FR2630419A1 - Reel and winding-unwinding apparatus for a fibre-optic cable - Google Patents

Abstract

A cylinder 3 is axially removable and rotationally integral in the drum 24 of the reel 2, the cylinder including, at least at one 33 of the ends, a so-called axial or annular rotating seal 31 in order to connect at least one optical fibre FC1 leaving a stripped end ED of a cable CA enclosed in the cylinder and an optical fibre FE1. Around the drum are provided a small compartment 23 for a reserve RC of several turns of cable so as to extract the cylinder and to repair or replace the seal without completely unwinding the cable, and a large compartment 22 for the major portion of the cable. A third compartment 21 of the reel makes it possible to wind up rapidly, by means of a motor, a predetermined length EL of one end of the cable. The reel is housed in a case of the apparatus 1 containing means for driving the reel.

Description

Reel and winder-unwinder device
for fiber optic cable
The present invention relates to a reel for a cable winder-unwinder apparatus comprising a rotating drum around which a cable for transmitting telecommunications signals is wound.

 Known cable drums are intended for winding and unwinding operations of an electric cable, such as a telephone line cable or video transmission cable. The ends of the cylindrical drum are closed by two welded circular plates and include a set of rotating joints for electrical conductors. Rotating parts of these joints are connected to ends of the conductors included in the cable and are permanently fixed to the end plates of the drum. These seals are therefore irremovable from the drum and do not allow their rapid replacement when they are defective.

 The present invention aims to provide a reel for a transmission cable containing at least one optical fiber, in which the winding and unwinding of the cable does not interrupt the transmission of telecommunications signals in the optical fiber, and which makes it possible to extract easily and rapidly rotating joints between optical fibers included in the cable and optical fibers external to the drum of the drum for repair or replacement.

 To this end, a reel according to the invention for fiber optic cable comprising a rotating drum around which the cable is wound, is characterized ea that it comprises a cylinder axially removable in the drum and integral in rotation with the drum, a rotary joint having a first part axially fixed to one end of the cylinder to receive one end of an optical fiber emerging from a stripped end of the cable included in the cylinder and having a second part cooperating in rotation with the first part of joint and stationary in rotation relative to the drum to receive one end of an external optical fiber connected to said fiber leaving the cable, a small annular compartment peripheral to the drum to store a reserve of a few turns of the cable succeeding said stripped end, and a large annular compartment peripheral to the drum for storing most of the cable, said small compartment communicating with the i ntérieur said cylinder through two holes of the drum and the cylinder and communicating with the large compartment through a first cable passage.

 The cylinder supporting the fiber optic seal is easily removable from the drum by axial sliding. The complete withdrawal of the removable cylinder is not hampered by any jamming of the first turns of the cable around the drum imparted by the load of the other turns of the cable completely wound, thanks to the presence of a reserve of a few first turns of cable stored in the small compartment and not compressed by the rest of the cable wound in the large compartment. When removing the cylinder supporting the seal, the first cable turns are removed from the first compartment through the radial holes in the drum and the cylinder, by rotating the drum a few turns, which avoids any harmful tensile force on the cable .

 According to another aspect of the invention, the drum comprises a third compartment for storing a predetermined length of a cable end to be unwound before most of the cable stored in the large compartment, said third compartment communicating with the large compartment to through a second cable passage. This predetermined length of cable end must be unwound quickly in order to quickly clear the environment of the reel, under certain operating conditions of the fiber optic cable. To this end, a fiber optic cable winder-unwinder apparatus including the reel according to the invention comprises motor means for axially rotating the reel, and means in which the cable leaving the reel passes to detect said predetermined length of the unwound end of the cable so as to control said motor means for one automatic operations of unwinding and winding said length of cable which can be stored in the third compartment.

