Abstract:
A method includes providing a cable connector and a compression tool that includes a hydraulic assembly, the hydraulic assembly having an axially extendable ram. The compression tool further includes a connector frame detachably attached to the hydraulic assembly, the connector frame having a cable cradle configured to accommodate the cable, and a sliding guide structure mounted to the connector frame assembly, the sliding guide structure comprising a sliding bar and one or more sliding guides, and a sleeve attached to the sliding bar. The method including locating the cable connector into the compression tool and disposing one end of the prepared cable into one end of the compression member, activating the hydraulic assembly, so that extending the axially extendable ram along the longitudinal axis causes the sliding bar to move along the longitudinal axis producing compression of a compression member and a connector body into operative engagement with the cable.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a divisional application claiming priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/900,124 filed Sep. 10, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,908,741 issued on Mar. 22, 2011, which is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to installing a connector onto a coaxial cable, and specifically to a hydraulic compression tool for securing a prepared end of a coaxial cable in operative engagement with a cable connector. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A wide variety of compression type end connectors have recently been developed for use in the cable industry. These devices have found wide acceptance because of ease of manufacture and lack of complexity in design and in use. For example, the compression type connector for use with braided coaxial cables can include a hollow body and a hollow post mounted within the body which passes through one end wall of the body, and a threaded nut that is rotatably mounted on the extended end of the post. A compression member can be mounted on the connector body and arranged to move axially into the back end of the body. One end of a coaxial cable can be prepared by stripping the back outer portions of the cable to expose the center connector. The coaxial cable can then be passed through the compression ring into the back end of the body allowing the hollow post to pass between the woven metal mesh layer of the cable and the inner dielectric layer so that the wire mesh layer and outer barrier layer are positioned in the body cavity between the post and the inner wall of the body. Installation of the connector upon the end of the prepared coaxial cable is completed by axial movement of the compression member over an inclined surface to produce a radial deformation of the compression member into operative engagement with the outer surface of the coaxial cable thus securing the connector to the end of the cable. Connectors for use with other types of cables (e.g., corrugated cables, smooth wall cables) can also include a compression member which needs to be compressed to achieve an operative engagement of the cable with the cable connector. 
     Although most of the compression type end connectors work well in securing the coaxial cable to the end connector, the installer oftentimes has difficulty in applying a high enough axially directed force to effectively close the connection. A force that is applied off axis will not properly deform the compression member, thus resulting in a less than successful closure between the connector and the cable. Thus, a need exists for a compression tool for installing a coaxial cable connector onto a coaxial cable which is suitable for using with different connector types and cable sizes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a hydraulic compression tool for securing a compression type end connector to a prepared end of a coaxial cable. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a hydraulic compression tool which is suitable for using with different connector types and cable sizes. 
     These and other objects of the present invention are attained by a hydraulic compression tool including a hydraulic assembly having an axially extendable ram, and a connector frame detachably attached to the hydraulic assembly. The connector frame can include a cable cradle configured to accommodate cables of various sizes, a sliding guide structure mounted to the cable cradle, and a sleeve for engaging a cable connector. The sliding guide structure can include a sliding bar and one or more sliding guides. The sleeve can be attached to the sliding bar. The sleeve can be configured to accommodate connectors of various sizes. Activating the hydraulic assembly can cause the ram to extend, which in turn can cause the sliding bar to move along the longitudinal axis of the cable connector compressing the compression member and connector body into operative engagement of the cable with the cable connector. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1   a - 1   d  illustrate cable connectors of different types suitable to be installed using the hydraulic compression tool in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates one embodiment of a compression tool for installing a cable connector onto a coaxial cable. 
         FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  illustrate a cable connector being compressed by the hydraulic compression tool of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  illustrate an embodiment of the present invention, where the hydraulic assembly is provided by a manually operated hydraulic assembly. 
         FIGS. 5   a - 5   c  illustrate another embodiment of a compression tool for installing a cable connector onto a coaxial cable. 
         FIGS. 6   a  and  6   b  illustrate a cable connector being compressed by the hydraulic compression tool according to the embodiment of  FIGS. 5   a - 5   c.    
