Optical fibre splicing

Abstract

Optical fibre splice mechanical testing apparatus for use with optical fibre splicing equipment comprises two optical fibre clamping devices for mounting on splicing equipment at spaced positions spaced lengthwise of the two optical fibres to be spliced and located on opposite sides of the splicing station. One clamping device is constrained to move towards or away from the other clamping device in a direction lengthwise of the optical fibres between a first position nearer the splicing station and second position remote from the splicing station and is urged towards the second position by a coil spring. The movable clamping device can be temporarily maintained in the first position against the action of the coil spring. After a splice has been effected, the movable clamping device is temporarily maintained in the first position against the action of the coil spring, the clamping devices are clamped to the optical fibres, and movable clamping device is released so that it is urged by the coil spring towards the second position and a predetermined tensile force is applied to the splice. In its preferred form, the optical fibre splice mechanical testing apparatus is also employed to transfer the spliced optical fibres from the splicing station to a station at which a heat-shrinkable plastics sleeve can be applied to the splice, without any manhandling of the spliced optical fibres by an operator.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.