 As will be seen below, the reel is easily insertable into a protective box to be driven in rotation by the motor means included in the box. In particular, the cable winder-unwinder device comprises two drive rollers which are driven in the same direction by the drive means and on which rests at least one of the circular flanges of the reel, and an idler roller pressing the flange against the drive rollers.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of several preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the corresponding accompanying drawings in which
- Fig. 1 is a schematic view partially in axial section of a reel for a cable with two optical fibers
- Fig. 2 is a schematic view partially in axial section and on a larger scale of an end of the drum of the drum which directly surrounds a cylinder with rotating optical seals; and
- Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of the interior of a winder-unwinder apparatus containing the drum.

 The winder-unwinder device 1 according to the invention illustrated in the figures is intended for an AC cable with two optical fibers FC1 and FC2. Each of the optical fibers transmits continuously, including during the operations of winding and unwinding of the cable, telecommunications signals in simplex or duplex mode between a fixed station SF and a mobile station SM, the apparatus being transportable and disposed at proximity to the fixed station. For example, the fixed station can be constituted by external terminals of a telephone link or video transmission serving a telephone exchange, or a radio relay, the mobile station can include one or more telephone sets , and / or one or more reporting cameras, or a transmission and / or reception antenna for telecommunications, or a transmitter-receiver measurement and control device.

The optical cable CA to be wound on the reel 2 included in the apparatus I has a length of several hundred meters, typically of the order of a kilometer.

 As shown in Fig. 1, the drum 2 essentially comprises three annular compartments 21, 22 and 23 distributed around a rotating cylindrical drum 24, and a central hollow cylinder 3 supporting two rotating optical fiber joints 31 and 32 and removable coaxially in the drum 24.

 The cylinder 3 is closed by two circular base plates 33 and 34 having U-shaped axial sections.

 As shown in Fig. 2, most of the base plates are housed in the ends of the cylinder. Flanges 330 and 340 of the plates 33 and 34 are diametrically aligned with lateral flanges 25 and 27 of the drum 2 respectively and are fixed by screws 331 and 341 to the ends of the cylinder 3. Axially to the perforated bottoms of the plates 33 and -34 are fixed rotating parts 310 and 320, called rotors, seals 31 and 32, respectively. Stationary parts 311 and 321, called stators, seals 31 and 32 projecting outwards from the bottoms of the base plates and are freely surrounded by the base plates 33 and 34.

For example, the revolving joints for optical fiber 31 and 32 can be analogous to annular seals described in patent application EP-AO 122,476 whose applicant, LITTON SYSTEMS INC., Markets them under the name FORJ (Fiber Optic Rotary
Attached). Individual external optical fibers sheathed FEI and
FE2 have first ends tangentially introduced into a groove of the stators 311 and 321 and have second ends provided with conventional connectors of optical fiber COI and C02 connected to the fixed station SF. Inside the cylinder 3, first ends of the two optical fibers FC1 and FC2 emerge tangentially from the rotors 310 and 320 and constitute ends of two optical fibers emerging from a stripped end
ED of the CA bifibre target. During the initial winding of the cable CA, it first enters the small compartment 23 through two aligned radial orifices 35 and 241 of the cylinder 3 and of the drum 24 of the drum 2.

 Each of these FORJ rotary joints can be used to connect two by two several optical fibers, such as fiber FC1, coming out of the stripped end ED of the CA cable with several optical fibers, such as fiber Fie1, external to the reel 2 .

 However according to the embodiment illustrated in detail in FIG.

2, which will be referred to below, the seals 31 and 32 are rotary seals, called axial seals, in each of which the ends of two fibers FC1 and Fie1, FC2 and FE2, are joined axially at the level of adjoining faces of the rotor and stator and emerge axially from the seals. The rotor and the stator are decoupled in rotation by means of a ring with several ball bearings surrounding the joined faces. Such axial rotary joints are marketed by LITTON SYSTEMS INC and by the Company
SOCAPEX.

 Fig. 2 shows the connections of the various elements 31> 33, 3 and 24 to the axial end of the drum 2 including the axial rotary joint 31.

