Abstract: A positioning terminal for an optical fibre or a bundle of optical fibres in which the position of the fibre or bundle is defined relatively to a right circular cylindrical external surface. The centering of the fiber or bundle of the axis of the external surface is achieved by compressing a deformable internal cylindrical body arranged in a coaxial hole and traversed by the fibre or bundle through an axial bore. In the case of a bundle, a compact hexagonal arrangement of the individual fibres ends is thus obtained, and by giving to the coaxial hole an hexagonal cross section, the orientation of the hexagonal arrangement can be marked on the terminal external surface. Methods for manufacturing such a terminal and for arranging it at the end of a fibre or bundle are also described.

Abstract: A stripping tool for stripping ends of cables containing multiple conductors surrounded by an external protecture sheath, intended in particular for stripping optical fibre bundles. It comprises two gripping devices to clamp the cable in two separate areas by means of an adjustable compression on the sheath surrounding the conductors, a control device to position one of the gripping devices so as to stretch axially the sheath lying between thw two areas, and a cutting device to cut a piece of sheath of the desired stripped length; the distance between the areas and the extent of the stretch are predetermined on the basis of the elasticity of the sheath and the length to be stripped.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a variable coupler for optical fibers, which can also operate as a mixer. This variable coupler comprises an optical system which concentrates the divergent radiation issuing from the output orifice of a transmitter fiber, on the input orifice of a first receiver fiber, and optical means (flat mirror, prism, plate with parallel faces, for example) capable of performing a translatory motion, which make it possible to intercept a variable fraction of said radiation and direct it on to the input orifice of a second receiver fiber.