Thomas & Betts International LLC

Thomas & Betts Corporation

Wasim Khokhar

Peter M Wells, Jr

Mark A Bailey

Vladimiro Teagno

Ian Rubin De La Borbolla

Paul J Bartholomew

John J Students

Gary L Lowery

Kimberly Van Horn

Larry Burrough

Randy Vigos

James D Perrin

John D Dorian

Roger Kuhn

John A Sehlmeyer

A wiring duct assembly including a duct base and cover for supporting wire and/or optical cable therein, defining a latching mechanism located on both the cover and duct base. The latching mechanism on the duct portion includes an inwardly projecting sidewall portion, a lip attached thereto and a projecting tip potion integrally attached to the lip. The sidewall, lip and tip define a groove for receiving the latching mechanism of the cover. The cover includes two opposing side walls wherein each side wall includes an inwardly extending portion for being received by a corresponding duct groove. The latching mechanism for the cover portion further includes protuberances in the interior surface of the cover for securing the tip portion of the duct side wall to provide secure latching of the cover and duct base during shipping, installation, and completion of assembly.

Latching and assembly structure of a cover and duct base in a wiring duct assembly

The cable tie strap, having elongate strap body and a locking head provides for receipt of the cable tie strap in the head in either direction. The cable tie strap includes a hollow locking head and an elongate strap having toothing on each side of the strap. A locking bar is positioned within the hollow head. The strap body may be inserted into the hollow head in either direction. The locking bar is lockingly engagable with the toothing on either side of the strap upon insertion of the strap into the head in either direction.

Self-locking cable tie strap with a symmetrical structure

A semi-automatic cable tie application tool including a power-actuated cylinder located within the grip portion of the housing and including a flexible cable extending between the piston rod of the cylinder and the tensioning/cutting mechanisms of the tool. The tool includes first and second pulleys for movably supporting and orienting the direction of travel of the cable.

Semi-automatic cable tie application tool

A drill bit for applying torque to a fastener and mounting the fastener to a stud. The fastener has a plurality of support walls and a bore that has an axial length disposed within the fastener. The drill bit includes a shaft, which has an engagement end for abutting the stud. A member is attached to the shaft proximate the engagement end and has a plurality of arms each including a front side for biasing against one of the support walls when the drill bit is rotated. Moreover, when mounting of the fastener on the stud is initiated, the fastener is rotated by the front side of each of the plurality of arms of the member biasing against one of the support walls of the fastener, subsequently, the engagement end of the shaft abuts the stud and is prevented from biasing axially while simultaneously the fastener continues to be progressively mounted on the stud.

Drill bit for applying torque to a fastener

A stud mounted fastener for routing a plurality of wires in a plurality of directions at the fastener and securing at least one of the plurality of wires to the fastener via a cable tie. The fastener includes an abutment member for mounting on the stud. A first wing is coupled to the abutment member and has a first bar enabled to receive a cable tie thereabout for securing at least one of the plurality of wires thereto, and a second wing coupled to the abutment member and has a second bar enabled to receive a cable tie thereabout for securing at least one of the plurality of wires thereto. A first projection is coupled to the abutment member and has a first projection bar enabled to also receive a cable tie thereabout for securing at least one of the plurality of wires thereto. At least one of the first and second wings is in a different cross-sectional plane than the first projection.

Stud mounted fastener for routing wire

A releasable cable tie including a head, a tail, and an elongate strap body therebetween having plurality of teeth thereon. The head includes a passageway for receiving the tail and strap body and a slot formed in one sidewall which is in communication with the passageway, the strap body being insertable into the passageway in a locking direction for forming a loop to receive the objects to be bound. First and second shoulders are integrally attached to the first sidewall on opposite sides of the slot in opposing relation. The shoulders include first and second upwardly extending reinforcing extensions, respectively, which are each spaced a predetermined distance from the first sidewall so as to create an interstice between the extensions and first sidewall. A bridging member extends between the first and second shoulders. The head further includes a latch for releasably retaining the strap body within the head which is pivotally mounted on the bridging member and has at least one locking tooth complementary to each of the plurality of teeth on the strap body. The latch extends into the passageway through the slot such that the locking tooth engages a selected one of the plurality of teeth for substantially preventing movement of the strap body in a release direction. When the cable tie is under load in a locked position, the first and second reinforcing extensions deflect to engage the first sidewall for adding strength to the latch which enables the tie to withstand greater tensile forces. Because the latch is pivotal about the longitudinal axis of said bridging member, it may be pivoted to release the locking tooth from engagement with the selected one of plurality of teeth to permit the strap body to be moved in the release direction, the strap body being easily releasable from the head thereby allowing the tie to be reusable.

