Patent Publication Number: US-2023154362-A1

Title: Hanger for mounting cables

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/569,784, filed Jan. 6, 2022, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,551,589, which is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/195,809, filed Mar. 9, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,238,762, which is a divisional of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/360,485, filed Mar. 21, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,004,367, which is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/114,760, filed Aug. 28, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,243,339, which is a divisional of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/834,766, filed Dec. 7, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,158,218, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/081,177, filed Mar. 25, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,866,004 and claims priority from the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 62/139,057, filed Mar. 27, 2015; 62/206,558, filed Aug. 18, 2015; and 62/248,460, filed Oct. 30, 2015, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to devices for supporting cables and, in particular, to hangers for securing cables to support structures. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Cable hangers are commonly used to secure cables to structural members of antenna towers and or along tunnel walls. Generally, each cable is attached to a structural member by cable hangers mounted at periodically-spaced attachment points. 
     Antenna towers and or tunnels may be crowded due to the large numbers of cables required for signal-carrying. Over time, as systems are added, upgraded and/or expanded, installation of additional cables may be required. To conserve space, it may be desirable for each set of cable hangers to secure more than a single cable. Certain cable hangers have been constructed to secure multiple cables; other cable hangers have a stackable construction that permits multiple cable hangers to be interlocked extending outwardly from each mounting point/structural member. Stacked and multiple-cable-type cable hangers significantly increase the number of cables mountable to a single attachment point. 
     One popular stackable cable hanger is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,191,836 to Korczak, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. Hangers disclosed therein have generally a U- or C-shaped profile with rounded arms. A locking projection extends from the free end of each arm, and the “root” of the hanger that spans the fixed ends of the arms has a large aperture. The hanger can hold a cable between the arms; gripping of the cable is enhanced by short fingers that extend inwardly from the arms to engage the cable. Hangers can be “stacked” onto each other by inserting the locking projections of one hanger into the large aperture of the next hanger. 
     One variety of cable hanger of this type is the SNAP-STAK® hanger, available from CommScope, Inc. (Joliet, Ill.). The SNAP-STAK® hanger is offered in multiple sizes that correspond to the outer diameters of different cables. This arrangement has been suitable for use with coaxial power cables, which tend to be manufactured in only a few different outer diameters; however, the arrangement has been less desirable for fiber optic cables, which tend to be manufactured in a much greater variety of diameters. Moreover, fiber optic cables tend to be much heavier than coaxial cables (sometimes as much as three times heavier per unit foot), which induces greater load and stress on the hangers. 
     SUMMARY 
     As a first aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to a cable hanger for securing a cable to a supporting structure having an aperture. The cable hanger comprises: a base panel having opposed ends; a pair of arms, each of the arms attached to a respective end of the base panel and having a free end; a pair of locking projections, each of the locking projections attached to a respective free end of the arms; and a pair of gripping members, each gripping member attached to a respective arm, each gripping member having opposed ends, wherein one of the ends of each gripping member is fixed to the arms and the other of the ends of each gripping member is fixed to the arm or to the base panel. The arms and locking projections are configured to spread apart to enable insertion of a cable between the arms, wherein the gripping projections engage and grip the cable, and wherein the locking projections are configured to be inserted into the aperture of the supporting structure. 
     As a second aspect, a cable hanger for securing a cable to a supporting structure having an aperture comprises: a base panel having opposed ends; a pair of arms, each of the arms attached to a respective end of the base panel and having a free end; a pair of locking projections, each of the locking projections attached to a respective free end of the arms; and a pair of gripping members, each gripping member attached to a respective arm, each gripping member having opposed ends, wherein one of the ends is fixed to a respective arm or to the base panel, and wherein the other of the ends engages a feature mounted to the arm. The arms and locking projections are configured to spread apart to enable insertion of a cable between the arms, wherein the gripping projections engage and grip the cable, and wherein the locking projections are configured to be inserted into the aperture of the supporting structure. 
