Patent US3634649A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3634649A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for and method of joining stranded cable
Assignee: Reynolds Metals Co
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Filing: 1970-03-19
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Granted: 1972-01-11
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Expires: 1990-03-19
Abstract
Abstract Stranded cables are joined utilizing apparatus and method of this invention by coating individual strands of the end portions of the cables to be joined with a suitable cleaning liquid and then ejecting a fluid under pressure against such end portions to remove the liquid and any foreign particles from the end portions including forcing such particles along the length of the cable. The cleaned end portions are then fixed in an associated welding apparatus and welded together with a conventional welding device using an access port provided in the apparatus and the welding action provided assures that each cable strand is fused to the weld material. Any excess weld material is then removed from the welded end portions after removal from the welding apparatus and a tubular sleeve may be fixed in position over the welded junction to reinforce the high-strength weld.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald D Rager
- 👤 Robert L Heflin
- 👤 Dana V Wilcox
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 15:36
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R4/00; H01R4/58; H01R4/62; H01R4/625; B; B23; B23K; B23K9/00; B23K9/0026; H01R43/00; B23K2101/00; B23K2101/32; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49117; Y10T29/49194; Y10T29/49195
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
186 words
A method of joining associated end portions of a pair of stranded cables comprising the steps of, cleaning said end portions, placing said cleaned end portions on a lower jaw member of a heat-conductive welding apparatus with the terminal ends of said end portions in axially aligned spaced relation over a well in said lower member, clamping an upper member of said apparatus against said end portions to achieve optimum heat-conductive contact and with an access opening in said upper member vertically aligned over said well, inserting a welding device through said access opening, welding said end portions together with said welding device by forming a pool of welding material in said well, said welding material also flowing between individual strands of said end portions to assure welding material fuses adjacent strands to define a weld nugget and a junction having high strength, said clamping step assuring tHat during said welding step heat is conducted rapidly away from said junction and reduces the tendency for said end portions to burn back, and cleaning any excess weld material from the welded junction after removal from said apparatus.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
186 words
A method of joining associated end portions of a pair of stranded cables comprising the steps of, cleaning said end portions, placing said cleaned end portions on a lower jaw member of a heat-conductive welding apparatus with the terminal ends of said end portions in axially aligned spaced relation over a well in said lower member, clamping an upper member of said apparatus against said end portions to achieve optimum heat-conductive contact and with an access opening in said upper member vertically aligned over said well, inserting a welding device through said access opening, welding said end portions together with said welding device by forming a pool of welding material in said well, said welding material also flowing between individual strands of said end portions to assure welding material fuses adjacent strands to define a weld nugget and a junction having high strength, said clamping step assuring tHat during said welding step heat is conducted rapidly away from said junction and reduces the tendency for said end portions to burn back, and cleaning any excess weld material from the welded junction after removal from said apparatus.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 in which said cleaning step comprises coating individual strands comprising said end portions with a cleaning liquid while separating said strands to assure said liquid contacts the outside surface of each strand.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
61 words
A method as set forth in claim 2 in which said cleaning liquid comprises a degreasing liquid and comprising the further step of ejecting a fluid against the terminal end of each end portion while directing said fluid inwardly along the length of the associated cable to force any foreign particles on the individual strands comprising each end portion away therefrom.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
78 words
A method as set forth in claim 2 particularly adapted for joining said end portions of insulated electrical power transmission cables comprising the preparation steps of cutting a bevel at the terminal end of each end portion and then removing a length of insulation from each end portion and comprising the further step of ejecting air under pressure against the terminal end of each end portion while directing said air inwardly along the length of the associated cable.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
52 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 for welding said associated end portions of stranded aluminum cables wherein said welding step comprises forming a pool of molten aluminum welding metal between said individual strands of said end portions to assure said fusing of adjacent strands and forming of said weld nugget.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as set forth in claim 5 in which said inserting step comprises inserting said welding device in the form of a gas-metal-arc through said access opening.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
65 words
A method as set forth in claim 5 and comprising the preparation step of placing an aluminum filler slug in said well said inserting step comprises inserting said welding device in the form of an electric-arc welding device through said access opening, and said welding step comprises first establishing an electric arc on said aluminum filler slug to enable forming said pool of welding material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method as set forth in claim 7 in which said welding step comprises moving said welding device so that said arc is continuously maintained and moved in an approximately oval path without dwelling on individual strands of said end portions until the entire junction is defined.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 and comprising the further step of fixing a sleeve around the weld defining said junction to prevent flexing movements of said junction and thereby improve the structural integrity thereof.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
52 words
A method as set forth in claim 9 in which said sleeve comprises a seamless sleeve and said fixing step comprises axially sliding said sleeve from a position spaced from said junction to a position in aligned relation thereover and then compressing said seamless sleeve in position in a suitable pressing device.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-01-10 | 1975-07-12 | 1976-01-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-01-10 | 1979-07-12 | 1980-01-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-01-10 | 1983-07-12 | 1984-01-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |