Preterminated block system and method of installing same

A preterminated block system, comprising:

• a distribution cable which includes distribution wires circumferentially surrounded by a metallic cable shield, said distribution cable having a splice opening along a portion of its length to define separate sections of cable shield;
• a terminal block including commonly grounded terminal posts and a plurality of conductive terminal posts for providing service connections to the distribution cable;
• and
• a cable stub connected between said distribution cable and said terminal block which includes:
• (a) a first bond wire connected at its lower end to one section of the cable shield and at its upper end to a grounded terminal post of said terminal block;
• (b) a second bond wire insulated from the first bond wire connected at its lower end to the other section of cable shield and at its upper end to a second grounded terminal post of said terminal block;
• and
• (c) twisted pairs of conductor wires bonded at their lower ends to preselected distribution wires and connected at their upper ends to the conductive terminal posts.

In a utility distribution network system, the combination comprising:

• a distribution cable having distribution wires circumferentially surrounded by a metallic cable shield, said distribution cable having a splice opening along a portion of its length to separate said shield into separate sections;
• a terminal block having commonly grounded terminals and a plurality of conductive terminals;
• a cable stub connected between said distribution wires and said terminal block which includes:
• (a) a first bond wire connected at its lower end to one section of cable shield;
• (b) a second bond wire connected at its lower end to the other section of said cable shield, said first and second bond wires connected at their upper ends to the commonly grounded terminals of said terminal block;
• and
• (c) conductor wires bonded at their lower ends to preselected distribution wires and connected at their upper ends to the conductive terminals of said terminal block;
• and
• a splice enclosure encapsulating the splice opening in said distribution cable and the lower ends of said bond and conductor wires.

An article of manufacturing, comprising:

• a terminal block which includes ground terminals and a plurality of conductive terminals;
• and
• a cable stub connected to said terminal block which includes:
• (a) a first bond conductor connected at one end to a ground terminal of said terminal block;
• (b) a second bond conductor connected at one end to another ground terminal of said terminal block;
• and
• (c) conductor wires connected at their upper ends to the conductive terminals of said terminal block.

A method of installing a preterminated block system which includes a distribution cable having distribution wires circumferentially surrounded by a metallic cable shield and a cable jacket circumferentially surrounding the cable shield, comprising the steps of:

• forming a splice opening in the distribution cable to expose the distribution wires by removing a portion of the cable jacket and shield at a predetermined interval along the length of the distribution cable;
• terminating one end of a first bond wire to the cable shield on one side of the splice opening;
• terminating one end of a second bond wire to the cable shield on the other side of the splice opening;
• bonding one end of conductor wires to preselected distribution wires;
• and
• connecting the other ends of the first and second bond wires to commonly grounded terminals of a terminal block and the other ends of the conductor wires to conductive terminals of the terminal block.

A method of installing a preterminated block system which includes a distribution cable having distribution wires circumferentially surrounded by a metallic cable shield and a cable jacket circumferentially surrounding the cable shield, comprising the steps of:

• splicing a cable stub which includes first and second bond wires and a plurality of conductor wires into the distribution cable by:
• (1) forming a splice opening in the distribution cable to expose the distribution wires by removing a portion of the cable jacket and shield at a predetermined interval along the length of the distribution cable;
• (2) terminating the lower end of the first bond wire to the cable shield on one side of the splice opening;
• (3) terminating the lower end of the second bond wire to the cable shield on the other side of the splice opening;
• (4) bonding the lower ends of the conductor wires to preselected distribution wires;
• encapsulating the splice opening in the distribution cable and the lower ends of the bond and conductor wires;
• and
• connecting the upper ends of the first and second bond wires to commonly grounded terminals of a terminal block and the upper ends of the conductor wires to conductive terminals of the terminal block.