Method of and device for compacting sections of strands of cables

Braided cable section compacting apparatus (1), with a compacting chamber (12) formed by compacting jaws (8-11), has a base plate (2) with fixed, vertical tilting journals (23,24). An actuating disk (4) carries the fourth jaw (11). Sliding elements (23,24), mounted on the journals (23, 24) and carrying the first and second jaws, and the third jaw (10) are forced into an opening in the disk by tilting the disk, so that the chamber cross-section is variable but always square. Compacting apparatus (1) for braided cable sections, with a compacting chamber (12) formed by the outer surfaces of four compacting jaws (8-11), has a base plate (2) with two fixed, vertically projecting tilting journals (23,24). An actuating disk (4) is tiltable about a central virtual axis on the base plate, has a disk opening, carries the fourth jaw (11) and is covered by a plate releasably connected to the base plate. Two sliding elements (23,24), tiltably mounted on the respective journals (23, 24) and carrying the first and second jaws (8,9) respectively, and the third, movable jaw (10) are forced into the disk opening by tilting the actuating disk, so that the cross-section of the compacting chamber is variable, while always remaining square. An independent claim is included for a corresponding method for compacting braided cable sections, involving: (A) removing the insulating sheath from the cable; (B) introducing the cable section to be compacted into a compacting chamber (12) through a frontal surface of the chamber; (C) reducing the cross-section of the chamber by tilting an actuating arm (5) into the actuating position; (D) passing a current impulse from a first compacting jaw (8) through the cable section into a second compacting jaw (9); (E) increasing the cross-section of the chamber by tilting the arm into the open position; (F) pushing the cable section out of the section; and (G) cutting the cable to the required length.