attached drawings, only one of the gears, gear 26, includes the ratchet hub 30, but it will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that either or both of the gears 24, 26 may include a ratcheting hub as desired (see for example,
As best seen in
As noted, the spur shaft 20 is reciprocally mounted within the housing 12 and operatively coupled to the gears 24, 26 via the ratcheting teeth 34 at one end, and operatively coupled to the trigger 14 such that movement of the trigger 14 relative to the grip 13 causes the shaft 20 to translate within the housing 12. In this example, the trigger 14 is pivotally moved towards the grip 13, although other movements may be utilized as desired. As will be appreciated, when translating relative to the housing 12, the spur shaft 20 will cause movement rotational movement of the gears 24, 26 through the coupling of the ratcheting teeth 30, 34 as described above.
As shown in at least
As illustrated in
Upon achieving a locked position, the apparatus 10 may then sever, trim, or otherwise cut the free end 100 of the cable lacing tie device 5 proximate to the head portion 6. In particular, as illustrated in
More specifically, the knife 54 sits inside the nose piece 40 and is activated by a cutter bar 52 that is attached to a biasing force, such as a spring 60, which in this example is located within the grip 13 of the apparatus 10, and indirectly attached to the cutter bar 52 via a pivotal rocker 62. As can be appreciated, the spring 60 may be selectively adjusted by an adjustment mechanism 64 to change the biasing force applied by the spring 60 to the rocker 62. For instance, the example spring 60 is located within the grip 13 and is overcome (thus activating the rocker 62) when the tension on the free end 100 reaches a predetermined tension, which in this instance is greater than the tension required to actuate the retainer 7 within the device 5. As a result, the apparatus 10 will both tension and securely actuate the device 5, and further cut the excess tape from the free end 100.
Still referring to
Although certain example methods and apparatus have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.
This application is a non-provisional application claiming priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/108,871, filed Jan. 28, 2015, entitled “Apparatus for Tensioning a Cable Lacing Tape Device” and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62108871 | Jan 2015 | US |