MXPA98000329A - Apparatus and method for the production of uniform impedance communication cables for high frequency use - Google Patents

Abstract

A machine and method for producing uniform impedance communication cables for high frequency use including a series of stepped double braid units (14a -14d) each of which supports two reels (16a, 16b) winding with simple wire elements and a constant tension tape dispenser (16c) is described. The wire elements from the reels as well as the tape from the dispenser are simultaneously unwound and are guided to the ends of the rotating arches (60) of the braiding units at whose points the individual wire elements (86a, 86b) are braided each other and the tape (T) is applied to the pair of braided wires to fix and maintain the special integrity of the interwoven braided wires. Each braiding unit rotates at slightly different speeds to ensure different lengths of wiring for each twisted pair. The assembled cable is then tapered or covered by an extruded lining

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMMUNICATION CABLES OF UNIFORM IMPEDANCE FOR HIGH USE FREQUENCY CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED REQUEST This application is a continuation in part of Application No. 08/225852 Series filed on April 8, 1994 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for manufacturing high quality communication cables of the type including a single assembly or a plurality of braided cable assemblies.

Description of the Previous Technique Communication cables of the type that include a plurality of braided cables are manufactured in either one or two stages. In the case where the cables are manufactured in two stages the braided cables are prepared first by braiding the cables together by means of mating machines or link The braided cables are then formed into communication cables by means of, for example, stationary windings, rotating windings (also called cable machines) or other type of rotating equipment. A form of equipment conventionally used to braid 2, 3 or 4 cables are double braided machines. The resulting braided elements are called pairs, triplets or quads. This equipment includes a coil support around which is placed a rotating frame or arc which is driven to rotate around the support. The cables to be braided can be supplied from coils in The coil support inside the mating box wound on a winding spool outside the mating box The aforementioned arrangement is referred to as an "outside in" machine. The cables to be braided can also be supplied from the outside of a mating box and coiled in a coil placed inside the coil support. The last configuration is sometimes referred to as "a machine from the inside out" Outboard machines are generally preferred in individual braiding machines since the cable can be supplied from storage facilities of simple construction and higher capacity In this case, the coil support within the mating box is also required for hold only a single coil The machine from the inside out is also easily adaptable for use with a greater number of cables. If communication cables are made in one stage, the apparatus generally employs a plurality of braiding machines, or heads of the type " from inside to outside "The braided elements thus manufactured are directed to any type of winding (for example stationary or rotating windings, single braid machines or double lines of drive shaft or extrusion) This is done in one operation The plurality of machines of double braided can be placed hopzontally or vertically depending on e The Preferred Plant Layout A typical example of such an installation is described in US Patent Application No. 08/163 735 assigned to the assignee of the present application. It is known in the art that the wiring obtained with the double braiding actions is not perfectly regular and if longer wiring is used, to achieve high manufacturing speed some irregularities in the position of the cores of the braided elements have been accepted. These irregularities in the wiring do not cause problems in the communication cables such as the telephone cables of low frequency used in standard telephony applications since the perfect constancy of wiring and the relative position of individual cables in each element (torque, tpplete or quad) are not important With the arrival of high-speed data transmission , especially for use in computers and other applications, the frequencies required n much higher and therefore the pairs, acceptable standard tppletes and quad in telephony networks can not be used in such high frequency applications. To produce pairs, tppletes or quads that can operate satisfactorily, it is necessary to produce a cable in which the elements of each pair, tpplete or quad are keep in the same desired position in relation to each other so that the electrical characteristics of the pair, tpplete or quadrile do not go along the length of the cable It is known, for example, that the characteristic impedance of an n-cable line is a function not only of the diameters of the individual conductors but also a function of the separation or distances between the conductors The coupled impedances are critical in the high frequencies to optimize the transfer of energy, reduce the line deflections that cause deterioration of the integrity of signal and optimize the useful frequency for which the cable can be used has been tested or for example that the characteristic impedance of pairs can change drastically at different frequencies around its theoretical average. Cables using high quality pairs have been produced for use in local area communications networks with a maximum useful frequency of 100 MHz This, in the industry, is called a Level or Category 5 cable. The specification for those cables requires, for example, that the theoretical characteristic impedance of 100 Ohms can vary only between 85 and 115 Ohms from Zero to 100 MHz. to be achieved only by ensuring that the relative position of each element is maintained across the length of the cable. The acceptable way to achieve this has been to shorten the wiring of the elements in order to manufacture a mechanically more stable element. This approach has naturally reduced the productivity of