Inner cable lubricator

A device for being attached to the distal end of a cable assembly including a tube and an inner cable extending coaxially through the tube. The device includes a body located adjacent the distal end of the tube for receiving the distal end of the inner cable, includes structure for attaching the distal end of the inner cable to the body, includes a seal located between the body and the distal end of the tube for sealing the body to the distal end of the tube when the distal end of the inner cable is attached to the body and force is applied to the inner cable to pull the body against the distal end of the tube, and includes a grease fitting attached to the body for allowing grease to be forced therethrough into the interior of the tube to lubricate the inner cable when the body is sealed relative to the distal end of the tube.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates, in general, to means for use in lubricating 
cable means which extend coaxially through a tube or the like. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The typical manner of lubricating a cable member of the type that extends 
coaxially through a tube or sheath is to completely remove the cable 
member from the tube or sheath, manually apply grease or other lubricant 
to the exterior of the cable member, and then reinsert the cable member 
into the tube or sheath. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed toward providing an improved means for 
lubricating a cable means which extends coaxially through a tube or 
sheath. The concept of the present invention is to attach a body means to 
the distal end of an inner cable and create a fluid-tight seal between the 
body means and the distal end of a tube or sheath through which the inner 
cable extends by applying a force to the inner cable to pull the body 
means against the distal end of the tube or sheath. 
The device of the present invention includes, in general, a body means 
located adjacent a first end of a tube through which a cable means 
coaxially extends, the body means having a cavity for receiving the first 
end of the cable means; attachment means coupled to the body means for 
attaching the first end of the cable means to the body means; seal means 
located between the first end of the tube and the body means about the 
cavity of the body means for providing a seal between the first end of the 
tube and the body means about the cavity of the body means when a force is 
applied to the cable means to pull the body means against the first end of 
the tube; and grease fitting means attached to the body means in 
communication with the cavity of the body means for allowing grease to be 
forced therethrough into the cavity of the body means and into the 
interior of the tube to lubricate the cable means when a seal is provided 
between the first end of the tube and the body means about the cavity of 
the body means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The inner cable lubricator device 11 of the present invention is for use in 
lubricating a cable or the like which extends coaxially through a tube or 
the like. Thus, for example, the device 11 allows the lubrication of an 
inner cable 13 of a cable means 15 of the type used in the steering of an 
outboard motor or the like as will be well known to those skilled in the 
art (see, in general, FIG. 4). Thus, the cable means 15 slidably extends 
coaxially through a tube 17 with the tube 17 having a first end 19 and a 
second end 21 (see FIGS. 4-6). The cable means 15 has a first end 23 
located adjacent the first end 19 of the tube and has a second end 25 
located adjacent the second end 21 of the tube 17. More specifically, the 
inner cable 13 has a first end 27, a second end 29 and a mid-portion 31. 
The cable means 15 includes a head member 33 attached (e.g., crimped) to 
the first end 27 of the inner cable 13. The head member 33 preferably has 
a transverse aperture 35 therethrough for reasons which will hereinafter 
become apparent. The head member 33 may be constructed of a plurality of 
components joined together to form an integral unit with the first end 27 
of the inner cable 13 fixedly attached thereto. The cable means 15 may 
also include a sheath member 37 covering the mid-portion 31 of the inner 
cable 13 and a sleeve member 39 covering a portion of the inner cable 13 
between the sheath member 37 and the first end 27 of the inner cable 13. 
