Methods of and apparatus for taking up lightguide fiber

An apparatus for taking up lightguide fiber which is drawn from a preform, said apparatus icluding:

• means for supporting each of a first and a second plurality of spools for rotation about an axis of a surface of said each spool on which lightguide fiber is capable of being taken up;
• means for mounting each plurality of spools of revolution about an axis which is parallel to the axis of rotation of each spool of each plurality, with said axis of rotation of each of said spools being an equal distance from the axes of revolution;
• means for holding one of said spools of said first plurality in a first takeup position in coaxial alignment with one of said spools of said second plurality of spools in a second takeup position;
• means rendered effective by a spool being in one of the takeup positions for rotating said spool in said takeup position;
• means mounted for reciprocal movement along a path of travel which is parallel to and spaced from the colinear axes of rotation of the spools in the first and the second takeup positions for distributing lightguide fiber on one of said spools in one of said takeup positions;
• means for causing a relatively short length of lightguide fiber to be taken up on a collector spool which is attached to one of the spools in one of the takeup positions adjacent a centerline of the apparatus and for then distributing a plurality of convolutions of lightguide fiber on the spool in the one position;
• means responsive to the takeup of a predetermined length of fiber on the spool in the one position for causing a relatively short length of lightguide fiber to be taken up on the collector spool which is connected to the spool in the other takeup position and subsequently for causing a plurality of convolutions to be distributed on the spool in the other position, said collector spools being adjacent each other;
• means for separating the fiber which has been taken up on the spool in the one takeup position from the relatively short length of the spool in the other takeup position to provide an accessible beginning end portion on the other spool;
• and
• means responsive to the separation of the fiber for revolving said first plurality of spools to move the full spool out of the one takeup position.

An apparatus for taking up lightguide fiber which is drawn from a preform, said apparatus including:

• a first and a second plurality of spools;
• means for supporting each of the first and the second plurality of spools for rotation about an axis of a surface of said each spool on which lightguide fiber is capable of being taken up;
• means for mounting each plurality of spools for revolution about an axis which is parallel to the axis of rotation of each spool of each plurality, with said axis of rotation of each of said spools being an equal distance from the axes of revolution;
• means for holding one of said spools of said first plurality in a first takeup position in coaxial alignment with one of said spools of said second plurality of spools in a second takeup position;
• means rendered effective by a spool being in one of the takeup positions for rotating said spool in said takeup position;
• means mounted for reciprocal movement along a path of travel which is parallel to and spaced from the colinear axes of rotation of the spools in the first and the second takeup positions for distributing lightguide fiber on one of said spools in one of said takeup positions;
• means for causing a relatively short length of lightguide fiber to be taken up on a collector spool which is attached to one of the spools in one of the takeup positions adjacent a centerline of the apparatus and for then distributing a plurality of convolutions of lightguide fiber on the spool in the one position;
• means responsive to the takeup of a predetermined length of fiber on the spool in the one position for causing a relatively short length of lightguide fiber to be taken up on the collector spool which is connected to the spool in the other takeup position and subsequently for causing a plurality of convolutions to be distributed on the spool in the other position, said collector spools being adjacent each other;
• means for separating the fiber which has been taken up on the spool in the one takeup position from the relatively short length on the spool in the other takeup position to provide an accessible beginning end portion on the other spool;
• and
• means responsive to the separation of the fiber for revolving said first plurality of spools to move the full spool out of the one takeup position.