Bell Telephone Laboratories

Western Electric Company, Inc.

Mills L Fleming

Francis J Mullin

Robert H Gladden, Jr

Robert R Ross

George L Fuchs

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.

Methods of and apparatus for rehabilitating outside telephone plant

A connecting device for providing electrical continuity of a metallic shield of a jacketed distribution cable across a splice location and for electrically and mechanically connecting at least one service wire that is electrically connected to the cable at the splice location and to a customer's premise includes a first clamp which comprises an inner plate that is inserted under the shield until a stud upstanding therefrom abuts the cable jacket and shield. An outer plate of the first clamp and an arcuately formed bonding plate of a second clamp, said bonding plate having a relatively short length in a direction along the length of the cable, are positioned over the cable jacket until the stud extends through an opening in each after which a nut is turned onto the stud to secure the first clamp to the cable and the bonding plate to the first clamp. A stepped clamp plate having a midsection connected to two end sections through offsets and an opening in its midsection is positioned over the stud and cooperates with the bonding plate to form a tortuous path of controlled dimensions through the device for service wires to insure sufficient electrical contact of the second clamp with exposed metallic shields of the service wires while preventing inadvertent movement and undue compression of the service wires.

Growing community of inventors

Lawrenceville, GA, United States of America

Mills L Fleming