Abstract: A sealing method and article of manufacture is disclosed wherein a heat-shrinkable sleeve having a partial transmittance to radiation is shrunk and fused to a plastic substrate by the application of radiant heat.

Abstract: A glass tube is formed having a mean cross-sectional tube wall area less than a preselected mean cross-sectional area. Additional glass differing in composition from that of the glass tube, but having an index of refraction substantially equal to that of the glass tube, is then fused onto a surface of the tube by vapor deposition, outside vapor-phase oxidation or outside vapor-phase axial deposition until the tube wall obtains the preselected mean cross-sectional area.

Abstract: Apparatus for supplying fluid to a rotary tube uncontaminated with ambient air comprises an end cap having an open ended bore in which an end portion of the tube may be rotatably positioned, a first conduit extending into the end cap through which fluid may be fed into the rotary tube, and a second conduit communicating with the end cap bore through which a purge fluid may be fed into and at least partially through the bore to the exterior of the end cap.

Abstract: A method of uniformly coating an optical waveguide fiber 10 comprises the steps of suspending an elongated glassy optical fiber preform 11 in an upright orientation from a preform holder that includes a collet 14 to which an x-y translator 15 is coupled, heating the preform, and drawing fiber from the bottom of the heated preform. The drawn fiber is passed through a tubular coating applicator 32 located beneath the preform, and the position of the fiber is sensed as it is being drawn. In response to sensed deviations in fiber position from along a preselected path that extends through the tubular coating applicator along the applicator axis, the preform is repositioned by horizontal movement of the preform holder so as to return the drawn fiber to the preselected path and thereby maintain its travel through the coating applicator substantially along the applicator axis.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring the temperature of a moving elongated article is disclosed wherein radiant heat is sensed eminating from the focal axis or point of a parabolic or paraboloidal reflector beside which the article moves. An application of such is also disclosed wherein the temperature of a wire sensed in this manner is used in regulating an annealer.

Abstract: A telecommunication cable, and method of making same, is disclosed comprised of more than five S-Z twisted wire pairs having their twist reversals longitudinally staggered in a repetitive sequence of 1 to N longitudinally spaced positions. The wire pairs are bundled with any adjacent pairs having their twist reversals non-overlapped and staggered by no more than N/2 positions which limits S to Z coupling.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for trimming an elongated article are disclosed by which the article is notched at longitudinally spaced locations and material spanning adjacent notches trimmed from the article as discrete strips.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for removing an end cap from a telecommunications cable wherein a circumferential incision and a plurality of longitudinal incisions are made with a wire in segmenting the cap.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for determining the index of refraction profile of a stepped or graded index type optical fiber having a core encased within a surrounding cladding. An interferogram is formed with a beam of radiant energy passed transversely through the optical fiber. Fringe line shift is measured at a series of points corresponding to a series of mutually parallel ray chord paths extending through the core at mutually diverse minimum radial distances from the core axis. That portion of the measured fringe line shift attributable to discrete differences in indices of refraction of cylindrical core ring portions of thicknesses defined by successive minimum radial distances in the series of ray paths and that of the cladding is sequentially calculated from the outermost core ring portion inwardly towards the core center.

Abstract: A sealed rotary joint and method are described wherein a purge fluid is passed over a tube rotating within an end cap and through a ball bearing component of the joint. A vapor stream including a vaporized glass forming precursor entrained in an oxidizing carrier gas is passed into a rotating optical fiber preform tube through a housing supporting the ball bearing. A stream of the oxidizing carrier gas at a pressure greater than the pressure of the vapor stream can act as the purge fluid.

Abstract: Conditioning apparatus for a cast metal bar is disclosed which comprises a conveyor having a plurality of blocks each of which has a surface depression defining a bar support and guide channel, an endless support to which the blocks are mounted in an endless series with the block bar support and guide channels tandemly aligned, and means for driving the endless support and series of blocks along a circuitous path that extends generally linearly through a bar conditioning station. The apparatus also comprises hold down roller means located at the bar conditioning station for holding a cast metal bar in the bar support and guide channels of blocks being driven through the bar condition station; means for trimming a cast metal bar supported and guided in the bar support and guide channels of blocks at the bar conditioning station, and means for flushing bar trimmings from the bar supported on the conveyor at the conditioning station.

Abstract: A spool for receiving windings of elongated material, such as connectorized lightguide cable, is made of compressive and resilient material and has a flange on each end of a hub portion. Each flange has inner and outer rims of differing diameter and a clearance therebetween for forming a channel to hold a connector that terminates an end of the cable. The channel communicates with the surface of the hub via a flared groove for passing the cable ends from hub to channel. The spool is assembled by intermeshing two identical segments.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling high speed strand takeup reel shrouds during reel crossover by moving the shrouds once the output speed of the reel motors have deaccelerated to a preselected rate.

Abstract: The invention relates to the monitoring of the filling effectiveness during the filling operation of a waterproof or filled telecommunications cable on a manufacturing line, and includes measuring the capacitance change per unit length of an outer pair of insulated conductors in the cable, measuring the capacitance change per unit length of an inner pair of insulated conductors in the cable, determining any deviations in the measured capacitance changes and utilizing such deviations by feedback control to eliminate further deviation, as well as determining the point of deviation along the cable length.

Abstract: A cold-cathode ion source includes a specially shaped hollow anode and specially shaped anode-cathode insulators to preclude the buildup of short-circuiting bridges of sputtered cathode material. When used with solid feed material, the source can also include an oven-anode having cavities for vaporizing the solid feed material and passages connecting the cavities to the bore of the anode. The geometry of the oven-anode provides an increasing temperature gradient from the cavities to the bore that minimizes condensation of vaporized feed material that could block the ports.