US3858848A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fish tape
Assignee: GB Electrical Inc
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Filing: 1973-04-26
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Granted: 1975-01-07
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Expires: 1993-04-26
Abstract
Abstract The present invention provides a fish tape for drawing electric wires into conduits and the like The body of the fish tape comprises a unitary sheath or jacket of plastic, such as polyethylene, extruded onto a small diameter central core of fine stranded polyester fibers. The core has great strength in tension but lacks the necessary resistance to erosion, the necessary stiffness characteristics and resistance to external influences and stresses to constitute a fish tape. The sheath provides wear resisting and anti-friction qualities which the core of itself lacks, and provides along with the core a selected or predetermined degree of stiffness or controlled flexibility for threading the tape through a conduit. The means employed on one end-to apply tension for pulling the tape and attached conductoris provided by an integral loop which in case of breakage or other injury is renewable. The loop is integral with one end of the tape. A means for renewably bonding a head or pulling eye to the front end of the composite body of the tape is provided by a small diameter coupling which has an eye at the forward end of the tape for hitching thereto the conductor to be pulled through the conduit. Both the connection of the pulling eye to the front end of the body of the tape and the connection of the loop to the rear end of the body of the tape are renewable with simple tools and simple manipulation. This makes possible a long useful life, not possessed to the same degree by any known non-metallic fish tape.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert H Macfetrich
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 00:53
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02G; H02G1/00; H02G1/06; H02G1/08; H02G1/081; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T279/00; Y10T279/17; Y10T279/17863; Y10T403/00; Y10T403/49; Y10T403/4924
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
A fish tape of the character described comprising an elongated cylindrical body consisting of a central longitudinal core of continuous fibers of high strength artificial resin, a tubular sheath of polyethylene plastic extruded upon and embracing said core, an eye of insulating material having screw threads by which it Is removably mounted upon one end of said body, and a loop at the other end of the body formed by bending the free end portion of the body back upon and parallel to an adjacent portion of the body, a metallic binding sleeve crimped upon the free end portion and the adjacent parallel portion of the body and a heat shrinkable plastic sleeve of insulation embracing the free end and parallel portions of the body and the metallic binding sleeve which holds the end portion to the main portion of the body.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
142 words
A fish tape of the character described comprising an elongated cylindrical body consisting of a central longitudinal core of continuous fibers of high strength artificial resin, a tubular sheath of polyethylene plastic extruded upon and embracing said core, an eye of insulating material having screw threads by which it Is removably mounted upon one end of said body, and a loop at the other end of the body formed by bending the free end portion of the body back upon and parallel to an adjacent portion of the body, a metallic binding sleeve crimped upon the free end portion and the adjacent parallel portion of the body and a heat shrinkable plastic sleeve of insulation embracing the free end and parallel portions of the body and the metallic binding sleeve which holds the end portion to the main portion of the body.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
220 words
A fish tape comprising an elongated substantially cylindrical body of insulation of predetermined stiffness, said body comprising a highly flexible central longitudinal core of relatively small diameter consisting of parallel longitudinally extending synthetic fibers of high tensile strength and a flexible cylindrical unitary sheath of synthetic resin extruded upon and firmly embracing said fibers, said sheath of synthetic resin controlling the flexibility of said body, a substantially cylindrical conductor pulling eye member of insulation having at one end a substantially cylindrical longitudinally extending internally threaded socket in which one end of the cylindrical body of insulation is disposed, said pulling eye member having a pulling eye on the end opposite said socket, a metal screw having a head with a pointed and tapered shank screwed axially into the end of said elongated body of insulation in contact with said high strength central fibers, the entry of said tapered screw expanding the end of the cylindrical body into a head of outwardly tapered conical form, and an externally threaded cylindrical ferrule having an internal conical form adapted to engage and compress said conical head and being adapted to be driven on its threads inwardly of said socket in the pulling eye member to clamp said conical head of the cylindrical body of insulation into the socket of said pulling eye member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
220 words
A fish tape comprising an elongated substantially cylindrical body of insulation of predetermined stiffness, said body comprising a highly flexible central longitudinal core of relatively small diameter consisting of parallel longitudinally extending synthetic fibers of high tensile strength and a flexible cylindrical unitary sheath of synthetic resin extruded upon and firmly embracing said fibers, said sheath of synthetic resin controlling the flexibility of said body, a substantially cylindrical conductor pulling eye member of insulation having at one end a substantially cylindrical longitudinally extending internally threaded socket in which one end of the cylindrical body of insulation is disposed, said pulling eye member having a pulling eye on the end opposite said socket, a metal screw having a head with a pointed and tapered shank screwed axially into the end of said elongated body of insulation in contact with said high strength central fibers, the entry of said tapered screw expanding the end of the cylindrical body into a head of outwardly tapered conical form, and an externally threaded cylindrical ferrule having an internal conical form adapted to engage and compress said conical head and being adapted to be driven on its threads inwardly of said socket in the pulling eye member to clamp said conical head of the cylindrical body of insulation into the socket of said pulling eye member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
The fish tape of claim 2 wherein said synthetic fibers of high tensile strength are composed of polyester resin and the unitary sheath of artificial resin consists of polyethylene, and said screw which has a tapered and pointed shank has a slotted convex head with a flat base.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
201 words
A readily repairable fish tape comprising a body of selected length of cylindrical flexible insulating material consisting of a central core or small diameter fibers of a high tensile strength resin, a tubular sheath of flexible resin extruded upon and embracing said core of fibers, a terminal member of insulation having an eye at one end for attaching a conductor to be pulled, said member having a threaded socket and threaded clamping means cooperating with said socket to releasably clamp the end of the said cylindrical body of insulation concentrically inside said socket, a readily repairable pulling loop on the end of the body opposite that of the conductor pulling eye comprising a loop formed adjacent the end of the body remote from the conductor attaching eye, said loop comprising the terminal end of the cylindrical body laid back parallel to and in contact with the adjacent part of said body, a metallic sleeve crimped upon said parallel portions of the body to hold them together and a sleeve of heat shrinkable insulation embracing and covering the metallic sleeve and the adjacent terminal end of the body, said loop providing a hand hold for moving the fish tape endwise and rotarily.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
201 words
A readily repairable fish tape comprising a body of selected length of cylindrical flexible insulating material consisting of a central core or small diameter fibers of a high tensile strength resin, a tubular sheath of flexible resin extruded upon and embracing said core of fibers, a terminal member of insulation having an eye at one end for attaching a conductor to be pulled, said member having a threaded socket and threaded clamping means cooperating with said socket to releasably clamp the end of the said cylindrical body of insulation concentrically inside said socket, a readily repairable pulling loop on the end of the body opposite that of the conductor pulling eye comprising a loop formed adjacent the end of the body remote from the conductor attaching eye, said loop comprising the terminal end of the cylindrical body laid back parallel to and in contact with the adjacent part of said body, a metallic sleeve crimped upon said parallel portions of the body to hold them together and a sleeve of heat shrinkable insulation embracing and covering the metallic sleeve and the adjacent terminal end of the body, said loop providing a hand hold for moving the fish tape endwise and rotarily.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-01-06 | 1978-07-08 | 1979-01-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-01-06 | 1982-07-08 | 1983-01-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-01-06 | 1986-07-08 | 1987-01-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |