Apparatus for making light transfer devices

摘要

A method and apparatus for making fiber optic light transfer devices has apparatus to continuously supply a selected number of optical fibers, apparatus to form those fibers into a ribbon and adjust to different wrapping radii of a wrapper. The wrapper is in the form of a rotary wheel on which there is mounted a matrix former and a spaced ribbon former. The end of the ribbon is clamped to the rotary wheel and as the wheel is rotated successive wraps of ribbon are made on aligned U-shaped support surfaces of the formers. A separator is positioned between each ribbon layer in the matrix former and a channel-shaped locator element is positioned on the spaced ribbon former before each ribbon layer is wrapped thereon. A reflective glue is added to the layers in both formers. A clamp clamps the wrapped layers in each former after which they are cured in an oven. The two matrix portions and two spaced ribbon end portions so formed are supported in fixtures and cut preferably by a band saw blade to form two light transfer devices.