Method and apparatus for making filament cables

An apparatus for cabling filaments comprising

• a horizontal rotor having a bore therein;
• means for rotating the rotor,
• a plurality of eccentrically positioned filament guide openings mounted on the rotor, at least some of said guide openings being provided with deflection edges having a small radius of curvature for deforming filaments passing therethrough,
• a plurality of filament delivery spools for supplying filaments to the rotor,
• means for bundling the filaments run-off from said spools outside the rotor,
• means for guiding the bundle into the bore of the rotor and out of the bore,
• means for guiding the bundle after it emerges from the bore to the cable-forming device, said guide means comprising at least one guide opening having a deflecting edge,
• a means for guiding at least one wrapping filament into the bore of the rotor separately from the bundle, and
• means for guiding the said wrapping filament to the cable forming device, whereby the cable-forming device helically winds the wrapping filament about the bundle.

An apparatus for cabling filaments comprising a rotatable spindle having a bore extending longitudinally therethrough and an entrance end and a discharge end,

• means for rotating the spindle,
• means for bundling a plurality of filaments and guiding the bundle into the bore of the spindle,
• a second means for guiding one or more filaments into the bore of the spindle separately from said bundle,
• means for deflecting said bundle at longitudinally spaced points to impart a helical configuration to the bundle with the longitudinal axis of the filaments remaining substantially parallel to each other comprising a tubular member disposed coaxially at the discharge end of the spindle, a first disk attached to the tubular member for rotation therewith having a guiding eyelet with a slightly curved surface for guiding the bundle of filaments, a second disk spaced longitudinally from the first disk having an eyelet coaxial with the first disk and having a surface which is sharply curved for guiding the bundle of filaments, and means for guiding the bundle from the bore of the tubular member to the eyelet in the first disk;
• a sleeve member having a longitudinal bore coaxial with the bore in the said tubular member, third and fourth disks secured to the sleeve,
• an eyelet in the third disk having a curved guiding surface and an eyelet in the fourth disk having a sharply curved surface, said eyelets of the third and fourth disks being coaxial and diametrically opposite the eyelets in the first and second disks, and means for removable securing the third and fourth disks to the sleeve at various points on the circumference of the sleeve, and
• cabling means disposed adjacent to the discharge end of the sleeve for receiving said bundle and said one or more filaments and helically winding the latter about the bundle.