High voltage cable splice apparatus

Apparatus for molding insulation about a relatively short, uninsulated section of a conductor of a high voltage cable comprising:

• a mold defined by a pair of opposite mold forms defining therebetween a cavity and an opening for positioning the section within the cavity while a remainder of the cable extends through the opening to the exterior;
• first and second pressure applying members positioning the mold therebetween;
• means for biasing the pressure applying members towards each other to thereby securely close the mold;
• the mold and at least one of the members defining a plurality of vent holes extending from the cavity through the mold to the exterior for venting to the atmosphere entrapped gas and insulating material, the vent holes being tapered over at least a portion of their length and having a major diameter proximate the cavity;
• means for storing a quantity of fluidized insulating material and for transferring such material to the cavity through a passage communicating the storing means with the cavity, and means separating the fluid flow immediately adjacent the storing means into a plurality of individual flows over at least part of the passage length;
• and
• first heating means for heating the mold and the insulating material in the storage means to a sufficient temperature to fluidize it for injection into the cavity and to cure the insulation material in the cavity.

Apparatus for forming insulation about an uninsulated section of a high voltage conductor comprising in combination:

• a mold defined by first and second opposite mold forms which form a mold cavity therebetween when brought into mutual contact for receiving the uninsulated high voltage conductor section therein;
• a pressure platen for each of the mold forms and positioned for contacting a surface of each mold form facing away from the other mold form;
• means for biasing the pressure platens against each other to thereby close the mold and bias the mold forms against each other;
• means for heating the mold;
• means for introducing into the mold cavity a heat softenable and curable insulating material;
• the first mold form and the associated pressure platen including a plurality of vent holes extending from the cavity through the mold form and through the pressure platen to the exterior for venting to the atmosphere entrapped gas and insulating material, a portion of the vent holes disposed in the first mold form having a generally cylindrical configuration and a relatively large diameter, another portion of the vent hole disposed in the pressure platen having a longitudinally tapered configuration with a major diameter disposed proximate the first mold form and a minor diameter remote from the first mold form.