the used equipment since there are physical limitations for the rotational speed of the arcs used in the double braiding machines. The industry is already requiring twisted elements especially pairs, which will maintain their electrical characteristics up to 350 MHz; This is usually called a Level 6 or Category 6 communication cable BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for making communication cables that do not have the disadvantages and limitations inherent in comparable prior art machines. It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus of the aforementioned type which is simple in construction and inexpensive manufacturing It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for manufacturing the communication cable that can operate at significantly higher linear speeds than the comparable machines currently used to make the same communication cable product. It is an additional object of The present invention provides an apparatus for making telephony cables that makes it possible to produce pairs, tppletes or quadrets with the same machines used in conjunction with the invention covered in the aforementioned US patent application No. 08 / 163,735. Another object of the invention is provide a method For the efficient production of the communication cable To achieve the above objectives and others that will become apparent in the following, an apparatus for making communication cables in accordance with the present invention comprises a frame and rotating means for rotation about an axis with respect to to the frame A support is mounted on the frame and determined and configured to be contained within a shell defined by the rotating means and adapted to receive either two spools each wound with individual wires or a single spool wound with a set of so minus two separate or connected wires that can be simultaneously unwound from the reel. It can also be adapted to receive four reels that have been wound with individual or connected wires. The guide means for guiding the wires from the reel (s) onto the stationary support toward the reels. rotary means and therefore haci to the stationary frame thereby imparting at least one braid to at least two wires unwound from the two reels or from a reel (wound with two separate or connected wires) Single or double braid machines can supply those braiding means for practicing the invention On the same support, a ribbon dispensing device is advantageously mounted so that a tape with suitable dimensions and characteristics can be fed together with at least two wires that enter from the reel or reels towards the closing point on the support Therefore the tape and at least two cables are twisted while the two cables and the tape pass through the rotary means The method according to the invention comprises the steps of simultaneously unwinding a set of so minus two cables on a single reel and a tape from the tape dispenser device Cables and tape are gu to a braiding station and provide at least one single braid In this way a set of braided cables can be produced with tape The same process can be used to unwind individual cables from at least two reels and the tape from the dispensing apparatus of tape. For more complex cables, the method steps are repeated on each braiding machine of a bank of braiding machines placed in tandem with each other. The method further comprises the step of winding the braided wires with tape from all the braiding machines at a point downstream from such machines to form a composite wire.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other aspects, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the drawings, as follows Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic front elevation view of a machine line for producing twisted pair cables in accordance with the present invention, Fig. 1A is a cross-sectional view of the braided cable and CA tape drives in Fig. 1 Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of the machine line shown in Fig. 1, illustrating in greater detail detail the first two double braid machines of the bank of such machines placed in tandem for multiple braid cables, Fig 3 is an elongated cross-sectional view of the first double braid machine shown in Fig. 2, taken throughout of line 3-3, FIG. 3A is an enlarged view of the machine shown in FIG. 3 illustrating the details of the cable elements or conductors that converge, being braided and with tape, FIG. 4 is a plan view of a modified braid head positioned to accommodate four separate spools or coils and a tape spout; FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the modified braid head shown in FIG. 4; FIG. n Lateral elevation of a section of a modified embodiment of machine assembly means shown in Fig. 1, in which the tape application operations of the cable elements or conductors to form a composite cable are replaced extrusion operations, and Fig 7 is a side elevation view of the trailing end or downstream end of the machine shown in Fig 6 showing the related extrusion operations and the winding of the composite cable DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES Referring now specifically to the drawings, in which identical or similar parts are designated with the same reference numerals and, referring first to FIG 1, the apparatus for producing stable twisted pair cables for high frequency use of according to the present invention is in the form of a machine line designated generally by the reference number 10 The machine 10 has an upstream end, on the left side of the machine as seen in Fig 1, where the production of the cable begins and a downstream end on the right side of the machine as seen in the Fig where the assembled or composite cable is wound on a winding spool The machine 10 will be described in the order of its sequenced operations starting at the running end up and moving to the downstream end At the upstream end there is provided a housing or frame 12 which houses a pl urality of braiding heads 14a-14d forming a bank of braiding machines placed in tandem along the longitudinal direction of the machine or line 10 as shown. Each of the heads 14a-14d is positioned to produce a braided assembly For purposes of the description of