FIELD OF INVENTION

[001] The present invention is generally related to cable grippers. More particularly, the present invention relates foot loop cable grippers.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[002] In general, for hanging articles from a ceiling, a two-way gripper is used which holds the articles weight with conventional methods. Example, the wire or the cable needs to be inserted twice in the blocker of the gripper from opposite side to hold the article.

[003] Such two-way grippers are complicated in design and use, and are not flexible in arranging the heights of suspending the articles from the grippers. Conventional solutions that are available in market are double gripping style. Due to the double gripping, both the plungers need to be pushed or disengaged separately to adjust height of the wire or size of the loop.

[004] Additionally, other grippers such as single drop wire grippers are available in the market, but such grippers alone cannot be used to hang any article above the ground, for example, onto a ceiling. Also, conventional method include hanging objects by means of a length of wire, which is fixed at both ends. Therefore, using such methods, one cannot increase or decrease the size of the loop. Grippers that support articles by means of a single wire are well known and use a single gripping mechanism to adjust the height. Articles are attached to this type of device by means of different types of threads, hooks and brackets.

These methods of attachments lack flexibility. [005] Hence, there is a need for designing and developing a safe, flexible and easy to use foot loop cable grippers.

OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION

[006] Thus, the present invention provides a foot loop cable gripper for suspending articles above ground.

[007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a foot loop cable gripper that is safe, flexible and easy to use.

[008] Another object of the present invention to provide a foot loop cable gripper which can increase or decrease the size of loop of wire.

[009] Another object of the present invention to provide a foot loop cable gripper which can also allow adjusting of height to hang the articles.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a foot loop cable gripper that is simple in design and manufacture.

[0011] Another object of the present invention to provide a foot loop cable gripper that can be utilized with different lengths of fixed wires.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a foot loop cable gripper that provides safety of the articles from falling out of the loop even when someone tries to tamper with the gripper. [0013] To further clarify the advantages and features of the present invention, a more elaborate description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which is illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0014] An aspect of the present invention provides a cable gripper comprising: a blocker body including at least two recesses, each recess provided on each side in the blocker body for inserting a foot loop wire rope through the blocker body to create a loop for attaching an article; and at least one plunger with at least one locking mechanism, provided on top of the blocker body such that when the at least one locking mechanism is fastened over the at least one plunger, the at least one locking mechanism blocks the at least two recesses to secure the foot loop wire rope from disengaging from the blocker body, and wherein by a single unfastening action on the at least one plunger with the at least one locking mechanism disengages the blocker body from the foot loop wire rope, and the blocker body is free to be repositioned at any desired height or desired location on the foot loop wire rope.

[0015] An embodiment of the present invention provides the foot loop wire rope has end castings and each of the end castings of the foot loop wire rope is inserted in one recess of the at least two recesses to create the loop for attaching an article. [0016] Another embodiment of the present invention provides the foot loop wire rope is a separate piece of wire rope separate than a wire rope that goes through the cable gripper.

[0017] An embodiment of the present invention provides the foot loop wire rope inserted in the blocker body is not permanently fixed at any of the at least two recesses, and the foot loop wire rope is adjustable at any desired height for attaching the article.

[0018] Another embodiment of the present invention provides by adjusting the foot loop wire rope in the blocker body by disengaging the blocker body from the foot loop wire rope, the size of the loop is also adjustable.

[0019] Yet another embodiment of the present invention provides the foot loop wire rope not being permanently fixed at any of the at least two recesses allows changing of one foot loop wire rope of fixed length to another foot loop wire rope of another fixed length.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0020] For a better understanding of the embodiments of the machine and methods described herein, and to show more clearly how they may be carried into effect, references will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like elements/components throughout and wherein:

[0021] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary diagram showing a perspective view of a foot loop cable gripper, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; [0022] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary diagram showing a top view of the foot loop cable gripper, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary diagram showing a front view of the foot loop cable gripper, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary diagram showing a left side view of the foot loop cable gripper, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary diagram showing a right-side view of the foot loop cable gripper, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary diagram showing a bottom view of the foot loop cable gripper, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary diagram showing a rear view of the foot loop cable gripper, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0028] FIG. 8 illustrates exemplary diagrams showing installation of a single wire rope in the foot loop cable gripper to make a loop for hanging articles, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

[0029] This patent describes the subject matter for patenting with specificity to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. The principles described herein may be embodied in many different forms.

