Claims
- 1. An apparatus for feeding an elongated member into a conduit, the apparatus comprising:
an elongated housing defining a chamber and having a first end and a second end, the first end configured and arranged to enclose a portion of the conduit, and the second end configured as a closed end, the elongated housing further having a first port in fluid communication with the chamber; a sealing assembly in the first port having at least one opening through the sealing assembly in fluid communication with the chamber, the at least one opening being configured and sized to receive and to feed the elongated member through the chamber and into the conduit; and a gas supply assembly on the elongated housing configured to supply gas under pressure to the chamber from a gas source.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one opening is an arcuate opening.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the elongated member is a duct constructed of a material that permits the duct to flatten.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 3 herein the duct defines an inner space sized to receive at least one of a cable, a tape, a rope and a strength yarn when the duct is disposed within an interior of the conduit and is open.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the duct defines a plurality of cells disposed therein, at least one cell defining an inner space sized to receive at least one of a cable, a tape, a rope and a strength yarn when the duct is disposed within an interior of the conduit and is open.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one opening is an elongated slot.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one opening is angled.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the elongated member is one of a cable, a duct, a tape, a rope and a strength yarn.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the duct defines an inner space sized to receive at least one of a cable, a tape, a rope and a strength yarn.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the duct defines an inner space sized to receive a second duct.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sealing assembly includes a ring configured to telescopically receive a filler assembly, the filler assembly and the ring defining the at least one opening.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the at least one opening is an arcuate opening.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the at least one opening is an elongated slot.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sealing assembly includes a seal defining the at least one opening.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the seal is configured and sized to wrap around one of a cable and a duct.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the seal is deformable and sized to conform to one of a cable and a duct.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising an adaptor housing configured to couple to and to contain the seal.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the adaptor housing is configured to mate with at least a portion of an inner surface of the first port.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising at least one aperture through a portion of the adaptor housing in fluid communication with the chamber, the aperture being configured and sized to receive and to feed a second elongated member through the chamber and into the conduit.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the second elongated member is one of a cable and a duct.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the duct defines an inner space sized to receive at least one of a cable, a tape, a rope and a strength yarn.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the duct defines an inner space sized to receive a second duct.
- 23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second end is closed with a plug.
- 24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the elongated housing includes a first coupling housing and a second coupling housing, the first coupling housing being pivotally connected to the second coupling housing such that the elongated housing may be closed around the portion of the conduit.
- 25. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first port is disposed along the elongated housing.
- 26. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the gas supply assembly is in a second port disposed along the housing in fluid communication with the chamber.
- 27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the second port is disposed anterior to the first port.
- 28. An apparatus for feeding an elongated member into a conduit, the apparatus comprising:
an elongated housing defining a chamber and having a first end and a second end, the first end configured and arranged to enclose a portion of the conduit, and the second end configured and arranged to receive a sealing assembly, the sealing assembly having at least one opening through the sealing assembly in fluid communication with the chamber, the at least one opening being substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the elongated housing, and being configured and sized to receive and to feed the elongated member through the chamber and into the conduit; and a gas supply assembly on the elongated housing configured to supply gas under pressure to the chamber from a gas source.
- 29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the at least one opening is an arcuate opening.
- 30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the elongated member is a duct constructed of a material that permits the duct to flatten.
- 31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the duct defines an inner space sized to receive at least one of a cable, a tape, a rope and a strength yarn when the duct is disposed within an interior of the conduit and is open.
- 32. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the duct defines a plurality of cells disposed therein, at least one cell defining an inner space sized to receive at least one of a cable, a tape, a rope and a strength yarn when the duct is disposed within an interior of the conduit and is open.
- 33. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the at least one opening is an elongated slot.
- 34. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the at least one opening is angled.
- 35. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the elongated member is one of a cable, a duct, a tape, a rope and a strength yarn.
- 36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the duct defines an inner space sized to receive at least one of a cable, a tape, a rope and a strength yarn.
- 37. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the duct defines an inner space sized to receive a second duct.
- 38. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the sealing assembly includes a ring configured to telescopically receive a filler assembly, the filler assembly and the ring defining the at least one opening.
- 39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the at least one opening is an arcuate opening.
- 40. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the sealing assembly includes a seal defining the at least one opening.
- 41. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein the seal is configured and sized to wrap around one of a cable and a duct.
- 42. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein the seal is deformable and sized to conform to one of a cable and a duct.
- 43. The apparatus of claim 40 further comprising an adaptor housing configured to couple to and to contain the seal.
- 44. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein the adaptor housing is configured to mate with at least a portion of an inner surface of the second end.
- 45. The apparatus of claim 36 further comprising at least one aperture through a portion of the adaptor housing in fluid communication with the chamber, the aperture being configured and sized to receive and to feed a second elongated member through the chamber and into the conduit.
- 46. The apparatus of claim 45 wherein the second elongated member is one of a cable and a duct.
- 47. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein the duct defines an inner space sized to receive at least one of a cable, a tape, a rope and a strength yarn.
- 48. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein the duct defines an inner space sized to receive a second duct.
- 49. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the elongated housing includes a first coupling housing and a second coupling housing, the first coupling housing being pivotally connected to the second coupling housing such that the elongated housing may be closed around the portion of the conduit.
- 50. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the gas supply assembly is in a second port disposed along the housing in fluid communication with the chamber.
- 51. The apparatus of claim 50 wherein the second port is disposed anterior to the sealing assembly.
PRIOR PATENT APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 10/285,769, filed Nov. 1, 2002, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/335,014, filed on Nov. 2, 2001, which are incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60335014 |
Nov 2001 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10285769 |
Nov 2002 |
US |
Child |
10403760 |
Mar 2003 |
US |