Southwire Company, LLC

Bobby C Gentry

Clinton E Watkins

Jerry M Hesterlee

James H Sullivan

Michael F Flagg

R Emory Starnes

James O Lowery

Gary W Bradley

William M Berry, Iii

James F Holladay

W Carl Jones

James L Rhyne

Wilber F Powers, Jr

Bobby G Workman

A method of and an apparatus for making twisted electrical cable, such as 600 volt secondary distribution (UD) cable, and the twisted cable product are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a first plurality of stationary payoff reels each wound with a length of stranded bare wire conductor. The stranded conductors are simultaneously payed off the reels to a pay out accumulator for accumulating a portion of the stranded conductors during replacement of spent pay out reels. An extruder apparatus arranged downstream of the accumulator applies a plastic insulation material to a respective stranded conductor as it passes through the extruder. A cooling trough through which water is flowed cools the plastic insulation. A take-up accumulator arranged downstream of the cooling trough accumulates a portion of each insulated conductor during changeover of the take-up arranged downstream of the take-up accumulator. The take-up is rotated about a first axis to twist each insulated conductor about its longitudinal axis and to simultaneously twist the insulated conductors about one another to form a twisted electrical cable. The take-up is also rotated about a second axis for taking up the twisted electrical cable. The twisted electrical cable product made according to the method of the invention comprises a plurality of insulated conductors each twisted about its longitudinal axis by the apparatus of the invention and twisted about one another.

Method of and apparatus for making twisted cable and the cable produced thereby

A method of and an apparatus for making twisted electrical cable, such as 600 volt secondary distribution cable, and the twisted cable product are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a first plurality of stationary payoff reels each wound with a length of bare wire conductor. The conductors are simultaneously payed off the reels to a pay out accumulator for accumulating a portion of the conductors during replacement of spent pay out reels. At least one extrusion process arranged downstream of the accumulator applies a plastic insulation material to a respective conductor as it passes through its respective extrusion process. A cooling and/or curing trough through which water is flowed cools and/or cures the plastic insulation. A take-up accumulator arranged downstream of the cooling and/or curing trough accumulates a portion of each insulated conductor during changeover of the take-up reel arranged downstream of the take-up accumulator. The take-up reel may be rotated about a first axis to twist each insulated conductor about its longitudinal axis, and may additionally simultaneously twist the insulated conductors about one another to form a twisted electrical cable. The take-up reel may also be rotated about a second axis for taking up the twisted electrical cable.

Method of and apparatus for making twisted cable and the cable produced

An electrical overhead transmission conductor cable having a steel reinforcing core which exhibits improved characteristics and unexpected conductivity above about 64% IACS is manufactured of a steel core covered by at least one stranding layer which is formed of round or trapezoidal shaped wire strands subjected to annealing before heat treatment and drawn and stress-relieved/annealed after stranding is completed, to provide a finished cable which includes an aluminum conductive portion which is dead soft, or 'O' temper. The steel core of the cable carries substantially the entire tension load of both the core and conductors when suspended between vertical towers. The overhead transmission cable may be formed of trapezoidal cross section conductors wires for improved vibration performance characteristics.

Overhead transmission conductor

Method and apparatus for providing proper tension on a stranded conductor, as the conductor is formed and collected on a take-up reel or bobbin, by using a strain gage to monitor the tension of the conductor being collected and to provide a signal to a controller which in turn increases or decreases the speed of a direct current, variable speed, motor used to drive the take-up reel or bobbin, thereby providing proper tension to the conductor being collected.

Method and apparatus for controlling takeup tension on a stranded

A method and apparatus for the high speed reshaping of round wire as it exits a drawing machine, but prior to its being collected on a bobbin or a stempack. The shape imparted to individual wires is such that as the preshaped wires are applied to a core by a stranding machine, a cable results in which there is substantially no interstitial space between the wires which add excessive bulk.

Method and apparatus for forming a stranded conductor

A process for the manufacture of concentric compressed or compacted stranded conductors at high speed on double-twist bunching machinery while eliminating loose strand, strand crossovers, and spiral propensity of the finished product; and the product thereof.

Concentric compressed double twist stranded cable

Solution heat treatment of a rapidly advancing intermediate metallic product (26) is accomplished by preheating the product in a first zone (27) by conventional means, a great length of the product is maintained at the desired temperature in a second zone (36), and the heated product is quenched in a third zone (40) in a special apparatus (25), before further processing.

Method and apparatus for improved heat treatment of aluminum alloy rod

This disclosure relates to a system for the continuous high speed production of non-metallic (NM) sheath cable from bare and insulated single strand conductors continuously produced in a high-speed tandem wire drawing and insulation operation. An automated material handling system is provided for transporting and conveying wire pack containers from coiling strands where the bare and insulated single strand wires are coiled into the containers to a station where the wires are continuously paid-out overhead from the wire pack containers and brought together in a jacketing line where PVC coating compound is extruded thereon. A sheathed cable is then coiled and packaged in a continuous manner. The depleted wire pack containers are then transported back to the coiling stands to close the material handling loop. The system is controlled by a programmable computer which controls the delivery of wire pack containers to various ones of a plurality of conveyor lines on a demand basis.

Growing community of inventors

Carrollton, GA, United States of America

Bobby C Gentry