Gripple

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File:Gripple Wire Joining & Fencing.jpg
The original Gripple wire joiner was invented by Hugh Facey to ease the installation of wire fencing.

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.

File:Gripple Suspension - Lighting Application.png
The Gripple product range evolved when the joiner was rotated through 90˚ and combined with wire rope to support substantial loads and suspend a variety of industrial applications, such as lighting, piping, HVAC, false ceilings and signage.

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]

File:The Old West Gun Works.jpg
The Old West Gun Works on Savile Street East in Sheffield, one of Gripple's three UK sites

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

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  4. QI, BBC TV, Season 1 episode 12, broadcast December 23, 2003.

References

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External links