US3459609A - Cable fabricating method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

g 1969 s. z. HAIRABEDIAN ET AL 3,459,609

CABLE FABRICATING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed July 2, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.1

FROM BRAKE EOUIPPED ATTORNEY g- 1969' B. 2. HAIRABEDIAN ETAL 3,459,609

CABLE FABRICATING METHOD AND APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 2. 1965 FIG. 2

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F m TI A Y K v N 9H Ill M v 0 iv 0 mm m h. m N v m U F o 0 7 .A E D A IL 2 AU 5 2 Aug; '5, 1969 B. Z. HAIRABEDIAN ET AL CABLE FABRICATING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed July 2, 1965 FIG.3

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 States Patent US. Cl. 15652 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method and apparatus for fabricating fiat cable by encapsulating an array of wires between heat bondable dielectric webs. Heat is applied to the mutually facing sides of the webs by a hot blade nesting between the webs as they pass over cooling rollers and into the nip between the rollers, the blade being apertured to pass the wires in a defined configuration through the blade and into the interface between the webs.

This invention relates to the art of bonding heat fusible substances, such as thermoplastic resins, and more particularly to the laminating of such materials with conductor materials in the manufacture of flat cable.

The flat cable art goes back to the early days of the telegraph, when it was found that a fiat configuration is a convenient shape for a multiple circuit cable. More recently, the art of flat cables has become more active since a flat configuration lends itself easily to use with socalled printed circuitry, facilitates identification of circuit wires without individual coding, and enables the design of flat transmission lines having predetermined impedance characteristics suitable for use with high frequencies.

For providing the prerequisite dielectric environment, as well as for protection against short circuits and corrosion, it is preferred that the conductors be arranged in a generally planar array, entirely within a body or laminate of the dielectric. The prior art describes a number of laminating techniques for manufacturing such a composite, many of which techniques involve heat fusing dielectric ribbons together so as to form a tape-shaped product having the conductors encapsulated by the dielectric ribbons, at the interface between the two. In some such processes the bond at the interface is made by a heat sensitive adhesive such as a coating of low melting-point thermoplastic previously applied to the dielectric tapes, and in others it is made by heat softening of the dielectric tape materials themselves. In either case, it is necessary during the process to deliver heat to the interface for forming the bond.

Particularly when the temperature needed for the bond is close to the disintegration or decomposition temperature of the dielectric, the delivery of the bonding heat becomes a difficult problem. In any case, this heat delivery difficulty becomes aggravated as laminating speeds are increased. According to one prior art technique, the laminnating is carried out by hot rolls which are coated with a release compound to which the softened dielectric does not adhere. According to another procedure the laminating is carried out between a hot roll and a cold roll with adhesion to the hot roll being prevented by the use of a transfer belt between the hot roll and the product piece.

In accordance with the present invention, the bonding heat is applied directly to the interface forming surfaces as they are pressed together to form the laminate, the point of application of the heat being as close to the point of bond as possible. Accordingly, in accordance with one aspect of the invention the heat is applied by a blade eleice ment which extends substantially to the nip of the rolls or other laminating devices, and is apertured to receive and pass the conductor elements of the cable into that According to another aspect of the invention, which is cooperative with the first, heat sink means are provided which are applied to the exterior of the dielectric tapes at, and preferably throughout, the region of application of heat to the interface forming surfaces thereof. Thus, a gradient is established from the inner to the outer surfaces of the dielectric tapes whereby the inner surfaces may be raised to a desired bonding temperature while the outer surfaces are maintained cool enough to maintain integrity of the tapes and prevent their adhesion to the laminating rolls.

Since the heat is applied directly where needed, little heat penetration need be provided and therefore the process can be speeded without introduction of undue temperatures. At the same time, the employment of the external heat sinks makes it possible to keep the bulk of the dielectric body at a lower temperature thereby making the process parameters less critical. Finally, and importantly, since the conductors are introduced through the heat-applying blade, a maximum of accuracy in conductor placement is assured, and the action of the heat sinks prevents later drift of the conductors from that placement. The result is that the process facilitates quantity production of flat cable having very high conductor densities and meeting stringent requirements as to conductor placement, and at the same time facilitates use of dielectric materials in which the bonding temperatures must be closely controlled.

Accordingly, major objects of the invention are to provide improved processes and machines for the production of heat fused laminates.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved processes and equipments for the production of multiconductor flat cable.

