A towing sock or wire rope puller or wire pulling grip is a device that connects to the end of a cable, such as a power cable, in order to pull it through a tube or tunnel.[1] It works by tightening around the cable when pulled, in the same manner as a Chinese finger trap.[2] The towing sock is tubular and made of braided cable, open at one end and closed at the other where it connects to a tow line using an eye splice.[3]

Towing sock

Variants

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A similar device using the same principle, in this case used to straighten and fix a Bennett's fracture

Medical

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Similar devices include a traction device used to treat a Bennett's fracture, a type of finger or thumb injury.[4]

Also similar is the strain-relief grip which uses woven wire around the end of electrical wiring just before the terminal. It is placed there to prevent the wire from breaking.[5] They are common in "drop" installations where electrical cables are attached to conduit on the ceiling and drop through space down to a machine or receptacle. Generally, the cable is attached to the electrical wiring near the ceiling in a normal manner, but a short distance away from the electrical connection there is a strain relief grip attached to an anchor point on the ceiling to hold the weight of the wire, though if the wire is not particularly heavy, the strain-relief grip may be attached directly to the rigid conduit.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "Towing Socks & Cable Pullers For Cables And Pipe". The Trench-less Technology Specialists. No DIG Equipment. 2017.
  2. ^ "Towing Socks (Chinese Fingers)". Home/Pipe and Cable Pulling, Cable Laying/Towing Socks (Chinese Fingers). Pipe Equipment Specialists LTD. 2012.
  3. ^ "Medium Duty Cable Socks (Pulling Grips)". Oil & Gas . Transmission & Distribution . Industrial. Slingco Cable Grip. 2017.
  4. ^ Renato Fricker, Matej Kastelec, Fiesky Nuñez, Terry Axelrod (8 November 2008). "Thumb - Bennett fracture". AO Foundation.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ "Serving The Needs Of The Would's Core Industries". Slingco Cable Grip. 2017.
  6. ^ "Are portable electrical outlets permitted in a basement?".
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