This invention relates to a tape or rope used to pull a cable into a conduit or innerduct. More particularly, this invention relates to such a tape or rope which is provided with attachments that reduce surface contact between the rope or tape and the conduit or innerduct during pulling.
One method of inserting a cable into a conduit, for example, a communications conduit which may extend for several miles underground, is to insert a pull tape or rope into the conduit, or into innerduct already positioned in the conduit, and then use the tape or rope to pull the cable into the conduit or innerduct. A major problem with this procedure relates to the fact that when the tape or rope is under tension pulling the cable, the tape or rope makes contact with the conduit or the innerduct along a substantial length of the conduit. The resultant friction, heat build up, and pulling tension substantially increases the difficulty of pulling the cable into the conduit thereby increasing the time that it takes to do so. Moreover, such is compounded when encountering the inevitable bends and turns in the underground conduit.
Thus, the need exists for a pull tape or rope which can be more easily be utilized to insert a cable into a conduit by reducing the pulling friction caused by the tape or rope.
It is thus an object of one aspect of the present invention to provide a device which is used to more efficiently pull a cable into a conduit.
It is an object of another aspect of the present invention to provide a device, as above, which presents a smaller outer surface area to reduce the friction of the device engaging the conduit as the cable is being pulled into the conduit.
It is an object of an additional aspect of the present invention to provide a device, as above, which is in the form of a tape or a rope having members attached thereto having a lower coefficient of friction than the tape or rope.
These and other objects of the present invention, as well as the advantages thereof over existing prior art forms, which will become apparent from the description to follow, are accomplished by the improvements hereinafter described and claimed.
In general, a device made in accordance with the present invention is adapted to pull a cable or the like into a longitudinally extending conduit. The device includes a longitudinally extending material having a first coefficient of friction and a plurality of members attached to the material and being longitudinally spaced along the material. The members have a second coefficient of friction which is less than the first coefficient of friction.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a device which is adapted to pull a cable or the like into a longitudinally extending conduit includes a longitudinally extending material having an outer surface and a plurality of members attached to the material at longitudinally spaced positions along the outer surface. The members thus provide an outer surface area of the device which is less than the outer surface area of the material.
The forgoing aspects of the invention thus provide a device which is adapted to pull a cable or the like into a longitudinally extending conduit which includes a longitudinally extending material having a first coefficient of friction and having an outer surface. A plurality of members are attached to the material at longitudinally spaced positions along the outer surface. The members have a second coefficient of friction which is less than the first coefficient of friction and provide an outer surface area of the device which is less than the outer surface area of the material.
Preferred exemplary devices according to the concepts of the present invention are shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings without attempting to show all the various forms and modifications in which the invention might be embodied, the invention being measured by the appended claims and not by the details of the specification.
A conduit 10 is adapted to be positioned underground and to receive one or more cables therein. The conduit 10 shown in
lnnerduct 11 may be of a pliant fabric material such as sold under the trademark MAXCELL® by TVC Communications, L.L.C. of Annville, Pa. and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,262,371. Innerduct 11 includes a plurality of compartments 12 (two shown in
The conduit 10 shown in
Tape 13 is conventionally formed of a fabric material 15, such as nylon, polyethylene, KEVLAR®, or the like, and has an outer surface which is provided with a plurality of spaced members, shown to be in the form of buttons 16, which are attached to tape 13 by any suitable means, such as by an adhesive, threads, rivets or the like. Buttons 16 may be spaced along fabric material 15, for example, being six to twelve inches apart, and are formed with an outer arcuate surface 17 establishing high points along tape 13. Buttons 16 may be formed of any suitable hard plastic or like material which preferably has a lower coefficient of friction than that of the tape material 15 such that when being used to pull a cable through a conduit 10, as shown in
Rope 14 is conventionally formed of a flexible material 18, but is provided with a plurality of spaced members shown to be in the form of rings or toroidal buttons 19 which are attached to material 18 by any suitable means, such as an adhesive. Like buttons 16, rings 19 may be spaced along rope material 18, for example, being six to twelve inches apart, and can be formed with a circumferentially outer arcuate surface 20 establishing high points along the rope 14. Rings 19 may be formed of the same or similar coefficient of friction material as buttons 16 which is preferably lower than the coefficient friction of the rope material 18. When being utilized to pull a cable through conduit 10, the arcuate surface 20 of rings 19 ride on the inside surface of conduit 10 with minimal contact points. Thus, the cable can be introduced into conduit 10 with a minimal amount of friction.
It should thus be evident that devices constructed as described herein accomplish the objects of the present invention and otherwise substantially improve the art.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/214,806 filed Apr. 29, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61214806 | Apr 2009 | US |