Patent Abstract:
A pair of elongated, thin, flexible, plastic strips capable of being secured together linearly, around an object to be anchored, such as a bundle of wires, or pipe. One of the strips has means for securing the device to a panel such as a wall.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention resides in the general field of mounting wires and cables on a wall and running them along the wall between spaced connector points on the wall. 
   OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
   The objects of the invention are to provide such an anchoring device that possesses advantages as follows: 
   1. It is made up entirely of plastic pieces. 
   2. There are no metal elements included in the device. 
   3. The plastic pieces are interconnected for securing the device around the wires or objects to be mounted. 
   4. The interconnecting steps are performed by the insertion of an elongated element on one of the pieces through an opening in the other piece, and drawing them tight around the wires. 
   5. The binding and securement effect between the pieces of plastic is accomplished by wedging action between certain elements of the pieces. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention resides in a cable anchoring device for anchoring a cable on a wall. The device comprises a first tie member, a first head on a first end thereof and a bare second end. A second tie member having a second head on a first end thereof. A first head on said second tie member is placed in a first hole in a wall element and projected through that hole. The first head has a second hole therethrough. The second tie member has a second head on its second end and the second head has a hole therethrough. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of one of the two pieces of the device. 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the other one of the two pieces of the device. 
       FIG. 3  is a top view taken at line  3 — 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 3A  is similar to  FIG. 4 , but on a larger scale and including an additional element. 
       FIG. 4  is a bottom view taken at line  4 — 4  of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 5  is a view of the two pieces assembled i.e., the piece of  FIG. 1  is inserted through the piece of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 6  is a view of the assembled pieces as oriented in  FIG. 5  in association with a segment of a wall. 
       FIG. 7  is a view oriented according to  FIG. 6  but showing the assembled pieces fitted to the wall segment and indicating how their extended ends are to be interlocked. 
       FIG. 8  is a sectional view taken at line  8 — 8  of  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 8A  is a view oriented according to  FIG. 8  but with the “first” piece positioned therein and partially pulled into locking position. 
       FIG. 9  is a view of a device in finally installed position encompassing a bundle of wires. 
       FIG. 10  is a sectional view taken at line  10 — 10  of  FIG. 7 . 
       FIG. 11  is a face view of the strip of an alternate form of the “first” piece. 
       FIG. 12  is a view similar to  FIG. 11  of another form of the device. 
       FIG. 13  is a view taken at line  13 — 13  of  FIG. 12 . 
       FIG. 14  is a view taken at line  14 — 14  of  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 15  is a sectional view of still another form of device. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1  shows a first one of the two pieces making up the entire device. The piece of  FIG. 1 , identified as  30 , includes a strip  32 , which may also be referred to as the body of the piece. The piece at its upper end  31 , ( FIG. 1 ) includes a wedge element  34 , which may be referred to as a heard, and its lower end  38 , which may also be referred to as its leading end, is tapered. As noted above the entire item is composed of plastic and is a single, integrated one-piece item. 
   In the form of  FIG. 1 , the piece  30  may be of any of a plurality of different shapes and forms, but in the present case, the wedge element  34  may be round, or conical. The strip  32  is flat and relatively thin, with grooves and notches  33  having prongs  35  near the top thereof for retaining the piece in mounted position as referred to below, and cross ribs  36  for interlocking it with the other piece. These ribs are distributed along the strip from an upper point  37  below the grooves  33  to a lower point  38  near the lower end, and the tapered lower end  39  may be smooth. 
   Reference is now made to the second piece, identified  40 , in  FIG. 2 . This piece includes a body or relatively thin flat strip  42  having a top surface  42 ′ and a first head  43  at a first end  44  and a second head  45  at its other and second end. Each of the pieces  30 ,  40  is independently molded and there are no elements of non-plastic character utilized in either of the pieces. It is not necessary for the user to cut any openings in the device in applying it to its position of use, or in its functioning in holding the wires or cables. The first head  43  ( FIG. 3 ) is cylindrical and hollow and extends in one direction from the body or strip  42  ( FIG. 5 ) in this case upwardly. 
   The first head  43  is provided with a series of radial notches or cuts  46 — 46  such as seven or eight or more in number, forming a corresponding number of fingers  48 — 48  in the peripheral wall of the cylinder. In using the device, the operator inserts the stem  32  of the first piece into and through the first head  43  ( FIG. 2 ) to the position of  FIG. 5 . At this position the wedge  34 , or head does not enter into the cylindrical first head  43 , but does so at a later step as described below. In a first step, the first piece  30  is moved only down to the position of  FIG. 5  in which the wedge element engages only the upper ends of the fingers  48 — 48 . As a next step, the assembly of the two pieces as shown in  FIG. 5  is positioned for inserting into a wall  50  as shown in  FIG. 6 . A hole  52  is first drilled in the wall at what is conveniently referred to as a mounting position or mounting station  54  ( FIG. 7 ). This hole is cut through the wall to a convenient distance for mounting the device on the wall. It may be partially through, or entirely through, the wall, as desired. 
   The wall element  50  may also be referred to as a panel, since the device is well adapted to mounting wires, cables, etc. in any of the various places. A wall may be a most common example in which the device is utilized, but it is also well adapted for use in connection with a panel. A panel may be in any of various positions, whereas a wall is usually vertical, and a point is made of the fact that the device is easily usable in any position of the panel. 
