Interesting Tool Found

[DavePEI]

As you all know, one of my great interests is collecting tools which were made for and used by telephone employees...

A very unusual one was found today.

This is a Schrader Valve mounted on a flat chain assembly, with a rubber seal on the bottom of the valve. It is designed, I think for pressurizing gas filled cables.

Anyone have more information on this? I don't have the KS or other number for it.

Dave

[CanadianGuy]

I may be wrong, as I am not a cableman, but I think there is only air filled cable, not gas. I assume it would be too costly to use gases. I've seen compressors in the CO that run every little while to maintain pressure in the cable. I'm assuming this might be for field testing lead cable joints after a repair has been done? If it's anything like A/C testing, they have to maintain a certain PSI for a specific time. Purely a guess

[AE_Collector]

I have seen cylinders strapped to poles being used to keep pressure up in the more distant part of a pressurized cable that has been opened up on the CO side of a splice. I think they are nitrogen cylinders but am not certain.

In any event, a valve set up like this could be used for air, nitrogen or whatever. Due to the length of chain I agree that it may be to inject air (or gas) into a splice sleeve which leads to cable rather than directly into a cable. Or it might be used at the Pot Head in the CO which is where the cable stubs out usually to 100 pair tails to go up to the protectors on the frame. The Pot Head is where the air is injected into the cable leaving the CO.

Terry

[DavePEI]

The Pot Head is where the air is injected into the cable leaving the CO.
Terry

Thought you only found these in Colorado and BC?

Bad Joke

[Russ Kirk]

I have seen cylinders strapped to poles being used to keep pressure up in the more distant part of a pressurized cable that has been opened up on the CO side of a splice. I think they are nitrogen cylinders but am not certain.

In any event, a valve set up like this could be used for air, nitrogen or whatever. Due to the length of chain I agree that it may be to inject air (or gas) into a splice sleeve which leads to cable rather than directly into a cable. Or it might be used at the Pot Head in the CO which is where the cable stubs out usually to 100 pair tails to go up to the protectors on the frame. The Pot Head is where the air is injected into the cable leaving the CO.

Terry

You and Canadianguy are correct. The techs carried tanks of nitrogen.  The CO uses compressors to pump in dehumidified air. The pressure are the CO is 10 PSI.  I have never see this tool, but my guess is the same. Makes me wonder why wouldn't the tech just install a permanent valve instead of using the temp valve?

Removed duplicate quote...