Methods of and apparatus for controlling capacitance unbalance-to-ground in cables

Claim 1

A method of controlling capacitance unbalance-to-ground between conductors, which comprises the steps of: covering individual conductors with a plastic insulating material to form insulated conductors; measuring coaxial capacitance and outside diameter of each of the conductors; generating electrical signals corresponding to the measured coaxial capacitance and outside diameter of each insulated conductor and relating these signals to capacitance unbalance-to-ground between each said conductor and a reference insulated conductor having preselected values of coaxial capacitance and outside diameter; and controlling the process of covering of each conductor to maintain the capacitance unbalance-to-ground between each said conductor and the reference conductor within a predetermined range of values.

Claim 2

A method of controlling capacitance unbalance-to-ground between conductors, which comprises the steps of: covering individual conductors with a plastic insulating material to form insulated conductors; measuring coaxial capacitance and outside diameter of each of the conductors; generating electrical signals corresponding to the measured coaxial capacitance and outside diameter of each insulated conductor and relating these signals to capacitance unbalance-to-ground between each said conductor and a reference insulated conductor having preselected values of coaxial capacitance and outside diameter; and controlling the process of covering of each conductor to maintain the capacitance unbalance-to-ground between each said conductor and the reference conductor within a predetermined range of values.

Claim 3

A method of controlling capacitance unbalance-to-ground in twisted pairs of insulated conductors, which includes the steps of: covering individual conductors with at least a layer of cellular insulation to form insulated conductors; measuring coaxial capacitance and outside diameter of each insulated conductor; relating the measured capacitance and outside diameter of each said insulated conductor to capacitance unbalance-to-ground between each said insulated conductor and a reference insulated conductor having preselected values of coaxial capacitance and outside diameter; and twisting together conductors which have a substantially negligible capacitance unbalance-to-ground therebetween.

Claim 4

A method of controlling capacitance unbalance-to-ground in twisted pairs of insulated conductors, which includes the steps of: covering individual conductors with at least a layer of cellular insulation to form insulated conductors; measuring coaxial capacitance and outside diameter of each insulated conductor; relating the measured capacitance and outside diameter of each said insulated conductor to capacitance unbalance-to-ground between each said insulated conductor and a reference insulated conductor having preselected values of coaxial capacitance and outside diameter; and twisting together conductors which have a substantially negligible capacitance unbalance-to-ground therebetween.

Claim 8

An apparatus for controlling capacitance unbalance-to-ground between conductors of a pair, which comprises: means for covering individual conductors with a plastic insulating material to form insulated conductors; means for measuring coaxial capacitance and outside diameter of each of the conductors; means for generating electrical signals related to the measured coaxial capacitance and outside diameter of each insulated conductor and for relating these signals to capacitance unbalance-to-ground between each said conductor and a reference insulated conductor having preselected values of coaxial capacitance and outside diameter; and means for controlling the covering of each conductor to maintain the capacitance unbalance-to-ground between each said conductor and the reference conductor within a predetermined range of values.

Claim 9

An apparatus for controlling capacitance unbalance-to-ground between conductors of a pair, which comprises: means for covering individual conductors with a plastic insulating material to form insulated conductors; means for measuring coaxial capacitance and outside diameter of each of the conductors; means for generating electrical signals related to the measured coaxial capacitance and outside diameter of each insulated conductor and for relating these signals to capacitance unbalance-to-ground between each said conductor and a reference insulated conductor having preselected values of coaxial capacitance and outside diameter; and means for controlling the covering of each conductor to maintain the capacitance unbalance-to-ground between each said conductor and the reference conductor within a predetermined range of values.

Claim 10

An apparatus for controlling capacitance unbalance-to-ground between insulated conductors which are twisted together, which includes: means for covering conductors with at least a layer of cellular insulation; means for measuring coaxial capacitance and outside diameter of each of the insulated conductors; means for defining values of constant capacitance unbalance-to-ground between an insulated conductor and a reference conductor having preselected values of coaxial capacitance and outside diameter in terms of the measured coaxial capacitance and diameter of the insulated conductor; means for comparing the capacitance unbalance-to-ground between each said insulated conductor and the reference conductor with the defined values; means responsive to the comparing means for controlling the coaxial capacitance and outside diameter of each insulated conductor to be within a predetermined range; and means for twisting together conductors having measured coaxial capacitance and diameter which fall within the predetermined range to cause the difference in the capacitance-to-ground therebetween to be acceptable.

Claim 11

An apparatus for controlling capacitance unbalance-to-ground between insulated conductors which are twisted together, which includes: means for covering conductors with at least a layer of cellular insulation; means for measuring coaxial capacitance and outside diameter of each of the insulated conductors; means for defining values of constant capacitance unbalance-to-ground between an insulated conductor and a reference conductor having preselected values of coaxial capacitance and outside diameter in terms of the measured coaxial capacitance and diameter of the insulated conductor; means for comparing the capacitance unbalance-to-ground between each said insulated conductor and the reference conductor with the defined values; means responsive to the comparing means for controlling the coaxial capacitance and outside diameter of each insulated conductor to be within a predetermined range; and means for twisting together conductors having measured coaxial capacitance and diameter which fall within the predetermined range to cause the difference in the capacitance-to-ground therebetween to be acceptable.

Claim 12

An apparatus for controlling capacitance unbalance in twisted pairs of insulated conductors, which includes: means for covering individual conductors with at least a layer of cellular insulation to form an insulated conductor; means for measuring coaxial capacitance and outside diameter of each insulated conductor; means for displaying the measured coaxial capacitance and outside diameter as coordinate values on a graph of coaxial capacitance and diameter; means for superimposing on said graph lines of constant capacitance unbalance-to-ground between an insulated conductor and a reference insulated conductor having preselected values of coaxial capacitance and outside diameter and which are related to the measured coaxial capacitance and to the outside diameter of each insulated conductor; means for defining a region of the graph as between selected ones of its lines of constant capacitance unbalance-to-ground; means for controlling the covering of the conductors to maintain the coaxial capacitance and outside diameter of each insulated conductor to be within the region to maintain capacitance unbalance-to-ground of a twisted pair comprised of any of the conductors within an acceptable range of values; and means for twisting together conductors having measured coaxial capacitance and diameter which fall within said region to produce a twisted pair of insulated conductors having an acceptable capacitance unbalance-to-ground value.

Claim 13

An apparatus for controlling capacitance unbalance in twisted pairs of insulated conductors, which includes: means for covering individual conductors with at least a layer of cellular insulation to form an insulated conductor; means for measuring coaxial capacitance and outside diameter of each insulated conductor; means for displaying the measured coaxial capacitance and outside diameter as coordinate values on a graph of coaxial capacitance and diameter; means for superimposing on said graph lines of constant capacitance unbalance-to-ground between an insulated conductor and a reference insulated conductor having preselected values of coaxial capacitance and outside diameter and which are related to the measured coaxial capacitance and to the outside diameter of each insulated conductor; means for defining a region of the graph as between selected ones of its lines of constant capacitance unbalance-to-ground; means for controlling the covering of the conductors to maintain the coaxial capacitance and outside diameter of each insulated conductor to be within the region to maintain capacitance unbalance-to-ground of a twisted pair comprised of any of the conductors within an acceptable range of values; and means for twisting together conductors having measured coaxial capacitance and diameter which fall within said region to produce a twisted pair of insulated conductors having an acceptable capacitance unbalance-to-ground value.