[Wire] Rope Terminations at Arbors

This picture shows a single purchase cast iron arbor top plate. The wire ropes are not supported by thimbles allowing them to deform and separate strands under load. Additionally, only one wire rope clip was used for termination, in lieu of the required minimum of two. Some of the "Crosby" clips (u-bolt cable clips) are installed backwards with the dead (unloaded) end of the cable run under the saddle (Remember: "Never saddle a dead horse").

The fiber hauling line does not have a thimble either, which acts to buffer the abrasive casting finish against the rope surface. Here is a picture of an arbor bottom plate with a plastic rope thimble (they are also available as a metal type):

This is a very old wire guided arbor with extended eye bolts for attachments (again, no thimbles to reduce the point-load on the rope bending point). You can also see that the top plate is tilted showing that the arbor has been racked and is skewed diagonally.

Here is the top of a double-width arbor (carries two stacks of weight). Again, no thimbles. It appears that the installer tied a clove hitch and then terminated the cable with just one wire rope clip. I don't know where the loose nut (partially hidden) that was laying on top of the arbor top plate came from . . .

And here is a the top of a new arbor that is properly terminated. Note that the load lines can be disconnected without cutting the cable. This makes them much easier to work on and replace if necessary. You can also see how the wire rope cables are not deformed as they bend around the thimble. Also of note is the safety wire (mousing) on the screw-pin shackle to keep it from coming apart. It's unknown why the front-most line was attached with a shackle when the other lines were looped around a through-bolt.