Abstract: A method for manufacturing an aluminum wire is provided. The aluminum wire includes an inner-layer conductor having one or a plurality of inner-layer alloy wires including aluminum and an outer-layer conductor having a plurality of outer-layer alloy wires including aluminum and provided on the inner-layer conductor. The method includes an outer-layer twisting step of twisting, over the inner-layer conductor, the outer-layer alloy wires provided on the inner-layer conductor, and an outer-layer rotational compression step of compressing the outer-layer alloy wires twisted in the outer-layer twisting step while being rotated in the same direction as the direction of the twisting in the outer-layer twisting step.

Abstract: A layer of wires is preliminarily stranded by a layer of strand-through holes, and a first strand cylinder is used for the second pressing and stranding. The next layer of special-shaped single wires is stranded through a second pre-stranding assembly, and then the last layer of wires is stranded through a main stranding mold, thus stranding a plurality of layers at the same time with a compact structure. The outer circumference of the guide roller matches that of the special-shaped single wire, avoiding the reduced quality of stranded cable core. The first rotating connector is bowl-shaped and is provided with a layer of strand-through holes together with a structure in which a first pull rod is in fit with the rotating connector and a structure in which a second pull rod is in fit with the rotating connector.

Abstract: An aluminum composite twisted wire conductor includes a center assembled twisted wire positioned closest to a center of the aluminum composite twisted wire conductor in cross-sectional view, a plurality of first-layer assembled twisted wires positioned around the center assembled twisted wire, and a plurality of second-layer assembled twisted wires positioned around the first-layer assembled twisted wires. Each of the center assembled twisted wire, the plurality of first-layer assembled twisted wires, and the plurality of second-layer assembled twisted wires is an assembled twisted wire. The assembled twisted wire comprises a plurality of aluminum strands which are collectively first-twisted and made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The center assembled twisted wire, the plurality of first-layer assembled twisted wires, and the plurality of second-layer assembled twisted wires are collectively second-twisted.

Abstract: The present arrangement provides a twisted pair of conductors, each with a profiled insulation thereon, where in the twisted pair, the peak to peak contact of adjacent conductor insulation is ensured along the length of the pair. To this end, each of the profiled insulations on the conductors of the pair are forward twisted prior to twinning to ensure the maximum number of peak to peak contacts per unit length of the pair.

Abstract: Disclosed are a copper clad aluminum wire, a compressed conductor and a cable including the same and a method of manufacturing the compressed conductor. The copper clad aluminum wire, the compressed conductor and a cable including the copper clad aluminum wire and the method of manufacturing the compressed conductor according to embodiments of the present invention may exhibit electrical features similar to those of a conventional pure copper wire without greatly increasing outer diameters of the conductor and the cable, guarantee workability of a worker when the worker installs the cable even in a narrow work space, and efficiently utilize an installation space.

Abstract: A method and an installation for constructing a layer (12) of armor strips around a tubular core (10) of a flexible pipe. The installation has a support wheel (14) of a plurality of armor strips (32, 34) having, respectively, two opposite faces (44, 46) and a plurality of pairs of guide members (20, 22). The pairs of guide members include upstream guide members (52, 54) and downstream guide members (56, 58) which sets of guide members extend along axes that are angularly offset from one another. The support wheel (14) has devices (78, 92) for adjusting the downstream guide members (56, 58) into a position such that the two opposite faces (44, 46) of the armor strip entering and leaving the downstream guide members (56, 58) are substantially perpendicular to the plane of flexing (Pf) defined by the entering and leaving armor strip.

Abstract: With a wire rope comprising at least one plastic core (11) and a number of wire strands (15) twisted around the latter a helical groove (20) is respectively produced by machining around the periphery of the plastic core (11) for each wire strand (15). The cross section of these helical grooves (20) is respectively matched to the outside diameter of the wire strands (15). The plastic core (11) is provided with the helical grooves (20) for receiving the wire strands (15) by this machining directly before the wire strands (15) are wound onto said core. By thus forming the wire rope by means of this machining in order to produce helical grooves of the plastic core, optimal guiding of the wire strands in the twisted state is achieved, and so overall there are improvements to the properties of the wire rope.