the preferred embodiments, each of the heads 14a-14d will be described producing twisted pairs. However, as will be described more fully below, the apparatus and method can also be used to produce numerous others. braided cable combinations forming simple and complex cable configurations The first braiding head 14a includes the coils 16a, 16b, each of which is wound with an individual conductor or cable element, for reasons to be described more fully. The head 14a also includes a ribbon dispenser 16c. The braiding head 14a braids the two cable elements one around of the other and applies the tape around the braided cable elements to form a first twisted pair and with tape C1 which is flexed 90 ° by the roller or pulley 17 to move along the longitudinal length direction of the machine 10 towards the downstream end of the machine Similarly the second braiding head 14b produces a pair of similar braided cable using cable elements or conductors from the coils 18a and 18b which are similarly braided around each other and joined with ribbon with the ribbon of the jet 18c A roller or pulley 19 flexes the second pair of braided cable 90 ° as shown so that it also moves to the downstream end of the cable. the machine 10 substantially coextensive with the first pair of braided cable Ci so that two pairs of twisted and ribboned wires appear at C2 Similar operations were performed by the braiding heads 14c and 14d Therefore a third twisted pair and a fourth twisted pair are produced by the braiding head 14 c using the cable or conductor elements from the coils 20a, 20b and the ribbon spout 20c, the twisted pair of cable and with resultant tape being flexed by the pulley or roller 21 to present three pairs of twisted and ribboned cable in C3 moving together towards the downstream end substantially co-extensively with each other Finally, the braiding head 14d, which uses the wiring elements or conductors from the coils 22a , 22b and the tape from the spout 22c produces a fourth pair of braided cable which, when flexed by the roller or pulley 23, presents four pairs of twisted cable and with tape in C4 and generally parallel to each other and moving together towards the downstream end. Fig. 1A is a cross section of the cable units or assemblies at C4. As will be more fully described in connection with Fig. 1A. 3, the coils 16a, 16b, 18a, 18b, 20a, 20b, 22a and 22b are not motorized by themselves Therefore, the four twisted pairs of wire and with tape in C4 are all extracted simultaneously downstream by a belt pulley 24 which is provided with a driving force, such as? n motor impeller 26 The specific pulley and the impeller used motor are not critical for the purposes of the present invention and any conventional or suitable components of this type suitable for the specific application can be used. In this regard, it can also be noted that the coils supported in each of the braiding heads can be motorized under certain circumstances, particularly when the cable elements or conductors are themselves relatively fragile and susceptible to excessive elongation or when the friction plays an important factor in the general forces or stresses developed in the individual conductors An optional measuring unit 27 is provided downstream from the belt pulley 24 to provide a continuous indication of the linear speed of the movement of the cable that is being produced by the machines or braiding heads Here, a guide 24 monitors the tension in the C4 assemblies and controls the winding speed of the composite cable at the downstream end of the line. The four twisted pairs with ribbon are passed through a closing die 28 station 30 downstream from the closing die 28 represe Pre-twisting device for pre-twisting the multiple cable assemblies in conjunction with the application of a belt to join the multiple cable assemblies before winding in a rotating winding to produce a cable with a continuous spiral or braid along the cable length When the cable specifications allow it, it is also possible to periodically alternate the wiring of the multiple cable assemblies in which case the unit 30 can represent an oscillator unit the output of which can feed a composite cable into an extruder a cooling unit and a stationary winding However, station 30 may be omitted, in which case the braided assemblies continuously form a composite cable winding in the rotating winding 32 Subsequently, such a braided cable may be introduced into an extruder for fix the assemblies inside the cable The last component or element shown in the The downstream end of the machine 10 is a common winding 32 that includes a spool or winding coil 34 supported on a rotating support 36 that rotates about the axis A of the machine 10. A polar cross 38 is preferably provided to distribute the cable evenly between the tabs of the coil 34 A suitable impeller is used to rotate the coil 34 around the axis A so as to provide a braid to the composite cable C5 which enters the common coil 32 The reference number 40 represents the position of the coil 34 in the loading / unloading positions before it is raised to the position supported by the support Each of the braiding heads 14a-14d is driven so that at least one rotating element therein will be described more fully it is then rotated to provide the necessary braids to the individual conductors or cable elements and the straps An arrow is illustrated in Fig. 1 impeller 42 which is coupled to the impeller 26 which also drives the belt pulley 24 The impeller 26 includes a motor 26a a motor pulley 26b a driven pulley 26c and a band 26d that couples the two pulleys The driving shaft 42 extends upstream along the longitudinal direction of the machine 10 to be close to each of the braiding heads 14a-14d. Any conventional transmission arrangements can be used to transmit power from the driving shaft 42 to the rotating elements of the braiding heads 14a -14d Referring to Fig 2, the specific transmission used in the described embodiment is more illustrative. Therefore the arrow 42 is mounted on suitable bearings 43 to rotate about an arrow shaft A2 Mounted next to each of the braiding heads provides a transmission to transfer energy and rotation towards the braiding head Since all the