Abstract: The device for measuring the energy of an electric arc consists of a supp (1) for at least one optical fiber disposed on the head of an electrode (2) of the arc, the support being made of a plastic material of suitable dielectric strength, one or several optical fibers (10) constrained on the support and one end or ends whereof arrive near the tip of the electrode, an optical connector (15, 16) receiving on the one hand the other end of said fibers(s) and on the other hand the end of an optical fiber cable (17) for connecting with a photoelectric cell (18), a photoelectric cell (18) disposed at some distance from the electrode and electronic means (20) connected to the cell (18) and used to record and display the energy given off by the arc.

Abstract: A device for displacing the end of an optical fiber (6) along two orthogonal axes, the device enabling said optical fiber (6) to be aligned with another optical component (4) and comprising a frame (1) on which the optical component (4) is maintained together with a non-hinged deformable solid (10A, 10B) having thin blades (14A, 14B) on which the optical fiber to be aligned is fixed, the device being characterized in that the deformable solid is made as a single part and in that the thin blade-shaped portions thereof (14A, 14B) are disposed along the faces of a box-shape whose right cross-section at rest is square and is perpendicular to the axis of the optical fiber (6), one of the two ends of a diagonal of this box-shape being fixed to the frame (1) and the other being fixed to the optical fiber to be aligned, with the two ends of the other diagonal each constituting a thrust point for displacement means (20) enabling the right cross-section of the box-shape to be deformed.

Abstract: In a fiber-gripping device has a gripper head provided with a V-groove for housing an optical fiber and an elastically deformable holding member which is brought to bear on the optical fiber. The gripper head and holding member are provided with V-section channels located respectively in oppositely-facing relation. A cylindrical rod forming a pivot-pin is placed between said oppositely-facing channels. The device is caused to open by a spring which tends to produce a movement of pivotal displacement of the holding member away from the gripper head. A locking lever is adapted to move into a first position in which the holding member is located at a sufficient distance from the gripper head to permit free passage of the optical fiber and a second position in which the holding member fixes the optical fiber within its V-groove and exerts a force which is controlled by its own elastic deformation.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing dust from the atmosphere around an externally heated tube (1) having a deposit being made on its inside surface from a vapor phase, said dust being removed by setting up a laminar flow of dust-free air around the tube. The apparatus includes members (7, 8, 9, 10) for setting up laminar air flows in planes parallel to the axis of the tube and on either side thereof, together with members (15, 16) for setting up flows of air perpendicularly to the axis of the tube and on either side thereof.

Abstract: The variable optical attenuator varies the angle and distance of coupling between two fiber ends by moving the end of one of the fibers along a circular arc passing through the end of the other fiber. It comprises a rectangular block 3 to support said fibers 1 and 2, having a slit 6 through its end, running parallel to its broad surfaces and dividing the block into two branches 7, 8, a cylindrical through hole 9 traversing one of the branches 7 substantially in line with the inside end of the slit and opened on the side of the supporting surface 4 of the block to establish the coupling zone between the fibers afixed to said surface, and driving and control means 20, 25 for swivelling the branch 7 carrying one of the fibers, which means act substantially on the free end of said branch 7.

Abstract: A connector for a single optical fiber comprises two half-connectors. Each half-connector comprises three rods for positioning the respective fiber. In the rear half of each half-connector these rods are cylindrical and maintained in position by a retaining ring. A channel for one of the fibers is defined between them. In the front half of each half-connector the rods are machined to form two flats, one on each side of the area of contact with the fiber. These machined portions of the rods are surrounded by a positioning ring. The respective assemblies of machined rods in the two half-connectors are engagable with one another plug-and-socket fashion to effect final alignment of the two fibers, the positioning rings of the two half-connectors at this time each surrounding the six interpenetrating machined rods.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an optical fiber cable of the type which compri at least one cellular cylindrical structure of plastic material having a plurality of longitudinal bores housing individual optical fibers and filled with a viscous substance. The viscous substance is injected around the fibers under pressure as they pass along tubes which each have a gap of some length so that said viscous substance can enter the tubes. The optical fibers coated with viscous substance are made to protrude beyond the ends of said tubes. A thermoplastic material is simultaneously extruded through an annular orifice and around the optical fibers under a pressure which is sufficient to completely surround said coated optical fibers. The cylindrical structure thus obtained is rapidly cooled.

Abstract: A method of welding several optical fibers end to end in layers in a common welding plane. Each fiber (31) includes a bared portion and a covered portion. The method is applied by a device including:(a) a microplasma welding torch (40) with a vertical axis movable in said weld plane;(b) a supporting block (39) with: parallel positioning grooves for positioning the bared portions of the fibers; an opening (42) in the neighborhood of the weld plane; and a chamber (43) for slowing down the gases of the plasma disposed below said opening and connected thereto; and(c) components for gripping the covered portions of the fibers said gripping components being constituted by supports (11, 12) provided with parallel optical fiber positioning grooves. A positive pressure difference is set up between the upper portion and the lower portion of the fibers. The fibers are translated parallel to the axes of the optical fibers.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for the serial transmission of binary data in which each binary digit is transmitted in the form of an elementary signal occupying a time interval known as the binary interval.In this process a binary 1 is represented alternatively by a pulse or a space occupying the whole of the corresponding binary interval; a binary 0 is normally represented by a pulse occupying a half binary interval, except in the case where it is the first or the last one of a sequence of n+1 successive binary zeroes, the first being represented according to the above rule as a binary 0, except if the binary ones appeared after the preceeding sequence of n+1 successive binary zeros and are an even number, in which case it is represented as a binary 1 following the rule of alternation, the last being represented in accordance with the above rule as a binary 1 contradicting the alternation rule.The invention can be used to advantage in fibre optic links joining junctions encoded in HDB.sub.3.

Abstract: A method of splicing optical fibres which are previously disposed in a layer in a cable.The fibres 1 are released from the tape (2 and 3) in which they are trapped; they are broken and laid in positioning V-grooves (5A) of a plate 12. Adhesive is applied to the fibres and a pressing cover 17 is laid thereon. The adhesive is allowed to set, then the assembly thus formed is sawn in parallel planes (19,20). The remaining portions on either side of the saw planes are then placed end to end again and are pressed against each other and fixed in position. Application to splicing optical fibres of cables formed by assembling flat tapes.