   Following the foregoing, the assembly of the two pieces connected as in  FIG. 5 , and identified  58  is positioned relative to the wall or panel, as represented in  FIG. 6  and then it is moved toward the wall, and the first head  42 , with the wedge  34  as a unit, is inserted through the hole  52  ( FIG. 7 ) to a position in which the body or the strip  42  of the piece  40  engages flat against the wall. Thereafter, in the use of the device, constant pressure is imposed against the second piece as represented by the arrow  56 , in  FIG. 7 . At this point, the strip  30  ( FIG. 7 ) is pulled downwardly, while the pressure is maintained according to the arrow  56 . The strip may be pulled by gripping it by the hand or by a pair of pliers, and as it is pulled down, the head or wedge  34  is pulled into the cylindrical first head  43  as shown in  FIG. 8A . In this step, the wedge  34  spreads the fingers  48 — 48  radially and they are bent so that the ends thereof engage the wall  51 . 
   This engagement by the fingers with the wall prevents the first piece from being pulled entirely through the cylindrical head. 
   The head  43  is provided with a counterbore  58  (see  FIGS. 8 ,  8 A). This counterbore extends from the inner (or upper) end of the tubular fingers  48  to a position above the top surface  42 ′. As the wedge  34  enters into the head  43 , that is, into the space between the fingers, and as it spreads the fingers, the inner and thinner portions of the fingers provided by the counterbore facilitates the flexing of the fingers  48 — 48  outwardly. 
   The positions of the fingers pursuant to such flexing is shown at  62 ′ in  FIG. 8A . 
   The fingers  48  do not lose their resiliency, and they tend to move back to their original cylindrical position, or as stated in another way, and as viewed in  FIG. 8A , their outer ends tend to move upwardly and urge the entire first piece  30  upwardly. As long as pressure or tension is applied to the first piece in pulling it down, the relationship between the various members and elements remains in proper condition, but after that pulling effect is released from the first piece  30 , if the first piece were not held positively in a downward position, it would be urged upwardly by the reverse movement of the fingers  48 — 48 . 
   The fingers  48  ( FIG. 3 ) are so dimensioned and located as to be responsive well to the wedge whether the latter is round, or polygonal. 
   An important feature of the present invention is to prevent any reverse movement of the fingers  48 — 48  or of the entire piece  30 . For this purpose, the first head  43  at its lower end ( FIG. 4 ) is provided with a series of notches  60 — 60  in the wall thereof leaving a corresponding number of prongs  62 — 62 . These prongs and notches are shown in  FIG. 8 . 
   Correspondingly, the grooves  33 — 33  ( FIG. 1 ) are positioned at an axial distance from the wedge  34  as to engage the prongs  62 — 62  in the second head  42  ( FIG. 8A ). The prongs  62 — 62  similarly to other elements of the device, possess a certain degree of resilience or springiness, and the grooves  33 — 33  engage these prongs  62 — 62  to prevent the first piece from being withdrawn from the second head. More specifically, as the fingers  48  tend to resume their original position they urge the first piece upwardly, as stated above, and a friction and holding effect is established between the prongs  62 — 62  and the groove top surface  35  to prevent the first piece from being moved objectionably upwardly. 
   Thus the first piece can be easily and quickly drawn into its final position manually, and it is held in that position, from going further inwardly beyond the fingers  48 — 48  and prevented from being withdrawn reversely by the groove top surfaces  35 — 35  and prongs  62 — 62  ( FIG. 8A ). 
   As a next step in using the device, the user grasps the strip  42  ( FIG. 9 ) and plies it against a bundle of wires  66 , and then draws up the strip  32  around the wires with the leading end  38  directed up to the second head  45  and inserts it through a hole  70  in the second head  45  ( FIG. 9 ). 
   If the strip  32  is round, the hole  70  may be provided with a single spur  92  ( FIGS. 10 and 14 ) which grips into the body of the strip  32  and holds it there against any force tending to withdraw it. This drawing up and tying is increased, or intensified until all of the wires are so tied. 
   This constitutes tying or anchoring the wires in a desired location, and then the user may go to a next station or location to install another tie. 
   Other shapes which the strip  32  may assume, are represented in  FIGS. 11–13 . 
   These latter figures represent “first” pieces as identified above, that are non-circular. 
   The piece  80  of  FIG. 11  has a body  82  that is thin and flat, and has transverse ribs  84  for facilitating gripping it and holding it in place. The wedge  86  thereon may be round or polygonal. 
   In  FIGS. 12 and 13 , the piece  88  has a central body portion  90  of relatively greater thickness with transverse ribs  91 , and side longitudinal ribs  94 . The wedge  96  is preferably polygonal. 
     FIG. 14  shows a head  98  corresponding to the head  45  but having an opening  100  shaped for receiving the strip  88  of  FIGS. 12 and 13 . 
   While the proportions of the various elements as shown and described hereinabove, constitute a preferred use of the device, it is also possible to use it as a rivet. Referring to  FIG. 7  for example, when the second piece is applied to the wall, it may be cut at the line  102  ( FIG. 7 ) and the excess material (at the left) discarded leaving the anchoring effect in a single circular area slightly larger than the first head  42 . 
   The various pieces, elements, parts, are all very simple and can be predesigned to accommodated substantially any kids and shapes of the pieces.  FIG. 15  shows another simple form that the device may assume. In this case, the device, indicated in its entirety positioned at a wall  102  and having a hole  104  therein. The device includes an outer bell-shaped tubular element  106  with circumferential teeth or locking ribs  108 . The element  106  at its inner end includes a plate  109  having its outer periphery engaging the wall element. This plate has a hole  110  for the insertion therethrough of a strip  112  corresponding to the strip  32  of the first form ( FIG. 1 ). 
   The strip  112  at its lower end includes circumferential ribs or teeth  114  engageable with the teeth  108  to prevent withdrawal of the strip  92  upwardly. 
   The element  106  has circumferentially spaced, longitudinal gaps  116  ( FIG. 15 ) to enable the parts  111  between the gaps to be sprung radially outwardly upon insertion of the strip  112 .

Technology Classification (CPC): 8