The present invention is generally related to cable grippers. More particularly, the present invention relates to wedge shaped cable grippers.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[002] A Gripper is a sophisticated piece of hardware that allows an electrician to adjust the height of a fixture without utilizing tools. As a cable slides through the gripper, a plunger and three balls within the gripper surround the outside diameter and catch the cable as it passes through the gripper. When mounted and weight is applied to the gripper, the tension forces the balls to grab the cable in a pinching movement.

[003] In general, conventional single cable grippers have many applications in Cable/Wire suspension or making loops etc. Wedge types cable grippers have been in use since decades and being used to grip cable, such as ropes, wires, etc. When the cable is inserted into a gripper, the cable gets blocked in the gripper. The movement restriction is being done with the wedge getting embedded in the wire in a tapered passage of the gripper. The wedge shaped grippers presently available are not so successful and efficient. There may be situations, while during usage, the wedge gets stuck in the passage of the gripper and it becomes difficult to release the wedge through its actuating pin, by hand, in order to release the cable. In such cases, one has to use special tools like pliers etc. to press the wedge pin downwards for releasing the wire. In this process, the wedge pin sometimes get bent or broken, thus making the gripper dysfunctional.

[004] Also, there may be other situations, when the wedge gets released due to accidental movement / seismic vibration in absence of any locking facility for the wedge. No provisions of safety are given in the wedge type cable grippers of all models being used and presently available.

[005] Therefore, there exists a need to develop a safe wedge type cable gripper which is easy and convenient to use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[006] It is an objective of the present invention to provide a wedge type gripper which is easy and convenient to use.

[007] An objective of the present invention is to provide a wedge type gripper which is safe to use.

[008] An objective of the present invention is to provide a wedge type gripper with a lock nut in the wedge pin to lock the wedge type gripper by locking nut.

[009] An aspect of the present invention provides A safety assembly for a wedge type gripper to hold a cable wire, the assembly comprising: a wedge pin for inserting and moving up and down inside a slot that is provided in a body of the wedge type gripper, where the wedge pin moves up and down, inside the slot, according to and along movement of a wedge, of the wedge type gripper, when the wedge is gripping the cable wire; a locking nut for locking the wedge pin and the wedge of the wedge type gripper around the cable wire, in a locking position; and a knurled surface with knurling provided around the slot and on the body of the wedge type gripper for providing anti-slip surface and grip to the locking nut in the locking position, and wherein, the locking nut rotates on the knurled surface and locks the wedge pin and the wedge in the locking position, when the wedge pin holds the wedge at the locking position.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention provides a wedge type gripper for holding a cable wire comprising: a body housing one or more components to hold the cable wire, the one or more components at least include a wedge that embeds into the cable wire to hold the cable wire in a locking position; and a safety assembly for holding the wedge in the locking position, the safety assembly is provided at outside of the body, the safety assembly including: a wedge pin for inserting and moving up and down inside a slot that is provided in the body of the wedge type gripper, where the wedge pin moves up and down, inside the slot, according to and along movement of the wedge when the teeth of the wedge are embedded into the cable wire; a locking nut for locking the wedge pin and the wedge of the wedge type gripper around the cable wire, in the locking position; a knurled surface, with knurling, provided around the slot and on the body of the wedge type gripper for providing anti-slip surface and grip to the locking nut in the locking position, and wherein the locking nut rotates on the knurled surface and locks the wedge pin and the wedge in the locking position, when the wedge pin holds the wedge at the locking position.

[0011] An embodiment provides the knurled surface is provided with multiple grooves and wherein the wedge pin is a threaded pin and controls the movements of the wedge to lock the wedge type gripper around the cable.

[0012] Another embodiment provides the slot is internally threaded, and wherein the knurled surface has multiple grooves of shapes including at least straight, angled or crossed lines rolled onto the body.

[0013] A yet another embodiment provides further includes a stopper that is provided on top of the locking nut and the wedge pin assembly to prevent the locking nut to get disengaged from the wedge pin on loosening.

[0014] The assembly is able to be pulled down by pressing down the locking nut and wedge nut assembly after loosening the locking nut by one or two turns on the knurled surface, further preventing the wedge pin from breaking or bending while pushing into due to support from bottom surface of the locking nut on the knurled surface.

