RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application (Attorney's Ref. No. P217809pct) claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 61/799,865 filed March 15, 2013, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates to rope termination structures and methods and, more particularly, to structures and methods of forming splices such as eye splices.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Ropes are typically configured to transfer a load between two structures. To facilitate the transfer of the load from each of the structures to the rope, the rope ends must be secured to the each structure. One method of securing a rope end to a structure is simply to tie or wrap the end of the rope to the structure or a specially designed piece of hardware rigidly connected to the structure.

[0004] Alternatively, the rope may be terminated at one end or both ends to facilitate the mechanical engagement of the rope to the structure or associated hardware. One method of terminating a rope is to form what is typically referred to as an eye at an end of the rope. A rope eye defines a closed loop that may be placed over the structure or associated hardware. [0005] To form an eye, the rope is looped to form the eye and then spliced back into itself in a splice region adjacent to the eye. Typically splicing

techniques result in a thickened rope portion in the splice region adjacent to the eye. Such thickened rope portions can adversely affect the operation of the rope in some operating environments, and the need thus exists for rope structures and methods of forming rope structures that do not result in a thickened rope portion adjacent to the eye.

SUMMARY

[0006] The present invention may be embodied as a method of forming a rope structure comprising the following steps. A rope comprising a plurality of strands is provided. First and second splice locations on the rope are defined. An eye region of the rope between the first and second splice locations is defined. A main region of the rope is defined. The main region of the rope is located adjacent to the first splice location and in an opposite direction along the rope from the eye region. At least one of the strands is identified as a selected strand. An extracted portion of the at least one selected strand is extracted from the rope. The extracted portion of the at least one selected strand is inserted into the rope such that a bridge portion of the at least one selected strand extends between the first and second splice locations and a diameter of the rope is substantially consistent in the main region.

[0007] The present invention may also be embodied as a rope structure comprising a rope comprising a plurality of strands and defining first and second splice locations on the rope, an eye region of the rope between the first and second splice locations, and a main region. The main region of the rope is located adjacent to the first splice location and in an opposite direction along the rope from the eye region. An extracted portion of at least one selected strand from the rope is inserted into the rope such that the at least one selected strand forms a bridge portion that extends between the first and second splice locations and a diameter of the rope is substantially consistent in the main region.

[0008] The present invention may also be embodied as a method of forming a rope structure comprising the following steps. A rope comprising a plurality of strands is provided. First and second splice locations on the rope are defined. An eye region of the rope between the first and second splice locations is defined. An end region of the rope is defined. The end region of the rope is located adjacent to the second splice location and in an opposite direction along the rope from the eye region. At least one of the strands is identified as a selected strand. An extracted portion of the at least one selected strand is extracted from the eye region and the end region of the rope. The extracted portion of the at least one selected strand is inserted into the eye region of the rope such that a bridge portion of the at least one selected strand extends between the first and second splice locations.

[0009] The present invention may also be embodied as a method of forming a rope structure comprising the following steps. A rope comprising a plurality of strands is provided. First and second splice locations on the rope are defined. An eye region of the rope between the first and second splice locations is defined. An end region of the rope is defined. The end region of the rope is located adjacent to the second splice location and in an opposite direction along the rope from the eye region. The step of extracting the extracted portion of the at least one selected strand from the rope comprises the step of extracting the extracted portion of the at least one selected strand from the end region. A main region of the rope is defined. The main region of the rope is located adjacent to the first splice location and in an opposite direction along the rope from the eye region. At least one of the strands is identified as a selected strand. An extracted portion of the at least one selected strand is extracted from the end region of the rope. A cut portion of the at least one selected strand is removed from the main region of the rope. The extracted portion of the at least one selected strand is inserted into the main region of the rope such that a bridge portion of the at least one selected strand extends between the first and second splice locations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0010] Figure 1 is a plan view of a first example rope structure of the present invention;

[0011] Figure 2 is a plan view of a conventional rope structure;

[0012] Figure 3 is a plan view illustrating steps of forming the first example rope structure;

[0013] Figure 4 is a plan view illustrating additional steps of forming the first example rope structure;

[0014] Figure 5 is a plan view illustrating additional steps of forming the first example rope structure;

[0015] Figure 6 is a plan view illustrating additional steps of forming the first example rope structure;

[0016] Figure 7 is a plan view illustrating the first example rope structure prior to optional final steps of forming the first example rope structure;

[0017] Figure 8 is a plan view illustrating steps of forming a second example rope structure of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 9 is a plan view illustrating additional steps of forming the second example rope structure of the present invention; [0019] Figure 10 is a plan view illustrating additional steps of fornning the second example rope structure of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 1 1 is a plan view illustrating additional steps of forming the second example rope structure of the present invention; and

[0021] Figure 12 is a plan view illustrating the second example rope structure prior to optional final steps of forming the second example rope structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Referring initially to Figure 1 of the drawing, depicted therein is first example rope structure 20 constructed in accordance with, and embodying, the principles of the present invention. The first example rope structure 20

comprises a main region 22 and an eye region 24. The present invention is described herein with reference to the formation of an eye splice, but the principles of the present invention may have application to other splice

constructions.

[0024] Figure 2 illustrates a conventional rope structure 30 comprising a main region 32, an eye region 34, and a splice region 36. Comparing the first example rope structure 20 with the conventional rope structure 30, it can be seen that the first example rope structure 20 does not contain a clearly defined splice region such as the splice region 36 defined by the conventional rope structure 30.

Figure 1 illustrates that a thickness T1 of the first example rope structure 20 is substantially constant, while the splice region 36 of the conventional rope structure 30 has a thickness T2 that is visibly larger than the thickness T1 of the rope structure 30 in the main region 32 and the eye region 34.