Abstract: A method of constructing a wire rope from plural outer strands and a core, the core having one or more core strands, each of the one or more core strands having plural core wires, the method comprising: swaging the core to laterally compress the core to an extent sufficient to cause concave deformation of at least some of the plural core wires; and closing the plural outer strands over the core to produce the wire rope.

Abstract: An electrically conductive composite knitting yarn includes a core yarn and a plurality of stainless steel wing yarns that are bonded to the core yarn and extend on a side of the core yarn; each of the wing yarns is bonded to the core yarn by continuously forming twist portions at two loops adjacent to each other from among a plurality of loops formed on the core yarn in a longitudinal length of the core yarn. Alignments of the yarns, forming of yarns in groups, and a method of manufacturing the electrically conductive composite knitting yarn also are disclosed.

Abstract: A method for forming a helix rope for a trawl comprising the steps of: a) situating upon a portion of a rope a bead of a substance being selected from a group consisting of: (i) a liquid substance; and (ii) a semi-liquid substance. A helix rope (35) for forming portions of a pelagic trawl, the helix rope comprising a braided sheath (398) formed of greater than sixteen strands (397), whereby drag is reduced. A method for forming a high strength synthetic rope useful for towing warps, trawler warps, yachting ropes, mooring lines, anchoring lines, oil derrick anchoring lines, seismic lines, paravane lines, and any other uses for rope, cable or chain.

Abstract: A manufacturing method and apparatus for producing digital yarns using hybrid metal for high speed communication, which can be connected to a network to exchange information in real time in the ubiquitous era, and digital yarns made using the method thereof. The manufacturing method and apparatus for producing digital yarns using hybrid metal for high speed communication and digital yarns thereof comprises producing a hybrid metal rod; drawing the hybrid metal rod; producing a micro filament; feeding the micro filament; softening the micro filament; forming a sliver; forming a spun yarn; winding the spun yarn; coating the spun yarn with an electromagnetic shielding resin; drying the spun yarn with the electromagnetic shielding resin; and covering the spun yarn with a textile yarn and the digital yarn made in accordance with this method.

Abstract: An insulation sleeve assembling apparatus that assembles a tubular insulation sleeve to a lead wire that is formed of a plurality of conductors includes an actuator unit that rotates the insulation sleeve while actuating the lead wire and the insulation sleeve in a direction in which the lead wire and the insulation sleeve approach each other.

Abstract: A single-layered rubber-product-reinforcing steel cord with good rubber penetration properties, excellent fatigue resistance, and small low-load stretch is obtained. All of wires 11 are provided with curls having a substantially elliptical cross-section and a pitch smaller than that of curls for intertwining, formed by providing the wires with spiral curls and then pressing the wires. These wires are intertwined into each other to form a single-layered twist structure, and, thus, a cord is obtained in which a hollow portion at the center of the cord is in communication with an outside via a gap 12 between the wires 11, and at least any one pair of adjacent wires 11 are substantially in contact with each other at any point in the longitudinal direction of the cord.

Abstract: The invention relates to a double-twist bunching machine for producing bunched strand material (14), in particular wires, with an inlet (17) for individual strands (12) which can be supplied to a first deflection point (18) which has a first deflection roller (19), wherein the first deflection roller (19) is arranged in a manner such that it can rotate about an axis of rotation (21) in order to form a first twist, with a hoop (24) which rotates about the axis of rotation (21) and connects the first deflection point (18) to a second deflection point (26), wherein the second deflection point (26) has at least one second deflection roller (32) which is rotatable about the axis of rotation (21) in order to form a second twist, and with a reel (36) onto which the bunched strand material (14) is wound and which is arranged outside the region of rotation of the hoop (24), wherein the second deflection roller (32) and at least one further deflection roller (55) which is assigned to the second deflection roller (32) f

