The present invention relates to a device for marking electric wires or the like which device consists of an integral unit, preferably manufactured by extrusion of an elastic plastic material. When not mounted on a wire the device exhibits in cross-section an outer portion shaped like a reversed U.or a semi-circle,the ends of which merge with an inner portion having two lateral legs and a central portion, said legs defining between themselves and said outer portion a space for receiving the wire by axial insertion thereof, whereby the device is securely retained on the wire.

Since several decades the prior art has comprised two main types of such marking devices, namely on the one hand devices similar to a sleeve or a ring to be axially threaded over a free end of the wire and, on the other, devices which are mounted on the wire by a radial movement and retained thereon by a snapping action. In other words, in their mounted condition, marking devices of the first type cannot be uninten¬ tionally lost whereas this does rather often occur in respect of devices of the latter type, e.g. due to vibrations or unintentional displacement. For that reason, devices of the latter type are generally used only when the wires are to be identified temporarily, for example in the context of modification or repair works being carried out in an existing apparatus. Markers of the first type are used in such installa¬ tions where loss of the markers cannot be accepted resulting in the identification picture getting incomplete or erroneous.

However, in certain cases there exists a need, simul-

taneously or during different phases of a mounting work, of having access to both of the two marking alternatives mentioned above, the perπanent as well as the temporary one. The object of the invention is to provide a marker satisfying this condition in the way that one and the same device may optionally be mounted permanently or be retained temporarily by a snapping action. According to the invention this has been realized in the way that said central portion of the device is elasticaliy deformable so that a wire can be radially moved into the space between the legs after which said portion does substantially completely surround the wire,retaining the marker by a snapping action.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference tc the drawing.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a marker designed according to the present invention and shown in its unmounted condition.

Fig. 2 shows the device nour.tec on a wire in a perma¬ nent way.

Fig. 3 shows the same marker mounted en a wire and retained by a snapping action.

A device according to the illustrated embodiment may, in a manner known per se, be manufact_:rec by extrusion of an elastic plastic material to a leng hose which is subsequently fcy transverse cutting operations divided into individual markers. Each such marking device has two main portions, namely an outer portion 1 roughly shaped like a inverted U, the central part of which comprising a marking symbol 2 on its cuter wall, and

an inner portion 3. The last mentioned portion has two lateral legs 4, 5 and an intermediate bellows- shaped part 6. Between that part and the outer portion 1 there is defined a space which may receive a wire 7 in the way that the marker is in an axial direction threaded over the wire as illustrated in Fig. 2. According to Fig. 2 the device is mounted on a rela¬ tively small guage wire implying that substantially only the bellows-shaped part 6 has been deformed. However, according to the same principle, continued deformation of all of the marker permits its use also on significantly thicker vires. As is understood, according to this mounting alternative the marker is, in a manner known per se, retained on the wire so that it cannot be unintentionally removed.

Fig. 1 does also show that another space is defined between legs 4 and 5, which space in contrast to the one mentioned above is not omnilaterally closed but open at its bottom. This configuration makes ±z possible alternatively to mount the marker on a wire 8, as shown in Fig. 3, by forcing the marker onto the wire in a radial direction. It is likewise apparent that, due to its configuration and the elasticity of the plastic material, the marker is in this case retained by a snapping action, i.e. there is no protection against unintentional loss. However, the retaining action can be amplified if legs 4 and 5 are provided with shoulder-like protrusions 9 adjacent their junctions with the outer portion 1.

In the practical application of the invention the device may substantially deviate from the embodiment here shown as far as its general shape and internal proportions are concerned. The only essential feature of the inventive idea is that the inner portion of

the marker does, in the unmounted condition, define two spaces one of which is omnilaterally closed whereas the other one is not. As explained above, the first mentioned space is arranged to receive a wire by an axial threading movement resulting in the marker getting mounted in a way protecting it against unintentional loss. The outer space is defined between the legs cf the inner portion and, due to the presence of the bottom opening, it can receive a wire mounted by a radially inwards directed movement to a position where the marker is retained by a snapping action.