Glossary of Wire Rope Terms

Abrasion - Surface wear on the wires of a wire rope Common Strand - Galvanized strand made of galvanized iron wire whose grade is common iron
Acceleration Stress - Additional stress imposed on a wire rope due to increasing the velocity of the load Conical Drum - Grooved hoisting drum of tapering diameter
Aircraft Cables - Strands, cords and wire ropes made of special strength wire primarily for aircraft controls and miscellaneous uses of Aircraft Industry Construction - Design of wire rope including number of strands, number of wires per strand and arrangement of wires in each strand
Alternate Lay - Lay of a wire rope in which the strands are alternately regular and Lang Lay Continuous Bend - Reeving of wire rope over sheaves and drums so that it bends in the same direction, as opposed to reverse bend
Area, Metallic - Sum of the cross-sectional areas of individual wires in a wire rope or strand Conveyor Rope - Parallel endless wire ropes used to carry material
Armored Rope - Rope with individual strands spirally wrapped with flat steel wire Core - Member of a wire rope about which the strands are laid. It may be fiber, a wire strand or an independent wire rope
Back-Stay - Guy used to support a boom or mast: or that section of a main cable, as on a suspension bridge, cable-way, etc., leading from the tower to the anchorage Coring Line - Wire rope used to operate the coring tool for taking core samples during the drilling of a well
Bending Stress - Stress imposed on wires of a wire rope by bending Cord - Term applied to small sizes of wire ropes
Breaking Strength (wire rope) - The measured load required to break a wire rope in tension Corrosion - Chemical decomposition of the wires of a rope by exposure to moisture, acids, alkalines or other destructive agents
Breaking Strength (aggregate wire) - The sum of the breaking strength in tension of all the wires of a wire rope when the wires are tested individually Critical Diameter - Diameter of the smallest bend for a given wire rope which permits the wires and strands to adjust themselves by relative movement while remaining in their normal position
Bridle Sling - A two-part wire rope sling attached to a single part line. The legs of the sling are spread to divide and equalize the load Cylindrical Drum - Hoisting drum of uniform diameter
Bright Rope - Wire rope made of wires that are not coated with zinc, tin, or any other protective metal
Deceleration Stress - Additional stress imposed on a wire rope due to decreasing the velocity of the load
Button Conveyor Rope - Wire ropes to which buttons or discs are attached at regular intervals to move material in a trough Diameter - Distance measured across the center of a circle circumscribing the wires of a strand or the strands of a wire rope
Bronze Ropes - Wire rope made of bronze wires Dog-Leg - Permanent short bend or kink in a wire rope caused by improper use
Cable - A term loosely applied to wire ropes, wire strands, and electrical conductors Drum - A cylindrical flanged barrel of uniform or tapering diameter on which rope is wound for operation or storage. It may be smooth or grooved
Cable-Laid Wire Rope - A type of wire rope consisting of several wire ropes laid into a single wire rope Efficiency (wire rope) - Percentage ratio of measured breaking strength of a wire rope to the aggregate strength of all individual wires tested separately
Centers - Wire, strand or fiber in the center of a strand about which the wires are laid Elastic Limit - Limit of stress above which a permanent deformation takes place within the material
Choker - Short wire rope sling used to form a slip noose around the object to be moved or lifted
Endless Rope - Rope whose two ends are spliced together
Clevis -A "U" shaped fitting with pin Equalizing Thimbles - Special type of fitting used as a component part of some wire rope slings
Clip - Fitting for clamping two parts of wire rope Extra High Strength Strand - A grade of galvanized or bright strand
Come-Along - Device for making a temporary grip on a wire rope