B.S.T.J. Briefs: Adhesive Sandwich Optical Fiber Ribbons

B.S.T.J. Briefs Adhesive Sandwich Optical Fiber Ribbons By M. J. SAUNDERS and W. L. PARHAM (Manuscript received April 15, 1977) In 1974 a proposal was made to put optical fibers together into easily handled units for optical communication purposes. 1 This proposal suggested "the use of fiber ribbons consisting of linear arrays of fibers embedded in a thin, flexible supporting medium as components of a cable for fiber transmission systems." This note is a brief description of fiber ribbons made by sandwiching fibers between two layers of polyesterbacked adhesive (adhesive sandwich ribbons). The machine for making these ribbons has evolved around two 1013 motor-driven pressure rollers. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the machine. Twelve fibers from payout reels are directed through the fiber guide where they are made contiguous. The fibers then pass between the two pressure rollers and are sandwiched between two layers of polyester backed adhesive tape supplied from large reels. After emerging from the pressure rollers, the sandwich is cut by a blade cutter to a width somewhat larger than the width of the 12 fibers. The excess tape that has been cut away from the fiber-carrying ribbon is attached to a reel that supplies the power to pull the tape through the system. The ribbon with the fibers is either wound on a reel or is permitted to fall, under zero tension, into a container so that loss measurements can be made. Currently, we are making kilometer lengths of ribbon at speeds of about 0.2 m/s.