Still another object of the invention is to provide improved processes and equipment as aforesaid whereby flat cable can be made rapidly and accurately with thermoplastic dielectric material which is subject to decomposition, disintegration, or weakening at high temperatures, even where the bonding temperature required by the material is itself quite high.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic, partly broken away, front elevation view of a cable laminating station of an apparatus illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken about along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken about along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a still further enlarged detail of a portion of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross section taken along line 55 of FIG. 4 and turned FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross section of a product manufactured in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 7 is an idealized diagram illustrative of isotherms along the dielectric tape during laminating operation in accordance with the invention.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 comprises a machine bed I10 which mounts a stage or platen 12 and, via a bracket 14, a vertical slideway or tower 16. The tower 16 mounts a slide 18 which is vertically adjustable, as by operation of a knob 20, to a working position which is precisely determinable by a suitable gauge, indicated at 22. This adjustment, together with lateral adjustment of the stage 12, as by a micrometer-like device 24 with a cooperating gauge 26, provide mechanical alignment adjustments for operation in accordance with the process of the invention, as will become apparent hereinafter.

In the illustrated apparatus, the laminating parts comprise a heat sink or chill device 30 mounted on the stage 12 for cooperation with a hot blade device 32 mounted, via an insulating block 34 and a bracket 36, on the vertical slide 18. As detailed hereinafter, chill device 30 includes the laminating rollers by which strips or webs 38, 40 are pressed into bonded relationship around an array of wires 42 to form the finished cable 44. As shown, the webs 38, 40 are fed from supply reels 46, 48 over pulleys 50, 52 and through smoothing and tensioning clamps 54, 56. Of course the web supply reels 46, 48 may be adapted, by brake devices thereon or otherwise, to contribute to the desired web tension, in lieu of or in addition to, the clamps 54, 56.

The conductor wire array is fed as a multiplicity of filaments, two rows of which are seen at 58, 60, from supply reels (not shown). The wire supply reels are provided, as is customary in the art, with drag brake devices for providing sufficient tension in the wires to keep them straight, as illustrated, as they are fed through the apparatus. The wires are trained over a pulley device 62 and through an aligning comb 64 and a cleansing wiper 66 to the hot blade 32-chill device 30 combination for entering into the laminate thereat. The wiper 66 may also be adapted to contribute to tensioning of the wires.

After the laminated product has passed through the chill device or station 30, it is conducted via a pulley device 68 through a bath of cooling liquid 70, and thence over capstan pullies 7272 to a takeup reel (not shown). The capstan pullies are driven by a motor 73, and are arranged to grip the finished cable tightly for drawing it through the apparatus. Thus, although the laminating rollers in the chill device 30 are also powered as will be explained hereinafter, it is preferred that the tension provided on the finished cable 44 via the capstan pullies be suflicient to at least partly overcome the drag on the dielectric webs and the wires as they are fed to the laminating point. By this method shearing stresses on the softened dielectric at that point are reduced.

As shown in FIG. 3, the chill device 30 comprises a pair of heat sink blocks 80, 82 which journal, as indicated at 8383, a pair of laminating rolls 84, 86. These rolls provide the pressure function or nip of the laminating station. As indicated by the arrows in FIG. 3, the rolls 84, 86 are powered for rotation in relatively opposite directions, as by a motor 88 and a gear train 98 (FIG. 2). In the preferred structure, heat exchanger means such as water conduits 92, 94 are provided. These conduits may be formed in shoe elements 96, 98 which are slidably engaged in the blocks 80, 82 and are urged, as by springs 99-99, against the rolls 84, 86. Suitable external plumbing connections (not shown) are provided for the conduits for feeding coolant therethrough. Thus the heat exchanger means cools the heat sink elements 80, 82 generally and particularly the laminating rolls 84, 86 thereof.

Cooperative with the heat sink elements 80, 82 and particularly with the laminating rolls 84, 86 thereof is the hot blade device 32 supported in operative relationship thereto by the apparatus of FIG. 1. As seen more clearly in FIG. 3, the hot blade device 32 comprises a pair of blade elements 100, 102 which define a slot or channel 103 receiving the array of wires 42 to be encapsulated and have cooperative radiused portions 104, 106 which together form an apertured tip part. This tip part receives and passes the wires 42 and conducts them into position between the webs or tapes 38, 40 at the nip of the laminating rolls 84, 86. In the illustrated structure, each blade comprises a shell 108 of suitably strong and corrosion and wear resistant metal alloy, filled with a body 110 of especially good heat conductor, such as silver, in which electrical heating elements 112 are provided.

