APPARATUS FOR IDENTIFYING AND TRACING A PAIR OF CONDUCTORS

• US 3,831,086 A
• Filed: 11/28/1973
• Issued: 08/20/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William Steve Pesto
• Original Assignee: William Steve Pesto
• Inventors: Pesto, William Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Strecker, Gerard R.
• Application Number:
  US05/419,706
• Time in Patent Office: 265 Days
• Field of Search: 324/52,66,67
• US Class Current: 324/67
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/58 Testing of lines, cables or conductors testing of electric windings G01R31/72
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/60 Identification of wires in a multicore cable

Abstract

Apparatus for tracing electrically conductive elements particularly adapted to the tracing of twisted communications wire pairs is described. Both wire tracing and identification of an unknown terminus is provided by comparing the magnitude of the metallic and longitudinal signals induced into the wire pair by a portable transmitter unit which is moved along the path of the wire.

Claims

1. Apparatus for tracing a pair of wires comprising:

generating means, movable along the path of said pair of wires for electromagnetically inducing a tracing signal into said pair of wires;

receiver means, connected to a known terminus of said pair of wires, including means for detecting a first signal between the two conductors of said pair of wires, and including means for detecting a second signal between at least one conductor of said pair of wires and a terminal of fixed potential; and

means responsive to said first and second signals for developing an indication of the proximity between said wire pair and said generating means.

2. The wire tracing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for detecting said first signal includes means for determiniNg the difference between the signals induced in each wire of said wire pair.

3. The wire tracing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for detecting said second signal includes means for determining the sum of the signals induced in each wire of said wire pair.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for producing an indication comprises:

means for generating a first indication signal when the difference between said second signal and said first signal exceeds a predetermined value, and means for generating a second indication signal when said difference between said second signal and said first signal does not exceed said predetermined value.

5. The wire tracing apparatus of claim 4 wherein said first indication signal is representative of the amplitude of said second signal.

6. The wire tracing apparatus of claim 5 wherein said first and second indication signals are distinct audible signals, the frequency of said first audible signal determined by the amplitude of said second signal.

7. Wire tracing apparatus of the type including generating means for electromagnetically inducing a tracing signal between a pair of wires being traced and a terminal of fixed potential, said generating means movable along the path of said wires being traced;

and receiving means connected to a known terminus of said wires including first detecting means for detecting said signal induced between at least one conductor of said wires being traced and said terminal of fixed potential, wherein the improvement comprises;

second detecting means connected to said known terminus for detecting a signal induced between the two conductors of said wire pair; and

indicating means, responsive to said first and second detecting means for developing an indication of the amplitude relationship between said signal between said wire pair and said terminal of fixed potential and said signal between said two conductors of said wire pair.

8. The wire tracing apparatus of claim 7 wherein the improvement further comprises summing means within said first detecting means, said summing means being responsive to the signals induced in each of said two conductors.

9. The wire tracing apparatus of claim 8 wherein said second detecting means includes difference means responsive to the signals induced in each of said conductors.

10. The wire tracing apparatus of claim 9 wherein said indication means includes means for developing a first indication when the difference between the sum of said signals induced in said two conductors and said difference signal between said two conductors of said wire pair exceeds a predetermined value, and means for developing a second indication when said difference does not exceed said predetermined value.

11. The wire tracing apparatus of claim 10 wherein said indication means includes means for developing said first and said second indication signals as first and second audible signals.

12. The wire tracing apparatus of claim 11 wherein the frequency of said second indication signal is controlled by the amplitude of said signal between said wire pair and said terminal of fixed potential.

13. The method of tracing the path of a wire pair having at least one known terminus comprising the steps of:

electromagnetically inducing an electrical signal into said wire pair;

detecting a first induced signal at said known terminus between the two conductors of said wire pair;

detecting a second induced signal at said known terminus between at least one of said conductors of said wire pair and a terminal of fixed potential; and

comparing said first and second induced signals to determine the path of said wire pair and vicinities along said path wherein said wire pair is connected to terminal apparatus.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the amplitude of said second induced signal provides an indication of the proximity between said means for electromagnetically inducing a signal and said wire pair.

15. The method of locatIng localities along the path of a generally twisted wire pair wherein the two conductors of the wire pair are not twisted together, but lie substantially parallel, comprising the steps of:

electromagnetically inducing an electrical signal into said wire pair at a preselected point along the path of said wire pair;

detecting the induced metallic signal at a known terminus of said wire pair;

detecting the induced longitudinal signal at said known terminus; and

comparing said detected metallic and longitudinal signals to determine if said conductors are twisted at said preselected point of electromagnetic induction.