Manufacture of elongate members of indefinite length
AssigneeNorthern Telecom Limited
InventorsGordon D. Baxter, Oleg Axiuk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In the making of cable with spaced conductor wires or tensile members in a non-circular jacket, the wires of member are maintained in desired angular positions within the jacket by guiding them through a core tube which is controllably rotatable within the extruder cross-head. The angular positions of the wires or members are monitored and upon their positions departing from the desired positions, the core tube is rotated in the appropriate direction to return them to the desired positions.
Claims7
Apparatus for making an elongate member of indefinite length having at least two laterally spaced elongate elements surrounded by an extruded non-circular jacket of polymeric material comprising an extruder cross-head having an extrusion die defining a die orifice of non-circular cross-section, a core tube within the cross-head and upstream from the die orifice, the core tube defining at least two side-by-side and laterally spaced guide passages for directing the laterally spaced elements through the die orifice as they move along a passline through the cross-head, the core tube mounted within the cross-head to allow for a degree of rotational movement of the core tube for adjusting the angular positions of the elements relative to the die orifice.
A method for producing an elongate member of indefinite length having at least two laterally spaced elongate elements surrounded by an extruded non-circular jacket of polymeric material comprising:
- passing the elements in laterally spaced relationship along a passline through a core tube in a cross-head and then through a non-circular die orifice of an extrusion die of the cross-head while extruding a molten polymeric dielectric material around the elements;
- monitoring a parameter indicative of the angular positions of the elements within the extruded jacket at a position downstream from the die orifice;
- and
- upon any monitored value differing from that required for desired angular positions of the elements, controllably rotating the core tube within the cross-head to adjust its angular position and to change the angular positions of the elements relative to the die orifice and towards the desired angular positions within the jacket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.