transmissions in relation to each of the four braiding heads 14a-14d are equal, only one transmission will be described in relation to the braiding head 14a A belt pulley or sheave 44 is mounted on the driving shaft 42 for rotation about the axis A2 As will be more apparent from Figure 3, the braiding head 14a includes rotating elements that rotate about a vertical arrow about an axis A3 which is substantially normal to the axis A2 A vertical rotating shaft of the braiding head 14a is fixed to a belt or sheave pulley 46 which is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis A3 A pair of pulley or roller deflecting pulley 48 is mounted on the support structure or support 12a of the housing 12 to flex 90 ° the direction of a flat strip 50 which is coupled to the pulleys or rollers 44, 46 Two deflecting pulleys 48 need to be provided, as best shown in Fig 3, to flex both portions of the belt which proceeds to the pulley 46 and returns from the pulley 46 It will be appreciated that the described arrangement provides a non-expensive and efficient method of driving each of the braiding heads Other mechanical transmissions or individual motors for each head can be used, though, to drive the rotating elements of the braiding heads In this respect, the driving shaft 42 can be formed of two or more sections of the driving shaft coupled together by suitable means such as universal coupling 52 for transmitting energy to a plurality of braided heads in the need to provide an expensive installation that is highly sensitive to the critical placement of several coupled mechanical elements. This is particularly useful when the machine 10 includes a large number of braiding heads all of which are driven by a single driving shaft. of the power transmissions for rotating the braiding heads 14a-14d provisions must be made to adjust the gear ratios so that for a given rotational speed of the driving shaft 42 each of the braiding heads 14a-14d can be rotated at slightly different speeds This is particularly important in relation to high-frequency communication cables in which the apparent crossover is minimized or eliminated To do this, it is important to modify the wiring lengths of the pairs, triplets or quadrilaterals braided cable so that the individual conductors in a braid set Do not avoid being parallel to another cable or conductor in another braided assembly. By changing the wiring lengths of adjacent braided assemblies, the coupling within the cable between different braided assemblies and the apparent junction is minimized. In the preferred embodiment, referring to Fig. 2, the wiring adjustment capability for each wiring head individual can be adjusted by selecting the relative diameters of the pulleys 44 and 46, the ratio of the diameters of those two pulleys which determine to what extent the braiding heads will rotate faster or slower than the rotational speed of the driving shaft. Traditional wiring lengths for braided cable assemblies to which tape has not been applied in accordance with the present invention will vary within the range of 1 27-1 90 cm Returning to Fig 3, the details of braiding head 14 a They illustrate in greater detail Generally, the braiding head is shown mounted for rotation about a vertical axis A3 on Due to the high rotational speed of the rotating elements forming part of the braiding heads, the braiding heads are normally and advantageously enclosed to avoid injury to personnel. Such enclosures they are well known and include a fixed cylindrical section 12b on the back of the machine, as normally seen by an operator standing on the right side of the unit as seen in Fig. 3. A second pivotally mounted section 12c serves as a guard and can be moved to expose the braiding heads for replacement of the coils or adapters of empty tape as well as to supply the unit. The individual braiding heads 14a-14b are constructed in a manner very similar to the braiding heads described in U.S. Patent Application No. 08 / 163,735, assigned to the assignee of the present application. Reference is therefore made to the aforementioned application, at least for some construction details that will not be repeated here for purposes of clarity and brevity. The discussion that follows focuses primarily on the construction details of the braiding heads that rely more fully on aspects of the present invention for the manufacture of uniform impedance communication cables. The support structure 12a includes a horizontal table or support surface 12d on which a vertical cylindrical support structure 12e is fixedly mounted as shown. The bearings 54, 56 are secured in the cylindrical support structure 12e as shown, those bearings that rotatably support a rotating shaft 58 that is substantially of uniform outer diameter with the exception of the central region thereof, which is elongated, as shows, for the described reasons The upper end of the arrow 58 is similarly supported by bearings 60, 62 which are housed within the vertical cylindrical structure 64 as shown The arrow 58 is connected or coupled to rotating arcs 66 68 which are diametrically opposed and connected at the ends thereof to a rotary drum 70 which is connected to the vertical arrow 58 in any suitable manner. In the preferred embodiment the rotating drum 70 is coupled to the vertical arrow 58 by means of horizontal nets, spokes or walls 72a, 72b For reasons that will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and as fully described in the applicant's prior application of No. 08 / 163,735, means 74 (shown schematically in dotted profile) are provided for fixing the position of a spool holder 76 against rotation about the axis A3 of the braiding head 14a In this way, while the arcs 66 68 can be rotated at extremely fast speeds, the elements that are now described, placed within an envelope 78 defined by the rotary arcs 66, 68 remain stationary relative to the axis A3 An example of such fastening means n of support 74 is an epicyclic transmission which is coupled to the cylindrical support members 12e and 64. Thus, the vertical cylindrical support member 64 that supports the support 76 becomes stationary relative to the axis A3 as is the support member. cylindrical 12e The arcs are placed in a