Communication cable having loops of a retainer element at successive locations, a method and apparatus for forming the cable

The present invention is directed to a method for the longitudinal application of an elongated retainer element onto a traversing travelling or moving bundle having a plurality of electrical and/or optical transmission elements. For the longitudinal application of at least one elongated retainer element onto a longitudinally extending bundle having a plurality of electrical and/or optical transmission elements, a retainer element is formed into a loop at successive discrete locations of the bundle and the respective loops are tightened to form a retaining force. Preferably, the loops are chained together by having the loop of the next following loop passing through the preceding loop.