At&t Bell Laboratories

American Telephone & Telegraph Co., At&t Bell Laboratories

Bell Telephone Laboratories

Western Electric Company, Inc.

American Telephone and Telegraph, Co.

At&t Technologies, Inc.

At&t Bell Laboratories & At&t Technologies, Inc.

Francis J Mullin

William C Reed

Candido J Arroyo

Wendell G Nutt

David M Mitchell

Christian Scholly

Cecil G Montgomery

Eric R Campbell

Mills L Fleming

Joe B Moss

David J Meskell, Jr

Paul W Harbrecht

James J Riordan

Keith A Gossett

Jim A Rogers

Todd A Rhoades

Frederick L Henklein

An unshielded buried service wire (20) includes a core (22) and a jacket (40). The core comprises two pairs (24-24) of insulated metallic conductors (26-26). Also associated with each conductor pair is a longitudinally extending waterblocking member (33) which inhibits the flow of water longitudinally of the wire. The jacket has a transverse cross sectional configuration which is generally oval. Adjacent to each of opposed small radius of curvature portions of the service wire and embedded substantially in the jacket is a longitudinally extending, rod-like strength member (50) which is caused to adhere to plastic material of the jacket.

Unshielded service wire for buried installation

An aerial service wire (20) includes a jacket (40) having a generally rectangularly shaped cross section and comprising a polyvinyl chloride plastic material. Enclosed by the jacket are two groups of strength members (36--36) each of which includes a plurality of filaments and each of which is impregnated with a material which is compatible with that of the jacket. The strength members are disposed along axes (52,54) of the cross section which are normal to an axis (42) which passes through a geometric center through which a longitudinal axis (50) of the jacket passes. Conductors (30--30) which are individually insulated are disposed adjacent to the longitudinal axis with each strength member being disposed between the conductors and the outer surface of the jacket.

Aerial service wire

An aerial cable (20) includes a transmission portion and a supporting portion. The transmission portion includes a core (21) comprising at least one transmission medium enclosed in a relatively flexible dielectric wrapping material (23). The wrapping material is enclosed by two metallic shields (31, 40) between which is interposed a layer (42) of a waterblocking material. An outer one (40) of the shields is formed with overlapping longitudinal edge portions at least one of which is turned inwardly toward the core. A cavity (44) between those edge portions is provided with a waterblocking material which inhibits the longitudinal flow of water. The supporting portion includes a longitudinally extending strand material (60) capable of supporting a length of the cable which is supported by poles, for example, at ends of the length. A plastic jacket (45) encloses the supporting portion and the transmission portion. A portion (62) of the jacket which encloses the supporting portion is connected by a relatively thick web (66) to a portion which encloses the transmission portion.

Aerial metallic shielded cable having waterblocking provisions

A cable closure (20) which is suitable for aerial, pedestal, wall-mounted or buried use and which is suitable for enclosing connections between metallic or optical fiber transmission media includes a base (30) and a cover (32). The base and/or the cover include a plurality of openings through which extend cables. Connections (50) between transmission media of the cables are disposed between portions (51,52) of a superabsorbent compliant foam material. The portions of the foam material and the base and the cover are sized so that when the cover is assembled to the base, the foam material is compressed. Upon contact with water which may enter the closure, the superabsorbent foam material swells, molding about the connections to protect them from the water and expanding outwardly to seal any unintended openings in the housing and prevent the ingress of additional water.

Cable closure including superabsorbent foam water blocking system and

A forced encapsulation system and method that can be advantageously used to encapsulate cable splices e.g., multiconductor communications cables. Containment means are formed around a substrate comprising part of at least one cable, and secured to the cable, thereby forming an enclosure into which liquid encapsulant can be introduced under pressure and in which the encapsulant can be maintained at pressure above ambient pressure. In a preferred embodiment, the containment means comprise a containment bag formed in situ from an elastomer sheet and sealed to the cable sheaths, with a reinforcing outer enclosure surrounding the containment bag. Introducing the liquid encapsulant under pressure leads to thorough penetration of the encapsulant into the splice work and cable ends and to intimate contact between the cured encapsulant and the surfaces within the enclosure, including surfaces with which the encapsulant does not form an adhesive bond, resulting in improved gasketing around conductors, thereby reducing the possibility of water-caused splice damage.

Forced encapsulation means for a cable

A cable (20) which may be used in an aerial or buried installation to serve customers' premises and which is a composite optical fiber-copper conductor type serves present customer needs but has the capability to fulfill the service requirements predicted in the communications market of tomorrow. The cable includes one or more reinforced optical fiber units (22--22) and one or more metallic conductor pairs enclosed in a sheath system. Each optical fiber unit is reinforced to include a plurality of strength members (40--40) arrayed about a buffered optical fiber (36) to enclose the optical fiber and to provide columnar strength to resist compressive forces. A filling compound (52) is disposed within the unit between a jacket (50) which encloses the strength members and the buffered optical fiber.

Composite service and distribution communications media

A communications distribution system (20) provides service for local business and residential premises with fewer splice points required and less waste than encountered in prior art systems. The system includes a feeder distribution interface (60) which is served by a feeder cable or by a carrier system and at least one group interface (61) which is disposed to serve customers' premises. A backbone cable segment (62) extends from the feeder distribution interface to a single group interface and is capable of providing service to a plurality of customer premises. Each customer's premises is served by a single distribution service cable (66) which is connected to a backbone cable segment at a group interface. The single distribution service cables for an area may extend radially or laterally from a group interface.

Local area network system

A termination closure (20) for buried or underground service cable splice locations includes molded stepped end blocks (40--40) and a cover (100) which comprises a sheet adapted to be wrapped about service cables (28--28) having conductors (26--26) which are spliced to conductors (24--24) of a distribution cable (22) and secured by clamps. The closure also includes a pivotally mounted organizer (80) which is perforated to allow an encapsulant to be flowed therethrough into engagement with an enclosing bladder (90). The organizer effectively isolates splice connections from the distribution cable core (23). The bladder which is wrapped about the organizer is adapted to receive encapsulant from a tube which extends through one of the end blocks to allow it to be flowed into the interstices among the spliced conductors and distribution cable core. Air in the closure is pushed from one end of the closure and evacuated through a relief valve (59) in the other end block. The relief valve is arranged so that an indicator thereof is not moved outwardly to provide a visual indication until the closure has been filled properly.

Termination closure for buried service cables and methods of installing

Cable splices of outside telephone plant are rehabilitated by a method in which a length of tubing of a kit of parts is moved over end portions of cables which are to be respliced, if necessary. The tubing is collapsed adjacent jacketed portions of the cables and a collar comprising a plurality of turns of sealing tape is formed about the jacket of each of the cables in adjacent locations. A spacer block is positioned between the collars to maintain the cables spaced apart after which a liner made of a perforated, transversely corrugated strip of plastic material is wrapped about the splice. The tubing is extended over the liner and its lower end is taped about the collars to form a closed end to prevent the escape of a waterproofing material which is flowed into the opposite open end of the tubing. A length of transversely and longitudinally scored plastic is wrapped about the tubing and cut along one of the score lines to form a cover which is secured by a plurality of clamps. The enclosed encapsulated splice is generally formed within a pedestal cabinet or adjacent a telephone pole in which case it is protected mechanically by a metallic U-shaped guard that is positioned over the cover along its length and secured to the pole.

Growing community of inventors

Chamblee, GA, United States of America

Francis J Mullin