US3667119A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method of jointing and terminating electric cables
Assignee: Balfour Beatty PLC
•
Filing: 1969-04-04
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Granted: 1972-06-06
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Expires: 1989-04-04
Abstract
Abstract Electric cables having at least one conductor in the form of a strand through the interstices of which liquid impregnant for the cable dielectric can pass are jointed or terminated by forming a heat sink surrounding the end of the stranded conductor and bonding the stranded conductor to a terminal or to another conductor by the application in the molten state of an adherent body of metal to substantially the whole of the cut end face of the stranded conductor or between the cut end face of the stranded conductor and the end of the terminal or of the other conductor. During bonding, liquid impregnant is removed from the interstices between the wires of the stranded conductor in the region of a cut end thereof by applying vacuum to the stranded conductor. The bonding process is preferably a welding process, suitably MIG welding, comprising a first stage in which the end of the stranded conductor is sealed by a layer of weld metal and a second stage in which the connection is completed.
Inventors
- 👤 John Stephen Cleaver
- 👤 Peter Guilford
- 👤 Frederick James Kimpton
- 👤 Thomas John Page
- 👤 Norman Richard Steinberg
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 03:41
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02G; H02G15/00; H02G15/20; H02G15/24; H01; H01R; H01R4/00; H01R4/02; H01R4/029; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49117; Y10T29/49174; Y10T29/49179; Y10T29/49194; Y10T29/49195; Y10T29/49197; Y10T29/49718; Y10T29/49746
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 40
Claim 1
Independent Claim
157 words
A method of connecting an electric cable comprising (a) an outer sheath, (b) a liquid-impregnated dielectric and (c) at least one conductor in the form of a strand through the interstices of which liquid impregnant for the cable dielectric can pass, comprising the steps of 1. applying to the cut end of the impregnant-containing stranded conductor and another conductive member a mould that acts as a heat sink and forms a manifold surrounding said stranded conductor in a region removed from said end and 2. introducing metal in the molten state into said mold to form therein a body of metal that adheres to substantially the whole of the cut end face of the stranded conductor and to the other conductive member while contemporaneously removing said liquid impregnant from the interstices between the wires of the stranded conductor at said region to leave said cut end substantially free of said impregnant by applying vacuum to said manifold.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
157 words
A method of connecting an electric cable comprising (a) an outer sheath, (b) a liquid-impregnated dielectric and (c) at least one conductor in the form of a strand through the interstices of which liquid impregnant for the cable dielectric can pass, comprising the steps of 1. applying to the cut end of the impregnant-containing stranded conductor and another conductive member a mould that acts as a heat sink and forms a manifold surrounding said stranded conductor in a region removed from said end and 2. introducing metal in the molten state into said mold to form therein a body of metal that adheres to substantially the whole of the cut end face of the stranded conductor and to the other conductive member while contemporaneously removing said liquid impregnant from the interstices between the wires of the stranded conductor at said region to leave said cut end substantially free of said impregnant by applying vacuum to said manifold.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
72 words
introducing metal in the molten state into said mold to form therein a body of metal that adheres to substantially the whole of the cut end face of the stranded conductor and to the other conductive member while contemporaneously removing said liquid impregnant from the interstices between the wires of the stranded conductor at said region to leave said cut end substantially free of said impregnant by applying vacuum to said manifold.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
72 words
introducing metal in the molten state into said mold to form therein a body of metal that adheres to substantially the whole of the cut end face of the stranded conductor and to the other conductive member while contemporaneously removing said liquid impregnant from the interstices between the wires of the stranded conductor at said region to leave said cut end substantially free of said impregnant by applying vacuum to said manifold.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the bonding process is a metal/inert gas welding process.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
84 words
boNding the stranded conductor at least to the sleeve by a process entailing the application in the molten state of an adherent body of metal to substantially the whole of the cut end face of the stranded conductor and to the sleeve while contemporaneously removing said liquid impregnant from the interstices between the wires of the stranded conductor by applying vacuum to the stranded conductor in a region removed from the said cut end to leave said cut end substantially free of said impregnant.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
84 words
boNding the stranded conductor at least to the sleeve by a process entailing the application in the molten state of an adherent body of metal to substantially the whole of the cut end face of the stranded conductor and to the sleeve while contemporaneously removing said liquid impregnant from the interstices between the wires of the stranded conductor by applying vacuum to the stranded conductor in a region removed from the said cut end to leave said cut end substantially free of said impregnant.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
84 words
sealing said cut end of the stranded conductor by a welding process entailing the application in the molten state of an adherent layer of metal to substantially the whole of said cut end face of the stranded conductor while contemporaneously removing said liquid impregnant from the interstices between the wires of the stranded conductor by applying vacuum to the stranded conductor, in a region removed from said end, to leave said cut end substantially free of said impregnant removing said first heat sink and
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
84 words
sealing said cut end of the stranded conductor by a welding process entailing the application in the molten state of an adherent layer of metal to substantially the whole of said cut end face of the stranded conductor while contemporaneously removing said liquid impregnant from the interstices between the wires of the stranded conductor by applying vacuum to the stranded conductor, in a region removed from said end, to leave said cut end substantially free of said impregnant removing said first heat sink and
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
74 words
sealing said cut end of the stranded conductor by a welding process entailing the application in the molten state of an adherent layer of metal to substantially the whole of said cut end face while contemporaneously removing said liquid impregnant from the interstices between the wires of the stranded conductor by applying vacuum to the stranded conductor in a region removed from said end to leave said cut end substantially free of said impregnant
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
74 words
sealing said cut end of the stranded conductor by a welding process entailing the application in the molten state of an adherent layer of metal to substantially the whole of said cut end face while contemporaneously removing said liquid impregnant from the interstices between the wires of the stranded conductor by applying vacuum to the stranded conductor in a region removed from said end to leave said cut end substantially free of said impregnant
