Method and apparatus for tubing optical fibers
AssigneeCanada Wire and Cable Limited
InventorsH. Keith Eastwood, Paul W. J. Rivett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process and apparatus for controlling the feed of an optical fiber or a plurality of optical fibers into a tube while the tube is being formed is disclosed. The process comprises the steps of propelling one or several fibers into a tube with a sufficient force to move the fibers at a speed faster than the speed at which the tube is formed, and of regulating the excess length of fiber by restraining the feed of fiber into the tube at a predetermined ratio with respect to the speed at which the tube is being formed.
Claims10
A process for controlling the feed of at least one optical fiber into a tube while the tube is being formed, said process comprising:
- (a) driving a tube being formed at a predetermined speed;
- (b) propelling at least one fiber into said tube with a sufficient force to move the fiber faster than the speed at which the tube is formed;
- (c) restraining the feed of fiber into the tube;
- and
- (d) regulating the excess length of fiber by controlling the degree of restraint imparted to said fiber based upon the speed at which the tube is driven so that the feed of fiber into the tube is faster than the speed at which the tube is being formed by a predetermined controlled amount.
A system for controlling the feed of at least one optical fiber into a tube while the tube is being formed, said system comprising:
- (a) means for propelling at least one fiber into a tube with sufficient force to move the fiber faster than the speed at which the tube is being formed;
- (b) means for restraining the feed of fiber into the tube;
- (c) means for driving the tube being formed at a predetermined speed;
- and
- (d) means for regulating the excess length of the fiber by controlling the degree of restraint imparted to said fiber by said restraining means based upon the driven speed of the tube by the means driving the tube so that the feed of fiber into the tube is faster than the speed at which the tube is being formed by a predetermined controlled amount.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.