Apparatus for providing an arc diverter for covered overhead conductors and related assemblies and methods

A protective cover assembly for an electrical cable mounted on an insulator, the protective cover assembly comprising:

• an insulator cover including a cover body covering the electrical cable and the insulator;
• and
• an electrically conductive arc diverter that is elongated in an axial direction that is parallel to a center axis of the electrical cable and that is attached to an outer surface of the electrical cable at a portion of the electrical cable that is covered by the insulator cover such that a portion of the arc diverter is positioned below and covered by the insulator cover and another portion of the arc diverter extends past a terminal end of the insulator cover with an end of the arc diverter being spaced apart from the terminal end of the insulator cover in the axial direction;
• wherein the end of the arc diverter is spaced apart from the terminal end of the insulator cover in the axial direction by a distance that is in a range from about 0.75 inches to about 2.0 inches.

A method of providing an arc protection of an electrical cable that is mounted on an insulator, the method comprising:

• providing an insulator cover including a cover body covering the electrical cable and the insulator;
• and
• installing an electrically conductive arc diverter that is elongated in an axial direction that is parallel to a center axis of the electrical cable by attaching the arc diverter to an outer surface of the electrical cable at a portion of the electrical cable that is covered by the insulator cover such that a portion of the arc diverter is positioned below and covered by the insulator cover and another portion of the arc diverter extends past an end of the insulator cover with an end of the arc diverter being spaced apart from the end of the insulator cover in the axial direction;
• wherein the arc diverter comprises:
• an engagement portion that directly contacts a portion of the outer surface of the electrical cable after the installing step;
• and
• an extension portion that extends downwardly away from the engagement portion, and
• wherein, after the installing step, the electrical cable is exposed at an open portion of the arc diverter that is between the engagement portion and the extension portion of the arc diverter.