Abstract: A hydrogen absorbent composition for protecting optical fibers from damage due to attack by hydrogen, and optical fiber cables and components containing such composition. The composition comprises a mixture of an unsaturated polymer obtained by the polymerization of at least conjugated diene-monomers and of a catalyst selected from the transition metals, the inorganic and organometallic salts of the transition metals, the organometallic acids of the transition metals or mixtures thereof, which catalyst may be supported on an inert carrier.

Abstract: A fire retardant polymeric compound comprises a polymer having hydroxyl groups and an inorganic phophate so as to produce a char by the process of intumescence when subjected to combustion. The polymer may be an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer and the inorganic phosphate may be ammonium polyphosphate.

Abstract: A low-voltage cable with insulation having good fire self-extinguishing and life cycle properties and with improved heat resisting and low toxic gas generation properties. The cable is formed by extruding a mixture of a polymer which is substantially non-cross-linkable by irradiation, a monomer cross-linkable by irradiation and optionally, a fluidizing polymeric material which is cross-linkable by irradiation around a conductor and subjecting the so-formed cable to irradiation to cross-link the materials cross-linkable by irradiation.

Abstract: Optical fibers of an optical fiber, telecommunication cable are protected with respect to hydrogen by including in the cable a mixture of molybdenum trioxide and a catalyst selected from the transition metals, the inorganic and organic compounds of the transition metals and the organometallic acids of the transition metals, such mixture being used by itself or being supported by inert materials. The mixture may surround the fiber or fibers, be applied as a coating on a component of the cable, be incorporated in a component of the cable or be included in a rod or tube adjacent to the fiber or fibers and within the cable sheath.

Abstract: Hydrogen absorbing mixtures for protecting optical fibers from damage by hydrogen and optical fiber telecommunication cables containing such a mixture or mixtures. The mixture includes at least one oxide selected from oxides of titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, cerium, tin, lead and wolfram, at least one catalyst selected from among the transition metals, the inorganic and organic compounds of the transition metals and the complexes of the said transition metals, both by themselves as well as supported by inert materials, and an anhydrous salt which, on chemically reacting with water, forms crystalline hydrated compounds which are stable at temperatures up to at least 90.degree. C. The anhydrous salt may be one or more of anhydrous calcium sulfate, anhydrous calcium chloride, anhydrous sodium sulfate and anhydrous copper sulfate.

Abstract: A submarine cable with optical fibers which prevents damage to the fibers due to water pressure without the use of an external armor. The cable has a central core with a strand which provides the cable tensile strength and which is surrounded and contacted by a layer of plastic material which has helical grooves which receive the optical fibers which may have a protective covering. The layer of plastic material is surrounded by sheath in the form of a layer of plastic material. The grooves and any spaces radially inwardly of the sheath, such as the spaces between the wires of the strands, are filled with a substantially incompressible fluid, such as a grease or jelly. If the optical fiber protective layer is a tube loosely receiving the optical fiber, or optical fibers, the space within the tube not filled by optical fibers is filled with a substantially incompressible fluid. The layer of plastic material forming the sheath may at least partially extend into the grooves.

Abstract: A joint for interconnecting a pair of optical fiber, submarine cables which have a central armor sufficient to withstand tensile stresses applied to the cables during use, i.e., laying, recovery and operation, which have optical fibers loosely disposed in channels in a plastic layer around the central armor and which have all otherwise empty spaces filled with a substantially incompressible fluid. The joint comprises a metal ferrule or a weld mechanically interconnecting the ends of the armors of the cables. A plastic joint sheath surrounds the interconnection of the armors and has channels which interconnect the respective channels of the cables. The optical fibers are loosely received in and interconnected within the joint sheath channels. Any otherwise empty spaces within the plastic joint sheath are filled with a substantially incompressible fluid.