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
removing said first heat sink and rePlacing it with a second heat sink comprising a sleeve contiguous with and made of the same metal as the stranded conductor and
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
removing said first heat sink and rePlacing it with a second heat sink comprising a sleeve contiguous with and made of the same metal as the stranded conductor and
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
forming a second heat sink surrounding the sealed end of the stranded conductor and an end of another conductor, and
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
forming a second heat sink surrounding the sealed end of the stranded conductor and an end of another conductor, and
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the heat sink is made of a metal of good thermal conductivity.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising the preliminary step of cutting the end of the stranded conductor so that its end face is inclined at an angle of from 15*-30* with respect to a plane perpendicular to the conductor axis.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
79 words
bonding the stranded conductor to the other conductor by a process entailing the application in the molten state of an adherent body of metal between the sealed end of the stranded conductor and the end of the other conductor while contemporaneously removing said liquid impregnant from the interstices between the wires of the stranded conductor by applying vacuum to the stranded conductor in a region removed from said end to leave said sealed end substantially free of said impregnant.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
79 words
bonding the stranded conductor to the other conductor by a process entailing the application in the molten state of an adherent body of metal between the sealed end of the stranded conductor and the end of the other conductor while contemporaneously removing said liquid impregnant from the interstices between the wires of the stranded conductor by applying vacuum to the stranded conductor in a region removed from said end to leave said sealed end substantially free of said impregnant.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
77 words
bonding the stranded conductor to the said sleeve by a welding process entailing the application in the molten state of an adherent body of metal to the sealed end of the stranded conductor and to the sleeve while again contemporaneously removing liquid impregnant from the interstices between the wires of the stranded conductor by applying vacuum to the stranded conductor in a region removed from said end to leave said sealed end substantially free of said impregnant.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
77 words
bonding the stranded conductor to the said sleeve by a welding process entailing the application in the molten state of an adherent body of metal to the sealed end of the stranded conductor and to the sleeve while again contemporaneously removing liquid impregnant from the interstices between the wires of the stranded conductor by applying vacuum to the stranded conductor in a region removed from said end to leave said sealed end substantially free of said impregnant.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 in which said manifold is formed by an annular groove in the bore of said mold.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as claimed in claim 5 comprising sealing the end of the manifold further from the cut end of the stranded conductor by resilient means to increase the effectiveness of the suction at the cut end face of the conductor.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising washing the end of the stranded conductor with a solvent for the liquid impregnant prior to bonding.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as claimed in claim 7 in which washing is carried out while vacuum is applied to the conductor end.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
45 words
A method of connecting an electric cable comprising (a) an outer sheath, (b) a liquid-impregnated dielectric, and (c) at least one conductor in the form of a strand through the interstices of which liquid impregnant for the cable dielectric can pass, comprising the steps of
Claim 27
Independent Claim
45 words
A method of connecting an electric cable comprising (a) an outer sheath, (b) a liquid-impregnated dielectric, and (c) at least one conductor in the form of a strand through the interstices of which liquid impregnant for the cable dielectric can pass, comprising the steps of
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as claimed in claim 9 in which the heat sink comprises a removable outer part.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as claimed in claim 10 in which the removable outer part is in screw-threaded engagement with the metal sleeve.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as claimed in claim 10 in which the metal sleeve is of the same metal as the stranded conductor and the removable outer part of the heat sink is of a different metal.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as claimed in claim 12 in which the metal sleeve is longitudinally cut to allow it to contract with the bonding metal as it cools.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as claimed in claim 9 in which the metal sleeve is longitudinally divided into at least two parts.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as claimed in claim 9 in which the metal sleeve constitutes substantially the whole of the heat sink.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as claimed in claim 9 in which bonding is effected by a metal/inert gas welding process.
Claim 35
Independent Claim
45 words
A method of jointing an electric cable comprising (a) an outer sheath, (b) a liquid-impregnated dielectric and (c) at least one conductor in the form of a strand through the interstices of which liquid impregnant for the cable dielectric can pass, comprising the steps of
Claim 36
Independent Claim
45 words
A method of jointing an electric cable comprising (a) an outer sheath, (b) a liquid-impregnated dielectric and (c) at least one conductor in the form of a strand through the interstices of which liquid impregnant for the cable dielectric can pass, comprising the steps of
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as claimed in claim 17 in which vacuum is applied to the stranded conductor by means of a surrounding manifold formed by an annular groove in the bore of the heat sink.
Claim 38
Independent Claim
45 words
A method of terminating an electric cable comprising (a) an outer sheath, (b) a liquid-impregnated dielectric and (c) at least one conductor in the form of a strand through the interstices of which liquid impregnant for the cable dielectric can pass, comprising the steps of
Claim 39
Independent Claim
45 words
A method of terminating an electric cable comprising (a) an outer sheath, (b) a liquid-impregnated dielectric and (c) at least one conductor in the form of a strand through the interstices of which liquid impregnant for the cable dielectric can pass, comprising the steps of
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as claimed in claim 19 in which vacuum is applied to the stranded conductor by means of a surrounding manifold formed by an annular groove in the bore of the heat sink.
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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) | 1975-06-06 | 1975-12-06 | 1976-06-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-06-06 | 1979-12-06 | 1980-06-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-06-06 | 1983-12-06 | 1984-06-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |