Abstract: A method for accessing individual coated optical fibers in an optical fiber ribbon includes securing an adhesive tape to a substrate surface. The adhesive tape has a backing which faces away from the substrate surface to which it is secured. A glue is placed on the tape backing. The optical fiber ribbon is placed over the glue. After the glue is set, the optical fiber ribbon is pulled to burst the optical fiber ribbon common coating and delaminate one surface of the optical common coating. The process may be repeated to delaminate the other surface of the common coating.

Abstract: A guide sleeve is provided for guiding a portion of a fiber optic cable through a turn and insuring that the turn radius of such portion of the cable does not decrease below the minimum bend radius of the cable. The guide comprises a curved sleeve that has a radius of curvature not less than the minimum bend radius of the fiber optic cable. The sleeve has an interior surface that defines a passageway, and the sleeve defines a slot that communicates with the passageway and extends the entire length of the sleeve such that the sleeve has an open cross-section along the entire length of the sleeve. The slot is configured to allow insertion of a length of a cable through the slot and into the passageway. The slot allows the guide to be removably installed on a cable that already has connectors and boots installed on each end of the cable without affecting the integrity of the connector/boot connection.

Abstract: Disclosed is a dielectric cable having two tubes separated by a web, one tube holding at least one light waveguide therein and the other tube holding a material which creates a magnetic field capable of above ground detection when the cable is buried.

Abstract: Tight buffered optical fiber cables for indoor use as jumper or interconnect cables have a reduced outer diameter and nonetheless pass many recognized mechanical and environmental test procedures. A single optical fiber cable has an outer diameter of equal to or less than 1500 .mu.m, and a dual optical fiber cable has an outer diameter of equal to or less than 2000 .mu.m. A layer of loose tensile strength yarn is disposed between the tight buffered optical fiber or optical fibers and the outer jacket. The cables may be made of flame retardant materials for riser or plenum applications.

Abstract: An optical fiber cable includes a central strength member, a plurality of optical ribbon-carrying tubes stranded around the central strength member in an alternating hand helix, and water-swellable yarns disposed in interstices between adjacent tubes. Pairs of electrical conductors may also be disposed in such interstices. A water-swellable tape is wrapped without substantial lay around the central strength member.

Abstract: A sealed RJ-11 connector includes plug and connector entrances each comprises a material insert molded to both sides of a plate. At least one such material is sufficiently flexible to expand or contract responsive to air pressure, and a gel may be used to seal at least one of the entrances.

Abstract: An insulation displacement connector is provided that has two housings. The first housing encloses surge protection. Terminals extend from the first housing. The second housing has insulation displacement terminals with first ends for connection with insulated wires and with second ends for connection to the terminals extending from the first housing. The two housings are to be joined together to complete an electrical line from one insulation displacement terminal to the other via the surge protection. Thus, surge protection is in one sub assembly protected from the environment, and the insulation displacement terminals are in another subassembly protected from the environment. The housings have a detent assembled condition enabling relative positional adjustment before joining of the housings. Electrical testing for the line circuit and for the surge protection may be performed upon the closed assembly.

Abstract: A grommet is provided having an outer peripheral portion and a central portion having different patterns on opposing surfaces thereof. In one embodiment the outer peripheral portion and the central portion are fabricated from different materials.

Abstract: An optical service cable includes a core tube containing a stack of optical ribbons and a filling compound. The filling compound may include a flame-retardant material, such as magnesium hydroxide or aluminum trihydrate.

Abstract: A rectangular flexible casing for holding optical fiber ribbons has an inner tube made of low friction material, an outer tube, and flexible tensile fibers between the inner and outer tubes. A vacuum sizing device is used in the manufacture of the inner and outer tubes to shape the tubes and to maintain their dimensional stability. The casing may be used to protect portions of optical fiber ribbons passing from a cable to a connector to complete a connector assembly.

Abstract: In a ribbon type fiber optic cable there is disposed a stack of fiber optic ribbons, each composed of a set of individually coated optical fibers in a planar relationship to one another with the set of coated optical fibers also coated by a common coating of ultraviolet light cured material. The coefficient of friction between adjacent ribbons in a stack is equal to or less than 0.70.

