Terminal housing for buried communication lines

An airtight, watertight, self-contained terminal assembly for buried communication lines and the like of the type which at least includes a plurality of separate service wires, the terminal assembly comprising:

• a waterproof housing having a base, means below the base for installing the housing in a fixed position adjacent the service wire, and a compartment below the base for receiving a service wire;
• a terminal block above the base having means for connection to the service wire;
• a plurality of separate and independent plug means disposed in corresponding holes extending through the base adjacent the terminal block to communicate between the service wire in the compartment and the terminal block above the base;
• means forming a watertight and airtight seal between each said plug means and its corresponding hole to seal the area above the base from the compartment below the base, the plug means each being separately removable from the holes through the base so that each service wire can be extended from the compartment through a separate hole in the base to the terminal block above the base for connection to the terminal block, and in which the plug means comprise a screw-threaded fastener sealed by an O-ring to one side of the base and extending through the hole in the base, and means on an opposite side of the base for tightening the fastener in the hole to apply sealing pressure to the O-ring;
• means forming a watertight and airtight seal between each service wire and its corresponding hole;
• a waterproof cover having a hollow interior facing toward the area above the base to form a terminal chamber for enclosing the terminal block;
• means forming a watertight and airtight seal between the cover and the base to seal off the interior of the terminal chamber;
• and
• means for removing the sealed cover from the base to expose the plug means for connection of further service wire to the terminal block.

A terminal assembly for buried communication lines of the type including shielded main cable and service cable, the terminal assembly comprising;

• a waterproof housing having a base, means below the base for installing the housing in the ground, including a separate compartment means below the base for receiving the main cable and the service, and an inner support surface above the base and open to the compartment means, leaving a remaining surface area above the base and open to the compartment;
• an opening in the inner support surface to receive the main cable passed from the compartment means through the inner support surface;
• means forming a watertight and airtight seal between the main cable and the opening in the inner support surface;
• a waterproof inner cover having a hollow interior facing toward the inner support surface, to form an inner splice chamber around the main cable sealed above the inner support surface, the main cable being adapted for making splice connections within the inner splice chamber;
• means forming a watertight and airtight seal between the inner cover and the inner support surface to thereby form a sealed watertight and airtight inner splice chamber for the main cable and its splice connections above the support surface and within the hollow interior of the inner cover;
• a plurality of separate and independent service wire passageways extending through the base for receiving separate service wires communicating between the compartment means and the remaining surface area above the base adjacent the inner splice chamber;
• means forming a watertight and airtight seal between each service wire and its respective passageway;
• terminal block means above the remaining surface area above the base for connection to the service wires;
• a waterproof outer cover having a hollow interior facing toward the base to form a terminal chamber that encloses the sealed inner splice chamber and the terminal block means and service wire connected thereto;
• means forming a watertight and airtight seal between the outer cover and the base to seal off the interior of the terminal chamber separate from the sealed inner splice chamber and thereby form a watertight and airtight terminal chamber above the remaining surface area above the base;
• and
• means for removing the sealed outer cover from the base to expose the terminal block and the connections to the service wire passing from the compartment through the base and to the terminal chamber, without exposing the interior of the sealed splice chamber.

A terminal assembly for buried communication lines, such as telephone lines and the like, of the type which include shielded main cable and service wire, the terminal assembly comprising:

• a waterproof housing having a base, means below the base for installing the housing in the ground, including separate compartment means below the base for receiving the main cable and the service wire, and an inner support above the base and open to the compartment means, leaving a remaining area above the base open to the compartment means;
• an opening in the inner support to receive the main cable passed from the compartment means through the inner support;
• means forming a watertight and airtight seal between the main cable and the opening in the inner support;
• a waterproof inner cover having a hollow interior facing toward the inner support, to form an inner splice chamber around the main cable sealed above the inner support;
• means forming a watertight and airtight seal between the inner cover and the inner support to thereby form a sealed watertight and airtight inner splice chamber for the main cable above the base and within the hollow interior of the inner cover;
• a plurality of separate and independent plug means disposed in corresponding holes extending through the base to communicate between the compartment means and the remaining area above the base adjacent the splice chamber;
• means forming a watertight and airtight seal between each said plug means and its corresponding hole to seal the remaining area above the base from the compartment means, the plug means each being separately removable from the hole through the base so that a separate service wire can be extended from the compartment means through a corresponding hole in the base and to the remaining area above the base, in which the plug means comprise a screw-threaded fastener sealed by an O-ring to one side of the base and extending through the hole in the base, and means on the opposite side of the base for tightening the fastener in the hole to apply sealing pressure to the O-ring;
• means for forming a watertight and airtight seal between each said service wire and its corresponding hole;
• terminal block means above the remaining area above the base for connection to the service wire;
• a waterproof outer cover having a hollow interior facing toward the base to form a terminal chamber that encloses the sealed inner splice chamber and the terminal block;
• means forming a watertight and airtight seal between the outer cover and the base to seal off the interior of the terminal chamber separate from the sealed inner splice chamber;
• and
• means for removing the sealed outer cover from the base to expose the terminal block for further connection to the service wire passing through the corresponding removable plug means sealed in the base, so that said further connection can be made without exposing the interior of the sealed splice chamber.

A terminal assembly for buried communication lines, such as telephone lines and the like, of the type which include shielded main cable and service wire, the terminal assembly comprising:

• a waterproof housing having a base, means below the base for installing the housing in the ground, including separate compartment means below the base for receiving the main cable and the service wire, and an inner support above the base and open to the compartment means, leaving a remaining area above the base open to the compartment means;
• an opening in the inner support to receive the main cable passed from the compartment means through the inner support;
• means forming a watertight and airtight seal between the main cable and the opening in the inner support;
• a waterproof inner cover having a hollow interior facing toward the inner support, to form an inner splice chamber around the main cable sealed above the inner support;
• means forming a watertight and airtight seal between the inner cover and the inner support to thereby form a sealed watertight and airtight inner splice chamber for the main cable above the base and within the hollow interior of the inner cover;
• a plurality of separate and independent plug means disposed in corresponding holes extending through the base to communicate between the compartment means and the remaining area above the base adjacent the splice chamber;
• means forming a watertight and airtight seal between each said plug means and its corresponding hole to seal the remaining area above the base from the compartment means, the plug means each being separately removable from the hole through the base so that a separate service wire can be extended from the compartment means through the corresponding hole in the base and to the remaining area above the base, the plug means comprising a screw-threaded fastener sealed by an O-ring to one side of the base and extending through the hole in the base, and means on the opposite side of the base for tightening the fastener in the hole to apply sealing pressure to the O-ring;
• means for forming a watertight and airtight seal between each said service wire and its corresponding hole;
• terminal block means above the remaining area above the base for connection to the service wire;
• a waterproof outer cover having a hollow interior facing toward the base to form a terminal chamber that encloses the sealed inner splice chamber and the terminal block;
• means forming a watertight and airtight seal between the outer cover and the base to seal off the interior of the terminal chamber separate form the sealed inner splice chamber;
• means for removing the sealed outer cover from the base to expose the terminal block for further connection to the service wire passing through the corresponding removable plug means sealed in the base, so that said further connection can be made without exposing the interior of the sealed splice chamber;
• and
• at least one bond ribbon inside the inner splice chamber sealed through the inner support and extending to the remaining area above the base inside the terminal chamber, and an electrical bond bar in the terminal chamber having at least one connection to said at least one bond ribbon so that bond ribbon can be disconnected from the bond bar for testing without opening the sealed inner splice chamber.