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EP0169630A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Manufacture of telecommunications cable core units
Assignee: Nortel Networks Ltd
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Filing: 1985-05-03
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-05-03
Abstract
Abstract forming a telecommunications cable core unit (10) in which conductor pairs (12) change their relative positions along the core unit. The conductor pairs, as they are fed towards a core-unit forming means (20), are passed through individual guides (58, 96, 100, 108) which are movable independently of each other laterally of the feedpath of the conductor pairs and within certain confines. A fluid force is used to cause this guide movement. The fluid force may be the force created by an air flow, in which case the guides are buoyant. Alternatively, the guides are or comprise a magnetically permeable material (64) in which case the fluid force is that created by a magnetic field which has a changing flux strength and field pattern.
Inventors
- 👤 John Nicholas Garner
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 10:40
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01B; H01B13/00; H01B13/02; H01B13/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
157 words
Apparatus for forming a core unit from telecommunications conductor units, each formed of twisted together insulated conductors and in which the relative positions of the conductor units are changed along the core unit, characterized in that the apparatus comprises in order, downstream along a feedpath for the units:- guide means (40) to ensure that conductor units are not stranded together; position changing means (38) for conductor units (10) including a plurality of independent guides (58, 96, 100, 108) for the units, the guides movable under the influence of a fluid force independently of each other in any direction and within confines of a certain space (56) extending laterally of the feedpath and fluid force producing means (46, 52, 84, 106, 114) to apply a fluid force across the feedpath to cause the independent movement of the guides; and a core unit forming and take-up means (20) to draw the conductor units together to form the core unit.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
157 words
Apparatus for forming a core unit from telecommunications conductor units, each formed of twisted together insulated conductors and in which the relative positions of the conductor units are changed along the core unit, characterized in that the apparatus comprises in order, downstream along a feedpath for the units:- guide means (40) to ensure that conductor units are not stranded together; position changing means (38) for conductor units (10) including a plurality of independent guides (58, 96, 100, 108) for the units, the guides movable under the influence of a fluid force independently of each other in any direction and within confines of a certain space (56) extending laterally of the feedpath and fluid force producing means (46, 52, 84, 106, 114) to apply a fluid force across the feedpath to cause the independent movement of the guides; and a core unit forming and take-up means (20) to draw the conductor units together to form the core unit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
80 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the fluid force producing means comprises gas passage means (46) at a gas flow station along the feedpath, the gas passage means to direct a continuous flow of gas upwardly towards and across the fe ' dpath and to withdraw it therefrom and means to produce gas flow through the gas passage means, and each guide (58) is buoyant so as to be supported by the gas as it crosses the feedpath.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
87 words
Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the fluid force producing means also includes electromagnetic means (52) energizable to create magnetic field extending across the feedpath at the gas flow station and to change a characteristic of the field, and at least some of the guides (58) include magnetically permeable members (64) to influence, in conjunction with the magnetic field to be created by the electromagnetic means, the positions of the guides with the permeable members, transversely of the feedpath and within the gas flow station.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus according to either of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that each guide is substantially spherical and is formed with a guide passage (62) therethrough for a conductor unit.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that each guide comprises a foam plastics body with at least some of the guides carrying the magnetically permeable members.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that each magnetically permeable member comprises a permanent magnet (64).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
77 words
Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the gas passage means comprises a gas duct (48) below the feedpath and a gas duct (50) above the feedpath with the two gas ducts in line and spaced by the feedpath and having downstream planar ends extending across the feedpath and substantially normal to it, and wherein side members (54) extend upwardly at each side of the feedpath to retain the guides in position between the gas ducts.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
91 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that electromagnetic means (52) is carried by at least one side member, the electromagnetic means energizable to create a magnetic field extending across the feedpath at the gas flow station and to change a characteristic of the field, and at least some of the guides include magnetically permeable members (64) to influence, in conjunction with the magnetic field to be created by the electromagnetic means, the positions of the guides with the permeable members, transversely of the feedpath and within the gas flow station.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
