Continuous curing of cable

Abstract

Process for continuously curing an elastomeric jacket on a cable, comprising continuously passing a cable having an uncured elastomeric jacket thereon, encased within an outer temporary mold of heat conductive metallic material, e.g. metallic lead, of sufficient encasing layer thickness for protectively confining and supporting therewithin the elastomeric jacket and cable thereat, through a vulcanizing zone maintained at substantially atmospheric pressure and provided with a heat transfer bath, e.g. a fusible mixture including sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate and potassium nitrite, while applying the bath to the cable at a selective bath temperature, e.g. about 400.degree.-500.degree. F., sufficient for vulcanizing the mold encased elastomeric jacket in situ during passage of the cable through the zone whereby to vulcanize the jacket in situ substantially free from stress, damage or disturbance, and with subsequent cooling thereof prior to removal of the mold therefrom.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.