 The cylinder 3 is easily and quickly removable from the drum 24 in order to replace one of the defective optical fiber rotary joints 31, 32 or to replace, preferably in the factory, the cylinder 3 by another cylinder intended for a cable with more than two optical fibers. The cylinder 3 and the drum 24 are linked in rotation by means of fishplates 332, or a thin ring. The ribs 332 are applied against the respective base of the cylinder and the bottom of radial notches 242 at the end of the drum 3 and are partially housed in radial notches 334 of the external flange 330 of the base plate 33. The ribs 332 and the fixing screws 331 are regularly distributed circumferentially in the flange 330.

 The rotor 310 of the seal 31 freely crosses the bottom 335 of the base plate 33, and is linked to the plate bottom 335 via the arrangement of clearances J1 and J2 both in axial translation and in diametrical translation. This connection between rotor and plate bottom is made by means of two cylindrical pins 336 diametrically opposite and each passing through two respective holes 312 and 338 aligned longitudinally in a flange 313 intermediate the rotor 310 and in the plate bottom 335. These pins 336 pass through the holes 312 with a transverse clearance J1.

In annular grooves at the ends of each of the pins
336 are stop circlips 337 in order to keep opposite the stator collar 313 and the plate bottom 335,
while preserving between them a longitudinal clearance J2. The pins
and circlips can be replaced by any other link, such as
only with screws or bolts and lock nut or washer. The first set J1 and, to a lesser extent, the set J2 are arranged so as not to modify the precise axial alignment of the ends of the fibers FE1 and
FC1 in the joint 31, when the drum 24 rotates the rotor 310 via the plate 33 during the cable winding and unwinding operations, and in particular
during various radial stresses on the drum during these operations.

 According to other variants, the cylinder 3 is integral in rotation with the drum 24, either by a thread or a helical assembly with groove and tongue, or by means of a cylindrical sleeve of hard elastomer 36. According to this latter variant illustrated in Fig. 1, the sleeve 36 encloses the external cylindrical surface of the cylinder 3 and penetrates by force into the bore of the drum 24. The elastomer sleeve 36 contributes to damping and balancing the radial forces due to the load created by the numerous turns of the cable CA around the drum, during cable winding and unwinding operations.

 In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the cylinder 3 is removed in the direction of the arrow RE, here to the right of the drum, opposite the end of the drum where the cable reserve winding compartment 23 is located.

For this purpose, at least the left end of the sleeve 36 and of the cylinder 3 and the flange 330 of the base plate 33 have longitudinal grooves or notches 37 aligned radially and opening into the orifice 35 of the cylinder to guide the cable. CA drawn from compartment 23 and avoid any jamming of the CA cable when removing the cylinder 3 according to the arrow RE. The compartment 23 is small and is suitable for storing one to four turns of the RC cable reserve, in order to completely remove the cylinder from the drum by unwinding only the reserve of the RC cable in the compartment 23, following relative translation and rotation of the cylinder 3 and of the drum 24, without unwinding the rest of the cable in the two other compartments 22 and 21.

 The reel 2 also comprises three metal flanges in a flat crown 25, 26 and 27 whose internal peripheries are welded diametrically around the metallic cylindrical drum 24.

The flanges 25 and 27 laterally delimit the exterior of the drum 2. The intermediate flange 26 is located between the flanges 25 and 27, and near the first flange 25 in the direction of which the optical seal cylinder 3 is introduced into the drum. The flanges 25 and 26 delimit the concentric compartments 21 and 23 which have a width substantially greater than three times the diameter of the cable CA. The flanges 26 and 27 and most of the periphery of the drum 24 delimit the large compartment 22 which has a width of between ten and twenty cable diameters. The radial height of the flanges is of the order of ten cable diameters.

 Between the first external flange 25 and the intermediate flange 26, a thin cylindrical ring 28 is welded to the opposite faces of the flanges 25 and 26 and coaxially with the drum 24. The ring 28 shares the annular space between the flanges 25 and 26, the small compartment 23 immediately surrounding the left end of the drum 24, and the compartment 21 concentrically surrounding the compartment 23. The radial height of the compartment 23 is small, and substantially equal to two cable diameters, while the radial height of the compartment 21 is of the order of seven cable diameters, in order to receive a predetermined length of the free end EL of the cable connected to the mobile station tS. This predetermined length is between ten and thirty meters, typically equal to twenty meters.