63 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that each guide (96, 100, 108) comprises a magnetically permeable material (64) and the fluid force producing means comprises electromagnetic means (84, 106, 114) energizable to create a magnetic field extending across the feedpath and to change a characteristic of the field so as to influence the relative positions of the guides transversely of the feedpath.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that each guide comprises a permanent magnet having its poles displaced from one another with one pole extending around the outer peripheral surface and surrounding the other pole.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
56 words
Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the electromagnetic means comprises a plurality of electromagnets (84, 106, 114) which are in spaced apart positions around the feedpath and each electromagnet is connected to a source of electric current to be energizable independently of other electromagnets to change a characteristic of the field across the feedpath.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that each electromagnet is movable relative to the feedpath.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the electromagnets are mounted upon an annular carrier (86) which is rotatable for at least part of a revolution around the feedpath and means (90, 92, 94) is provided to effect its rotation.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the annular carrier is reciprocally rotatable for part of a revolution around the feedpath.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that it includes a housing (80, 82) which extends along and surrounds the feedpath to confine the guides (96) and the carrier is mounted so as to be rotatable relative to the housing.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that it includes the housing (80, 82, 112) which extends along and surrounds the feedpath to confine the guides.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
68 words
Apparatus according to claim 16, characterized in that the polar relationship of the guides and the housing is such that the housing attracts the guides against its inner surface and each electromagnet (84) is energizable intermittently to repel an adjacent guide so as to force it from its position upon the housing, the housing then capable of attracting the repelled guide to another position upon its inner surface.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
110 words
Apparatus according to claim 16, characterized in that the polar relationship of the guides and the housing is such that the housing repels the guides from its inner surface and each electromagnet is energizable intermittently to attract an adjacent guide so as to partly overcome the repelling force of the housing by causing movement of a guide or guides towards the electromagnet and thereby movement of said guide or guides relative to other guides, the apparatus also having a downstream movement limiting means (98) for the guides, said limiting means comprising a magnetic field producing means downstream of the electromagnetic means to repel any guide which tends to move downstream.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
54 words
Apparatus according to claim 16, characterized in that an inner magnet (110) is housed within and spaced from the housing (112) and the feedpath extends around the inner magnet and within the housing, the guides (108) and inner magnet having a radially disposed polarity such that the guides are repulsed by the inner magnet.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus according to claim 16, characterized in that each guide (96, 100, 108) is a hollow cylinder, the bore of which is a guide passage for a conductor unit.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
138 words
Apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that it includes a housing (102) which extends along and at least partly surrounds the feedpath at least to partially confine the guides (100) and the housing comprises a confining magnet having its poles on surfaces facing and remote from the feedpath so as to repulse the guides from its inner surface, and each electromagnet (106) is energizable intermittently to attract guides so as to partly overcome the repulsion of the confining magnet by causing movement of a guide or guides towards the electromagnet and thereby movement of said guide or guides relative to other guides, the apparatus also having downstream movement limiting means (104) for the guides, said limiting means comprising a magnetic field producing means downstream of the electromagnetic means to prevent tendency for the guides to move downstream.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
97 words
Apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that it includes a housing (102) which extends along and at least partly surrounds the feedpath, at least to partially confine the guides (100), and the housing comprises a confining magnet having its poles on surfaces facing and remote from the feedpath so as to attract the guides against its inner surface and each electromagnet is energizable intermittently to repel an adjacent guide so as to force it from its position upon the housing, the cylinder then capable of attracting the repelled guide to another position upon its inner surface.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 21, characterized in that each guide is a hollow cylinder, the passage of which is a guide passage for a conductor unit.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
183 words
