The present invention relates to a method for producing a cable, particularly a so called armored cable .

Methods of such type are known and widely used. While these methods satisfactorily serve their function, they have some drawbacks.

Prior art methods provide to arrange an elongated member, typically a band wound about a multiwire rope to generate the so called armor and subsequently it is hammered to secure the armor to the inner multiwire rope .

In prior art methods it is therefore necessary to have an armor winding elongated member so called armor member, generally composed of a metal band that is typically obtained by lamination and which is helically wound, as single or double one, about the rope. Subsequently said band is hammered by so called hammering tools typically rotary hammering tools, that squeeze the elongated member or band against the rope. The main drawback of this prior art process or method is related to the fact that the elongated or band-like member that is wound for producing the armor, has a high cost, since it is typically obtanined from a rough profile by means of a series of treatments, such as for example subsequent laminations . Therfore the cost of the elongated member or band

is definitely high and it leads to an increase in the cost of the armored cable.

Another drawback is that in armored cables produced according to prior art methods there is often a weak mechanical fit between the armor generated by the band or elongated member and the inner multiwire rope . That leads the armor and the rope to slide cne with respect to the other, causing the armored cable to be useless, acting like a normal multiwire rope and without characteristics typical of armored cable. The sliding between armor and rope makes possible further possible noise effects in the finished remote control, that is sheath and armored cable assembly, which is an unpleasant effect for most users and it makes possible also the axial rotation of a possible terminal compressed on the band-like member, that would act as a kind of free spring.

Another drawback of the method producing the armored cable according to prior art is that the elongated or band-like member wound about the rope has sharp corners at the junction between side faces and the exposed surface (that is the one not facing the rope) of said elongated member or armor band; that causes a high friction inside the sliding sheath of the armored cable caused by sharp corners, being similar to a series of uneveness interfering with the free sliding of the armored cable inside its sheath. Thus for exerting a specific force at one end of the armored cable it is necessary to apply a definitely higher force at the opposite end of the armored cable, in

order to overcome the friction caused by above mentioned sharp corners and to be sure to transmit the necessary force at the opposite end. By defining the concept of efficiency of the cable as the ratio between transmitted force and applied force in the prior art armored cable the efficiency value is low.

Moreover due to the presence of sharp corners the undesiderd effect sliding the rope with respect to the elongated armor member increases, since by virtue of sharp corners, the risk of creating a kind of seizure between the armor elongated member and the inner surface of the sheath which are secured increases, causing the rope to slide inside the armor.

A further drawback due to the presence of above mentioned sharp corners is that the sheath inside within which the armored cable slides is subjected to precocious wear, and so it is necessary to increase the maintenance frequency and/or to replace the sheath, and/or to provide antifriction covers oversized on the sheath .

Prior art armored cable has a further drawback related to the fact that the winding according to an helical path of an elongated or band-like member along the rope, due to obvious deformations related to helical winding geometry of a band having a typical rectangular section about a solid cylinder as the rope, causes the presence of an undesired saddle effect of the outer surface of the band, before hammering, resulting more squeezed at the center and less squeezed at corners, thus actually making corners at acute

angle . This defect in prior art is correct by hammering taking again corners at about 90° value that is at sharp corner, as described above. However the solving of this drawback causes rotary hammers to be more worn out, which during the hammering hit upon said acute corners, in order to reduce the profile.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a cable, particularly a so called armored cable overcoming drawbacks of known methods producing cables, particularly armored cables, in an easy and inexpensive way.

The invention achieves above aims by a method comprising following steps : A- arranging a rope, B- helically winding the outer surface of said rope with at least an armor winding wire so called armor wire,

C- deforming said at least one armor wire till squeezing it against said rope causing said armor wire to be substantially flattened, creating a so called armor "strap" , covering substantially completely the rope .

Thus according to the present invention, a wire, so called armor wire having a substantially circular or oval section is helically wound about said rope and then it is deformed for example by rolling and/or lamination and/or drawing and/or extrusion. Preferably said deformation is obtained by hammering with hammering tools , typically rotary hammering tools . The deformation process squeezes or better flattenes the

armor wire, deforming its section, in order to have an armor strap that is only from a macroscopic point of view not aesthetically different from the armor cable produced according to prior art methods, that is with a band-like elongated member or an armor band.

