Feb. 11, 1969 O.

SAHM 3,426,395
ROPE CLAMP

Filed Dec. 7, 1966

Otto Sa/2772
 United States Patent Office 3,426,395
Patented Feb. 11, 1969
1. 2
3,426,395 structed in accordance with the invention, seen in the
ROPE CLAMP direction of an arrow B in FIG. 2;
Otto Sahm, 8 Behringstrasse, Bremerhaven, Germany FIG. 2 is a side view of the rope eye in the direction
Filed Dec. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 599,829 of an arrow A in FIG. 1, at right-angles to FIG. 1;
Claims priority, application Germany, July 9, 1966, 5 FIG. 3 is an end view, partly in section, on a line III
S 104,721 III in FIG. 1, on a larger scale, and
U.S. C. 24-123 2 Claims FIG. 4 is an end view corresponding to FIG. 3 of the
Int, C. F16b 7/04 opposite end of the rope clamp, on a line IV-TV in
F.G. 1.
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE 0. The rope clamp 1 has a main portion 2 and end por
tions 3, 4. In the embodiment shown it serves to form
A rope clamp which secures two overlapping rope por an eye 5 from the rope 6. The rope is passed through
tions together and which comprises a sleeve having a the clamp blank before the clamp is pressed, and the end
cylindrical center portion and one end portion through of the rope is inserted partway into the blank again as
which two overlapping rope portions extend, whereby 5 indicated by broken lines.
this one end portion of the sleeve tapers conically out The blank used for making the rope clamp 1 is a
wardly and is oval in cross-section. The other end of length of flat tubing with an oval cross-section. Such
the cylindrical center portion of the sleeve is pressed clamp blanks are so generally known that no further
around a single rope portion and tapers conically out description or illustration is required. Since they are
wardly but is circular in cross-section. 20 simply cut off long continuous-cast tubes and require
substantially no further processing, they are relatively
inexpensive, certainly much less costly than other known
The invention relates to a sleeve-like rope clamp which clamp blanks which are drop-forged and also serve to
consists of plastically deformable material, is pressed on make a rope clamp with a conical end portion.
to two adjacent pieces of rope in order to connect them, 25 The material of the rope clamp will probably be an
and has a cylindrical main portion and at least one ad
jacent, continuously tapering end portion surrounding aluminium alloy, as is well known, but other materials
may be used if they are sufficiently plastic. -
both pieces of rope. Whereas end portion 4 of the clamp, which faces the
The tapered end portion is intended to avoid difficulties free length of rope and surrounds only one piece of rope,
in use and damage to the clamp, which might occur when 30 has the known conical form which is circular in cross
the end of the clamp hooks behind a projection or step section (FIG. 4), the opposite end 3 has the novel form
during movement of the rope. The gradual transition in accordance with the invention as will be clear from a
from the external cross-section of the rope to the external comparison of the FIGS. 3 and 4. In the side view (FIG.
cross-section of the main portion of the clamp removes 2) the tapering of the other end portion 3 is substantially
or at least reduces these risks. 35 the same as the cone angle of the opposite end portion
In known rope clamps the tapered end portion is 4, but in the plane (FIG. 1) which is perpendicular to
conical or frusto-conical. This has led to difficulties when
the end portion surrounds two adjacent pieces of rope this (FIG.
plane the tapering is less marked. The end view
3), however, shows a substantially tapering oval
and is pressed with the main portion of the clamp from surface at the free end of the end portion 3. The transi
a length of flat tubing with a uniform cross-section, since 40
the pieces of rope are subject to excessive compression tion from the circular cross-section of the main portion
2, which is produced as a result of the dies pressing the
during pressing to form the cone and their supporting oval clamp blank around the two pieces of rope, to this
capacity is reduced. tapering oval shape is continuous in all directions. The
It has therefore been proposed that when rope eyes arrangment is such that the main axis 7 of the substan
are made with such a clamp the free end of the rope, 45 tially oval cross-sectional surface at the exit of the end
which represents the second piece of rope in the sleeve, portion 3 (FIG. 3) runs in the direction of a line join