     As a third aspect, a cable hanger for securing a cable to a supporting structure having an aperture comprises: a base panel having opposed ends; a pair of arms, each of the arms attached to a respective end of the base panel and having a free end; a pair of locking projections, each of the locking projections attached to a respective free end of the arms; and a pair of gripping members, each gripping member attached to a respective arm, each gripping member having opposed ends, wherein a first end of each of the gripping members is fixed to a respective arm or to the base panel, and wherein a second end of each of the gripping members includes a locking feature that is configured to interlock with a second end of the other gripping member. The arms and locking projections are configured to spread apart to enable insertion of a cable between the arms, wherein the gripping projections engage and grip the cable, and wherein the locking projections are configured to be inserted into the aperture of the supporting structure. 
     As a fourth aspect, a cable hanger for securing a cable to a supporting structure having an aperture comprises: a base panel having opposed ends; a pair of arms, each of the arms attached to a respective end of the base panel and having a free end; a pair of locking projections, each of the locking projections attached to a respective free end of the arms; a pair of flex members, each flex member attached to a respective arm, each flex member having opposed ends, wherein one of the ends of each flex member is fixed to the arms and the other of the ends of each flex member is fixed to the arm or to the base panel; and a cantilevered gripping member extending from each flex member. The arms and locking projections are configured to spread apart to enable insertion of a cable between the arms, wherein the cantilevered gripping members engage and grip the cable, and wherein the locking projections are configured to be inserted into the aperture of the supporting structure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a prior art cable hanger. 
         FIG.  2    is a top view of the prior art cable hanger of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  3    is a side view of a cable hanger according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG.  4    is a top view of the cable hanger of  FIG.  3   . 
         FIG.  5    is a side view of a cable hanger according to alternative embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG.  6    is a top view of the cable hanger of  FIG.  5   . 
         FIG.  7    is a top view of a cable hanger according to additional embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG.  8    is a side view of the cable hanger of  FIG.  7   . 
         FIG.  9    is a partial top view of a cable hanger according to further embodiments of the invention with a smaller diameter cable in place. 
         FIG.  10    is a partial top view of the cable hanger of  FIG.  9    with a larger diameter cable in place. 
         FIG.  11    is a partial top view of a cable hanger according to still further embodiments of the invention prior to securing of a cable. 
         FIG.  12    is a side view of the cable hanger of  FIG.  11     
         FIG.  13    is a top view of the cable hanger of  FIG.  11    after securing of a cable. 
         FIG.  14    is a partial top view of the cable hanger of  FIG.  3   . 
         FIG.  15    is a partial top view of a cable hanger according to additional embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG.  16    is a perspective view of a cable hanger according to further embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG.  17    is a top view of the cable hanger of  FIG.  16   . 
         FIG.  18    is a perspective view of a cable hanger according to further embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG.  19    is a top view of the cable hanger of  FIG.  18   . 
         FIG.  20    is a perspective view of a portion of a cable hanger according to still further embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG.  21    is a top view of a portion of the cable hanger of  FIG.  20   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments that are pictured and described herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. It will also be appreciated that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in any way and/or combination to provide many additional embodiments. 
     Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms that are used in this disclosure have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The terminology used in the below description is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used in this disclosure, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that when an element (e.g., a device, circuit, etc.) is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present. 
     Referring now to the figures, a prior art cable hanger, designated broadly at  10 , is shown in  FIGS.  1  and  2   . The hanger  10  includes curved arms  5  that extend from a flat base  6 . Locking projections  7  extend from the free ends of the arms  5 . As can be seen in  FIGS.  1  and  2   , the locking projections  7  are inserted into a reinforced hole  8  in a tower structure  4  to mount the hanger  10  thereon. The base  6  of the hanger  10  includes a reinforced hole  9  that can receive the projections of another hanger  10  to mount a second cable. 
     As can be best seen in  FIG.  2   , the arms  5  include arcuate sections  14  that together generally define a circle within which a cable can be grasped. Two cantilevered tabs  12  extend radially inwardly and toward the base  6  at one end of the arcuate sections  14 , and two cantilevered tabs  16  extend radially inwardly and toward the base  6  from the opposite ends of the arcuate sections  14 . The cantilevered tabs  12 ,  16  are deployed to deflect radially outwardly when the hanger  10  receives a cable for mounting; this deflection generates a radially inward force from each tab  12 ,  16  that grips the jacket of the cable. 
