The invention relates to a method for operating a braiding, winding or spiraling machine for braiding around, wrapping around or spiraling around a strand-like material, in particular a cable, with at least one elongate material strand formed from at least one elongate material fibre, in particular from at least one wire. In the method, a diameter of the strand-like material is measured and a feed rate of the strand-like material and/or a rotational speed at which the at least one elongate material strand moves about the longitudinal axis of the strand-like material is controlled by open-loop or closed-loop control depending on said diameter measured. A predefined degree of coverage of the strand-like material by the at least one elongate material strand can be kept substantially constant by means of an open-loop or closed-loop control of the relative feed rate of the strand-like material depending on the diameter measured.

An improved system for handling delicate linear media and in particular to a method and apparatus for winding delicate linear media such as superconducting wire or tape or optical fibers onto a spool or former. A combination of direct closed loop control and media routing design facilitates the handling of the delicate media without causing damage. The axial tension in the linear media may be closely controlled during winding by means of feedback control loop using tension measurements to control the rotation speeds of the wind-from and wind-to spools. Further, during winding, the delicate linear media is only exposed to large radius bends with no reverse bending. Finally, output devices and features, commercial or otherwise, made possible by delicate linear media handling are revealed. This includes advanced SC devices and features.

A strander apparatus includes a disk and a plurality of cradles, each of the cradles includes a reel and a cradle shaft, the cradle shaft extending in an axial direction from the disk. Each reel dispenses cable. The strander includes a main shaft, wherein the cradles are disposed on the cradle shafts radially about the main shaft. Planetary gears are disposed between the main shaft and the plurality of cradle shafts. The strander operates in one of a planetary mode and a rigid mode. In the planetary mode, while the main shaft rotates, the planetary gears are engaged to rotate each of the plurality of cradles on the respective cradle shafts. In the rigid mode, the planetary gears are disengaged.

A twisting device (10) for twisting or stranding electrical or optical lines (12) to form a line bundle (13). The twisting device (10) comprises at least one first twisting head (15) and a clamping device (25). The first twisting head (15) and the clamping device (25) are spaced apart from each other. The twisting device (10) has at least one detecting device (30) for capturing information indicative of a lay length of the line bundle (13). The at least one detecting device (30) can be moved relative to the first twisting head (15) and the clamping device (25).

An improved system for handling delicate linear media and in particular to a method and apparatus for winding delicate linear media such as superconducting wire or tape or optical fibers onto a spool. A combination of direct closed loop control and media routing design facilitates the handling of the delicate media without causing damage. The axial tension in the linear media may be closely controlled during winding by means of feedback control loop using tension measurements to control the rotation speeds of the wind-from and wind-to spools. Further, during winding, the delicate linear media is only exposed to large radius bends with no reverse bending. Finally, output devices and features, commercial or otherwise, made possible by delicate linear media handling are revealed. This includes advanced SC devices and features.

A stranding machine is provided for producing a cord from a plurality of wires, preferably metal wires. The stranding machine has a stranding device for stranding the wires, including at least one rotatably mounted deflecting roller for deflecting the cord and at least one guide device for guiding the cord. The guide device is arranged in such a way that the cord can be guided on a straight line from the guide device to the deflecting roller in such a way that the cord is pressed against a first flank of the deflecting roller. As the cord is deflected by the deflecting roller, the cord moves from the first flank into the roller base of the deflecting roller.

A method and a device for producing a twisted line comprising at least two wires. The at least two wires are unwound from at least one take-off spool and are twisted in a twisting unit to form the twisted line, wherein the twisting unit has a first roller and a second roller and the at least two wires are supplied to a twisting area between the two rollers and are twisted by turning the rollers in the same direction.

A wire (10) is disclosed. Said wire (10), when viewed in cross-section, has at least one first portion (12) and at least one second portion (14) that are interconnected by a third portion (16) in which the wire (10) has a reduced cross-section.

A straightening device for straightening cables includes two rows of rollers, an adjusting device for manually adjusting a distance between the rows of rollers, a measuring device for recording the distance between the rows of rollers, and an indicator device with which deviations of the actual value of the distance between the rows of rollers, determined by the measuring device, from a nominal value is visually indicated. The indicator device has two optical error indicating elements for indicating too high and/or too low an actual value compared with the nominal value of the distance, as well as an optical correct indicating element for indicating that the actual value of the distance corresponds with the nominal value.

A twisted wire manufacturing method for manufacturing a twisted wire, includes hanging U-turn portions of the at least two wires on a wire hanging member, checking one end portions and the other end portions of the at least two wires, pulling up the at least two wires in a state that the U-turn portions are hung on the wire hanging member, twisting the at least two wires together after the wire pull-up step is conducted, and transferring a twist-completed wire produced by the wire twisting step to a twisted wire temporary placement hook which is disposed above the wire hanging member.