Jointing or terminating plastics sheathed electric cables

Claim 1

A method for enclosing an electric cable splice, comprising: forming a thermoplastic sheet substantially into a tubular sleeve having adjacent edges and disposing said sleeve about said splice, disposing a support member between said splice and said sleeve, said edges of said sleeve being chamfered so that adjacent said edges have a groove therebetween extending longitudinally of said cable, disposing a mold member against said sleeve so as to enclose said groove, while supporting said sleeve internally with said support member injecting a molten thermoplastic material into said mold member and into said groove, said molten material being compatible with the material of said sleeve and at a temperature sufficient to soften said sleeve, and cooling said molten material, thereby forming a bond between said material and said sleeve; removing said support member and sealing at least one separately formed end closure member to said sleeve and to said cable.

Claim 2

A method for enclosing an electric cable splice, comprising: forming a thermoplastic sheet substantially into a tubular sleeve having adjacent edges and disposing said sleeve about said splice, disposing a support member between said splice and said sleeve, said edges of said sleeve being chamfered so that adjacent said edges have a groove therebetween extending longitudinally of said cable, disposing a mold member against said sleeve so as to enclose said groove, while supporting said sleeve internally with said support member injecting a molten thermoplastic material into said mold member and into said groove, said molten material being compatible with the material of said sleeve and at a temperature sufficient to soften said sleeve, and cooling said molten material, thereby forming a bond between said material and said sleeve; removing said support member and sealing at least one separately formed end closure member to said sleeve and to said cable.

Claim 15

A method of assembling about an electric cable portion an enclosure having at least three separately formed parts secured together in a fluid-tight manner, at least one intermediate part of the separately formed parts being of plastics material, which method comprises forming the said separately formed intermediate part of the enclosure by applying about the cable or cables a sleeve, which comprises a single tubular body that has at least one slit throughout its length bounded by an adjacent pair of longitudinal edges, and a mould, which mould comprises an elongate body that has a side face of a shape and configuration complementary to those of that part of the periphery of the sleeve adjacent said pair of longitudinal edges and that has in said side face a longitudinally extending groove overlying the longitudinal edges through the length of the sleeve and which mould has ports for the admission and discharge of molten thermoplastics material, while supporting said sleeve internally with a support member injecting into the interior of the mould through at least one port molten thermoplastics material that is compatible with the plastics material of the sleeve and that is at a temperature appreciably above the softening points of said materials and, after a sufficient quantity of molten thermoplastics material has passed through the mould and out of at least one other port of the mould to soften the surfaces of said longitudinal edges, cooling the molten thermoplastics material in the mould, thereby forming an effective bond between said longitudinal edges of the sleeve; removing said support member and sealing at least one separately formed end closure member to said sleeve and to said cable.

Claim 16

A method of assembling about an electric cable portion an enclosure having at least three separately formed parts secured together in a fluid-tight manner, at least one intermediate part of the separately formed parts being of plastics material, which method comprises forming the said separately formed intermediate part of the enclosure by applying about the cable or cables a sleeve, which comprises a single tubular body that has at least one slit throughout its length bounded by an adjacent pair of longitudinal edges, and a mould, which mould comprises an elongate body that has a side face of a shape and configuration complementary to those of that part of the periphery of the sleeve adjacent said pair of longitudinal edges and that has in said side face a longitudinally extending groove overlying the longitudinal edges through the length of the sleeve and which mould has ports for the admission and discharge of molten thermoplastics material, while supporting said sleeve internally with a support member injecting into the interior of the mould through at least one port molten thermoplastics material that is compatible with the plastics material of the sleeve and that is at a temperature appreciably above the softening points of said materials and, after a sufficient quantity of molten thermoplastics material has passed through the mould and out of at least one other port of the mould to soften the surfaces of said longitudinal edges, cooling the molten thermoplastics material in the mould, thereby forming an effective bond between said longitudinal edges of the sleeve; removing said support member and sealing at least one separately formed end closure member to said sleeve and to said cable.