Optical fibre installation
AssigneeBritish Telecommunications public limited company
InventorPeter Keeble
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for introducing a transmission line into a duct through which it is to be propelled by viscous drag of fluid propellant. A high local flow of fluid is created by inputting fluid, preferably compressed air, adjacent the input of the transmission line to the duct and bleeding a proportion of the fluid from the duct a short distance along from the input. This local flow provides the driving force to progress the transmission line along the first third of the duct against the hydrostatic potential. The extent of the venting via the bleed valve is controllable to control the driving force on the transmission line. This technique is especially useful for transmission lines including optical fibres.
Claims17
A process for installing a transmission line in a passageway by means of viscous drag of a fluid, so that the transmission line extends between a transmission line inlet to the passageway and a transmission line outlet remote from the inlet, the method comprising admitting fluid at an upstream end of the passageway to advance the transmission line along the passageway from the inlet towards the outlet, and discharging some of the fluid from the passageway at a location intermediate the inlet and outlet during at least part of the installation process, and whereby the transmission line continues to advance along the passageway to the outlet by means of viscous fluid drag forces acting thereon in the passageway downstream of said location.
A process for installing an optical fibre transmission line in a passageway by means of viscous drag of a gas, as that the optical fibre transmission line extends between a transmission line inlet to the passageway and a transmission line outlet remote from the inlet, the method comprising admitting gas at an upstream end of the passageway to advance the optical fibre transmission line along the passageway from the inlet towards the outlet, and discharging some of the gas from the passageway at a location intermediate the inlet and outlet during at least part of the installation process, and whereby the optical fibre transmission line continues to advance along the passageway to the outlet by means of viscous drag forces acting thereon in the passageway downstream of said location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.