 In a circular sector of approximately 600, a circular recess 261 is cleared at the internal periphery of the intermediate flange 26 in order to slide the cable CA tangentially on the drum 24 between the compartments 23 and 22. As shown in the upper part of FIG. 2, a second recess in the form of a large flared notch 262 included in a crown sector of approximately 60 is also formed in the intermediate flange 26, and has a circular bottom 263 situated at a radial level above the ring 28. Said radial level corresponds approximately to the maximum height of all the turns of the cable CA suitably wound in the large compartment 22, and is thus adapted appreciably to the diameter of the last turn wound of cable in the compartment 22. The notch 262 is crossed by a portion of the cable CA between the last turn of cable wound in the large compartment 22 and the first turn of cable wound in the compartment 21 around the ring 28.

 According to another variant, the intermediate flange 26 offers several flared notches 262, for example three in number.

 According to a third variant shown in the lower part of FIG. 2, the external diameter of the intermediate flange 26 is smaller than that of the lateral external flanges 25 and 27, and equal to that of the circular bottom 263 of the notch 262 according to the first variant. This third variant offers the advantage that the unwinding of the AC cable is continuous, without manual intervention, between the end of the unwinding of the first wrapped turn of cable in compartment 21 and the start of the unwinding of the last wrapped turn of cable in compartment 22 .

 The major part of the cable CA is wound in or unwound from the compartment 22, either by manual rotation of the drum by means of a removable crank attached laterally to a roller 52 cooperating in rotation with at least one of the external flanges 25 and 26 , or by means of a motor mechanism 6, as will be seen below.

On the other hand, said length. predetermined cable end
EL is wound in or unwound from the first compartment 21 automatically using the motor mechanism. The winding and unwinding of this end of the EL cable is very rapid due to the narrowness of the compartment 21 which does not require any manual axial scanning of the cable, unlike the winding and unwinding operations for the major part of the cable in the large compartment 22. This allows an operator to move the mobile station SM unassisted near the reel, while maintaining the transmission of signals in the optical fibers. The cable is thus automatically unwound for a few tens of meters EL , from compartment 21, then is released from compartment 21 manually through the notch 262 or one
notches 262, or automatically by passing over the external periphery 263 of the intermediate flange, and can be partially or completely unwound from the large compartment 22, the reserve
RC of a few turns of cable in the small compartment 23 being preserved.

With reference to FIG. 3, the cable reel-unwind device 1 appears in the form of a rectangular box 4 closed by a cover 5 articulated around a hinge 501 parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum. The cover is lockable on the box by a suitable closing device 502. The external fibers FE1 and FE2 penetrate into the box through one or more orifices 400 of the box which are preferably provided with watertight seals, such as cable glands PEl and
PE2 and which are made in the upper part - from one of the large vertical sides 40 of the box 4, near the hinge 501.

 Significantly in the center of the box, the drum 2 is arranged with its drum 24 parallel to two small vertical sides 41 and 42 of the box 4. The periphery of the vertical external flanges 25 and 2-7 rests on two pairs of horizontal cylindrical rollers and motors 61 and 62 which are housed parallel to the drum 24 in an engine compartment 6 at the bottom of the box 41. The compartment 6 contains a reversible gearmotor, preferably electric. The motor drives the rollers 61 and 62 according to rotations in the same direction, and can be disengaged from the rollers 61 and 62 for manual operations of winding and unwinding of the cable. A third pair of cylindrical rollers 52 is mounted for free rotation between two hanging bearings 521 fixed under the cover 5.The roller 52 is aligned parallel to the drum 24 along the mediator plane between the rollers 61 and 62. According to the embodiment illustrated, the pairs of rollers 61, 62 and 52 are hard rubber cylinders which makes it possible to drive the drum 2 in horizontal axial rotation when the idler roller 52 presses the flanges 25 and 27 against the lower rollers 61 and 62 after locking the cover 5.