The sheath member 37 may be attached (e.g., crimped) to the sleeve member 
39 and a coupling means 40 is provided to secure and seal the second end 
21 of the tube 17 relative to the sleeve member 39 as will be apparent to 
those skilled in the art. The second end 29 of the inner cable 13 is 
operatively coupled to a steering mechanism 41 or the like which can be 
operated to apply a force to the inner cable to pull the inner cable 13 
and the head member 33 in a direction toward the second end 21 of the tube 
17. The specific construction and operation of the cable means 15 and 
associated structure will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may 
vary as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
The device 11 includes, in general, a body means 43 located adjacent the 
first end 19 of the tube 17 and having a cavity 45 therein for receiving 
the first end 23 of the cable means 15; an attachment means 47 coupled to 
the body means 43 for attaching the first end 23 of the cable means 15 to 
the body means 43; seal means 49 located between the first end 19 of the 
tube 17 and the body means 43 about the cavity 45 of the body means 43 for 
providing a seal between the first end 19 of the tube 17 and the body 
means 43 about the cavity 45 of the body means 43 when a force is applied 
to the cable means 15 (e.g., to the inner cable 13 by the steering 
mechanism 41) to pull the body means 43 against the first end 19 of the 
tube 17; and a grease fitting means 51 attached to the body means 43 in 
communication with the cavity 45 of the body means 43 for allowing grease 
to be forced therethrough into the cavity 45 of the body means 43 and into 
the interior of the tube 17 to lubricate the cable means 15 when a seal is 
provided between the first end 19 of the tube 17 and the body means 43 
about the cavity 45 of the body means 43 (see, in general, FIGS. 1 and 3). 
The body means 43 preferably includes a body member 53 having a first end 
55, a second end 57 and an aperture 59 extending completely therethrough 
between the first and second ends 55, 57 thereof. The body member 53 
preferably has an enlarged opening 60 in the first end 55 thereof about 
the aperture 59 for reasons which will hereinafter become apparent. The 
enlarged opening 60 preferably has a stepped-wall for reasons which will 
hereinafter become apparent. The first end of the cable means 15 (e.g., 
the head member 33) extends into or through the aperture 59. The body 
member 53 may be constructed in various manners out of various materials 
which will now be apparent to those skilled in the art, such as, for 
example, by being machined out of a metal such as aluminum or the like. 
The body means 43 preferably includes a cap member 61 having a first end 63 
and a second end 65. The second end 65 of the cap member 61 is located 
adjacent the first end 55 of the body member 53 for closing the aperture 
59 of the body member 53 to define the cavity 45 of the body means 43. The 
attachment means 47 is coupled to the cap member 63 to attach the first 
end 23 of the cable means 15 (e.g., the head member 33) to the cap member 
61. The cap member 61 preferably has a transverse aperture 67 through the 
second end 65 thereof for reasons which will hereinafter become appaent. 
The second end 65 of the cap member 61 preferably includes a boss portion 
69 for fitting into the enlarged opening 60 of the body member 53. The 
boss portion 69 preferably has a stepped-wall for mating with the 
stepped-wall of the enlarged opening 60 of the body member 53. The cap 
member 61 preferably has a cavity 70 extending from the second end 65 
thereof toward the first end 63 thereof for defining an extension of the 
aperture 59 of the body member 53 when the boss portion 69 is mated with 
the enlarged opening 60 and for receiving the first end 23 of the cable 
means 15 (e.g., the head member 33). The transverse aperture 67 preferably 
extends through the boss portion 69 and connects with the cavity 70 for 
reasons which will hereinafter become apparent. The cap member 61 may be 
constructed in various manners and of various material as will now be 
apparent to those skilled in the art, such as, for example, by being 
machined out of metal, such as aluminum or the like. 
The device 11 preferably includes a seal means 71 located between the 
second end 65 of the cap member 61 and the first end 55 of the body member 
53 about the aperture 59 and enlarged opening 60 of the body member 53 for 
providing a seal between the cap member 61 and the body member 53 about 
the aperture 59 and enlarged opening 60 of the body member 53 when the 
first end 23 of the cable means 15 (e.g., the head member 33) is attached 
to the cap member 61 and force is applied to the cable means 15 (e.g., to 
the inner cable 13 by steering mechanism 41) to pull the cap member 61 
against the body member 53 as will now be apparent to those skilled in the 
art. 
