Abstract: In the manufacture of a cable unit (30), which comprises a center portion and a plurality of layers of twisted conductor pairs, the pairs in the center portion and in each layer are oscillated in alternately opposite directions after which the unit is bound and taken up in a stationary container (62) by a system (100) which distributes the unit in a predetermined pattern of varying size convolutions. This distribution, which results in a dense package of a cable unit having a free end that facilitates testing of the unit during takeup, is accomplished while the speed at which the unit is being advanced and distributed into the varying size convolutions is maintained substantially constant.

Abstract: An extrusion system for covering a flexible conductor (14) with a crystalline thermoplastic elastomer insulating material by tubing the plastic onto the conductor includes a core tube (61) which is mounted in an extruder crosshead (41) such that its free end is positioned within the interior of the extruder die (59). The free end of the core tube is spaced from the die opening a predetermined percentage of the land length of the die. In this arrangement, which has been found to be suitable for a crystalline thermoplastic elastomer having a crystallization initiation temperature which is capable of being substantially near to its melting point temperature, the crosshead and the core tube are arranged to provide a streamlined flow path of the insulating material toward the die opening.

Abstract: In order to facilitate the gang-insertion of a plurality of contact elements successively into a plurality of slots in each of a plurality of rows of slots in a plastic housing portion of a contact module of a connector system, an assembly fixture in the form of a block having a generally V-shaped trough formed therethrough is provided. The surfaces which form the V-shaped trough are generally normal to each other with one surface supporting portions of a surface of the plastic portion to which the slots open and the other surface supporting an edge surface of the plastic portion. A stepped surface is formed with each portion of the stepped surface adapted to support a plurality of contact elements at successively greater distances from the surface which provides edge support for the plastic portion and with overhanging portions to provide a passageway for receiving rows of priorly inserted contact elements.

Abstract: In the wire-wrapping of terminals which extend from a terminal block, an operator uses a hand tool which includes a housing having a bit that wraps a wire-like conductor about each terminal, and a handle which allows the tool to be held in a modified prehensile manner. The handle is configured to include a laterally disposed thumb rest which is effective to support the thumb in a relaxed position. The surface of the rest which supports the thumb includes a port which is covered and uncovered repetitively by relatively slight movements of portions of the thumb to control the operation of a fluidic circuit to turn the bit and cause the conductor to be about the terminal. This arrangement results in a substantial reduction in the movement of particular joints of the thumb and of particular muscles which control the movement of the thumb so that worker fatigue is substantially reduced.

Abstract: A cable which is capable of being made in a large pair size and yet which has excellent mechanical properties that maintain its integrity notwithstanding extremes in temperature during installation and shipping as well as during the rigors of installation includes a sheath system having a corrugated steel outer shield that is adhesively bonded to a plastic jacket. The corrugated steel shield which is formed to have a longitudinal overlapped seam that is preferably unsealed encloses an aluminum inner shield that in turn encloses a multiconductor core. Advantageously, the sheath system includes a plastic jacketing material which is capable of resisting biaxial stresses which are aggravated in a bonded sheath system. This results in jacket integrity about the longitudinal seam of the outer shield notwithstanding a notched cross-section and an unsupported bridged portion of the plastic jacket adjacent to the seam.

Abstract: A method of making a cable (20) specially suited for use in building plenums because of its low flame spread and smoke evolution includes enclosing a multiconductor core (22) in a sheath comprising an inorganic, cellular core wrap (31), a corrugated metallic barrier (40) and dual layers (51) and (52) of a polyimide tape. The tapes are wrapped helically about the barrier in a manner that avoids a compression of the core wrap. The sheath is effective to resist heat transfer inwardly toward the core by conduction while the metallic barrier reflects radiant heat. Advantageously, the sheath containerizes the core without unduly compressing it and thereby allows the intumescence of conductor insulation during a fire to form char which is effective to suppress the evolution of smoke and the propagation of flame.

Abstract: A telephone cord which is particularly suited for use with some models of decorative telephones includes a plurality of individually insulated conductors, a plastic jacket which encloses the plurality of individually insulated conductors, and a braid which encloses the plastic jacket. While the braid is comprised of a woven band of cloth of a natural material or a synthetic material, in a preferred embodiment it is made of cotton which is dyed to a color which is compatible with that of portions of the decorative telephone. An end portion of the cord which is terminated with a modular plug that is capable of being inserted into a jack in the telephone is treated to cause the braid to be bonded to the plastic jacket so that when the jacket is removed to expose the conductors for purposes of plug termination, the braid will not fray.