substantially balanced configuration for rotation about the axis A3 relative to the frame 12 While the specific size or configuration of the arcs 66, 68 is not critical, it will be evident that the dimensions as well as the shape of the arcs 66, 68 will be selected to provide a sufficiently large cover 78 to accommodate the different components or elements that are described now. For this reason, the transverse dimension along the horizontal direction between opposite peaks of the arcs is shown to be greater than the separation between the vertical ends of the arcs along the axis A3 Such a configuration The arches accommodate coil arrangements and the ribbon dispenser as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 wherein all those components are mounted for rotation about axes substantially in a common horizontal plane. The configuration of the arches may need to be modified significantly if the bobbins and the ribbon dispenser are mounted for rotation about points that are offset from one another along the direction of the axis A3 The specific arrangements of the bobbins and the ribbon dispenser are not critical for the purposes of the present invention and any arrangement can be used as long as the arcs 66, 68 are substantially configured to generate a shell 78 that will accommodate the internal components of the machines from the inside out and are not in contact with it. The upper ends of the arcs, as shown in FIG. see in fig. 3, are fixed to a rotating support member 80, the lower portion of which is supported on bearings 82 mounted on the upper arm or extension of the stationary spool holder 76. In the preferred embodiment described, the spool holder 76 supports two diametrically opposed reels or coils 16a, 16b that have been wound with one or more elements of cable or conductors. As commonly understood in the art, a wire or conductor element is the metal or conductive portion that is enclosed by an insulating sheet or coating In FIG. 3 the coil 16b is rotatably mounted on the rod 84 which is mounted at one end thereof on the support 76 A cable or conductor element 86 is shown diagrammatically as it is unwound from the rotating reel 16b around the axis of rotation A4 which is orthogonal to the axis A3 of rotation of the arcs The element of cable or conductor 86 represents one or more elements of cable or conductors, typically isolated, that can be wound separately on the coil 16b or two or more elements of cable or conductors which are connected or connected to each other along their lengths and simultaneously cancel the coil as an integral elongated filament A deflection pulley 88 mounted on the guide arm 88 '(FIG. 2) redirects the cable element or conductor 86 towards the axis A3 and inside an entry funnel 90 at the upper end of an axial hole 92 extending through the arrow 58. A similar deflection pulley cooperates with the cable or conductor element extracted from the coil or reel 16a, so that the cable elements or conductors are directed into the hole 92 through the inlet funnel 90. The first winding pulley 88 is advantageously mounted on an arm 88 'of a guide mechanism (not shown) which is part of a constant tension and brake device which cooperates with a brake disc 120 coupled to the reel 16b to control the braking forces applied to the reel 16b during the winding of the cable therefrom. Such a brake tension adjustment mechanism is type described in U.S. Patent No. 4,423,588 where it is more fully described An important feature of the present invention is the provision of a ribbon dispenser generally indicated by the reference numeral 94 placed within the wrapper 78 for dispensing a suitable tape T The tape dispenser 94 includes a support bracket 96 which is mounted on the support 76 and / or the cylindrical support see 64 also to return to the stationary bracket 96 in relation to the rotation about the axis A3 A tape adapter 98 is mounted for rotation about an axis generally transverse to the axis A3 Preferably a transverse wound tape adapter is used in which the General tape length generally corresponds to the lengths of cable elements or conductors wound on the coils or spools to minimize the tape The tape T is illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 3 as the tape adapter 98, the reference number 100 which is taken out, is removed. indicates the orientation of the tape that is removed when the tape adapter is almost empty, while the reference number 100 'indicates the path of the tape when the tape adapter is full In both cases the tape T is guided around of a roller 102 mounted on an arm projecting upwards 104 as shown The redissolved tape T is directed downwards as it is shown for coupling with a guide roller 106 supported by an appropriate guide 108 and subsequently redirected by the rollers 110 112 to a point along the axis A3 at which point it is redirected down along the axis A3 and towards the inlet funnel 90 together with the conductors cable elements extracted from the coils Preferably some means is provided upstream of the inlet funnel 90 (as seen earlier in Fig 3) which ensures that the tape T is applied smoothly and uniformly to the connecting cable elements or conductors 86a 86b Such means may be in the form of a tape forming tube 113 fixedly mounted on the support 76 and having a hole aligned with the axis A3 The upper end 113b of the tube 113 preferably extends up to a position in proximity with the deflection roller 112 and provided at the lower end with a tapering taper surface 113c the smaller diameter of which c or substantially corresponds to the diameter of the orifice 113a With such a tube 113, the tape T, which is flat when it leaves the deflection roller 112, comes into contact almost immediately with the tube 113 to thereby prevent the tape T from forming loops or being double on itself The tape T is moved downward and spirally around the tube 113 until it emerges from the tapered tapered surface 113c and is uniformly applied to the cable or conductor elements as they exit the tube as shown. Such tape forming tube 113 is commonly used to apply the tape to prevent curling or bending of the tape. The cables and the tape T are then directed towards a deflection pulley 114 which is mounted on the elongated middle section of the rotation arrow. 