Control and stabilizing cables and tendons for high altitude aircraft and airships having lightweight, high strength and low CTE are disclosed, along with a method and machine for fabrication of same. The cable is comprised of a fiber prepreg tow encased in a polymer sleeve with one bobbin at each end to facilitate connections. Consolidating the fiber prepreg tow along the length of the cable using high temperature shrink tubing, such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), allows for eliminating the twisting of the fiber prepreg tow, thus reducing the number of wraps around the bobbins. Eliminating the twists in the fiber prepreg tow also reduces the length of fiber needed, and therefore the overall change in length of the control cable with temperature variations is reduced. Additional cable strength can be achieved by adding and holding significant tension on the fiber prepreg tow by applying weight during the curing process.

A device for spreading a multi-stranded tensioning cable, in particular steel tensioning cables, comprising a main body having a feedthrough opening for the entire tensioning cable, and a number of spreading elements which are arranged radially movably in the main body and each have a contour which is of a configuration tapering inwardly in the radial direction for engaging and producing a gap between respectively adjacent strands of the tensioning cable.

Control and stabilizing cables and tendons for high altitude aircraft and airships having lightweight, high strength and low CTE are disclosed, along with a method and machine for fabrication of same. The cable is comprised of a fiber prepreg tow encased in a polymer sleeve with one bobbin at each end to facilitate connections. Consolidating the fiber prepreg tow along the length of the cable using high temperature shrink tubing, such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), allows for eliminating the twisting of the fiber prepreg tow, thus reducing the number of wraps around the bobbins. Eliminating the twists in the fiber prepreg tow also reduces the length of fiber needed, and therefore the overall change in length of the control cable with temperature variations is reduced. Additional cable strength can be achieved by adding and holding significant tension on the fiber prepreg tow by applying weight during the curing process.

Control and stabilizing cables and tendons for high altitude aircraft and airships having lightweight, high strength and low CTE are disclosed, along with a method and machine for fabrication of same. The cable is comprised of a fiber prepreg tow encased in a polymer sleeve with one bobbin at each end to facilitate connections. Consolidating the fiber prepreg tow along the length of the cable using high temperature shrink tubing, such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), allows for eliminating the twisting of the fiber prepreg tow, thus reducing the number of wraps around the bobbins. Eliminating the twists in the fiber prepreg tow also reduces the length of fiber needed, and therefore the overall change in length of the control cable with temperature variations is reduced. Additional cable strength can be achieved by adding and holding significant tension on the fiber prepreg tow by applying weight during the curing process.

Steel reinforcing cables in concrete are protected against corrosion by injecting a carrier fluid and corrosion inhibitors into interstitial spaces between the wires of the cable at a first location along the cable and causing the fluid to pass through the interstitial spaces between the wires of the cable to a second location along the cable. The cable comprises an array of wires confined together and intimately surrounded by a covering material which is engaged with a periphery of the cable so that there are insufficient interconnected spaces between the cable and the covering material to allow passage of fluid longitudinally along the cable outside the cable itself. The method can be used with pre-stressed concrete, with post-tensioned bonded cables and with extruded un-bonded mono-strand cables.

Steel reinforcing cables in concrete are protected against corrosion by injecting a carrier fluid and corrosion inhibitors into interstitial spaces between the wires of the cable at a first location along the cable and causing the fluid to pass through the interstitial spaces between the wires of the cable to a second location along the cable. The cable comprises an array of wires confined together and intimately surrounded by a covering material which is engaged with a periphery of the cable so that there are insufficient interconnected spaces between the cable and the covering material to allow passage of fluid longitudinally along the cable outside the cable itself. The method can be used with pre-stressed concrete, with post-tensioned bonded cables and with extruded un-bonded mono-strand cables.

A wire rope has a lubricated core, an inner jacket in contact with the core, and outer strands wrapped around the inner jacket. An outer jacket surrounds the outer strands and contacts the inner jacket to form an integrated jacket. A method of forming an integrated jacket for a wire rope in which an inner jacket is cold applied and an outer jacket is applied by application of molten material to the inner jacket.

A wire rope has a lubricated core, an inner jacket in contact with the core, and outer strands wrapped around the inner jacket. An outer jacket surrounds the outer strands and contacts the inner jacket to form an integrated jacket. A method of forming an integrated jacket for a wire rope in which an inner jacket is cold applied and an outer jacket is applied by application of molten material to the inner jacket.

Methods for impregnating a liquid material into a rope are provided whereby a liquid material is provided in a tank which defines the liquid level in the tank. An impregnation unit containing a chamber at least partially immersed in the liquid material includes a vacuum-device operatively connected to the vacuum-outlet of the chamber so as to lower the pressure in the chamber below atmospheric pressure. The rope may therefore be passed through the liquid material in the tank and then inside and outside the chamber via the rope-inlet and rope-outlet of the chamber, while maintaining the pressure inside the chamber below the atmospheric pressure to thereby force the liquid material to fill at least part of the interstices between the fibers of the rope by penetrating between the fibers.

Methods for impregnating a liquid material into a rope are provided whereby a liquid material is provided in a tank which defines the liquid level in the tank. An impregnation unit containing a chamber at least partially immersed in the liquid material includes a vacuum-device operatively connected to the vacuum-outlet of the chamber so as to lower the pressure in the chamber below atmospheric pressure. The rope may therefore be passed through the liquid material in the tank and then inside and outside the chamber via the rope-inlet and rope-outlet of the chamber, while maintaining the pressure inside the chamber below the atmospheric pressure to thereby force the liquid material to fill at least part of the interstices between the fibers of the rope by penetrating between the fibers.