Advancing material of indeterminate length – Plural material-moving means
Patent
1998-03-24
1999-09-28
Walsh, Donald P.
Advancing material of indeterminate length
Plural material-moving means
242418, 2423656, 242920, B65H 2000
Patent
active
059573597
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for levelling out the tension of optical fibres, in which method optical fibres are passed from starting reels through an equalizer wheel structure to the next stage of the process. The invention also relates to an arrangement for levelling out the tension of optical fibres.
BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART
The forming of the tension of optical fibre and controlling it even in demanding production situations is essential in the production of a conductor element containing optical fibres, in the production of parts for a loose protective structure, for example, whether a so-called minitube or a so-called minitube ribbon or maxitube is being produced. A minitube refers to an element part of a multi-element stranded cable and a maxitube refers to a basic element of a single-element optical cable.
The requirements for a loose protective structure of the conductor element have changed recently and emphasis has been laid on both structure and production requirements. The filling gel is required to have a greater viscosity than before and thixotropy is required for tropical conditions, for example. The costs will raise production and structural requirements. This has caused technical problems to the realization of prior art solutions.
The solution disclosed in Finnish Patent Specification 85,310 can be mentioned as an example of prior art solutions. This solution is quite satisfactory for some situations, but a drawback is that the solution is only suitable for levelling out differences in fibre lengths. Tension differences of fibres cannot be levelled out with the solution.
German Offenlegungsschrift 41 14 299 can be mentioned as a second example of prior art solutions. A disadvantage of this solution is that it uses specific controlled starting reels, which makes it rather complicated to accomplish it in practice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a method and an arrangement by means of which the disadvantages of the prior art can be eliminated, that is, the object of the invention is to level out the tension of optical fibres, whether in a fibre bundle, a fibre bunch or fibre bunches, irrespective of moderately different tensions in the starting reels or problems caused by a high driving speed. This has been achieved with the method and arrangement according to the invention. The method according to the invention is characterized in that the equalizer wheel structure is formed of two wheels in sequence when viewed from the direction of movement of the fibres, of which wheels the first wheel is adapted to supply more fibre to the space between the wheels than what passes over the second wheel. The arrangement according to the invention is characterized in that the equalizer wheel structure is formed of two wheels in sequence when viewed from the direction of movement of the fibres, of which wheels the first wheel is adapted to supply more fibre to the space between the wheels than what passes over the second wheel.
An advantage of the invention is that the effect of initial tension can be eliminated completely. Starting carriages may always have the same settings that, as experience shows, do not change too much within a short period of time. A short period of time means here weeks or even months. The change in the discharge radius of fibre reels and/or the tension difference caused by small differences in the basic settings of the brakes in the starting axles is eliminated by means of the invention in a very simple way. Tension differences of about 100% can also be levelled out by means of the invention. The abovementioned factors will be of vital importance when considering the constant need for increasing the component density of fibres, which will raise the requirement for levelling out the length difference between fibres and the need for automating the control realization. The constant need for increasing driving speed can bring about the same requirements. The tension of fibres can also be elevated by
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NK Cables OY
Pham Minh-Chau
Walsh Donald P.
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