Ceeco Machinery Manufacturing Limited

Ceeco Machinery Mfg. Co. Inc., Ltd.

Andre Varga

Flat filaments or ribbons are deflected by a system of sheaves to converge the filaments to closing stations proximate to points at which the filaments are tangentially applied to helical surfaces of a central cylindrical core member. Successive sets of filament deflection sheaves stack the filaments into bundles or stacks which can be separated by spacer elements which are applied to a smooth core or the filaments can be inserted into helical grooves or slots in the core. Preferably, adjacent filaments forming each stack are guided to prevent contact or totally eliminate sliding friction until just prior to application in the core. The apparatus and method can be used to produce optical fiber cables, high pressure flexible composite pipes and the like in which the flat ribbons can be wound either within helical grooves formed within the core or about the cylindrical surface of a smooth core. Different numbers of filament units can be wound about the core and different numbers of filaments or ribbons can be stacked in one or more of the filament units or bundles. The apparatus and method of the invention are extremely versatile and can produce, for example, both simple and complex fiber optic and other cables including numerous flat fiber optic ribbons or filaments, or flexible composite pipes with multiple layers of helically wound flat strips, in a simple and economical manner.

Method and apparatus for applying flat ribbons about a cylindrical core

Fiber optic filaments or ribbons are deflected by a system of sheaves to converge at final filament deflection sheaves which direct the filaments along the longitudinal direction of an assembly table. Successive sets of filament deflection sheaves stack the filaments into bundles which are separated by spacer elements which are likewise guided to the assembly table. Sensors at the final sheaves monitor the tensions in both the filaments and separators and a controller is used to adjust the tensions to compensate for frictional variations upstream of the final sheaves. The table is positioned at an angle to the machine axis so that the stacked filament bundles and separators can be wound about a rotating core by being drawn along the table by the rotating core for staggered and tangential application of the filaments about the core at the downstream end of the table. The apparatus and method can be used to produce optical fiber cables in which the fibers can be wound either within helical grooves formed within the core or about the cylindrical surface of a smooth core. Any number of filament units can be wound about the core and any number of filaments or ribbons can be stacked in one or more of the filament units or bundles. The apparatus and method of the invention are extremely versatile and can produce both simple and complex fiber optic cables including hundreds of fiber optic filaments, ribbons or strands in a simple and economical manner.

Method and apparatus for applying stacked optical fiber ribbons about a

This invention relates to a bobbin sorting and batch transfer apparatus which can collect a predetermined number of bobbins from vertically stacked storage racks each of which has a discharge port. A carriage is provided on which there are mounted one or more guide elements including vertical guides which can be juxtaposed proximate to the discharge ports. A chain drive bearing rollers is arranged to form holding bins or compartments which can be advanced in a planetary motion along the various guides. The rollers are spaced from the vertical guides to maintain the bobbins in equilibrium by arranging same to roll against the vertical guides, the rollers urging the bobbins to move through a closed loop path which can position any holding bin or compartment into proximate opposition to any discharge port in a given column of racks. Gates on the racks selectively release a bobbin wound with wires having specified characteristics into the selected bin or compartment, the chain drive being reversible to minimize distance traveled by any given bin or compartment to a discharge port. An ejection member is provided for ejecting all of the bobbins loaded onto the apparatus in a desired sequence independently of the manner or order in which the bobbins are initially placed into the holding bins or compartments.

Bobbin sorting and batch transfer apparatus

An apparatus is described for storing and dispensing elongate flat strip material for use with rotating machinery, such as that used to produce helically wound interlocked flexible pipe. The strip material is fed from an external payoff or supply reel and guided by an inlet guide roller to feed the advancing strip tangentially onto a series of storage guide rollers which are spaced from each other about a circular path concentric with the machine axis. The strip is maintained under tension and is wound onto the storage guide rollers to provide a reservoir of strip material arranged in a single row of substantially circular overlappping convolutions concentrically arranged about the machine axis. A roller is used to monitor the amount of strip material which remains stored on the rotating support member, and the rotation of the latter is terminated when the stored strip material is depleted or is about to be depleted, to allow an operator to attach the trailing end of the depleted stored strip with the leading end of a next successive strip material to be wound onto the storage guide rollers. The arrangement of the storage guide rollers insures a balanced condition of the rotating machine irrespective of the amount of strip material which remains stored.

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Willowdale, Canada

Andre Varga