should not extend as far as the end portion of the clamp, ing the centers of the two pieces of rope 6. That the end
i.e. that only one piece of rope should be present in the face 3a of the end portion 3 is oval is also clear from
area of the conical pressing. However, this measure is a comparison of the FIGS. 1 and 2, because the cone
impossible at the other end of the clamp-the end facing angle of the portion
50 3 in FIG. 1 is much less pronounced
the eye-so that the rope clamp with two conical end por
tions, though proposed more than once, has not been than the cone angle in FIG. 2.
Before the clamp blank is pressed into the shape ac
practicable.
By means of the invention, however, a tapered end cording to the invention, the rope 6 is threaded through
portion surrounding two adjacent pieces of rope can be 55 one end ofand
the blank the end 8 of the rope is inserted into only
blank to terminate short of the other end of
made without excessive strain on the rope. To this end, the blank. Then the blank with the rope parts therein
according to the invention, the end portion tapers from is placed in the press jaws in a known manner. The length
the circular cross-section of the main portion into a sub of the blank is such that each end of it projects only
stantially oval shape at the exit for the pieces of rope, partly into the portions of the press jaws shaped like the
the main axis of the oval running in the direction of the 60 subsequent end portions 3, 4. During pressing at least
line connecting the rope ?centres. The two pieces of rope one of the tapered end portions 3, 4-more particularly
are stressed no more at the exit from the clamp than in the end portion 3 with the novel shape--is formed mainly
the main portion of the clamp. On the contrary, by suit
ably selecting the proportions the pieces of rope can be because the clamp material flows in the longitudinal di
rection of the clamp.
compressed less in the end portion than in the main por 65 What I claimed is:
tion, to give a more gradual transfer of stress and so re 1. A rope clamp clamping together two rope portions
duce the risk that the spreading forces occurring at the placed in overlapping relationship with each other, said
eye will break open the clamp.
In the drawings, which show a preferred embodiment 70 clamp comprising a sleeve having an exterior cylindrical
portion from one end of which extends an end portion,
of the invention:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a rope eye with a clamp con said cylindrical portion and said end portion having
means defining a passage receiving said two overlapping
 3,426,395 4.
3
rope portions, said cylindrical portion having a circular tioned at one end and outside of said first mentioned
end portion, said rope length in the form of said single
cross-section and said end portion exteriorly tapering rope portion extending through said other end portion,
from said cylindrical portion to the free end of said end
portion having a substantially oval cross-section at its said other end portion also being of deformable material
said free end, the main axis of said oval cross-section which is deformed to be in engagement with the entire
extending in the direction of an imaginary line passing circumference of said single rope portion.
perpendicularly through the centers of said two over References Cited
lapping rope portions when positioned in said passage
of said clamp, said cylindrical portion and said end por UNITED STATES PATENTS
tion being of a deformable material which has been de 10 2,346,412 4/1944 Bratz --------------- 24-129
formed into engagement with said rope portions thereby 2,476,731 7/1949 Hobbs -------------- 287-78
to connect the same. 2,895,195 7/1959 Ehmann ------------ 287-78
2. The rope clamp set forth in claim 1, wherein said 2,936,499 5/1960 Rohland.
sleeve further has another end portion extending from 3,087,216 4/1963 Tedesco.
the other end of said cylindrical portion, said other end 5 FOREIGN PATENTS
portion having means defining a passage which is aligned
with said passage in said first mentioned end portion and 879,868 10/1961 Great Britain.
said cylindrical portion and has arranged therein a single 156,974 11/1956 Sweden.
rope portion, said other end portion tapering from said
cylindrical portion has a frusto-conical configuration with 20 BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner.
a circular cross-section throughout its axial length, said
overlapping rope portions which are assembled in clamp U.S. C. X.R.
ing relationship in said clamp being portions of a single 287-80, 78
rope length which is doubled over to form an eye posi