USPatentGranted
B2Integrated systems facilitating wire and cable installations
Granted 8 Apr 2014 · 4 office actions
Current assignee: SUMNER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LLC · originally Southwire Company, LLC
Law firm: Law firm · Log in to unlock
Attorney: Attorney · Log in to unlock
Inventors: John R. Carlson, Timothy M. Andrea, David A. Cooper, Philip Sasse +3 · Examiner: Charles A Fox · AU 3633 · TC 3600
Application
12/726,992
filed 18 Mar 2010
Publication
US 20110101290
published 5 May 2011
Patent· this page
US 8,690,126
granted 8 Apr 2014
55
Claims
3 independent
123
File wrapper
transactions
2030
20-year term
term adjustment not held
none
Litigation
checked
6
Classifications
H02G1/08, E21C29/16
374
Citations
374 cites · 0 cited by
Life of the patent
4 dated events⤢ drag to zoom
Prosecutionhover for detail · click to open
Abstract
Pulling eyes are provided with integrated wiring systems suitable for installing conductors or cables. The pulling eyes may include body portions that define interior cavities that are sized to snugly engage outside portions of the conductors or cables. The body portions are sized to be deformably crimped onto the outside portions of the conductors or cables. The pulling eyes may also include head portions joined to the body portions, with the head portions defining apertures for receiving a strength member for installing the conductors or cables. These apertures place the interior cavities in communication with the exteriors of the pulling eyes.
Claims
55 · 3 independent · depth 655 granted claims
›1.independentAn integrated system, comprising:na reel;a plurality of conductors or cables loaded in parallel onto the reel;a plurality of pulling eyes, wherein a p…+45
›2.↳ 1The integrated system of claim 1, wherein the reel comprises a single reel delivered to a job site with the integrated system.d2
›3.↳ 1The integrated system of claim 1, wherein the integrated system is constructed at a service center before delivery to a job site.d2
›4.↳ 1The integrated system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductors or cables is pulled in parallel from the reel into a conduit.d2+1
›5.↳ 4The integrated system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of conductors or cables is pulled directly from a vehicle used to deliver the integrated syste…d3
›6.↳ 1The integrated system of claim 1, wherein the pulling member is fastened to at least a further one of the plurality of pulling eyes.d2
›7.↳ 1The integrated system of claim 1, further comprising at least a further pulling member, wherein the further pulling member is fastened to at least a f…d2+1
›8.↳ 7The integrated system of claim 7, wherein the at least one pulling member is attachable to a pulling rope for pulling the plurality of conductors or c…d3
›9.↳ 1The integrated system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductors or cables is color-coded with a plurality of different colors to represent respe…d2
›10.↳ 1The integrated system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductors or cables is pre-lubricated before loading onto the reel.d2
›11.↳ 1The integrated system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductors or cables are insulated.d2
›12.↳ 1The integrated system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pulling eyes defines respective interior cavities for receiving bare metal conductors expos…d2
›13.↳ 1The integrated system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pulling eyes includes respective end portions, wherein the respective end portions define r…d2+13
›14.↳ 13The integrated system of claim 13, wherein the corresponding pulling members attach, through the respective apertures, to the plurality of pulling eye…d3+12
›15.↳ 14The integrated system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of conductors or cables is cut to staggered lengths, wherein the corresponding pulling member…d4
›16.↳ 14The integrated system of claim 14, further comprising a pulling head that includes the at least one pulling member and a mechanism for attaching the c…d4+3
›17.↳ 16The integrated system of claim 16, further comprising a cover for applying over the pulling head.d5+2
›18.↳ 17The integrated system of claim 17, wherein the cover includes a polymeric sheet at least partially covering the pulling head.d6
›19.↳ 17The integrated system of claim 17, wherein the cover includes hot or cold shrinkable tubing.d6
›20.↳ 14The integrated system of claim 14, further comprising a further pulling member.d4+5
›21.↳ 20The integrated system of claim 20, further comprising a hook clip for linking the corresponding pulling members to the further pulling member.d5
›22.↳ 20The integrated system of claim 20, further comprising a clevis for linking the corresponding pulling members to the further pulling member.d5+2
›23.↳ 22The integrated system of claim 22, wherein the clevis includes a generally U-shaped portion defining an interior cavity for receiving the further pull…d6
›24.↳ 22The integrated system of claim 22, wherein the clevis includes a plurality of clevis portions that swivel axially relative to one another, wherein a f…d6
›25.↳ 20The integrated system of claim 20, wherein the further pulling member includes metallic cables or non-metallic ropes.d5
›26.↳ 14The integrated system of claim 14, wherein the corresponding pulling members include metallic cables or non-metallic ropes.d4
›27.↳ 1The integrated system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pulling eyes includes respective head portions and body portions.d2+16
›28.↳ 27The integrated system of claim 27, wherein the body portions are for crimping deformably onto terminal ends of the plurality of conductors or cables.d3+2
