Abstract: Apparatus for use in interconnecting optical fibers comprises a shelf 12 slidably mounted between a retracted position (FIG. 2) and an extended position. Housings 48 for locating fiber interconnections are mounted on the shelf 12. A plurality of tubes 22 are connected to respective further tubes 26, which are connected to the housings 48, by tube connector 30. The tubes 22 and 26 guide optical fibers to the housings 48. Each tube 22 has a substantially helical configuration over a portion 24 of its extent located behind the shelf 12 to accommodate sliding movement of the shelf.

Abstract: A one-shot method of making an optical fiber package (FIG. 1) for a submarine cable. A plurality of fibers (1) are fed into a space delimited by one or more elongate elements from which a tubular structure (3) can be formed, for example a C-section. A liquid filling material, such as a two-part exothermic curing polyurethne, mixed by static mixer (16), is injected into the C-section which is then closed by a die (17). The filling material rapidly cures to a resilient solid (2) in which the fibers are embedded before hauler (18) is reached. The fibers are spaced apart from one another and the tubular structure by means including a guide structure (14,15) as they enter the C-section and this is maintained in the cured material.

Abstract: An optical sensor uses a torsion-mounted thin silicon paddle (1) with magnetically soft material on its back. A light beam falls on the front face and part of the beam is reflected to a photo-diode (4) whose output drives a current in a magnetizing coil (5). The magnetic field thus produced rotates the paddle out of the beam, which cuts off the light to the photo-diode. Thus the paddle oscillates with an amplitude which depends on the strain due to the torsion mounting. This modulates the light beam, and if they have different resonances several such sensors can share the same beam with a common read-out.

Abstract: A cabling machine for making single optical fibre cable with two layers of stranded armid yarn enclosed in a yarn outer wrap which employs a vertical axis for cabling and uses peripheral pay-off of the aramid yarn (34,39) from bobbins 33 mounted on a pair of separately driven turntables (21,22) and peripheral pay-off of the yarn wrap (45) from a spool (44).