Apparatus and method of removing cable

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for removing underground telecommunications cable which involves excavating the earth at predetermined intervals, such as 100 to 150 feet, to expose a segment of cable, severing the exposed segment of cable, placing an air-tight cap on each end of the cable to be removed, evacuating the air out of the cable until the cable has collapsed via a vacuum device coupled to one of the caps, removing the caps from both ends and hitching a winch to one end, and applying a pulling force with the winch. If the cable is being removed for scrap, it may be necessary to cut the cable into pieces of a size which is sufficient for transportation. It may also be deemed necessary to remove and reapply the hitch as the cable is being removed. The same method may be used to remove telecommunications cable from manholes without the excavation step.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.