The present disclosure relates generally to the field of cordage. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an improved rope.
Rope-type cordage is often used in environments where it is desirable to transmit high tensile forces to move things such as elevator cars, elements, of cranes, draglines, and other lifting or pulling devices. The desirable characteristics of ropes that enable rope to transmit such high tensile forces can, in some instances, result in one or more drawbacks or may perform less than optimally in one or more respects. When used in a mechanized winch, a rope can be subjected not only to the tensile forces typical of rope use, but also compressional forces necessary to maintain a tight coil around the winding spool. Such compressional forces can result in bulges or separation of the rope, which may disrupt the desired coiling effect. Embodiments disclosed herein provide improvements to existing rope technologies such that there is a reduction in the typical bunching and separation caused by compression of the rope.
The written disclosure herein describes illustrative embodiments that are non-limiting and non-exhaustive. Reference is made to certain of such illustrative embodiments that are depicted in the figures, in which:
A compressible rope may include an outer sheath surrounding an inner core, wherein the inner core includes a non-planar outer surface at least partially along its length that is in contact with the inner surface of the outer sheath. A mechanical winch may be used to let out or draw in a rope or line from a drum. To feed out the rope, the winch can put the rope under compressional forces. Such compressional forces can induce unraveling, separating, or bulging of either the inner or outer strands of rope. As a result of the separating strands, the rope can become tangled and the winch can become jammed. Such jamming can result not only disrupting the functional aspects of the winch, but can also decrease the longevity of the rope by creating snags or tears in the rope material. In various embodiments, the non-planar surface of the inner core provides sufficient resistance to reduce the aforementioned separation of the strands. As a result of decreasing the likelihood of the strands separating, the rope is less likely to get tangled and the winch is less likely to jam.
In various embodiments, the rope may include one or more materials such as hemp, linen, flax, cellulose, carbon, wool, hair, feathers, cotton, coir, jute, straw, silk, sisal, polymers, nylon, Dyneema®, Kevlar®, rayon, orlon, polypropylene, polyesters, polyethylene, aramids, acrylics, copper, iron, steel, stainless steel, bronze, nichrome, carbon, solder, titanium, zinc, silver, gold, tungsten, or aluminum. In various embodiments, the inner core comprises discontinuities at random or periodic locations along the length of the rope that can correspond with or be unrelated to any change in the material composition of the inner core.
According to various embodiments, a sheath can be comprised of a plurality of tied, knotted, looped, twisted, braided, or woven outer strands, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the sheath may encase the core while the core is under tension. Various embodiments of the outer sheath may include strand patterns or interactions that are distributed uniformly along the length of the rope. In other embodiments, the strands of the outer sheath may have discontinuities in the patterns or interactions at random or periodic locations along the length of the rope corresponding with or unrelated to any change in the material composition of the sheath. The outer sheath, according to some embodiments, may include rings, loops, bands, knots, or circles.
As described herein, an inner core may include a single strand or a plurality of strands. Additionally, according to various embodiments, the inner core may include a monofilament or polyfilament material, or a combination thereof. In various embodiments, one or more inner strands can be tied, knotted, looped, twisted, braided, woven, or any combination thereof. In various embodiments, one or more inner strands are tied, knotted, looped, twisted, braided, or woven uniformly along the length of the core. In other embodiments, the pattern or interconnections of the inner core strands have a discontinuous distribution along the length of the rope. Various embodiments may include discontinuities that correspond with or are unrelated to any change in the material composition of the inner core. The inner core, according to various embodiments, may be under tension after being encased by the sheath.
Various embodiments of the inner core may include a roughened or non-planar surface at least partially along its length. The non-planar surface may comprise a plurality of undulations, spirals, depressions, perforations, excrescences, protrusions, protuberances, or papillae. The non-planar surface can occur periodically, measuredly, irregularly, or sporadically along at least a portion of the inner core.
Some embodiments may include a non-planar surface that is comprised of a plurality of inconsistencies such as knots, bulges, swellings, or lumps at least partially along the length of rope. The inconsistencies created by knots, bulges, swellings, or lumps may be due to a relatively thicker material, tangled masses associated with knots, loosely woven strands, or combinations thereof. Various embodiments may also include an inner core comprising one or more rings, loops, bands, or circles distributed intermittently along the non-planar surface.
As presented herein, the interaction between the sheath and the inner core may be static or dynamic depending on the materials used, the distribution of any discontinuities, or other characteristics made possible by having a non-planar inner core. This interaction may reduce in the occurrence of unintended bunching, untying, separating, or slipping between the sheath and the inner core at least partially along the length of the rope.
It will be readily understood that the components of the embodiments as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of various embodiments, as represented in the figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, but is merely representative of various embodiments. While the various aspects of the embodiments are presented in drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale unless specifically indicated.
Cordage may also be referred to herein as a “rope” and may refer to any rope, line, cord, or cable that can be used for dragging or lifting. The term “strand” is broad enough to refer to any suitable fiber, filament, thread, yarn, wire, or any other threadlike material. Multiple strands combine to form a sheath around a core. The term “sheath” may refer to any close-fitting case or covering. The term “core” is used in its ordinary sense, and is broad enough to refer to the central or innermost portion of a rope.
Some embodiments can be particularly suited to function with the assistance of a mechanical winch to drag or lift an object. In the following disclosure, the phrase “mechanical winch” generally refers to a mechanical device that uncoils or coils cordage.
Reference throughout this specification to “an embodiment” or “the embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the quoted phrases, or variations thereof, as recited throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
Similarly, it should be appreciated that in the above description of embodiments, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that any claim requires more features than those expressly recited in that claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in a combination of fewer than all features of any single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following this Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment. This disclosure includes all permutations of the independent claims with their dependent claims.
It will be apparent to those having skill in the art that changes may be made to the details of the above-described embodiments without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. Embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/360,563 filed Jul. 11, 2016, the contents of the application being incorporated herein by reference.
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4640178 | Kurzbock | Feb 1987 | A |
5301595 | Kessie | Apr 1994 | A |
5911675 | Obana | Jun 1999 | A |
20100162882 | Shakespeare | Jul 2010 | A1 |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20180010296 A1 | Jan 2018 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62360563 | Jul 2016 | US |