The blades 100, 102 are attached to each other and one of the blades is attached to the insulating block 34 (FIG. 1) in any convenient manner such as by machine screws (not shown), whereby the blade assembly 32 is mounted by and moves as a unit with the slide 18. In one preferred construction shown in FIG. 3, the blades have heel portions 114, 116 aligned at a small angle with the opposing surfaces 118, 120 of the heat sink blocks 80, 82 to form throat slots therewith receiving the webs 38, 40. It is a feature of the invention that the outer faces of the webs 38, 40 are subjected to heat sink action at and throughout (and even before and after) the application of heat to the interface forming surfaces thereof. Thus, in the illustrated apparatus, the webs 38, 40 are aligned to be in direct contact with the chill surfaces 118, 120 and the chill rolls 84, 86 while exposed first to radiant heat from the blade heels 114, 116 and then to conduction heat by direct contact with the blade tips 104, 106.

The convergence of the elements of the cable at the nip of the laminating rolls-84, 86 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 4, and FIG. 5 shows the manner in which the tip portions 104, 106 of the blade elements 100, 102 are formed to define precisely locating slots or apertures 113 for the wires of the array 42. As shown, the webs 38, 40 are confined between the heat sink or chill rollers 84, 86 and the hot blade tip portions 104, 106, the webs being in direct contact with the hot blade tip portions 104, 106 in the region of the apex of the hot blade tip and, preferably, for a considerable distance back along the radiused tip surfaces. Thus, there is relative motion between the contacting surfaces of the webs 38, 40 and the blade tip portions 104, 106-. It has been found in practice that the webs move easily through the assembly without undue drag. Several of the desirable dielectric materials have inherently low coefficients of friction so that this action is not altogether unexpected.

However, in at least some of the preferred embodiments of the process, the surfaces of the webs 38, 40 facing the blade tip portions 104, 106 are heated sufi'iciently so that the interface between the webs and the blade tip portions is probably lubricated by molten dielectric throughout the area of contact. This molten or at least highly plastic condition enables the dielectric to flow or be pressed between and around the wires of the array 42 in the area between the end of the tip portions 104, 106 and the nip of the rolls 84, 86. In fact, it has been found in practice that it is desirable, at least when working with certain materials as set forth in examples hereinafter, to set the spacing of the nip of the rolls to be slightly less than the overall thickness of the finished cable so that the dielectric material is subjected to a degree of working as it passes through the rolls. In this manner, the tolerances in the materials and in the apparatus are taken up while insuring that there is at all times good bonding pressure applied as the cable passes through the nip. Moreover, the degree of working helps insure that the dielectric settles firmly about the wires with no voids, and that the dielectric material welds and comingles thorough- 1y at the interface between the two webs.

The retarding forces on the webs 38, 40 in the region approaching and at the nip of the rolls 84, 86 include the aforesaid friction on the blades 100, 102, the drag at the clamps 54, 56, and the resistance at the source reels 46, 48; those acting on the wires 42 include friction at the wiper 66 and any brake or other resistance at the wire supply reels. These forces are balanced, in the preferred arrangement, by the sum of tractive forces applied by the capstan 72 and laminating rolls 84, 86. The capstan can be driven at a constant speed, with its rolls clamping the cable tightly for non-slip engagement therewith, while the laminating rolls 84, 86 may be operated in a generally constant torque manner. The latter may be accomplished, when low coefficient of friction material is used in for the webs, by merely operating the rolls 84, 8-6 at a somewhat over speeded rate and allowing them to slip on the webs.

In the example shown in FIG. 6, the cable 44 being formed may be one which has a geometry for defining multiple side-by-side transmission lines A, B, C, etc., in which each transmission line comprises a signal wire 42S flanked by two ground wires 426. In order to have the desired characteristic impedance as well as to facilitate isolation, each transmission line may be separate and the fact that a space is provided between the heel portions 114, 116 and the approaching webs 38, 40. In Table 1 hereinafter typical practical data include temperatures taken within the blade bodies which are, of course, much higher than the working surfaces thereof but are generally proportional thereto.