Abstract: A submarine cable with optical fibers which prevents damage to the fibers due to tensile stresses or water pressure without the use of an external armor. The cable has a central core with an anti-torsional wire rope around which a plurality of tubes are helically wound. Each tube loosely contains at least one optical fiber, and the spaces within the tubes and any spaces within the rope are filled with a substantially incompressible fluid. The core is surrounded by a sheath of plastic material which contacts the tubes and the rope in a manner which eliminates voids between the sheath and the core elements. The rope may have a cladding of plastic material, and the rope may have a wire or tape of good conductivity metal for supplying electrical power to repeaters.

Abstract: An optical fiber structure in which there is at least one layer around the fiber signal transmitting core, such layer being formed of, or containing a powder of, a hydrogen gas absorbing metal or metals from Groups III, IV, V or VIII of the periodic table, or alloys or intermetallic compounds of such metals, to absorb hydrogen and for protecting the core with respect to hydrogen absorption. Also, an optical fiber cable comprising at least one optical fiber and a sheath around the optical fiber or fibers. The cable comprises such a gaseous hydrogen absorbing metal or metals, or alloys or intermetallic compounds of such metals, to absorb the hydrogen for such purpose. The metal or metals may be in the form of metal films inside or outside the sheath, in the form of longitudinal wires within the sheath, part of tapes wound around the fiber or fibers or in the form of metal powders dispersed in the sheath or in a filler within the sheath.

Abstract: A joint between a pair of optical fiber submarine cables having a central armoring in the form of a wire rope, optical fibers disposed around the armoring and a sheath around the optical fibers. The joint contains a watertight housing for optoelectronic repeaters which has a central through-cavity into which the end portions of the armoring, or an interconnecting armoring, extend, and the end portions are mechanically secured together within the through-cavity, or to the ends of the interconnecting armoring which are outside the housing. The sheaths are interconnected by a metallic casing surrounding and secured to the housing for the repeaters, and the sheaths may also be connected to the housing by further metal casings. The housing for the repeaters is secured to the armorings of the cables or the interconnecting armoring.

Abstract: An oil-filled electric cable in which the solid insulation is formed, at least in part, by separately applied, alternate layers of cellulose paper tape and of film tapes made of a plastic. Prior to application of the tapes around the cable conductor, the moisture content of the paper tape is selected and the swelling of the plastic tape by the oil after application is adjusted, if necessary, such as by immersing the plastic tape in the oil prior to application, so that the swelling of the plastic tape by the oil in the formed cable is offset by the shrinkage of the paper tape during drying of the cable. Also, apparatus for pre-swelling the plastic tape.

Abstract: A device for limiting the bending radius of a submarine cable portion. The device is composed of a plurality of turbular elements (5) connected to one another in an articulated manner. Each element (5) is formed by a tubular cylindrical body (10) having two end flanges (12, 13) provided with circumferential through-holes (21, 31) for the passage of connecting members (4). One flange (12) has semi-spherical projecting members (28) in diametrically opposed positions with respect to each through-hole (21). The other flange (13) has complementary semi-spherical projecting members (28).

Abstract: Joints for optical fiber, submarine cables in which the tensile resistant element is centrally located in the cables, rather than at the exterior of the cables, and all spaces between the cable elements are filled with a substantially incompressible fluid. In the joint, the end of the tensile resistant element of one cable is joined to the end of the tensile resistant element of the other cable by a tubular clamp which is surrounded by a plastic layer having through-cavities in which the optical fibers are received and joined. If the optical fibers are in fluid filled tubes, the tubes are connected by further fluid-filled tubes surrounding the optical fiber connections. The plastic layer may be surrounded by a further plastic layer, and the cable metal sheaths are interconnected by a metal tube in watertight relation to the sheaths.

Abstract: A granulator for forming granules of cross-linkable plastic compounds in which a screw extruder extrudes the compound into the smaller diameter end of a funnel-shaped, annular conduit, the other end of the conduit facing a die with circular arrays of through-holes. The compound which passes through the through-holes is cut into granules by rotating blades having air nozzles which remove particles of the compound from the blades. The granules are received in a chamber from which they are removed pneumatically. Where the annular conduit meets the die, there are channels within and outside of the arrays of through-holes which lead to the outside of the granulator and which provide conduits for removal of compound which does not directly impinge on the entrances of the through-holes which are specially shaped to avoid accumulation of the compound between the through-holes.

