The present invention concerns a device for combined deployment, securing and deloading of airborne li¬ nes/wires, especially lines/cables leading electrical current. The device according to the present invention, infra called "clamp", is however not limited to such lines/cables but may also be used comprehensively for lines where a combined deployment/securing function is wanted in the clamp, e.g. when mounting/deploying cables for ski-lifts, fence wires, cables for masts etc.

However, the invention will infra be disclosed with spe- cial reference to deployment/mounting of lines/cables leading electrical current wherein the use of the present device is especially suited.

The device according to the present invention as well as a deployment device and securing devices according to prior art will be disclosed infra with reference to enclosed figures wherein

Fig. 1 shows a securing device according to conventional prior art,

Fig. 2 shows a deployment device according to con¬ ventional prior art,

Fig. 3 shows a combined deployment/tightening/deloading device according to the present invention,

Fig. 4 shows a cross-section of the device according to the invention in a cut parallel to the rotational axis, and

Fig. 5 shows a cross-section perpendicularly to the

rotational axis,

Fig. 6 shows a cross-section of an alternate embodiment of the device according to the invention,

Fig. 7 shows a second cross-section of the alternative embodiment shown in fig. 6,

Fig. 8 shows a cross-section of a third embodiment of the device according to the invention wherein the device is used for deployment of a cable,

Fig. 9 shows in cross-section a third embodiment of the device according to the invention being suited for a de- loading fastening for a line with an uni-directional movement/wedging of the line,

Figs. 10 and 11 show a wedging device which may be used to prevent the guiding wheel in the device from rotating after the line/wire/cable has been mounted in its gui¬ dance track, and

Fig. 12 shows a securing device for the line/wire/ca¬ ble/rope when the device according to the invention is used as a deloading device for the line/wire/cable/rope.

Fig. 13 shows an embodiment of the device according to the invention with a multiple choice possibility for positioning the device on top of a pole.

When drawing air-borne power lines it has previously, for securing the line to each pole top, been used a con¬ ventional clamp type e.g. as shown in fig. 1 wherein a line (not shown) , after having been drawn between a num- ber of poles, is placed i a stationary clamping device.

The clamping device according to this prior art comprises an isolation fork 1 which at its one end is secured to

the pole (not shown) and is in its other end widened to two legs 2,3 between which legs 2,3 the clamp 4 for the line/cable is mounted. The mounting of the clamp 4 is conventionally performed by bolting the clamp 4 to the legs 2,3 by using a bolt 5. In the clamp 4 there is located a groove wherein the line/cable rests after succ¬ essful deployment .

For keeping the line/cable in its place in the groove 6, the clamp 4 is equipped with an over-clamp 7 which is secured to the clamp 4 by using bolts and/or nuts 8.

However, since the line/cable-clamp according to this prior art may not be moved (except that it may be rocked over a small angle about the securing bolt 5) , there must be used an especially designed deployment tool for the line/cable. An embodiment of such a prior art deployment tool is shown in fig. 2.

The purpose of such a deployment tool as shown in fig. 2 is to avoid the line/cable being chafed and possibly breaking as a consequence of wear at the deployment over the line/cable clamp as shown in fig. 1. The pressure against the edges of the cable clamp during deployment of the line/cable may at times become relatively large, and accordingly a tool is required which may be placed over the groove in the clamp and which has rollers over which the line/cable may be guided to avoid excessive strain.

The deployment tool being shown in fig. 2 is a jointed box 20 wherein the end parts 21,22 of the box may pivot about the middle section 23 of the box via pivoting/se¬ curing bolts 24. Each of the end parts 21,22 of the box 20 is also equipped with rollers 25 which may be rotated to give access to the internal parts of the box, and the rollers 25 may be secured with locking devices, e.g. plinths 26 so that a line/cable may be placed inside the

box by using the rollers 25 after it having been led into the box by removing the rollers 25 and subsequent re¬ mounting and locking them when the line has been placed in the box 20.

To ensure that the line runs over the rollers 25, the device may be mounted by using a tightening device 27 which hooks the end parts 21,22 of the box to the middle part 23 of the box 20 by using a handle 28.

The entire deployment tool according to the prior art may be secured to the top clamp 4 via the bolt holes 9 by using winged bolts 29 (see fig. 1) .

The entire securing operation disclosed supra is time- consuming and cumbersome and requires in addition that a worker brings along at least one tightening tool being disclosed with reference to fig. 2.

Thus there exists a need for a simpler and easier device within this technical field, and which makes transpor¬ tation of the tightening tool unnecessary, and which in addition provides a simple and trustworthy securing of the line/cable to the pole top/pole fork 1.

Such a device has according to the present invention been designed, and the device according to the present in¬ vention will be disclosed infra with reference to the figures 3-12.