Abstract: Cable splices of outside telephone plant are rehabilitated by a method in which a length of tubing of a kit of parts is moved over end portions of cables which are to be respliced, if necessary. The tubing is collapsed adjacent jacketed portions of the cables and a collar comprising a plurality of turns of sealing tape is formed about the jacket of each of the cables in adjacent locations. A spacer block is positioned between the collars to maintain the cables spaced apart after which a liner made of a perforated, transversely corrugated strip of plastic material is wrapped about the splice. The tubing is extended over the liner and its lower end is taped about the collars to form a closed end to prevent the escape of a waterproofing material which is flowed into the opposite open end of the tubing. A length of transversely and longitudinally scored plastic is wrapped about the tubing and cut along one of the score lines to form a cover which is secured by a plurality of clamps.

Abstract: A connecting device for providing electrical continuity of a metallic shield of a jacketed distribution cable across a splice location and for electrically and mechanically connecting at least one service wire that is electrically connected to the cable at the splice location and to a customer's premise includes a first clamp which comprises an inner plate that is inserted under the shield until a stud upstanding therefrom abuts the cable jacket and shield. An outer plate of the first clamp and an arcuately formed bonding plate of a second clamp, said bonding plate having a relatively short length in a direction along the length of the cable, are positioned over the cable jacket until the stud extends through an opening in each after which a nut is turned onto the stud to secure the first clamp to the cable and the bonding plate to the first clamp.

Abstract: The invention relates to the formation of a substantially circular metallic shield (37) about a cable core (32) by wrapping a metallic tape (64) longitudinally about the core with longitudinal edge portions of the tape being overlapped by a forming key (100) to provide a closed seam (38). As the seam is formed, an underlying longitudinal edge portion (48) of the shield is supported while an overlying longitudinal edge portion (45) at the overlap is directed inwardly toward the cable core to preclude its protrusion into a jacket (39) which is subsequently extruded over the shielded cable core. A relatively thin strip (145) of metal attached to an inner surface of the forming key assures formation of the seam before juxtaposing the longitudinal edge portions and the core, and avoids penetration of a priorly formed inner shield by the longitudinal edge of the outer shield to prevent rotation of the inner shield and undesirable alignment of the shield seams.

Abstract: In taking up drawn lightguide fiber (31), the fiber is distributed on the hub of one of two coaxially mounted takeup spools 42-42 which are driven independently of each other at ends of indexable turrets (94-94) that also have spools mounted on their opposite ends. Following takeup on one of the spools, a distributor 201 effects a cutover to a collector groove of the adjacent spool until several convolutions of the fiber are secured within the collector groove to provide access to a leading end of the fiber on this spool for testing purposes. Then the distributor begins its traverse across the hub of the empty spool and the lightguide fiber which extends across the adjacent collector spools is severed to form an end portion on the spool now being filled, said end portion advantageously being accessible for testing.

Abstract: In order to organize a plurality of fiber lightguides (33--33) into a planar array (40), so that they can be bonded together between two tapes (34--34) to form a ribbon (32), the fiber lightguides are payed out from individual supply spools (51--51) and advanced toward a takeup (43). Interposed between the supply spools and the takeup is at least one surface (72) past which the lightguides are advanced and which is effective to organize them contiguously into a single layer array (76). The surface is made with a curvature which is convex in the direction of advance of the fiber lightguides and which is concave in a direction transverse to the direction of advance. The single layer array (76) is advanced past and in engagement with another surface (86) which reforms the array into a planar configuration after which the lightguides are bonded together to form the ribbon (32).

Abstract: A cable (20) specially suited for use in building plenums because of its low flame spread and smoke evolution includes a multiconductor core (22) which is enclosed in a sheath comprising an inorganic, cellular core wrap (31), a corrugated metallic barrier (40) and dual layers (51) and (52) of a polyimide tape which are wrapped helically about the barrier in a manner that avoids a compression of the core wrap. The sheath is effective to resist heat transfer inwardly toward the core by conduction while the metallic barrier reflects radiant heat. Advantageously, the sheath containerizes the core without unduly compressing it and thereby allows the intumescence of conductor insulation during a fire to form char which is effective to suppress the evolution of smoke and the propagation of flame.