A method of forming a core unit from telecommunications conductor units each comprising twisted together insulated conductors and in which the relative positions of the conductor units are changed along the core unit, characterized in that the method comprises:- 0169630 passing conductor units separately and side-by-side along a feedpath and through a plurality of guides which are laterally movable independently of each other in any direction within certain confines and laterally of the feedpath under influence of a fluid force; applying a fluid force across the feedpath to cause constant independent movement of the guides and thus cause relative sideways movement of the conductor units and constant change in their positions in a plane normal to the feedpath; and passing the conductor units in their constantly changing positions into a core unit forming and take-up means to draw the conductor units together into the core unit, the relative positions of the conductor units in the core unit at any position along the length thereof influenced by the relative positions of the conductor units as they are drawn into the forming and take-up means.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
183 words
A method of forming a core unit from telecommunications conductor units each comprising twisted together insulated conductors and in which the relative positions of the conductor units are changed along the core unit, characterized in that the method comprises:- 0169630 passing conductor units separately and side-by-side along a feedpath and through a plurality of guides which are laterally movable independently of each other in any direction within certain confines and laterally of the feedpath under influence of a fluid force; applying a fluid force across the feedpath to cause constant independent movement of the guides and thus cause relative sideways movement of the conductor units and constant change in their positions in a plane normal to the feedpath; and passing the conductor units in their constantly changing positions into a core unit forming and take-up means to draw the conductor units together into the core unit, the relative positions of the conductor units in the core unit at any position along the length thereof influenced by the relative positions of the conductor units as they are drawn into the forming and take-up means.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method according to claim 24, wherein the guides are buoyant characterized in that the method comprises applying a fluid force in the form of a flow of gas upwardly towards and across the feedpath and withdrawing it therefrom so as to buoyantly move the guides independently of each other.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
60 words
A method according to claim 25, wherein some at least of the guides include magnetically permeable material characterized in that the method comprises influencing, in conjunction with the gas flow, the relative position of guides having the magnetically permeable material by subjecting them to the influence of a magnetic field across the fieldpath and changing a characteristic of the field.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method according to claim 24, wherein the guides include magnetically permeable material characterized in that the method comprises subjecting the guides to the influence of a fluid force in the form of a magnetic field across the feedpath and changing a characteristic of the field to cause the independent movement of the guides.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 27, characterized in that it comprises changing the characteristic of the field by independently and intermittently energizing electromagnets which are spaced apart around the feedpath.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 28, characterized in that it comprises moving the electromagnets relative to the feedpath to assist in changing the characteristic of the field.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
100 words
A method according to claim 27, wherein each guide comprises a magnet having an inner pole surrounded by an outer pole and a magnetic housing surrounds the guides, the housing having poles on its surfaces facing and remote from the feedpath, characterized in that the method comprises arranging the polar relationship of guides and housing to attract the guides against its inner surface and independently and intermittently energizing electromagnets spaced around the feedpath to repel an adjacent guide to force it from its position upon the housing, the housing then attracting the repelled guide to another position upon its surface.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
105 words
A method according to claim 27, wherein each guide comprises a magnet having an inner pole surrounded by an outer pole and a magnetic housing surrounds the guides, the housing having poles on its surfaces facing and remote from the feedpath, characterized in that the method comprises arranging the polar relationship of guides and housing to repel the guides from its inner surface and independently and intermittently energizing electromagnets spaced around the feedpath to attract a guide or guides towards energized electromagnets and thereby cause movement of guides relative to other guides, and limiting downstream movement of the guides to retain them within the housing.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
100 words
A method according to claim 27, wherein each guide comprises a magnet having an inner pole surrounded by an outer pole and an inner magnet is disposed within and spaced from a housing surrounding the guides, the magnet also having an inner pole surrounded by an outer pole, characterized in that the method comprises arranging the polar relationship of guides and inner magnet to repel the guides, and independently and intermittently energizing electromagnets spaced around the feedpath to influence in conjunction with the inner magnet, the position of a guide or guides and thereby cause relative movement of the guides.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 27, characterized in passing the conductor units through guides in the form of hollow cylinder magnets with the poles of the magnets disposed radially of one another.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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