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a security thread whose existence is not clarified, which is prevented beforehand from being removed, which can be attached even to a form of a commodity heretofore regarded as difficult, and whose use purpose range is enlarged, and the security thread can be constituted by a core member comprising a soft magnetic fiber (1) or the soft magnetic fiber and a core thread (4), and a cover member (2, 3) comprising a nonmetal material to cover the core member, constituted by covering the core member comprising the soft magnetic fiber or the soft magnetic fiber and core thread and a semi-hard magnetic material (10?) with the cover member, or constituted by covering the soft magnetic fiber or the core member comprising the soft magnetic fiber and a thermal welding thread (9) with the cover member.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a trapezoidal wire using two-set shaping rollers has a body rotating about a central axis at a predetermined speed, a plurality of first shaping roller sets installed along an outer circumference of the body, each first shaping roller set including an upper roller and a lower roller and a shaping portion, into which a wire is inserted to be processed, between the upper roller and the lower roller, and a plurality of second shaping roller sets arranged after the first shaping roller sets along the outer circumference of the body and in a direction in which the wire moves, each second shaping roller set comprising an upper roller and a lower roller and a shaping portion, into which the wire is inserted to be processed again, between the upper roller and the lower roller, wherein wires processed by the first and second shaping roller sets while passing therethrough are stranded by the rotating body.

Abstract: An endless rope includes a core portion woven by multiple strands, and having a first end and a second end connected to the first end of the core portion. An outer portion is coated on an outer periphery of the core portion. The outer portion includes an enlarged end integrally continually woven from the second end for receiving the first end of the core portion. The enlarged end is integrally continually woven to form the outer portion of the endless rope and ended with a distal end connected to the enlarged end of the outer portion.

Abstract: A tire for a vehicle wheel, includes a torus-shaped carcass, a tread located on a periphery of the carcass, and a pair of axially-facing side walls ending with beads reinforced with bead wires and respective bead-filling elements for mounting the tire on a corresponding rim. The tire includes rubberized fabrics reinforced with metal reinforcing cords. At least one of the metal reinforcing cords comprises at least two wires helicoidally double-twisted around a longitudinal axis of the metal cord. Further, at least one of the wires is permanently deformed by a substantially-sinusoidal deformation lying in a plane.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a control cord for use in a covering for architectural openings includes the steps of providing spools of high tensile strength and low abrasion characteristic yarns, tensioning the yarns and winding the yarns under tension on bobbins, placing the bobbins in a braiding apparatus and making an eight-carrier braid from the yarns on the bobbins, and passing the braided cord through a treatment apparatus where a urethane coating is applied to the yarns and heat cured.

Abstract: A corrosion resistant steel cord for reinforcing rubber articles, particularly a belt and/or carcass of a pneumatic tire, has a residual compressive stress inside the twisting helix of each steel filament such that a ratio R.sub.1 /R.sub.0 is less than one, where R.sub.0 is the radius of curvature of a helix in each helically formed steel filament obtained by untwisting of the cord and R.sub.1 is the radius of curvature of the helix after removal of a surface layer from the inside of the helix in the steel filament. The steel filaments have a tensile strength of 4,000-4,800 N/mm.sup.2.

Abstract: Process for producing a steel cord for pneumatic tires comprising a bunch of wires, the core of which consists of wire filaments 10 arranged bunched juxtaposed in parallel. Preferably at least three wire filaments 10, 20 are provided, at least two wire filaments located juxtaposed in parallel being spirally shaped as core filaments 10 forming a core 60 and at least one wire filament spirally surrounding the two core filaments 10 as a sheathing wire 20. Spirally shaping the wire filaments 10 is achieved in accordance with the invention by false twisters 40. Due to this spiral shaping of the wire filaments 10 migration of the filaments from the core composite is avoided more particularly. The residual torsional stresses of the core filaments among each other and in conjunction with the restoring forces of the sheathing wire are advantageously cancelled. In addition, the steel cord features to advantage a flattened, more particularly, oval shape.