In fig. 3 there is shown a perspective view of the device according to the invention. The device according to the invention may, as shown, be placed on an isolator fork 1 on the top of a pole (not shown) . The device according to the invention comprises a wheel 30 which may rotate about an axis 31 running through the isolator fork 1 and the wheel 30. The wheel 30 is equipped with at least one

groove 32 about its own circum erence and which is suited for leading a line/cable. Over the groove (s) 31 of the wheel 30 there is located a securable clamp 33 for se¬ curing the line/cable in the groove 32 on the wheel 30.

When deploying a line/cable it will with a device accord¬ ing to the present invention be unnecessary with any deployment tool since the line/cable may run in the gro¬ ove 32 of the wheel 30 which already is pivotally located in the isolator fork 1.

For an improved leading of the line/cable in the groove 32 of the wheel 30, the clamp 33 may be equipped with a similar groove 34 on its one side, and with an extension 35 on its other side. By placing the clamp with the groove 34 turned towards the running groove 32 in the wheel 30, there will between the clamp 33 and the wheel 30 be created an opening through which the line/cable may run. When feeding out the line/cable the wheel 30 will rotate about the axis 31 and provide a minimal resistance against the deployment of the line/cable. At the end of the drawing of the line/cable, the clamp 33 may simply be turned so that the extension/knob 35 now faces the groove 32. When securing the clamp 33 with the bolts 36, the cable will now be securely locked inside the groove 32 of the wheel 30. This is also shown in fig. 7.

However, such a simple embodiment of the device according to the invention with only a small securing area between the periphery of the wheel 30 and the clamp 33, will not be especially suited, even if it is possible, for se¬ curing metal cables, and especially aluminum and copper cables, since the securing area between the clamp and the wheel here will be of a small dimension, and this will make liquidization of the metal in the securing area possible. Solutions for this problem are disclosed in¬ fra, where these solutions in no way must be construed as

representing any form of limitation for the invention per se.

As alternative embodiments of the wheel 30 it may be indicated that the groove 32 not necessarily is the only groove existing in the wheel 30, or there may alterna¬ tively be placed a number of wheels in the fork 1.

One way to design the device according to the invention to avoid the above mentioned problem with liquidization of the cable metal in the securing area between the wheel 30 and the clamp 33, is to equip the wheel with pene¬ trating grooves 40,41 wherein the line/cable may rest. If such an alternative is used, the wheel 30 may be par- titioned into a number of sections 37,38,39.

Concerning the grooves 40,41 these may have a diameter being designed for the diameter of the relevant cable, so that the grooves/holes 40,41 may have different sizes. This is also shown in fig. 6.

When securing a cable with such a partitional running wheel 30, the wheel 30 may at the tightening be complete, i.e. it is not split up, and the line/cable/wire may run in the peripherical groove 32 when rotating the wheel 30 about the rotational axis 31. However, when the line/ca¬ ble/wire has been finally passed between a number of poles and been secured on the top of the extreme poles along the leading area (see description infra) , the lead- ing wheel 30 may be split at alternative weakening lines 43,44 or be split in any other manner, to expose the grooves 40,41. Thereby it may be advantageous to tempo¬ rarily lift the line/cable/wire up from the wheel 30 so that this lies free and gives an opportunity to split the wheel 30 as disclosed supra. After splitting the wheel 30 and exposing one of the grooves 40,41, the line/cable wire may be placed inside this groove and the clamp 33

may then be tightened with its knob 35 facing the li¬ ne/wire/cable. In this way there will be created a sig¬ nificantly larger securing area between the line/ca¬ ble/wire and the clamp 33, and the above mentioned pro- blem with liquidization of the cable metal will thus be avoided.

Alternatively the temporarily removed part 37 of the running wheel 30 is again secured in its original posi- tion on the wheel so that the cable/line/wire/rope is running through its respective designed hole 40,41 and the clamp 33 may be tightened onto the wheel part 37 which then locks the line/cable/wire/rope in the groove 40 (or 41) .

By designing the penetrating grooves 40,41 in the wheel 30, these may also be given the cross-sectional form of a half-moon since it alternatively only is the lower part of the groove which is used as a socket for the line/wi- re/cable, but on account of its simplicity in the produc¬ tion as well as for performing the securing operation in the preferred embodiment where the line runs through the holes 40,41, it is preferred that the grooves 40,41 are designed as penetrating circular holes .

The number of penetrating holes 40,41 in the wheel 30 may also vary and it is not limited to two. Preferably the number of penetrating holes, if they are present, will be between 1 and 8, even if a random number of holes will be possible.

For more easily to be able to use the holes 40,41, the wheel 30 may be equipped with lines of weakness 43,44 easing the splitting of the wheel 30. The lines of weak- ness 43,44 will run mainly along the diameter of the penetrating holes 41,42. Alternatively the wheel 30 may be partitioned with clamps or other securing devices (not

shown) along its sides for keeping the wheel 30 together during the mounting of the line/cable/wire/rope.

As shown in figs. 6-8 the clamp 33 may also comprise two separate parts whereof one part, shown in figs. 6 and 7, is used when drawing the line/cable. The clamp with only one groove, which also may be termed the tool part, is screwed to the fork part 1 so that there is created a penetrating hole between the tool part and the groove 32 of the wheel 30. The groove in the clamp part will align the line/cable so that it runs in the groove 32 of the wheel 30.