Abstract: A submarine cable with optical fibers which prevents damage to the fibers without the use of an external armor. The cable has a central strand which provides the cable tensile strength and which is surrounded by helically wound and circumferentially spaced tubes which loosely enclose the optical fibers. Helically wound electrical conductors are intermediate and contact the tubes. A layer of plastic material surrounds the tubes and the electrical conductors. The tubes, any spaces in the strand and any spaces radially inwardly of the layer of plastic material are filled with a substantially incompressible fluid, such as a grease or jelly.

Abstract: A joint structure for interconnecting a pair of electrical cables each having a conductor surrounded by insulation which is surrounded by a layer of semi-conductive material. The mechanically interconnected conductor ends are surrounded by a two-part metal adaptor which has annular ribs at its ends which fit into annular grooves in the insulation of the cables. The adaptor is covered throughout its length with an electrical field modifier which is embedded in insulation covered by a layer of semi-conductive material which interconnects the semi-conductive layers of the cables.

Abstract: A submarine cable with optical fibers which prevents damage to the fibers due to water pressure without the use of an external armor. The cable has a central core with a strand which provides the cable tensile strength and which is surrounded and contacted by a layer of plastic material having helical grooves which receive the optical fibers which may have a protective covering. The layer of plastic material is surrounded by a thin metal sheath which, in turn, is closely surrounded by a layer of plastic material. The grooves and any spaces radially inwardly of the sheath, such as the spaces between the wires of the strands, are filled with a practically incompressible fluid, such as a grease or jelly. If the optical fiber protective layer is a tube loosely receiving the optical fiber, or optical fibers, the space within the tube not filled by optical fibers is filled with a substantially incompressible fluid.

Abstract: An underwater optical fiber cable for laying at great depths in which an optical fiber core containing a plurality of optical fibers is protected by a peripherally segmented metal tube, each metal segment, in cross-section, having the shape of a sector of an annular, which is surrounded by at least one layer of elongated metal elements wound helicoidally around the tube, each element having radially extending sides which have radial lengths less than the peripheral lengths of the peripheral surfaces of the element. The layer or layers are surrounded by a watertight, conductive metal sheath and preferably, the sheath is surrounded by a plastic sheath.

Abstract: A method of forming a connection between a pair of optical fiber cables, each cable having an optical fiber surrounded by a plurality of protective coverings, in which method the optical fiber of each cable is bared by removing the coverings adjacent the cable ends and the optical fibers are joined by conventional cutting and melting. Thereafter, the space between the ends of the coverings are filled by a moisture impervious coating on the bared fibers, longitudinal non-metallic filaments or filament on the coating, helically wound non-metallic filaments or filament around the longitudinal filament or filaments, the helically wound filament or filaments be covered by an adhesive, and an elastomeric layer, which sets up at temperatures which are low with respect to temperatures used to extrude elastomeric materials, around the helically wound filament. The joint so formed is surrounded by a plastic tube. Also, the joint which is made by such method.

Abstract: A hydrogen fixing filler for optical fiber cables and components of such cables and optical fiber cables and cable components containing such filler with the filler at least partly surrounding, but not necessarily in contact with, the optical fiber or fibers. The filler is a mixture of:(1) at least one unsaturated silicone, having unsaturated groups in quantities larger than 0.2 millimoles per 100 g. of silicone and corresponding to the formula: ##STR1## where R and R' are saturated or unsaturated aliphatic radicals and aromatic radicals and R" and R'" are unsaturated aliphatic radicals, and(2) a catalyst which is one or more of the transition metals, the inorganic and organometallic salts of the transition metals and the organometallic acids of the transition metals, either alone or on inert supports.