 According to other variants, each of the pairs of rollers 61 and 62 can be replaced by a roller whose length is substantially equal to that of the drum 24 of the drum. Each roller or roller can be replaced by a toothed pinion or roller meshing with the toothed periphery of the external flanges 25 and 27. Instead of being suspended under the cover, the two crazy upper rollers 52 can be fixed respectively to the long sides 4C of the enclosure, via console with transverse groove parallel to the drum, in order to clear between the rollers, a width available for the introduction of the reel into the enclosure and to adjust the vertical alignment of the rollers 52 with the external flanges 25 and 27 of the drum when the latter is placed on the lower drive rollers 61 and 62. According to another variant with idler roller 52, the roller 52 has axial ends 522 which are removably mounted in notches on the internal faces of the long sides 40 of the box, in order to facilitate the introduction of the drum into the trunk, and which are mounted in horizontal rotation by a known locking means, of the half-collapsible collar type, so that the roller 52 is applied against the flanges 25 and 27.

 For the introduction of the drum 2 into the open box, then for the guiding and the vertical holding of the flanges 25 and 27 during the rotation of the drum, several stops 43, such as pads of plastic material, are distributed on the internal faces. large vertical sides 40 of the box 4 to be in soft friction contact with the external faces of the flanges 25 and 27.

 At least one of the long sides 40 of the box offers a central circular aperture 401 which is freely crossed by one of the ends 522 of one of the rollers or of the idler roller 52. This end is provided with an operating square 523 in order to fix the crank to axially turn the reel 2 and thus wind or unwind the cable, after disengaging the motor, the rollers or rollers 61 and 62 then rotating freely, like the rollers or the roller 52.

 As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the stators 311 and 321 of the rotary joints for optical fiber 31 and 32 are held stationary by two arms 53 along the external flanges 25 and 27, respectively. The arms 5-3 have first ends 531 in the form of a fork, lug or screw collar, engaging on the stators. Second ends at, T 532 in the upper part of the arms 53 are embedded in suitable receptacles 402 projecting from the internal faces of the long sides of the box 40, when the reel 2 is introduced into the box 4, which thus immobilizes in translation and rotation of the stators 311, 321 of the rotating joints.

 When the diameter of the outer peripheral edge of the intermediate flange 26 is less than that of the lateral flanges 25 and 27, as shown in the lower part in FIG 2, while being greater than the diameter of the. ring 28, the two flanges 25 and 27 have pairs of longitudinally aligned holes 251 and 271, regularly distributed at the periphery. Les.rous 25I and 271 receive curved ends 61 of flexible arms of a handle 6 in the form of U serving for the introduction and the extraction of the reel 2, and for its transport. The length of the handle 6 is substantially equal to the length of the drum. When the intermediate flange 26 has at least one notch 262, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 2, the flange 26 may also have holes aligned with the holes 271 of the second external flange 27, to introduce the ends of a handle, similar to the handle 6, between the flanges 26 and 27.

 In the upper part of the box 4, on the side of the closing device 502, there are also two small superimposed horizontal rollers 44 between which the CA cable unwound from the reel 2, and an idler intermediate roller 45 supporting and guiding the CA cable to pass the small side of the box 42 through a flared tube 56 projecting laterally under an edge of the box. The elements 44, 45 and 46 are fixed to the cabinet 4. The rollers 44 are associated with an electronic tachometer 47 which permanently indicates, through a window of the cabinet or the cover, the length of the AC cable unwound outside from box 4 ..

 In particular, the tachometer 47 includes a detector for signaling the unwinding or complete winding of the major part of the cable in the large compartment 22 in order to control, via an electrical connection 470, the momentary disengagement of the motor in the compartment 6 , when unwinding or winding operations are motorized. However, the rev counter 47 is mainly used, via the link 470, to engage the engine automatically as soon as the last turn of the cable is manually wound in the large compartment 22 in order to quickly wind the end of the cable EL in compartment 21, or, where appropriate, to disengage the motor as soon as the last cable revolution is unwound from compartment 21 in order to carry out a selection of manual and motorized rotations of the drum 2 to unwind the cable from the large compartment 22.

