Cable for telecommunications purposes and a method of manufacturing the same
First Claim
1. A method of manufacturing a cable for telecommunications purposes including providing a composite central string member having a relatively hard inner strength member filament with a relatively soft outer layer thereon and pressing a plurality of conductors thereagainst whereby to at least partially embed the conductors in the outer layer with a predetermined lay while the conductors are spaced apart with respect to one another, and including the step of pulling the composite central string member and the conductors through a die arrangement, which die arrangement serves to progressively guide the conductors towards the composite central string member, whilst maintaining them in the desired configuration relative to one another, and cause the conductors to progressively deform the outer layer of the composite central string member whereby the conductors become partially embedded therein.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A cable comprises a central electrically insulating composite string, including a relatively hard strength member filament (8) with a relatively soft layer (9) thereon. Four, in the case of a quad, electrical or optical conductors (10) are at least partially embedded in the softer layer (9) and may abut the filament (8). A polyethylene sheath (11) is extruded over the string. The quad may be made by pressing the conductors against the outer periphery of the string whereby to deform it without heating it, and may involve the use of a die arrangement (FIGS. 3 and 4) which ensures the desired spacing and configuration of the conductors relative to one another, necessary for high quality quads of electrical conductors in order to have low crosstalk, is obtained. The cable construction, which facilitates miniature quad manufacture, is such that cable can be manufactured with a minimum of process stages at high throughput speeds.
41 Citations
6 Claims
- 1. A method of manufacturing a cable for telecommunications purposes including providing a composite central string member having a relatively hard inner strength member filament with a relatively soft outer layer thereon and pressing a plurality of conductors thereagainst whereby to at least partially embed the conductors in the outer layer with a predetermined lay while the conductors are spaced apart with respect to one another, and including the step of pulling the composite central string member and the conductors through a die arrangement, which die arrangement serves to progressively guide the conductors towards the composite central string member, whilst maintaining them in the desired configuration relative to one another, and cause the conductors to progressively deform the outer layer of the composite central string member whereby the conductors become partially embedded therein.
Specification