Releasable cable tie

An ultrasonic tying tool for installation of a tape about a bundle of elongate articles. The tool includes an ultrasonic horn wherein the welding tip is moveable between a first position for welding of a tape to secure the tensioned loop about the plurality of articles and a second position wherein the welding tip is translated a distance from the first position to effect cutting of the tensioned loop from the stock of tape and to tack weld the loose cut end to the underlying tape of the loop to eliminate any protruding sharp edges. The tool additionally includes a belt drive mechanism for advancing the tape to the jaw assembly and for tensioning the tape following looping of the tape about the outside.

Ultrasonic tying tool

A bundling tie for bundling a plurality of cables or like articles includes a strap and a head for receiving the strap. The strap is an elongate member having a first end, a second end and a planar body. The head includes an upstanding central wall separating first and second parallel passageways for receipt of the first and second ends of the strap. A locking device is supported by the central wall. The locking device includes a body having a central joining section and a pair of parallel walls extending from the joining section. The locking device further includes a first barb extending from one of the wall members into the first passageway and a second barb extending from the other wall member into the second passageway. The barbs are provided for independent deflectable locking engagement with the first and second strap ends upon insertion into the passageways.

Cable tie having a locking head and a separate strap

A ball/roller-lock cable tie for holding an article or group of articles together in a bundle including a elongate strap body capable of being deformed to encompass the article or group of articles; a locking head disposed adjacent one end of the strap body for receiving a second end of the strap body; and a ball or cylindrical pin, positioned within the locking head, for lockingly engaging the second end of the strap body. The tie further includes a strap body extension attached to and extending from the locking head such that the extension is sandwiched between the article or articles being bundled and the second end of the strap body upon insertion into the locking head. The extension includes a beam spring assembly for supplying a reactive force necessary to substantially prevent retrograde movement of the second end of the strap body within the locking head thereby maintaining locking of the second end of the strap body within the locking head and for enhancing the clenching of the strap body around the article or group of articles being bundled.

Cable tie

A cable tie includes an elongate generally planar strap and a head. The head includes a tapering entrance into a passageway therethrough for inserting the strap and a flexibly hinged locking pawl adjacent the passageway. The head also includes a fixed locking tooth adjacent the entry end of the passageway for engaging the strap after full securing an article or articles to be bundled. The fixed locking tooth of the present invention is desirably positioned to allow unobstructed insertion of the tail through the head. The present invention is able to minimize the stretching of the strap body when adjacent to the locking pawl by providing an edge which frictionally engages the strap body as the strap body egresses from the passageway of the head. Furthermore, the present invention may include a pair of counter-rotatable locking elements positioned to one side of the passageway through the head. One of the counter-rotatable locking elements may deflect into engagement with a surface of an article being bundled so as to provide greater slip resistance of the cable tie with respect to the article and to further allow an even smaller bundling radius for the cable tie. Additionally, the present invention provides a cable tie having a tamper-resistant locking pawl. Furthermore, the cable tie of the present invention may include a deflectable locking element which may be integrally formed with the head or separately provided within the head.

In-line cable tie

Double pawl parallel-entry cable tie

Single pawl parallel-entry cable tie

A fastening device provides for the securement of an elongate member to a support structure. The fastening device includes a housing having a support portion for supporting the elongate member. The fastening device further includes a fixed component fixably securable to the support structure. The housing is insertable over the fixed component and may be variably positioned thereon at select angular orientations such that the support portion is variably positioned about the fixed component.

Cable fastening device

A cable tie includes an elongate generally planar strap and a head. The head includes a passageway therethrough for inserting the strap and a flexibly hinged locking pawl adjacent the passageway. The cable tie resists longitudinal deformation of the locking notches when adjacent the locking teeth on the pawl. Side edge-barriers are located along the strap adjacent the head so that the strap may be cut at a location between the side edge-barriers.

Growing community of inventors

Cordova, TN, United States of America

Wasim Khokhar