When the line/cable is finally drawn, the clamp part may in this embodiment be exchanged with another clamping part as shown in figs 6 and 7, or it may be turned and used as a clamp part directly if it is designed as shown in the embodiment according to figs. 3 and 4.

By exchanging the clamp according to the prior art with a rotatable wheel according to the present invention, fur¬ ther advantages may simultaneously be provided since the splittable wheel also may be used as a deloading securing point for the line/cable. This possibility is shown in fig. 9.

As shown in fig. 9 the wheel 30 is split by the weakness lines described supra in such a way that the line/cable 43 thus may be led in one of the grooves 40,41. By equ- ipping the fork with a tool comprising a bevelled surface 45, preferably with a groove wherein the line/cable 42 may run, the following function may be achieved:

The bevelled surface/groove 45 is located in such a way that the line of weakness 44 runs mainly parallel to the bevelled surface 45. Thereby the line/cable 42 may slide freely (the wheel being mainly locked, but with a little

possibility for tilting about the axis 31) in the groove being created between the removed part at the line of weakness 44 and the groove in the bevelled surface 45. By drawing the line/cable in the direction of the arrow, the cable 42 may slide unprevented in one direction.

However, the line/cable 42 may be locked and prevented from movement in the opposite direction (contrary to the arrow) since the wheel 30 then will tilt about the axis 31 and wedge the line/cable 42 in the groove in the be- veiled surface 45. The consequence of this is that the line may be mounted without using special tools such as jacks etc., and the wheel 30 may furthermore be used for securing the line 42 to the wheel 30 in the fork 1 as disclosed supra. The groove in the running wheel 30 and/or in the bevelled surface 45 may be adjusted to fit the diameter of the line 42 running in the groove.

In connection with deploying/mounting lines/cables for electrical current the device according to the invention should, when it is used as a mounting/clamping part, be able to withstand loads of at least 500 kg uni-lateral pull on the cable 42, even if this is not critical or any significant number concerning the device according to the invention.

If the device according to the invention is used as a deloading securing point, such a point should be able to withstand a load of at least 4,5 tons, even if this is not any critical load value, and other values may equally well be used without departing from the idea behind the present device. Normally the device should at any time and for any form of line/cable/wire/rope be able to with¬ stand a load being at least 90% of the breaking strength of the relevant line/cable/wire/rope which is being moun- ted.

To prevent the running wheel 30 from rotating/moving and

forming a bend in the line/cable/wire/rope, the device according to the invention may be equipped with a wedging device which may be placed between the fork part 1 and the running wheel 30 and/or between the clamping part 33 and the running wheel 30. Such an alternative is shown in figs 10 and 11. The shown wedge device comprises in this embodiment two halves 51,52 which may be wedged between the clamp part 33 and the wheel 30 and/or between the fork 1 and the wheel 30. To ensure that the halves 51,52 of the wedging device are not displaced relatively to each other after securing the wheel 30, these may be equipped with reciprocating securing parts. An example of such a securing part is shown in fig. 11, wherein the securing part is shown as a bolt 53, even if other de- vices such as securing strips, clamps, screws etc. also may be used.

Optionally the wedge may be made of one piece of material and be squeezed between the wheel 30 and the clamp 33 when mounting the clamp via the bolts 36. The wedge may also be given a form so that it fits the curvature of the running wheel 30 to give a larger securing area between the wedge and the running wheel.

In fig. 12 it is shown an alternative embodiment of a splittable deloading wedge for deloading the line/ca¬ ble/wire/rope by mounting this between the extreme poles in the area where the line/cable is mounted. This wedg¬ ing device is partitioned into two halves 61,62 with a groove between them wherein the line/wire/cable/rope 42 may run. When mounting the line/wire/cable 42 this may be wedged securely in the groove between the two halves 61,62 and optionally between the groove 32 in the running wheel 30 and one of the halves 61,62 for thus forming a S-shaped passage in the groove between the halves. This will, when joining the two halves 61,62, e.g. by using a clamp 63, vegde the line/wire/cable 42 securely so that

it cannot slip in the groove.

The device according to the invention has been disclosed in connection with such an embodiment wherein there is shown one wheel running between the two legs 2,3 of the isolator fork 1, but it is obvious that several adjacent running wheels also may be used without departing from the idea behind the invention.

Concerning the position of the device according to the invention on top of the pole it will be possible to pro¬ vide the fork of the isolator with different connecting possibilities, e.g. the fork may be equipped with suit¬ able threaded holes 70,71,72 making it possible to mount the isolator fork 1 at different angles to the longitudi¬ nal axis of the pole onto which the fork is mounted. Examples of possible angles will be 90°, 45°, and 60° relatively to the longitudinal axis of the pole, although any angle will be possible depending on the angle of the mounting holes 70,71,72. An embodiment of such a mul¬ tiple choice for the isolator fork device 1 is depicted in fig. 13.