Abstract: A work station for splicing together a pair of fiber optic cables includes a portable splicing table including a recessed portion for supporting a splice enclosure. The recessed portion extends across the width of the splicing table and allows for a pair of fiber optic cables to enter the table in the recessed portion. A pair of cable grips are included in the recessed area for holding the cables in place during the splicing operation. A plurality of fiber clips may be disposed on the table surface and used to match up the pairs of fibers to be spliced together from the cables.

Abstract: An entity (18) that maintains facilities, such as buried conveyances (12) screens requests by contractors to undertake work that may potentially impact such facilities by comparing the Global Satellite Positioning (GPS) coordinates associated with the location of the work to the GPS coordinates of each facility. In the event that the work will occur within a minimum separation distance from the facility, then the entity maintaining the facility will dispatch a technician to physically locate and mark the facility.

Abstract: A "quick" anchor for placing a temporary restoration cable in place on a utility pole require neither a bucket truck nor ladder to position the anchor and cable. The anchor comprises a non-conductive, hinged cylindrical housing that includes a set of wheels disposed around its perimeter. The housing is positioned to encompass the utility pole at ground level, and then is clamped shut. A technician uses a push bar to move the anchor up the pole, with the wheels facilitating this upward movement. A set of hinged grabbing teeth are disposed around the lower periphery of the anchor to prevent the anchor from descending once it is in place. A pulley assembly is attached to the outside of the anchor and is used to hoist the restoration cable into place.

Abstract: A tube slitter for removing the outer metallic cladding of an optical power ground wire includes a channel guide for directing the movement of the tube slitter along the length of the ground wire. The ground wire includes an inner grooved spacer that engages with the channel guide. A cutting wheel is formed within the tube slitter and is free to rotate as the slitter is pulled along the length of the ground wire. The cutting wheel is positioned to provide a depth of cut sufficient to slit open the cladding tube without damaging the underlying optical fibers.

Abstract: The optical distance along a buried optical fiber (12) from a particular location (13) therealong to a central facility (10) is measured by first applying an intentional stress to the fiber in the form of a vibration signal (35) transmitted into the ground. A timing signal (36) is transmitted to the central facility (10) in synchronism with the application of the stress. Using the timing signal as a reference, the central facility can determine the time difference between when the stress was applied, and when the central facility detected the stress. From the time difference, and a knowledge of the propagation rate of the timing signal, the central facility can establish the optical distance to the particular location at which the stress was applied.

Abstract: A hand-held cutting tool for removing encapsulant surrounding a fiber optic cable splice includes a pair of saw-tooth edged scissor blades, coupled through a gear and drive shaft to a motor included within the tool. When activated, the gear functions to move the pair of blades back and forth, resulting in a scissor motion of the blades sufficient to cut through and remove encapsulant surrounding an fiber optic cable.

Abstract: To locate a defective one of filter/voltage arresters (20.sub.1, 20.sub.2, 20.sub.3, 20.sub.4, . . . 20.sub.n-1), each associated with a corresponding one of splice cases (18.sub.1, 18.sub.2, 18.sub.3, 18.sub.4, . . . 18.sub.n-n) on a buried fiber-optic cable (10), an operator employs a locating apparatus (24) to detect the presence of an AM signal within a prescribed frequency range that is radiated when the filter/voltage arrester becomes defective. By determining the location along the cable where the AM signal has its greatest strength, the operator can accurately establish the location of the defective filter/voltage arrester, thereby avoiding unnecessary excavation of each splice case.

Abstract: An enclosure (10) for temporarily housing a fiber cable splice includes upper and lower halves (14,12) that may be repeatably separated to expose a splice block (20) enclosed therein. The enclosure allows for an interrupted fiber splice arrangement to be securely stored without causing damage to any exposed optical fibers. The bare fibers are disposed in the lower half of the enclosure next to the splice block and held to prevent movement. A pair of grommets (28,30) are inserted in either end of the enclosure to prevent the introduction of water (or any foreign material) into the housing.

Abstract: A repair arrangement for a fiber optic cable metallic sheath is formed of a pair of semi-cylindrical conductive tube sections (32,34) that mate to surround a section of cable (10) with damaged sheathing (12,14). Conductive clamps (36) are used to secure the attachment of the semi-cylindrical sections to the cable. The arrangement is relatively easy and quick to attach to the damaged cable and restores both the physical and electrical integrity to the cable.

Abstract: The exact position of a work location (24) is mapped by the aid of at least three differential Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receivers (12, 14, and 16) situated proximate the work location. Each of the differential Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receivers establishes its own exact position and transmits that information to a spatial positioning system receiver (18) at the work location that determines its position from the position of the individual differential Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receivers.

