Title: Method for locating conductor breaks during the two stage twisting of a communications cable

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Claims: What is claimed is:

1. A method for testing the conductors in the wires of a communication cables while they are being twisted in a device in which the wires being twisted are pulled from stationary supply containers and after being twisted in two stages into a finished twisted base bundle are wound on to a take up reel and correcting localized faults comprising the steps of:

a. applying an electric voltage to each conductor;

b. detecting one of the voltage present on and current flowing through each wire to determine if it is within predetermined limits;

c. providing a first output indication if said voltage or current in any wire falls outside that limit;

d. slowing or stopping the twisting process in response to said first output indication;

e. for the purpose of localizing the fault, leading the finished base bundle freely through air prior to being wound on the take up reel through a distance which is a multiple of the length of lay of the base bundle;

f. applying a continuous a-c voltage to the conductor detected as being outside limits in step b);

g. probing the base bundle in or ahead of the zone through which it is led through free air;

h. stopping the twisting process completely when the fault is localized within said zone; and

i. correcting said fault.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of applying a voltage comprises applying an a-c voltage sequentially in rapid succession to each conductor in the base bundle from the end of the base bundle on the take up drum while at the same time grounding all other conductors, detecting the voltage of each wire at a point prior to the wire being twisted and influencing the twisting process if a fault indication if found or if a voltage drops below a predetermined limit.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the detection of said potential is accomplished by looping each conductor at least once around a metallic pulley designed as an electrode.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein for the detecting of step b) all conductors are looped around a common cylindrical structure designed as an electrode.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of applying a voltage comprises simultaneously applying a-c voltages of different frequencies to each of the different conductors of the twisted structure from the end of the twisted structure which is on the take up drum and detecting the voltage at each wire before twisting and influencing the twisting process if a fault is indicated or if voltage drop below a predetermined limit.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the detection of said potential is accomplished by looping each conductor at least once around a metallic pulley designed as an electrode.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of applying a voltage comprises applying a d-c voltage to each wire from the side of the stationary supply container, with each of said wires coupled to operate a relay, electrically connecting the wires of the base bundle to each other at the end on the take up drum; and connecting the relay contacts in series with the drive circuit of the twisting apparatus.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein said relays are coupled with their coils in series with the individual conductors.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein a series resistor is coupled in series with each of said conductors and said relays operated by the voltage across said series resistor.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein all conductors of the base bundle are short circuited to each other at the end of the twisted structure on the take up reel; the conductors are divided into two groups of equal size at the entrance end of the twisting apparatus and are connected to the terminals of an a-c voltage source symmetrical with respect to ground through high resistance series resistors; and the voltage drop at each of the series resistors is detected to locate a faulty conductor, said a-c voltage also supplying the voltage of step (f) in claim 1.

Other info:

Inventors: Vogelsberg, Dieter (Berlin, DT)
Reil, Horst (Coburg, DT)
Froscher, Peter (Berlin, DT)

Application Number: 543541
Filing Date: 1975-01-23
Publication_date: 1976-09-14
Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft (Munich, DT)
Primary Class(es): 57/264 57/81, 57/293
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

3140577	Jul, 1964	Ash	57/34.
3412544	Nov, 1968	Sugi et al.	57/34.
3481127	Dec, 1969	Vogelsberg	57/34.
3491525	Jan, 1970	Sugi	57/34.
3659406	May, 1972	Kipperberg	57/81.
3884024	May, 1975	Oestreich et al.	57/34.
3884025	May, 1975	Oberender et al.	57/34.
3921381	Nov, 1975	Vogelsberg	57/156.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Petrakes, John
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney: Kenyon & Kenyon Reilly Carr & Chapin