Cable sheath and ready access closure including a cable sheath

Claim 2

A ready access closure for a communications cable having a plurality of insulated wires and a metallic grounding shield surrounding said wires, said cable being supported by a messenger, said closure comprising a base assembly having opposed ends and a member joined to said ends and extending therebetween, said ends having openings receiving the cable, said metallic grounding shield being interrupted between said ends, means including electrically conductive clamps adjacent to said ends and secured to said member, an electrically conductive strap on said member and being in conductive connection with said clamps, said clamps being secured to said messenger and to said metallic grounding shield, at least one terminal block on said strap and having conductive terminals, a group of wires from said cable being connected to said terminals, said group of wires being less than all of the wires of said cable, a cable sheath constituting a closure over said cable, said sheath lying between said clamps and having adjacent longitudinal margins that define a lateral opening into the sheath and through which the cable may pass upon mounting the sheath onto the cable, said longitudinal margins having cooperating means for snap-fitting engagement to close said sheath and inhibit ready separation of said margins, said sheath also having a notch that forms an additional lateral opening and through which said group of wires projects, the notch being of such size that the remaining wires of the cable are substantially inaccessible for connection to said terminal block, and a removable cover cooperating with said base assembly substantially enclosing the sheath-covered cable and said terminal block.

Claim 3

A ready access closure according to claim 1 in which said notch is adjacent to said longitudinal margins.

Claim 4

A ready access closure according to claim 1 in which said cooperaTing means comprises a finger at each longitudinal margin, the fingers snap-fitting together to close the sheath.

Claim 5

A combination that includes a communications cable having a plurality of insulated wires and means sheathing the wires, a closure within which a length of the cable extends, said sheathing means being removed over a part of the cable within said closure, terminal block means in said closure, a group of said wires constituting less than all of said plurality of wires being connected to said terminal block means and the remainder of said wires extending through said closure beyond opposite ends thereof, and a tubular sheath over said cable length within said closure, said sheath having opposed longitudinal margins that define an opening for receiving said cable length, said longitudinal margins having means for joining the same to close the sheath and inhibit ready separation of said margins, and said sheath also having a notch in the wall thereof and through which said group of wires projects, said notch being of such size that said remainder of the wires are substantially inaccessible for connection to said terminal block means.

Claim 6

A combination that includes a communications cable having a plurality of insulated wires and means sheathing the wires, a closure within which a length of the cable extends, said sheathing means being removed over a part of the cable within said closure, terminal block means in said closure, a group of said wires constituting less than all of said plurality of wires being connected to said terminal block means and the remainder of said wires extending through said closure beyond opposite ends thereof, and a tubular sheath over said cable length within said closure, said sheath having opposed longitudinal margins that define an opening for receiving said cable length, said longitudinal margins having means for joining the same to close the sheath and inhibit ready separation of said margins, and said sheath also having a notch in the wall thereof and through which said group of wires projects, said notch being of such size that said remainder of the wires are substantially inaccessible for connection to said terminal block means.

Claim 7

A combination according to claim 4 in which said joining means includes interlocking fingers.

Claim 8

A combination that includes a communications cable having a plurality of insulated wires and electrically conductive means sheathing the wires, a closure within which a length of the cable extends, said sheathing means being removed over a part of the cable within said closure to leave interrupted ends of said sheath, means for providing a continuous electrically conductive path between said interrupted ends, terminal block means in said closure, a group of wires constituting less than all of said plurality of wires being connected to said terminal block means and the remainder of said wires extending through said closure beyond opposite ends thereof, and a tubular sheath over said cable length within said closure, said sheath having a notch and through which said group of wires projects, said notch being of such size that said remainder of the wires are substantially unaccessible for connection to said terminal block means, said sheath having opposed longitudinal margins defining an opening therein, a pair of fingers being at each margin, the pair of fingers at one margin being of different lengths and one of them having a hook that projects toward the other finger, the pair of fingers at the other margin projecting toward the first-mentioned pair of fingers, one of the fingers at said other margin having a hook that projects away from the other finger of that pair, the hooks and their respective fingers forming acute angles, said fingers having the hooks being adapted for interlocking such that the hook-containing finger at said other margin is intermediate the fingers of the first-mentioned pair and the other finger of the first-mentioned pair is intermediate the fingers of the pair at said other margin, the other finger of the pair at said other margin having means for preventing mis-mating of the fingers.

Claim 9

A combination that includes a communications cable having a plurality of insulated wires and electrically conductive means sheathing the wires, a closure within which a length of the cable extends, said sheathing means being removed over a part of the cable within said closure to leave interrupted ends of said sheath, means for providing a continuous electrically conductive path between said interrupted ends, terminal block means in said closure, a group of wires constituting less than all of said plurality of wires being connected to said terminal block means and the remainder of said wires extending through said closure beyond opposite ends thereof, and a tubular sheath over said cable length within said closure, said sheath having a notch and through which said group of wires projects, said notch being of such size that said remainder of the wires are substantially unaccessible for connection to said terminal block means, said sheath having opposed longitudinal margins defining an opening therein, a pair of fingers being at each margin, the pair of fingers at one margin being of different lengths and one of them having a hook that projects toward the other finger, the pair of fingers at the other margin projecting toward the first-mentioned pair of fingers, one of the fingers at said other margin having a hook that projects away from the other finger of that pair, the hooks and their respective fingers forming acute angles, said fingers having the hooks being adapted for interlocking such that the hook-containing finger at said other margin is intermediate the fingers of the first-mentioned pair and the other finger of the first-mentioned pair is intermediate the fingers of the pair at said other margin, the other finger of the pair at said other margin having means for preventing mis-mating of the fingers.

Claim 10

A cable sheath comprising a one piece plastic member constituting a tubular body open at its opposite ends, said body also including longitudinal margins that define an opening into the body, a pair of fingers being at each margin, the pair of fingers at one margin being of different lengths and one of them having a hook that projects toward the other finger, the pair of fingers at the other margin projecting toward the first-mentioned pair of fingers, one of the fingers at said other margin having a hook that projects away from the other finger of that pair, the hooks and their respective fingers forming acute angles, said fingers having the hooks being adapted for interlocking such that the hook-containing finger at said other margin is intermediate the fingers of the first-mentioned pair and the other finger of the first-mentioned pair is intermediate the fingers of the pair at said other margin, the other finger of the pair at said other margin having means for preventing mis-mating of the fingers.

Claim 11

A cable sheath comprising a one piece plastic member constituting a tubular body open at its opposite ends, said body also including longitudinal margins that define an opening into the body, a pair of fingers being at each margin, the pair of fingers at one margin being of different lengths and one of them having a hook that projects toward the other finger, the pair of fingers at the other margin projecting toward the first-mentioned pair of fingers, one of the fingers at said other margin having a hook that projects away from the other finger of that pair, the hooks and their respective fingers forming acute angles, said fingers having the hooks being adapted for interlocking such that the hook-containing finger at said other margin is intermediate the fingers of the first-mentioned pair and the other finger of the first-mentioned pair is intermediate the fingers of the pair at said other margin, the other finger of the pair at said other margin having means for preventing mis-mating of the fingers.

Claim 12

A cable sheath according to claim 7 having a notch in the wall thereof extending to one of said longitudinal margins, said notch being intermediate said opposite ends.

Claim 13

A cable sheath according to claim 8 wherein said means for preventing mis-mating of the fingers comprises a projecting bead formed on said other finger of the pair at said other margin.