GB1561466A - Coating of fibres - Google Patents

Coating of fibres Download PDF

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Publication number
GB1561466A
GB1561466A GB6499/77A GB649977A GB1561466A GB 1561466 A GB1561466 A GB 1561466A GB 6499/77 A GB6499/77 A GB 6499/77A GB 649977 A GB649977 A GB 649977A GB 1561466 A GB1561466 A GB 1561466A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
fibre
sleeve
drum
coated
powdered material
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
GB6499/77A
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Post Office
Original Assignee
Post Office
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Post Office filed Critical Post Office
Priority to GB6499/77A priority Critical patent/GB1561466A/en
Publication of GB1561466A publication Critical patent/GB1561466A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05D—PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05D7/00—Processes, other than flocking, specially adapted for applying liquids or other fluent materials to particular surfaces or for applying particular liquids or other fluent materials
    • B05D7/20—Processes, other than flocking, specially adapted for applying liquids or other fluent materials to particular surfaces or for applying particular liquids or other fluent materials to wires
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C48/00—Extrusion moulding, i.e. expressing the moulding material through a die or nozzle which imparts the desired form; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C48/15—Extrusion moulding, i.e. expressing the moulding material through a die or nozzle which imparts the desired form; Apparatus therefor incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. extrusion moulding around inserts
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29D—PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE
    • B29D11/00—Producing optical elements, e.g. lenses or prisms
    • B29D11/00865—Applying coatings; tinting; colouring
    • B29D11/00875—Applying coatings; tinting; colouring on light guides
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03C—CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
    • C03C25/00—Surface treatment of fibres or filaments made from glass, minerals or slags
    • C03C25/10—Coating
    • C03C25/104—Coating to obtain optical fibres
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C48/00—Extrusion moulding, i.e. expressing the moulding material through a die or nozzle which imparts the desired form; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C48/03—Extrusion moulding, i.e. expressing the moulding material through a die or nozzle which imparts the desired form; Apparatus therefor characterised by the shape of the extruded material at extrusion
    • B29C48/05—Filamentary, e.g. strands

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Ophthalmology & Optometry (AREA)
  • Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Surface Treatment Of Glass Fibres Or Filaments (AREA)