Advantageously the armored cable made according to the present invention method achieves a considerable money saving, it is not more necessary to have a band- like elongated armor member indeed, but it is sufficient to have a much more inexpensive armor wire, that is flattened till the desired section. The simple wire is highly less expensive than a band-like member typically manufactured by subsequent laminations .

The method according to the present invention comprises steps of:

A - arranging a rope,

B - helically winding the outer surface of said rope with at least an armor winding elongated member so called armor member C - deforming said at least one armor member till squeezing it against said rope and wherein said at least one armor member has a substantially circular or oval cross section, so called armor wire and wherein said deformation of said armor wire causes said cross section of said armor wire to be substantially flattened, generating a so called armor "strap" covering substantially completely the rope.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment said rope is provided to be a multiwire rope, however it can be also a simple rope with a

single filament .

According to a preferred embodiment variant there is provided the fact of helically winding the outer surface of said multiwire rope with one, two, three or more armor winding wires so called armor wires and then to hammer said armor wires till squeezing them against said multiwire rope causing said armor wires to be substantially flattened generating a so called armor "strap" for each hammered armor wire, which armor straps externally cover substantially completely the multiwire rope .

By virtue of said hammering advantageously the profile of the inner surface of said armor strap follows the outer profile of said multiwire rope generating on said profile of the inner surface of said armor strap a series of consecutive depressions and projections associated to corresponding projections and depressions of the outer profile of said multiwire rope, thus a greater securing action and mechanical fit with high characteristics is obtained between the rope and armor member or members, avoiding relative sliding between said rope and said armor member/members . The presence of depressions and projections produces a very high amount of contacting surfaces between the rope and the strap, advantageously generating a more large total contacting surface having a high friction between the rope and the strap, avoiding the risk of a mutual sliding between components of the armored cable.

Particularly the rope can be of the so called "spiroid" and/or "strand" type, and said strands of

said multiwire rope can be in turn composed of spiroid and/ or strand multiwire ropes that leads to a further advantage, the amount of projections and depressions generated on the armor strap due to hammering carried out on the armor wire increases, causing a considerable increase in friction between components of the armored cable, that is advantageously optimally secured. According to prior art method, there is a presence of projections and depressions generated by hammering having a smaller depth, since hammering process of the armor elongated member or band do not allow an hammering with a force necessary to deforme the material of the armor member in a way equal to the deformation suffered by the rope, for technical reasons due to work hardening of the material, and geometric reasons due to deformation of the armor member.

According to further embodiment variants said method is provided to be even only partially applied, that is it is possible to provide to armor a rope by the method described below comprising steps of: A - arranging a rope,

B - helically winding the outer surface of said rope with at least an armor winding wire so called armor wire and at least a first armor strap C - deforming said at least one armor wire till squeezing it against said rope causing said armor wire to be substantaiily flattened, generating a so called second armor "strap", substantially covering the rope.

Thus an armored cable is obtained whose armor is composed partially of armor straps according to prior

art and partially of armor wires deformed according to the present invention.

It is also possible to provide armor straps composing the armor of the rope to be more than two, for example three or four or more, and at least one, preferably more than one, to be made by deforming an armor wire that is squeezed and deformed according to the present invention.

According to a further advantageous characteristic said armored cable is provided to be covered with plastic or synthetic materials, in order to make a plastic-coated armored cable.

A present invention aim is also to provide a cable, particularly a so called armored cable comprising at least a rope about which rope at least an elongated armor winding member is helically wound, so called armor "strap" substantially having a flattened cross section, and externally covering completely said multiwire rope and wherein said armor "strap" is made by deformating and subsequently flattening upon said rope an armor wire having a substantially circular or oval section before said hammering.

According to a preferred embodiment said armor elongated member is composed of two, three or more so called armor "straps" made preferably by hammering and/or rolling and/or lamination, and/or drawing and/or extrusion and subsequent flattening upon said rope of two armor wires having substantially a circular or oval section before said deformation. According to a preferred embodiment variant said

deformation is provided to be obtained by hammering, and according to a further preferred embodiment said rope is provided to be a multiwire rope.

Due to hammering action the profile of the inner surface of said armor strap/straps follows the outer profile of said multiwire rope creating on said profile of the inner surface of said armor strap/straps a series of consecutive depressions and projections associated to corresponding projections and depressions of the outer profile of said multiwire rope.