 According to other variants of the box and the cover, the rev counter 47 can be arranged outside the box, the elements 44 to 46 can be fixed to the cover, and the cover can be completely removable from the box. The unwinding of the cable and the output of the external fibers FE1 and FE2 can be carried out in the lower part of the cabinet.

 Furthermore, the CA cable can only comprise one optical fiber FC1 or FC2, or several fibers connected to individual external fibers included or not in an external optical fiber cable by means of several rotary joints stacked along the axis of the cylinder 3 or concentrically at the two ends 33 and 34 of the cylinder 3. Depending on requirements, the cable may contain one or more electrical conductors, in particular for transmission lines in association with the fibers; in this case, the electrical conductors emerging from the stripped end ED of the cable are connected to conductors external to the drum by known electrical rotary joints having a first part fixed to one end 33 or 34 of the cylinder 3 and a second part cooperating in rotation with the first part and fixed to the corresponding arm 53.

Claims (25)

R E V E N D I C A T I O N S  1 - Reel (2) for fiber optic (CA) cable comprising a  rotary drum (24) around which the cable is wound, characterized in that it comprises a cylinder (3) axially removable in the drum (24) and integral in rotation with the drum, a rotary joint (31) having a first part (310)  axially fixed to one end (33) of the cylinder to receive one end of an optical fiber (FC1) emerging from a stripped end (ED) of the cable (CA) included in the cylinder and having a second part (311) cooperating with rotation with the first seal part (310) and stationary in rotation relative to the drum to receive one end of an external optical fiber (FE1)  connected to said fiber leaving the cable (FC1), a small annular compartment (23) peripheral to the drum to store a reserve (RC) of a few turns of the cable, and a large annular compartment (22) peripheral to the drum to store the major part of the cable, said small compartment  (23) communicating with the interior of said cylinder (3) through two orifices (241, 35) of the drum (24) and of the cylinder (3) and communicating with the large compartment (22) through a first cable passage ( 261).  2 - Reel according to claim 1, characterized in that said first passage (261) is substantially tangential to the drum (24).  3 - Reel according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cylinder (3) has a longitudinal groove (37) between said orifice (35) of the cylinder and at least one (33) of the ends of the cylinder.  4 - reel according to any one of claims 1 to  3, characterized in that said cylinder (3) is slidably mounted in the drum (24) and has ends linked to ends of the drum by removable fixing means (332,  333, 240).  5 - Reel according to any one of claims I to  3, characterized in that said cylinder (3) is coated with an elastomer sleeve (36) sliding axially by force in the drum  (24).  6 - Reel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises means (313, 336, 337, 335) for-connecting said cylinder end (33) to the first part (310) of the rotary joint (31) with a transverse play (J1) and, preferably, a longitudinal play (52).  7 - reel according to claim 6, characterized in that the means for connecting with play comprise at least one pin (336) parallel to the cylinder (3) and passing through holes (312, 338) in a flange (313) of the first part of seal (310) and a base plate (335) closing said end (33) of the cylinder, and two stop elements (337) fixed to the ends of the pin and framing the flange (313) and the plate base (335), said transverse clearance (J1) being arranged in at least one (312) of said holes, and preferably, said longitudinal clearance (J2) being arranged between said flange (313) and said base plate (335 ).  8 - reel according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that at said end of the cylinder to which is fixed the first part (310) of the rotary joint (31) is provided a base plate (33) U-shaped axial section having a flange (330) directed towards the outside of the drum which is fixable (331) at one end of the cylinder, and a bottom (335) which is located inside the cylinder (3) and which is partially traversed by the first seal part (310) and fixable (336) thereto, the base plate (33) surrounding said seal (31).  9 - Reel according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises two axial rotary joints (31, 32) fixed axially and respectively at the ends (33, 34) of said cylinder (3) to connect two -two two optical fibers (FCl, FC2) leaving the stripped end of the cable (ED) and two external optical fibers (fez, FE2).  10 - Reel according to any one of claims] to 8, characterized in that said rotary joint (31) is a rotary annular joint for connecting two-by-two optical fibers (FCI, FC2) leaving the end cable stripped (ED) and external optical fibers (fie1, FE2).  