Bicc Plc

David Turner Parr

A joint between two optical fibres comprises two cylindrical rods positioned with their longitudinal axes substantially parallel on a support device of such a form that the cylindrical rods are constrained to lie in tangential contact with one another to define between them an interstitial space, the two rods and the support device forming a sub-assembly; two optical fibres aligned in the interstitial space defined by the two rods so that the end faces of the optical fibres substantially abut; an elongate holding member positioned over the ends of the optical fibres aligned in the interstitial space to cover the interstitial space over at least a part of its length; and over the elongate holding member there is applied at least one resilient spring clip which so engages the sub-assembly that the elongate holding member is urged towards the two rods to secure the optical fibres with their end faces substantially abutting in the interstitital space between the two rods.

Disconnectable optical fibre joint

In effecting a fluid-tight seal between a plastics part of a cable joint or termination enclosure and the plastics sheath of an electric cable a hole is formed in the wall of said part to form a cable entry of a size appropriate to the cable and a length of the cable is passed through the cable entry so formed. A mould is assembled about the cable adjacent a surface of said part, which mould embraces the cable and has ports for the admission and discharge of molten thermoplastics material, and the mould is temporarily secured to said part of the enclosure. Molten thermoplastics material is injected into the interior of the mould through said admission port and, after a sufficient quantity of molten thermoplastics material has passed through the mould and out of the discharge port to soften the surfaces of the cable sheath and said part of the enclosure, the mould is sealed and the molten thermoplastics material in the mould is permitted or caused to cool and make an effective bond with the cable sheath and with said part of the enclosure.

Jointing or terminating plastics sheathed electric cable

In a method of making a connection between a plastics sheathed cable and an enclosed cable joint or termination, the enclosure is opened up to expose the existing conductor joint or termination and a separately formed plastics part of the enclosure that includes an end wall is removed. A new part of plastics material including an end wall which has at least one hole of a size appropriate to a cable at said end of the existing joint or termination and which is split between said hole and the peripheral edge of said new part, is applied to the or each cable sheath at said end of the joint or termination. A length of said plastics sheathed cable is passed through a further hole in the end wall of said new part and its conductor or conductors connected to at least one conductor of at least one of the cables of the existing joint or termination. The split in said new part is sealed by enclosing the edges bounding the split in a mould and injecting mouldable thermoplastics material therein, fluid-tight seals are effected between the or each cable and the end wall of said new part of the enclosure, and the enclosure is then re-closed.

Method of resealing a cable joint

An enclosure is assembled about an electric cable joint or termination by applying about the cable or cables a plastics sleeve slit therethrough its length and enclosing the adjacent pair of longitudinal edges of the sleeve in a mould which has ports for the admission and discharge of molten thermoplastics material. Molten thermoplastics material that is compatible with the plastics material of the sleeve and that is at a temperature appreciably above the softening point of said material is injected into the mould through at least one port and, after a sufficient quantity of molten thermoplastics material has passed through the mould to soften the surfaces of said longitudinal edges, the molten thermoplastics material in the mould is permitted or caused to cool and make an effective bond between said longitudinal edges. The sleeve is then sealed to adjacent separately formed end parts of the enclosure.

Growing community of inventors

Croft near Warrington, United Kingdom

David Turner Parr