58 to provide a braid to the cable elements or conductors and braid the ribbon around the stranded conductors or cable elements to form a substantially integral construction in which the spatial integrity of the braided cables are maintained one in relation to the other. twisted pair and with tape is then guided along the arch 66 in a conventional manner from the lower end of the arcs, as seen in Figure 3, towards the upper ends thereof by means of suitable guides 116, such as eyelets, rollers or pulleys which are conventionally used for this purpose once the twisted pair and with tape reaches the upper end of the Another braided arcs is imparted by means of an upper deflection pulley 118 which is rotatably mounted on the rotary support member 80 The twisted and tapered cable passes the upper deflection pulley 118 is represented by the designation C Which is flexed again or redirected by the deflection pulley 17 mounted on the housing or frame 12 as previously indicated. The specific tape T used is not critical and all of the tapes currently used for closed conductors can be used, while the tape is sufficiently elastic to avoid rupture and excessive strains and deformations of conductor insulation Since the tape serves sun As a mechanical bond, a wide variety of tapes such as polyethylene tapes sold as "Mylar" can be used. Other plastic and sheet tapes can be used. The machine 10 can be used to provide uniform impedance communication cables for high frequency use in numerous configurations and complexity levels As suggested above, the currently preferred embodiment has been described in connection with the formation of a composite cable consisting of four pairs of twisted cable and with ribbon Each pair of cable is produced in a separate braiding head 14a -14d each head of braid that has been described supporting two separate coils each of which provides a single cable element or conductor However in its broadest aspects can be made numerous changes to the configuration of the machine as well as its application both, although a double braid arrangement has been shown in relation to CAD to one of the braiding heads 14a-14d, it will be clear that the individual braiding machines can also be used in each of the stations or in combination with the double braiding machines. The braiding extension, in that case, of course, will be different and the productivity of the whole machine may be compromised in some way due to the lower operating speeds of the individual braiding machines. Also, as the machine disposal bench Since braiding has been described as including four braiding heads, it should be clear that a single braid head can be used for the production of the simplest twisted pair cable conductors or several braiding units can be used, one for each braided cable configuration that is included in a composite cable Also, as suggested, in the production of the simplest twisted pairs, each of the coils can emit an individual or conductor cable element. However, many other approaches can be taken In fact, it is only important that the support 76 be sized to receive at least one coiled reel with a total of at least two connected or separate cables that are simultaneously unwound from it. It is possible to include an individual reel on which two separate cable elements or conductors have been wound up which are unrolled simultaneously. However it is possible to use isolated cable elements integrally formed or conductors that have been joined along their lengths, connecting networks between their respective isolations or joining the isolations directly to each other by means of fusion or adhesive. Many combinations and changes can be clearly designed. Therefore, if a triplet of twisted cable is going to be formed, this can be achieved with three coils each emitting a single cable element or conductor, two reels one of which emits a single cable element or conductor and the other emits two separate or connected cable elements or conductors, or even a single reel that emits three separate or connected cable elements or conductors The formation of a braided cable quad can also be formed in a number of different ways, such as two separate or connected cables that exit from each of the two reels two reels one of which emits an individual cable element or conductor and the other emits three separate or connected cable elements or conductors, or four reels each emitting an individual conductor The last configuration, in fact is illustrated in Figs. and 6, in which two coils are each mounted on a common arrow and each coil emits an individual or conductor cable element, in which case the four cable elements or conductors together with the tape are guided through the axis of the cable. braided head and, in particular, the axis of rotation of the arcs so that the four elements or conductors are rotated one around the other and they are It applies simultaneously tape to fix or maintain the spatial integrity of all cables twisted one in relation to the others. Such a braided cable quiver can, in turn, be combined with other braided cable configurations to form a more complex composite cable. The extraction of a plurality of cable elements or conductors from an individual coil and the braiding of such cables around them of others, even without the application of tape to those cables, is described in the aforementioned US patent application no. 08 / 163,735 It will be appreciated, therefore, that the method of producing impedance communication cables for high frequency use comprises the steps of simultaneously unrolling a total of at least two wires from at least a single reel. The tape it is supplied and guided together with the cables to a braiding station in which the cables are braided around each other with a predetermined wiring and the tape is wound around the braided cables to fix or maintain the spatial integrity of the braided cables in relationship with each other In this way, the desired electrical properties of the braided cables are ensured and maintained. The braided and individually tapered cable assemblies can be combined and braided further around each other to form a composite cable As indicated