According to a further advantageous characteristic of the present invention said armor strap/straps have a cross section having corners comprised between side faces the exposed surface of said armor strap/straps with a shape of rounded corners, that is not sharp corners . Thus friction inside the sliding sheath of the armored cable generated by rounded corners is a low friction, thus being prevented the presence of unevenness interfering with the free sliding of the armored cable inside its sheath. Thus for exerting a specific force at one end of the armored cable according to the present invention it is necessary to apply a slightly greater force at the opposite end of the armored cable, in order to overcome the low friction caused by above mentioned rounded corners and to be sure to transmit the necessary force at the opposite end, thus the armored cable according to the present invention has high efficiency values .

Moreover the presence of rounded corners reduces the undesired sliding effect of the rope with respect

to the armor elongated member since the risk of creating a kind of seizure due to corners between the armor elongated member and the inner surface of the sheath is reduced resulting in a free sliding. A further advantage due to above mentioned rounded corners is that the sheath inside within which the armored cable according to the present inventions slides is subjected to low wear, and so the frequency of maintenance and/or replacement of the sheath and/or preferably of the entire remote control system that is cable and sheath advantageously decrease and it is not more necessary to provide antifriction coverings oversized on the sheath.

According to a further characteristic according to the present invention side faces said armor strap/straps have consecutive alternations of depressions and projections due to conservation of the material that when hammered "releases" longitudinally.

It is to be noted that the multiwire rope is an helical one and particularly of the so called "spiroid" and/or "strand" type, which strands can be further helical ropes particularly spiroid and/or strand ropes .

A further object of the present invention is a cable, particularly an armored cable, comprising at least a multiwire rope about which multiwire rope at least an elongated armor winding member is helically wound, so called armor "strap" having substantially a flattened cross section and covering substantially completely the outside of said multiwire rope and wherein the armor strap has helical edge corners

comprised between side faces and the exposed surface of said armor strap/straps that are substantially rounded along the entire or part of said helical development of said armor strap/straps along said rope. Thus the same advantages obtained by producing the armor strap from an armor wire by hammering are obtained as regards friction of the armored cable on the sheath that is friction inside the sliding sheath of the armored cable generated by rounded corners is a low friction thus avoiding the presence of unevenesses interfering with free sliding of the armored cable inside its sheath. So in order to exert a specific force at an end of the armored cable according to the present invention it is necessary to apply a force that is only slightly greater at the opposite end of the armored cable, in order to overcome low friction caused by above mentioned rounded corners and to be sure to transmit the necessary force to the opposite end, consequently obtaining a high efficiency. Moreover the presence of rounded corners reduces the undesired sliding effect of the rope with respect to the armor elongated member, since the risk of creating a kind of seizure due to corners between the armor elongated member and the inner surface of the sheath is reduced resulting in a free sliding.

A futher advantage due to the presence of above rounded corners is that the inside of the sheath within which the armored cable according to the present invention slides is subjected to a low wear and so frequency of maintenance and/or replacement of the

sheath and/or of cable and sheath assembly that is the remote control are advantageously reduced, and it is not more necessary to provide antifriction coverings oversized on the sheath. Futher characterstics and improvements are object of claims .

Characteristics of the invention and advantages deriving therefrom will be more clear from the following detailed description of detailed figures, wherein :

Fig. 1 is a side view of an armored cable according to the present invention

Fig.2 is a perspective view of an armored cable according to the present invention Fig.3 is a section view of an armor elongated member of an armored cable according to prior art

Fig. 4 is a section view of an armor elongated member of an armored cable according to the present invention Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an armored cable according to the present invention before hamnmering, after the winding of the armor wire

Fig. 6 shows the section of the armor wire of an armored cable according to the present invention before hammering

Fig.7 is a perpective view of an armored cable according to the present invention after hammering

Fig.8 shows the section of the armor wire of a strap according to the present invention after hammering

Fig. 9 is a plant view of the outer surface of a strap of an armored cable according to the present invention

Fig.10 is a perspective view of a strap of an armored cable according to the present invention

Fig.11 shows the cross section of an armored cable according to the present invention

Fig. 12 shows the cross section of a rope of an armored cable according to the present invention Fig. 13 shows the cross section of the strap of an armored cable according to the present invention

Fig. 14 is a plant view of the inner surface of a strap of an armored cable according to the present invention Fig.15 shows a section of one strap of an armored cable according to the present invention

Fig.16 is an enlarged plant view of the inner surface of a strap of an armored cable according to the present invention Fig.17 shows the cross section of a rope of an armord cable according to the present invention and wherein the rope is made of multiwire ropes .

