Method for impregnating and coating wire rope

Claim 1

A method for impregnating wire rope wherein the wire rope is drawn through a die for impregnating spaces within the wire rope and coating an outer surface of the wire rope, said method comprising the steps of: introducing into a die a mixture of at least two reactive components, which when mixed together and sufficiently heated react rapidly and chemically to form a curable liquid polymeric material, the mixture being introduced into the die at a pressure of approximately 20-50 psi and temperature at which rapid reaction between the components does not occur; passing the wire rope through the die to contact the component mixture; applying heat to the component mixture in the die while simultaneously contacting the component mixture with the wire rope, the applied heat being sufficient to initiate a rapid reaction of the components upon contacting the wire rope to cause the components to form the liquid polymeric material and impregnate and encapsulate the wire rope; and curing the polymeric material to form an impregnated, coated wire rope.

Claim 2

A method for impregnating wire rope wherein the wire rope is drawn through a die for impregnating spaces within the wire rope and coating an outer surface of the wire rope, said method comprising the steps of: introducing into a die a mixture of at least two reactive components, which when mixed together and sufficiently heated react rapidly and chemically to form a curable liquid polymeric material, the mixture being introduced into the die at a pressure of approximately 20-50 psi and temperature at which rapid reaction between the components does not occur; passing the wire rope through the die to contact the component mixture; applying heat to the component mixture in the die while simultaneously contacting the component mixture with the wire rope, the applied heat being sufficient to initiate a rapid reaction of the components upon contacting the wire rope to cause the components to form the liquid polymeric material and impregnate and encapsulate the wire rope; and curing the polymeric material to form an impregnated, coated wire rope.

Claim 15

A method for continuously impregnating and encapsulating a wire rope with a polymeric material formed from at least two reactive components which when mixed together and sufficiently heated react rapidly and chemically to form a curable liquid polymeric material, said method comprising the steps of: separately introducing each component into a mixing unit, and transferring the component mixture into an injection die at a pressure of 20-50 psi and a temperature at which a rapid reaction of the components of the component mixture does not occur; preheating the wire rope to a temperature sufficient to initiate reaction of the components; introducing the preheated wire rope into the injection die in contact with the component mixture, the component mixture being heated upon contacting the wire rope and rapidly reacting to form a liquid polymer; and continuously impregnating spaces within the wire rope and encapsulating the outer surface of the wire rope with the liquid polymer as the wire rope passes through the injection die, the liquid polymer thereafter curing to form an impregnated, encapsulated wire rope.

Claim 16

A method for continuously impregnating and encapsulating a wire rope with a polymeric material formed from at least two reactive components which when mixed together and sufficiently heated react rapidly and chemically to form a curable liquid polymeric material, said method comprising the steps of: separately introducing each component into a mixing unit, and transferring the component mixture into an injection die at a pressure of 20-50 psi and a temperature at which a rapid reaction of the components of the component mixture does not occur; preheating the wire rope to a temperature sufficient to initiate reaction of the components; introducing the preheated wire rope into the injection die in contact with the component mixture, the component mixture being heated upon contacting the wire rope and rapidly reacting to form a liquid polymer; and continuously impregnating spaces within the wire rope and encapsulating the outer surface of the wire rope with the liquid polymer as the wire rope passes through the injection die, the liquid polymer thereafter curing to form an impregnated, encapsulated wire rope.