Before the invention of cable ties, the early methods of tying and securing items were quite unorganized. The manufacturers had to adhere to friction tapes, hand wrapping through lacing cords and twines. However, though they used to be secure initially, things like adhesive tape used to be at risk of getting peeled off once dry and lacing cords used to put the insulation wires at risk of being cut through. Therefore, there emerged a need for a better securing product that would not only hold the wires together but also protect them from damage through its own use.
The inventor of cable ties, Thomas & Betts was established in 1898 by two engineers, Robert Thomas and Hobart Betts after they graduated from Princeton University. The purpose of the company had always been to educate the end users about its products and, therefore, was quite successful in this regard. This was the company’s strategy to generate a customer pull also by aiming at keeping the distributor’s shelves occupied by T & B products. It was in the 1930’s when the company expressed concern about it’s mutually beneficial goals through having a business partner like relationship with the distributors who were very prominent in reaching the target audience.
Cable ties were first invented in the year 1958 by an electrical company known as Thomas & Betts. Built for aero plane harnesses, they were introduced under the brand name, ‘Ty-Rap’ and were patented in the same year. However, the only difference at the commencement of manufacturing was that the ratchet was not made of nylon but metal instead. The first cable ties had a steel pawl attached due to which the manufacturing process was more time consuming and therefore comparatively less efficient.
The result was a need to have two separate manufacturing processes, that is first molding the tie and then inserting the metallic pawl to complete a mere single tie. Moreover, the pawl used to be vulnerable to breakage while getting loose in the process, or creating havoc if fell in electrical circuits.
Industrial advance paved way for the production of a finely adjustable, complete nylon cable tie. The attributes it had were self locking and a two component product. Although the new cable tie had an innovative design, fine adjustment quality and reduced installation time, it still had the time consuming two way manufacturing process. However, with the span of time, the cable tie industry witnessed further progress. Hence, a self locking, one piece cable tie was produced. Later on, came the period of modifying the design of cable ties and thus the manufacturing process further enhanced to get the product known as a ‘wire bundling device’.
1968 witnessed the time when a clamp manufacturer acquired the patent for a unique cable wire design. This company was the first to produce a one piece nylon tie in the entire United States of America. Also the manufacturing process was not very time consuming as compared to the initial setup of the past and thus came an era of a wide assortment of applications and colours of cable ties that we see today.
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