[0015] In an embodiment, the locking nut is provided with a through cross hole for easy locking/unlocking the locking nut.

[0016] In an embodiment, the body of the wedge type gripper is made of two joining parts which can be joined together to form a housing of the body, and where at least one of the two joining parts include a through hole along its length, and wherein the through hole is provided relative to a passage of the cable wire inside the body, including at least being parallel to the passage of the cable wire inside the body or perpendicular to the passage of the cable wire inside the body.

[0017] In another embodiment, the wedge has teeth and a chamfer, where the teeth embed into the cable wire and restricts slipping of the cable wire, where the chamfer faces towards the wall side.

[0018] Another embodiment includes a spring inside the body closer to the wedge which is pushed into by the wedge as the wedge attains the locking position.

[0019] A yet another embodiment includes a pair of the safety assembly, where each of the safety assembly is provided opposite to each other around the body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0020] For a better understanding of the embodiments of the systems and methods described herein, and to show more clearly how they may be carried into effect, references will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like elements/components throughout and wherein:

[0021] FIGs. 1-3 illustrate an exemplary environment showing an assembly of a wedge type gripper with a cable, such as steel rope, where FIG. 1 illustrates top view, FIG.2 illustrates side view and FIG. 3 illustrates a sectional view, along B-B in FIG.1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the assembly of the wedge type gripper and the cable, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0023] FIG. 5 illustrates a sectional view of the assembly of the wedge type gripper and the cable, showing gripping zone where the wedge type gripper grips the cable wire through teeth of the wedge type gripper, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0024] FIG. 6 illustrates different views of body of the wedge type gripper, including a perspective view, a top view, and a sectional view, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
[0025] This patent describes the subject matter for patenting with specificity to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. The principles described herein may be embodied in many different forms.

[0026] Illustrative embodiments of the invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

[0027] The present invention provides a wedge type gripper for holding cable wires under suspension, or tensile stress, or load. The wedge type gripper comprises a body which houses all internal components of the wedge type gripper, where the body includes a through hole along the body length situated in one side of the body only. The body generally has two opposite joining parts, acting as a housing containing all the internal components of the gripper inside, and the through hole is present in at least one of the joining parts, along the length of the body. Further, the wedge type gripper comprises a gripper inside the body, with its chamfer facing wall side.

[0028] The wedge type gripper comprises a wedge with teeth and chamfer portion. The wedge acts as a lock, gripping the cable. The teeth of the wedge embed into the cable, which is hard pressed between gripper bodies and wedge in a tapered passage. Such arrangement of the teeth embedding into the cable, and pressed hard between body and wedge, restricts slipping of the cable from hold of gripper, under tension/load.

[0029] The wedge type gripper also comprises a locking nut in a wedge pin, where the locking nut locks the wedge type gripper at a tightening position around a cable or a wire, taking its ultimate position under a defined load/tension. The locking nut do not permit wedge to slide down accidently or get slip during vibration or a heavy load. Further, the wedge pin helps in withdrawing the locking nut from its locking position. The wedge pin holds the locking nut, in its position, to give stable holding.
[0030] Referring to FIG. 1, the wedge type gripper 100 includes a body 102 and wedge 104 contained in the body 102. A cable, such as a steel rope wire 106 is inserted into the wedge shaped gripper 100. The body 102, acting as a housing to contain internal parts or components of the gripper 100, has two opposite joining parts, which are joined together to form the body 102. Further, the body 102 has a through hole 108 along the length of the body 102, and situated on at least one of the joining parts.

[0031] The gripper 100 further comprises a locking nut 110 and a wedge pin 112 assembly. The locking nut 110 is an important part of the gripper 100. The locking nut 110 does not permit the wedge 104 to slide down accidently or get slip during vibration. The arrangement of the locking nut 110 in the wedge pin 112 locks the wedge 104 by the locking nut 110, thereby tightening the wedge 104 at the point where the wedge 104 takes its ultimate position on load / tension.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 2, the assembly of the wedge type gripper 100 and the cable 106, shows a knurled surface 200 on the body 102. In an embodiment, the wedge pin 112 is a threaded wedge pin and it moves up and down, inside a slot present in the body 102, along with wedge moment. The knurled surface 200 is present around this slot to have better grip of the locking nut 110 in a locking position, when rotated over this knurled surface 200, while the threaded wedge pin 112 moves up and down, inside the slot, along with wedge moment. The locking nut 110 acts as lock for the threaded pin 112. The knurled surface 200 is also for easy releasing/pre-loading the wedge 104.
[0033] Further, the knurling/grooves on the surface 200 on the wedge surface, around the slot into which the wedge pin is inserted and moved up and down, is provided for controlling the pin 112 movements, so that the locking nut 110, on locking, does not permit the wedge 104 to slide down accidently or by seismic vibration etc., and hence prevents failure of cable gripper.

