Freeze seal and freeze clamp for cables, wires, optical fibers and the like

A freeze device for an elongated element comprising a pressure vessel having a first through passage spaced from a second through passage, an elongated element having a first part disposed in said first through passage and a second part disposed in said second through passage, first freeze means between said first part of said elongated element and said first through passage, said first freeze means including a first frozen material exerting a force inwardly against said first part of said elongated element and outwardly against said first through passage by virtue of having been frozen in situ such that said first frozen material thereby seals said first part of said elongated element in said first through passage, second freeze means between said second part of said elongated element and said second through passage, said second freeze means including a second frozen material exerting a force inwardly against said second part of said elongated element and outwardly against said second through passage by virtue of having been frozen in situ such that said second frozen material thereby seals said second part of said elongated element in said second through passage.

A clamping device for an elongated element comprising a clamping enclosure disposed about at least a part of said element, freeze means between said part of said elongated element and said enclosure, said freeze means including a frozen material exerting a force inwardly against said part of said element and outwardly against said enclosure by virtue of having been frozen in situ such that said frozen material thereby clamps said elongated element to said enclosure, and pulling means attached to said enclosure for pulling said enclosure such that pulling of said enclosure effects pulling of said elongated element.

A method for clamping an elongated element comprising disposing a part of said elongated element in a clamping enclosure, introducing a freezable material into said enclosure, surrounding said part of said elongated element with said freezable material, freezing said freezable material in situ in said enclosure such that the frozen material exerts an inward force against said part of said elongated element and an outward force against said enclosure, clamping said part of said elongated element to said enclosure by said forces exerted by said frozen material and effecting tensioning between said enclosure and aid elongated element while said part of said elongated element is clamped to said enclosure.

A method for sealing an elongated element comprising providing a pressure vessel having an interior and first through passage leading to said interior, disposing a first part of said elongated element in said through passage and a second part in said interior of said pressure vessel, introducing a freezable material into said through passage, surrounding said first part of said elongated element with said freezable material, freezing said freezable material in situ in said through passage such that the frozen material exerts an inward force against said first part of said elongated element and an outward force against said through passage, and sealing said first part of said elongated element in said through passage of said pressure vessel by said force exerted by said frozen material.

A method for clamping an elongated element comprising disposing a part of said elongated element in a clamping enclosure, introducing a freezable material into said enclosure, surrounding said part of said elongated element with said freezable material, freezing said freezable material in situ in said enclosure such that the frozen material exerts an inward force against said part of said elongated element and an outward force against said enclosure, clamping said part of said elongated element to said enclosure by said forces exerted by said frozen material, and utilizing a pulling mechanism attached to said enclosure for pulling said enclosure which in turn pulls siad elongated element.

A clamping device for clamping an elongated element to a clamping enclosure disposed about a part of said element, freeze means between said part of said elongated element and said enclosure, said freeze means including a frozen material exerting a force inwardly against said part of said element and outwardly against said enclosure by virtue of having been frozen in situ such that said frozen material thereby clamps said elongated element to said enclosure, and tensioning means for effecting tensioning between said clamping enclosure and said elongated element such that said tensioning means tensions said elongated element as said part of said elongated element is clamped to said clamping enclosure.