Rope connector

Abstract

To provide a rope connector capable of simply U-turning an end of a rope and coupling it to a rope streamline while a tensile force is applied to the rope, and coping with a high tensile force.SOLUTION: A rope connector 10 comprises: a connector body 12 comprising a connection part 27 for mounting a rope 50 to other members; and a wedge 14 locked with the connector body while the rope is U-turned. The connector body comprises: a first through hole 21; and a second through hole 23 in which an end of the rope pulled out from the first through hole is inserted and pulled out in a direction opposed to an insertion direction of the first through hole. The wedge can move along the rope while the rope is inserted, and can restrain movement of the rope which has an outside dimension at a tip part which can be inserted in the first insertion hole and / or the second through hole, and shrunk and inserted by an insertion operation into the first through hole and / or the second through hole.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rope connector provided at the end region of a rope for attaching the rope to another member. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, a rope may be attached to an anchor fixed in the ground or a support erected in the ground. In this case, the end of the rope is turned in a U-shape, and the overlapping portion of the rope at the U-shape end is fastened with a wire clip to form a loop. A shackle is then attached to this loop to connect it to the anchor or support.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a rockfall protection fence in which a net is stretched between multiple posts erected at intervals in the ground, and in order to prevent the posts erected on both sides from tilting, a structure is disclosed in which anchors fixed in the ground are connected to the upper ends of the posts with ropes to prevent the posts from tilting. In this protection fence, the ends of the rope are U-turned to form loops so that they can be connected to anchor members or shackles attached to the upper ends of the posts, and the ends of the rope are fixed to the main line using wire clips.

[0004] Both ends of the rope are connected to other members with a predetermined tension applied. For example, when one end of the rope is connected to the upper end of a support pole and the other end is connected to an anchor member, after connecting one end to the support pole, the other end of the rope is passed through a shackle attached to the anchor member and made a U-turn, and while pulling the other end of the U-turned rope in this state, it is overlapped with the main line of the rope and secured with a wire clip.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a structure for attaching a rope connector to a rope using a wedge structure as a rope connector for attaching a rope to another member. This rope connector includes a wedge and a connector body having a wedge hole into which the wedge is inserted, and the connector body is provided with a connection hole for connecting the rope to another member. The rope connector is attached to the rope by looping the rope around the outer periphery of the wedge to make a U-turn, and then inserting the wedge into the wedge hole provided in the connector body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-2014 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-172190 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the rope connection structure using wire clips described in Patent Document 1, the worker needs to fasten multiple wire clips while maintaining tension on the rope, which is a cumbersome task that makes it difficult for one person to perform the connection work, and therefore simplification of the work is desired. Also, in situations where the tensile force acting on the rope is large, it becomes necessary to attach multiple wire clips or use wire clips with high fastening strength to prevent breakage. This has led to the problem of complicated component standard management for each use location. Furthermore, with the rope connector described in Patent Document 2, the rope connector can be attached by the relatively simple process of inserting a wedge around which the rope is looped into a wedge hole in the connector body. However, it is difficult to attach the rope connector while maintaining the necessary tensile force on the main line of the rope, which causes the problem of the main line of the rope being prone to loosening.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a rope connector that can easily perform the work of making a U-turn at the rope end and connecting the rope end to the main rope while applying a tensile force to the main rope side, and that can also withstand a high tensile force. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the rope connector according to claim 1 comprises: A rope connector comprising: a connector body having a connecting portion for attaching a rope to another member; and a wedge for fastening the rope to the connector body in a U-turn state, The connector body is A first through hole through which the end of the rope is inserted and pulled out; A second through hole through which the end of the rope pulled out from the first through hole is inserted and pulled out in a direction opposite to the insertion direction into the first through hole from a U-turned state; Equipped with The wedge is cylindrical and can move along the rope when the rope is inserted, has an outer dimension at the tip that allows it to be inserted from the pull-out side of the rope when the rope is inserted into the first through hole and / or the second through hole, and is characterized in that it can be contracted by the insertion operation from the pull-out side of the first through hole and / or the second through hole, thereby regulating the movement of the inserted rope.

