Method of curing thermosetting jackets on multiconductor cables

Claim 1

A METHOD OF CURING A THERMOSETTING PROTECTIVE JACKET ON A MULTICONDUCTOR CABLE SO AS TO PROVIDE A CURED JACKET WITH A SMOOTH, NON-LUMPY OUTER SURFACE WHICH RETAINS ITS FLEXIBILITY AT TEMPERATURES OF APPROXIMATELY -65*F., COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: PROVIDING AN ELONGATED INNER CORE OF A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS, EACH OF WHICH IS COVERED BY INSULATION; COVERING SAID INNER CORE OF CONDUCTORS WITH AN UNCURED, CONTINUOUS THERMOSETTING PROTECTIVE JACKET HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY SMOOTH, CYLINDRICAL, INNER SURFACE SO AS TO PROVIDE SPACES BETWEEN THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID INNER CORE AND THE SUBSTANTIALLY SMOOTH, CYLINDRICAL INNER SURFACE OF SAID JACKET; COVERING SAID UNCURED, THERMOSETTING PROTECTIVE JACKET WITH A CONTINUOUS, FLEXIBLE, THERMOPLASTIC, SUBSTANTIALLY FLUID-TIGHT CURING AND RETAINING COVER SO AS TO HAVE THE RETAINING COVER CONFORM TO THE SURFACE OF THE JACKET; SUBJECTING BOTH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE THERMOSETTING JACKET AND THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE THERMOPLASTIC RETAINING COVER TO PRESSURIZED AND HEATED FLUID FOR A SUFFICIENT TIME TO CURE THE JACKET AND FOR FORCING THE JACKET INTO TIGHT FRICTIONAL CONTACT WITH SAID RETAINING COVER WHILE SAID JACKET AND CABLE ARE STATIONARY TO PROVIDE SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL INNER AND OUTER SURFACES TO SAID JACKET WHEN CURED, THE TEMPERATURE OF THE HEATED FLUID BEING LOWER THAN THE DEFORMATION TEMPERATURE OF THE INSULATION FOR THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS AND SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO CURE THE THERMOSETTING JACKET FOR A PREDETERMINED TIME, AND REMOVING THE CURING AND RETAINING COVER AFTER THE JACKET IS CURED.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF CURING A THERMOSETTING PROTECTIVE JACKET ON A MULTICONDUCTOR CABLE SO AS TO PROVIDE A CURED JACKET WITH A SMOOTH, NON-LUMPY OUTER SURFACE WHICH RETAINS ITS FLEXIBILITY AT TEMPERATURES OF APPROXIMATELY -65*F., COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: PROVIDING AN ELONGATED INNER CORE OF A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS, EACH OF WHICH IS COVERED BY INSULATION; COVERING SAID INNER CORE OF CONDUCTORS WITH AN UNCURED, CONTINUOUS THERMOSETTING PROTECTIVE JACKET HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY SMOOTH, CYLINDRICAL, INNER SURFACE SO AS TO PROVIDE SPACES BETWEEN THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID INNER CORE AND THE SUBSTANTIALLY SMOOTH, CYLINDRICAL INNER SURFACE OF SAID JACKET; COVERING SAID UNCURED, THERMOSETTING PROTECTIVE JACKET WITH A CONTINUOUS, FLEXIBLE, THERMOPLASTIC, SUBSTANTIALLY FLUID-TIGHT CURING AND RETAINING COVER SO AS TO HAVE THE RETAINING COVER CONFORM TO THE SURFACE OF THE JACKET; SUBJECTING BOTH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE THERMOSETTING JACKET AND THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE THERMOPLASTIC RETAINING COVER TO PRESSURIZED AND HEATED FLUID FOR A SUFFICIENT TIME TO CURE THE JACKET AND FOR FORCING THE JACKET INTO TIGHT FRICTIONAL CONTACT WITH SAID RETAINING COVER WHILE SAID JACKET AND CABLE ARE STATIONARY TO PROVIDE SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL INNER AND OUTER SURFACES TO SAID JACKET WHEN CURED, THE TEMPERATURE OF THE HEATED FLUID BEING LOWER THAN THE DEFORMATION TEMPERATURE OF THE INSULATION FOR THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS AND SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO CURE THE THERMOSETTING JACKET FOR A PREDETERMINED TIME, AND REMOVING THE CURING AND RETAINING COVER AFTER THE JACKET IS CURED.