GB1040318A - Apparatus for stranding tele-communications cables - Google Patents

Abstract

1,040,318. Cables. SIEMENS-SCHUCKERTWERKE A.G. Sept. 13, 1963 [Sept. 14, 1962], No.36253/63. Heading H1A. Apparatus for stranding telecommunication cable of the kind having at least one layer of individually insulated conductors or cores in which the cores are systematically transposed comprises a plurality of carrier members each accommodating an even number of cores and each capable of introducing relative changes of position of some only of the odd or even cores. As shown, the cores are supplied from sets of bobbins V 1 . . . V n (Fig. 2, not shown), each comprising four bobbins a, b, c, d, Fig. 4, each core being associated with a take-off device 11, 13, 15 and a weighted pulley arrangement 17, 18, 19, 20 for dealing with slack. The groups of four cores then pass to the carrier members Kr 1 ... Kr n , Fig. 1, each of which can be controlled to rotate the four cores as a whole and thus change their positions in the completed cable. As the cores leave the crossing devices they pass through the centres of subsequent carrier members which change the positions of subsequent groups of four cores if desired. All the groups then pass through a fixing head 55, a stranding head 54, a lapping head 49, into a stranding yoke J, which gives a helical lay to the cores, and the cable is finally taken up on a drum T. Carrier member details (Fig. 6).-Each carrier member has a rotor comprising two annular plates 23, with a third annular plate 24 between them, and a carrier ring 21. Plate 24 is fastened to each plate 23 by a ring of pins upon which rollers 28 turn, forming almost frictionfree annular guide paths 25, 26 for cores coming from wheels 18. The rotor turns in a bearing arrangement consisting of wheels 22 which run freely on pins that are fixed to frames 27. The cores are taken inside the carrier member through openings 29, Fig. 4, formed by placing some rollers nearer the axis than others, and then over pulleys 30 so that their direction of travel is changed by 90 degrees, towards the stranding head. Before leaving the carrier member the cores go through symmetrically spaced holes 31 and 311 in the carrier ring and in the annular plate 23 upon which it is mounted, respectively. As shown in Fig. 4, on one of the two annular guide paths 25, 26 two cores are looped in an anti-clockwise sense. On the other, two cores are looped in a clockwise sense (Fig. 3, not shown). Gear teeth are cut into the periphery of carrier ring 21 and mesh with a train of gears by means of which the carrier member rotor may be turned either manually by hand wheel 32 or by an electric motor 38. In the latter case, the rotor may be turned in either direction by operation as desired of a reversing device included in the gear assembly. The first two carrier members, Kr 1 and Kr 2 , may be simplified by providing carrier rings only and feeding in the cores axially from the end of the apparatus.