[0010] According to this configuration, one end of the rope is inserted through the first and second through holes in the connector body of the rope connector, causing the end of the rope to be folded back in a U-turn. Another component to be connected can be connected to a connecting portion (e.g., a hole) provided in the connector body, thereby connecting the rope connector to that component. Then, in this state, the end of the rope is pulled to apply a tensile force to the main rope line. By inserting wedges attached to the lead-out side of the first and / or second through holes into the first and / or second through holes, the cylindrical wedges are compressed by the external pressure applied, restricting the movement of the rope. This allows the rope end, which has been made into a U-turn while applying a tensile force to the main rope line, to be quickly secured to the rope connector by a single worker, without requiring extensive work. Furthermore, after installation, when a pulling force is applied to the rope toward the main rope, the cylindrical wedge is pushed into the first and / or second through-holes and further contracts, accurately securing the rope connection. While it is sufficient to install the cylindrical wedge in either the first or / and second through-hole, installing it in both increases the rope's locking force and more accurately prevents the rope from coming loose from the connection.

[0011] The invention described in claim 2 is the rope connector described in claim 1, The connector body is provided between the first through hole and the second through hole, extends from the rope withdrawal side of the first through hole to the rope insertion side of the second through hole, and has an arc-shaped curved surface portion that contacts the inner side of the U-turn portion of the rope.

[0012] With this configuration, the end of the rope can be made to make a U-turn along the arc-shaped curved surface portion provided on the connector body, and even when the wedge is pushed into the first or second through hole while pulling the end of the rope, the rope can be pulled smoothly along the arc-shaped curved surface portion, making it possible to easily apply a tensile force to the rope.

[0013] The invention described in claim 3 is the rope connector described in claim 1 or 2, The large diameter end of the wedge is formed with an outer dimension that allows the entire wedge to be inserted into the first and / or second through hole with the rope inserted therethrough, It is cylindrical in shape and has an inner diameter large enough to allow the rope to pass through and smaller than the diameter of the larger diameter side of the wedge, and is characterized by having a cap that can be fixedly attached to the opening on the rope withdrawal side of the first and / or second through hole when the entire wedge is inserted.

[0014] According to this configuration, by fixing a cap to the opening on the rope withdrawal side of the first and / or second through hole in which the entire wedge is inserted, it is possible to reliably prevent the wedge from slipping out of the first and / or second through hole through the opening.

[0015] The invention described in claim 4 is the rope connector described in claim 3, the cap comprises a body portion having a threaded groove cut on an outer peripheral surface thereof, and a head portion provided at one end of the body portion and adapted to be engaged with the opening of the first and / or second through hole in the fixedly attached state; The cap is fixedly attached by screwing the body into the first and / or second through-hole.

[0016] According to this configuration, by screwing the cap onto the opening on the rope withdrawal side of the first and / or second through hole into which the entire wedge is inserted, it is possible to more reliably prevent the wedge from slipping out of the through hole. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] With the rope connector of the present invention, with another component to be connected attached to the connecting portion provided on the connector body, the end of the rope can be inserted through the first and second through holes of the rope connector to form a U-turn, and then the end of the rope pulled out from the second through hole can be pulled while inserting a cylindrical wedge into the first and / or second through hole to secure the end of the rope to the rope connector. This allows even a single worker to connect the end of the rope to another component via the rope connector while applying a tensile force to the main rope line by simply pulling the folded end of the rope and pushing the wedge in, making the connecting operation easy. Furthermore, the wedge action can withstand high tensile forces. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of use of a rope connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the rope and each component of the rope connector. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a partially cross-sectional plan view showing the rope connector attached to the rope. [Figure 4A] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the connector body of the rope connector. [Figure 4B] 4B is a side view of the connector main body shown in FIG. 4A as viewed from the direction of arrow A. FIG. [Figure 4C] 4B is a side view of the connector main body shown in FIG. 4A as viewed from the direction of arrow B. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a second embodiment of a rope connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] [First embodiment] As shown in FIG. 1 , a rope connector 10 according to the present invention is attached to the end of a rope 50 and is used to connect the rope 50 to another member. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the rope connector 10 is attached to a rope 50 used in a protective fence 1. The protective fence 1 is installed on mountain slopes and the like to protect adjacent roads, railways, and residences from natural disasters such as falling rocks, landslides, and avalanches. It prevents disasters by catching fallen earth and rocks. In this protective fence 1, the rope 50 connects the upper end of a support post 60 erected on the ground G to an anchor member 64 buried in the ground, preventing the support post 60 from tipping over. The rope connector 10 is provided in the area near the end of the rope 50 to attach the end of the rope 50 to the anchor member 64.

