Pivotable Gripping Members for Cable Pulling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face challenges in efficiently gripping and moving elongated items, such as cables, through conduits, especially when they are heavy or have varying diameters, and require enhanced gripping capabilities to prevent damage and ensure proper centering and pulling through long paths with significant drag forces.
Innovation Solution
The development of a gripping apparatus with pivotable gripping members, biasing members, and a centering device that allows for inward projection into a bore to engage elongated items, facilitating their movement by providing multiple gripping points and attachment mechanisms that accommodate different diameters and insulation thicknesses, while preventing penetration damage and allowing for non-linear paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If gripping members project inwardly into the bore to engage elongated items, then gripping capability is improved, but risk of penetration damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The centering device is activated before the gripping members engage the elongated item. It pre-centers the item within the bore, ensuring that when gripping members project inwardly, they engage the item at the correct position without penetrating too deeply or causing damage to the core.
Solution Approach 2:
The centering device acts as an intermediary between the bore and the gripping members. It mediates the positioning of the elongated item, ensuring proper alignment before the gripping members make contact, thus preventing direct harmful interaction between the gripping members and the item core.
2Force
If multiple gripping members are used to handle heavy items, then pulling capacity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping device is segmented into multiple independent gripping members (at least two), each capable of independently engaging the elongated item. This segmentation allows the device to distribute the pulling force across multiple points, increasing overall pulling capacity while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple gripping members are combined within a single device body, working together to handle heavy items. The gripping members are integrated into a common structure with shared components like the bore and centering device, which reduces overall complexity compared to using separate devices.
3Reliability
If gripping members engage inside surfaces of elongated items, then gripping effectiveness is improved, but risk of damaging the core increases
Solution Approach 1:
The centering device performs a preliminary action by positioning the elongated item correctly before the gripping members engage. This pre-positioning ensures that gripping members contact the insulation layer at the intended location without penetrating through to damage the core, thus maintaining gripping effectiveness while preventing harm.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the apparatus accommodates varying diameters and insulation thicknesses, then adaptability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping members are designed to be movable relative to the device body, allowing them to adjust their position and engagement depth dynamically. This dynamic capability enables the apparatus to accommodate varying diameters and insulation thicknesses without requiring precise manufacturing for each specific item dimension, as the system adapts through movement rather than fixed precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus accommodates parameter variations (diameter, insulation thickness) by allowing the gripping members to change their engagement parameters (position, depth, angle). This parameter flexibility enables adaptability across different item specifications without imposing stringent manufacturing precision requirements on the device components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus effectively grips and moves elongated items of varying diameters and insulation thicknesses, preventing damage and accommodating complex paths, enhancing pulling capacity and flexibility, and allowing for the connection of multiple devices to increase pulling strength and movement flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
At least one biasing member is associated with at least one gripping member and is capable of providing biasing force upon the gripping member
Implementation Method 2
prevents gripping member from skidding along the outside of an elongated item
Data Source
AI summary
In some embodiments, apparatus for releasably gripping at least one elongated item and being used in pulling the elongated item(s) through at least one space includes a body and a plurality of gripping members associated with the body. The gripping members are moveable relative to the body and capable of engaging at least one elongated item.