Thimbles One of the most popular ways to finish the end of a wire rope is to splice it into a loop or an eye. This provides a simple way to attach the wire rope to any anchor point. Whilst this is totally acceptable, there may be times when the eye needs more strength and sturdiness. A simple eye splice can be crushed and damaged fairly easily, however if a steel thimble is added into the eye/ loop whilst being spliced it will offer more strength, sturdiness and crush resistance.
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Stainless steel thimble HWX xxx
BS 464 thimble. XNBS xxx (Heart-shaped galvanized) Ordinary thimble
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Thimbles also offer good protection to the wires in the rope, protecting them from wear and kinks. Therefore by adding a thimble to your wire rope you can greatly extend its working life. There are two main kinds of thimbles. The ordinary thimble which is fairly standard. It is appropriate for lighter applications. Then there is the solid thimble, which is more robust and suitable for heavy weight applications. Both types are readily available in a wide range of sizes to suit different diameters of wire rope.
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Galvanized thimble (DIN 6899) HW xxx
US Heavy Duty Federal Specification thimble. XNFS xxx
Solid thimble
When the wire rope is terminated with a loop, there is a risk that it will bend too tightly, especially when the loop is connected to a device that spreads the load over a relatively small area. A thimble can be installed inside the loop to preserve the natural shape of the loop, and protect the cable from pinching and abrading on the inside of the loop. The thimble prevents the load from coming into direct contact with the wires. K2 thimble - Heavy duty stub-end type (Available in large dimensions) XNK2 xxx
K2-B thimble - Heavy duty stub-end type with reinforcement (Available in large dimensions) XNK2-B xxx
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