Anchor Socket

The present invention relates to an anchor socket for a bridge cable.

In such a suspension bridge as shown in FIG. 1, each cable 2 for supporting a bridge girder 1 has a plurality of PC (prestressed concrete) steel wires bound together. In order to secure the end of the cables, it has been a common practice to insert the end of the bundle 5 of the PC steel wires into an anchor socket 4 provided with a tapered hole 3 as shown in FIG. 2, to cause the wires to diverge in radial directions within the hole, and to pour molten metal such as zinc into the hole to fasten the wires. A problem with this method is that the high temperature (about 500.degree. to 700.degree. C.) of the molten metal poured into the hole causes a metallographical change in the steel wires, causing a decline in the strength of the cable. Another problem is that the steel wires are fatigued by the outward bending to which they are subjected when the bundle 5 is allowed to diverge in radial directions within the anchor socket 4 and this metal fatigue causes a decline in the strength of the cable.

It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-described problems and to provide an improved anchor socket for cables.

In accordance with the present invention, the anchor socket is formed on its inside with a plurality of annular ribs, the inside diameters of which are the larger, the smaller the distance from the anchored end of the cable.

Due to this arrangement of the annular ribs of the anchor socket, the steel wires are not bent with so large an angle. Therefore, the decrease in their strength due to metal fatigue is eliminated.

Another advantage is that since casting with molten metal is not needed any more, the steel wires are not subjected to any metallographical change due to high temperature.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view showing an example of a suspension bridge;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a conventional anchor socket;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the anchor socket of this invention in use;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along lines IV--IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the lines V--V of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the lines VI--VI of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of PC steel stranded wires of an unbonded type.

Referring to FIG. 3, the anchor socket 10 in accordance with the present invention comprises a cylindrical portion 11, a conical portion 12 extending from one end of the cylindrical portion 11, and a base portion 14 provided with an annular shoulder 13. The shoulder is adapted to be secured to a member 15 integral with the bridge girder.

The cylindrical portion 11 and the conical portion 12 are formed with ribs 16 and 16', respectively. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the internal periphery of the ribs 16 and 16' are hexagonal and the inside diameter of the rib 16' (i.e., the diameter of a circle inscribed therein) provided in the conical portion 12 is larger than that of the rib 16 provided in the cylindrical portion 11. The internal periphery of the ribs 16 and 16' may be of any other polygonal shape or circular.

A stop plate 17 provided with a plurality of holes 18 is secured in the base portion 14 of the anchor socket 10. A tapered grip 20 secured to the end of each steel wire 19 is inserted and held in each hole 18. A coupling sleeve 21 is connected to the end of the cylindrical portion 11 of the anchor socket 10 by screwing it thereinto. Cable covers 22 and 22' are inserted into the other end of the coupling sleeve 21. The cable covers of a semicircular shape are applied to the bundle 24 of unbonded type stranded PC steel wires covered with a polyethylene sheath 23 (FIG. 7) and are coupled together at mating portions 25 and 25'.

The polyethylene sheath 23 is peeled off the portion of the PC steel wire 19 which is to be positioned within the coupling sleeve 21 and the anchor socket 10, so that the stranded PC steel wires 19 are exposed. The interior of the coupling sleeve 21 and the anchor socket 10 is filled up with grout 26.

The cable covers 22, 22' are formed on their inside with a plurality of ribs 27 and stands 28 spaced therebetween to incorporate the wires 19 tightly within the cable covers without the need of any spacer. Each cable cover has a projection 29 at one edge and a recess 30 at the other edge, the projection being adapted to be received in the recess. The projection and recess have a rugged surface to prevent them from getting off from each other.

Since the steel wires 19 are brought toward each other by the ribs 16, 16', undue stress is not applied to the cable covers 22, 22'.