This invention relates to the support of a slender element such as a wire or cable. More particularly, but not exclusively, it relates to the support of a slender element in the form of an overhead conductor, and to a support element and a wire-wrap tie for use in supporting such an element.

It is known to support an overhead conductor on post type insulators and to tie the conductor to the insulator by means of a wire tie. To this end the post-type insulators that are used for this purpose are provided with a groove in the top, in which groove the conductor seats, and a neck below the top. Traditionally, the conductor was tied to this type of insulator by means of a length of plain wire whose one end was wound onto the conductor on one side of the insulator, which was then wound around the neck of the insulator, and whose other end was then wound onto the conductor on the other side of the insulator. More recently, special wire ties, referred to as wire-wrap ties, have been developed to tie the conductor to this type of insulator. Wire-wrap ties are pre-forraed wire ties, having a centre section and a helically coiled tail at each opposite end of the centre section. The centre section of existing wire-wrap ties has a complex shape. When installed, the tails wrap around the conductor on opposite sides of the insulator. The centre section passes from the tail on one side of the insulator, along the neck to the other side of the insulator, then up to the top of the insulator, over that part of the conductor that rests on the insulator back to said one side of the insulator, and then down and along the neck again back to said other side of the

insulator, where it passes underneath the conductor to the other tail. These wire-wrap ties are difficult to make and expensive. Wire-wrap ties are however, desirable in that they do not give rise to the kind of high stress points that are encountered when clamping a conductor in position by means of clamping blocks. According to one aspect of the invention there is provided the combination of a support element having opposite ends and a seating surface; a slender, flexible element supported by the support element by seating on the seating surface, the slender element extending beyond the opposite ends of the support element; and a wire-wrap tie which ties the slender element to the support element, the wire-wrap tie having a centre section which engages with the support element, and a tail at each opposite end of the centre section, each tail extending beyond the corresponding end of the support element and being wrapped helically around the slender element; the centre section of the wire-wrap tie having a helical configuration which is of the same sense as that of.the tails. According to another aspect of the invention there is provided the combination of a support element having opposite ends and a seating surface; an overhead conductor supported by the support element by seating on the seating surface, the conductor extending beyond the opposite ends of the support element; and a wire-wrap tie which ties the overhead conductor to the support element, the wire-wrap tie having a ..centre section which engages with the support element, and a tail at each opposite end of the centre section, each tail extending beyond the corresponding end of the

support element and being wrapped helically around the overhead conductor,- the centre section of the wire-wrap tie having a helical configuration which is of the same sense as that of the tails.

The support element may have a form-locking formation which engages with the wire-wrap tie to prevent straight sliding movement of the wire-wrap tie with respect to the support element in the longitudinal direction of the conductor.

The form-locking formation may comprise a pair of laterally projecting ear formations, one at each opposite end of the support element, the ear formation at one end of the support element projecting from one side of the support element and the ear formation at the other end of the support element projecting from the other side of the support element, the centre section of the wire-wrap tie passing behind the one ear, over that part of the conductor that seats on the seating surface, and then behind the other ear formation.

The free end of each ear formation may curve in a direction opposite to that in which the seating surface faces. The invention extends to a support element for use in the above combination, the support element having an ear formation at each opposite end thereof, the ear formation at one end of the support element projecting from one side of the support element and the ear formation at the other end of the support element projecting from the other side of the support element. The invention further extends to a wire-wrap tie for use in the above combination, the centre section of the tie having a helical configuration which is of the same sense aε that of the tails of the tie. The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the

accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of the combination of an overhead conductor, a support element for the conductor, and a wire-wrap tie which ties the conductor to the support element, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention,-

Figure 2 is a side view of the support element; Figure 3 is an end view of the support element, in the direction of arrow III in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a side view of the support element, showing the side opposite that shown in Figures l and 2;

Figure 5 is a side view of the wire-wrap tie; Figure 6 is a side view of a combination in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; Figure 7 is a side view of the support element forming part of the combination of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a plan view of the support element shown in Figure 7; and

Figure 9 is an end view of the support element, in the direction of arrow IX in Figure 7.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, reference numeral 10 generally indicates a combination which includes an overhead conductor 12. The conductor is suspended from an insulator 14, which in turn is suspended from the cross-arm of a pylon or other conductor-supporting structure (not shown) . The combination 10 further comprises a support element 16 and a wire-wrap tie 18 which ties the conductor to the support element.

