Cable installation apparatus
First Claim
1. A device for detecting a flow of air from an exit end of a tube fed into an entrance end of the tube, and for detecting the arrival of a cable at the exit end of the tube, during a blown cable installation, the device comprising:
- a bore having a first bore section with a first bore size and a second bore section with a second bore size;
an obstruction located within the bore between the first bore section and the second bore section, the obstruction comprising a narrowing section of the bore configured to obstruct air flowing from the exit end of the tube to the second bore section via the first bore section, and to retain a bead attached to the cable and exiting the exit end of the tube into the bore of the device;
fixing means to fix the device to the tube so that the bore communicates with the exit end of the tube;
an air pressure sensor for comparing air pressure within the first bore section and air pressure within the second bore section, so that a pressure differential is indicative of an air flow within the bore; and
an induction coil being part of an LC oscillator operatively connected to the device located at or proximate to the obstruction for detection of the bead within the bore.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A device for detecting a flow of air from an exit end of a tube fed into an entrance end of the tube, including a bore having a first section with a first size bore size and a second section with a second bore size, an obstruction located within the bore between the first section and the second section, the obstruction configured to obstruct air flowing from the first section to the second section, and fixing means to fix the device to the tube so that the bore communicates with the exit end of the tube, wherein in use, an air pressure sensor is used to compare air pressure within the first bore section and air pressure within the second bore section, so that a pressure differential is indicative of an air flow within the bore.
85 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A device for detecting a flow of air from an exit end of a tube fed into an entrance end of the tube, and for detecting the arrival of a cable at the exit end of the tube, during a blown cable installation, the device comprising:
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a bore having a first bore section with a first bore size and a second bore section with a second bore size; an obstruction located within the bore between the first bore section and the second bore section, the obstruction comprising a narrowing section of the bore configured to obstruct air flowing from the exit end of the tube to the second bore section via the first bore section, and to retain a bead attached to the cable and exiting the exit end of the tube into the bore of the device; fixing means to fix the device to the tube so that the bore communicates with the exit end of the tube; an air pressure sensor for comparing air pressure within the first bore section and air pressure within the second bore section, so that a pressure differential is indicative of an air flow within the bore; and an induction coil being part of an LC oscillator operatively connected to the device located at or proximate to the obstruction for detection of the bead within the bore. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of detecting a flow of air from an exit end of a tube, and for detecting the arrival of a cable at the exit end of the tube, during a blown cable installation, the method comprising:
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fixing a device to the tube so that a bore within the device communicates with the exit end of the tube, the device comprising a bore having a first bore section with a first bore size and a second bore section with a second bore size, an obstruction located within the bore between the first bore section and the second bore section, the obstruction comprising a narrowing section of the bore configured to obstruct air flowing from the exit end of the tube to the second bore section via the first bore section, and fixing means to fix the device to the tube so that the bore communicates with the exit end of the tube, wherein in use, an air pressure sensor is used to compare air pressure within the first bore section and air pressure within the second bore section, so that a pressure differential is indicative of an air flow within the bore, feeding air into an entrance end of the tube; using an obstruction located within the bore of the device to obstruct air flowing from the exit end of the tube to a second bore section of the device via a first bore section of the device; comparing air pressure levels within the first bore section and the second bore section; signaling a pressure differential from the comparison as being indicative of an air flow within the bore; feeding a cable into the entrance end of the tube; using the obstruction to retain a bead attached to the cable; and using an induction coil being part of an LC oscillator operatively connected to the device located at or proximate to the obstruction for detection of the bead within the bore to detect the presence of the bead within the device. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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Specification