Abstract: An apparatus and method for connecting a mining dump bucket to a set of drag chains and a set of dump ropes is provided. A metallic nugget is fused to a drag rope. The metallic nugget is then inserted into a novel coupler or socket attached to a dump bucket. Also provided is a set of frustoconical wedges adjacent the nugget and a frustoconical receiver used to secure the rope to the coupler or socket.

Abstract: The invention provides a termination for a wire rope made by a process of inserting one end of a wire rope into a mold and placing a crucible with a crucible opening over the mold. The mold opening is in fluid communication with the crucible opening. Exothermic metallic material is added to the crucible. The exothermic metallic material is ignited forming a molten material. The molten material flows into the mold around the wire rope forming a termination capable of sustaining a higher break force than the wire rope. The invention also provides a termination for a wire rope made by a process with an adhesive. The termination provides a socket for connecting wire rope to various types of equipment. The socket can include one or more frustroconical wedges for securely holding the wire rope and the termination in the connector. The socket body can also include a protection sled and various ways to connect to the equipment.

Abstract: The method for making a termination for a wire rope entails inserting a first end of the wire rope end into a mold, wherein the mold comprises a mold opening; placing a crucible on the mold, adding a separator to the crucible over an opening in the crucible, adding an exothermic metallic material to a crucible, igniting the exothermic metallic material to form a molten material that liquefies the separator; flowing the liquefied separator onto the end of the wire rope forming a termination capable of sustaining a higher break force than the wire rope. Other embodiments of the method entail using a liquid adhesive to form the termination.