Abstract: A yarn is formed from discontinuous parallel fibers which are not twisted d which are held together by a covering yarn of sacrificial material wound around the fibers. The fibers comprise an intimate mixture of fibers of at least two different natures selected from carbon fibers or pre-oxidized polyacrylonitrile based carbon precursor fibers, or anisotropic or isotropic pitch based carbon precursor fibers, or phenolic or cellulosic based carbon precursor fibers, and ceramic fibers or ceramic precursor fibers. The mixture of fibers comprises, in its carbon state, at least 15% by weight of high strength fibers, having a tensile strength of at least 1500 MPa and a modulus of at least 150 MPa, and at least 15% by weight of fibers with a low Young's modulus of at most 100 GPa.

Abstract: A method for using a bunching type twisting machine to manufacture a steel cord made up of one core filament having a continuous wavy form and five to eight sheath filaments not having a wavy form disposed around the core filament, the cross-sectional shape of the cord forming an ellipse whose orientation is substantially constant in the length direction of the cord. After a core filament is preformed with a helical wavy form of a smaller pitch than the cord twisting pitch, this is squashed to form a flat helical core filament at a stage before it is twisted together with sheath filaments, and then sheath filaments are twisted around this flat helical core filament to make an intermediate product cord and this intermediate product cord is then squashed and thereby flattened before being taken up on a reel.

Abstract: A steel cord (114) comprises strength elements (100, 132) and having a length, a longitudinal central axis (112) and a cord pitch. At least one of the elements (100) has a projection on a plane YZ perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis (112). This projection takes the form of a curve with a radius of curvature which alternates between a maximum and a minimum. The curve further has a center of curvature. The radius of curvature and the center of curvature lie inside the curve so that a convex curve is obtained. The cord (114) is further characterized by one or both of following features:(i) the distance between two minimum radii of curvature of said curve measured along the longitudinal central axis (112) is different from half the cord pitch; or(ii) if all of said elements (100) provide a convex curve, at least one of said convex curves substantially differs from another convex curve.

Abstract: A steel cord intended for use to reinforce rubber products is produced by drawing, into a steel filament of 0.10 to 0.40 mm in diameter and more than 3,000 N/mm.sup.2 in strength, a wire rod having a carbon content of more than 0.70% by weight, and twisting a plurality of such steel filaments together. Also a pneumatic tire is provided which employs in at least a portion of a reinforcing member thereof the steel cord improved in corrosion resistance and having an R.sub.1 /R.sub.0 ratio.times.100 which is less than 100, where R.sub.0 is the radius of spiral curvature of the spiraled steel filament resulting from untwisting said steel cord and R.sub.1 is the radius of spiral curvature of said steel filament of which the surface layer inside the spiral is removed by dissolving.

Abstract: A steel cord intended for use to reinforce rubber products is produced by drawing, into a steel filament of 0.10 to 0.40 mm in diameter and more than 3,000 N/mm.sup.2 in strength, a wire rod having a carbon content of more than 0.70% by weight, and twisting a plurality of such steel filaments together. Also a pneumatic tire is provided which employs in at least a portion of a reinforcing member thereof the steel cord improved in corrosion resistance and having an R.sub.1 /R.sub.0 ration.times.100 which is less than 100, where R.sub.0 is the radius of spiral curvature of the spiraled steel filament resulting from untwisting said steel cord and R.sub.1 is the radius of spiral curvature of said steel filament of which the surface layer inside the spiral is removed by dissolving.

Abstract: A method for producing a compacted wire strand substantially triangular in shape for making wire rope includes the steps of (i) unwinding a central group of wires from a bobbin, the central group being substantially triangular, (ii) winding up a first layer of wires around the central group, each wire of the first layer being released from a first set of bobbins mounted on a first cage rotating about the central group, (iii) winding up a second layer of wires around the first layer of wires, each wire of the second layer being released from a second set of bobbins mounted on a second cage rotating around the central group, the first cage rotating at a speed 1.6 to 1.9 times faster than that of the second cage, (iv) compacting the strand made of the first and second layers of wires in a substantially triangular die by pulling the strand therethrough, and (v) rolling up the compacted substantially triangular strand on a drum.