The support element 16 can be of a malleable iron or other suitable metal or metal alloy. As is the case with conventional high voltage line fittings, the support element should have rounded corners and a smooth outer surface. Alternatively, the support element may be of a suitable plastics material. It

comprises a lower portion 20 which is shaped as an upwardly open groove or channel of semi-circular cross- section, whose concave surface 22 forms an upwardly facing seating surface on which the conductor 12 can rest. The support element 16 further comprises a pair of ears 24.1 and 24.2, one at each opposite end of the support element. The ears 24.1, 24.2 project laterally outwardly, in opposite directions, and the free end of each of the ears curves downwardly, i.e. in a direction opposite to that in which the seating surface 22 faces. The support element 16 further comprises a suspension arm 26 which is on the same side of the support element as the ear 24.1. The suspension arm 26 connects to the lower portion 20 at a point midway between the ends of the support element, extends to one side and upwardly in an arc, and terminates in a clevis 28 or other attachment for use in attaching the support element to the insulator 14.

Where the conductor 12 rests on the support element 16, it is provided with a split neoprene sleeve 30 so that there is no direct metallic contact between the conductor 12 and the support element 16.

The wire-wrap tie 18 is a pre-formed, multi- strand wire tie having a centre section 32 where the individual wire strands of the tie are bunched or

"cabled" to form a generally round cross-section, and are covered by a neoprene sleeve 34. The wire-wrap tie further comprises, at each end of the centre section 32, a helically coiled tail 36, where the individual wire strands of the tie lie next to one another to form a flat ribbon. As will be seen in the drawings, the centre section 32 has a helical configuration which is of the same sense as that of the tails 36 and has a helix axis that generally coincides with that of the tails.

The centre section 32 has a part 38 which passes over the conductor 12 and the neoprene sleeve

30, and pares 40 which pass behind the ears 24.1 and 24.2 respectively. The tails 36 of the wire-wrap tie wrap around the conductor 12 as can best be seen in Figure 1. The wire strands of the tie 18 are made of a material which is compatible with that of the conductor.

The centre section 32 is shaped to ensure correct and proper fitting of the wire-wrap tie on the support element 16 and on the conductor 12 supported thereon, so that it holds the conductor 12 in position on the support element.

The lower portion 20 of the support element typically has a length of about 100mm, a thickness of about 8mm, and, depending on the dimensions of the conductor 12, an internal diameter of about 25mm. The support element may have different configurations. Thus, for example, the clevis 28 may be turned trough 90° with respect to the lower portion 20. If desired, for purposes of suspending two or more conductors one below the other, the lower portion 20 may be provided with a downwardly depending lug which can be connected to a further support element, either direct or via an intervening link. If desired, the support element may form a permanent fixture at the end of an insulator instead of being connected thereto via clevis connection.

Referring now to Figures 6 to 9, there is shown a combination of overhead conductor 12, support element 16.1, and wire-wrap tie 18 in which the configuration of the support element differs from that of the support element 16 of Figures l to 5. The configuration differs in that the suspension arm 26 and clevis 28 are omitted and substituted by a post formation 42 on the underside of the lower portion 20. In the post formation 42 there is a bore 44 for receiving a fixing bolt 46, and at the upper end of the bore there is a hexagonal recess 48 for accommodating

the head of the fixing bolt. Otherwise, the construction is similar to that shown in Figure* i m 5, the same reference numerals being used to indicate the same or similar parts. This configuration can be used to support an overhead conductor on a post-type insulator, or it can be used to support an earth conductor. The support element can also be side- mounted, the bore therein for receiving a fixing bolt being, in this event, horizontal. Whilst the wire-wrap tie described herein with reference to the drawings is of the multi-strand type, it is to be understood that it could also be of the single-strand type. The latter type may be particularly suitable for use with small diameter or single-stranded (typically steel wire) conductors.