[0020] A shackle 56, which is a connecting hardware, is attached to the upper end of the support 60. One end 50a of the rope 50 is connected to the upper end of the support 60 via the shackle 56. A head 64a of the anchor member 64 is exposed above the ground, and a shackle 58, which is a connecting hardware, is attached to a through-hole provided in the head 64. A rope connector 10 is attached to the other end 50b of the rope 50, and the end 50b of the rope 50 is connected to the anchor member 64 via the rope connector 10 and a shackle 57. The rope 50 may be, for example, a wire rope made by twisting wires together. Note that the type of rope 50 is not limited to a wire rope and can be selected appropriately depending on the intended use.

[0021] In the example shown in FIG. 1 , a plurality of support columns 60 are erected on the ground G at predetermined intervals to form a column row (not shown). Annular rope holders 61, 62 are provided at the upper and lower ends of each support column 60. An upper support rope 67 is hung along the column row from the rope holder 61 at the upper end of the support column 60, and a lower support rope 68 is hung along the column row from the rope holder 62 at the lower end. A net 66 is stretched between each support column 60, supported by the upper support rope 67 and the lower support rope 68. One end 67a, 68b of the upper support rope 67 and the lower support rope 68 is connected to the head 64a of the anchor member 64 via a shackle 69. Note that FIG. 1 omits detailed illustration of the connection state of the ends 67a, 68a. Although not shown, the ends 67 a and 68 b of the upper support rope 67 and the lower support rope 68 can also be connected to the anchor member 64 using the rope connector 10 in the same manner as the rope 50 .

[0022] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the rope 50 and each component constituting the rope connector 10, and FIG. 3 is a view showing the main parts of FIG. 1, and is a partially cross-sectional plan view showing the rope connector 10 attached to the rope 50. The rope connector 10 can be formed from, for example, a metal material or a resin material, and is preferably formed from a highly rigid material such as a metal material or a fiber-reinforced resin. The rope connector 10 includes a connector body 12 having a connecting portion 27 for attaching the rope 50 to another component, a wedge 14 for fastening the rope 50 to the connector body 12 when the rope 50 is turned in a U-turn, and a cap 18. Each component constituting the rope connector 10 will be described in detail below.

[0023] As shown in Figures 4A to 4C, the connector body 12 includes a first rope insertion section 20 and a second rope insertion section 22 through which the rope 50 is inserted, and an intermediate section 26 located between the first and second rope insertion sections 20, 22. The first and second rope insertion sections 20, 22 and the intermediate section 26 are integrally formed. In Figure 4A, the state in which the wedge 14B is inserted into the through-hole 23 of the connector body 12 is shown by a thick dashed line.

[0024] The first and second rope insertion sections 20, 22 are formed in a cylindrical shape having through holes 21, 23, respectively, through which an end of the rope 50 is inserted. Specifically, the first rope insertion section 20 has a first through hole 21 through which one end 50b of the rope 50 is inserted and pulled out, and the second rope insertion section 22 has a second through hole 23 through which the end 50b of the rope 50 pulled out from the first through hole 21 is inserted and pulled out in a direction opposite to the insertion direction into the first through hole 21 after making a U-turn. In the following description, in the first and second through holes 21, 23, the openings on the side through which the rope 50 is inserted are referred to as first openings 21a, 23a, and the openings on the side through which the rope 50 is pulled out are referred to as second openings 21b, 23b. As an example, in this embodiment, the first rope insertion portion 20 is formed in a rectangular tubular shape and the second rope insertion portion 22 is formed in a cylindrical shape, but each rope insertion portion 20, 22 may be formed in a tubular shape that allows the rope 50 to be inserted therethrough.