Abstract: A steel cord (30) consists of a first group and a second group. The first group comprises two or more plastically deformed outer steel filaments (10) twisted around each other with a first twist pitch and the second group comprises one or more plastically deformed inner steel filaments (20) twisted around each other with a second twist pitch. The second group is twisted around the first group with a cord twist pitch. One of the inner or the outer steel filaments having a part load elongation of x %, all the other inner and outer steel filaments having a part load elongation of y %, whereby x and y fulfil the equation:x-0.10.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.x+0.10,and where all the inner and outer steel filaments have a deforming pitch that is substantially equal to the cord twist pitch.

Abstract: A method for producing a steel cord from 3 to 6 steel filaments on which a coating is applied to retain the adhesion to a rubber, the steel cord being destined for use to reinforce a rubber product having a flat section, comprising the following steps of preforming steel filaments at a ratio of more than 120% by twisting them together to form an open-structure steel cord; and passing the steel cord through a flattening apparatus provided at each of outlet and inlet thereof with a roller having a groove formed in the center of the circumference thereof, and between the inlet and outlet rollers with at least a roller of which the circumferential surface is flat, to repeatedly bend the steel cord vertically or horizontally.

Abstract: The present invention provides a wire for a press-connecting terminal which has a high flexibility, and achieves a high reliability for a connection portion at the time of press-connection, and also provides a method of producing a conductor of such a wire. The wire provides a stranded conductor and an insulator covering the conductor. Wire elements of the stranded conductor are concentrically twisted in layers in the same direction at the same pitch, and the stranded conductor is compressed into a circular cross-section in such a manner that a space factor of the cross-section of the conductor is not less than 99%. The present invention also provides a multi-layer compressed concentric stranded conductor which enables a uniform compression of a base stranded wire.

Abstract: A steel cord comprises steel filaments twisted around each other in a first direction about at least one steel core filament having a wave form. The twisted filaments are individually subjected to a rotation about their own axes. This steel cord is formed by deforming the core filament into a planar wave form and twisting the core filament in a second direction to a predetermined degree. The core filaments together with the other filaments are twisted in the first direction so that the twisted filaments are individually subjected to a rotation around their own axes in the first direction.

Abstract: A preforming head for making ropes and cable armor including an axle with a front preforming disk fixedly mounted thereon. A middle preforming disk and a rear preforming disk are displaceably mounted on the axle. The middle disk has a diameter larger than the front disk and smaller than the rear disk. A drive moves the disks so that the distance between front disk and middle disk remains approximately equal to the distance between middle disk and rear disk.

Abstract: Concentric Compressed Unilay Stranded Conductors are formed of certain combinations of compressed wires, such as 1+7+12, 1+6+11 or 1+7+12+17, which have nominally equal diameters. The combinations of conductors or wires are selected so that the number of wires in any two adjacent layers, including a central layer, are not divisible by a common number with the exception of the integer one. The stranded conductors are optionally formed to have sectored cross-sectional configurations.

Abstract: Flat filaments or ribbons are deflected by a system of sheaves to converge the filaments to closing stations proximate to points at which the filaments are tangentially applied to helical surfaces of a central cylindrical core member. Successive sets of filament deflection sheaves stack the filaments into bundles or stacks which can be separated by spacer elements which are applied to a smooth core or the filaments can be inserted into helical grooves or slots in the core. Preferably, adjacent filaments forming each stack are guided to prevent contact or totally eliminate sliding friction until just prior to application in the core. The apparatus and method can be used to produce optical fiber cables, high pressure flexible composite pipes and the like in which the flat ribbons can be wound either within helical grooves formed within the core or about the cylindrical surface of a smooth core.

Abstract: A steel cord, having steel filaments twisted so as to have a final twist pitch, is manufactured by plastically deforming the steel filaments by overtwisting the steel cord to a twist pitch which is smaller than the final twist pitch, untwisting the steel cord to the final twist pitch, further untwisting the steel cord to a twist pitch which is greater than the final twist pitch, and twisting the steel cord again to the final twist pitch. The first two steps (i.e., overtwisting and untwisting) are done under a first tension and the third and fourth steps (i.e., further untwisting and twisting) are done under a second tension which is lower than half of the first tension.

