GB2072251A

GB2072251A - Cable strap

Info

Publication number: GB2072251A
Application number: GB8102859A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-03-22
Filing date: 1981-01-30
Publication date: 1981-09-30
Also published as: FR2478892B1; DE3011121A1; FR2478892A1; GB2072251B; DE3011121C2

Abstract

A cable strap of the kind in which the strap (1) is passed through a clamp (2) and serrations (10) on the strap interlock with corresponding serrations (9) of a tongue (8) in the clamp has a projection (13) at the free strap end with a recess (14) to receive a pushing tool. A slot (11) is provided in the clamp to allow free movement of the projection and the tool through the clamp. Apparatus for holding the strap and including the tool is also described, in which a push rod engages in the recess (14) and pushes the projection along the slot (11). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cable strap The invention relates to a cable strap for tying together cables or like elongate articles. The cable strap comprises a flexible plastics strap, at one end of which there is disposed a clamping lock means which is provided with a flat aperture therethrough for pulling in the free end of the strap and a resiliently deflectible tongue portion which projects at an inclined angle into the through aperture, wherein, at the facing sides, said tongue portion and the strap have inter-engageable serrations for locking the strap introduced into the through aperture, and wherein the clamping lock means is provided, in the longitudinal direction of the strap, with an upwardly open slot which is arranged perpendicularly to the through aperture.

A cable strap of this kind is known for example from German patent specification No 2 046 011.

In that arrangement, for the purposes of more easily inserting the strap, the strap is provided at its end with a gripping portion and, adjoining the gripping portion, a wall portion which can be inserted into the open slot of the clamping lock means and which is formed on the actual clamping strap at a right angle. Although this aid to insertion of the strap is quite practical for manual assembly, it is not suitable for fitting by machine and is also expensive to produce.

According to the present invention on the side which is opposite to the serrations, the end of the strap has a projection which can be passed through the slot and which is provided with a recess or the like for inserting a pushing tool which can also be passed through the slot.

This arrangement provides in a simple manner that the end of the strap can be engaged by a pushing tool of suitable configuration, and pressed through the clamping lock means after the strap has previously been laid around the bunch of cables.

A tying apparatus which, in a further aspect of the invention, is of the construction set out hereinafter, is particularly suitable for tying the cables by machine: First of all, the apparatus comprises a releasable clamp means for clamping and holding the clamping lock means of the strap, and a channel which is arranged in front of the clamp means for receiving the bunch of cables to be tied together after the free end of the cable strap has first been laid therein, and also a thrust rod which is displaceable towards the clamping lock means and which engages into the recess of the projection and with which the end of the strap which is laid around the bunch of cables is introduced into the clamping lock means and pushed therethrough until the bunch of cables is firmly embraced by the strap.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:~ Figure 1 shows a view of the cable strap in longitudinal section taken along line I-I in Figure 2, Figure 2 shows a plan view of the cable strap, Figure 3 shows a view of the cable strap in cross-section taken along line Ill-Ill in Figure 1, Figure 4 shows a view of the cable strap in cross-section taken along line IV-lV in Figure 1, Figure 5 shows a tying apparatus with a cable strap laid therein, and Figure 6 shows a bunch of cables which are embraced by the cable strap.

The cable strap shown in the drawings is of a flexible plastics material such as for example polypropylene. It essentially comprises a strap portion 1 and a clamping lock means 2 in which the strap portion 1 is inserted and locked, after having been passed around a bunch 3 of cables as shown in Figure 6.

The clamping lock means 2 is moulded on the strap portion 1 and is provided with two side walls 4 which extend parallel to the axial direction of the strap and which have cover portions 6 which are bent over towards the middle, over the base plate portion 5 of the clamping lock means 2, in accordance with the thickness of the strap.

Together with the side walls 4 and the base plate portion 5, the cover portions 6 form a flat through aperture 7 for introducing the strap portion 1 and pulling it therethrough.

