A&a Manufacturing Co., Inc.

Ernst Klein

Hartmut Loss

A cable carrier chain made of pivotally connected pairs of spaced apart, parallel sidebars has crosslinks spanning the pairs of sidebars which are engaged in notches in the edges of the sidebars. The crosslinks are placed in the notches and are longitudinally slid to an engaged position where flanges of the crosslinks are received in undercuts in the notches to secure the crosslinks to the sidebars against vertical relative movement. In the engaged position, bars, bosses or tenons of the sidebars which have laterally facing surfaces are engaged by slots in the crosslinks to prevent lateral movement of the crosslinks relative to the sidebars. A key or a tab is provided to secure the longitudinal position of the crosslinks relative to the corresponding sidebars to prevent retrograde movement of the crosslinks from the engaged position.

Cable carrier chain

A self supporting cable carrier in the form of a flexible tube for fully enclosing the cable to protect it from damage as well as to support it. The flexible tube comprises a plurality of segments or links coupled to each other successively and pivotable relative to each other a limited amount. The segments are constructed so that they can etend in a straight line and can pivot from this straight line in one direction but not in the other direction. As a result the carrier can carry the cable along a curve in one direction but a span of tubing extending across a space cannot collapse since the segments cannot pivot in that direction. This arrangement makes the carrier self supporting along such span. The segments are formed of molded plastic with each segment having a pair of bosses extending inwardly from its trailing portion and a pair of complementary openings in its forward portion for receiving the bosses from the adjoining segment to couple the two segments together. The bosses are dimensioned so that they are pivotable a limited amount within their cooperating openings to render the entire segment pivotable such limited amount relative to its adjacent segment. Moreover, the bosses and their cooperating openings are completely covered when the segments are assembled to eliminate pinch points and fully protect the coupling.

Self-supporting cable carrier

A conductor guiding support formed of two chains retained in parallel spaced apart relationship by spacers which support the conductors between the chains. The chains are formed of successive links pivotably coupled to each other with each link being formed of two matching plates. One end portion of each plate is provided with a central hole and arcuate slots spaced about a circle that is concentric to the central hole. The opposite end portion of the plate is offset and is provided with bosses that are in a pattern that corresponds to the pattern of the hole and slots on the other end. Two plates are placed face-to-face to form a link and the portions with the central hole and arcuate slots are in surface contact with each other while the offset portion that present the bosses are spaced from each other. The portion of the succeeding link with the contacting surfaces is placed in this space with the bosses of the offset portion engaging the openings in the surface contacting portions. The boss in the central hole establishes the pivot point of the links relative to each other and the offset bosses in the arcuate slots limit this pivotal movement. The abutting bosses of the two plates are then welded together to secure the assembly.

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Dusseldorf, Germany

Ernst Klein