Housing arrangement for electrical apparatus in submarine cable installations

Claim 1

A HOUSING ARRANGEMENT FOR WATER AND PRESSURE TIGHTLY ENCLOSING AN ELECTRICAL APPARATUS TO BE CONNECTED AS AN INTERMEDIARY MEMBER IN A SUBMARINE CABLE INSTALLATION AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING THE TIGHTNESS OF THE ARRANGEMENT, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FIRST PREASSEMBLY INCLUDING A HOUSING BODY HAVING ONE OPEN END AND BEING CLOSED ON THE OTHER END THEREOF AND A PORTION OF A FIRST SUBMARINE CABLE INTRODUCED INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID BODY THROUGH ONE OF ITS WALLS AND SEALED AND ANCHORED THEREIN, SAID ONE OPEN END BEING OF PREDETERMINED SHAPED AND DIMENSIONS AND BOUNDED BY A RIM PORTION; A SECOND PREASSEMBLY INCLUDING A HOUSING LID AND A PORTION OF A SECOND SUBMARINE CABLE PASSED THROUGH SAID LID FROM THE OUTER SIDE TO THE INNER SIDE THEREOF AND SEALED AND ANCHORED THEREIN, SAID LID HAVING AN INWARDLY PROJECTING PORTION SHAPED AND DIMENSIONED SO AS TO FIT SUBSTANTIALLY TIGHTLY INTO SAID OPEN END OF SAID HOUSING BODY, AND A LID RIM PORTION ADJACENT TO SAID PROJECTING PORTION, SAID PROJECTING PORTION BEING INSERTED INTO SAID OPEN END OF SAID HOUSING BODY, SAID LID RIM PORTION FACING SAID RIM PORTION OF SAID HOUSING BODY AND SAID RIM PORTIONS BEING JOINED BY A SIGNAL CIRCUMFERENTIAL WELD SEAM, SAID LID BEING FURTHER PROVIDED WITH A DUCT EXTENDING FROM SAID OUTER SIDE THEREOF TO A SURFACE OF SAID PROJECTING PORTION, SAID DUCT BEING ADAPTED TO BE USED FOR TESTING THE TIGHTNESS OF THE HOUSING ARRANGEMENT; A MOVABLE CHANNEL-SHAPED ANNULAR MEMBER FITTING SUBSTANTIALLY TIGHTLY OVER BOTH SAID RIM PORTIONS IN A POSITION IN WHICH THE INTERIOR OF SAID ANNULAR MEMBER STRADDLES SAID SINGLE CIRCUMFERENTIAL WELD SEAM, SAID ANNULAR MEMBER HAVING AN INLET OPENING FOR INTRODUCING A PRESSURE FLUID INTO SAID INTERIOR THEREOF; PRESSURE MEANS FOR APPLYING OUTSIDE PRESSURE TO SAID WELD SEAM BY INTRODUCTION OF A PRESSURE FLUID INTO SAID ANNULAR MEMBER; AND SUCTION MEANS FOR APPLYING SUCTION TO THE INTERIOR OF THE HOUSING ARRANGEMENT THROUGH SAID DUCT IN SAID LID THEREOF, SO THAT LACK OF SAID PRESSURE FLUID BEING REMOVED BY SAID SUCTION MEANS INDICATES TIGHTNESS OF SAID HOUSING ARRANGEMENT.