A resiliently deflectible tongue portion 8 which projects at an inclined angle into the through aperture 7 in the opposite direction to the strap portion 1 is moulded on the base plate 5 and is provided on its top side with serrations 9. The strap portion 1 is also formed with transversely extending serrations 10 on its top side, which serrations 10 engage into the serrations 9 on the tongue portion 8 when the strap portion 1 passes into the through aperture 7. In this way, the strap portion 1 can be locked in any position in the clamping lock means 2 after a bunch 3 of cables has been firmly gripped by the strap.

Disposed between the cover portions 6 is an upwardly open slot 11 which is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the strap 1 and perpendicularly to the through aperture 7. For reasons concerned with manufacture and removal of the item from a mould, the slot 1 1 is somewhat wider than the tongue portion 8 disposed therebelow. In addition, the end 1 2 of the strap has a projection 1 3 on its underside, that is to say, on the side thereof which is remote from the serrations 10. The projection 13 is somewhat narrower than the width of the slot 1 1 so that the projection 1 3 can slide through the slot, and it has a recess 14 which is for example in the form of a hole and into which a pushing tool 18 (Figure 5) which can also be passed through the slot 1 1 can be inserted.

A bunch of cables can be embraced or clamped in a simple mannerby means of the tying apparatus shown diagrammatically in Figure 5.

The apparatus essentially comprises a clamp means 16, a channel 17 which is disposed in front thereof and a thrust rod 18 which is displaceable over the channel 17 towards the clamping lock means 2. In this arrangement, the cable strap is firstly clamped into the claim means 16 in such a way that the strap portion 1 thereof is over the channel 1 7. The bunch 3 of cables is then laid onto the strap portion 1 and pressed together therewith into the channel 17. The free end 12 of the strap is then bent around the bunch of cables 3 and connected to the displacement thrust rod 18, with the thrust rod 18 engaging in the recess 14 in the projection 13. The thrust rod 18 is now pushed forward through the slot 1 1 in the clamping lock means 2, whether by hand or by means of a power device 1 5 which is provided for that purpose, until the bunch 3 of cables is firmly embraced. The cable strap, together with the bunch of cables, can then be released from the tying apparatus and, after a fresh cable strap has been laid into the apparatus at a suitable distance beside the first-mentioned cable strap, the fresh cable strap can again be tightened around the bunch of cables.

Figure 6 shows the cable strap with the bunch 3 of cables clamped therein, in its final assembly position, wherein the free end 1 9 of the strap has been anchored in an apertured support plate 21 by means of a conventional expansible rivet connection 20.

The apparatus 22 can be a stationary apparatus, as shown in Figure 5, or it may be portable in the manner of an assembly gun so that it can be used for clamping for example bunches of cables which have already been laid in place, in situ.

Claims

1. A cable strap for tying together cables or the like, comprising a flexible plastics strap, at one end of which there is disposed a clamping lock means which is provided with an aperture therethrough for pulling in the free end of the strap and a resiliently deflectible tongue portion which projects at an inclined angle into the aperture, said tongue portion and the strap have interengageable serrations for locking the strap introduced into the through aperture, wherein the clamping lock means is provided, in the longitudinal direction of the strap, with an open sided slot which is arranged perpendicularly to the aperture, and wherein on the surface thereof which is opposite to the serrations, the end of the strap has a projection which can be passed through the slot and which is provided with a recess for receiving a tool for moving the strap end through the aperture and which can also be passed through the slot.

2. Apparatus for tying cables by means of a cable strap according to claim 1, comprising a releasable clamp means for holding the clamping lock means of the strap, a channel for receiving the bunch of cables after the cable strap has been previously laid therein, and a thrust rod which is displaceable towards the clamping lock means and which is engageable in the recess in the projection of the strap for introducing the strap end into the clamping lock means and for pushing the strap therethrough until the bunch of cables is firmly clamped therearound.

3. A cable strap constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in Figures 1-4, and 6 of the accompanying drawings.

4. Apparatus for fastening a cable strap around a bunch of cables or the like elements constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.