System for the reverse oscillating lay (ROL) consistency during the optical fiber cable manufacturing process

An apparatus for improving reverse oscillating lay (ROL) consistency of an optical fiber cable received from a reverse oscillating lay (ROL) machine during an optical fiber cable manufacturing process, the apparatus comprising:

• a torque capstan, the torque capstan receiving an optical fiber cable from a reverse oscillating lay (ROL) machine, the optical fiber cable comprising a plurality of subunit cables, the ROL machine placing reverse-oscillating lay on the core of the optical fiber cable, but also generating undesirable fluctuating back-tension in a direction opposite a direction in which the optical fiber cable is being pulled during the optical cable manufacturing process;
• a drive system coupled to the torque capstan;
• and
• a control system in communication with the drive system, the control system controlling the drive system such that the torque capstan forces the optical fiber cable in a direction substantially parallel to the direction in which the optical fiber cable is being pulled during the optical fiber cable manufacturing process, and wherein the force applied to the optical fiber cable by the torque capstan reduces said undesirable fluctuating back-tension on the optical fiber cable, the control system being an automatic feedback control system, the automatic feedback control system comprising a sensor located downstream of the torque capstan with respect to the direction in which the optical fiber cable is being pulled, wherein the sensor senses an amount of back-tension on the optical fiber cable at the location of the sensor and produces one or more signals relating to the amount of sensed back-tension, the automatic feedback control system controlling the drive system in accordance with said one or more signals produced by the sensor.

A system for improving reverse oscillating lay (ROL) consistency of an optical fiber cable during an optical fiber cable manufacturing process, the system comprising:

• a subunit payoff system unreeling a plurality of subunit cables, the subunit cables together comprising an optical fiber cable;
• an ROL machine, the ROL machine receiving the subunit cables unreeled from the ROL machine, the ROL machine placing reverse-oscillating lay on the core of an optical fiber cable as the subunit cables are pulled through the ROL machine;
• a torque capstan, the torque capstan receiving the optical fiber cable from the ROL machine;
• a drive system coupled to the torque capstan;
• and
• an automatic feedback control system in communication with the drive system, the automatic feedback control system comprising a sensor located downstream of the torque capstan with respect to the direction in which the optical fiber cable is being pulled during optical fiber cable manufacturing, wherein the sensor senses an amount of overall back-tension on the optical fiber cable at the location of the sensor and produces one or more signals relating to the amount of sensed overall back-tension, and wherein the automatic feedback control system controls the drive system in accordance with the signals produced by the sensor such that the torque capstan forces the optical fiber cable in a direction substantially parallel to the direction in which the optical fiber cable is being pulled during manufacturing of the optical fiber cable, and wherein the force applied to the optical fiber cable by the torque capstan reduces any undesirable fluctuating back-tension on the optical fiber cable caused by at least one of the ROL machine and the subunit payoff system.