Abstract: A cable (C) is laid in a pipeline (10) by pushing the cable and (C') through a hydraulically variable diaphragm in an inlet tube (11). The end (C') of the cable has collapsible moulded cups (20) attached which can be pushed through the diaphragm and which erect themselves to act as a drag inducing device so that flowed liquid in the pipeline can be used to pull the cable and (C') towards an exit tube (12) downstream. A cable pusher (13) pushes the cable through the inlet (11). The cable has a specific gravity less than the liquid, preferably 0.7, which is substantially pressure independent.

Abstract: An arrangement for the deployment of towed aircraft decoys comprising a reel with a hollow hub or flange rotatably mounted on a support, the reel being wound with a composite tether-wire consisting of an optical fiber cable reinforced with a strain member, one end of the tether-wire being anchored to the hub or flange, and within the hub or flange a spiral spring member one end of which is anchored to the hub or flange and the other end of which is anchored to the support, the spring member having attached thereto a flexible optical fiber such that the fiber conforms to the configuration of the spring when the spring is wound or unwound according to rotation of the reel relative to the support, the flexible fiber being connected at one end with the anchored end of the optical fiber cable on the hub or flange and at the other end with an optical connector means on the support, whereby unreeling of the tether-wire results in rotation of the reel and consequent winding up of the spring.

Abstract: A cable comprises a central electrically insulating composite string, including a relatively hard strength member filament (8) with a relatively soft layer (9) thereon. Four, in the case of a quad, electrical or optical conductors (10) are at least partially embedded in the softer layer (9) and may abut the filament (8). A polyethylene sheath (11) is extruded over the string. The quad may be made by pressing the conductors against the outer periphery of the string whereby to deform it without heating it, and may involve the use of a die arrangement (FIGS. 3 and 4) which ensures the desired spacing and configuration of the conductors relative to one another, necessary for high quality quads of electrical conductors in order to have low crosstalk, is obtained. The cable construction, which facilitates miniature quad manufacture, is such that cable can be manufactured with a minimum of process stages at high throughput speeds.

Abstract: A multi-core power cable (1) in which the conductors comprise a central conductor (2) and two or more tubular conductors (4, 6) coaxial with the central conductor (2), at least the tubular conductors forming the cores. The conductors (2, 4, 6) are isolated from one another by insulating layers (3, 5, 7). A sheath (8) and armoring (9, 10) may also be provided.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for laying-up hoses and electrical cable cores in which the hoses and cores are initially laid out horizontally and threaded through tubes extending between a plurality of lay plates. The hoses and cores are pulled from the tubes while the lay plates are rotated synchronously to form a laid-up unit. The tubes are freely rotatable with respect to the lay plates, so that the hoses and cores are themselves twist free in the laid-up unit. The horizontal arrangement avoids the need for the hoses to be wound on enormous bobbins and laid up using conventional laying-up techniques.