[0025] The intermediate portion 26 is a plate-like portion arranged so as to be present between the first rope insertion portion 20 and the second rope insertion portion 22, and has a connecting portion 27 for connecting the rope 50 to another member. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 27 is a connecting hole that penetrates the intermediate portion 26 in the thickness direction. The intermediate portion 26 is also provided between the first through hole 21 and the second through hole 23, and has an arc-shaped curved surface portion 26a that extends between the second opening 21b of the first through hole 21 and the first opening 23a of the second through hole 23 and contacts the inner periphery of the U-turn portion of the rope 50.

[0026] Arc-shaped curved surface portion 26a is provided on the circumferential surface of intermediate portion 26 and is formed in a substantially U-shape in plan view. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4A, intermediate portion 26 is formed in a substantially teardrop shape in plan view, and the arc-shaped portion of the teardrop-shaped circumferential surface forms arc-shaped curved surface portion 26a. As shown in FIG. 4B, arc-shaped curved surface portion 26a is recessed toward the center in the thickness direction of intermediate portion 26, and its cross section is formed in a groove shape that is substantially U-shaped. Arc-shaped curved surface portion 26a is a portion that guides the U-turn portion of rope 50, and rope 50 is wound around arc-shaped curved surface portion 26a and folded back in a U-shape. The substantially U-shaped cross-sectional groove formed in arc-shaped curved surface portion 26a is sized so that at least the inner peripheral portion of rope 50 fits into the groove.

[0027] In this embodiment, the first rope insertion portion 20 is provided on one end side of the arc-shaped curved surface portion 26a on the circumferential surface of the intermediate portion 26, and the second rope insertion portion 22 is provided on the other end side of the arc-shaped curved surface portion 26a, and the first and second rope insertion portions 20, 22 are arranged so that the axial directions of the first and second through holes 21, 23 extend along the circumferential direction of the intermediate portion 26. The second through hole 23 has a wedge hole shape whose hole diameter decreases from the second opening 23b side toward the first opening 23a side.

[0028] The first rope insertion section 20 is preferably provided with a friction resistance section that generates friction resistance when a tensile force acts on the inserted rope 50. In this embodiment, the friction resistance section is an uneven surface having a predetermined roughness that is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the first through hole 21. The roughness (e.g., arithmetic mean roughness Ra) of the first through hole 21 is preferably equal to or greater than the roughness of the insertion hole 15 of the wedge member 14, which will be described later. By making the inner surface of the through hole 21 uneven in this way, when a tensile force acts on the rope 50 inserted in the first rope insertion section 12 and the rope 50 slides within the first through hole 21, the friction resistance between the inner peripheral surface of the first through hole 21 and the rope 50 can be increased, thereby providing a braking effect to the rope 50.

[0029] The wedge 14 is cylindrical and configured to be movable along the rope 50 with the rope 50 inserted therethrough. The wedge 14 has an outer dimension at its tip that allows it to be inserted from the pull-out side of the rope 50 with the rope 50 inserted through the first through hole 21 and / or the second through hole 23, and is configured to be contracted by external pressure to restrict the movement of the rope 50 inserted through the wedge 14. In this embodiment, the wedge 14 is configured to be insertable into the second through hole 23.

