Coating apparatus – Solid member or material acting on coating after application – Running length work
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-03
2004-08-31
Lamb, Brenda A. (Department: 1734)
Coating apparatus
Solid member or material acting on coating after application
Running length work
C118S420000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06783593
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is related to the cable treatments and in particular, to a method and apparatus for treating non-circular cables with a lubricant or rust inhibitor at high pressure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cables used in marine and land based applications are bundles of organized metal wires that provide strength in tensile loading applications. These cables are used on many applications seen every day just driving down the highway. Cranes used to lift cargo, draglines used in digging, suspension bridges, guy wires on antenna systems and building elevators are a few land based examples.
These examples also pertain to use offshore with the addition of mooring cables used to anchor floating systems to the ocean floor and umbilical systems used to tow underwater scientific packages behind ships. There are many other applications, but this list demonstrates the broad range of cable usage in the world today.
All of these cables are subject to corrosion with time. In offshore applications, this time is greatly reduced due to the salt water's ability to corrode metals at an accelerated rate. There are several techniques currently used to fight the corrosion problems of both land based and marine applications. One such technique is the use of galvanized cable. The benefit of using galvanized cable is that the galvanizing material, molten zinc, is applied to the individual wires during the manufacture of the cable, resulting in a relatively minor cost impact. The galvanic coating process results in a relatively maintenance free cable, cable life is substantially extended, and the coating is relatively inexpensive. The negative aspects of the galvanic process are a reduction in the cable capacity for a given diameter of wire as the high strength wire has to be processed at a reduced diameter to allow for the additional zinc build-up during galvanizing (the change in diameter is squared in stress calculations, resulting in a significant impact on ultimate cable strength), cable system diameter must increase for the same load rating resulting in increase in all components the cable rolls across and is stored on, yielding a concomitant increase in overall system weight.
Thus, the relatively inexpensive galvanizing ultimately results in a significant cost increase to the total system, in salt water applications, break down of the zinc occurs fairly rapidly, and once the galvanizing is consumed by the salt water the cable must be replaced fairly quickly.
An alternative technique is the application of manually applied rust inhibitors. Use of rust inhibiting materials protects non-galvanized as well as galvanized cables, extends the life of galvanized and non-galvanized cables, can be reapplied as needed, and can be applied for the first time during the manufacturing of the cable. Detriments inherent in the use of such materials is that their application is messy, uniform application is extremely difficult, getting the inhibitor to penetrate to the core of the cable is very difficult with the high viscosity styles of inhibitors, service life is short with the brush-on low viscosity styles of inhibitors, and saltwater washes out the inhibitor with time.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,996 discloses a process wherein a liquid is applied to a wire rope by passing the rope through an elongated casing in which liquid is sprayed against the rope, excess liquid being discharged through annular grooves containing discharge openings upstream and downstream of the liquid inlet. Air is blown against the rope upstream and downstream of the annular grooves and discharge openings for causing the liquid to be discharged through such openings and not through the ends of the casing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,704 discloses a device wherein a lubricant is applied to a lubrication point by moving an emitter in a first portion of a movement path through lubricant in a reservoir and then moving the emitter through a second portion of the movement path. The emitter is loaded with lubricant in the first portion of the movement path and is drained from a drain port during the second portion of the movement path. The lubricant drained from the emitter is distributed to the lubrication point. A distribution device may be positioned below the emitter to collect the lubricant drained from the emitter and to distribute the collected lubricant to a lubrication point or position other than a position below the emitter during the second portion of the movement path.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,617 provides an apparatus wherein a cable is passed through a lubricant filled chamber comprising an open housing and first and second flexible, annular discs each having radial slits along its inner circumference. A third flexible annular disc adjacent to said second disc includes radial slits on its inner circumference rotatably displaced from said second disc slits. The inner circumferences of the discs deformably engage the cable whereby lubricant beads are deposited at the second disc, which beads are uniformly spread by the deformably engaged sections of the third disc.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,961 provides a fixture facilitating the lubrication of cables including a housing having a clamping portion and a resilient insert to receive and capture the elongate cable and the end of the cable sheath, the compressible material being clamped around these portions. A valved lubricant aperture is provided in the fixture for introducing lubricant under pressure to the cable sheath while preventing blowback of the pressurized lubricant. The compressible insert in the fixture is designed to be captured in the base of one portion of the fixture and at another point in the moving portion of the fixture to allow it to be opened and closed for insertion and removal of the cable and sheath.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,529 teaches a method of lubricating steel cable wherein the steel cable is drawn through a chamber containing lubricant under pressure. The chamber has an outlet and an inlet lined with rubber sleeves through which the cable passes. A liquid lubricant is utilized, preferably a lubricating oil, which is supplied to the chamber by means of a pump having a high delivery pressure, minimum 20 bar and preferably above 40 bar, but with a relatively small delivery capacity. The rate of passage for the steel cable through the chamber is adapted such that the hollow spaces in the steel cable absorb the supplied oil to such an extent that oil leakage is avoided. The apparatus for carrying out the method comprises a chamber for lubricant under pressure, having an inlet and an outlet for the steel cable. A supply hose for lubricant leads to the chamber, and a pressure pump ensures pressure in the lubricant. The pump is a suction pump which can deliver a pressure of at least 20 bar, preferably above 40 bar, but has a small delivery capacity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,866 is drawn to a wire rope lubricator cleaner for applying to a wire cable a lubricant cleaner, and removing from the wire cable excess lubricant cleaner so as to lubricate and clean the wire cable. A lubrication canister removably coupled to a rectangular shaped frame assembly applies the lubricant cleaner to the wire cable. A die rotatably mounted on an upper slide assembly of the rectangular shaped frame removes the excess lubricant from the cable and cleans the wire cable.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,235 is drawn to a greasing device for cables comprising at least one hollow body having walls defining an inner chamber adapted to be filled with a predetermined quantity of a lubricating material having a relatively high coefficient of viscosity, and a predetermined pressure. At least one pair of apertures are provided through said walls for a cable to be greased to extend therethrough and across said inner chamber so as to come into contact with said lubricating material inside said chamber; the size of said apertures being such that a predetermined clearance is present between the periphery of each aperture and the surface of the cable when the latter is mounted through t
Janac David
Selcer Toby
Stasny James
Dynacon, Inc.
Lamb Brenda A.
McHale & Slavin P.A.
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