Corning Incorporated

Kirk Patton Bumgarner

Michael Terry Murphy

Daniel Carmine Fuccella

Bruce Warren Reding

Kenneth William Roberts

Aditya Kaimal

David Andrew Tucker

Kelvin Nguyen

Paul Andrew Chludzinski

Ronald L Kimball

David Andrew Bednarczyk

Duane Edward Hoke

Bret Cooper Faler

Ashley Danielle Perritt

James Robert Lechleider

William Joseph Stokes

Christopher John Bacon

Dustin Michael Skinner

Jason Thomas Fralin

Ashley Danielle Alderman-Perritt

The apparatus and methods disclosed herein are directed to detecting the presence of a whipping tail when using a fiber winding system to wind a fiber onto a rotating spool. The fiber is guided onto the rotating spool through a containment region between the spool and a whip shield to create the wound fiber. The whipping tail outwardly extends from the wound fiber and periodically or quasi-periodically passes through a light beam to create a series intensity dips in the light beam, thereby forming a modulated light beam. The modulated light beam is converted into a digital electrical signal made up of electrical pulses having a timing defined by the intensity dips. The measured timing of the electrical pulses is compared to an estimated timing based on the rotating spool to ascertain the presence of a whipping tail.

Apparatus and methods for detecting stray optical fibers during winding

An apparatus for tensioning and threading an optical fiber includes a first roller, a second roller, a belt that wraps around the first and second rollers, and a third roller. The belt may be in direct physical contact with the first and second rollers. The third roller may be movable between an engaged and a disengaged configuration relative to the belt. Alternatively, the first roller, second roller, and belt may be movable between the engaged and the disengaged configuration relative to the third roller. Actuation from the disengaged to the engaged configuration captures an optical fiber between the third roller and the belt.

Apparatus and method for tensioning and threading optical fiber

In one embodiment, an apparatus for screen testing an optical fiber includes a fiber conveyance pathway, a capstan having an outer circumference and a fiber contact region extending around the outer circumference, the fiber contact region having a durometer hardness of less than or equal to about 40 Shore A, where the capstan is positioned adjacent to the fiber conveyance pathway such that when the optical fiber is directed over the fiber conveyance pathway, the optical fiber engages with the fiber contact region, and a pinch belt positioned adjacent to the fiber conveyance pathway such that the fiber conveyance pathway extends between the pinch belt and the fiber contact region, where the pinch belt is engagable with the fiber contact region such that, when the optical fiber is directed over the fiber conveyance pathway, the optical fiber is impinged between the pinch belt and the fiber contact region.

Apparatuses for screen testing an optical fiber and methods for using the same

In one embodiment, an apparatus for screen testing an optical fiber includes a fiber conveyance pathway, a capstan having an outer circumference and a fiber contact region extending around the outer circumference, the fiber contact region having a durometer hardness of less than or equal to about 40 Shore A, where the capstan is positioned adjacent to the fiber conveyance pathway such that when the optical fiber is directed over the fiber conveyance pathway, the optical fiber engages with the fiber contact region, and a pinch belt positioned adjacent to the fiber conveyance pathway such that the fiber conveyance pathway extends between the pinch belt and the fiber contact region, where the pinch belt is engageable with the fiber contact region such that, when the optical fiber is directed over the fiber conveyance pathway, the optical fiber is impinged between the pinch belt and the fiber contact region.

A method and device for continuously testing the tensile strength of an optical fiber, wherein the incoming optical fiber is wrapped at least partially around a payout capstan, to an intermediate payout pulley, at least partially around the intermediate payout pulley, and back to the payout capstan. The optical fiber is then wound from the payout capstan to a tensile testing measurement component, and then to an uptake capstan. The optical fiber is wrapped at least partially around the uptake capstan, to an intermediate uptake pulley, at least partially around the intermediate uptake pulley, and back to the uptake capstan. The payout capstan and uptake capstan are operated at a desired rotational speed to continuously advance the optical fiber for tensile strength testing.

Optical fiber tensile screening method and device

A method and apparatus for automatic threading and winding of optical fiber onto various components in a fiber draw system, as well as methods and apparatus for conducting online tensile screening of optical fiber at high speeds. In a preferred embodiment, the fiber is tensile tested during fiber draw and wound directly onto a shipping spool to be shipped to a customer. The tensile stress can be imparted to the fiber during the draw process by feeding the fiber through a screener capstan, which works in conjunction with another capstan to impart the desired tensile stress to the fiber during the draw process. Another aspect is a method and apparatus for threading or rethreading of a moving length of fiber through a fiber draw or fiber testing process, in which fiber is wound onto a spool, comprising activating an aspirator to obtain the fiber at a first location and moving said aspirator in at least two dimensions to thereby move the fiber to a second location and thread the fiber through or onto at least one component in the fiber draw or testing process.

Method and apparatus for tensile testing and rethreading optical fiber during fiber draw

Optical waveguide spool

The present invention relates to a fiber optic spool which includes a spool including a barrel having opposed ends, a first flange positioned on one end of the barrel, and a second flange positioned on the other end of the barrel; and an elastic foam tube substantially surrounding the barrel under conditions whereby the foam tube is stressed radially while in its resting state on the barrel such that the foam tube resists lifting away from the barrel during rotation of the spool at speeds effective to wind or unwind at least about 25 m of optical fiber per second. Related aspects of the present invention include fiber optic spools including multi-laminar cushioning devices, such multi-laminar cushioning devices, and methods of making fiber optic spools of the present invention.

Fiber optic spools and methods of making the same

An optical fiber shipping spool, winding system and method for allowing automated winding of an accessible lead meter portion of optical fiber onto the spool. The spool comprises primary and lead meter barrels separated by an outboard flange. The outboard flange has a slot extending to its periphery, the slot providing a path for fiber between the lead meter and primary barrels, the slot having an inlet facing the lead meter barrel and an outlet facing the primary barrel. The slot is angled such that when fiber being wound onto the lead meter barrel comes into contact with the slot inlet, the fiber is automatically drawn into the slot and then guided by the slot onto the primary barrel. According to another aspect, a high-strength rib configuration is disclosed including a plurality of curved, intersecting ribs formed on a flange of the spool.

System and methods for providing under-wrap access to optical fiber wound onto spools

An apparatus for threading a fiber that is being continuously supplied by a supplying device for winding on a spool, includes a collecting device, adjacent to the supplying device, that collects the fiber by urging the fiber from the supplying device into the collecting device to provide a tension in the fiber between the supplying device and the collecting device, a positioning device that engages the fiber, between the supplying device and the collecting device, with an engaging portion that allows the fiber to be continuously collected in the collecting device and that moves from a position adjacent to the supplying device and the collecting device to a position adjacent to the spool to move the fiber to at least one threading position, and a threading device that automatically threads the fiber at the at least one threading position onto the spool.

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Hampstead, NC, United States of America

Kirk Patton Bumgarner