     
    
    
     The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the drawings, like numerals are used to indicate like parts throughout the various views. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIGS. 1   a - 1   d  illustrate cross-sectional views of cable connectors of different types suitable to be installed using the hydraulic compression tool in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b  illustrate uncompressed and compressed connector for braided coaxial cables, including a cable connector  60  and a coaxial cable  61  having an end that has been prepared to accept the cable connector. A portion of the cable has been removed at the end of the cable to expose a length of the center conductor  62 . In addition, a portion of the outer barrier of the cable has been removed to expose a length of the inner dielectric layer  64  and the woven wire mesh  65  which is located between the inner dielectric layer and the outer barrier is rolled back over the barrier layer. The connector includes a non-deformable main body section  66  having a hollow post contained therein and a threaded nut  69  that is rotatably secured to one end of the post. The compression member  68  is inserted into the back of the non-deformable body section and the prepared end of the cable is passed into the connector through the compression member  68  so that the hollow post passes between the woven mesh and the inner dielectric layer. As is well known in the art, applying an axially directed force upon the connector produces radial deformation of the compression member resulting in the cable being secured in operative engagement to the cable connector. 
       FIG. 1   c  illustrates a connector for corrugated coaxial cables.  FIG. 1   d  illustrates a connector for thin wall coaxial cables. The connectors shown in  FIGS. 1   c  and  1   d  are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/743,633 filed on May 2, 2007. 
     The connectors shown in  FIGS. 1   c - 1   d  include a non-deformable main body section  66  and a threaded nut  69  that is rotatably secured to one end of the connector. The compression member  68  is inserted into the back of the non-deformable body section and the prepared end of the cable  61  is passed into the connector through the compression member  68 . The cable is secured by a clamp  63 . As is well known in the art, applying an axially directed force upon the connector produces radial deformation of the compression member and connector body, resulting in the cable being secured in operative engagement to the cable connector. 
     Although specific connector types are illustrated in  FIGS. 1   a - 1   d , a skilled artisan would appreciate the fact that the compression tool in accordance with the present invention can be used with most compression type cable connectors in different interface styles that are in present day use. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates one embodiment of a compression tool for installing a cable connector onto a coaxial cable. The compression tool  10  can include a battery-operated hydraulic assembly  12 , which can be provided by a commercially available assembly, e.g., model ECCX or CCCX, available from Greenlee Textron Inc. (Rockford, Ill.). The hydraulic assembly  12  can include a housing  8 , a battery  9 , an electric motor (not shown), a hydraulic fluid reservoir (not shown), a hydraulic pump (not shown), and a extendable ram  7 . The ram  7  is extendable along the longitudinal axis of the housing  8 . The ram  7  can have an orifice  7   a  intended for connecting the ram to other parts by a pin of a suitable size. 
     The compression tool  10  can further include a connector frame assembly  4 . The connector frame assembly  4  can include a cable cradle  14 . The cable cradle  14  can be configured to accommodate cables of various sizes. The cable cradle  14  can include a shoulder  16  for engaging one end of a cable connector. The other end of a cable connector can be received by a sleeve  20 . The sleeve  20  can be configured to accommodate cable connectors of various sizes and various interface types. The sleeve  20  can be attached to a sliding bar  22 . The sliding bar  22  and one or more sliding guides  24   a  can compose a sliding guide structure. 
     In one aspect, the cable cradle  14  and two parallel bars  26   a ,  26   b  can compose a U-shaped frame  30 . In another aspect, the U-shaped frame  30  can be attached by two fasteners  28   a  and  28   b  to a fork  32 . A skilled artisan would appreciate the fact that the frame  30  can have form factors different from illustrated herein. 
     The connector frame assembly  4  can have a nut portion  21 . In one aspect, the nut portion  21  can be attached to the fork  32 . A skilled artisan would appreciate the fact that the fork  32  can have form factors different from illustrated herein. 
     In one aspect, the nut portion  21  can have internal threads. The hydraulic compression assembly  12  can have an outer surface  6 , at least a portion of which can have external threads. The nut portion  21  can be threadably attachable to the externally threaded surface portion. The nut portion  21  can have an opening  23  for receiving the ram  7 . Orifices  7   a  and  7   b  can be aligned to insert a pin (not shown), thus connecting the ram  7  to the sliding bar  22 . 
       FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  illustrate a cable connector before and after having being compressed by the hydraulic compression tool of the present invention. The cable connector  60  is placed into the connector frame assembly  4  so that the deformable section of the cable connector is received by the cable cradle  14 , and the connector body  67  of the cable connector is received by the sleeve  20 . A prepared end of coaxial cable (not shown) is inserted into the deformable section of the cable connector. The operator of the hydraulic compression tool activates the hydraulic assembly  12 , so that the extendable ram  7  of the hydraulic assembly  12  extends and moves the sliding bar along the longitudinal axis of the cable connector, which results in the compression member  68  and connector body  66  being compressed along the longitudinal axis  200  of the cable connector, causing the coaxial cable being secured in operative engagement to the cable connector. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, illustrated in  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b , the hydraulic assembly can be provided by a manually operated hydraulic assembly, e.g., a hydraulic assembly model HCCX or HCCXC available from Greenlee Textron Inc. (Rockford, Ill.). The hydraulic assembly  112  can include a housing  11 , a handle  5 , a hydraulic fluid reservoir (not shown), and a hydraulic pump (not shown). The assembly  112  can further include a ram  7  which can be connected to an extendable ram (not shown) and can be extendable along the longitudinal axis of the housing  11  of the hydraulic assembly  12 . The ram  7  can have an orifice  7   a  intended for connecting the ram to other parts by a pin of a suitable size. 
     The assembly  112  can have an outer surface  6 , at least a portion of which can have external threads. The nut portion  21  of the connector frame assembly  4  can be threadably attachable to the externally threaded surface portion. The nut portion  21  can have an opening  23  to receive the ram  7 . Orifices  7   a  and  7   b  can be aligned to insert a pin (not shown), thus connecting the ram  7  to the sliding bar  22 .  FIG. 4   b  illustrates connector frame assembly  4  attached to the hydraulic assembly  112 . 
       FIGS. 5   a - 5   c  illustrate another embodiment of a compression tool for installing a cable connector onto a coaxial cable, wherein the connector frame assembly is suitable for mounting to another type of a battery operated hydraulic compression assembly. 
     In one aspect, the compression tool  510  can include a battery-operated hydraulic assembly  12 , which can be provided by a commercially available assembly, e.g., Compact  100 -B available from Ridge Tool Company (Elyria, Ohio). The hydraulic assembly  512  can include a housing  58 , a battery  59 , an electric motor (not shown), a hydraulic fluid reservoir (not shown), and a hydraulic pump (not shown). As best viewed in  FIG. 5   c , the hydraulic assembly can further include a mounting cylinder  56 , and a ram  57  which can be extendable along the longitudinal axis of the housing. 
     The compression tool  510  can further include a connector frame assembly  54 . The connector frame assembly  54  can include a frame  530 . A skilled artisan would appreciate the fact that the frame  530  can have form factors different from illustrated herein. 
     The connector frame assembly  54  can further include a cable cradle  514  attached to one end of the frame  530 , best viewed in  FIG. 5   b . The cable cradle  514  can be configured to accommodate cables of various sizes. The cable cradle  514  can include a shoulder  516  for engaging one end of a cable connector. The other end of a cable connector can be received by a sleeve  520 . The sleeve  520  can be configured to accommodate cable connectors of various sizes. The sleeve  520  can be attached to a extendable ram  57  by a bolt  521 . Ram  57  can be received through an opening  531  in the frame  530 . 
     In one aspect, the frame  530  can have internal threads at one end. The mounting cylinder  56  of the hydraulic compression assembly  512  can have an outer surface, at least a portion  56   a  of which can have external threads. The frame  530  can be threadably attachable to the externally threaded portion of the mounting cylinder  56 . 
       FIGS. 6   a  and  6   b  illustrate a cable connector before and after having being compressed by the hydraulic compression tool according to the embodiment of  FIGS. 5   a - 5   c . The cable connector  60  is placed into the connector frame assembly  54  so that the deformable section of the cable connector is received by the cable cradle  514 , and the connector body  67  of the cable connector is received by the sleeve  520 . A prepared end of coaxial cable (not shown) is inserted into the deformable section of the cable connector. The operator of the hydraulic compression tool activates the hydraulic assembly  512 , so that the extendable ram  57  of the hydraulic assembly  512  extends, which results in the compression member  68  and connector body  66  being compressed along the longitudinal axis  500  of the cable connector, causing the coaxial cable being secured in operative engagement to the cable connector.