[0030] The wedge 14 is attached to the end of the rope 50 drawn out through the second through hole 23, and is inserted into the second through hole 23 from the second opening 23b side of the second through hole 23, as shown in FIG. 3. Note that FIG. 3 shows a state in which the second rope insertion portion 20 of the rope connector 10 has been cut away to make it easier to understand the internal state of the second through hole 23. The wedge 14 is formed so that the outer dimension (outer diameter) of the front end 14a is smaller than the diameter of the second opening 23b of the second through hole 23 when the rope 50 is inserted therethrough. Furthermore, the wedge 14 is formed so that the outer dimension of the rear end 14b, which is the end on the larger diameter side, is larger than the diameter of the first opening 23a of the second through hole 23 when in the most reduced diameter state. In this embodiment, the outer dimensions (outer diameter) of the rear end portion 14b of the wedge 14 are set so that the entire wedge 14 can be inserted into the second through hole 23 when the rope 50 is inserted through the wedge 14.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 5, the cylindrical wedge 14 of this embodiment is formed in a generally truncated cone shape with an insertion hole 15 in the center through which the rope 50 is inserted. The inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 15 is roughened with projections and depressions. The wedge 14 is formed so that its diameter can be reduced with the rope 50 inserted through the center. Specifically, the wedge 14 is composed of wedge pieces 30A, 30B, and 30C obtained by dividing the truncated cone shape into three in the circumferential direction, and the inner surfaces (surfaces that come into contact with the rope 50) of the wedge pieces 30A, 30B, and 30C are provided with projections and depressions. The three wedge pieces 30A, 30B, and 30C are bound together by an annular elastic body 34 (for example, an O-ring made of a rubber material) to form the generally conical wedge 14. The inner diameter φ of the insertion hole 15 of the wedge 14 is substantially constant from the front end 14a to the rear end 14b, and is set so that the inner diameter φ of the wedge is smaller than the diameter of the rope 50 when the wedge 14 is in its most contracted state. In this embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of each of the wedge pieces 30A, 30B, and 30C is provided with a groove 32 (see FIG. 2) formed so as to form a continuous ring in the circumferential direction when assembled to the rope 50. The annular elastic body 34 is fitted into this groove 32. Note that in this embodiment, the wedge 14 is divided into three equal parts in the circumferential direction so that the diameter of the wedge 14 can be contracted when the rope 50 is inserted therethrough; however, the number of divisions into the wedge pieces is not limited to three and can be two or more, and the wedge pieces do not have to be divided equally.

[0032] Cap 18 is a member that prevents wedge 14 from coming off connector main body 12, and is formed in a cylindrical shape with an insertion hole in the center through which rope 50 is inserted. As shown in FIG. 3 , cap 18 is fixedly attached to second opening 23b of second through hole 23 of second rope insertion part 22 with rope 50 inserted therethrough. Cap member 18 has body 18a that is inserted into second through hole 23, and head 18b that is exposed to the outside of second insertion hole 23.

[0033] A screw groove is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the body portion 18a. In this embodiment, a thread that screws into the screw groove of the body portion 18a is cut on the inner peripheral surface of the second through-hole 23 on the second opening 23b side. The head portion 18b is provided at one end of the body portion 18a and is formed to have an outer diameter larger than that of the body portion 18a. In this embodiment, the head portion 18b is formed in a hexagonal shape. The cap 18 is provided with a waterproof sealant 18c at the joint between the body portion 18a and the head portion 18b. The sealant 18c is a watertight annular member and can be, for example, a rubber O-ring.

[0034] Next, a method for connecting the end 50b of the rope 50 to the anchor member 64 using the rope connector 10 described above will be described.

[0035] First, one end 50a of the rope 50 is connected to the upper end of the support 60 via a shackle 52. Next, the other end 50b of the rope 50 is inserted through the first through hole 21 of the connector body 12 of the rope connector 10, and then the end 50b of the rope 50 is folded back in a U-shape along the arc-shaped curved surface portion 26a and inserted through the second through hole 23. Next, a shackle 58 is connected to the connecting portion 27 of the connector body 12, and this shackle 58 is connected to the head 64a of the anchor member 64. This connects the rope connector 10 to the anchor member 64 via the shackle 58. In addition, a wedge 14 is attached to the end 50b of the rope 50 pulled out from the second opening 23b of the second through hole 23. The wedge 14 is attached with the rope 50 inserted through the insertion hole 15 and is movable along the rope 50.

[0036] In this state, the worker pulls the end 50b of the rope 50 to apply a tensile force to the main rope line, and while maintaining the tensile force on the rope 50, pushes the wedge 14 into the second through hole 23. The wedge 14 pushed into the second through hole 23 is reduced in diameter by pressure acting radially inward from the outside, restricting the movement of the rope 50. As a result, the end 50b of the rope 50 is locked to the rope connector 10 by the wedging action. The wedge 14 is pushed in until the entire wedge is inserted into the second through hole 23.

