Morang, Frank L.;

Splicing tool

A splicing tool in the form of a fid structure designed primarily for splicing portions of a braided rope wherein the fid structure includes an outer casing having a substantially inner hollow portion in which a plug element is mounted. A grasping assembly in the form of a shaft and a grasp element attached thereto serves to fixedly engage one end of the rope portion being spliced wherein the grasping assembly is movable into and out of the interior of said fid in such a manner as to draw the grasp element into penetration with the connected end of the rope portion and maintain the rope portion in fixed engagement therewith due to the interior disposition of the grasp element within the fid structure.

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Now that the invention has been described, what is claimed is:

1. A splicing tool primarily designed for splicing rope portions, said splicing tool comprising: a fid element including a substantially hollow portion and at least one open end disposed in communicating relation with said hollow portion, plug means mounted on the interior of said fid element, grasping means including a shaft movably connected to said plug means, said grasping means further including a grasp element connected to said shaft so as to move along therewith, said grasping means disposed for movement longitudinally of said plug means into and out of said fid element, said grasp element comprising a one piece wire spring member structurally configured to comprise inherent bias, whereby movement of said grasp element into and out of said fid element causes relative movement of corresponding portions of said wire spring member towards and away from one another respectively, gripping teeth means defined by the extremities of said wire spring member, said gripping teeth means defined by projections, whereby said gripping teeth projections serve to penetrate a rope portion being spliced; said plug means comprising a channel formed therein and including a reduced diameter relative to that of said fid element, said shaft being disposed in sliding engagement within said channel for both relative longitudinal and rotational movement therein, said shaft further comprising a head portion configured to extend outwardly from the longitudinal axis of said shaft, said channel configured for sliding engagement relative to said head portion therein, whereby said head portion may move along the interior of said channel along the longitudinal axis thereof.

2. A splicing tool primarily designed for splicing rope portions, said splicing tool comprising: a fid element including a substantially hollow portion and at least one open end disposed in communicating relation with said hollow portion, plug means mounted on the interior of said fid element, grasping means including a shaft movably connected to said plug means, said grasping means further including a grasp element connected to said shaft so as to move along therewith, said grasping means disposed for movement longitudinally of said plug means into and out of said fid element, said grasp element comprising a one piece wire spring member structurally configured to comprise inherent bias, whereby movement of said grasp element into and out of said fid element causes relative movement of corresponding portions of said wire spring member towards and away from one another respectively, gripping teeth means defined by perpendicular bends proximate the extremities of said wire spring member, said gripping teeth means extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said fid element whereby said gripping teeth projections serve to penetrate a rope portion being spliced; said plug means comprising a channel formed therein, said channel including a reduced diameter relative to that of said fid element, said shaft movably being mounted within said channel and disposed for movement in both a longitudinal and rotational direction relative to the longitudinal axis of said plug means; said shaft being disposed in threaded engagement within said channel for both longitudinal and rotational movement within said fid element.

3. A splicing tool as in claim 1 further comprising shaft lock means formed on said plug means in engageable relation to said head portion, said lock means disposed in offset relation to said channel, whereby rotational orientation of shaft and said head portion relative to the longitudinal axis of said plug means serves to orient said shaft and said shaft lock means.

4. A splicing tool as in claim 3 wherein said shaft lock means comprises a head seat integrally formed on said plug means in offset relation to the channel in said plug means.

5. A splicing tool as in claim 1 wherein said shaft and said grasp element are formed into an integral one piece unit, said grasp element comprising an inherent fexibility, whereby oppositely disposed extremities of said grasp element are movable relative to one another.

6. A splicing tool as in claim 1 further comprising biased means including a spring element positioned in interconnecting relation between said plug means and said grasping means and disposed to normally bias said grasping means away from said plug and out of the open end of said fid structure.