The disclosure provides a sling including a sleeve, a first eye formed by a first splice, and a second eye formed by a second splice. The sleeve includes braided strands and has a first end portion, a second end portion, and an intermediate portion between. The sleeve also defines a hollow inner volume. The first splice is made by the first end portion extending into and along part of the hollow inner volume proximate the first eye. The second splice is made by the second end portion extending into and along part of the hollow inner volume proximate the second eye. A hollow load bearing portion is defined in the intermediate portion between the first splice and the second splice.

A braided structure that includes a core and a sheath is provided. The core includes a yarn formed at least in part from an aromatic polymer (e.g., an aromatic polyester/liquid crystalline polymer or an aramid polymer), and the sheath, which includes a plurality of ultra high molecular weight polyolefin yarns, is braided around the core. The sheath has an overall diameter ranging from about 60 micrometers to about 650 micrometers. Despite its small diameter, the braided structure can be creep resistant and abrasion resistant while at the same time exhibiting low elongation, a high load at break, and high stiffness. The braided structure can be used in medical applications such as sutures, load bearing orthopedic applications, artificial tendons/ligaments, fixation devices, actuation cables, components for tissue repair, etc.

Elongated bodies made from high tenacity polyolefin fibers are provided that are useful as fishing lines, and processes for making the lines. Fibers having tenacities of at least 39 g/denier are braided and fused together to form braided bodies having very small diameters.

Elongated bodies made from high tenacity polyolefin fibers are provided that are useful as fishing lines, and processes for making the lines. Fibers having tenacities of at least 39 g/denier are braided and fused together to form braided bodies having very small diameters.

Processes for making high-performance polyethylene multi-filament yarn are disclosed which include the steps of a) making a solution of ultra-high molar mass polyethylene in a solvent; b) spinning of the solution through a spinplate containing at least 5 spinholes into an air-gap to form fluid filaments, while applying a draw ratio DR.sub.fluid; c) cooling the fluid filaments to form solvent-containing gel filaments; d) removing at least partly the solvent from the filaments; and e) drawing the filaments in at least one step before, during and/or after said solvent removing, while applying a draw ratio DR.sub.solid of at least 4, wherein in step b) each spinhole comprises a contraction zone of specific dimension and a downstream zone of diameter Dn and length Dn with Ln/Dn of from 0 to at most 25, to result in a draw ratio DR.sub.fluid=DR.sub.sp*DR.sub.ag of at least 150, wherein DR.sub.sp is the draw ratio in the spinholes and DR.sub.ag is the draw ratio in the air-gap, with DR.sub.sp being greater than 1 and DR.sub.ag at least 1. High-performance polyethylene multifilament yarn, and semi-finished or end-use products containing said yarn, especially to ropes and ballistic-resistant composites, are also disclosed.

Processes for making high-performance polyethylene multi-filament yarn are disclosed which include the steps of a) making a solution of ultra-high molar mass polyethylene in a solvent; b) spinning of the solution through a spinplate containing at least 5 spinholes into an air-gap to form fluid filaments, while applying a draw ratio DR.sub.fluid; c) cooling the fluid filaments to form solvent-containing gel filaments; d) removing at least partly the solvent from the filaments; and e) drawing the filaments in at least one step before, during and/or after said solvent removing, while applying a draw ratio DR.sub.solid of at least 4, wherein in step b) each spinhole comprises a contraction zone of specific dimension and a downstream zone of diameter Dn and length Dn with Ln/Dn of from 0 to at most 25, to result in a draw ratio DR.sub.fluid=DR.sub.sp*DR.sub.ag of at least 150, wherein DR.sub.sp is the draw ratio in the spinholes and DR.sub.ag is the draw ratio in the air-gap, with DR.sub.sp being greater than 1 and DR.sub.ag at least 1. High-performance polyethylene multifilament yarn, and semi-finished or end-use products containing said yarn, especially to ropes and ballistic-resistant composites, are also disclosed.

The invention relates to a rope (1) made of textile fibre material, which is characterized by the combination of features whereby

a) the load-bearing fibre material of the rope (1) consists of high-strength synthetic fibres

b) the rope (1) is in the form of a spiral strand rope

c) the rope (1) has at least two, preferably at least three concentric load-bearing strand layers (3,4,5)

d) the individual strands (7,8,9,10,11,12) of the strand layers (3,4,5) are movable with respect to one another

e) the degree of filling of the rope (1) with textile fibre material is ≧75%, preferably ≧85%

f) the outermost ply (5,6) of the rope has a coefficient of frictionμ with respect to steel of μ<0.15.

The invention relates to a rope (1) made of textile fibre material, which is characterized by the combination of features whereby

a) the load-bearing fibre material of the rope (1) consists of high-strength synthetic fibres

b) the rope (1) is in the form of a spiral strand rope

c) the rope (1) has at least two, preferably at least three concentric load-bearing strand layers (3,4,5)

d) the individual strands (7,8,9,10,11,12) of the strand layers (3,4,5) are movable with respect to one another

e) the degree of filling of the rope (1) with textile fibre material is ≧75%, preferably ≧85%

f) the outermost ply (5,6) of the rope has a coefficient of frictionμ with respect to steel of μ<0.15.

A coupling device comprising a flexible elongate member of at least one length of an at least twice wound rope and a pin configured to be removably engaged with the flexible elongate member, wherein the flexible elongate member is formed as a loop or a part loop completing the loop with the pin, wherein at least one winding of rope is of disparate length to at least one other winding.

A coupling device comprising a flexible elongate member of at least one length of an at least twice wound rope and a pin configured to be removably engaged with the flexible elongate member, wherein the flexible elongate member is formed as a loop or a part loop completing the loop with the pin, wherein at least one winding of rope is of disparate length to at least one other winding.