Fig.18 shows the cross section of a rope of an armored cable according to the present invention and wherein the rope is made of multiwire ropes

Fig.19 shows the cross section of the strap of an armored cable according to the present invention and wherein the rope is made of multiwire ropes .

Fig .1 shows a general armored cable and the inner core of the cable can be noted composed of the

multiwire rope 3 and the covering, so called armor produced by helically winding straps 1' and 2' about the rope covering substantially completely the multiwire rope 3 leaving in case a small free helical gap 99 along the development of the rope.

Fig .2 shows another manufacturing example of armored cable wherein the strap 2' has been omitted in the drawing in order to point out the helical path of the strap 1' about the rope 3. With reference now to figures 5, 6, 7, 8 it is possible to note how according to the present invention for producing the armored cable the following steps are provided:

A - arranging a multiwire rope 3 B - helically winding the outer surface of said multiwire rope 3 with at least an armor winding wire so called armor wire 1

C - hammering said at least one armor wire 1 till squeezing it against said multiwire rope 3 causing said armor wire to be substantially flattened, producing a so called armor "strap" 1 covering substantially completely the multiwire rope 3.

Fig .5 shows the multiwire rope 3 and the armor wire 1 after the wire 1 has been wound about the rope 3 and before hammering. In this method step the cross section of the wire 1 such as shown in fig.6 is still substantially a circular one .

Fig .7 shows the multiwire rope 3 and the armor wire 1 after the wire has been subjected to hammering, by which the wire is squeezed or flattened about the

rope 3. Said flattening actually produces the strap 1' due to permanent set of the wire 1 subjected to hammering .

In addition to money saving due to the use of a wire instead of a band obtained by lamination as in prior art an advantageous characteristic is achieved in the fact that said strap 1' produced by hammering the armor wire 1 has a cross section shown in fig. 8 and 4 having corners 301 with rounded shape comprised between side faces 401 and the exposed surface 501, that is the one not facing the rope 3 , of said armor strap/straps .

Particularly even in the preferred case of two straps 1 ' , 2 ' said straps are provided to have corners 301 of helical edges comprised between side faces 401 and the exposed surface 501 of said armor straps that are substantially rounded along the entire or a part of the helical development of said armor straps along said rope. Thus friction inside the sliding sheath of the armored cable generated by rounded corners is a low friction, thus being prevented the presence of unevenness interfering with the free slinding of the armored cable inside its sheath. Thus for exerting a specific force at one end of the armored cable according to the present invention it is necessary to apply a slightly greater force at the opposite end of the armored cable, in order to overcome the low friction caused by above mentioned rounded corners and to be sure to transmit the necessary force at the opposite end. The prior art armor member, as shown in figure 3, on the contrary has a section with sharp

corners due to the fact that the armor member is already an elongated band-like member or with a band shape and so the hammering prcess does not minimize said sharp corners or only partially, removing only the saddle effect, which is drawn with broken lines in fig. 3 that is due to the fact of helically winding a body having a rectangular section about a cylinder (the rope) . Said saddle effect has the drawback of producing very acute corners that can be seen in fig.3 by broken lines, which can be returned to sharp corners that is substantially of 90°, by hammering.

On the contrary according to the method of the present invention the strap has to be obtained by hammering a wire having at first a circular section, advantageously causing the strap produced by deforming the wire not to have sharp corners 301, but rounded ones, with above mentioned advantages.

Moreover the presence of rounded corners reduces the undesired sliding effect of the rope with respect to the armor elongated member since the risk of creating a kind of seizure due to corners between the armor elongated member and the inner surface of the sheath is reduced resulting in a free sliding.

A further advantage due to above mentioned rounded corners is that the sheath inside within which the armored cable according to the present invention slides is subjected to low wear, and so the frequency of maintenance and/or replacement of the sheath advantageously decrease and it is not more necessary to provide antifriction coverings oversized on the sheath.