Typical operating parameters for manufacture of a cable such as is shown in FIG. 6 in accordance with the invention are shown in Table 1:

TABLE I Example I Example II Example III Example IV Fluroethylenepropylene (FEP fiuro- Vendor #1* Vendor #2* Vendor #3* carbon) Polyethylene Polyethylene Polyethylene Dielectric Web or Cover 38,40 Material thermoplastic thermoplastic thermoplastic thermoplastic Cover thickness per cover (inch) 013 012 012 0125 Cover supply tension (incl. smoothing clamp 54 or 56 tension) per cover (grams)-.- 650 600 600 600 Wire 42-Silver coated oxygen free copper (Coaling ASTM Class C) (in. diam.) O07 007 007 007 Wire 42 Tension, per wire (grams) 125 125 125 125 Blade temp. (taken at silver body 110 inside heel portion) F)- 1, 015 630 640 600 Blade wire guide spacing (inch):

G o o nal- 023 022 022 .021 Ground to ground- 013 012 012 012 Ch ll roll temp. F) 140 110 120 110 Chlll roll spacing at nip (i h) 023 022 023 .020 Bath 70 temp. F., approx.) 00 60 60 60 Output Cable 44:

Inches per minute 60 120 66 09 Thickness (inch) .027 .023 .025 027 Wire spacing (inch):

Ground to signal 021 021 .021 021 Ground to ground 012 012 .012 012 complete, and this may result in uneven spacing wherein the space between transmission line sets is smaller than the space between the signal wire and the ground wires in any given set, as illustrated. This precision is enabled by the fact that the wires are located by the tip portion of the hot blade device precisely at the point in which they enter into the cable. For further guaranteeing this alignment, it is preferred that the wire guide comb (shown in FIG. 1 and shown also in a fragmentary section in FIG. 3) have wire guiding slots in the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 5, so that the wires are already prealigned in the proper relationship before they pass into the heat blade device 32.

The heat gradient established across the thickness of the webs 38, 40 by the hot blade and chill or heat sink devices 30, 32 is illustrated in idealized form in FIG. 7. The diagram of that figure is a mathematical lot assuming a blade temperature of 700 F. and a heat sink temperature of 110 F., as indicated, and a web or tape thickness of 0.0125 inch, assuming a typical specific heat and speed of travel of the web. It will be seen that, since the heat sink is at least co-extensive with the blade, the main body of the web is maintained at temperature below 500 F. When a dielectric such as FEP flurocarbon, which has a melting point of about 5550 F. and begins to decompose at about 750 F., is utilized, the management of temperatures in a web becomes critical. By provision of the cooperating hot blade and heat sink devices, the bulk of the web or tape is protected in a positive manner. Moreover, since the penetration of the heat from the blade is limited, the depth of softening of the material is limited. For example, in FIG. 7, the isotherm for 550 F. is at about three mills depth and that 475 F. is at about 4.5 mills. Assuming the material which melts at 550 F., wires 42 having a diameter of seven mills are backed by fairly firm thermoplastic as they are incorporated into the laminate. This nesting serves to prevent unwanted displacement of the wires once placed in the assembly by the hot blade device.

It should be understood that the diagram of FIG. 7 is simplified since there are heat gradients in the hot blade device itself. Thus, the tip portions 104, 106, because of their salient nature, are likely to be somewhat cooler than, for example, the heel portions 114, 116. In the illustrated apparatus this is compensated for by The web material in examples 2, 3 and 4* were selfextinguishing polyethylene furnished by three different vendors. The formulations of such materials vary with the vendor, but the examples cited were typical of commercially available thermoplastics, having desirable physical and electrical qualities, which are useable in accordance with the invention. In example IV, the thermoplastic webs included a one mil thick polyester coating on one side thereof (the sides which formed the outer surfaces of the cable).

In the foregoing table, the blade wire guide spacing differed, variously in the several examples, from the final wire spacing. It will be noted that in those cases, the spacing was reduced somewhat from the blade spacing to the cable spacing. This is accomplished by stretching the cable as it passes through the nip of the laminating rolls 84, 86 in the laminating apparatus. Since there is friction as the parts pas through the laminating station, this stretching is controlled by the amount of tension placed on the finished cable 46. This tension can be controlled by the difference in speed of operation between the capstan 72-72 and the laminating ralls 84, 86. For example, the laminating rolls may be operated at a surface speed which is approximately twice that of the capstan rolls, and a slight increase or decrease of this ratio will tend to decrease or increase, respectively, the tension on the cable 34.

