초록 ▼

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a finished cable by a process directed to reduce the amount of force required to install the cable. The process involves the extrusion of the cable's outer sheath and the incorporation of a pulling lubricant in connection with, and prior to the completion of,

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a finished cable by a process directed to reduce the amount of force required to install the cable. The process involves the extrusion of the cable's outer sheath and the incorporation of a pulling lubricant in connection with, and prior to the completion of, the extrusion to reduce the sheath's surface coefficient of friction as well as reduce the required force to pull the cable for installation. The conductor core is coated with an extruded plastic material with which an appropriate (in amount and type) pulling lubricant is initially combined with the plastic material prior to the formation of the sheath and in which the sheathed conductor core is thereafter cooled, the lubricant either migrating to and/or permeating the sheath to be available at the surface of the sheath at the time of the cable's installation. The preselected lubricant is disclosed as either combined with the plastic material during initial pelletization, or mixed with the plastic pellets prior to introduction of the mixture into the extruding head, or introduced into the extruding head at a separate location downstream from where the plastic material is introduced into the extruding head.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. In a method of manufacturing a finished electrical cable having a conductor core and a jacket formed primarily of a first material, the jacket surrounding at least said conductor core and defining the outermost exterior surface of the finished cable, the improvement comprisin

What is claimed is: 1. In a method of manufacturing a finished electrical cable having a conductor core and a jacket formed primarily of a first material, the jacket surrounding at least said conductor core and defining the outermost exterior surface of the finished cable, the improvement comprising combining a preselected lubricant with said first material prior to the formation of said jacket to provide a reduced coefficient of friction of said outermost exterior surface and also reduce the amount of force required to pull the cable during its installation, in which said lubricant is of the type which migrates through said jacket to be available at said outermost exterior surface of said finished cable during the cable's installation. 2. In a method of manufacturing a finished electrical cable having a conductor core and a jacket formed primarily of a first material, the jacket surrounding at least said conductor core and defining the outermost exterior surface of the finished cable, the improvement comprising combining a preselected lubricant with said first material prior to the formation of said jacket to provide a reduced coefficient of friction of said outermost exterior surface and also reduce the amount of force required to pull the cable during its installation, in which said lubricant is of the type which permeates said jacket to be continuously available at the said outermost exterior surface during its installation. 3. The improvement as defined in either claim 1 or claim 2, in which said combining is effected by combining said preselected lubricant with said first material in non-pellet form, thereby to form lubricated material pellets, and extruding the jacket with use of the so-lubricated material pellets. 4. The improvement as defined in either claim 1 or claim 2, in which said combining is effected by injecting said first material in non-lubricated form into an extruding head at a first location and injecting the said preselected lubricant into said extruding head at a second location downstream from said first location, while extruding said jacket through said extruding head. 5. The improvement as defined in either claim 1 or claim 2, in which said combining is effected by combining said preselected lubricant with pellets of said first material, and extruding the jacket with use of the so-lubricated material pellets. 6. In a method of manufacturing a finished electrical cable of the type having a conductor core, and an outermost extruded jacket defining the exterior surface of the finished cable, the improvement comprising introducing a preselected lubricant of the type that will migrate through said outermost extruded jacket to be available at said exterior surface during the finished cable's installation to provide a reduced coefficient of friction of said exterior surface of said outermost jacket and also reduce the amount of force required to pull the finished cable during its installation. 7. The method of claim 6 in which the lubricant migrates through, but does not substantially permeate, said outermost extruded jacket. 8. In a method of manufacturing a finished electrical cable of the type having a conductor core, and an outermost extruded jacket defining the exterior surface of the finished cable, the improvement comprising introducing a preselected lubricant of the type that permeates said outermost extruded jacket to be available at said exterior surface during the finished cable's installation, to provide a reduced coefficient of friction of said exterior surface of said outermost extruded jacket and also reduce the amount of force required to pull the finished cable during its installation. 9. The method of claim 8 in which the lubricant permeates, but does not substantially migrate through, said outermost extruded jacket. 10. A method of providing a finished electrical cable of the type having a cable core and an external jacket with an exterior surface defining the outermost exterior surface of the cable, for installation through building passageways, said method comprising: (a) during the manufacture of said finished cable, extruding plastic material to form said external jacket; (b) prior to the formation of said jacket, introducing lubricant to provide a reduced coefficient of friction of the exterior surface of said external jacket and to also reduce the amount of force required to pull said finished cable through said passageways, in which said lubricant is of the type that either migrates through, or permeates, said external jacket; and (c) providing said cable for said installation without any additional lubricant at said exterior surface besides said introduced lubricant. 11. The method as defined by claim 10 in which said lubricant is a fatty amide. 12. The method as defined by claim 11 in which said plastic material is a polyvinylchloride. 13. A method of manufacturing a finished electrical cable of the type having at least one electrical conductor, comprising: (a) applying an inner sheath of a first material directly to said conductor to provide electrical insulation of said at least one electrical conductor; (b) extruding an external sheath of a second material around at least the inner sheath to provide an outer jacket of the cable; (c) introducing a lubricant prior to the formation of said jacket that is sufficient to provide a reduced coefficient of friction of the exterior surface of said external sheath and reduce the amount of force required to pull the cable during its installation without adding any external element for further lubrication to the exterior surface of said external sheath, said lubricant migrating through said second material to be available at the exterior surface of said external sheath at the time of installation of the cable. 14. The method of claim 13, in which said second material is different than said first material. 15. In a method of manufacturing a finished electrical cable of the type having a conductor core and an outermost extruded jacket of a preselected material defining the exterior surface of the finished cable, the improvement comprising combining with the preselected material, prior to completing the extrusion of said jacket, a preselected lubricant of the type that will migrate through said jacket to be available at said exterior surface and reduce the amount of force required to install the cable at the time of the cable's installation. 16. The improvement of claim 15, wherein the force required to install the cable is a pulling force. 17. The method as defined by any one of claims 1,2,15 and 16 in which the reduction of the required force for installation ranges from approximately 30% to approximately 70% of the force required to install non-lubricated cable of said type. 18. A finished electrical cable manufactured by the method of any one of claims 1,2, and 15 and 16. 19. In a method of manufacturing a finished electrical cable of the type having a conductor core and an outermost extruded jacket of a preselected material defining the exterior surface of the finished cable, the improvement comprising combining with the preselected material, prior to completing the extrusion of said jacket, a preselected lubricant of the type that will permeate said jacket to be available at said exterior surface and reduce the amount of force required to install the cable at the time of the cable's installation. 20. The improvement of claim 19, wherein the force required to install the cable is a pulling force. 21. A method of manufacturing a finished electrical cable of the type having at least one electrical conductor, comprising: (a) applying an inner sheath of a first material directly to said conductor to provide electrical insulation of said at least one electrical conductor; (b) extruding an external sheath of a second material around at least the inner sheath to provide an outer jacket of the cable; and (c) introducing a lubricant prior to the formation of said jacket that is sufficient to reduce the amount of force required to pull the cable during its installation without adding any external element for farther lubrication to the exterior surface of said external sheath, said lubricant migrating through said second material to be available at the exterior surface of said external sheath at the time of installation of the cable.