11 - Reel according to claim 10, characterized in that the other end (34) of said cylinder (3) coaxially comprises another rotating annular seal.  12 - Reel according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it comprises at least one other rotary joint having a first part fixed to one end (33) of the cylinder (3) to receive at least one end of an electrical conductor emerging from the stripped end (ED) of the cable (CA) and having a second part cooperating in rotation with the first part of said other seal and stationary in rotation relative to the drum (24) to receive an end an external electrical conductor connected to said conductor leaving the cable.  13 - Reel according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the drum (24) has a third compartment (21) for storing a predetermined length (EL) of a cable end to be unwound before most of the cable stored in the large compartment (22), said third compartment communicating with the large compartment through a second cable passage (262, 263).  14 - Reel according to claim 13, characterized in that said compartments (21, 22, 23) are delimited by first and second external flanges (25, 27) and an intermediate flange (26) which are parallel and diametrical around the drum (24), and by a ring (28) which is coaxial with the drum (24) and fixed between the first external flange (25) and the intermediate flange, the small compartment (23) and the third compartment (21) being separated concentrically by said ring (28), the large compartment (22) - being included between the intermediate flange and the second external flange (27), and said first and second passages (261; 262, 263) being formed in the intermediate flange ( 26).  15 - Reel according to claim 14, characterized in that said second passage is constituted by at least one notch (262) formed in the intermediate flange (26) and having a circular bottom (263) having a diameter greater than that of said ring (28).  16 - Reel according to claim 14, characterized in that said second passage is materialized by the external peripheral edge (263) of the intermediate flange having a diameter greater than that of said ring (28) and less than those of the external flanges (25 , 27).  17 - Reel according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that two of the flanges (25, 26, 27) have several pairs of holes (251, 271) to receive the ends (61) of a handle removable (6).  18 - Fiber optic cable winder-unwinder apparatus including the reel according to any one of claims 13 to 17, characterized in that it comprises motor means (6, 61, 62) for axially rotating the reel ( 2), and means (44, 47) through which the cable (CA) leaving the reel passes to detect said predetermined length (EL) of the unwound end of the cable so as to control said motor means (6, 61, 62 ) for one of the automatic operations of unwinding and winding of said predetermined length of cable (EL) which can be stored in the third compartment (21).  19 - Fiber optic cable winder-unwinder apparatus including the reel according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that it comprises at least two drive rollers (61, 62), which are driven in the same direction by motor means (6) and on which at least one rests. circular flanges (25, 27) of the drum (2), and an idler roller (52) pressing the flange against the drive rollers.  20 - Apparatus according to claim 19, characterized in that it comprises a box (4), the drive rollers (61, 62) and the motor means (6) being housed in the bottom of the box, said drum (2) being disposed substantially in the center of the cabinet and resting on the drive rollers, and said idler roller (52) being located in the upper part of the cabinet (4).  21 - Apparatus according to claim 20, characterized in that the idler roller (52) is fixable on an internal side (40) of the cabinet, and is removable from the cabinet and / or mounted to slide parallel to the drum (24) of the drum (2).  22 - Apparatus according to claim 20, characterized in that it comprises a cover (5) closing the box (4) and under which is suspended said idler roller (52).  23 - Apparatus according to any one of claims 20 to 22, characterized by an arm (53) along one of the flanges (25) of the drum (2) in the cabinet (4), and having a first end (531 ) attached to the second stationary portion (311) of the fiber optic seal (31), and a second end (532) removably attached to one side (40) of the cabinet (4).  24 - Apparatus according to any one of claims 20 to 23, characterized in that the internal faces of two sides of the cabinet (4) comprise projecting stops (43) for guiding the flanges (25, 27) of the drum (2 ) when inserting and rotating the drum in the cabinet.  25 - Apparatus according to any one of claims 20 to 24, characterized in that one end (522, 523) of the idler roller (52) freely crosses one side (40) of the box (4) in order to cooperate with a crank to turn the reel (2).