Abstract: A stranded product is formed from a central wire and a plurality of wires helically wound around the central wire, wherein each of the wires helically wound around the central wire has a small longitudinal groove which increases the area of contact between each of the outer wires and the core wire, thus significantly reducing the internal contact stresses within the strand to extend the fatigue life of the strand without significantly reducing the bending flexibility of the strand. A plurality of stranded products in accordance with the invention can be employed in a conventional manner to form ropes, cables and the like, having an extended service life.

Abstract: Fiber optic filaments or ribbons are deflected by a system of sheaves to converge at final filament deflection sheaves which direct the filaments along the longitudinal direction of an assembly table. Successive sets of filament deflection sheaves stack the filaments into bundles which are separated by spacer elements which are likewise guided to the assembly table. Sensors at the final sheaves monitor the tensions in both the filaments and separators and a controller is used to adjust the tensions to compensate for frictional variations upstream of the final sheaves. The table is positioned at an angle to the machine axis so that the stacked filament bundles and separators can be wound about a rotating core by being drawn along the table by the rotating core for staggered and tangential application of the filaments about the core at the downstream end of the table.

Abstract: Concentric Compressed Unilay Stranded Conductors are formed of certain combinations of compressed wires, such as 1+7+12, 1+6+11 or 1+7+12+17, which have nominally equal diameters. The combinations of conductors or wires are selected so that the number of wires in any two adjacent layers are not divisible by a common number with the exception of the integer one. Compression of wires in one or more layers is such as to provide area reductions within the range from 0 to approximately 19% for the layers affected.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a wreath from a plurality of elongated objects, such as boughs by securing the boughs to a frame with a securing member such as a wire.

Abstract: A reverse stranding apparatus for the reverse stranding of conductors to produce cables or the like and to a method in connection with stranding and reverse stranding. The conductors are drawn from a distributor into a nozzle or equivalent through peripheral tubes circumferentially surrounding a central tube and being twistable about the central tube recurrently in opposite directions. To facilitate the passage of the conductor, a pressurized fluid is fed through the peripheral tubes upstream ends and into the peripheral tubes during the drawing of the conductors to produce oscillation, whereby the conductors passing through each peripheral tube remain substantially detached from the inner surfaces of the peripheral tubes.

Abstract: A steel strip (1) comprises two to seven round steel filaments (2) lying in parallel adjacent to one another so as to form a single plane of core filaments and one or more filaments (4) which are wrapped around the core filaments in one single wrapping direction. One or more core filaments, individually, or the plane of the core filaments as a whole have residual elastic torsions to such an extent that the strip remains substantially flat over the whole length of the strip if the strip is not subjected to external forces.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for the high speed shaping of wires to be used to make a compact stranded cable are disclosed. A plurality of roll pairs for shaping the cross section of a wire in a peripheral groove are mounted to the layhead of a strander apparatus. The rolls of each pair are supported on axles, the axes of which are maintained parallel to each other. At least one of the rolls of each pair is mounted on an axle which is parallelly adjustable toward and away from the other axle. A single adjustment screw is provided for urging the adjustable axle in a direction to engage the peripheries of the rolls.

Abstract: A cable comprises strength members twisted along helicoidal lines of mutual contact, an outer coating covering the strength members and providing helicoidal reception spaces, each of which is delimited by the outer coating, two adjacent strength members and their line of contact. The optical fibres extend in the helicoidal spaces and the length of the fibres is greater than that of the lines of contact defining their reception spaces in order to provide an overlength and to allow variations in length in the strength members.

