Patent Document

TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates in general to the installation of cables. More particularly, the invention relates to a device for pulling a cable into place along side an existing cable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is often necessary to increase the number of cables supplying services to a building, such as an office or apartment building. For example, as more telephones, fax machines, computers and other telephony devices are installed in an office building, additional phone cables are required to support the increased demand for phone service. Consequentially, as demand for more types of wired services increase, more cables are required to support the services, whether the service is electrical, telephony, cable TV, data or other services requiring wired access. 
     Substantial interest has long been shown by providers of such services to increase capacity to a location such as a building. Today, when an existing cable will not support additional service, a “severing” method is utilized. That is, the existing cable is severed and a new cable is tied to one end of the severed cable and used to pull the new cable into position. Thus, the new cable must be capable of supporting the capacity of the cable it replaces, plus the forecast growth. 
     This method of cable installation, however, suffers from several disadvantages. First, the existing cable becomes dysfunctional since it is severed and no longer utilized. Further, the severing method is inconvenient for consumers since they suffer from interruption of service during the time the existing cable is severed until the new cable is installed. 
     As such, a need exists for a means of facilitating all installations to accumulate increased demand for wired services. A means of installing a cable without severing existing cables or interrupting service would provide numerous advantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides for a cable pulling device which can be utilized to pull a cable into position alongside an existing cable, in order to increase capacity. 
     Disclosed in one embodiment is a cable puller for installing a second cable alongside an existing first cable. The cable puller comprises a body having a motor mounted to the body. The motor has an output shaft which attaches to a drive wheel. The drive wheel turns against the first cable to propel the cable puller along the first cable. The cable puller also has a motor controller which is connected to the motor and is adapted to control the motion of the motor. Further, the cable puller has a cable clamp which is attached to the body to hold the second cable securely in the body of the cable puller as it is pulled along the first cable. 
     In one embodiment, the cable puller has at least one pressure wheel attached to the body and adapted to press the first cable against the drive wheel. In another embodiment, the cable puller has at least one drive wheel which is attached to the body and adapted to help guide the first cable as it passes through the body of the cable puller. In still another embodiment, the cable puller further comprises a cable crimper adapted to set a plurality of tie wraps along said first cable as the cable puller pulls the second cable along into position. In this way, the cable crimper tightens the tie wraps around the first and second cables as the cable crimper returns down the path of the first cable after installing the second cable. 
     An advantage of the present invention is its ability to allow the capacity of the system to be increased without having to cut into one of the existing cables, thus not interrupting service to the end user. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a more complete understanding of the present invention, including its features and advantages, reference is made to the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
     FIG. 1 depicts the use of cable puller, according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a more detailed illustration of the cable puller of the invention, according to a preferred embodiment; 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate use of a cable puller to install a second cable alongside an existing first cable; 
     FIG. 4 is flow diagram of a method for using the cable puller, according to the invention. 
    
