US 4,064,216 AGranted

Method of resealing a cable joint

AssigneeBICC Limited

InventorDavid Turner Parr

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Abstract

In a method of making a connection between a plastics sheathed cable and an enclosed cable joint or termination, the enclosure is opened up to expose the existing conductor joint or termination and a separately formed plastics part of the enclosure that includes an end wall is removed. A new part of plastics material including an end wall which has at least one hole of a size appropriate to a cable at said end of the existing joint or termination and which is split between said hole and the peripheral edge of said new part, is applied to the or each cable sheath at said end of the joint or termination. A length of said plastics sheathed cable is passed through a further hole in the end wall of said new part and its conductor or conductors connected to at least one conductor of at least one of the cables of the existing joint or termination. The split in said new part is sealed by enclosing the edges bounding the split in a mould and injecting mouldable thermoplastics material therein, fluid-tight seals are effected between the or each cable and the end wall of said new part of the enclosure, and the enclosure is then re-closed.

Claims16

Dependent claims

In a method of making a connection between a plastics sheathed cable comprising at least one conductor and an existing cable joint of a kind in which connections between the conductors of at least two cables are surrounded by an enclosure divided transversely of the axis of at least one of the cables into at least two separately formed parts secured together in a fluid-tight manner, at least one of said separately formed parts being of plastics material and including an end wall sealed in a fluid-tight manner to the plastics sheath of at last one cable protruding into the enclosure through a hole in said end wall at one end of said joint, the steps comprising:

a. opening up the enclosure to expose the existing conductor joint and removing at least said separately formed plastics part including said end wall;
b. applying to the cable sheath at said end of the joint a new part of heat softenable plastics material including and end wall which has at least one hole of a size appropriate to a cable at said end of the existing joint and having a split between said hole and a peripheral edge of said new part;
c. passing a length of said plastics sheathed cable through a further hole in the end wall of said new part and connecting its conductor or conductors to at least one conductor of at least one of the cables of the existing joint;
d. applying about a peripheral portion of said new part a mould enclosing only the split and portions of said new part adjacent said split, said mould having ports for the admission and discharge of molten thermoplastics material;
e. injecting molten thermoplastics material into the interior of the mould through at least one port, which thermoplastics material is compatible with the plastics material of the new part of the enclosure and is at a temperature apprecialby above the softening point of said material;
f. after a sufficient quantity of molten thermoplastics material has passed through the mould and out of at least one other port of the mould to soften surfaces of said edges, sealing the mould;
g. cooling the molten thermoplastics material in he mould forming an effective bond between said edges of the new part;
h. effecting fluid-tight seals between each cable and the end wall of said new part of the enclosure;
i. and re-closing the enclosure.

6 more elements

In a method of making a connection between a plastics sheathed cable comprising at least one conductor and an existing cable termination of the kind in which the terminated end of a cable conductor is surrounded by an enclosure divided transversely of the axis of the cable into at least two separately formed parts secured together in a fluid-tight manner, at least one of said separately formed parts being of plastics material and including an end wall sealed in a fluid-tight manner to the plastics sheath of the cable protruding into the enclosure through a hole in said end wall, the steps comprising:

a. opening up the enclosure to expose the existing conductor termination and removing at least said separately formed plastics part including and end wall;
b. applying to the cable sheath at said end of the termination a new part of plastics material including an end wall which has at least one hole of a size appropriate to the cable at said end of the existing termination and which is split between said hole and the peripheral edge of said new part;
c. passing a length of said plastics sheathed cable through a further hole in the end wall of said new part and connecting its conductor or conductors to at least one conductor of the cable of the existing termination;
d. enclosing only said split and edge portions of said new part adjacent said split in a mould which has ports for the admission and discharge of molten thermoplastics material;
e. injecting molten thermoplastics material into the interior of the mould through at least one port;
which thermoplastics material is compatable with the plastics material of the new part of the enclosure and is at a temperature appreciably above the softening point of said material;
f. after a sufficient quantity of molten thermoplastics material has passed through the mould and out of at least one other port of the mould to soften the surfaces of said edges, sealing the mould;
g. cooling the molten thermoplastics material in the mould and making an effective bond between said edges of the new part;
h. effecting fluid-tight seals between each cable and the end wall of said new part of the enclosure;
i. and re-closing the enclosure.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.