[0037] Thereafter, cap 18 with rope 50 inserted therethrough is fixedly attached to second opening 23b of second through hole 23. Cap 18 is fixedly attached to connector body 12 by screwing body 18a into second through hole 23. Head 18b of cap 18 is engaged with second opening 23b of second through hole 23. Thereafter, the excess portion of end 50b of rope 50 pulled out from second through hole 23 of connector body 12 is fastened to the main line side of rope 50 using fastener 54 such as a clip.

[0038] As described above, with the rope connector 10 of this embodiment, the end 50b of the rope 50 can be locked in the rope connector 10 and movement of the rope 50 can be restricted by the simple operation of pushing the wedge 14 into the second through hole 23 of the connector body 12 while pulling the end 50b of the rope 50 to apply a tensile force to the main rope. This allows, for example, a single worker to quickly perform the installation work of connecting the rope end 50b to the main rope while applying a tensile force to the main rope. In this embodiment, the end 50b of the rope 50 can be made to make a U-turn along the arc-shaped curved surface portion 26a provided on the connector body 12. Therefore, even when the wedge 14 is pushed into the second through hole 23 while pulling the end 50b of the rope 50, the rope 50 can be pulled smoothly along the arc-shaped curved surface portion 26a, making it easy to apply a tensile force to the rope 50.

[0039] Furthermore, after installation, when a pulling force is applied to the rope 50 toward the main rope line, the cylindrical wedge 14 is pushed into the second through-hole 23 and further contracts, increasing the locking force of the wedge 14, thereby accurately securing the connection state of the rope 50.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by attaching cap 18 to second opening 23b of second through hole 23 with wedge 14 fully inserted, it is possible to reliably prevent wedge 14 from slipping out of second through hole 23 through second opening 23b. By employing a structure in which cap 18 is screwed into second through hole 23 of connector body 12 as in this embodiment, it is possible to more reliably prevent wedge 14 from slipping out of second through hole 23 when a tensile force is applied to rope 50.

[0041] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the rope connector 10 will be described using Figure 6. In the following description, detailed description of the same configuration of the rope connector 10 as in the first embodiment will be omitted. In this embodiment, a first wedge 14-1 is inserted into the first through hole 21 of the first rope insertion section 20, and a second wedge 14-2 is inserted into the second through hole 22. A first cap 18-1 is fixedly attached to the second opening 21b of the first through hole 21, and a second cap 18-2 is fixedly attached to the second opening 23b of the second through hole 23. The first wedge 14-1 and the second wedge 14 each have the same configuration as the wedge 14 of the first embodiment, and the first cap 18-1 and the second cap 18-2 each have the same configuration as the cap 18 of the first embodiment, so detailed description will be omitted here.

[0042] In the second embodiment, the first through hole 21 of the first rope insertion section 20 has a wedge hole shape in which the hole diameter decreases from the first opening 21a toward the second opening 21b. Specifically, the first rope insertion section 20 has a structure similar to that of the second rope insertion section 22, and is structured so that the insertion side and the withdrawal side of the rope 50 face in substantially opposite directions.

[0043] When the rope connector 10 of this embodiment is applied to the rope 50 shown in FIG. 1 , first, one end 50a of the rope 50 is connected to the upper end of the support pole 60 via a shackle 52. Next, the other end 50b of the rope 50 is inserted through the first through hole 21 of the connector body 12 of the rope connector 10, and then the end 50b of the rope 50 is folded back in a U-shape along the arc-shaped curved surface portion 26a and inserted through the second through hole 23. The first wedge 14-1 and the first cap 18-1 are attached to the region where the rope 50 is pulled out from the first through hole 21 and inserted into the second through hole 23. Then, a shackle 58 is connected to the connecting portion 27 of the connector body 12, and this shackle 58 is connected to the head 64a of the anchor member 64. The end 50b of the rope 50 drawn out from the second through-hole 23 is fitted with a second wedge 14-2.