Abstract: Telecommunications cables include elements made of thermoplastic material which is reinforced by discontinuous reinforcement fibers made of materials such as glass. The reinforcement fibers each have a length of less than 0.2 cm and are incorporated in the thermoplastic material to reduce the coefficient of thermal expansion of the thermoplastic material. Tubes reinforced by the short reinforcement fibers have good flexibility. Such tubes are used as cable jackets and as buffer tubes carrying telecommunications elements in cables. The cables may also have strength members coated with a plastic material incorporating the reinforcement fibers.

Abstract: Telecommunications overvoltage protectors are sealed from environmental degradation by a gel. The gel is inserted in such a way as not to interfere with moving parts or air gaps in the protectors.

Abstract: A method for polishing the distal end of a fiber optic connector. The distal end is first polished in the presence of an aqueous slurry comprising two different powders to bring a glass surface and a ferrule surface to a substantially common plane, and subsequently polished in the presence of an acidic solution to prevent the attachment of hydrated silica particles to the ferrule face.

Abstract: An applicator for inserting guide pins in the corresponding apertures of a fiber optic connector includes a carrier body defining a number of bores and a number of guide pins disposed at least partially within respective ones of the bores, the guide pins extending outwardly from a first surface of the carrier body. The outwardly extending ends of the guide pins are then inserted into and captured by the fiber optic connector and remain therein after removal of the carrier body. In order to further increase the numbers of guide pins that are simultaneously inserted, a plurality of fiber optic connectors can be maintained in a predetermined aligned relationship by an alignment shell having a releasably connected sidewall for receiving the fiber optic connectors.

Abstract: A method of removing a cured plastic matrix material from a fiber optic ribbon includes applying thereto a composition of matter comprising a solvent and a filler. The filler is selected from the group consisting of fumed silica and cornstarch, and the solvent is selected from the group consisting of ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: A slotted core type optical fiber ribbon cable includes a cylindrical rod having a plurality of helical slots in its exterior surface. A slot holds a stack of optical fiber ribbons each having a planar array of optical fibers therein. The pitch of the helical slot is selected so as to allow total optical fiber stranding strain .epsilon. of the edge fibers in the ribbon to be at least 0.05% and compression .epsilon..sub.e on the middle optical fiber or optical fibers in the ribbon to be less than about 0.03%. The magnitude of the slot pitch is selected to be in the rangeP.sub.c <P<P.sub.s, withP.sub.c =(-6.718+76.094W.sub.r)+(-2.0467+0.33014W.sub.r)R.sub.r andP.sub.s =(340.92+1.3495W.sub.r +6.8775W.sub.r.sup.2)+(4.5417-0.07796W.sub.r -0.037W.sub.r.sup.2)R.sub.r,where P is the slot pitch, W.sub.r is the width spanned by the optical fibers in the ribbon, and R.sub.r is the radial distance between the rod longitudinal axis and the midpoint of the width spanned by the optical fibers in the bottommost ribbon.

Abstract: An optical fiber distribution frame including slideable drawers for distributing a large number of optical fibers. In a vertical column of drawers, each drawer has buffer tube storage along its floor and means supporting a removable splice tray and connector shelf in vertical spaced apart relation from the floor of the drawer. Connector sleeve retainers and radius control guides are slideable to maximize unit flexibility.

Abstract: A network termination module for telephone network interface apparatus is provided with a selectively operable latching device for a lock securing the security cover over the subscriber terminals. With the latching device in a position to engage the security cover lock, the cover can be opened only by keying open the lock and removing it. On the other hand, an authorized person can, upon opening the telco cover of the apparatus, expose the latching device whereby it can be displaced to enable opening of the security cover without unlocking or removing the lock.

Abstract: Disclosed is a ribbon cable subunit and a method of making same. The subunit is composed of a plurality of elongated fibers aligned one to another in a planar array with a predetermined number of the fibers bearing on their respective surfaces one or more discrete layers of ink which by themselves convey no intelligence but in combination with discrete layers of ink on other predetermined aligned optical fibers form a configuration conveying intelligence, and a transparent coating circumscribing and in contact with the optical fibers and the printed intelligence.