A method of preparing a coated optical fiber for coupling to a face of an optical
device includes placing the coated fiber so that it extends through a stripping
station, a cleaning station and a cleaving station. A stripper at the stripping
station is brought into engagement with the fiber and relative motion between the
fiber and the stripping station, the cleaning station and the cleaving station
is effected lengthwise of the fiber, whereby the coating is stripped from a medial
length segment of the fiber as the cleaning device at the cleaning station is activated
for cleaning fragments of coating material from the medial length segment of the
fiber as the medial length segment passes through the cleaning station and the
cleaning device is deactivated and stripping is discontinued. The fiber is positioned
with the medial length segment at the cleaving station, the fiber is clamped at
a location that is upstream of the cleaving station with respect to the direction
from the stripping station to the cleaving station, and the fiber is cleaved within
the medial length segment, thereby providing the fiber with a freshly cleaved end region.