     As discussed above, fiber optic cables tend to be much denser than coaxial cables, and therefore generate a much greater load than coaxial cables of similar diameter. Also, fiber optic cables are currently offered in a larger variety of outer diameters. Accordingly, the hanger  10  may not be suitable for the mounting of some fiber optic cables. 
     A hanger that may address some of the issues above is illustrated in  FIGS.  3  and  4    and designated broadly at  110 . The hanger  110  has a base  106 , curved arms  105  and locking projections  107  that are similar to those of the hanger  10  discussed above. However, rather than having only cantilevered tabs extending from the arms, the hanger  110  has cantilevered locating projections  112 ,  116  and straight gripping members  118 . These are described in greater detail below. 
     The locating projections  112  are positioned near the ends of the arcuate sections  114  near the base  106 . As can be seen in  FIG.  4   , each locating projection  112  extends away from its respective arm  105  at an angle that is generally tangent to the outer diameter of a cable captured within the arms  105 . Similarly, the locating projections  116  are positioned near the ends of the arcuate sections  114  near the locking projections  107 , and extend generally tangent to the outer diameter of a cable captured by the arms  105 . Each of the gripping members  118  is fixed at both ends of a respective arcuate section  114  and extends as a straight beam to define a chord of the arcuate section  114 . 
     When the hanger  110  is used to mount a cable, the arms  105  are spread to enable the cable to slip between the locking projections  107  and into the space S between the arms  105 . The locating projections  112 ,  116  can help to locate the cable within the space S. The outer surface of the jacket of the cable presses into and deflects the gripping members  118 ; this deflection provides a gripping force on the jacket that can hold the cable in place. 
     The gripping force of the gripping members  118  can be considerably higher than that provided by the cantilevered tabs  12 ,  16  of the prior hanger  10 . The force applied by a deflected cantilevered beam can be calculated as 
         N =(3 DEI )/ L   3   (1)
 
     wherein 
     N=the force normal to the beam; 
     D=the amount of deflection experienced by the beam; 
     E=elastic modulus of the material of the beam; 
     I=moment of inertia through the cross-section of the beam; and 
     L=length of the beam. 
     In contrast, the force applied by a deflected beam fixed at both ends is: 
         N =(192 DEI )/ L   3   (2)
 
     wherein N, D, E, I and L are as defined above in equation (1). Thus, for a beam of equal length and cross-section (such that L and I are the same in both equations), and formed of the same material (such that E is the same in both equations), the force generated by an equal deflection is 64 times greater (i.e., 192/3) by a beam fixed at both ends than by a cantilevered beam. 
     Accordingly, assuming that the deflection of the gripping members  118  is essentially the same as that of the tabs  12 ,  16 , the gripping members  118  exert 64 times as much gripping force onto the cable jacket as the tabs  12 ,  16 . This markedly increased gripping force can assist in the mounting of heavier cables, such as fiber optic cables. 
     This concept can be applied in different ways. For example,  FIG.  14    is a partial top view of an arm  105  and gripping member  118  of the cable hanger  110 . As can be seen in  FIG.  14   , the length of the gripping member  118  is less than that of the length of the arcuate section A of the arm  105  extending between the ends of the gripping member  118 . As such, if the arm  105  and gripping member  118  were stamped from a single sheet of metal (such as sheet steel), their different lengths should be accounted for. One technique for doing so is illustrated in  FIG.  15   , wherein the gripping member  118 ′ is offset from the arm  105 ′ by two bridge segments  119 . The bridge segments  119  may be sized such that each bridge segment  119  has a length that is approximately half of the difference in length between the gripping member  118 ′ and the arcuate section A. Employing bridge members  119  of this size would render the combined bridge members  119  and gripping member  118 ′ approximately the same length as the arcuate section A, which would facilitate stamping the cable hanger  110  from a single sheet of metal. The mismatch in lengths between the gripping member  118  and the arcuate section A may also be addressed by including curvature (e.g., concave or convex) in the gripping member  118 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS.  5  and  6   , another embodiment of a cable hanger, designated broadly at  210 , is shown therein. The hanger  210  has a base  206 , curved arms  205  and locking projections  207  that are similar to those of the hangers  10 ,  110  discussed above. However, rather than having only cantilevered tabs extending from the arms, the hanger  210  has serpentine locating projections  212 ,  216  and serpentine gripping members  218 . These are described in greater detail below. 
