US3512223A - Loop formed of synthetic fibre cord - Google Patents

Description

A 'H. WILLI NGER $512,223. 00? FORMED OF SYNTHETIC FIBRE coma" I I May 1 9, 1970 I Filed def. 22, 1965 INVENTOR.

ALLAN H. WI LLI NGER Attorneys United States Patent 3,512,223 LOOP FORMED 0F SYNTHETIC FIBRE CORD Allan H. Willinger, New Rochelle, N.Y., assignor to Aquariums Incorporated, Maywood, N.J., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 500,610 Int. Cl. C01f 7/70, 7/72, 7/74 US. Cl. 24123 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention and this disclosure are directed to a new and improved loo-p formed of synthetic fibre cord e.g., nylon. More particularly, the loop is formed in a housing provided with a cavity and means to accommodate the cord to be looped. The portions of the cord to be joined and in edge-to-edge abutting relationship and the cavity is provided with an inlet port. Molten thermoplastic material or the like is poured through the inlet port into the cavity thereby securing the cords together. The result is a loop being locked in a plastic splice fitting with the cords in close edge-to-edge abutting relationship.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a a highly simple and efficient method for forming synthetic fibre cords into closed loops.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a loop formed in a synthetic fibre cord.

It is another object of the present invention to lock 7 spaced portions of a cord into a loop.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from a consideration of the following specification taken in connection with the appended drawing.

In the drawing, which illustrates the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention,

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary portion or length of a hollow braided cord formed of synthetic fibre which is utilized in the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a loop formed of the cord illustrated in FIG. 1, a portion being broken away for purposes of illustration;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views through a mold utilized to form a splice fitting pursuant to the present invention so as to provide the loop illustrated in FIG. 2, FIG. 3 illustrating the mold in open or inoperative condition, and FIG. 4 illustrating the mold in closed or operative condition;

FIG. 5 is "a fragmentary view showing the ends of the cord locked in another type of splice fitting; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the line 6-6 of FIG. 5 and illustrates a swivel snap hook secured in the splice fitting of FIG. 5.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 4 in detail, there is shown in FIG. 1 a length 10 of a hollow braided cord. The cord 10 is formed of any suitable synthetic material such as, for example, and not by way of limitation, polyethylene, nylon, polypropylene or polyester. As here shown, the cord 10 is in the form known as a hollow braided cord.

Pursuant to the present invention, a loop 12 is provided in the cord 10 by means of a molded plastic splice fitting 14. The splice fitting 14 may be formed, if desired, of the same type of plastic material of which the cord 10 is formed or of another type.

Pursuant to the present invention, the splice fitting .14 is formed by means of a molding operation about the ends of the loop 12. More specifically, provision is made for the companion mold pieces 16 and 18. The lower mold segment 18 is provided with a mold cavity 20 defined in its upper surface 22 and with a pair of laterally spaced pins 24-24 whichextend upwardly from the mold surface at opposite sides of the mold cavity. The companion upper mold segment 16 is provided at its lower surface 26 with a mold cavity 28 which is complementary to the mold cavity 20 and with a pair of laterally spaced recesses 30 which are adapted to receive the pins 24. The upper mold segment 16 is provided also with a feed channel 32 which extends from its upper surface 34 to the cavity 28.

As shown in FIG. 3, there is positioned in the mold between the upper mold segment 16 and the lower mold segment 18 one end 36 of the loop 10 which is constituted by one end of the length of cord 10 and the other end 38 of the loop 12 which, as here shown, is constituted by an intermediate portion of the cord 10 but which, if desired, may be constituted by the other end of the cord 10. With the loop ends so'positioned, the mold segments are brought together so that the pins 24 enter the cooperating recesses 30. Thereafter, a suitable plastic material is inserted or fed through the channel 32 as indicated by the arrow 40. The melted plastic flows around the loop ends 36 and 38 as shown in FIG. 4 to form the splice fitting 14. It will be noted that there is a tendency to flatten the loop ends as shown in that figure. Where the material of which the splice fitting 14 is formed, is the same as the material of which the rope 10 is formed, the melted heated plastic fed in through the channel 32 will tend to melt the surface strands along the exterior of the loop ends 36 and 38 and also to flow between the inner strands of the cord 10. This will provide a superbly solid lock for the ends of the loop 12. This is due to the fact that some of the rnelted material has flown between the individual stands 42 which make up the braided cord 10 and upon cooling, solidify between said strands or filaments. In addition, a fusing action takes place along the periphery of the loop ends 36 and 38 due to the described melting of the filaments at the periphery of the lop ends which, upon cooling, fuses with the material of the fitting 14.

However, it will be noted that the foregoing described fusing action, where the melting temperature of the plastic which forms the fitting 14 is the same as the melting temperature of the plastic which forms the filaments 42, is not essential to the present invention. In this connection, it is also possible to form the fitting 14 of a plastic material which has a lower melting point than the material which forms the filaments 42. In this latter case, as well as in the prior situation, the molten plastic will flow between the filaments 42 of the cord 10 so that upon cooling, the splice fitting 14 will securely lock the loop ends 36 and 38 in position within the fitting.

The loop 12 illustrated in FIG. 2 may have many and different uses. For example, it is eminently suitable as a dog leash or other simiuar use. It also may have many applications in marine use.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6 in detail, there is shown another embodiment of the splice fitting. As here shown, provision is made for a splice fitting 44 which locks in position the two ends 36 and 38 of the loop 12. Moreover, it will be noted that in the present embodiment, both loop ends 36 and 38 constitute the op posite ends of the cord length 10. Pursuant to the present embodiment, the described molding operation also forms an aperture 46 in the fitting 44. The aperture 46 is eminently suitable for securing a swivel snap book 48 in the splice fitting 44. More specifically, the ring 50 of the swivel snap hook 48 is passed through the aperture 46 and the snap hook 52 is provided on the ring 50. A loop 12 provided with a fitting 44 and a swivel snap hook 48 is eminently useful in many different fields and 3 for many different purposes. In situations where added strength is required, one of the loop ends may be disposed about the aperture 46 and thus molded into the fitting 44. Example, and not by way of limitation, it may find extended use in the marine field for holding anchor lines, water ski ropes of the like.

In view of the foregoing, it will be apparent that there has been il ustrated and described a highly novel loop formed of braided cord which is formed of plastic material, the ends of the loop being locked in a plastic fitting. It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made within the present invention without, however, departing from the basic inventive concept thereof.

I claim:

1. A loop formed of a synthetic fibre cord, the ends of said loop being locked in a plasti splice fitting with the portions of the cord being so locked being in edgeto-edge abutting relation, one end of the loop constituting one end of said cord, the other end of the loop constituting an intermediate portion of said cord, said cord and said fitting having a substantially similar melting temperature, said fitting being fused to said cord, the locked ends of said loop having a slightly altered cross-sectional conformation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,680,347 8/1928 Sunderland. 2,835,945 5/1958 Hilsinger 24123 2,983,006 5/1961 Schafer 2473 3,104,650 9/1963 Grahling 119-109 3,169,340 2/1965 Morin 43-4498 3,204,310 9/1965 Rohland 24-123 FOREIGN PATENTS 71,087 10/1959 France. 1,166,630 11/ 1958 France. 1,320,382 1/1963 France. 1,160,841 8/ 1958 France.

BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

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