Arrangement and method for covering elongate substrates

Claim 1

An arrangement for covering at least part of an elongate substrate (12) which comprises a heat-recoverable polymeric closure member (21) in sheet form adapted to be wrapped around the substrate so that one edge portion thereof overlies an opposite edge portion and recovered about the substrate by application of heat, a patch member (13) for retaining the edge portions together during recovery of the closure member, and a layer (15) of adhesive having a tack temperature below the recovery temperature of the closure member for securing the patch member to the closure memberduring recovery of the closure member, characterized in that the layer (15) of adhesive has a lap shear strength at 150°C of from 70 to 14,100 kg.m - 2 and the patch member (13) has a modulus at 150°C of from 1400 to 141,000 kg.m-2 and an elongation at 150°C of from 10 to 1000%, the arrangement being such that when the closure member is heated, it will recover about the substrate and cause at least part of the patch member to stretch by at least 5% in the direction of recovery of the closure member.

Claim 10

A method of covering at least part of an elongate substrate (12) which comprises wrapping a polymeric closure member (21) in sheet form around the substrate so that one edge portion of the closure member overlies an opposite edge of the closure member, heating a layer (15) of adhesive to its tack temperature and placing the layer of adhesive and a patch member (13) over the exposed edge (23) and outwardly disposed edge portions of the closure member so that the layer of adhesive is interposed between the closure member and the patch member, pressing the patch member against the closure memver to bond them together, and heating the closure member to cause it to recover into circumferential contact with the substrate, characterized in that the closure member (21), the layer (15) of adhesive and the patch member (13) together form an arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, and that the method is conducted under conditions such that the patch member remains bonded to the closure member over at least a major portion of its length and at least part of the patch member is stretched by at least 5% in the direction of recovery of the closure member.