Connector assembly for a bottom-drag seismic cable

Claim 2

A connector assembly for joining two drag-cable sections, each cable section including a central stress member, a plurality of conductors surrounding said stress member, an insulating waterproof jacket enclosing said stress member and said plurality of conductors, and a bouyant cellular plastic covering surrounding said jacket, the assembly comprising: a pair of perforated bulkhead members securable to each of the opposing ends of two, spaced-apart cable sections; a pair of stress-member extension pins having a hollow end portion and an externally-threaded end portion, removably mounted to extend through the center of each bulkhead member; an elongate stress section; and a pair of union means coupling said stress section to said extension pins.

Claim 3

A connector assembly for joining two drag-cable sections, each cable section including a central stress member, a plurality of conductors surrounding said stress member, an insulating waterproof jacket enclosing said stress member and said plurality of conductors, and a buoyant cellular plastic covering surrounding said jacket, the assembly comprising: a pair of perforated bulkhead members securable to each of the opposing ends of two, spaced-apart cable sections; a pair stress-member extension pins each having a hollow end portion and an externally-threaded end portion, removably mounted to extend through the center of each bulkhead member; a pair of sleeve nuts each having inner and outer threads, mounted on the threaded end portion of each of the stressmember extension pins; a pair of locknuts on the threaded portion of the extension pins for locking the sleeve nuts in place on the threaded end portions of the extension pins; an elongate stress section; and a pair of hollow, internally-threaded collar members mounted for limited sliding movement on each end of said elongate stress section, said collar members being arranged to threadably engage the external threads of said sleeve nuts.

Claim 4

A connector assembly for joining two drag-cable sections, each cable section including a central stress member, a plurality of conductors surrounding said stress member, an insulating waterproof jacket enclosing said stress member and said plurality of conductors, and a buoyant cellular plastic covering surrounding said jacket, the assembly comprising: a pair of perforated bulkhead members securable to each of the opposing ends of two, spaced-apart cable sections; a pair stress-member extension pins each having a hollow end portion and an externally-threaded end portion, removably mounted to extend through the center of each bulkhead member; a pair of sleeve nuts each having inner and outer threads, mounted on the threaded end portion of each of the stressmember extension pins; a pair of locknuts on the threaded portion of the extension pins for locking the sleeve nuts in place on the threaded end portions of the extension pins; an elongate stress section; and a pair of hollow, internally-threaded collar members mounted for limited sliding movement on each end of said elongate stress section, said collar members being arranged to threadably engage the external threads of said sleeve nuts.

Claim 5

The connector assembly of claim 2 wherein: the hollow end of each stress-member extension pin is adapted to swagingly engage the stress member of each of said drag cable sections.

Claim 6

The connector assembly of claim 3 wherein: each bulkhead has a central perforation to receive said stress-member extension pin and a plurality of annular perforations through which protrude the conductors of said spaced-apart multi-conductor drag cable section; and means to detachably interconnect corresponding conductors between the multiconductor drag cable sections.

Claim 7

The connector assembly of claim 4 wherein: each internally threaded collar member is provided with an internal retaining shoulder at one end thereof; and each end of said elongate stress section is provided with a flange to seat against the internal retaining shoulder of said collar members.

Claim 8

The connector assembly of claim 5, and including: an elongate tubular boot member secured around a first portion of said bulkhead members and enclosing the connector assembly, said boot being filled with an insulating fluid having a specific gravity less thAn that of water to impart positive buoyancy to said connector assembly.

Claim 9

The connector assembly of claim 6, and including; a pair of tapered hollow boot members fastened in sealing engagement to second portions of said bulkhead members and to the insulating waterproof jackets of said drag cable sections.