     The locating projections  212  are positioned near the ends of the arcuate sections  214  near the base  206 . As can be seen in  FIG.  5   , each locating projection  212  has a central portion  212   a  that extends away from its respective arm  205  at an angle that is generally tangent to the outer diameter of a cable captured within the arms  205 . Similarly, the locating projections  216  are positioned near the ends of the arcuate sections  214  near the locking projections  207  and have coils  216   a ,  216   b  that extend generally tangent to the outer diameter of a cable captured by the arms  205 . 
     Each of the gripping members  218  is fixed at both ends of a respective arcuate section  214 . Each gripping member  218  includes three vertical runs  218   a ,  218   b ,  218   c  connected by two horizontal runs  218   d ,  218   e . The vertical run  218   a  is attached to the arm  205  at its upper end via a bridge  218   f , and the vertical run  218   c  is attached to the arm  205  at its lower end via a bridge  218   g . The vertical runs  218   a ,  218   b ,  218   c , the horizontal runs  218   d ,  218   e , and the bridges  218   f ,  218   g  define generally a vertical plane that forms a chord within the arcuate section  214  of the arm  205 . 
     In the same manner described above for the hangers  10 ,  110 , the hanger  210  is deployed by separating the arms  205  to permit insertion of a cable. The outer surface of the jacket of the cable presses into and deflects the gripping members  218 , which generates a gripping force on the jacket that can hold the cable in place. 
     Although the gripping members  218  are beams with fixed ends in the manner of gripping members  218  above, the gripping force generated by the gripping members  218  will be somewhat less than that of a straight beam of similar horizontal span due to the ability of the gripping members  218  to twist along the vertical runs  218   a ,  218   b ,  218   c . As such, a serpentine arrangement such as that shown herein can reduce the gripping force of a cable should a lower force be needed (for example, to enable the arms  205  to close sufficiently to insert the locking projections  207  into a mounting hole), and can be employed to “tune” the magnitude of the gripping force. Similarly, the serpentine arrangement of the locating projections  212 ,  216  can reduce the force imparted by these structures to the cable. 
     Another embodiment of a cable hanger, designated broadly at  310 , is illustrated in  FIGS.  7  and  8   . The hanger  310  has a base  306 , arms  305  and locking projections  307  that are similar to those of the hangers  10 ,  110 ,  210  discussed above; however, as can bee seen in  FIGS.  7  and  8   , the arms  305  are relatively straight and lack arcuate sections. Also, the hanger  310  lacks locating projections, and includes arcuate gripping members  318  that are fixed at one end near the base  306 . Each gripping member  318  is supported at its opposite end by a respective a brace  320  or other feature that extends inwardly from the end of the arm  305  near the locking projections  307 . The gripping members  318  include bent tips  318   a  that engage the ends of the braces  320 . 
     As can be seen in  FIG.  7   , the cable hanger  310  receives a cable between the arcuate surfaces of the gripping members  318 . As the gripping members  318  deflect to receive the cable, the tips  318   a  engage the braces  320 . The presence of the braces  320  supporting the tips  318   a  of the gripping members  318  provide support that can be approximated as a “pinned” joint (i.e., a hinge joint, wherein the member rotates about the joint but does not translate in any direction relative to the joint). The equation for calculating the force generated for a beam that is fixed at one end and pinned at the opposite end is approximately: 
         N =(6 DEI )/ L   3   (3)
 
     wherein N, D, E, I and L are as defined above in Equations (1) and (2). (The denominator of Equation 3 is not exactly L 3 , but is calculated with a lengthy equation that simplifies to approximately L 3 , so for simplicity L 3  is used herein). Thus, for a given length of beam and deflection, the normal force is approximately twice the magnitude exerted by a cantilevered beam. 
     Applying equation (3) to the gripping members  318  of the cable hanger  310 , the gripping members  318  should provide approximately twice the gripping force to a cable that cantilevered gripping members of similar length would provide. 
