Impregnated and encapsulated wire rope and cable

A method of making an improved stranded cable, having a closely adherent plastic sheathing surrounding said cable which clings to the exposed exterior surfaces of the cable strands to thereby form an interace between the sheathing and the stranded cable which is substantially devoid of air pockets, comprising the steps of:

• cleansing said cable for a predetermined time with a cleansing agent;
• immersing said cable in a slurry comprising a predetermined mixture of corrosion preventive lubricant and solvent therefor;
• applying predetermined pressure to said immersed cable for a predetermined time to thereby force said slurry into substantially all interstices of said cable and to concommitantly displace substantially all air entrapped within said interstices to thereby form an impregnated cable;
• removing said cable from said slurry;
• drying said impregnated cable for a predetermined time to thereby evaporate said solvent;
• removing any excess lubricant from the surface of said impregnated cable;
• displacing substantially all air at the exposed exterior surfaces of said impregnated cable by depositing a powdered thermoplastic polymer directly onto said surfaces;
• and
• curing said powdered thermoplastic polymer for a predetermined time at a predetermined temperature.

A cable comprising:

• a plurality of strands laid about a wire core, said strands intimately contacting each other and said wire core to thereby form a plurality of interstitial spaces among said strands and between said strands and said wire core;
• a quantity of lubricant in substantially all of said plurality of interstitial spaces;
• and
• a thermoplastic integument intimately and directly contacting substantially all exposed exterior surfaces of said strands and formed thereon by depositing thermoplastic material on said surfaces and thereafter curing said material.

A cable comprising:

• a plurality of strands laid about a wire core, said strands intimately contacting each other and said wire core to thereby form a plurality of interstitial spaces among said strands and between said strands and said wire core;
• a quantity of lubricant is substantially all of said plurality of interstitial spaces;
• and
• a thermoplastic integument intimately and directly contacting substantially all exposed exterior surfaces of said strands to thereby form a substantially fluid free interface between said surfaces and said integument.