[0034] Furthermore, the knurling/grooves 200 can be used for releasing of a jammed wedge 104 or pre-loading the wedge 104 with the help of simple tools, like screw-drivers etc., by getting leverage from anchoring with the knurling / grooves. It may be obvious to a person skilled in the art that the knurled surface 200 may have any pattern, not restricted to just one as shown in Fig. 2, the knurled surface 200 may have straight, angled or crossed lines rolled onto the body 102, without deviating from the meaning and scope of the present invention.

[0035] Further, the wedge type gripper 100 also includes a through hole 300, as shown in the FIG. 3, in the wedge 104. The wedge has a chamfer towards wall side. The wedge type gripper 100 also includes a spring 302 which keeps pushing in till the wedge attains it final gripping position.

[0036] The gripper 100 has a slot 304, into which the pin 112 is inserted and moved up and down along with wedge 104 moment while the locking nut 110 works as lock on threaded pin 112. Around this slot 304, the body 102 has knurled surface 200. FIG. 4 shows an arrangement 400 in which the pin 112 inserted into the slot 304, around which the knurled surface 200 is present. In an embodiment, the slot 304 may also be provided with internal threads.

[0037] FIG. 5 shows a gripping zone 500 in which teeth of the wedge 104 grabs or embeds into the cable 106, for gripping and holding the cable 106 firmly under stress/load.

[0038] FIG. 6 illustrates different views of body of the wedge type gripper, including a perspective view, a top view, and a sectional view, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the perspective view 600, through hole 108 in the body 102 is clearly shown along the length of the body 102. Further, the view 600 also shows the knurled surface 200 on the body 102 present around the slot 304. The top view 602 shows the body 102 and the through hole 108 in the body from the top. The body 102 is provided with the through hole 108, parallel to the wire passage which enables the cable gripper 100 to function in various mode of looping of wire, in a suspension system, as well as in other configurations.

[0039] The sectional view 604, along the section A-A in the top view 602. The sectional view 604 shows tapered wire passage zone 606. The through hole 108 in the body 102 is parallel to the wire passage 606, which helps in creating loop and multi-use of cable gripper 100.

[0040] In an embodiment, the gripper 100 is provided with a stopper at the top end of the wedge pin 112, which may prevent the nut 110 to get disengaged from the pin 110 on loosening. This provides for double security.

[0041] The gripper 100 comprises the assembly of locking nut 110 and pin 112, where the pin 112 locks the wedge 104, in its ultimate position of tightening around the cable 106 under load in the gripping zone 500, using the locking nut 110. This helps in preventing accidental loosening or releasing of the wedge 104 under load. Therefore, the assembly of the locking nut 110 and the pin 112 behaves as the locking facility for the wedge 104.

[0042] Further, the body 102 is provided with the knurled surface 200 around the slot 304 in which the wedge pin 112 is inserted and the pin 112 is moved up and down into the slot 304. The locking nut 110 is tightened around the slot 304 and the knurled surface 200 around the slot 304, provides anti-slipping surface or locking surface for the locking nut 110, due to presence of knurling lines or grooves 200. Therefore, the nut 110, on locking, does not permit the wedge to slide down accidently or by seismic vibration etc., to prevent failure of cable gripper 100, since the locking nut 110 is tightened on the knurling surface 200. Further, in case the wedge 104 gets stuck too hard, then the wedge 104 can be pulled down by pressing down the pin-nut assembly after loosening the nut 110 by one or two turns. This way the pin 112 does not break/bend while pushing it down as it gets support of nut’s 110 bottom surface on the wedge’s knurled surface 200.
[0043] In an embodiment, this arrangement of locking nut 110 and the pin 112 is present in a pair in a single body 102 opposite to each other.

