Select an area to learn more:

• Hoist Rope Attachments
• Balance Rope Attachments
• Rope Guide Attachments
• Shaft Sinking Attachments

Our sister company Fortis offers Mine Hoist Roping & Conveyance Services. Click here for more information.

Why Northern Strands Attachments?

Northern Strands offers a full range of attachments for all mining ropes, as well as a comprehensive inventory of installation equipment for purchase or rental, along with installation crews and consulting. All attachments are designed and engineered to national coal board standards, as well as local government regulations. Northern Strands attachments are manufactured to a high-quality standard, governed by ISO 9001. Product serialization is also used for product tracking and quality control through an advanced quality management system. Northern Strands attachments are designed with a minimum of 10:1 factor of safety, proof load tested to 2.5 times safe working Load, ultrasonically and wet magnetic particle inspected, and come complete with test certificates and relevant QA/QC documents. All attachments are available with or without wear bushings made in metallic or synthetic material. The major advantage of manufacturing in-house is that the company can control costs and delivery. Northern Strands Provides:

• Customizable Dimensions
• Complete Certification
• Quick Delivery
• Design
• New Installation
• Replacement
• Upgrades
• Recertification and Testing
• Modification

Hoist Rope Attachments

Fine Adjustment Linkage

Fine Adjustment Linkages are primarily used in friction hoisting setups. The linkage allows fine adjustment so all ropes in a muti-rope arrangement are equally tensioned and therefore working together which in turn greatly extends rope life. Adjustment is done at the lower station and without the need of chairing conveyances. The linkage is adjusted by placing a hydraulic jack in each linkage string, making length adjustments, and then setting spacer bars. The adjustment with the linkage are in balance when the last one is put in motion by the hydraulic jack. At that point, all ropes are in equal tension. The jacks are powered by a pump unit mounted on a cart also containing the spacer bars, hoses and control pendant. Coarse adjustment is made using chaseblocks mounted either above the linkage, the opposite side, or a combination of the two.

Coarse Adjusting Linkage

Coarse Adjusting Linkages are primarily used in friction hoisting. Adjustment is done at the bottom station once the conveyances are chaired. Pin type coarse adjusting linkage and compensating chaseblocks are the most common types of coarse adjustment. Northern Strands can engineer and fabricate custom linkage as required.

Open Spelter Sockets

Sockets are used on a variety of mining rope applications, including hoist, balance, guide and sinking ropes. The socket attachment offers a safe, economical connection and can be installed on site with wirelock resin. Northern Strands designs and manufactures two main types of sockets, threaded and open spelter. The threaded style consists of a male and female end, in which the cap can be designed to suit specific client needs.

Open Spelter Socket

The Open Spelter type is the common style of socket. Northern Strands has standard catalogue sizes for open spelter sockets, as well as the capabilities to custom design for specific requirements.

Standard dimensions are shown below. Custom sizing available upon request. Contact: attachments@northernstrands.com

Options:

• Threaded Pin (Radius or Flat Head)
• Quick Release Pin
• Both style of pins can be supplied with grease grooves upon request

* Socket Identification Number also represents rope size. (Pin weight not included)

Threaded Sockets

The threaded style of sockets consist of a male and female end, in which the cap can be designed to suit the clients specific need. All threaded sockets are designed with a minimum 10:1 factor of safety, and 15:1 on the threads.

Hoist Rope Wedge Type Cappels & Round Eye Cappels

Wedge Type Cappels are used in various applications including Muti-Rope Hoist, Balance and Guide Ropes. This attachment offers simplicity, reliability and safety. The Cappels are installed with either the use of hammers or a Hydraulic Cappel press. Standard Cappel sizes range from 1” to 2.5” rope diameters. All Cappels are manufactured from high quality steel, Proof Load Tested to 2.5 times Safe Working Load and Wet Magnetic Particle Inspected. Round Eye Cappels suit both Round Strand and Locked Coil type Hoist Ropes. These Cappels utilize a Safety Cone installed with Wirelock Resin.

Chaseblocks & Link Plates

Chaseblock & Link Plates are used to connect rope end attachments to other components in the system. These are custom designed to suit each client's specific need and application. The chaseblocks can be supplied as inline, 45 degrees, or 90 degrees depending on client requirements.

Thimble Cappel

Thimble cappels are used in both drum and friction hoist applications. The rope is passed around the thimble located between the two opposite jaws, which fit into the side plates. Once a load is applied, the thimble is drawn into the body of the cappel, where the thimble and jaws grip the rope.

Custom sizing available upon request. Contact: attachments@northernstrands.com

Available Pins:

• Threaded (Radius or Flat Head)
• Quick Release
• Both style of pins can be supplied with grease grooves upon request

Solid Thimbles

Solid Thimbles can be used for hoist or balance rope connections. The rope is looped around the thimble, where the live and dead ends are secured by rope clamps.

Balance Rope Attachments

Sockets

Sockets are used on a variety of mining rope applications, including hoist, balance, guide and sinking ropes. The socket attachment offers a safe, economical connection and can be installed with a quick and efficient wirelock resin. This socket may be more desirable than the OS design where headroom is an issue, as it may eliminate one rope fitting. Northern Strands designs and manufactures two main types of sockets, threaded and open spelter. The threaded style consists of a male and female end, in which the cap can be designed to suit specific client needs.

