Method for making flexible coaxial cable

In a method of making a flexible coaxial cable comprising the steps of providing a core for said cable, said core comprising an inner conductive member and dielectric means surrounding said inner conductive member, said inner conductive member being located substantially along the longitudinal axis of said dielectric means, said dielectric means having an outermost radial extent about said longitudinal axis;

• and providing a flexible hollow outer conductive sheath of substantially the same extent as said core, said sheath having a longitudinal axis coextensive with said core longitudinal axis and an innermost radial extent about said longitudinal axis which defines the innermost circumference of said hollow within said sheath, said sheath innermost radial extent being initially larger than said core outermost radial extent, said sheath comprising a corrugated portion having a plurality of peaks and valleys of predetermined pitch with a conductive portion disposed about said peaks, said valleys defining said sheath innermost radial extent, said peak conductive portion defining the sheath outermost radial extent;
• the improvement comprising the steps of inserting said core within said sheath until said sheath and said core are substantially coextensive;
• and substantially simultaneously crimping solely said valleys of said outer conductive sheath corrugated portion from at least three angularly spaced directions about said outer conductive sheath longitudinal axis by using angularly spaced crimping wheels which float to follow said predetermined pitch of said outer conductive sheath corrugated portion for embedding said valleys of said outer conductive sheath corrugated portion in said dielectric means so as to lock said dielectric means to said outer conductive sheath, said sheath innermost radial extent defined by said valleys after said crimping being less than said core outermost radial extent;
• whereby uniform crimping of said outer conductive sheath is provided for providing electrical stability for said flexible coaxial cable.