Connector For Flat Woven Tape

Abstract

A flat woven tape has an end portion including opposite flat faces, opposite side edges and a terminal end. An enlarged lug of substantially rigid material is molded onto the end portion of the tape. The lug has first and second portions disposed on the opposite flat faces of the end portion of the tape. The lug includes a plurality of spaced-apart spanner elements extending through the end portion of the tape from one flat face to the other and interconnecting the first and second lug portions. The spanner elements provide an initial grip of the lug on the tape until the first and second portions of the lug wedge together and mechanically grip the end portion of the tape.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This application pertains to the art of connectors and more particularly to connectors for flat woven tape. The invention is particularly applicable to tape for use with aircraft arresting apparatus although it will be appreciated that the invention has broader applications and can be used with other tapes.

One way of connecting a tape to another device is to mold an enlarged lug of plastic material on an end portion of the tape. The enlarged lug is then positioned in a tapered coupling socket which may be connected with another device. In tightly woven tapes or ropes, the high viscosity of suitable plastic materials for a molded lug makes it impossible to impregnate all of the fibers of the tape or rope. Therefore, such a molded lug is very loosely bonded only to the exterior surface of a tape or rope. In prior arrangements, it has been necessary to completely unweave an end portion of a tape or rope so that the yarns may be spread apart and manually impregnated with plastic material a small portion at a time. This is a very time consuming process and it would be desirable to eliminate the necessity of unweaving an end portion of a tape and manually impregnating the unwoven yarns a small portion at a time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, an enlarged lug is molded onto the end portion of a woven tape. The end portion of the tape includes opposite flat faces, opposite side edges and a terminal end. A plurality of holes are formed through the end portion of the tape prior to molding the enlarged lug. When the lug is molded, the plastic material flows through the holes and integrally interconnects first and second portions of the lug which are disposed against the opposite flat faces of the end portion of the tape. The plastic material which extends through the holes may be termed spanner elements which give the lug an initial grip on the tape. When the lug is positioned in a coupling socket having tapered walls, an initial tension on the tape is taken primarily by the spanner elements which extend through the holes in the end portion of the tape. This causes the enlarged lug to move within the coupling socket to a deeper position and the tapered walls of the coupling socket act against the first and second portions of the lug to wedge them toward one another and mechanically grip the end portion of the tape as further tension is applied.

In accordance with one arrangement, it is possible to force pointed rods of plastic through the end portion of the tape without punching any holes in the tape. When the lug is molded, the first and second portions of the lug on opposite sides of the tape bond to the spanner elements. It is also possible to provide stitching to reinforce the end portion of the tape outwardly of the spanner elements so that a higher tensile force may be taken by the end portion of the tape acting against the spanner elements without rupturing the end portion of the tape. In addition, it is possible to place the spanner elements in only a portion of the lug so that the spanner elements act as pivot points for the remainder of the first and second portions of the lug which pivot toward one another to mechanically grip the end portion of the tape.

It is a principle object of the present invention to provide a flat woven tape with a molded connector lug in a very economical manner.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a lug in a manner which does not require unweaving of the tape.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangements of parts, a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an elongated flat woven fabric tape to which the improved connector of the present invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mold half used to form the improved connector of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side elevational view showing an intermediate step in the formation of the improved connector of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the improved connector of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional elevational view taken on line 5--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional, side elevational view of the connector of FIGS. 4 and 5 positioned in a coupling socket;

FIG. 7 is a side, elevational view showing an intermediate step in the formation of a modified form of the improved connector of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a tape for use in making the improved connector of the present invention and with reinforcing stitching applied to the tape; and

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of a tape for use in forming the improved connector of the present invention and with a slightly modified arrangement for locking the connector to the tape.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention only and not for purposes of limiting same, FIG. 1 shows flat woven fabric tape A having opposite flat faces 12 and 14, opposite side edges 16 and 18, and a terminal end 20. Tape A includes an end portion extending from line 22 to terminal end 20. Tape A includes longitudinal warp strands 24 and a transverse weft strand 26 interwoven with warp strands 24. Tape A may also include longitudinal binder strands interwoven with weft strand 26 to hold tape A in a flat condition. Tapes of this general type are well known and are more fully described in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 25,406 to Byrne et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 3,350,037 to Thompson et al. In accordance with the invention, the end portion of tape A extending from line 22 to terminal end 20 is divided into equal halves by line 28. A plurality of holes 30 are punched completely through the end portion of tape A on one side of dividing line 28.

