Abstract: Method of making a twisted conductor wire unit in which each wire of the pair is individually insulated. The twisted pair is provided with an outer extruded polymeric layer while a vacuum is applied to the pair at the extrusion position. The vacuum draws the polymeric layer down onto the pair and forces the insulated wires together along the length of the unit. The vacuum is insufficient to produce substantial longitudinal indentations in the polymer layer. This avoids spaces being provided between the insulated wires in the finished structure and provides a substantially constant distance between the wires to improve electrical and cross-talk characteristics.

Abstract: A telecommunications conductor is produced by coating it with a visco-elastic dielectric material and then providing an electrically conductive material around the conductor by bombarding the visco-elastic material with particles of the conductor material and changing the visco-elastic material into hardened form. A shielding layer is provided by causing the particles to adhere to the surface of the dielectric material and when the particles provide a conductive path, the layer is completed by applying conductive material by electrolytical deposition or by plasma coating. Alternatively in an insulated conductor provided with a continuous inductive loading, the particles are caused to enter into and become discretely embedded within the visco-elastic material.

Abstract: Method of making copper clad conductor by impinging of copper particles upon a heated steel wire to cause adhesion of the particles to the wire, by coalescence, building up the particles to form a coating and then drawing the coated wire to the required diameter. The coated wire may be heat treated to cause flow of copper to improve the surface finish before the drawing process. The copper particles may be directed at the wire by a spraying technique. Alternatively, the wire is passed over a fluidized bed of the particles and through a cloud of particles thrown up by the bed.

Abstract: Provision of a protective cover for a fibrous layer of insulation on a conductor by forming an inner layer of the protection cover by depositing a polymeric based composition without creating a crushing effect, and then, in tandem, hardening the inner layer and applying a second coat by extrusion. The inner layer absorbs the crushing forces of extrusion to protect the fibrous layer during addition of the second layer. The inner layer is preferably formed by electrostatic deposition coating and prevents pinhole formation in the second layer.