Abstract: In the manufacture of electrical cable and after a core wrap is applied to the cable core, the core wrap is moved downstream and is held in a closed position around the core by a retaining member which holds edges of the wrap in overlapped relationship. The core wrap is held closed to enable it to be covered in its closed condition by a jacket. The retaining member is movable and is shaped so that during movement into different positions of orientation, it will maintain its function of holding the core wrap closed.

Abstract: Monitoring of the quantity of magnetically permeable particles in a dry dielectric carrier layer surrounding a conductor by passing the conductor with its surrounding layer through a magnetic field created by a magnet to cause magnetic attraction between the particles and the magnet. The degree of this attraction is dependent partly upon the quantity of particles lying in the field and the degree of movement towards each other of the conductor and magnet is monitored while resisting this movement, to give an indication of the particle quantity. A method of controlling the quantity of particles is also described and which uses the monitored movement to produce signals by which the input of particles or carrier into a fluid mixture is adjusted.

Abstract: Wrapping an article such as cable or optical fibre in wrapping material by a progressive operation in which the wrapping material is pressed along a narrow width portion to the article and then succeeding width portions are also turned around the article and pressed against it. The procedure is intermittent with each width portion turned completely against the article before turning of the next portion. This method eliminates wrinkles in the wrapping material. The process is convenient when using contact adhesive on a surface of the wrapping material.