Abstract: A tool for assembling a plurality of conductors into secured engagement with a mandrel of a multicontact electrical connector includes a plurality of spaced combs which are positioned adjacent a nest to hold the conductors transversely above a mandrel which is supported in the nest. In each cycle of operation, a head of the tool is prepositioned with respect to the nest and moved into engagement with the conductors to cause a forming die of the head to partially form the conductors about the mandrel and cooperate with a blade adjacent the nest to sever excess lengths of free end portions of the conductors. The head is repositioned with respect to the nest so that when the head is again moved, in a second step of the cycle, forces are applied which are sufficient to form the conductors completely about the mandrel with each conductor being pressed into secured engagement with an associated recess on each side of the mandrel.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying a relatively thin uniform thickness layer of a fluent coating material to each of a plurality of conductors includes a housing having aligned entrance and exit openings. An applicator tube is mounted within the housing transverse of the paths of the conductors and includes a plurality of spaced applicator openings through which the conductors are advanced. The tube is arranged so that each applicator opening includes aligned notches in front and rear walls of the tube and a slot in the top of the tube, the slot connecting an aligned pair of notches. The fluent coating material is supplied to the tube and is maintained at a level substantially at the top of the tube so that as the conductors are advanced through the applicator openings they are immersed in the coating material.

Abstract: In the manufacture of cordage (25), at least two groups (28, 29) of individually insulated, flexible conductors (21--21) which comprise a planar array (40) are moved through a core tube (71) of an extruder (27) in adjacent paths. As the groups are moved out of an exit portion of the core tube where they are spaced apart a predetermined distance and along converging paths to a die, a first plastic material is flowed about the array to enclose it and to be formed into a jacket by the die. Portions of the first plastic material flow between the groups to achieve an equilibration of pressure in the plastic material about each group, which controls the direction and magnitude of lateral movement of each group within the plane of the array, and to form a web (41) which is integral with the jacket and which may vary in thickness along its length to compensate for changes in the outside diameter of the insulated conductors.

Abstract: A coupler (30) for electrically connecting ends of telephone cords which have been terminated with modular plugs (24--24) includes a first portion (31) made of a dielectric material and having a plurality of compartments (45--45) which extend from end to end and which are formed between partitions (41--41), each of which has a centrally disposed bifurcated stem (46). A contact element (42) in the form of a wire having a linear portion (51) and two retroflexed end portions (52--52) is mounted in each compartment with each retroflexed end portion extending between adjacent furcations of the stems. A second portion (32) made of a dielectric material is joined to the first portion and includes an abutment (71) which extends between the furcations (47--47) of the first portion to stabilize the partitions. The second portion cooperates with the first portion to form a pair of back-to-back externally communicating cavities (60--60).

Abstract: In the manufacture of a cable unit (30), which comprises a center portion and a plurality of layers of twisted conductor pairs, the pairs in the center portion and in each layer are oscillated in alternately opposite directions after which the unit is bound and taken up in a stationary container (62) by a system (100) which distributes the unit in a predetermined pattern of varying size convolutions. This distribution, which results in a dense package of a cable unit having a free end that facilitates testing of the unit during takeup, is accomplished while the speed at which the unit is being advanced and distributed into the varying size convolutions is maintained substantially constant.

Abstract: A toroidal coil (21) having two windings (23, 24) is packaged in a housing (22) which includes a first portion (39) having a cylindrical cavity (41) that extends between an open end and a closed end (43) of the first portion for receiving the coil. The housing also includes two arms (51-51) which extend from the first portion between planes which are substantially coincident with the open end and the closed end of the first portion. Each arm is connected to the first portion and has a free end with internally formed nests (72-72) for receiving contact elements (30-30). Each contact element has aligned, spaced slots (94, 101) at an inner end for terminating a lead of the winding and aligned, spaced slots (107, 111) at an outer end adjacent the free end of the arm in which it is mounted for terminating a conductor (31) of a cable to be loaded inductively. The nests are formed so that the inner and outer slots of the contact element are aligned along an axis transverse of an axis of the cylindrical cavity.

Abstract: Coiling and binding of telephone cordage is accomplished by rotating a turntable of an apparatus to coil a predetermined number of convolutions of cordage thereon. The coiling occurs while a deformable tie is wrapped about a previously coiled length of cordage which has been removed from the turntable and moved to a binding position. The coiled, bound length of cordage is removed from the binding position and ejected from the apparatus. At the same time, the cordage which has just been coiled is severed from a supply, is removed from the turntable in the coiling position, and is moved to the binding position to facilitate another cycle of operation in which the coiled cordage which has been moved into the binding position is bound and ejected while the leading end of a supply of cordage is secured to the turntable.