Open Spelter Socket (SJ STYLE)

The open spelter type is the common style of socket. N.S. has standard catalogue sizes for open spelter sockets, as well as the capabilities to custom design for specific requirements.

Custom sizing available upon request. Contact: attachments@northernstrands.com

Options:

• Threaded Pin (Radius or Flat Head)
• Quick Release Pin
• Both style of pins can be supplied with grease grooves upon request

Swivels

Swivels are used to provide rotation, primarily in Balance or Sinking Stage Ropes, to alleviate torque buildup, which is damaging to ropes.

A variety of styles are available ranging in capacities from 1½ to 100 tons.

Angular Contact Bearings are primarily used offering the necessary starting torque efficiency with maximum reliability.

Swivels are Proof Loaded to 2x Safe Working Load. Northern Strands carries the Miller line of swivels. Please click on the following link to see Miller's full line of swivels.

www.millerproducts.net

Chaseblocks & Pins

Chaseblocks and Link Plates are used to connect rope end attachments to other components in the system. These are custom designed to suit each client's specific need and application. The chaseblocks can be supplied as inline, 45 degrees, or 90 degrees depending on client requirements.

Northern Strands offers two main types of pins. The quick release pin consists of a pin body with a tapered end that allows for easy installation and removal. The pin is locked in place with a stainless steel locking pin and a cotter pin. The threaded pin is supplied with a nut and match drilled hole in the thread to lock in place. Rounded heads and nuts can be supplied. Both styles of pins are available with a grease groove option.

Balance Rope (Short Loop) Capels

Short Loop Capels are used for the attachment of Balance (Tail) Ropes. These Capels normally connect into a 90º Chaseblock and Swivel. Short Loop Capels utilize a 4-Bolt Safety Clock rather than a Safety Cone as with the Hoist Rope Capels.

Solid Thimble & Clamps

Solid Thimbles can be used for hoist or balance rope connections. The rope is looped around the thimble, where the live and dead ends are secured by rope clamps.

Rope Guide Attachments

Suspension & Maneuvering Glands

MANEUVERING

Maneuvering Glands are used for lifting, maneuvering, and banking wire rope for removal, installation or maintenance purposes. One advantage the maneuvering gland has is that the opposing ears allow for the body to be unbolted and removed, all the while remaining suspended by the shackles.

Rope sizes for wedges upon request. Contact: attachments@northernstrands.com

All glands are designed with a minimum of 5:1 factor of safety, proof load tested to 2x safe working Load, ultrasonically and wet magnetic particle inspected. All meet or exceed national coal board standards.

SUSPENSION

Suspension Glands are used for a lifting, maneuvering, and banking wire ropes for removal, installation or maintenance purposes. Northern Strands glands are supplied complete with gland body, interlocking wedges, four-two bolt blocks and lifting shackles.

Rope sizes for wedges upon request. Contact: attachments@northernstrands.com

All glands are designed with a minimum of 5:1 factor of safety, proof load tested to 2x safe working Load, ultrasonically and wet magnetic particle inspected. All meet or exceed national coal board standards.

SPHERICALLY SEATED

Spherically Seated Glands are used for the suspension of guide or rub ropes. The spherical base allows for the rotation of the guide or rub ropes to change the wear pattern on the rope.

All glands are designed with a minimum of 5:1 factor of safety, proof load tested to 2x safe working Load, ultrasonically and wet magnetic particle inspected. All meet or exceed national coal board standards.

Guide Rope Tensioning

Where shaft Guide Rope systems are used in lieu of rigid type guides, several attachment assemblies are available. Arrangements are offered with bottom weight tensioning (most common), bottom spring tensioning or top spring tensioning, or hydraulic tensioning in the headframe.

The upper attachment includes a Spherically Seated Gland, while the bottom end can be fitted with a Socket or Long Loop Capel.

The Socket or Cappel is then connected to a Triangular Link Plate which facilitates load transfer for rope changes.

With bottom weight tensioning, Cheeseweights are mounted on a rod and platform thereby keeping Guide Ropes tensioned. As mentioned, rather than Cheeseweights, hydraulic systems or spring tensioning can be employed at either top or bottom.

Guide Rope (Long Loop) Capels

Long Loop Capels are designed to be used with Half and Full Locked Coil Guide Ropes.

The longer loop is designed to allow the extra length of Guide Rope to hang out past the attachment rather than be cut off to an exact length.

These Capels utilize a 4-Bolt Safety Block like the Short Loop Balance Rope Capel.

Shaft Sinking Attachments

Sinking Stage Rope with Load Cell

Sinking Attachments

Shaft Sinking Hooks

Northern Strands offers two styles of sinking hook. The Clivvy hook is a solid plate sinking hook, which is supplied with a spring assisted locking latch. The sinking swivel hook consists of a hook integrated directly into the swivel. This offers a more economical solution, as well as a lower profile if space is an issue. This style can also be supplied with a gravity latch or spring assisted locking latch.

All Shaft Sinking Hooks are designed with a minimum of 10:1 factor of safety, proof load tested to 2x times safe working Load, ultrasonically and wet magnetic particle inspected. All meet or exceed national coal board standards.