Abstract: The end faces of a plurality of parallel optical fibers are all located in one plane at right angles to the general direction of the fibers after simultaneous cutting by a tool unit comprising a sliding shoe which carries a cutting-tool support. During translational displacement of the shoe, the cutting edge of the tool scores each optical fiber in turn. A flat, parallel array of fibers is stretched tangentially to the top generator-line of a bearing cylinder and held in position between two clamping members on each side of the bearing line. At the level of the notch formed in the glass fiber by scoring, each optical fiber is split in transverse cross-section by applying an abrupt tensile stress or flexural deformation to the fiber.

Abstract: This invention concerns a device to spread out flat the fibres of an optical cable, which has first been stripped, so that the fibres can be cut across precisely aligned cross-sections, thereby allowing them to be butt-jointed individually with the fibres of another cable, in a splicing operation.This device comprises hand-operated mechanical means of inserting blades, positioned on a diametrical plane of the cable, to separate the fibres into two groups. One blade acts as a stop, while the first group of fibres is being gathered into the notches of one comb, while the other blade performs the same function for a second comb. The combs and blades are then made to rotate in opposite directions, flattening out the group of fibres on a horizontal plane.This device can be applied to optical fibres used for telecommunications.