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO COATING OF FIBRES (71) We, THE POST OFFICE, a British corporation established by Statute, of 23 Howland Street, London, W1P 6HQ, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to the coating of fibres and has particular application to the coating of optical fibres which are used as dielectric optical waveguides. The invention is an improvement of that described in Application No. 20345/75 (Serial No.
1538853).
One aspect of the invention described in Application No. 20345/75 (Serial No.
1538853) provides a method of sheathing an optical fibre comprising forming by extrusion a sleeve of polymer, feeding an optical fibre into the sleeve as the sleeve is extruded, the internal diameter of the sleeve being substantially greater than the diameter of the fibre, reducing by a drawing process the internal diameter of the sleeve to such an extent that it loosely envelops the fibre, and annealing the loosely enveloping sleeve.
Another aspect of the invention described in Application No. 20345/75 (Serial No.
1538853) provides apparatus for sheathing an optical fibre which apparatus comprises an extrusion device for extruding the sleeve of polymer, means for feeding an optical fibre into the sleeve as the sleeve is formed, the sleeve having an internal diameter substantially greater than the diameter of the fibre, drawing means for reducing the internal diameter of the sleeve to such an extent that the sleeve loosely envelops the fibre. and an annealing over disposed downstream from said drawing means.
In one embodiment of the invention described in Application No.20345/75 (Serial No. 1538853 an optical fibre to be coated is passed into a cross-head die and the polymer sleeve is extruded around the fibre.
At this stage the internal diameter of the sleeve is substantially greater than the diameter of the fibre. The fibre with the sleeve is passed through a cooling bath and then into the drawing means. The drawing means comprise first and second pairs of rotatable endless belts. Each pair of endless belts are arranged with juxtaposed portions in closely spaced relationship. The belts of the first pair are spaced apart a distance corresponding substantially to the external diameter of the extruded sleeve, and the second pair of belts are spaced apart a distance substantially less than the spacing of the first pair. The second pair of belts are arranged to rotate at a rate substantially greater than the first pair to produce the reduction in diameter of the extruded sleeve. After the drawing stage the fibre and its sleeve are passed through an annealing oven before being wound on a take-up drum.
Many optical fibres have an outer layer formed thereon to give them strength. Such layers are often formed from material with a high coefficient of friction. This can be a problem when the fibre and its sleeve passes through the annealing oven since the sleeve shrinks as it passes through the oven.
The present improvement lies in coating the fine with powdered material, e.g. talcum powder, prior to feeding the fibre into the sleeve. The purpose of this is to reduce friction effects between the fibre and the sleeve at the annealing stage.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of sheathing an optical fibre as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6 of the Complete Specification of Application No. 20345/75 (Serial No.
1538853) including the step of coating the fibre with powdered material prior to feeding the fibre into the sleeve.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for sheathing an optical fibre as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 22 of the Complete Specification of Application No. 20345/75 (Serial No. 1538853) including a container for powdered material, said container being so arranged and disposed that a fibre to be coated can pass through the powdered material prior to being fed into the sleeve.
The invention will be described now by way of example only with particular reference to the accompanying drawing which is a schematic illustration of apparatus described in Application No. 20345/75 (Serial No.
1538853) modified to include the improvement according to the present invention.
Apparatus for coating an optical fibre shown in Figure 1 has a drum 10 on which glass fibre to be coated is wound. The drum 10 is rotatable by means of a motor (not shown) in order to unwind fibre 11 from the drum 10.
First and second horizontally spaced pulleys 12 and 14 are spaced horizontally from the drum 10. Fibre 11 unwinding from the drum 10 passes to the pulley 12 and is made to travel along a U-shaped path between the two pulleys 12 and 14 by means of a floating pulley 16 which sits on the fibre at the bottom of the U-shape and whose position is sensed by two photocells 15, 17.
From the pulley 14 the fibre 11 passes toward a cross-head die 18 via a fibre cleaning arrangement consisting of a pair of juxtaposed felt pads 21 and 22, a tank 150 and a blowing ring 24. The tank 150 contains talcum powder 151.
Fibre entering the cross-head die 18 is fed into a polypropylene sleeve which is extruded from the die. The coated fibre then passes through a cooling bath 55 which is disposed downstream from the cross-head die 18.
From the cooling bath the fibre and sleeve pass between a first pair of belts 75, 76, through an oven 90, between a second pair of belts 94, 95, through a second oven 110, and onto a take-up drum 118 via a capstan 115.
The operation and detailed construction of the apparatus of the Figure is described in Application No. 20345/75 (Serial No.
1538853).
The present improvement resides in the provision of the tank 150 containing talcum powder 151. The fibre to be coated with a polypropylene sleeve passes through the talcum powder 151 prior to entering the die 18.
The fibre is thus coated with talcum powder when it is fed into the sleeve being extruded from the die 18. Any excess powder is blown off by the ring 24. The purpose of the powder is to reduce friction effects which can occur at the annealing stage in the oven 110.
WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A method of sheathing an optical fibre as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6 of the Complete Specification of Application No.
20345/75 Serial No. 1538853) including the step of coating the fibre with powdered material prior to feeding the fibre into the sleeve.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said powdered material is talcum powder.
3. Apparatus for sheathing an optical fibre as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 22 of the Complete Specification of Application No. 20345/75 (Serial No. 1538853) including a container for powdered material, said container being so arranged and disposed that a fibre to be coated can pass through the powdered material prior to being fed into the sleeve.
4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein, in use, said container contains talcum powder.
5. A method of coating an optical fibre substantially as hereinbefore described.
6. Apparatus for coating an optical fibre substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.
**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

