Continuously manufactured cable

Claim 2

Apparatus for making coated electric cable comprising a tube forming a vulcanizing chamber, a gas inlet to said chamber connected to a pressure source of gas, an extruder head in sealed relation to and at one end of said chamber for continuously extruding a coating on said cable and for feeding the covered cable into said chamber, means for heating said gas, a cooling chamber located downstream of said vulcanizing chamber, means provided to circulate cooling water through said cooling chamber, a sump intermediate and in fluid flow communication with said vulcanizing and cooling chambers, means for withdrawing cooling water from said sump, first baffle means between said withdrawing means and said vulcanizing chamber, and second baffle means between said withdrawing means and said cooling chamber, said baffle means acting to prevent the admission of water into the vulcanizing chamber and having openings for the free passage of said cable therethrough without contacting said cable.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the heating means comprises a jacket surrounding said tube, a combustion burner connection to said jacket, means for circulating and recirculating heated air and combustion gases through said jacket and means for sensing the temperature of the recirculated gases to control the heat transmitted from said jacket to the gas in the vulcanizing chamber.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the tube forms a catenary curve, means are provided to draw the cable through said tube, and the cable depends from the extruder head throughout the length of the tube without contacting the walls thereof.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 3 in which a riser is located downstream of said sump, said riser being connected to the gas pressure source and control means sensing the level of water in said riser to regulate the height of water therein and the degree of counteracting pressure exerted by the water in said cooling chamber against gas pressure upstream of the cooling chamber, said riser and baffle means cooperating to prevent surges of cooling water from entering the vulcanizing chamber.

Claim 8

Apparatus for vulcanizing polymeric coatings and the like on an electric cable comprising a tube forming a vulcanizing chamber, means for maintaining a noncondensing gas under relatively high pressure conditions in said chamber, jacket means surrounding said chamber, means for circulating a hot fluid at ambient preSsure through said jacket to heat said gas, means permitting passage of a cable through said chamber while maintaining said gas in an essentially stagnant condition, a cooling chamber located downstream of said vulcanizing chamber, means provided to circulate cooling water through said cooling chamber, a sump intermediate and in fluid-flow communication with said vulcanizing and said cooling chambers, means for withdrawing cooling water from said sump, first baffle means in said sump between said withdrawing means and said vulcanizing chamber, and second baffle means in said sump between said withdrawing means and said cooling chamber, said baffle means acting to prevent the admission of water into the vulcanizing chamber and having openings for the free passage of said cable therethrough without contacting said cable.

Claim 9

Apparatus for vulcanizing polymeric coatings and the like on an electric cable comprising a tube forming a vulcanizing chamber, means for maintaining a noncondensing gas under relatively high pressure conditions in said chamber, jacket means surrounding said chamber, means for circulating a hot fluid at ambient preSsure through said jacket to heat said gas, means permitting passage of a cable through said chamber while maintaining said gas in an essentially stagnant condition, a cooling chamber located downstream of said vulcanizing chamber, means provided to circulate cooling water through said cooling chamber, a sump intermediate and in fluid-flow communication with said vulcanizing and said cooling chambers, means for withdrawing cooling water from said sump, first baffle means in said sump between said withdrawing means and said vulcanizing chamber, and second baffle means in said sump between said withdrawing means and said cooling chamber, said baffle means acting to prevent the admission of water into the vulcanizing chamber and having openings for the free passage of said cable therethrough without contacting said cable.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said tube is formed in a catenary comprising means suspending said strand in a catenary within said tube and said chamber without contact between said strand tube and chamber.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said openings are vertically elongated to accommodate the catenary rise of said strand.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 11 including a tubular extension projecting substantially horizontally from the lowest point of said catenary, said extension comprising a support for said extrudate suspended in said catenary, the floor of said extension being abruptly elevated above the floor of said catenary tube at said lowest point thereof.

Claim 15

Apparatus for continuously manufacturing an electrical cable having a plurality of concentric coatings comprising first extruder means for receiving and depositing upon an electrically conductive core at least one polymeric coating, a vulcanizing tube connected to said extruder means to receive the coated core, means for maintaining a gas under high heat and pressure in said vulcanizing tube, liquid cooling means connected to said vulcanizing tube for receiving the coated core after passing through the vulcanizing tube, sump means intermediate and in fluid flow communication with said vulcanizing tube and said liquid cooling means, means for withdrawing cooling liquid from said sump, first baffle means between said withdrawing means and said vulcanizing tube, second baffle means between said withdrawing means and said liquid cooling means, said baffle means acting to prevent the admission of cooling liquid into said vulcanizing tube and having openings therethrough for the free passage of said cable therethrough without contacting said cable, jacket extruding means for receiving the coated core directly upon leaving the cooling means and for depositing about the core an extruded jacket, and means for cooling the extruded jacket.

Claim 16

Apparatus for continuously manufacturing an electrical cable having a plurality of concentric coatings comprising first extruder means for receiving and depositing upon an electrically conductive core at least one polymeric coating, a vulcanizing tube connected to said extruder means to receive the coated core, means for maintaining a gas under high heat and pressure in said vulcanizing tube, liquid cooling means connected to said vulcanizing tube for receiving the coated core after passing through the vulcanizing tube, sump means intermediate and in fluid flow communication with said vulcanizing tube and said liquid cooling means, means for withdrawing cooling liquid from said sump, first baffle means between said withdrawing means and said vulcanizing tube, second baffle means between said withdrawing means and said liquid cooling means, said baffle means acting to prevent the admission of cooling liquid into said vulcanizing tube and having openings therethrough for the free passage of said cable therethrough without contacting said cable, jacket extruding means for receiving the coated core directly upon leaving the cooling means and for depositing about the core an extruded jacket, and means for cooling the extruded jacket.

Claim 17

The apparatus in claim 11 wherein said tube and at least upstream portions of said liquid cooling means are formed in a catenary curve matching the natural depending configuration of the core to prevent contact between the coated core, tube and cooling means until the coating is sufficiently hard, the first-mEntioned extruder means comprises means for depositing upon said core a semiconducting shield layer and thereafter an insulation layer, and the jacket extruder deposits drain wire embedded in said jacket.

Claim 18

The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the tube is filled with an inert noncondensing gas, a jacket surrounds the tube and means are provided for recirculation of hot combustion gases throughout said jacket, the tube is in direct communication with the cooling means comprising cooling water thereby forming a gas-water interface and means are provided for circulating water throughout the cooling means without admission of water into the vulcanizing tube.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein means are provided for heating the core prior to entering the extruder means.