[0044] In this state, the worker pulls the end 50b of the rope 50 to apply a tensile force to the main rope line, while pushing the first wedge 14-1 into the first through hole 21 and the second wedge 14-2 into the second through hole 23. The wedges 14-1 and 14-2 pushed into the respective through holes 21 and 23 are reduced in diameter by pressure acting radially inward from the outside, restricting the movement of the rope 50. As a result, the end 50b of the rope 50 is locked to the rope connector 10 by the wedging action. The wedges 14-1 and 14-2 are pushed in until they are entirely inserted into the respective through holes 21 and 23. Then, a first cap 18-1 is attached to the second opening 21b of the first through hole 21, and a second cap 18-2 is attached to the second opening 23b of the second through hole 23. The cap 18 may be configured to be attached only to the second through-hole 23.

[0045] In the rope connector 10 of this embodiment, when a tensile force acts on the rope 50 from the main rope line side while the rope 50 is connected to another member, the movement of the rope 50 can be stopped by the wedge structure provided in both the first rope insertion section 20 and the second rope insertion section 22 of the rope connector 10. By using a double wedge structure to lock the rope 50 in this way, it is possible to lock the rope end 50b with a higher locking force against a high tensile force acting on the rope 50.

[0046] It is sufficient to attach the cylindrical wedge 14 to either the first and / or second through holes 21, 23, but when the wedge 14 is attached to both through holes 21, 23 as in this embodiment, the rope connector 10 has a stronger holding force for the rope 50, and can more reliably prevent the rope 50 from coming off the connection portion.

[0047] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0048] For example, the wedge 14 may be inserted only into the first through hole 21, and only the end 50b of the rope 50 may be inserted into the second through hole 23. In such a case, the second through hole 23 may be a hole with a substantially constant diameter, similar to the first through hole 21 of the first embodiment.

[0049] Also, for example, the rope connector 10 may not be provided with the cap 18. Furthermore, the wedge 14 is not limited to being entirely inserted into the first and / or second through-holes 21, 23, as long as at least a portion of the wedge is inserted into the first and / or second through-holes 21, 23 and its diameter is reduced by external pressure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1 Protective fence 10 Rope connector 12 Connector body 14 Wedge 18 Cap 20 First rope insertion section 21 First through hole 22 Second rope insertion section 23 Second through hole 26 Middle section 27 Connecting part 30A,30B,30C wedge piece 34 Annular Elastic Body 50 Rope 50b End of rope 60 pillars 64 Anchor member G Ground

Claims

1. A rope connector comprising: a connector body having a connecting portion for attaching a rope to another member; and a wedge for fastening the rope to the connector body in a U-turned state, The connector body is a first through hole through which the end of the rope is inserted and pulled out; A second through hole through which the end of the rope pulled out from the first through hole is inserted and pulled out in a direction opposite to the insertion direction into the first through hole from a U-turned state; Equipped with The wedge is cylindrical and can move along the rope when the rope is inserted, has an outer dimension at the tip that allows it to be inserted from the pull-out side of the rope when the rope is inserted through the first through hole and / or the second through hole, and is contracted by the insertion operation from the pull-out side of the first through hole and / or the second through hole, thereby being able to regulate the movement of the inserted rope.

2. The rope connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the connector body is provided between the first through hole and the second through hole, extends from the rope withdrawal side of the first through hole to the rope insertion side of the second through hole, and has an arc-shaped curved surface portion that contacts the inner side of the U-turn portion of the rope.

3. The large diameter end of the wedge is formed to have an outer dimension that allows the entire wedge to be inserted into the first and / or second through hole with the rope inserted therethrough, 3. The rope connector according to claim 1, characterized in that it is cylindrical and has an inner diameter large enough to allow the rope to pass through and smaller than the diameter of the larger diameter side of the wedge, and is provided with a cap that can be fixedly attached to the opening of the first and / or second through hole on the rope withdrawal side when the entire wedge is inserted.

4. the cap includes a body portion having a threaded groove cut on an outer peripheral surface thereof, and a head portion provided at one end of the body portion and adapted to be engaged with the opening of the first and / or second through hole in the fixedly attached state; 4. The rope connector according to claim 3, wherein the cap is fixedly attached by threading the body portion into the first and / or second through-hole.

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