High voltage cable terminator and method of assembly

Claim 1

A termination assembly for a high voltage cable having an axial stranded conductor, a coaxial layer of insulation contacting the conductor, a coaxial layer of semiconductive material contacting the insulation, and a layer of grounded conductive wire wrapped around the semiconductive material, the assembly comprising: a hood having a generally cylindrical cavity to receive an end portion of the high voltage cable and having means to attach a second conductor to its exterior, a rigid housing positioned beneath said hood and attached thereto, said housing including a generally cylindrical interior bore which coaxially surrounds a portion of said high voltage cable beneath and adjacent to said end portion of said axial conductor, an elastomeric tubular stress relief element of the type which is installed by releasing it from a highly stretched condition by removing a removable core from its interior coaxially gripping a portion of said cable within said housing in a stretched condition so that said element exerts force radially inward upon the cable, and a sleeve of elastomeric material having an outer surface which engages the interior bore of said housing and having an inner surface which slidably engages said stress relief element and portions of said cable adjacent thereto.

Claim 5

A method for terminating a high voltage cable having an axial stranded conductor, a coaxial layer of insulation encasing the conductor, a coaxial layer of semiconducting material encasing the insulation, and a layer of grounded conductive wire wrapped around the semiconductive material, the method comprising: preparing an end of the cable by cutting away an end segment of the grounded wire layer, a shorter end segment of the semiconducting layer, and a still shorter end segment of the insulating layer so that the conductor protrudes longitudinally beyond the insulation and each of the cut layers protrudes beyond the cut edge of the next larger layer surrounding it, inserting the prepared cable end into a hollow interior of a core upon which a tubular elastomeric stress relief element is disposed and removing said core to allow said element to contract and grip a portion of the prepared cable end, inserting said high voltage cable and the attached stress relief element into an axial bore defined by an extruded elastomeric sleeve disposed within a rigid porcelain housing and pushing the high voltage cable and stress relief element into the bore so that the axial conductor is received within a conductive interior portion of a hood attached to an upper end of the housing, and forming an electrical connection between the conductor and the interior of the hood.

Claim 6

A method for terminating a high voltage cable having an axial stranded conductor, a coaxial layer of insulation encasing the conductor, a coaxial layer of semiconducting material encasing the insulation, and a layer of grounded conductive wire wrapped around the semiconductive material, the method comprising: preparing an end of the cable by cutting away an end segment of the grounded wire layer, a shorter end segment of the semiconducting layer, and a still shorter end segment of the insulating layer so that the conductor protrudes longitudinally beyond the insulation and each of the cut layers protrudes beyond the cut edge of the next larger layer surrounding it, inserting the prepared cable end into a hollow interior of a core upon which a tubular elastomeric stress relief element is disposed and removing said core to allow said element to contract and grip a portion of the prepared cable end, inserting said high voltage cable and the attached stress relief element into an axial bore defined by an extruded elastomeric sleeve disposed within a rigid porcelain housing and pushing the high voltage cable and stress relief element into the bore so that the axial conductor is received within a conductive interior portion of a hood attached to an upper end of the housing, and forming an electrical connection between the conductor and the interior of the hood.