Corning Cable Systems

Siecor Corporation

Stephen Owen Mast

Warren Welborn McAlpine

David Henry Smith

Joseph A Varga

Derwin A Nelson

Devices and methods for paying off an elongate material between two coaxially aligned packages without interruption. The elongate material from a first wound package is connected to the elongate material of a second wound package by joining the tail end of the first wound package to the head end of the second wound package. Each wound package includes the elongate material having a body portion and a tail portion wound about a core. Also, each body portion has the head end at an outer diameter of the respective package and each tail portion has the tail end at an inner diameter substantially corresponding to a diameter of the core. Further, the path of the wound elongate material is transitioned from the first wound package to the second wound package by providing transition device having a supporting surface.

Devices and methods for unwinding elongate materials

A machine for incorporating filament(s) into a fiber optic cable, e.g. a fly-off type strander (20). Strander (20) includes a frame (22) and a carriage (30) rotatably mounted to the frame. Carriage (30) includes filament packages (50) respectively mounted on fixed arbors (38) in protective barrels (33). For the prevention of snagging of the filaments on the packages, each barrel includes a respective filament guard (35) adjacent to or against which respective packages (50) are disposed. Each package (50) includes a respective filament tensioner (40) mounted to carriage (30) for tensioning a respective filament (52). As tensioners (40) are generally parallel to the axis of rotation of carriage (30), loosening or tightening of tensioner (40) during rotation of carriage (30) is avoided, whereby filaments (52) are firmly wrapped about a cable component at a controlled tension and an optimal speed.

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Hickory, NC, United States of America

Stephen Owen Mast