braiding the cables around each other can be executed by imparting a double twisted or braided twisted This method can be used to produce high quality uniform impedance communication cables for high frequency use formed from a plurality of n-cable braided assemblies, where n can be equal to 2, 3 or 4 or any other desired number as is practiced in the trade In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the twisted pair of cables and tape in C4 are applied to the ribbon to join the multiple cable assemblies just before the winding to form a composite cable with However, as previously indicated, the unit 30 may be replaced with an oscillator unit to periodically alternate the wiring of the multiple cable assemblies and the output may be fed to a continuous or braided spiral along the length of the cable. an extruder unit such an arrangement is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate the intermediate and downstream ends of a modified line that replaces a number of elements or components shown in Fig. 1 downstream of the belt pulley 24 Thus in Figs. 6 and 7, the oscillator 130 periodically reverses the wiring of the multiple cable assemblies C4 and imparts sufficient torques of the cable pairs Individuals to provide adequate stability to the twisted pairs to maintain at least temporarily the physical integrity of the composite cable until the composite cable is passed through an extruder., an optional joining unit 132 can be provided just downstream of the oscillator 130 to apply any well-known binder material to the composite cable to improve its stability and retain the cable assemblies in their desired relative positions or orientations Downstream of the oscillator 130, and the binder application unit 132, if any is used, a conventional extruder 134 is provided in which an outer protective sleeve or S sheet (Fig. 1A) is applied to fix the relative positions and orientations of the cable pairs The composite cable it can be processed in accordance with well-known techniques which include passing the extruded composite cable through a cooling unit 136, a drive shaft and a cooling box 138 and a vacuum cam 140 from which the composite cable can be wound on the double rapture 142 It will therefore be appreciated that the formation of the cable pairs in both modes is The only difference between the two modalities is the way in which the pairs of individuals are permanently secured to each other to form the composite cable. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a tape is applied externally to the plurality of pairs of cable, while in Fig 6 a sheet or sleeve is extruded externally from the cable pairs. In both cases, a mechanical method is used to secure the cable pairs to each other in fixed positions relative to each other Since the characteristic impedance of an individual cable element n-wire braided line is a function of the diameters of the individual conductors , the separation between them and the electrical properties of the material that occupies the space between the conductors (for example air or insulation), is important in the production of such uniform impedance communication cables suitable for high frequency use than when insulated conductors braided together, the diameters of the cable elements as well as the insulation diameters are selected and maintained within narrow tolerances to avoid any major deviations in those geometrical parameters. Additionally, the eccentricity of the electric cable conductors as they were placed inside the insulation electrical should be reduced to a minimum camente less than 90% Once the eccentricity as well as the geometrical dimensions of the insulated conductors can be monitored closely it is also desirable that the application of the belt around the stranded conductors is substantially at a uniform pressure so as not to produce different levels of deformation of the conductor. the insulating layers since this would in fact modify the spatial relationships and the separations between the conductors The changes in the compression or the deformation of the insulating layers would consequently change the characteristic impedance along the length of the conductors and this would produce unpredictable changes and undesirable characteristics or electrical properties that particularly at higher data rates and higher frequencies would adversely affect the impedance of the cable, the energy transfer and higher frequency limits to which the cable is useful. The braiding of the type described above becomes increasingly important as efforts are made to increase data transfer speeds in relation to computer networks, sophisticated telephony services and the transmission of audio and video programming. According to the claim, cables made in accordance with the present invention provide predictable and stable electrical characteristics at frequencies exceeding 300 MHz, significantly higher than the scale and frequency of the cables currently used and classified as Level 5 by the EIA / TIA standards. Physically securing braided conductors to each other, by applying tape and, in fact, locking them together, their spatial relationships become fixed, regardless of any bending of the resulting cable. Such fixation of the fixed spatial relationship and maintains the characteristic impedance of the cable at the desired level which minimizes Return losses and imbalance imbalances As a result of such more uniform impedance, significant improvements in signal integrity can be achieved Such conductor-to-conductor separation and tension control, which achieves the most predictable and uniform impedance throughout The length of the conductors is achieved with a technique that allows high production speeds and minimum construction costs. With this invention, the same electrical characteristics can be achieved with greater wiring lengths thus increasing the productivity of the cable without compromising its electrical properties. . The invention has been shown and described as a currently preferred embodiment and many variations and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not limited to any specific form or modality, except for the limitations that are expressly set forth in the claims.