     Referring now to  FIGS.  9  and  10   , another embodiment of a cable hanger, designated broadly at  410 , is shown therein. As can be seen in the partial view of  FIGS.  9  and  10   , the hanger  410  has a base  406  and arms  405  (only one of which is shown in  FIGS.  9  and  10   ); the cable hanger  410  has locking projections on the arms  405  that are not shown in the figures. The cable hanger  410  includes gripping members  418  with arcuate sections  418   a  and angled tips  418   b  that are mounted as cantilevered beams in an undeflected state. When, as shown in  FIG.  9   , a relatively small diameter cable  450  is mounted within the gripping members  418 , the deflection of the gripping members  418  is sufficiently small that the tips  418   b  of the gripping members do not contact the arms  405 . As a result, the gripping force imparted to the cable  450  by the gripping members  418  can be calculated using Equation (1) above for a cantilevered beam. In contrast, if a relatively larger cable  460  is mounted within the gripping members  418 , the deflection of the gripping members  418  is sufficient that the tips  418   b  of the gripping members  418  engage the arms  405  (see  FIG.  10   ). In this instance, the gripping force imparted to the cable  460  by the gripping members  418  can be approximately calculated using Equation (3) above for a fixed-pinned beam, which of course produces a larger gripping force than a cantilevered beam. (It is noted that there may be some sliding of the tip  418   b  relative to the arm  405  as deflection increases, such that it is not a true “pinned” joint, but Equation (3) should still suffice for approximating the gripping force). Thus, the gripping members  418  of the cable hanger  410  can produce a higher gripping force for larger diameter cables, which presumably are heavier than smaller diameter cables. 
     Referring now to  FIGS.  11 - 13   , a further embodiment of a cable hanger, designated broadly at  510 , is shown therein. The cable hanger  510  includes a base  506 , arms  505  and locking projections  507  as discussed above. However, the cable hanger  510  includes two differently configured gripping members  518 ,  519 . The gripping member  518  includes an arcuate section  518   a  and a radially-inwardly extending locking tab  518   b  with a hook  518   c . The gripping member  519  has a similar arcuate section  519   a , but has a locking panel  519   b  with horizontal slots  519   c  (shown in the inset of  FIG.  11   ). 
     To mount a cable with the cable hanger  510 , the locking projections  507  are spread to enable insertion of the cable  550  between the gripping members  518 ,  519 . The free ends of the gripping members  518 ,  519  are then brought together, with the locking tab  518   c  of the gripping member  518  being inserted into an appropriate slot  519   c  of the gripping member  519  to grip the cable  550 . The locking projections  507  are then inserted into a mounting hole of either a mounting structure or another cable hanger in the manner described above. The multiplicity of slots  519   c  can provide the cable hanger  510  with the flexibility to mount a variety of cable sizes. 
     Those of skill in this art will appreciate that locking features other than the locking tab  518  and the slotted locking panel  519   b  may be employed with cable hanger according to embodiments of the invention. 
     Referring now to  FIGS.  16  and  17   , another embodiment of a cable hanger, designated broadly at  610 , is shown therein. The cable hanger  610  is somewhat similar to the cable hanger  110 , inasmuch as it has a base  606 , curved arms  605  and locking projections  607  that resemble those of the hanger  110  discussed above. The cable hanger  610  also has flex members  618  that define chords across the arcuate sections  614  of the arms  605 . However, as can be seen in  FIG.  17   , cantilevered gripping members  612 ,  616  extend from the flex members  618  and into the cable-gripping space S within the arms  605 . It can also be seen in  FIG.  16    that the flex members  618  are tripartite, with two vertically offset horizontal runs  618   a ,  618   c  merging with the arcuate sections  614  of the arms  605  and a vertical run  618   b  extending between the horizontal runs  618   a ,  618   c . The gripping members  612 ,  616  extend from opposite sides of the vertical run  618   b  and are vertically offset from each other. 
