APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING FIBER OPTIC CABLE

摘要

An apparatus and method for manufacturing fiber optic cable having a plurality of optical fiber buffer tubes (13) bound by a binder (15, 16) is provided. The apparatus includes a frame (23) and an oscillator shaft support (22) on the frame for oscillating movement about a longitudinal axis. A lay plate (55) is carried by the oscillator shaft (22) and has a plurality of openings for receiving and guiding longitudinally advancing buffer tubes (13) into an oscillating lay about the axis. First and second longitudinally offset binder heads (26, 27) are mounted for rotation about the axis for winding respective binders (15, 16) around the buffer tubes (13). Both binder heads (26, 27) are concentric with and surround the oscillator shaft (22) such that the closing point for the buffer tubes is downstream of the binder heads (26, 27) and closely adjacent to a locking capstan (18). The rotatably supported ends of the binder heads (26, 27) are positioned adjacent to each other which allows improved replacement of binder reels (30, 42). The apparatus may also include third and fourth binder heads for winding additional binders around the buffer tubes.