[0025] Turning now to Figures 3-7 of the drawing, a process of forming the first example rope structure 20 will now be described in further detail. As shown in Figure 3, a rope member 40 is provided, and the parameters of the eye region 24 are defined. Once the parameters of the eye region 24 have been defined, a first splice location 42, a second splice location 44, and a rope end region 46 containing an end 48 of the rope structure are defined relative to the rope member 40.

[0026] Next, as shown in Figure 4, a strand 50a is extracted from the rope structure 40 from the first splice location 42 to the end 48 of the rope structure 40. An original strand location 52 from which the strand 50a was removed is indicated by broken lines in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 5, the strand 50a is inserted back into the rope structure 40 at a new strand insert point 54 at the second splice location 44. The strand 50a is woven, tucked, braided, or otherwise arranged along a new strand path 56 back through the eye region 24 and to a new strand extraction point 58 at the first splice location 42.

[0027] As shown in Figure 6, a bridge portion 60a of the strand 50a crosses over from the first splice location 42 to the second splice location 44, and the strand 50a lies in a new strand location 62. A strand free end 64a of the strand 50a is extracted from the rope structure 40 at the strand extraction point 58.

[0028] The process of selecting a strand from the rope structure, removing the selected strand from its original strand location between the first splice location and the rope end, inserting the selected strand back into the rope structure at a new rope insertion point at the second splice location and along a new strand path back to the first splice location, and out of the rope structure at a new strand extraction point at the first splice location, is repeated until a desired number of strands have been used to form the eye splice. Typically, half of the strands forming the original rope structure are removed and used to form the splice as described herein.

[0029] The example rope structure 40 depicted in Figures 1 -7 is a 12 strand braided rope, so six strands 50a, 50b, 50c, 50d, 50e, and 50f are removed and inserted back through the eye region to form the eye splice. The use of six strands to form the eye splice results in six bridge portions crossing from the first splice location 42 to the second splice location 44, although only two bridge portions 60a and 60b are visible in the two-dimensional representation of the rope structure 20 in Figure 7. The use of six strands to form the eye splice further results in six strand free ends 64a, 64b, 64c, 64d, 64e, and 64f exiting the rope structure at the second splice location 44 as further depicted in Figure 7. [0030] After the rope structure 20 has been formed as depicted in Figure 7, the rope end region 46 and the strand free ends 64a, 64b, 64c, 64d, 64e, and 64f may be removed and the cut ends of the strands 50a, 50b, 50c, 50d, 50e, and 50f, as well as the remaining strands of the twelve strand braided rope in the rope end region 46, may be appropriately terminated to secure the rope structure 20 in its configuration as depicted in Figure 1 .

[0031] Turning now to Figures 8-12 of the drawing, a process of forming a second example rope structure 120 that has a geometry similar to that of the first example rope structure 20 will now be described. Like the first example rope structure 20, the second example rope structure 120 comprises a main region 122 and an eye region 124.

[0032] As shown in Figure 8, a rope member 140 is initially provided, and the parameters of the eye region 124 are defined. Once the parameters of the eye region 124 have been defined, a first splice location 142, a second splice location 144, and a rope end region 146 containing an end 146a of the rope structure are defined relative to the rope member 140.

[0033] Next, as shown in Figure 8, a first cut region 148a generally

corresponding to a length of the rope end region 146, but typically slightly shorter, is identified. A selected strand 150z is cut at the first splice region 142 and at the first cut region 148a, and the portion of the strand 150z between these two cuts is extracted from the rope structure 140 as shown in Figure 9.

[0034] The portion of another, uncut strand 150a in the rope end region 146 between the second splice location 144 to the rope end 146a is removed from the rope structure 140 as also shown in Figure 9. An original strand location 152 from which the strand 150a is removed is indicated by broken lines in Figure 8. [0035] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the selected, uncut strand 150a is then inserted back into the rope structure 140 at a new strand insert point 154 at the first splice location 142. The selected strand 150a is woven, tucked, braided, or otherwise arranged along a new strand path 156 from the first splice location 142 to the first cut region 148a as further shown in Figure 10.

[0036] As shown in Figure 1 1 , a bridge portion 160a of the strand 150a crosses over from the second splice location 144 to the first splice location 142, and the strand 150a lies in a new strand location 162. A strand free end 164a of the strand 150a is extracted from the rope structure 140 at the first cut region 148a.

[0037] The process depicted in Figures 8-1 1 is repeated until a desired number of strands have been used to form the eye splice as shown in Figure 12. Typically, half of the strands forming the original rope structure are removed and used to form the splice as described herein. The example depicted in Figures 8- 12 depicts the formation of an eye splice in a twelve-strand braided rope, so six strand cut regions 148a, 148b, 148c, 148d, 148e, and 148f and six strand free ends 164a, 164b, 164c, 164d, 164e, and 164f are defined, one for each of the strands 150a, 150b, 150c, 150d, 150e, and 150f. Figure 12 also shows that the example strand cut regions 148b, 148c, 148d, 148e, and 148f are staggered back from the first strand cut region 148a towards the first splice location 142.

[0038] The use of six strands to form the eye splice results in six bridge portions crossing from the first splice location 142 to the second splice location 146, although only two bridge portions 160a and 160b are visible in the two- dimensional representation of the rope structure 120 in Figure 12. [0039] After the rope structure 120 has been formed as depicted in Figure 12, the rope end region 146 and the strand free ends 164a, 164b, 164c, 164d, 164e, and 164f may be removed and the cut ends of the strands 150a, 150b, 150c, 150d, 150e, and 150f, as well as the remaining strands of the twelve-strand braided rope in the rope end region 146, may be appropriately terminated to secure the rope structure 120 in a configuration that looks like the rope structure 20 depicted in Figure 1 .