A ball chain is made of metal beads with a headed wire rivet that acts as a flexible connecting link. Rows of ball chains are connected to a potential current to detect insulation failures in extruded cable in spark testers.

A device designed to stabilize current flow.

Faulty or erratic payoff from the spool carriers of a braiding machine that results in loose snaking yarns or wires. This could be caused by a worn or damaged ratchet, pawl or spring on the carrier, a loosely fitted supply spool or by a machine that is running too fast.

A device for matching an unbalanced coaxial transmission line to a balanced two-wire system. Normally also gives impedance transformation, as 300 ohm balanced to 75 ohm unbalanced.

See Marking, Band.

Two or more cables banded together by stainless steel strapping.

The difference between the upper and lower limits of a given band of frequencies. Expressed in Hertz.

The maximum data transmission rate that a device can transmit or receive. This assumes that the limit is not caused by low optical power or distortion due to dispersion of the signal.

An aggregation of similar devices, such as transformers, connected together and used in cooperation.

An insulated wire used for the interconnection of selector switches in automatic telephone exchanges.

Term used for hot rolled or cold-drawn/ cold-finished steel bars. In contrast to wire (taken up in coils or on spools) bars are handled as long, straight, rigid pieces of metal. They are rolled from billets into wide range of shapes. One example is concrete reinforcing bar (rebar), which is used to strengthen concrete in highways, bridges and buildings.

A phrase used for a technique of applying fluids or cooling chambers to cool rod or bars during a continuous casting operation.

A shear for cutting bars into lengths for shipping or for discarding during start-up.

One of two cold processes (see Bar, Cold-Finished) for producing finished bar, this is the one most commonly used. Cold-drawn bars are produced by removing the scale in some manner, then pulling the clean material through a tungsten carbide die of smaller size with the assistance of a lubricant. This cold reduction of the cross section increases the tensile, yield and hardness of the material. The steel’s machineability is usually improved. These types of bars are typically used for screw machines, shafts and cylinders, along with many other automotive and farm equipment applications.

One of two cold processes for producing finished bar. Cold-finished bars are designated as such to differentiate them from cold-drawn product. Cold-finished bars may be rough-turned to remove scale and improve dimensional properties. Further processing by grinding or polishing will produce exacting dimensions and a better surface finish. This adds value to the product but does not change the tensile or yield strength of the material. These types of bars are typically used for machine shafts or applications where additional surface preparation permit, such as hydraulic cylinders.

Bars produced in a process where billets or blooms are worked hot through a series of rolls to produce a desired cross section. Though most often produced as straight lengths, some sizes and sections are produced as coils. Hot rolled material has an inherent scale cover along with relatively low tensile and yield strengths. These types of bars are typically used for structural reinforcement, roads, and bridges.

Also known as Constitine Wire. Manufactured from mild steel wire, barbed wire may also be made from aluminum or stainless steel for special applications.

A wire that is neither insulated nor coated.

Element, chemical symbol Ba. This element is used in coating compounds to activate the filament wires in valves, etc., so as to achieve efficient electron emission.

A cylindrical extruder housing in which the screw rotates.