Claims (1)

1. Apparatus for the manufacture of uniform impedance communication cables for high frequency use comprising a frame; rotary means positioned in a substantial balanced configuration for rotation about an axis relative to said frame, the rotating means including a rotary element offset from the axis defining a conformal envelope rotates the rotating element about the axis; a support sized to receive at least one individual reel mounted within the support, said at least one reel being wound with a total of at least two cables that are simultaneously unwound from said at least one individual reel; support fixing means for maintaining the position of the support substantially fixed about the axis relative to the frame during the rotation of the rotating means; media jets of tape placed inside the wrapping to supply the tape; and guiding means for guiding said at least two cables and the belt towards the rotating means for braiding the cables around each other with a predetermined wiring and winding the belt around the braided cables to fix and maintain the spatial integrity of the cables braided one in relation to the other, so that the desired electrical properties of the braided cables are ensured. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising voltage control means cooperating with said at least one reel to maintain the tension of at least two cables substantially contained in a predetermined value. The apparatus as defined. in claim 1, wherein the rotating means comprises at least one arc mounted for rotation relative to the frame and the support about the axis 4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the support is adapted to receive at minus two spools rotatably mounted on the support at least one of the reels being wound with a set of at least two cables that can simultaneously be unrolled from the same guiding means that simultaneously guide all the cables from all the reels in the stationary support towards the rotary means 5 The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the Rotary gods comprise a double braiding machine whereby a double braid is imparted to said set of at least two cables and ribbon simultaneously unrolled from said at least one individual spool. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein provides a plurality of similar apparatuses each provided including rotating means and further comprising winding means for receiving and winding a plurality of sets of double stranded wires generated by each of those apparatuses. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, which further comprises means for assembling the plurality of double braided cable assemblies to form a composite cable 8 The apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the assembling means comprises means for applying tape around the plurality of double braided cable assemblies to form a composite cable 9 The apparatus as defined in Claim 7, wherein the assembly means comprises means for extruding a sheet around the plurality of sets of double braided wires to form a composite wire. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 further comprising driving means for driving each one. of the rotary means at different rotational speed whereby each set of twisted pairs is braided into a single wiring length that differs from the wiring lengths of the other sets of twisted wires. 11 The apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein the driving means comprise a common driving shaft extending close to each of the rotating means and further comprising the speed adjusting means for imparting the different rotational speeds to each of the rotary means. The apparatus as defined in FIG. claim 11, wherein the speed adjustment means comprises belt and pulley arrangements having different pulley diameter ratios. The apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the driving means comprise motors for each of the rotating means and further comprising adjustment means for imparting different rotational speeds to each of the rotary means. 14 The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising tension control means within the envelope for maintaining the tension of the belt substantially at a constant value. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising drive shaft means downstream of the frame. for driving the cables and the belt at a substantially uniform speed 16 The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the guiding means comprises tape forming means for uniformly curling the ribbon around the braided cables. 17 The apparatus as defined. in claim 16 wherein the tape forming means comprises a tube that It has a hole along the shaft to receive and pass the braided wires through the tube and a conical tapered surface at one end of the tube where the braided wires leave the tube to provide a smooth transition from the application of the tape around the tube. the braided cables. 18. Method for producing uniform impedance communication cables for high frequency use, comprising the steps of simultaneously unrolling a total of at least two cables from at least one individual reel, supplying a ribbon; guiding said at least two wires and tape to a braiding station to braid the cables together with a predetermined wiring and wind the tape around the braided wires and maintain the spatial integrity of the braided wires one relative to the other, for what is ensured the electrical properties of the braided cables 19 The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the cables are unwound from at least two reels at least one of which is wound with a set of at least two cables 19. The method as defined in claim 18 further comprising the step of repeating the method in a plurality of locations in tandem with each other and winding the twisted cables to form a composite cable. The method as defined in the claim 18, wherein the step of imparting the braid imparts an individual braid 22 The method as defined in claim 18 wherein the eta The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the method is used to produce a n-wire braided line 24 The method as defined in claim 23, wherein n = 2 to form a pair of braided cable 25 The method as defined in claim 23, wherein n = 3 to form a braided cable tpplete 26 The method as defined in claim 23, wherein n = 4 to form a quidget of braided cable 27 The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the cables are insulated conductors and further comprising the step of maintaining the eccentricity of the cable conductors within their respective insulation below 90%