A reel enclosure includes a base and a door pivotally coupled with the base. The door is movable between a first closed position and a second open position and is configured to hold a reel at an interior surface of the door. The reel is configured to have cable wound thereon. In the first closed position, the base is configured to prevent the reel from rotating relative to the door and the base, and, in the second open position, the door is configured to hold the reel outside of an interior of the base and permit the reel to rotate relative to the door and the base.

A method may include (1) coating a segment of fiber optic cable with an adhesive substance, (2) forming a coil of the segment of fiber optic cable, (3) deforming the coil into a noncircular shape defining a slot external to the coil while obeying a minimum bend radius requirement for the segment of fiber optic cable, and (4) activating the adhesive substance to stabilize the noncircular shape of the coil. Various other methods and apparatuses, such as those for performing the deforming operation, are also disclosed.

A spool of optical fibre comprises a spool axis and a length of optical fibre wound around the spool axis to form a plurality of wrap segments arranged axially along the spool axis, wherein adjacent wrap segments partially overlap in the axial direction. Each wrap segment comprises a first wrap layer wound in a first axial direction over a first axial distance, and a second wrap layer wound over the first wrap layer in a reverse second axial direction over a second axial distance greater than the first axial distance, the optical fibre extending from the second wrap layer of one wrap segment to the first wrap layer of an adjacent wrap segment. The spool may be mounted in a device such that the optical fibre can be despooled and deployed from the device.

Holders for wound cables. The holders include retention features to control the rate at which cable windings are unwound during cable deployment. In some examples, the cable holder includes a pair of spaced apart spools and the cable is wound in windings configured as figure-8's. In some examples, the retention features include flexibly resilient fingers positioned to contact the windings at one or more retention points positioned at a deployment end of the holder.

An accumulator for making fiber optic cables includes a frame, a first pulley array mounted to the frame and having a first plurality of pulleys, and a second pulley array mounted to the frame and having a second plurality of pulleys. The first pulley array and the second pulley array are movable relative to each other so as to be positionable on opposite sides of each other. A manufacturing system including an unwinder, a winder, and the accumulator is disclosed. A method of threading the accumulator is disclosed that advantageously uses the relative movement of the first and second pulley arrays across each other to simplify threading. A method of making fiber optic cables where the unwinder operates with more than one accumulator is also disclosed.

A packaging dispenser for bend-resistant items. In some embodiments, the dispenser includes a container storing bags of cables in an alternating folded pattern. In some embodiments, a vertically floating dispensing guide guides the bags through a slot in the container. The dispensing guide is configured and arranged to limit over-bending of the items as the items are dispensed through the slot and to stabilize the folded pattern.

A reel for storing a cable coil includes first and second facing flanges. First, second and third cylindrical rods define a hub and have first ends attached to the first flange and opposite, second ends extending through holes formed in the second flange. A guidepost has a first end attached to the first flange and a second end passing through an opening in the second flange. A lock set allows a distance between the first and second flanges to be selected. Attachment positions of the first ends of the cylindrical rods to the first flange are manually or automatically adjustable to change a diameter of the hub. Bushings within end openings of the guidepost control the rotation payout speed of the reel, and a parking park feature is provided at the second end of the guidepost to block rotation of the reel.

An adjustable height optical fiber cable reel comprises a first piece having a first base plate and a first tab protruding from the first base plate, the first tab having a first opening and a second opening, a second piece having a second base plate and a second tab protruding from the second base plate, the second tab having a pin. The pin is configured to engage the first opening to lock the adjustable height reel at a first height, and to engage the second opening to lock the adjustable height reel at a second height. The adjustable height reel may also be coupled to a slack storage tray. Optical fiber enclosures may also be configured with adjustable height reels with optional slack storage trays.

A distribution cabling tape system comprises a resilient polymeric base sheet having a first major surface and a second major surface, the first major surface being substantially continuous across a side to side width, an adhesive layer disposed on the first major surface, the adhesive layer capable of adhering to a concrete or asphalt surface, and first and second spacer layers arranged in a spaced apart configuration on the adhesive layer to form a continuous lengthwise channel configured to receive at least a portion of at least one distribution cable, each of the first and second spacer layers comprising a second adhesive layer disposed thereon, the second adhesive capable of adhering to a concrete or asphalt surface.

Embodiments of a method of collecting a tail section of a long product, such as an optical fiber cable, are provided. In the method, a lead wire from a tail spool is unwound, and the lead wire is fed through a flange of a main spool. The tail spool and the main spool have a common rotation axis. The lead wire is attached to the long product. The tail spool is rotated while holding the main spool stationary so as to wind the lead wire and the tail section onto the tail spool. The rotation of the tail spool is stopped, and the main spool and the tail spool are rotated together so as to wind the long product onto the main spool. Also provided are embodiments of a winding apparatus using the tail spool and a tail reel that includes the tail spool and a drive mechanism.