›29.↳ 28The integrated system of claim 28, wherein a body portion of the body portions defines a plurality of indentations resulting from the plurality of suc…d4+1
›30.↳ 29The integrated system of claim 29, wherein at least one pair of adjacent indentations of the plurality of indentations has a same rotational alignment…d5
›31.↳ 27The integrated system of claim 27, wherein, at least prior to the plurality of successive crimps being applied, the body portions comprise markings to…d3+1
›32.↳ 31The integrated system of claim 31, wherein, at least prior to the plurality of successive crimps being applied, the body portions comprise further mar…d4
›33.↳ 27The integrated system of claim 27, wherein a first body portion and a second body portion of the body portions are sized to accommodate different size…d3
›34.↳ 27The integrated system of claim 27, wherein at least two of the plurality of conductors or cables have different sizes and are crimped into two of the …d3
›35.↳ 27The integrated system of claim 27, wherein the respective head portions and the body portions define mating threaded members for attaching the respect…d3+4
›36.↳ 35The integrated system of claim 35, wherein at least one of the respective head portions includes a male threaded portion for complementary engagement …d4+1
›37.↳ 36The integrated system of claim 36, wherein the at least one of the respective head portions defines at least one aperture for receiving a fastener tha…d5
›38.↳ 35The integrated system of claim 35, wherein at least one of the body portions includes a male threaded portion for complementary engagement with a corr…d4+1
›39.↳ 38The integrated system of claim 38, wherein the corresponding head portion defines at least one aperture for receiving a fastener that contacts the at …d5
›40.↳ 27The integrated system of claim 27, wherein the respective head portions and body portions are sized to provide a sliding relationship therebetween.d3+3
›41.↳ 40The integrated system of claim 40, wherein at least one of the respective head portions is adapted to slide into a corresponding body portion of the b…d4
›42.↳ 40The integrated system of claim 40, wherein at least one of the body portions is adapted to slide into a corresponding head portion of the respective h…d4
›43.↳ 40The integrated system of claim 40, wherein the corresponding head portion and the at least one of the body portions define respective passageways that…d4
›44.↳ 1The integrated system of claim 1, further comprising at least one stop fastened onto an end of the at least one pulling member, wherein the at least o…d2+1
›45.↳ 44The integrated system of claim 44, further comprising at least one resilient member placed around the at least one pulling member and around the stop,…d3
›46.↳ 1The integrated system of claim 1, wherein the reel comprises multiple parallels wound onto the reel in layers.d2
›47.independentA pulling eye for pulling at least one conductor or at least one cable through a conduit, the pulling eye comprising:na body portion defining an inter…+2
›48.↳ 47The pulling eye of claim 47, wherein, at least prior to being deformably crimped, the body portion further comprises indicia indicating a position for…d2
›49.↳ 47The pulling eye of claim 47, wherein, at least prior to being deformably crimped, the body portion further comprises indicia indicating a sequence of …d2
›50.independentA system for installing conductors, the system comprising:na reel;a plurality of conductors or cables loaded in parallel onto the reel; anda plurality…+5
›51.↳ 50The system of claim 50, wherein the plurality of conductors or cables are pre-lubricated before loading onto the reel.d2
›52.↳ 50The system of claim 50, further comprising a plurality of strength members, each of the plurality of strength members attached to a first end of one o…d2+2
›53.↳ 52The system of claim 52, further comprising a mechanism for attaching the plurality of strength members together for maneuvering the plurality of condu…d3+1
›54.↳ 53The system of claim 53, wherein the installation comprises a conduit.d4
›55.↳ 50The system of claim 50, wherein the reel comprises multiple parallels wound onto the reel in layers.d2
Classifications
6 codesIPC · International Patent Classification
Section B — Performing operations; transporting
- B65H59/00
Section E — Fixed constructions
- E21C29/16
Section H — Electricity
- H02G1/08
USPC · US Patent Classification
254/134.3FT254/134.4254/134.3R
Claim changes
SoonComing soonHow the claims changed between publication and grant
See which claims were amended, added or cancelled during examination, with every added and removed word marked.
AmendedAddedCancelledUnchanged
The published claims of this patent are not paired with the granted ones in what we hold.
File wrapper
Pendency
4.1 y
1,482 days filing → grant
Office actions
2
after a restriction
Responses
4
2 RCE
Interviews
1
examiner interview summaries
Examiner
Charles A Fox
art unit 3633 · TC 3600
Law firm
Citations: 374 back · 0 forward
See the full prosecution history — every USPTO and applicant action on this file, in order.
Log in to unlockTerm & fees
See the term timeline — pendency span, in-force span, the maintenance fees paid and both computed expiry dates.
Log in to unlockPriority chain
2 priority documentsPriority
23 Mar 2009
earliest claimed
›Priority documents — 2
| Type | Document | Date |
|---|---|---|
| provisional | US 61162589 | 23 Mar 2009 |
| related publication | US 20110101290 A1 | 5 May 2011 |
Validity challenges
See the validity challenges on record — reexaminations, IPRs and PGRs, with their institution decisions and outcomes.
Log in to unlockCitations
See every patent this one cites and every patent that cites it back — publication, assignee, and how each one was found.
Log in to unlock