The end portion of tape A is then positioned within a mold having two identical halves and only one of which is shown at B in FIG. 2. Mold B includes sidewalls 32 and 34 having edges 36 and 38. Edges 36 and 38 of two identical mold halves B abut when two mold halves are assembled. Legs 32 and 34 further include notch or recess portions 42 and 44 in which side edges 16 and 18 of tape A are positioned. Mold half B further includes a curved wall portion 46 and a straight wall portion 48. Molds of this type are further described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,263,289 to LaGarde.

With the end portion of tape A positioned between two mold halves B as shown in FIG. 3, a solidifiable material C is poured into the mold from containers 52 on opposite sides of the end portion of tape A. Solidifiable material C is preferably a synthetic or organic plastic material. However, many types of solidifiable material may be used such as natural or neoprene rubber. In a preferred arrangement, solidifiable material C is a thermo-setting epoxy which solidifies to a substantially rigid state although it will possess a slight amount of resiliency. The mold is filled with solidifiable material C until such material flows through holes 30 in the end portion of tape A and completely fills the mold. Heat lamps may then be directed against the mold for the purpose of transforming material C into a substantially rigid shape to form a lug on the end portion of tape A.

Once material C has solidified, mold halves B may be separated and the end portion of tape A removed from the mold.

A completed assembly, with lug D molded onto the end portion of tape A, is shown in FIG. 4. It will be recognized that lug D is defined by first and second lug portions 54 and 56 positioned against the opposite flat faces 12 and 14 of the end portion of tape A. Material C which has flowed through holes 30 is integral with and interconnects first and second lug portions 54 and 56. The material which has flowed through holes C and interconnects lug portions 54 and 56 may be termed spanner elements 58. It will be recognized that in the type of mold used for this arrangement, edge portions 16 and 18 of the end portion of tape A are free of lug material. Therefore, first and second lug portions 54 and 56 are spaced-apart at edge portions 16 and 18 of tape A by a distance which is equal to the thickness of the end portion of tape A. It will be recognized that notches 42 and 44 of mold half B may be omitted if so desired and lug D may be molded completely around the side edges 16 and 18 of the end portion of tape A. Omitting lug material at the edge portions of tape A allows first and second portions 54 and 56 of lug D to move toward one another more freely and mechanically grip the edge portion of tape A. However, the resiliency of material used for lug D makes it possible to mold lug D completely around the edge portions of tape A if so desired.

Lug D may then be positioned in a coupling socket in the manner shown in FIG. 6. A coupling socket E includes outwardly extending substantially parallel ears 64 and 66 having holes 68 and 70 therethrough. A pin or like device may be passed through holes 68 and 70 for connecting coupling socket E to another device. Tape A is trained through a slot 72 in coupling socket E. Coupling socket E includes sloping sidewalls 74 and 76 which are in contact with sloping surfaces 78 and 80 of lug C. The material from which lug D is molded does not penetrate deeply into the end portion of tape A and is rather loosely bonded only to outer faces 12 and 14. When a tension force is applied to tape A, which tends to pull the end portion of tape A through slot 72 of coupling socket E, the loose bond between first and second portions 54 and 56 of lug D normally tends to allow the end portion of tape A to be pulled from coupling socket E. In accordance with the present invention, spanner elements 58 extend through the end portion of tape A and provides an initial grab which does not permit the end portion of tape A to be pulled from coupling socket E. With the initial grab provided by spanner elements 58, a tension force applied to tape A causes lug D to move downwardly deeper into coupling socket E. With such movement, there is a camming action between sloping walls 74 and 76 of coupling socket E, and sloping faces 78 and 80 of lug D. This camming action causes first and second portions 54 and 56 of lug D to pivot toward one another about spanner elements 58 to mechanically grip substantially the entire end portion of tape A. This very tight mechanical gripping action then cooperates with spanner elements 58 to provide a very tight holding force which keeps the end portion of tape A from slipping out of lug D. When a lug is molded on a tape without spanner elements 58, the very low bond between the lug and the flat faces of the tape is not sufficient to provide an initial grab until the wedging action can take place to mechanically grip the tape. Therefore, the tape will normally be pulled out of the lug and the joint will fail.

