Abrasion resistant cords and ropes

Abstract

The abrasion resistance of organic fiber based ropes and cords is increased by a outer woven cover of tapes of high molecular weight and more preferably ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application is a Continuation of and claims the benefit of priority to the US Non-provisional patent application having the same title and application Ser. No. 13 / 095,166, that was filed on 27 Apr. 2011, which is incorporated herein by reference, which is a Continuation-In-Part of and claims the benefit of priority to the US Non-provisional patent application having the same title and application Ser. No. 12 / 579,344 that was filed on Oct. 14, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference.[0002]The present application claims the benefit of priority to the US provisional patent application of the same title having application Ser. No. 61 / 107,864 that was filed on Oct. 23, 2008, which is incorporated herein by reference.[0003]The present application also claims the benefit of priority to the US provisional patent application of the same title having application Ser. No. 61 / 218,875 that was filed on Jul. 19, 2009, which is incor...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a covering material that has improved resistance to abrasion and can be made in a smaller size or that can float. This invention also provides a cord-like device that has enhanced abrasion resistance and either reduced weight or can float. The cord-like device includes a braid or woven construction made of high molecular weight polyethylene unitary filaments in the form of a tape with continuous and coherent structure.

Problems solved by technology

However, these commonly used rope fibers also have certain disadvantages that are associated with their particular chemical structures.

Polyamides and to a lesser extent polyesters absorb water, polyamides and polypropylene are susceptible to UV degradation, and aromatic polyamides are susceptible to fatigue bending.

As a result they are very weak in their lateral directions perpendicular to their axis.

Because of the very weak lateral bonding between the filaments of multifilament fibers, when ropes made of multifilament fibers are rubbed against other materials encountered during their use, for example, rocks, stones, cement, and salt crystals, their filaments shred and break down into weaker microfilaments, a process that leads to the weakening and destruction of the rope.

The greater the degree of shredding and break down of filaments and fibers the greater the destruction of the rope.

This protective layer can make the rope heavier, bulkier and more difficult to handle.

Such failure mechanism shows that polyurethanes provide a limited benefit as a coating and a binder.

Moreover, the addition of polyurethane to form a protective jacket results in additional weight and larger volume, i.e. the rope becomes heavier and larger in diameter.

Such an arrangement does not protect the outside braiding layer of e.g. nylon or Dacron which rubs against the seabed nor the additional layer of the polyethylene strip which relies on the outside layer for its protection.

In other words, it is expected that the polyethylene under-layer to have an inferior abrasion resistance to the outside protective layer.

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