[0044] In an embodiment, the locking nut 110 is also present with a through cross hole which may help in easy locking/unlocking the locking nut 110.

[0045] In an embodiment, the material for the body 102 and the Wedge 104 is metal, including and not limited to zinc, brass, aluminium, steel and the like. In another embodiment, the material for the body 102 and the Wedge 104 is non-metal, such as including and not limited to Nylon, PBT, Styrene and the like. Further, it may be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the material of the body and the wedge may be any metal or non-metal depending on the end uses, without deviating from the meaning and scope of the present invention.

[0046] In an embodiment, a plunger of the gripper 100 could be with both, single or double row of balls as well as with center bore of round/oblong shape to cater for round or flat cable/wires etc.

[0047] While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Indeed, the novel methods, devices, and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form of the methods, devices, and systems described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

,CLAIMS:We claim:
1. A safety assembly for a wedge type gripper to hold a cable wire, the assembly comprising:
a wedge pin for inserting and moving up and down inside a slot that is provided in a body of the wedge type gripper, where the wedge pin moves up and down, inside the slot, according to and along movement of a wedge, of the wedge type gripper, when the wedge is gripping the cable wire;
a locking nut for locking the wedge pin and the wedge of the wedge type gripper around the cable wire, in a locking position; and
a knurled surface with knurling provided around the slot and on the body of the wedge type gripper for providing anti-slip surface and grip to the locking nut in the locking position, and
wherein, the locking nut rotates on the knurled surface and locks the wedge pin and the wedge in the locking position, when the wedge pin holds the wedge at the locking position.

2. The assembly of the claim 1, wherein the knurled surface is provided with multiple grooves and wherein the wedge pin is a threaded pin and controls the movements of the wedge to lock the wedge type gripper around the cable.

3. The assembly of the claim 1, wherein the slot is internally threaded, and wherein the knurled surface has multiple grooves of shapes including at least straight, angled or crossed lines rolled onto the body.

4. The assembly of the claim 1 further includes a stopper that is provided on top of the locking nut and the wedge pin assembly to prevent the locking nut to get disengaged from the wedge pin on loosening.

5. The assembly of the claim 1 is able to be pulled down by pressing down the locking nut and wedge nut assembly after loosening the locking nut by one or two turns on the knurled surface, further preventing the wedge pin from breaking or bending while pushing into due to support from bottom surface of the locking nut on the knurled surface.

6. The assembly of the claim 1, wherein the locking nut is provided with a through cross hole for easy locking/unlocking the locking nut.

7. A wedge type gripper for holding a cable wire comprising:
a body housing one or more components to hold the cable wire, the one or more components at least include a wedge that embeds into the cable wire to hold the cable wire in a locking position; and

a safety assembly for holding the wedge in the locking position, the safety assembly is provided at outside of the body, the safety assembly including:
a wedge pin for inserting and moving up and down inside a slot that is provided in the body of the wedge type gripper, where the wedge pin moves up and down, inside the slot, according to and along movement of the wedge when the teeth of the wedge are embedded into the cable wire;
a locking nut for locking the wedge pin and the wedge of the wedge type gripper around the cable wire, in the locking position;
a knurled surface, with knurling, provided around the slot and on the body of the wedge type gripper for providing anti-slip surface and grip to the locking nut in the locking position, and
wherein the locking nut rotates on the knurled surface and locks the wedge pin and the wedge in the locking position, when the wedge pin holds the wedge at the locking position.

8. The wedge type gripper of claim 7, wherein the body is made of two joining parts which can be joined together to form a housing of the body, and where at least one of the two joining parts include a through hole along its length, and wherein the through hole is provided relative to a passage of the cable wire inside the body, including at least being parallel to the passage of the cable wire inside the body or perpendicular to the passage of the cable wire inside the body.

9. The wedge type gripper of claim 7, wherein the wedge has teeth and a chamfer, where the teeth embed into the cable wire and restricts slipping of the cable wire.
10. The wedge type gripper of claim 9, where the chamfer faces towards the wall side.

11. The wedge type gripper of claim 7 further includes a spring inside the body closer to the wedge which is pushed into by the wedge as the wedge attains the locking position.

12. The wedge type gripper of claim 7 includes a pair of the safety assembly, where each of the safety assembly is provided opposite to each other around the body.