Abstract: A cutting tool (10) for making precise circumferential and longitudinal cuts in an fiber optic cable (12) includes a rotary-driven cutting wheel (18) that extends partially into the top of a housing (24) having an open bottom. The housing receives a pair of upper and lower cable guides that have opposed longitudinal and transverse channels (36 and 42) and 38 and 44) for retaining the cable in a longitudinal and transverse relationship, respectively with the cutting wheel. A cable lock guide (48) attaches to the bottom of the housing to maintain the guides in a fixed relationship while an adjustment mechanism (52) extends through the guide lock to displace the guides (and the cable retained therebetween) towards the cutting wheel to control the depth of cut. By placing the cable in the longitudinal channels in the guides, the tool can make a longitudinal cut when displaced along the axis of the cable.

Abstract: A system (18 ) for warning workers in the vicinity of a transportation pathway (10 ), such as a railroad track, of the presence of an oncoming vehicle, includes a detector/transmitter assembly (20 ) for detecting the presence of an oncoming vehicle by sensing vibrations generated thereby. Upon detecting an oncoming vehicle, the detector/transmitter assembly broadcasts an RF signal to individual receivers (22 ). Each worker carries a receivers that receive the signal and generate an alert, in the form of a vibration and/or audible tone, to alert the worker of the approaching vehicle.

Abstract: To more accurately detect the position of a boring head (16) relative to a utility conveyance (22) during a boring operation, the conveyance carries a low power, pulsed signal. The signal is detectable only with a limited distance from the conveyance corresponding to a minimum allowable distance between the boring head and the conveyance. The boring head (16) carries at least one detector (28) for detecting the signal radiated by the cable. If the detector (28) detects the signal, then the boring head is too close and boring operation is interrupted.

Abstract: A warning tape (10) burial above an underground conveyance (13) includes a sacrificial fiber (12). A monitoring device, such as an AOTDR (25) monitors the sacrificial fiber (12) for damage caused by excavation. Upon detecting such damage, the monitoring indicates both the existence and location of such excavation by triggering a warning (26) to generate an alert, and by providing location information to a display device (32).

Abstract: Lightning strikes on or proximate to an optical fiber cable may be detected via a lightning detector (18) that monitors the characteristics of voltage present on a metallic sheath (12) associated with the cable. The lightning detector (18) detects excessive voltage levels, spikes and/or frequency variations associated with a lightning strike and generates an alarm signal communicated to a central monitoring facility.

Abstract: A device (10) for marking the ground above a buried conveyance includes an upper and lower shells (12, 14) of a fracturable material joined at their edges to form a sealed body. A separator layer (16) devises the void between the two shells into an upper and lower regions (18, 20). The lower region contains a paint-adhesive mixture (22), whereas the upper region contains an indicia-bearing member (26) that identifies the entity responsible for the buried conveyance. To mark the buried conveyance, a technician deposits the marking device (10) on the ground and then steps on it, thereby fracturing the upper and lower shells to release the paint-adhesive mixture and the indicia-bearing member for adherence to the ground by the adhesive.

Abstract: As an utility conveyance (12), such as a pipe or cable is buried, its location is accurately determined by a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) Reading device (32) at the initial point of burial, and preferably, at successive lengths of the conveyance. A data logger (34) records the GPS location coordinates, as well as length measurement of the conveyance, to provide a permanent record of the location of the conveyance that is not require reference to any physical landmarks to enable re-location.

Abstract: Repair of a damaged portion of a cable sheath may be effected with the aid of a sheath repair kit comprised of an enclosure (10) and a volume of encapsulant (36). The enclosure (10) includes first and second members (12), both having an interior axially extending channel in communication with openings (20.sub.1 and 20.sub.2) in ends of the respective member to receive the damaged cable portion in the channel. The second member is shorter than the first member and has a cross-section smaller in area than that of the channel in the first member to enable receipt of the second member in the channel of the first member. In this way, the first and second members will capture the damaged portion of the cable, as well as a volume of the encapsulant (36) added to the channel of the first member to immerse the damaged cable portion.

Abstract: The position of a boring head (16) during boring operation in the vicinity of an existing utility conveyance (22) that radiates a locating signal can be determined by establishing the ratio of the strength of the locating signal of the cable induced in the boring head to the strength of the locating signal on the conveyance. Should the ratio exceed a prescribed value, indicating that the boring head is too close to the existing conveyance, then an alert is generated. Advantageously, the position of the boring head during a boring operation may be controlled in feed-back loop fashion in accordance with the ratio to maintain the boring head substantially parallel to the existing conveyance.

Abstract: The level of moisture in a buried splice case (14) is provided by a transmitter (26) that is energized from a power circuit (24) via a moisture detector (22) when the moisture detector detects a prescribed level of moisture in the splice case. Once erergized, the transmitter (26) transmits a coded word indicative of the prescribed moisture level for receipt by a receiver (30) located above ground. In this way, a technician, using the receiver (30) can directly determine the moisture level in the buried splice case without the necessity to excavate the case or to contact a member of the On-site Work Force at a communications facility.