Combination drill and plug and method and apparatus for using same for extracting a fluid sample from an electrical cable

Apparatus for removing a fluid sample from the interior of a cable or the like, said apparatus comprising:

• cutting and plugging means for first providing a hole through the wall of the cable to permit the removal of fluid from the cable and for subsequently plugging the hole after a desired quantity of fluid has been removed;
• axially displaceable and rotatable shaft means for supporting and positioning said cutting and plugging means adjacent the exterior surface of the cable;
• drive means for advancing and rotating said cutting and plugging means to cause the same to form the hole through the wall of the cable whereby the selected quantity of fluid may drain from the cable and for advancing and rotating said cutting and plugging means for plugging the hole after the desired quantity of fluid has been removed from the cable whereby additional fluid is prevented from leaking out of the cable,
• sensing means operable in response to the advancement of said shaft means,
• and means for stopping said drive means when said sensing means senses that said shaft means and said cutting and plugging means have advanced sufficiently to provide the hole and to completely plug the hole after the desired quantity of fluid has been removed from the cable.

In an apparatus for attachment to and for sampling the oil content of an electrical cable and for resealing the cable and for removal therefrom without disabling the cable,

• operable means for forming a hole in the cable through which a desired sample of oil may flow from the cable by removing a portion of the cable and including means to retain thereon the removed cable portion to prevent the same from falling into the oil of the cable,
• means on said apparatus positioned adjacent the hole for receiving the oil sample as the same flows therethrough from the cable,
• means on said apparatus for operating said operable means to form the hole in the cable and for operating said operable means to close the hole to seal the cable thereat from the further flow of oil,
• and means on said apparatus to attach the same to an electrical cable and for removal therefrom including said oil sample receiving means especially after operating said operable means to close the cable hole.

A method for removing fluid from a cable and thereafter sealing the cable, said method comprising the steps of:

• positioning an apparatus including fluid receiving means and a combination cutting and plugging tool adjacent the exterior surface of the cable;
• advancing the tool through the cable wall to form a hole therein whereby fluid may be discharged from the cable into the fluid receiving means while removing a mass of material from the cable wall in the form of a disk and retaining the disk of removed material on the tool to prevent the same from falling into the cable;
• thereafter advancing the tool through the cable wall whereby the tool seals the hole in the cable to take the place of the removed material and thereby prevent further leakage of the fluid from the hole,
• and removing the apparatus including the fluid receiving means from adjacent the exterior surface of the cable.