Tension Devices Patents (Class 174/45TD)
  • Patent number: 6096971
    Abstract: Adaptable, line vibration damping/sag adjustment devices are provided with hollow regions that facilitate drilling of larger holes in the devices so that the devices can hold and clamp lines having correspondingly large diameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Inventor: Norman Douglas Hull
  • Patent number: 6085008
    Abstract: An assembly comprising a self supporting aerial cable and tension clamp means including gripping means for gripping the cable, the gripping means comprising at least one helically wound rod fitted over the cable's outer sheath, wherein ##EQU1## where C is the outer diameter of the cable, R is the diameter of the or each rod and W.sub.R is the outer diameter of the unstressed winding of the or each rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: Pirelli General plc
    Inventors: Ralph Sutehall, Sam Armitage, Martin Vincent Davies
  • Patent number: 6057508
    Abstract: The invention uses one or more scissor devices, or disks, or cogs such that the axial thermal expansion of a coupling member is amplified such that this amplified movement is used to automatically mitigate the sag of a suspended line; the same ambient temperature change that causes the line to sag concomitantly causes the coupling member to expand, so that sag mitigation is passive and automatic. The invention includes a device for automatically mitigating thermal expansion sag in suspended lines comprising a coupling member or actuator rod (140) that expands axially with increasing temperature and that is mounted between the proximal arms (110) of a reverse-scissor component (60), said reverse-scissor component having first arms (70) and second arms (80) and a hinge (90) and the arms having distal ends (100) longer than proximal ends (110). The distal arms are insulated by insulators (130). The reverse hinge acts such that when the proximal arms are moved apart, the distal arms are brought together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Inventor: Manuchehr Shirmohamadi
  • Patent number: 5969291
    Abstract: An overhead-line mast includes a bar-shaped and insulated mast head, current-carrying conductors fastened to insulators of the insulated mast head and a ground conductor disposed on a mast tip of the insulated mast head. The ground conductor is connected electrically to a neutral point on a mast base by a ground conductor connection extending in the interior of the overhead-line mast. The ground conductor connection is sheathed by an insulating layer. The insulating layer is covered in each case by an insulating cone at the level of the current-carrying conductors. An annular electrode extends in or on each insulating cone. An insulating filler is inserted between the insulating layer and the insulating cones on one hand and the insulators of the insulated mast head on the other hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: ABB Research LTD
    Inventors: Arnaldo Bertazzi, Helmut Bohme, Johannes Kaumanns, Karl-Bernhard Muller, Gernot Schlayer, Andrea Catenacci
  • Patent number: 5898558
    Abstract: A protective overload device (POD) that absorbs energy and reduces the damage to transmission towers resulting from sudden conductor, shield wire, insulator, or conductor suspension failures is herein disclosed. The POD is positioned between the non-energized end of the insulator and the tower or support structure, or between the energized end of the insulator and the conductor. The POD consists of a top lid, a bottom plate, and a ductile load fuse refill disk. The top lid is slotted at regular intervals to allow for transverse deformation of the individual fingers that hold the bottom plate. The ductile load fuse refill disk consists of a filler material in which a steel cable is embedded. The POD acts as a passive rigid link under normal conditions. In the event of a dynamic shock that could fail a tower or tower arm, the fingers of the top lid will move outward along the sliding plane of the bottom plate until the bottom plate separates from the top lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Electric Power Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventor: Markus Ostendorp
  • Patent number: 5792983
    Abstract: The invention used devices that change in length as a function of temperature to mitigate sag in a suspended line. The devices have actuators which change in length as a function of temperature. This change in length is transferred to a linkage mechanism, such as a cog or disc, which amplifies the change in length and changes it to rotational motion that tensions the suspended line. Therefore, the same change in temperature that causes the suspended line to sag will cause the device to actuate a rotary motion that reduces line sag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Inventor: Manuchehr Shirmohamadi
  • Patent number: 5623122
    Abstract: A breakaway connection device is provided which is particularly suited for use with residential electric service cables. This device is mounted between the service cable and the service pole and serves to disconnect the cable from the pole upon the application of a predetermined level of tension or force to the cable. That level of force is selected so that the service cable breaks away from the pole and de-energizes the conductive wires before the service cable would pull away from and damage the dwelling. This device includes an insulated sheath having therein two hollow wire receiving elements which are separably joined by a conductive insert, formed as a solid rod or threaded member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1997
    Assignee: Donald W. Anderson
    Inventors: Donald W. Anderson, David A. Chlebek
  • Patent number: 5315064
    Abstract: An improved suspended line cable breakaway device includes a first body portion for connecting to a first end of a support cable and a second body portion for connecting to a second end of the support cable. The first body portion includes resilient fingers having nubs, which are releasably received by slots contained in a cavity wall of the second body portion. A biased spreader, slidably contained in a cavity in the second body portion, is displacable axially along the cavity by an external force along the support cable to urge the nubs outwardly such that the second body portion is disengaged from the first body portion, simultaneously disconnecting component lines of a first end of a suspended line from corresponding component lines of a second end of the suspended line. A shield protects the component line connections, which are spaced internal to the device, from the elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1994
    Assignee: William D. Piper
    Inventor: Dean D. Andrews
  • Patent number: 5092663
    Abstract: An apparatus for supporting and maintaining slack of fiber optic cable or the like in an aerial installation comprises an elongate channel member having an arcuate section and a plurality of linear sections for receiving the slack and means for securing the apparatus to a messenger cable support structure. Methods for supporting and maintaining the slack in two preferred embodiments are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1992
    Assignee: GTE North Incorporated
    Inventor: Michael L. Hivner
  • Patent number: 5073680
    Abstract: A device for facilitating integrity of an electrical interconnection of a pair of electrical suspended conductor cables includes a flexible conductive loop and a tension retainer between the cables. Free adjacent spaced apart ends of the cables are connected to the loop, the loop being electrically in series with the cables. A tension retainer is in series structurally with the respective adjacent and spaced ends of the two electrical conductor cables and maintains a first position of suspension. Axial tension on at least one of the cable tending relatively to separate the cables causes movement or breakage of the tension retainer thereby permitting the flexible conductive loop to move and expand and retain electrical integrity between the cable ends in a second suspended position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1991
    Assignee: Southern California Edison
    Inventor: James T. Kennedy
  • Patent number: 4078771
    Abstract: An elongated strand of electric fence wire is provided with wheels whereby the strand can be rolled from one location to another while remaining stretched out lengthwise. The wheels also serve as posts whereby the strand of wire is held out of contact with the ground and at a desired elevation when in use. Each end of the wire can be attached to a portable holding means for anchoring the wire and which is also useful in moving the fence to a new location. When the fence is moved, the wheels roll and move with the wire, becoming rolling fence posts so that the wire does not snag an obstruction which may be lying on the ground or protruding from it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1976
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1978
    Inventor: Richard E. Diggs