Pulling eyes are provided with an integrated lug for electrically coupling conductors or cables to terminating equipment. The pulling eyes may include body portions that define interior cavities that are sized to snugly engage a bare metal portion of the conductors or cables. The body portions are sized to be deformably crimped onto the bare metal portions of the conductors or cables. The pulling eyes may also include head portions joined to the body portions, with the head portions are assembled to pulling ropes or cables for installing the conductors or cables. The pulling eyes may further include integrated lugs electrically attached or coupled to the body portions and configured to electrically couple the conductor to terminating equipment.

Claims

20 · 3 independent · depth 3

20 granted claims

›1.independentA method for pulling a conductor through a conduit and electrically coupling the conductor to terminating equipment, the method comprising:nplacing at…+8

›2.↳ 1The method of claim 1, wherein the body portion of the pulling eye is sized to be crimped onto only an outside surface of the conductor.d2

›3.↳ 1The method of claim 1, wherein the body portion of the pulling eye is sized to be crimped onto the bare metal portion of the conductor exposed by stri…d2

›4.↳ 1The method of claim 1, wherein the adjacent crimps are rotated substantially 90 degrees from each other.d2

›5.↳ 1The method of claim 1, wherein the body portion of the pulling eye comprises threads that are configured to engage counterpart threads of the head por…d2

›6.↳ 1The method of claim 1, wherein the lug, the attachment portion, and the body portion of the pulling eye comprise a same electrically conductive materi…d2

›7.↳ 1The method of claim 1, wherein the lug comprises at least one bolt hole for electrically coupling the lug to the terminating equipment.d2

›8.↳ 1The method of claim 1, wherein the body portion comprises a flat surface configured to engage a corresponding flat surface of the attachment portion w…d2

›9.↳ 1The method of claim 1, wherein the attachment portion comprises one or more flat surfaces to be engaged by a conventional tool for securely fastening …d2

›10.independentA method for pulling a conductor through a conduit, the method comprising:nplacing a bare metal portion of the conductor within an interior cavity def…+5

›11.↳ 10The method of claim 10, wherein the lug assembly is configured for electrically coupling to terminating equipment.d2+1

›13.↳ 10The method of claim 10, wherein the conductor comprises an insulation and wherein the method further comprises stripping a portion of the insulation o…d2

›14.↳ 10The method of claim 10, wherein the body portion of the pulling eye comprises threads that engage counterpart threads of the head portion when the bod…d2

›15.↳ 10The method of claim 10, wherein crimping the body portion of the pulling eye onto the outer surface of the bare metal portion on the conductor compris…d2

›16.independentA method for pulling a conductor through a conduit, the method comprising:nplacing a bare metal portion of the conductor within an interior cavity def…+4

Classifications

5 codes

IPC · International Patent Classification

Section B — Performing operations; transporting

B63B35/04

Section E — Fixed constructions

E21C29/16

USPC · US Patent Classification

254/134.3R254/134.3FT254/134.4

Claim changes

Soon

Coming 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

3.3 y

1,205 days filing → grant

Office actions

non-final + final

Responses

1 RCE

Examiner

Charles A Fox

art unit 3633 · TC 3600

Law firm

Law firm · Log in to unlock

Citations: 51 back · 0 forward

See the full prosecution history — every USPTO and applicant action on this file, in order.

Term & fees

See the term timeline — pendency span, in-force span, the maintenance fees paid and both computed expiry dates.

Priority chain

2 priority documents

Priority

23 Mar 2009

earliest claimed

›Priority documents — 2

Type	Document	Date
provisional	US 61162589	23 Mar 2009
related publication	US 20110133141 A1	9 Jun 2011

Validity challenges

See the validity challenges on record — reexaminations, IPRs and PGRs, with their institution decisions and outcomes.

Citations

See every patent this one cites and every patent that cites it back — publication, assignee, and how each one was found.