Integrated systems facilitating wire and cable installations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10707656-B2
Application number	US-201816011170-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2018
Priority date	Mar 23, 2009
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

Pulling eyes are provided with integrated wiring systems suitable for installing conductors or cables. The pulling eyes may include body portions that define interior cavities that are sized to snugly engage outside portions of the conductors or cables. The body portions are sized to be deformably crimped onto the outside portions of the conductors or cables. The pulling eyes may also include head portions joined to the body portions, with the head portions defining apertures for receiving a strength member for installing the conductors or cables. These apertures place the interior cavities in communication with the exteriors of the pulling eyes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
causing a first indicia to be applied to a body portion of a pulling eye at a first position on the body portion, wherein the body portion of the pulling eye defines an interior cavity for receiving a conductor; and
causing a second indicia to be applied to the body portion of the pulling eye at a second position on the body portion that is different from the first position on the body portion where the first indicia is caused to be applied, wherein the first indicia has a first configuration that is visually distinct from a second configuration of the second indicia, wherein the first indicia and the second indicia indicate a sequential order for applying a plurality of crimps to the body portion, wherein the first indicia indicates that a first crimp of the plurality of crimps be applied to the first position on the body portion before a second crimp of the plurality of crimps is applied to the second position on the body portion, and wherein the second indicia indicates that the second crimp of the plurality of crimps be applied to the second position on the body portion after the first crimp of the plurality of crimps is applied to the first position on the body portion.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the first indicia to be applied to the body portion of the pulling eye at the first position on the body portion comprises causing the first indicia to be applied such that the first indicia has a first rotational alignment on the body portion, wherein causing the second indicia to be applied to the body portion of the pulling eye at the second position on the body portion comprises causing the second indicia to be applied such that the second indicia has a second rotational alignment on the body portion, and wherein the first rotational alignment of the first indicia on the body portion is different from the second rotational alignment of the second indicia on the body portion.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first rotational alignment on the body portion of the first indicia and the second rotational alignment on the body portion of the second indicia provide a guide for rotationally aligning a crimping tool at the first position on the body portion to apply the first crimp of the plurality of crimps to the body portion and for rotationally aligning the crimping tool at the second position on the body portion to apply the second crimp of the plurality of crimps to the body portion, respectively.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
causing, based on at least the first indicia, the first crimp to be applied to the body portion of the pulling eye at the first position on the body portion prior to causing the second crimp to be applied to the body portion of the pulling eye at the second position on the body portion; and
after causing the first crimp to be applied to the body portion of the pulling eye, causing the second crimp to be applied to the body portion of the pulling eye at the second position on the body portion.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein causing the first crimp to be applied to the body portion of the pulling eye at the first position on the body portion further comprises applying, using the crimping tool, the first crimp to the body portion at the first position on the body portion at the first rotational alignment relative to the body portion as indicated by the first indicia and applying, using the crimping tool, the second crimp to the body portion at the second position on the body portion at the second rotational alignment relative to the body portion as indicated by the second indicia such that the first crimp and the second crimp have differing rotational alignment relative to one another.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first indicia further indicates a first rotational alignment relative to the body portion for positioning a crimping tool to perform the first crimp of the plurality of crimps and the second indicia further indicates a second rotational alignment relative to the body portion for positioning the crimping tool to perform the second crimp of the plurality of crimps, wherein the first rotational alignment indicated by the first indicia is different from the second rotational alignment indicated by the second indicia.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first indicia comprises a first element of a mnemonic device and the second indicia comprises a second element of the mnemonic device.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing, based on at least the first indicia, the first crimp to be applied to the body portion of the pulling eye at the first position on the body portion prior to causing the second crimp to be applied to the body portion of the pulling eye at the second position on the body portion; and
after causing the first crimp to be applied to the body portion of the pulling eye, causing the second crimp to be applied to the body portion of the pulling eye at the second position on the body portion.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein causing, based on at least the first indicia, the first crimp to be applied to the body portion of the pulling eye at the first position on the body portion prior to causing the second crimp to be applied to the body portion of the pulling eye at the second position on the body portion comprises applying, using a crimping tool, the first crimp to the body portion of the pulling eye at the first position on the body portion prior to applying, using the crimping tool, the second crimp to the body portion of the pulling eye at the second position on the body portion.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing, based on at least the first indicia, the first crimp to be applied to the body portion of the pulling eye at the first position on the body portion, wherein the first crimp is positioned on at least a portion of the first indicia and wherein the first crimp extends around only a portion of a circumference of the body portion of the pulling eye.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pulling eye is part of an assembly of pulling eyes, and wherein the method further comprises attaching a first pulling member to the pulling eye, wherein the first pulling member comprises a first loop for attaching the first pulling member to the pulling eye, and wherein the first loop of the first pulling member has a first length that is different from a second length of a second loop of a second pulling member of another pulling eye of the assembly of pulling eyes.

12. A method comprising:
causing a first indicia to be applied to a body portion of a pulling eye at a first position on the body portion, wherein the first indicia indicates that a first crimp be applied to the body portion at the first position on the body portion, and wherein the body portion of the pulling eye defines an interior cavity for receiving a conductor; and
causing a second indicia to be applied to the body portion of the pulling eye at a second position on the body portion that is different from the first position on the body portion where the first indicia is caused to be applied, wherein the first indicia has a first configuration that is visually distinct from a second configuration of the second indicia, wherein the second indicia indicates that a second crimp be applied to the body portion at the second position, and wherein the first indicia further indicates that the first crimp be applied to the first position on the body portion before the second crimp is applied to the second position on the body portion.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein causing the first indicia to be applied to the body portion of the pulling

Assignees

• Southwire Co Llc

Inventors

• Carlson John R
• Mccardel David Brian
• Cooper David A
• Mercier David
• Sasse Philip
• Daniel Allan W
• Andrea Timothy M
• Gonzalez Juan Alberto Galindo
• Bardin Timmothy R

Classifications

• H02G15/043

  with end caps, e.g. sleeve closed at one end · CPC title

• H02G1/081 Primary

  using pulling means at cable ends, e.g. pulling eyes or anchors · CPC title