ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Lo-Tech Puller....

Don't you remember all those Ronco commercials on television? They all looked very similar to the K-Tel ones.
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/popeil.htm

I actually have a comparable set-up; I made a triangular frame with pulley held at hitch-heigth of my truck.

I haven't used it much, since a customer objected to my truck in the elevator :-)

If you are using any kind of mechanical device, be very careful using that type of rope. It has a lot of stretch and will store a lot of energy. If it breaks people may get hurt and things may be damaged. That is why the tugger manufactures specify a very expensive rope for pulling purposes. It is a static rope with little stretch and will not store much energy. The type of rope shown in the photo it dynamic and may stretch 10 to 15%. This also creates danger to the feeder as the conductors tend to "jump" into the conduit when using a dynamic rope. The rope stretches until the weight of the cable and the friction is overcome and then as the rope returns to close to its normal length, the conductors jump into the raceway. It can take the feeders fingers with, if he is not careful.
Don

Don that is a very good point.

I have seen heavy conductors 'jump' into a conduit at lightning speed when being pulled into a raceway with the wrong rope and a truck.

I was not a participant mealy another contractor working on a large site.

The person feeding was lucky not to lose fingers or more.

Bob

... I had used 3/8" Ideal wire pulling rope rated at 2700lbs at break test,and 300lbs working load...and plenty of lube in the 3" pipe...no offsets,and (2)-3 foot,90 degree sweeps.. easy pull.
Russ

Attic rat, I have bad news, you wont be able to patent a pully with a single anchor point. You might be able to patent a pully system but would have to be unique, pretty darn unique. However for a copywrite for a name, all you have to do is have a dated, printed form or picture of it distributed with its name, among your peers to guarantee a date, then search for possible matches..... Not sure if the internet counts, but you may have already taken the first step?

As for pulling with poly rope, I do it all the time with HAND pulls only. One, tops two guys. If it needs more than that, the rope comes out, and gets the braided stuff with the puller.

Years ago I was called over to a job to help another foreman with a pull of 4X250 at 200' in an undersized 2 1/2". I got there and he had seven or eight guys on a poly rope, just then the rope snapped and sent everyone 20' into a pigpile on the otherside of the room. Fortunately no one was hurt. (Had the boss pull the guy and had to start over... He wouldn't listen to anyone when they told him the pipe was too small, or when complained that it was dangerous to try like that.)

Pulling with a truck, I'll never do that again! Ten years ago, had a boss pull that one, dropped the clutch and nearly took me through the pipe as I fed it.

Ok, no joking this time. Using an automobile to pull wire is stupid and hazardous. As the poster said, a failed clutch is all too common in using one, and also there is no real control of the pull. A Greenlee tugger or equal should be planned for and purchased by any electrical contractor who opens a commercial shop and plans to be in for the long haul. It is as necessary as a work van or truck to the business. The tuggers and the proper pulling rope, sheaves, etc. can be rented also. For easy pulls, I am all for rigs like the one in the picture, but when people start hooking up pull rope to the back bumper of a pickup, that is when other people can and do get injured. If you have to , try using a hydralic method instead, like tying to the forks of a forklift, and slow steady lifting the rope up out of the conduit.

... No,the pull was made by hand,..or should I say,.. hands...we had the help of the masons on the job,..it cost me a case of Corona's....not a bad deal..hehe.

... I wouldn't ever attempt to place anyone (myself included)in harms way..I've seen what can happen to people and property when things go awry... It was safe,and by the numbers all the way!!
Russ

A buddy of mine has a puller made by Greenlee?? it uses a Rigid pony power threader to power it. Works pretty well the one time I saw in use. Anyone use it??

Seen these one of these used as well:



bolted to a piece of strut... I assume he found it in a scrap pile.