Apparatus for manufacture of sealing closures for a telecommunications cable splice

• US 4,725,035 A
• Filed: 11/22/1985
• Issued: 02/16/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Campbell, David, Brown, Allan P., Charlebois, Leonard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOAG, WILLARD
• Application Number:
  US06/800,835
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 249/83, 249/85, 249/90, 249/134, 249/135, 249/93, 249/94, 249/96, 249/205, 249/210, 249/88, 249/97, 425/116, 425/117, 425/129 R, 425/182, 425/190, 425/192 R, 264/36, 156/49, 156/50, 156/51, 277/337 R, 277/123, 277/125, 277/237, 174/92, 174/93, 16/2
• US Class Current: 249/90
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/0011 thin-walled moulds
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/0038 with sealing means or the like seals on envelopes used in tyre retreading B29D30/542; for injection moulding footwear B29D35/0045
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/74 Moulding material on a relatively small portion of the preformed part, e.g. outsert moulding B29C70/845 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/145 Moulds
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 277/91 O-ring seal

Abstract

In a low pressure mold, the mold parts have surfaces for forming a mold cavity and which are covered in a thermally insulating coating with a thickness from 0.005 inches to 0.050 inches. The coating may be formed from epoxy resin or polytetrafluorethylene. Also provided is a sealing member for a low pressure mold, the sealing member having in-series edge regions around a body and each edge region is formed with a semi-circular sealing edge or arrangement of edges. The sealing edge or arrangement of edges of each edge region is different from other edge regions. When the two sealing members are mounted upon mold halves at each end of a low pressure mold, they may be changed in position to locate any associated pair of sealing edges in opposition across the mold closure line.

Claims

1. A low pressure mold comprising two mold halves which when assembled together define a cavity for molding an encapsulation around a splice region of a telecommunications cable, the assembled mold having ends which define an opening for passage of the cable from the cavity and the mold ends defined by ends of the mold halves;

a plurality of sealing members, one for each mold half at each end of the mold, each sealing member having a peripheral surface with a plurality of surface regions which are relatively disposed in series around the body of the sealing member, each surface region formed with a respective sealing surface configuration comprising at least one substantially semi-cylindrical, resiliently flexible, sealing surface with the sealing surface configuration being different from one surface region to another; and

means for mounting each sealing member upon its respective mold half so that a surface region is in an operating position in which it cooperates with a corresponding surface region of an associated sealing member of the other mold half to seal around a cable extending into the mold, and in respect of each sealing member, said means permitting change in position of the sealing member selectively to locate any associated pair of surface regions in opposition across the mold opening for sealing around cables of different diameters or for sealing around different arrangements of cables extending through the opening.

2. A low pressure mold as defined in claim 1, wherein the mold halves comprise metal mold parts having surfaces which, in an assembly of the parts, form said cavity, said surfaces having a thermally insulating coating with a thickness of from 0.005 inches to 0.050 inches.

3. A low pressure mold according to claim 2, wherein the insulating coating is formed from epoxy resin.

4. A low pressure mold according to claim 2, wherein the coating is formed from polytetrafluorethylene.

5. A low pressure mold according to claim 2, wherein the thickness of the coating is no greater than 0.020 inches.

6. A mold according to claim 1, wherein the surface regions of each sealing member are disposed at equal distances from a common center and the sealing member is pivotally attached by the common center to its associated mold end and the sealing member is adjustable into positions in which any of the surface regions is in an operating position to cooperate with a corresponding surface region of the associated sealing member.

7. A mold according to claim 6, in which each sealing member is of planar construction and is mounted on a planar end face of the mold and a reinforcing member is provided for each sealing member to prevent it from flexing out of its plane.

8. A variable position sealing member for a mold comprising a generally flat body having a periphery defining plural regions disposed in series about said body, each of said regions being resiliently flexible and having at least one sealing surface configuration appearing semi-circular when said body is viewed in plan view, said body having means for rotatably mounting said body on said mold.

9. A sealing member according to claim 8, wherein the body is of planar shape and is provided with a central aperture for adjustably mounting it upon a mold.