The end of a wire rope is liable to fray very easily and must therefore be well secured. The most commonly used method of doing this is by forming a loop by bending the rope back on itself to form a loop. This loop is then secured by fixing it in place with a wire rope clip. The clip is usually a U-shaped bolt with a two-holed saddle. The rope is fitted between the saddle and the bolt and the device is then secured with two nuts.
The saddle part of the device is placed on the load-bearing side of the rope in order to prevent the rope from being crushed. Hence the adage 'never saddle a dead horse' is used as a reminder that the dead end of the rope, the end that has been cut, is aligned with the bolt, the live end is aligned with the saddle. At least three clips are usually used to secure the loop at the end of the rope, sometimes there may be as many as eight, depending on the thickness of the wire rope.
Where wire rope clips are used
Wire rope clip
Wire rope clips are used wherever the wire rope used is not circular but are not intended for use in overhead lifting operations. However, heavy duty clips, made from dropped forged steel, can be used for securing an overhead load, examples of these are guy lines and scaffolding. Lighter duty clips, called malleable clips and made from iron, are used for non-critical applications with relatively light loads such as fences
Typical industry sectors
Wire ropes are used in many different applications and those which do not involve lifting and hoisting will usually be using wire rope clips. These may include transmitting a force such as in aeroplane controls e.g. cockpit levers or pedals; supporting structures such as suspension bridges; securing wire ropes that are often used on modern stainless steel balustrades; guy wires which support poles or towers; overhead wires that move cargo horizontally overhead.
Sizing and typical range of sizes
Wire Rope Saddle
Clips are sized in inches and relate to the thickness of the wire rope they are intended to secure. The sizes range from 1/8" for small non-critical applications to around 4" for more heavyweight use. The size of the clip will also determine the number to be used, the length of rope that should be turned back to form the loop, and the torque measurement.
Complementary products
Wire rope clips have 3 components, the U-bolt, the saddle and the nuts to tighten the bolt. When wire ropes are terminated by loops there is a possibility that the loop will bend into too tight a shape, to guard against this a thimble is used. The use of a thimble is regarded by industry as best practice. Wire rope saddles and thimbles are available from QIngdao sincere metal company.