Cable covering method using an expandable insulative sleeve
AssigneeThomas & Betts Corporation
InventorHyman Izraeli
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In providing an electrically insulative covering for a cable splice, a sleeve is assembled with an outer rigid shell and is maintained in fluid-sealed relation therewith. A supply of positively pressurized air is placed with the assembled sleeve and outer member, in fluid-sealed relation with the sleeve interior. The sleeve is expanded into contiguous relation with the outer member by the pressurized air. The expanded assembly is placed over the splice and the fluid-sealed relation of sleeve and outer member is interrupted, causing the sleeve to collapse upon the splice and cables, whereupon the outer member is removed and discarded.
Claims3
A method for providing an insulative covering for an electrical cable comprising the steps of:
- (a) selecting an expandable electrically insulative sleeve member to have relaxed cross-section less than the cross-section of said cable;
- (b) disposing said sleeve member interiorly of an outer member of self-sustaining hollow configuration of cross-section greater than such cable cross-section and placing said sleeve member and said outer member in fluid-sealed relation;
- (c) introducing a pressurized fluid medium interiorly of said sleeve member and thereby expanding said sleeve member into contiguous relation with said outer member;
- (d) terminating the introduction of said pressurized fluid medium and maintaining the contiguous relation of said sleeve member and said outer member in the absence of said pressurized fluid medium;
- (e) arranging said sleeve member and said outer member in circumscribing relation to said cable;
- (f) interrupting said fluid-sealed relation of said sleeve member and said outer member to permit said sleeve member to collapse upon said cable;
- and
- (g) removing said outer member from said sleeve member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.