Feed system passing cable through protective tube - uses compressed air with end of cable attached to flexible plug that inflates upon increase in pressure to grip tube and protect against overload

摘要

A cable or optical fibre conductor (20) is fed from a reel (9) and passed through a long length of protective tubing (1). The feed motion is provided by compressed air that enters through a side port, this air being generated by a compressor (18) via a regulating system (13-16). The air passes through a reservoir (12) contg. water to create a fine spray into the air. The end of the cable is attached to a plug (22) produced of flexible material and in a bulb form that inflates to vary the clearance gap according to the air pressure. Above a specific value the plug jams to prevent cable overload. ADVANTAGE - Enables long lengths of cable to be fed through tube without overload.