Abstract: A method of making a flexible coaxial cable comprises the steps of providing a resiliently compressible dielectric core having an inner conductor, such as a core comprised of wrapped expanded Teflon tape or a compressible foam material having memory, which is compressed and drawn through a flexible hollow outer conductive sheath comprising a corrugated portion having a plurality of peaks and valleys of predetermined pitch. The innermost circumference of the sheath is less than the outermost extent of the dielectric core so that when the compressed core has been drawn through the sheath, it expands to lock the core to the sheath. An air pressure against the convolutions of the sheath to prevent elongation of the pitch when the oversized compressed core is pulled through.

Abstract: An improved method for making a flexible coaxial cable having an inner conductor (36) to which a dielectric material is secured to form a dielectric core (30) for the coaxial cable (38), and a flexible outer conductor (50) such as one formed from a strip helically wound conductor (58), employs a solid dielectric starting material (32), such as a spline dielectric or a cylindrical dieletric or an expanded dielectric, which is ccntrollably cut, such as by saw blades (34), using a desired cutting angle (.theta.) and blade width (.alpha.), in order to cut away a predetermined amount of the solid dielectric starting material (32) to provide a shaped dielectric core (30), such as a spiral or helix (30a, 30b), from the solid dielectric starting material (32).

Abstract: A method for making a flexible coaxial cable (38) in which a threaded dielectric core (30) is threadably inserted into a flexible hollow outer conductor sheath (50) to lock the core (30) to the outer conductor (50). The outer diameter (d3) of the core (30) is larger than the inside diameter (d2) of the outer sheath (50) such that the peak-to-peak diameter (d3) of the core (30) is 2/1000 of an inch-5/1000 of an inch larger than the inside diameter (d2) of the conductive sheath (50). The outer conductive sheath (50) comprises a corrugated portion (52) having a plurality of peaks (54) and valleys (56) at a predetermined pitch (P.sub.1) which may be the same or different than the pitch (P.sub.2) of the threaded core (30) with the valleys (56) becoming sufficiently embedded in the core (30) during threading to lock the core (30) and sheath (50) together to provide electrical stability for the cable (38) without causing mechanical deformation of the sheath (50).

Abstract: An improved method of making a flexible coaxial cable (10) having a dielectric core (12) comprising an inner conductor (14) and a dielectric (16) surrounding the inner conductor (14), and a corrugated outer conductive sheath (18, 20) having a plurality of peaks (22) and valleys (24) of predetermined pitch, comprises the step of substantially simultaneously crimping solely the valleys (24) from at least three angularly spaced directions, such as three equiangularly spaced directions about the longitudinal axis (110) of the outer sheath (18, 20), by using angularly spaced crimping wheels (100, 102, 104) which float to follow the predetermined pitch of the corrugated sheath (18, 20) for embedding the valleys (24) in the dielectric (12, 16) so as to lock the dielectric (12, 16) to the sheath (18, 20) for providing electrical stability for the resultant coaxial cable (10).

Abstract: An improved flexible coaxial cable (24) and method of making same employs an inner conductor (22) having a helically wound dielectric beading (20) wound thereabout in a predetermined pitch dependent on the desired velocity of propogation for the cable (24). A heat shrinkable dielectric tubing (26) surrounds the helically wound beading (20) and locks it to the inner conductor (22) to provide a dielectric core (28) having a constant pitch for the helically wound beading (20) during flexing of the cable (24). A convoluted outer conductor (30, 32, 34, 36) is locked to the tubing (26) of the dielectric core (28) by crimping it to the dielectric core (28) between the helically wound convolutions of the outer conductor (30, 32, 34, 36).