The seal means 49 may consist of a typical resilient O-ring positioned 
between the second end 57 of the body member 53 and the first end 19 of 
the tube 17 as will now be apparent to those skilled in the art. The seal 
means 71 may also consist of a typical resilient O-ring located between 
the stepped-wall of the boss portion 69 of the cap member 61 and the 
stepped-wall of the enlarged opening 60 of the body member 53. In addition 
to providing fluid-tight seals when force is applied to the cable means 15 
to pull the device 11 against the tube 17, the seal means 49, 71 also act 
as pressure relief means if the pressure of grease being forced into the 
cavity 45 is above a certain amount due to the inherent characteristics of 
the resilient O-rings which will rupture if the pressure within the cavity 
45 passes a certain amount thereby allowing grease to pass through the 
seal means 49, 71 thereby preventing damage to the cable means 15 due to 
high pressure. 
The attachment means 47 preferably consists simply of a pin member 73 (see, 
in general, FIGS. 1 and 3) for extending through the transverse aperture 
67 of the cap member 61 and through the transverse aperture 35 of the 
first end 23 of the cable means 15 (e.g., of the head member 33) for 
attaching the first end 23 of the cable means 15 (e.g., the head member 
33) to the body means 43 (e.g., the cap member 61). The pin member 73 may 
be constructed in various manners and of various materials now apparent to 
those skilled in the art, such as, for example, by being machined out of 
metal or the like. The length of the pin member 73 is approximately the 
same as the diameter of the cap member 61 at the point where the 
transverse aperture 67 is provided to allow the pin member 73 to be 
located within the enlarged aperture 60 of the body member 53. 
The grease fitting means 51 preferably consists simply of a typical 
screw-on type nipple or the like (see, in general, FIGS. 1 and 3) well 
known to those skilled in the art for coacting with a typical grease gun 
or the like to allow grease to be forced therethrough. Thus, the cap 
member 61 preferably has a threaded aperture 75 through the first end 63 
thereof opening into the cavity 70 thereof for threadingly receiving the 
grease fitting means 51 to allow grease to be forced through the grease 
fitting means 51 into the cavity 70. 
As thus constructed, the device 11 allows the inner cable 13 to be easily 
lubricated. 
To use the device 11 with the specific cable means 15 hereabove disclosed, 
the first step is to detach the head member 33 of the cable means 15 from 
an outboard motor or the like by merely removing the pin or the like which 
extends through the transverse aperture 35 of the head member 33 to attach 
the head member 33 to the outboard motor or the like as will be apparent 
to those skilled in the art. The head member 33 is then inserted through 
the aperture 59 of the body member 53 and into the cavity 70 of the cap 
member 61 to align the transverse aperture 35 and the transverse aperture 
67 (see FIGS. 5 and 6). The pin member 73 is then inserted through the 
transverse apertures 35, 67 to thereby attach the body means 43 to the 
cable means 15. Force is then applied to the inner cable 13 by way of the 
steering mechanism 41 or the like to pull the cap member 61 against the 
body member 53 and to pull the body member 53 against the first end 19 of 
the tube 17 thereby creating a fluid-tight seal between the body member 53 
and the first end 19 of the tube 17 and between the cap member 61 and the 
first end 55 of the body member 53 by way of the seal means 49, 71 (see 
FIG. 4) as will now be apparent to those skilled in the art. Next, grease 
is merely forced through the grease fitting means 51 with a typical grease 
gun or the like (not shown) thereby allowing grease to be forced through 
the grease fitting means 51 into the cavity 45 of the body means 43 (i.e., 
into the cavity 70 of the cap member 61 and the aperture 59 of the body 
member 53), into the interior of the tube 17, between a portion of the 
head member 33 and the sleeve member 39 and/or inner cable 13, between the 
sleeve member 39 and the inner cable 13, and between the sheath member 37 
and the inner cable 13 in a manner which will now be apparent to those 
skilled in the art thereby fully lubricating the inner cable 13. 
Although the present invention has been described and illustrated with 
respect to a preferred embodiment thereof and a preferred use therefore, 
it is not to be so limited since changes and modification can be made 
therein which are within the full intended scope of the invention.