[0030] Illustrative embodiments of the invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

[0031] The present invention provides a foot loop cable gripper that is used to hang the articles above the ground, e.g., on a ceiling, at any desirable height, using a wire loop of any desired size. In an embodiment, the foot loop cable gripper of the present invention can be easily attached to a conventional single wire rope gripper using any conventional fastening or locking mechanism. The foot loop cable gripper of the present invention employs a separate piece of wire rope to create the loop used to attach/hang the article, which is separate than a wire rope that goes through the foot loop gripper. The separate piece of wire rope to create the loop for articles is called as foot loop wire rope. To create the loop from the separate wire rope, the end casting of a single foot loop wire rope can be inserted into the foot loop cable gripper’ body to make a loop, and the height of suspending the article can be adjusted with a single push of plunger, without the need of double or multiple plungers.

[0032] The foot loop wire rope can hold the article and the end casting of the foot loop wire rope is inserted into a blocker body of the foot loop cable gripper. In this way, one can adjust the height of suspending the article with a single push of plunger of the foot loop cable gripper, unlike a two-way blocker where both the plungers needed to be pushed separately to adjust height of the wire. A locknut on the plunger when screwed down (or tightened) prevents the end castings of the foot loop wire rope from becoming detached from the gripper and thus provides the safety from the articles falling out of the loop even when someone tries to tamper with the blocker.

[0033] Referring to FIGs. 1-8, a foot loop cable gripper 100 may include at least two portions: a blocker body 102 and a foot loop wire rope 104. The foot loop wire rope 104 is inserted into the blocker body 102 (as can be seen in step 800 in FIG. 8) to form a loop to hang the articles. End castings of the foot loop wire rope 104 is inserted into the gripper 100 by means of recesses 110 in the gripper body 102 that hold the end castings of the foot loop wire rope 104. The blocker body 102 includes a plunger 108 and a locking mechanism (106). Any conventional locking mechanism can be included in the foot loop cable gripper 100, without deviating from the meaning and scope of the present invention.

[0034] The locking mechanism, e.g., a locknut 106 with a plunger 108, on top of the foot loop cable gripper 102, is then fastened over the end castings of the foot loop wire rope 104, when they are inserted into the blocker body 102 (as can be seen in steps 802 and 804 after step 800, in FIG. 8). When the locknut 106 is screwed down on the plunger 108, it blocks the recesses 110 in the body 102, which holds the end castings of the foot loop wire rope 104. This prevents the end casting of the foot loop wire rope 104 to come out of the body 102 and thus provides safety of the articles from falling out of the loop of wire rope 104, even when someone tries to tamper with the blocker body 102. Advantageously, the foot loop gripper 100 can secure the end castings of the wire loop 104 onto the gripper 100 i.e., using the locking nut 106 screwed over the plunger 108.

[0035] Because the foot loop cable gripper 100 includes only a single plunger 108 gripping the foot loop wire rope 104, thus the height of suspending the articles from the gripper 100 can be adjusted by a single push onto the single plungerl08, which can disengage the blocker body 102 from the foot loop wire rope 104, and then can be re -positioned at any desired height.

[0036] The foot loop wire rope 104 inserted in the body 102 of the foot loop gripper 100 is not permanently fixed at any of the two recesses 110 of the gripper 100, into which the foot loop wire rope 104 is inserted to form a loop. And because it is not permanently fixed, the foot loop wire rope 104 can be adjusted at any desired height for hanging the article, by disengaging the blocker body 102 from the foot loop wire rope 104, and then repositioning it at any desired height or desired location on the wire rope 104. This way, even bigger or smaller loops can be made out of the same wire rope 104. Also, not being permanently secured to the body 102 further provides the benefit of allowing easy change over from one foot loop wire rope of fixed length to another foot loop wire rope of another fixed length. [0037] The foot loop gripper 100 is safe, flexible and easy to use, and can increase or decrease the size of loop of wire rope, by repositioning the gripper 100 at any position along the wire rope 104, and with only one single push to one single plunger 108 gripping the wire rope 104. Thus, the foot loop cable gripper 100 can also allow adjusting of height to hang the articles. Also, the foot loop cable gripper 100 can be utilized with different fixed lengths of wire ropes.

[0038] The foot loop cable gripper is simple in design and manufacturing.

[0039] The foot loop cable gripper provides safety of the articles from falling out of the loop even when someone tries to tamper with the gripper.

[0040] It is intended that the disclosure and examples be considered exemplary only. Though the present disclosure includes examples from electrical accessories, HVAC, and building services in general, etc., the foot loop cable gripper disclosed herein may be employed for various other applications as would be appreciated by one skilled in the art. The references to devices and structures used here are intended to be applied or extended to the larger scope and should not be construed as restricting the scope and practice of the present invention.

[0041] While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Indeed, the novel methods, devices, and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form of the methods, devices, and systems described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.