Cable spraying apparatus

In cable spraying apparatus for spraying a coating material on a cable that is suspended from an overhead supportive wire by intervally spaced connectors, said cable spraying apparatus including a frame;

• traveling means for suspending the frame from the overhead supportive wire for movement along the supportive wire;
• at least one spray nozzle mounted in the frame and pointed toward the cable;
• the spray nozzle being operably connected to a supply means for supplying coating material under pressure through the nozzle;
• the improvement comprising:
• nozzle mounting means connected to the frame for mounting the spray nozzle to the frame for vertical movement with respect to the traveling means, the nozzle mounting means including sensing means for sensing the distance of the cable below the supportive wire and nozzle moving means operably connected to the sensing means for moving the nozzle correspondingly upwardly and downwardly as the distance of the cable below the supportive wire becomes lesser and greater as the apparatus moves along the supportive wire, such that the nozzle mounting means maintains the spray nozzle at a predetermined distance from the cable as the apparatus moves along the supportive wire, even though the distance between the cable and supportive wire varies along the length of the cable;
• a container substantially surrounding the cable for containing substantially all divergent spray from the nozzle;
• means for collecting the divergent spray at the bottom of the container;
• drain means in the bottom of the container for draining the spray from the container;
• means for recycling the divergent spray through the nozzles;
• a longitudinal opening in a side of the container such that the container can be moved sideways on and off the supportive wire and cable;
• a flap door pivotably mounted on the container to cover the longitudinal opening such that the flap door is movable between a closed and open position with respect to the longitudinal opening;
• means for biasing the flap door to the closed position;
• and
• means for opening and closing the flap door from the ground to allow the supportive wire and cable to be laterally received into the container through the longitudinal opening.

In cable spraying apparatus including a frame;

• traveling means for moving the apparatus along an overhead supportive wire which supports, by intervally spaced connectors, a cable;
• at least one spray nozzle mounted in the frame and pointing toward the cable;
• the spray nozzle being operably connected to a supply conduit to supply coating material through the nozzle;
• the improvement comprising:
• the frame comprising a container substantially enclosing the nozzle and traveling means;
• openings in opposite ends of the container such that the cable and supportive wire can pass through the container;
• a longitudinal opening in a side of the container and extending between the openings in the two opposite ends such that the container can be moved sideways on and off the supportive wire and cable;
• means operably connected to the bottom of the container for recycling the excess or divergent spray through the nozzle;
• a flap door pivotably mounted along an edge thereof over the longitudinal opening such that the flap door is movable between a closed and open position with respect to the longitudinal opening;
• means for biasing the flap door to a closed position;
• and
• means for opening and closing the flap door from the ground.

In cable spraying apparatus for spraying a coating material on a cable that is suspended from an overhead supportive wire by intervally spaced connectors, said cable spraying apparatus including a frame;

• traveling means for suspending the frame from the overhead supportive wire for movement along the supportive wire;
• at least one spray nozzle mounted to the frame and pointed toward the cable;
• each spray nozzle being operably connected to a supply means for supplying coating material under pressure through each nozzle;
• the improvement comprising:
• nozzle mounting means connected to the frame for mounting each spray nozzle to the frame for vertical movement with respect to the traveling means, the nozzle mounting means being responsive to the cable position and maintaining each spray nozzle at a predetermined distance from the cable as the apparatus moves along the supportive wire, even though the distance between the cable and supportive wire varies along the length of the cable, the nozzle mounting means including:
• sensing means for sensing the distance of the cable below the supportive wire;
• the sensing means including a roller, roller mounting means for mounting the roller in the frame under the cable so as to permit vertical movement of the roller with respect to the traveling means, and biasing means for resiliently biasing the roller upwardly to abut the cable such that the roller rolls along the underside of the cable as the apparatus moves along the supportive wire;
• the mounting means for mounting the roller comprising a lever arm pivotably mounted to the frame for pivotal movement in a vertical plane, the roller being mounted on a free end of the lever arm;
• the biasing means including a spring extending between the lever arm and frame, said spring upwardly biasing the lever arm such that the roller resiliently bears against the underside of the cable;
• and
• nozzle moving means operably connected to the sensing means for moving each nozzle correspondingly upwardly and downwardly as the distance of the cable below the supportive wire becomes lesser and greater as the apparatus moves along the supportive wire;
• the nozzle moving means including means for connecting the nozzle to the lever arm for vertical movement therewith such that the nozzle is spaced a predetermined distance from the cable and is maintained at that distance even though the distance between the cable and the supportive wire varies;
• movement means for moving the cable spraying apparatus along the cable, said movement means comprising a pole extending downwardly from the frame toward the ground for manual movement of the frame, the supply means being movable along with the frame as the frame is moved along the supportive wire;
• and
• means for remotely pivoting the lever arm downwardly such that the roller, lever arm, and nozzle are moved away from the supportive wire and cable a sufficient distance to permit lateral movement of the apparatus to mount and dismount the apparatus on the supportive wire and cable.

Cable spraying apparatus for spraying a coating material on an overhead cable that is suspended from a supportive wire, comprising:

• a frame;
• wheeled support means mounted in the frame for suspending the frame from the supportive wire for movement along the wire;
• spray nozzle means for spraying coating material on the cable, the spray nozzle means including an upper spray nozzle positioned above the cable and directed downwardly toward the cable and a lower spray nozzle positioned below the cable;
• and
• nozzle mounting means for mounting the nozzles for vertical movement in the frame, the nozzle mounting means including:
• a rigid conduit pivotably mounted in the frame for movement in a vertical plane, the upper nozzle being mounted on one end of the conduit and a supply means being connected to the other end of the conduit, the conduit conveying coating material from the supply means to the upper nozzle;
• a lever arm pivotably mounted in the frame for movement in a vertical plane below the cable, the lower nozzle being mounted for vertical movement with the lever arm, conduit means interconnecting the supply means with the lower nozzle for conveying coating material to the lower nozzle;
• a roller rotatably mounted on the lever arm for rolling engagement with the underside of the cable, the roller being resiliently biased in an upward direction such that the roller remains in continuous contact with the underside of the cable, the engagement between the roller and the cable controlling the position of the lever arm and the pivotally mounted roller;
• and
• mechanical linkage means for interconnecting the lever arm with the rigid conduit such that the upper nozzle is pivoted upwardly and downwardly in accordance with upward and downward movement of the lever arm;
• the nozzle mounting means being constructed so as to hold the upper and lower nozzles in a predetermined position relative to the cable as the frame is moved along the supportive wire, regardless of variations in the distance between the wire and the cable;
• supply means for supplying coating material under pressure to the spray nozzles;
• and
• a pole extending downwardly from the frame toward the ground such that an operator on the ground can move the frame along the wire by manipulating the pole.