According to a further advantageous characteristic shown in figs 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, by virtue of said hammering, the profile of the inner surface of said armor strap follows the outer profile of said multiwire rope 3 creating on said profile of the inner surface of said armor strap a series of consecutive depressions 101 and projections 201 associated to corresponding projections 103 and depressions 203 of the outer profile of said multiwire rope 3. The wire deformation is obtained by hammering action that flattens the section causing it to pass from circular to a flattened one, and also it allows the strap 1' and 2' obtained in this way to fill gaps by deformation, that is depressions 203 that are present for example between strands of the rope 3, and to adapt to projections 103 of the rope 3, with projections 201 corresponding to depressions 203 and depressions 101 corresponding to projections 103. Thus the thickness of the strap is not uniform, thus guaranteeing the eveness of the outer surface of the armor and a constant diameter of the cable obtained in this way.

Thus there can be obtained the advantage of optimally securing the armor with the rope avoiding sliding one with respect to the other, the presence of depressions and projections produces a very high amount of contacting surfaces between the rope and the strap, advantageously producing a high friction between them, and avoiding the risk of a mutual sliding between components of the armored cable . If said multiwire rope is an helical one and

particularly of the so called "spiroid" and/or "strand" type, and if each strand in turn is composed of an helical multiwire "spiroid" and/or "strand" rope, such as shown in figs. 17, 18, 19, the advantage of optimally securing the armor to the rope is further increased, the amount of projections and depressions produced on the armor strap by virtue of hammering carried out on the armor wire further increases, causing friction to highly increase between components of the armored cable, that is advantageously optimally secured . Particularly in this preferred embodiment there is provided projections 201, 201' and depressions 101 to have different thickness, such as shown, in a way substantially corresponding to depressions and projections of the rope. Therefore the contacting surface between the armor and the rope is definitely great, and friction coefficient is high, further improving, with regards to what said above, the securing action of components of the armored cable. In this case heights of projections and depressions on the inner surface of armor straps 1' , 2' are provided to be with a repetition frequency that is constant, and variable depending on the angle of the helix. By changing the value of the winding helix angle it is therefore possible to consider to change as desired the friction value between rope and armor, and flexibility characteristics of the cable .

Moreover in fig.16 there is shown an enlargement of the strap, pointing out side faces 401 of said armor strap 1' . 2' having consecutive sucessions of

depressions 701 and projections 801, due to conservation of material that when hammered it "releases" longitudinally.

According to an embodiment variant it is possible to provide a cable, particularly an armored cable, comprising at least a multiwire rope 3 about which multiwire rope 3 at least an elongated armor winding member is helically wound, so called armor "strap" 1' having substantially a flattened cross section and covering substantially completely the outside of said multiwire rope 3 and wherein said armor strap has corners 301 of helical edges comprised between side faces 401 and the exposed surface 501 of said armor strap/straps that are substantially rounded along the entire or part of said helical develompent of said armor strap/straps along said rope. In this embodiment variant a strap having rounded corners 301 is helically wound about a rope, obtaining above mentioned advantages . It is also possible for said strap wound about the rope having rounded corners to be made by hammering a wire, said hammering being carried out not directly on the armored cable during manufacturing step, but during a possible preceding step.

According to a further manufacturing characteristic the breaking load of the wire is from 500 N/mm ² to 1400 N/mm ² , due to work hardening caused by permanent set of the wire, and preferably from 600 N/mm ² to 1000 N/mm ² .

It is possible to provide the rope to be composed of simple uncovered steel or zinc-coated steel or

stainless steel and the rope to be simple uncovered steel or composed of stainless steel, combined in various way in order to satisfy varius requirements.

According to a further advantageous characteristic there is provided the manufacturing of a cable, particularly an armored cable, comprising at least a rope 3 about which rope 3 at least two elongated armor winding members are helically wound, so called armor "straps" having a substantially flattened cross section, and externally covering completely said rope 3 and wherein at least one of said armor "straps" 1' is made by deformating and subsequently flattening upon said rope an armor wire 1 having a substantially circular or oval section before said deformation. Particularly there can be provided three, four or more elongated armor winding members and wherein at least one of said armor straps is made by deformating and subsequently flattening upon said rope an armor wire 1 having a substantially circular or oval section before said deformation.

It is then possible for said armored cable and/or said method to provide the cable to be covered for example by plastic-coating it.

Further characteristics are object of annexed claims and subclaims .