Instead of punching holes 30 through the end portion of tape A, it is possible to drive rods of natural or synthetic rubber, or synthetic plastic material, through the end portion of tape A as shown in FIG. 7. A plurality of rods 88 have sharpened ends 90. Rods 88 may be made of natural or synthetic rubber, or synthetic plastic material which will bond itself to the material used for lug D during the curing process. A suitable tool H is used to drive sharpened ends 90 of rods 88 through the end portion of tape A without rupturing any of the yarns in tape A. Once a plurality of rods 88 have been driven through the end portion of tape A, a lug D is molded onto the end portion of tape A in a manner previously described. The material of the lug will bond itself to rods 88 which extend completely through tape A and outwardly of flat faces 12 and 14. In the finally cured lug, rods 88 define spanner elements which provide an initial grip of tape A on a lug D.

In order to reinforce a tape A outwardly of holes 30, it is sometimes desirable to sew or stitch the extreme outer end portion of tape A as by stitching 96 on a conventional sewing machine. Such stitching thoroughly ties together all of the warp and weft elements outwardly of holes 30 to insure that the initial gripping force provided by spanner elements 58 acting against the end portion of tape A will not cause the end portion of tape A to rupture or fray. It will also be recognized that such stitching 96 may be used in combination with rods 88 as described with reference to FIG. 7 in order to reinforce the extreme end portion of tape A against rupture.

Instead of forming holes 30 in the extreme outer half of the end portion of tape A, or instead of driving rods 88 in the extreme outer portion, it is possible to form holes, or position rods, in an inner portion as shown in FIG. 9. In this arrangement, the end portion of tape A extending from line 22 to terminal end 20 is divided in half by line 28. Holes 30 are then formed in the inside half of the end portion. With this arrangement, there is more tape material extending from holes 30 to terminal end 20 to provide resistance against rupture of the end portion of tape A when the spanner elements provide an initial grip between tape A and lug D. Lug D is then molded onto the end portion of the tape A in the same manner as previously described. Once such a lug is positioned within a coupling socket E as described with reference to FIG. 6, the spanner elements provide an initial grab and it is the outermost portion of the lug which are squeezed toward one another to mechanically grip the tape rather than the innermost portions as described with reference to FIG. 6.

In accordance with another arrangement, it is possible to form holes 30, or to drive rods 88, throughout the entire end portion of tape A on both sides of dividing line 28. With such an arrangement, a large number of spanner elements distributed throughout the entire end portion of the tape inhibit first and second portions 54 and 56 of a lug D from squeezing inwardly toward one another to mechanically grip the end portion of tape A. However, the compressibility of the material used to form lug D causes the spanner elements to bulge to a larger diameter so that first and second portions 54 and 56 of lug D can move toward one another to some extent and mechanically grip the outer faces of the end portion of tape A. This reduced mechanical gripping action, combined with the gripping force provided by doubling the number of spanner elements, provides a very high holding force which prevents the end portion of tape A from slipping out of lug D when a high tension force is applied to tape A.

While the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it is obvious that modifications and alterations will occur to others upon the reading and understanding of the specification.

Claims

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. The combination of a connector and a flat woven fabric tape having a uniform thickness throughout and having a woven end portion including opposite flat faces, opposite side edges and a terminal end, said connector comprising; a molded enlarged lug of substantially rigid material on said end portion, said lug having first and second portions disposed against said opposite flat faces, said first and second portions of said lug having oppositely facing outer surfaces diverging from one another in a direction from said tape toward said terminal end of said end portion of said tape, said lug including a plurality of spaced-apart spanner elements extending through preselected portions of said end portion of said tape from one flat face to the other and unitarily interconnecting said first and second lug portions, said lug being substantially coextensive in length with said end portion of said tape and having a terminal lug end substantially coincidental with said terminal end of said end portion of said tape, whereby positioning of said lug in a tapered connector socket and application of tension force on said tape causes the lug to wedge tightly in the socket due to connection between said end portion of said tape and said spanner elements so that said first and second portions of said lug move toward one another and tightly grip said end portion of said tape with compressive force.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said end portion of said tape has a predetermined length, said predetermined length being divided into substantially equal first and second halves by a centerline extending across said end portion from side edge to side edge thereof, said spanner elements being disposed in only one of said first and second halves.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said first and second portions of said lug include lug edges positioned adjacent said side edges of said end portion of said tape, said lug edges of said first and second lug portions being spaced-apart a distance substantially equal to the thickness of said end portion of said tape.

4. The device of claim 2 and further including reinforcing stitching reinforcing said end portion of said tape between said terminal end thereof and said spanner elements.