    
     Corresponding numerals and symbols in the figures refer to corresponding parts in the detailed description unless otherwise indicated. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts which can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. These specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention, and do not delimit the scope of the invention. 
     With reference to FIG. 1, therein is shown a diagram of a cable installation  5 , in which the cable puller of the invention can be used. Main service lines  9  run along telephone poles  7  which support the main lines  9  and provide a service access point to the end user. In this regard, it should be understood that other installation configurations may benefit from the present invention, such as ground installation and other wired services. From the main service lines  9 , a first cable  12  extends from a first support point  16  on a telephone pole  7  to a second support point  18  on building  6 . In this way, an end user within the building  6  achieves access to the services provided by access lines  9 . The type and variety of such services may be many and varied according to location and service offering. Examples include electric, telephone and other utility type services as well as cable television, Internet access and others. 
     The present invention provides a way of installing additional access cables to the main service lines  9  to provide additional capacity for end users. 
     In order to increase the capacity of cable service to building  6 , it is necessary to add a second cable  14  between first support  16  and second support  18 . With the present invention, an installation technician  8  places a cable puller  10  on the first cable  12  and pulls a second cable  14  into position alongside an existing first cable  12 . The installation technician  8  holds a transmitter  42  which is communicably linked by a radio signal  44  to a receiver  40  inside the cable puller  10 . Alternatively, a control line could be used that couples the transmitter  42  to the cable puller  10 . The installation technician  8  transmits command signals from transmitter  42  to receiver  40  to control the motions of the cable puller  10 . As the cable puller  10  proceeds along the first cable  12 , it also sets tie wraps  38  at intervals along the first and second cables  12  and  14 , respectively. Tie wraps  38  are left loose as the cable puller  10  proceeds up the first cable  12  toward the second support  18 . This is to allow the second cable  14  to slide through the tie wraps  38  as the cable puller  10  pulls the second cable  14  into position. 
     When cable puller  10  reaches second support  18 , the second cable  14  is disconnected from the cable puller  10  and connected, according to the type of cable service desired. Command signals  44  are sent by the installation technician  8  to the cable puller  10  causing the cable puller  10  to drive back along first cable  12 . As the cable puller  10  returns towards the first support  16 , the tie wraps  38  are tightened to secure the first and second cables  12  and  14 , respectively, together. 
     FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the preferred embodiment of the cable puller  10 , according to the present invention. The cable puller  10  is shown attached to the existing first cable  12 . The cable puller  10  has a body  20  with an opening which allows the existing first cable  12  to pass through the body  20 . The cable puller  10  also comprises a cable clamp  30 , which is used to hold a second cable  14 . Second cable  14  is pulled into position along side of the existing first cable  12  by cable puller  10  in the direction of arrow  13 . 
     In order for the cable puller  10  to move along the existing first cable  12 , a motor  22  is utilized. In one embodiment, motor  22  is an electric motor and may be sized for the proper operation, as can be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The motor  22  has a shaft  24 , which is used to translate the electrical energy into mechanical energy and assist in driving the cable puller  10  into position. A drive wheel  26  is attached to the shaft  24 . In operation, drive wheel  26  pushes against first cable  12  in order to propel the cable puller  10  along the first cable  12  and pull the second cable  14  into position. The attachment mechanism between the drive wheel  26  and the shaft  24  may include gears, belts and pulleys, or other means known to those skilled in the art. 
     Initially, the cable puller  10  has a pressure wheel  32  which helps hold the drive wheel  26  against the first cable  12  so that the cable puller  10  may have a more positive drive action along first cable  12 . Cable puller  10  further includes drive wheels  34  which help to guide first cable  12  as it passes through cable pulley  10 . 
     Another feature of cable puller  10  is cable crimper  36 . Cable crimper  36  places a tie wrap  38  around first cable  12  and loosely around second cable  14  as cable puller  10  proceeds from the first support  16  to the second support  18 . The tie wraps  38  are adapted to hold the second cable  14  in position. However, the tie wraps  38  are not tightened as cable puller  10  proceeds to pull second cable  14  into position. Tie wraps  38  are left loose around the second cable  14  such that second cable  14  may slide through the tie wraps  38  as it is pulled into position by cable puller  10 . 
     Cable puller  10  is further adapted to have a signal receiver  40  which is adapted for receiving command signals  44  from a remotely located signal transmitter  42  (shown in FIG.  1 ). Power is provided for both electrical motor  22  and signal receiver  40  by battery  46 . Battery  46  provides not only the propulsion power but also the power to the receiver  40  which receives the command signals  44  from the remotely located transmitter  42  which is operated by an installation technician  8 . 
     In FIG. 3A, the installation of a second cable  14  alongside an existing cable  12  is depicted. Tie wraps  38  are loosely positioned around second cable  14  so that the second cable  14  may slide through the tie wraps  38  as cable puller  10  proceeds along first cable  12 , towards its destination in the direction of arrow  48 . In FIG. 4B, cable puller  10  has pulled the second cable  14  to a destination in the direction of arrow  49  and is returning along first cable  12 . As cable puller  10  proceeds along first cable  12 , the tie wraps are tightened around the first and second cables  12  and  14 , respectively. Tightened tie wraps are denoted as  38   a.  The end result is an installation consisting of two cables,  12  and  14 , which are attached to each other and available for delivering services to end users. 
     FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method for installing a second cable along an existing first cable, according to the invention. The method, denoted generally as  50 , involves using a remotely controlled cable puller  10  to pull a second cable  14  into place along side of an existing first cable  12 . The cable puller  10  consists of a motor  22  which drives the cable puller  10 , through a drive wheel  26 , along first cable  12  while pulling the second cable  14  into place. 
     At step  52 , the cable puller  10  is attached onto the existing first cable  12 . Next, at step  54 , second cable  14  is attached to cable clamp  30  on cable puller  10  so that the cable puller  10  can pull the second cable  14  as cable puller  10  travels along the first cable  12 . At step  56 , cable puller  10  drives along the first cable  12  and pulls the second cable  14  into position. For example, cable puller  10  pulls the second cable  14  from a first support  16  to a second support  18 . Next, at step  58 , cable puller  10  places tie wraps  38  along the first and second cables  12 ,  14  to loosely hold the first cable  12  and second cable  14  together. At step  60 , the second cable  14  is removed from cable puller  10  upon reaching the destination at the second support  18 . At step  62 , cable puller  10  is driven back along the first cable  12  to first support  16 . Finally, at step  64 , the cable puller  10  tightens the tie wraps  38  so the tightened tie wraps  39  will hold the first and second cables  12 ,  14  securely together. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications in combinations of the illustrative embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description.

Technology Category: 5