Gripple
![](../I/m/Gripple_Wire_Joining_%26_Fencing.jpg)
A Gripple wire joiner is a device used to join and tension wire, to terminate and suspend wires and wire ropes, and also to support false ceilings, cable baskets, and similar items.
![](../I/m/Gripple_Suspension_-_Lighting_Application.png)
They are manufactured in Sheffield, England by Gripple Ltd.[1] The name derives from the fact the device both "grips" and "pulls" wire.
History
Wire salesman Hugh Facey invented the original "Gripple" wire tensioner and joiner after a conversation in 1986 with a Welsh farmer. The first Gripple wire joiner was launched in the UK in 1988,[2] and Gripple Ltd was established in 1991.[3]
![](../I/m/The_Old_West_Gun_Works.jpg)
Description
Wire or wire rope is inserted into a channel in the Gripple wire joiner, where it is gripped by a spring-loaded roller or wedge, and tensioned by being pulled through. The channel is mirrored on the opposite side of the Gripple wire joiner, allowing a second piece of wire to be joined.
By turning a Gripple wire joiner through 90 degrees and combining it with wire rope, it produces a suspension system capable of holding up substantial loads, and this has given rise to a range of Gripple suspension systems, which are sold to the construction industry worldwide.
Thousands of Gripple wire joiners hold together the Great Dingo Fence in Australia, the world's longest fence.[4] The company produces over 30 million Gripple wire joiners per year.
See also
Notes
- ↑ "Gripple scoops "Best Factory" prize". Engineeringtalk. 14 July 2004.
- ↑ "Gripple Ltd". Case Studies. British Chambers of Commerce.
- ↑ "Award-Winning Gripple Uses PTC's CAD & FEA Tools to Cut Design Time". Eureka. 13 July 2009.
- ↑ QI, BBC TV, Season 1 episode 12, broadcast December 23, 2003.
References
- "Case study 7: Gripple – 20 Years Young" (PDF). Creativesheffield.