It will be understood that various controls, adjustments and other facilities are provided which, for clarity of illustration, have been omitted from the drawings. Thus, in addition to external plumbing for the heat sink means and wiring for the hot blade heater means and thermocouples and the like for maintenance of proper temperatures in the laminating operation, there may be provided separate controls for the laminating rolls and capstan motors 88, 73 for effecting the above described tension control. Moreover, the mount of the heat sink blocks 80, 82 on the stage 12 may be adjustable. This adjustment can be utilized for controlling the laminating or chill roll spacing at the nip between the rolls. This dimension, at the base of the convergent throat formed by those rolls, play a role in the production of the working during lamination for providing a secured bond between the constituents of the cable assembly, and, as shown in Table 1, many vary somewhat according to the materials utilized. Other adjustments which provide quality control and ease of setup operations include the vertical adjustment 20 with a hot blade device 32 and the horizontal adjustment 24 of the stage 12 with respect thereto.

It will be understood that the aforedescribed method and apparatus is adaptable to variation according to the needs of the product. For example, although the above described stretching of the cable is a convenient way of providing a final adjustment of the spacing of the conducting wires, some materials are not well adapted to this mode of operation, and it is then preferable to fix the blade wire guide spacing at virtually the final desired dimensions for the cable, and utilize a minimum of displacement-causing forces during the laminating process. Moreover, although the cooling bath 70 is desirable for insuring stability in the cable before it is threaded through the capstan or otherwise roughly handled, it will be appreciated that in certain cases this bath might be omitted.

Other changes may be made while still preserving one or more of the several aspects of the invention and the attributes corresponding thereto. Thus, while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a method of laminating an array of conductors between webs of heat bondable dielectric material to form a fiat cable, the steps of:

heating directly one face of each web to at least a softening point of said material while at the same time cooling the opposite face thereof,

guiding said webs into facing relationship with their heated faces in juxtaposition,

positioning said conductors in a precise array between the juxtaposioned faces of said webs, and

pressing said webs together to encapsulate said conductors.

2. In a method of laminating a parallel array of conductors between Webs of heat bondable dielectric material to form a fiat cable, the steps of:

heating one face of each web to at least the softening point of said material while at the same time cooling the opposite face thereof,

guiding said webs into facing relationship with their heated faces in juxtaposition,

positioning said conductors between the juxtaposed faces of said webs, and

stretching and pressing said webs together to work the same about said array and to encapsulate and finally space said conductors.

3. In a method of laminating an array of conductors between webs of heat bondable dielectric material to form a flat cable, the steps of:

heating one face of each web to the melting point of said material while at the same time cooling the opposite face thereof,

guiding said webs into facing relationship with their heated faces in juxtaposition,

positioning said conductors between the juxtaposed faces of said webs, and

pressing said webs together to encapsulate said conductors.

4. In a method of laminating an array of conductors between webs of heat bondable dielectric material to form a flat cable, the steps of:

heating one face of each web to the melting point of said material while at the same time cooling the opposite face thereof,

guiding said webs into facing relationship with their heated faces in juxtaposition,

positioning said conductors between the juxtaposed faces of said webs, and

stretching and pressing said webs together to Work the same about said array and to encapsulate and finally space said conductors.

5. Apparatus for laminating an array of wires between webs of heat bondable dielectric material to form a flat cable, comprising:

heat sink means arranged to contact one face of each web along a predetermined region thereof,

heater means operative within said regions to soften the other faces of said webs While said webs are maintained intact by the cooling action of said heat sinks in the same regions,

laminating pressure means for receiving said webs with said other faces in contignity, and

means for feeding said webs and said array of Wires into said laminating pressure means with said array between the heat softened surfaces of said webs for laminating the assembly into a cable,

said array feeding means being arranged to closely guide and position said wires as they are fed between the web surfaces.

