Mechanical fuse for use with overhead telecommunications cable
AssigneeAfl Global
InventorsJames C. BAKER, Mark NAYLOR
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mechanical fuse (100), (500) for an ADSS cable comprises a continuous length of ADSS cable, one or more anchors (15), (520), (530) for supporting the ADSS cable relative to a (pylon 7), and a knife, pin or the like (7), (630) which can kink, bend and/or cut the ADSS cable in a breaking region. When a load in excess of a predetermined amount is applied to the ADSS cable, for example when the ADSS cable is snagged by a vehicle, the mechanical (fuse 100), (500) breaks or separates causing the pin or knife ((7), 630) to facilitate breaking of the ADSS cable in the breaking region. A method of attaching an ADSS cable to a support (7) is also disclosed.
Claims26
A mechanical fuse for an all dielectric self supporting (ADSS) telecommunications cable, comprising:
- a continuous length of ADSS cable;
- an anchor to support the continuous length of ADSS cable relative to a cable support, the anchor having a predetermined breaking strength;
- and
- a means for deforming, kinking or severing the ADSS cable when a load in excess of the predetermined breaking strength of the anchor is applied thereto, so that the ADSS cable is caused to break at a breaking region.
A mechanical fuse for an all dielectric self supporting (ADSS) telecommunications cable comprising:
- an ADSS cable comprising a first section and a second section, wherein at least a portion of the second section has a region of weakness;
- and
- a frangible connector configured to break when a load in excess of a predetermined amount is applied to it;
- and wherein the frangible connector is configured:
- to connect the ADSS cable to an anchor point directly or indirectly supported by an overhead power supply support, such that the tension in the first section of the ADSS cable is supported, and the second section of the ADSS cable is at least partially relieved of tension;
- and
- to cause the second section of the ADSS cable to come under increased tension when the frangible connector breaks;
- and wherein the region of weakness of the second section of the ADSS cable is configured to break when the second section of the ADSS cable comes under increased tension.
A method of attaching an all dielectric self supporting (ADSS) telecommunications cable to a support, comprising:
- (a) attaching the ADSS cable to an anchor point directly or indirectly supported by the support, so as to support the tension in a first section of the ADSS cable, on a first side of the anchor point, the ADSS cable being attached to the anchor point via a separable connection;
- and
- (b) forming a breaking region in the ADSS cable, in a second section thereof, which is on a second side of the anchor point, the second section of the ADSS cable being at least partially relieved of tension;
- wherein application of a load in excess of a predetermined amount results in separation of the separable connection, so that the second section then comes under increased tension which results in breakage of the ADSS cable at the breaking region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.