Woven cut-line cable and method

• US 4,159,394 A
• Filed: 06/30/1977
• Issued: 06/26/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Woven Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Southern Weaving Company (Engineered Textile Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ross, Edgar A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Envall, Jr., R. N.
• Application Number:
  US05/811,727
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 174/72 A, 174/72 TR, 174/117 M, 174/117 F, 139/425 R, 139/407
• US Class Current: 174/72.0TR
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/567 for ribbon cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/083 Parallel wires, incorporated in a fabric

Abstract

A woven multiconductor cable and method of making the same includes at least two longitudinal sections arranged in a side-by-side manner having a plurality of elongated conductors and a cut-line formed between the sections along which the filling strand of the woven cable may be cut along a desired length of the cable to separate the cable into individual sections which remain bound by alternate picks of the filling strand.

Claims

1. A woven multiconductor electrical cable comprising:

at least two longitudinally extending sections arranged in a side-by-side manner;

a plurality of elongated electrical conductors extending longitudinally in the warp direction in each said section in a generally straight side-by-side manner, each said conductor including a wire core surrounded by insulation;

a single continuous filling strand woven to and fro across the top and bottom of said conductors in alternate spaced top and bottom picks;

a plurality of warp strands woven over and under said top and bottom picks of said filling strand between adjacent conductors;

a plurality of main picks of said filling strand woven across the entire width of said cable sections;

a plurality of shortened picks of said filling strand woven across only one of said sections;

a plurality of shortened picks of said filling strand woven across the other of said sections;

a cut-line web defined between adjacent sections;

each said section having an edge conductor extending generally straight longitudinally along the inner edge of said section adjacent said cut-line web, said edge conductor being looped completely by said shorter picks of said filling strand;

a cut-line defined in said cut-line web between adjacent sections along which said main picks may be severed along a desired length with said edge conductors being maintained in each section by said looped shortened picks; and

said severed ends of said main picks being bound and prevented from unravelling by said warp strand being interwoven with said main picks between said edge conductor and the next adjacent conductor in each said section;

whereby said cable may be separately cut into separately bound sections for forming a branched cable or separated cables as desired.

2. The multiconductor cable of claim 1 including a warp strand of distinctive color woven along said cut-line to delineate said line.

3. A method of constructing a woven multiconductor cable having a cut-line along which the cable may be cut lengthwise to separate the cable into individually bound sections comprising the steps of:

providing a number of longitudinally extending conductors arranged in a generally straight side-by-side manner in said cable;

providing a filling strand;

weaving a number of main picks of said filling strand to and fro across the tops and bottoms all of said conductors in alternate spaced top and bottom picks;

weaving a number of shortened picks of said filling strand exclusively to and fro across certain ones of said conductors to define a first section of conductors;

weaving a number of shortened picks of said filling strand exclusively to and fro across certain other ones of said conductors to define a second section of conductors;

weaving a plurality of warp strands alternately over and under said top and bottom picks of said filling strand between adjacent conductors; and

said cut-line being provided between said first and second sections so that severance of said main picks leaves the separated sections generally bound by said filling strand woven by said shortened picks with the severed ends of said main picks being generally bound by said warp strand woven between an edge conductor next to said cut line and a next adjacent conductor in each said section.