     In use, the cable hanger  610  is employed in the same manner as the cable hanger  110 ; a cable is inserted into the space S between the arms  605 , which are then closed around the cable as the locking projections  607  are inserted into a mounting hole. The cantilevered gripping members  612 ,  616  can help to grip and to center the cable within the space S. The presence of the flex members  618 , which are fixed end beams like the gripping members  118  of the cable hanger  110 , can provide additional gripping force in the manner described above in connection with the cable hanger  110 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS.  18  and  19   , another embodiment of a cable hanger, designated broadly at  710 , is shown therein. The cable hanger  710  is somewhat similar to the cable hanger  610  in that it includes a base  706 , arms  705  and locking projections  707 , as well as having tripartite flex members  718  with vertically offset cantilevered gripping members  712 ,  716 . However, the arms  705  of the cable hanger  710  are not smoothly arcuate, but instead include straight sections  705   a ,  705   b  and a curved section  705   c . Also, the flex members  718  are angled, with the horizontal run  718   a  emerging from the straight section  705   a  of the arm  705 , and the horizontal run  718   c  being angled relative to the vertical run  718   b  to meet the straight section  705   b . The straight sections  705   a ,  705   b  include raised ribs  705   d ,  705   e  to provide additional stiffness to the arms  705 . 
     The cable hanger  710  is employed in the same manner as the cable hanger  610 , with a cable being inserted into the space S between the arms  705  and being gripped by the gripping members  712 ,  716 . Notably, the shapes of the straight sections  705   a ,  705   b  of the arms  705  and the horizontal runs  718   a ,  718   c  of the flex members  718  are selected so that a similar length of material is used for each (i.e., the combined lengths of the straight sections  705   a ,  705   b  are approximately the same as the combined lengths of the horizontal runs  718   a ,  718   c ) to facilitate stamping of the material and to maintain strength of the stamped material. 
     Referring now to  FIGS.  20  and  21   , another embodiment of a cable hanger, designated broadly at  810 , is illustrated therein. The cable hanger  810  is similar to the cable hanger  610  of  FIGS.  16  and  17    described above. The cable hanger  810  has a base  806 , curved arms  805  and locking projections  807  that resemble those of the hanger  610  discussed above. The cable hanger  810  also has tripartite flex members  818  (only one of which is shown in  FIGS.  20  and  21   ) that define chords across the arcuate sections  814  of the arms  805 , with cantilevered gripping members  812 ,  816  extending from the flex members  818  and into the cable-gripping space S within the arms  805 . However, in this embodiment each of the gripping members  812 ,  816  includes two longitudinal gripping flanges  822  at its free end. The gripping flanges  822  are located on each side of an open-ended slot  820  and extend with flat edges  824  into the space S between the arms  805 . 
     In use, the cable hanger  810  is employed in the same manner as the cable hanger  610 ; a cable is inserted into the space S between the arms  805 , which are then closed around the cable as the locking projections  807  are inserted into a mounting hole. The gripping flanges  822  improve the grip of the cable hanger  810  on the cable. 
     During installation, the flat edges  824  of the gripping flanges  822  can slide over the cable jacket relatively easily, as the sliding action occurs along the length of the flat edges  824 . This configuration can facilitate installation compared to prior hangers that have included individual barbs rather than flanges, as the barbs tend to “hang up” on the cable jacket as the hanger is slid into place. Once in position, the gripping flanges  822  can provide superior gripping force to hangers that employ a coined edge as a gripping feature. Moreover, the presence of the gripping flanges  822  increases the moment of inertia of the gripping members  812 ,  816 , which stiffens the gripping members  812 ,  816  and thereby increases the gripping force. 
     Those of skill in this art will appreciate that other configurations of gripping flanges may be employed. For example, in some embodiments only one of the gripping members  812 ,  816  may include a gripping flange, or only one gripping flange may be included on each gripping member. The length and height of the gripping flanges may vary. Other variations may also be suitable. 
     Those skilled in this art will appreciate that the cable hangers discussed above are typically formed of a metallic material, such as steel, and may be formed as a unitary member (often from a flat blank stamped from sheet steel and bent into a desired shape). 
     Also, it will be apparent to those of skill in this art that the cable hangers  110 ,  210 ,  310 ,  410 ,  510 ,  610 ,  710 ,  810  can be arranged in a “stacked” relationship by inserting the locking projections of one cable hanger into the mounting hole in the base of a second cable hanger in the manner described above with respect to cable hanger  10 . The second cable hanger may be identical to or different from the first cable hanger as needed for hanging the cable in question. 
     The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.