Abstract: An alternate reverse or so-called SZ-twisting method and apparatus and cable product produced by alternate reverse twisting method and/or apparatus. Elements (2 ) which are to be alternately reversely twisted may be wires, leads, optical fibers, their groups and which can also include quads of wires, leads, optical fibers. Elements (2) to be twisted and a possible core element (9) are drawn from a fixed divider (3), preferably a perforated holeplate, through a twister (6), preferably a perforated holeplate, rotating periodically in opposite directions, to a presser (7), preferably a nipple, in which the elements to be twisted and the possible core element are pressed together, to form an alternately reversely twisted product (8). Between the divider (3) and the twister (6) pipe group (4, 5) is provided for defining the feedpaths of the elements (2) to be twisted and the possible core element (9).

Abstract: An optical fiber cable (20) includes a core (21) comprising a units a unit (22). The unit is formed by a plurality of optical fibers (24-24) which are assembled together without intended standing. The unit is enclosed in a tube (34) which provides a predetermined packing density and which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cable. In one embodiment, a waterblocking material (36) is disposed within the tube to fill the interstices between the optical fibers and between the unit and the tube. The waterblocking material is such that its critical yield does not exceed about 70 Pa at 20.degree. C. and such that it has a shear modulus of less than about 13 KPa at 20.degree. C. The tube is enclosed with non-metallic or metallic strength members and a plastic inner jacket and by another layer of strength members and by a plastic outer jacket.

Abstract: Improved multistrand Rutherford-type superconducting cable (42) is produced in a flattened form with two layers of helically wound strands (33) and in which the strands are alternately twisted about their lengths equally and in opposite directions to provide a flat cable with improved stability. In particular, the cable (42) is made by guiding multifilament wire strands (33) from spools (32) on a rotating turret (11) to a fixed tapered forming mandrel (22) where they are wound diagonally around the mandrel and then rolled into a flattened shape. The spools (32) are located around the periphery of the turret and are rotatable about axes in a plane parallel to the turret (11) to unroll the wire. Sprocket assemblies (48 and 49) are driven by drive chains (68 and 76) to rotate alternate spools (32) equally and in opposite directions relative to the forming mandrel (22) so that the wire strands (33) are twisted prior to being wound on the mandrel (22).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing the line speed of an S-Z strander by applying a tensile force to the elongated accumulator of the strander, between 124 pounds and less than the elastic limit of the material from which the elongated accumulator is made, while the elongated accumulator is rotated in a reversing manner about its longitudinal axis and coated optical fibers and/or elongated tubes containing optical fibers are S-Z stranded thereabout.

Abstract: A plurality of grooves are formed in an outer surface of a spacer. The grooves are formed continuously in the longitudinal direction by a die which surrounds the circumference of the spacer. The grooves extend, in the form of parallel periodically reversing helices along the longitudinal direction of the spacer. The optical fibers are guided into the grooves through guide plates arranged to rotate in a reciprocating motion about the spacer. The position of the grooves is detected and converted into an electric signal. The operation of an actuator for driving the movement of the die and the guide plates is controlled on the basis of the electric signal thereby rotating the plates and the die in synchronism with displacement of said grooves.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for inserting optical fibers into a spacer having spiral grooves to produce a spacer type optical fiber cable wherein a torsional force detecting device is formed integrally with the optical fiber gathering device for inserting optical fibers into the spiral grooves. The torsional force exerted on the device by the spacer is detected by a tension/compression measuring device and the axial speed of the spacer is controlled in response to the measured torsional force so as to reduce the torsional force to zero.

Abstract: An optical fiber cable (20) includes a core (21) comprising a plurality of units (22--22). Each unit is formed by a plurality of optical fibers (24--24) which are assembled together without intended stranding. The plurality of units are enclosed in a common tube (34) which provides a predetermined packing density and which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cable. In one embodiment, a waterblocking material (36) is disposed within the tube to fill the interstices between the optical fibers and between the units. The waterblocking material is such that its critical yield stress does not exceed about 70 Pa at 20.degree. C. and such that it has a shear modulus of less than about 13 KPa at 20.degree. C. The common tube is enclosed with non-metallic or metallic strength members and a plastic inner jacket and by another layer of strength members and by a plastic outer jacket.