6. Apparatus for laminating an array of wires between webs of heat bondable dielectric material to form a flat cable, comprising:

heat sink means arranged to define a convergent throat for receiving said webs and guiding the webs into face-to-face proximity to each other,

heater means operative in the region of said throat to soften the proximate faces of said Webs,

laminating pressure means providing a nip at the constricted portion of said throat, and

means for feeding said webs and said array of wires into and through said throat and said nip with said array between the heat softened surfaces of said webs so as to laminate the assembly into a cable at said nip,

said last means comprising capstan means engaging said cable to draw it through said nip, and by tension to finally space said wires in said laminate. 7. Apparatus for laminating a array of wires between webs of heat bondable dielectric material to form a flat cable, comprising:

heat sink ;means including laminating roller arranged to define a throat for receiving said webs and guiding the webs into face-to-face proximity to each other,

heater means operative in the region of said throat to soften the proximate faces of said webs,

said rollers being arranged to provide a nip at the base of said throat,

means for feeding said webs and closely guiding said wires into and through said throat and said nip with said wires between the heat softened surfaces of said webs so as to laminate the assembly into a cable at said nip,

said last means comprising speed controlled capstan means engaging said cable to draw it through said nip for establishing a tension on said wires as they pass said nip, and

motor means for rotating said rollers in the direction of travel of said assembly therethrough to provide a secondary feeding force on said assembly.

8. Apparatus for laminating an array of wires between webs of heat bondable dielectric material to form a flat cable, comprising:

heat sink means including laminating rollers arranged to define a throat for receiving said webs and guiding the webs into face-to-face proximity to each other, heater means comprising a blade means nested in said throat to soften the proximate faces of said webs,

said blade means being apertured to pass said Wires in a defined geometric array into said throat,

said rollers being arranged to provide a nip at the base of said throat, and

means for feeding said webs between said blade means and said rollers and said array of wires through said apertures, into said throat and said nip with said array between the heat softened surfaces of said webs so as to laminate the assembly into a cable at said nip. 9. Apparatus for laminating an array of wires between webs of heat bondable dielectric material to form a fiat cable, comprising:

heat sink means comprising laminating rollers arranged to define a throat for receiving said webs and guiding the webs into face-to-face proximity to each other,

heater means comprising a blade means nested in said throat to soften the proximate faces of said webs,

aligning means cooperative with said blade means adapted to orient said wires into a defined geometric array and apertured to pass said wires in said geometric array into said throat,

said rollers being arranged to provide a nip at the base of said throat, and means for feeding said Webs between said blade means and said rollers and said array of wires through said aligning means, into said throat and said nip with said array between the heat softened surfaces of said webs so as to laminate the assembly into a cable at said nip. 10. Apparatus for laminating an array of wires between webs of heat bondable dielectric material to form a flat cable, comprising:

heat sink means comprising laminating rollers arranged to define a throat for receiving said webs and guiding the webs into face-to-face proximity to each other,

heater means comprising a blade means nested in said throat to soften the proximate faces of said webs,

said blade means being formed with a plurality of slots to pass said wires in an array into said throat and to precisely define the wire spacing in said array as the wires enter said throat,

said rollers being arranged to provide a nip at the base of said throat, and

means for feeding said webs between said blade means and said rollers and said array of wires through said slots, into said throat and said nip with said array between the heat softened surfaces of said webs so as to laminate the assembly into a cable at said nip. 11. Apparatus for laminating an array of wires between webs of heat bondable dielectric material to form a flat cable, comprising:

heat sink means comprising laminating rollers arranged to define a throat for receiving said webs and guiding the webs into face-to-face proximity to each other, heater means comprising a blade means nested in said throat to soften the proximate faces of said webs, said blade means formed with a laterally aligned medial array of apertures to pass said wires in a defined geometric array into said throat, said rollers being arranged to provide a nip at the base of said throat, and means for feeding said webs between said blades means and said rollers and said array of wires through said apertures, into said throat and said nip with said array between the heat softened surfaces of said webs so as to laminate the assembly into a cable at said nip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,361,374 10/1944 Abbott 156-55 X 2,539,690 1/1951 Boorn 156-178 3,068,135 12/1962 Bower 156179 3,075,868 1/1963 Long 156--282 X 3,082,292 3/ 1963 Gore 174-117 3,222,237 12/1965 McKelvy 156-177 FOREIGN PATENTS 208,065 3/1960 Austria.

EARL M. BERGERT, Primary Examiner T. R. SAVOIE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

2513 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,459 ,609 Dated August 5, 1969 Inventor) B. Z. Hairabedian et al It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

[- Column 5, line 49, "110" should read --1o0--. Column 6, line 52, "ralls" should read -rolls-; line 75, "many" should read -may. Column 7, line 37, "juxtaposioned" should read --juxtaposed--. Column 8, line 42, "roller" should read -ro1lers--.

SIGNED AND SEALED JAN 2 (197g (SEAL) Attesu EdwardM. Fletc e I WILLIAM E. *SUHUYLER. R-

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer

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