  1. **WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.
    sheathing an optical fibre as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 22 of the Complete Specification of Application No. 20345/75 (Serial No. 1538853) including a container for powdered material, said container being so arranged and disposed that a fibre to be coated can pass through the powdered material prior to being fed into the sleeve.
    The invention will be described now by way of example only with particular reference to the accompanying drawing which is a schematic illustration of apparatus described in Application No. 20345/75 (Serial No.
    1538853) modified to include the improvement according to the present invention.
    Apparatus for coating an optical fibre shown in Figure 1 has a drum 10 on which glass fibre to be coated is wound. The drum 10 is rotatable by means of a motor (not shown) in order to unwind fibre 11 from the drum 10.
    First and second horizontally spaced pulleys 12 and 14 are spaced horizontally from the drum 10. Fibre 11 unwinding from the drum 10 passes to the pulley 12 and is made to travel along a U-shaped path between the two pulleys 12 and 14 by means of a floating pulley 16 which sits on the fibre at the bottom of the U-shape and whose position is sensed by two photocells 15, 17.
    From the pulley 14 the fibre 11 passes toward a cross-head die 18 via a fibre cleaning arrangement consisting of a pair of juxtaposed felt pads 21 and 22, a tank 150 and a blowing ring 24. The tank 150 contains talcum powder 151.
    Fibre entering the cross-head die 18 is fed into a polypropylene sleeve which is extruded from the die. The coated fibre then passes through a cooling bath 55 which is disposed downstream from the cross-head die 18.
    From the cooling bath the fibre and sleeve pass between a first pair of belts 75, 76, through an oven 90, between a second pair of belts 94, 95, through a second oven 110, and onto a take-up drum 118 via a capstan 115.
    The operation and detailed construction of the apparatus of the Figure is described in Application No. 20345/75 (Serial No.
    1538853).
    The present improvement resides in the provision of the tank 150 containing talcum powder 151. The fibre to be coated with a polypropylene sleeve passes through the talcum powder 151 prior to entering the die 18.
    The fibre is thus coated with talcum powder when it is fed into the sleeve being extruded from the die 18. Any excess powder is blown off by the ring 24. The purpose of the powder is to reduce friction effects which can occur at the annealing stage in the oven 110.
    WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A method of sheathing an optical fibre as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6 of the Complete Specification of Application No.
    20345/75 Serial No. 1538853) including the step of coating the fibre with powdered material prior to feeding the fibre into the sleeve.
  2. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said powdered material is talcum powder.
  3. 3. Apparatus for sheathing an optical fibre as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 22 of the Complete Specification of Application No. 20345/75 (Serial No. 1538853) including a container for powdered material, said container being so arranged and disposed that a fibre to be coated can pass through the powdered material prior to being fed into the sleeve.
  4. 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein, in use, said container contains talcum powder.
  5. 5. A method of coating an optical fibre substantially as hereinbefore described.
  6. 6. Apparatus for coating an optical fibre substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.
GB6499/77A 1978-02-16 1978-02-16 Coating of fibres Expired GB1561466A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB6499/77A GB1561466A (en) 1978-02-16 1978-02-16 Coating of fibres

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB6499/77A GB1561466A (en) 1978-02-16 1978-02-16 Coating of fibres

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB1561466A true GB1561466A (en) 1980-02-20

Family

ID=9815622

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB6499/77A Expired GB1561466A (en) 1978-02-16 1978-02-16 Coating of fibres

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB1561466A (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0160632A1 (en) * 1984-03-20 1985-11-06 Kabelwerk Eupen AG Cablerie d'Eupen SA Kabelfabriek Eupen NV Method and apparatus for the production of a flexible protection tube into which is drawn a wire
GB2167002A (en) * 1984-11-07 1986-05-21 Telephone Cables Ltd Manufacture of optical cables

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0160632A1 (en) * 1984-03-20 1985-11-06 Kabelwerk Eupen AG Cablerie d'Eupen SA Kabelfabriek Eupen NV Method and apparatus for the production of a flexible protection tube into which is drawn a wire
GB2167002A (en) * 1984-11-07 1986-05-21 Telephone Cables Ltd Manufacture of optical cables

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PS Patent sealed [section 19, patents act 1949]
732 Registration of transactions, instruments or events in the register (sect. 32/1977)
PE20 Patent expired after termination of 20 years

Effective date: 19960511