Patent ID: 8256982

Claim:
A thimble assembly, comprising: a length of wire rope having a first end and a second end, wherein a loop is formed in at least one of the first and second ends; a wire rope thimble, the thimble comprising first and second leg portions, an arch portion, a peripheral groove extending substantially along an outer surface of the first and second leg portions and the arch portion, an element retaining feature, and a thimble eye defined by an inner surface of the thimble and the element retaining feature, wherein the wire rope loop is installed in the peripheral groove; and a rigging element installed through the thimble eye, wherein the element retaining feature is secured to one of the first or second leg portions and disconnected from the other of the first or second leg portion, the element retaining feature including a plate that cooperates with the first and second leg portions and arch portion to fully enclose and encapsulate the rigging element within the thimble eye, the element retaining feature filling a majority of a space between the first and second leg portions such that a largest part of the rigging element is wider than the widest dimension of the thimble eye.