U.S. patent number 3,747,861 [Application Number 05/180,768] was granted by the patent office on 1973-07-24 for apparatus and method for winding flexible material for twistless payout through a straight radial opening.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Windings, Inc.. Invention is credited to James W. Newman, William A. Wagner.
United States Patent |
3,747,861 |
Wagner , et al. |
July 24, 1973 |
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR WINDING FLEXIBLE MATERIAL FOR TWISTLESS
PAYOUT THROUGH A STRAIGHT RADIAL OPENING
Abstract
In winding flexible material in a series of figure-8 bights on a
spindle or mandrel, with successive cross-overs progressing around
the package and with interruption at one point to produce a radial
hole through which the interior end of the material is led out, the
machine having a guide which moves outwardly as the package builds
up, rocking about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the
spindle, the production of a curved radial opening is prevented by
either changing the relative speeds of the spindle and the guide in
such a way as to produce the opening at substantially the same
angular position in each layer or by shifting the spindle on its
shaft slightly as the package builds up for the same purpose.
Inventors: |
Wagner; William A. (Bronxville,
NY), Newman; James W. (Scarsdale, NY) |
Assignee: |
Windings, Inc. (Yonkers,
NY)
|
Family
ID: |
22661700 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/180,768 |
Filed: |
September 15, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
242/476.9;
242/163; 242/482.8 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H
55/046 (20130101); B65H 2701/31 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65H
55/04 (20060101); B65H 55/00 (20060101); B65h
054/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;242/18R,43,163 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Gilreath; Stanley N.
Claims
We claim:
1. In a machine for winding flexible material having a spindle
element mounted to rotate about an axis, a guide element, means to
rotate the spindle element and means to move the guide element
along the spindle element and slightly out of phase therewith so as
to lay up on the spindle element successive layers of figure-8
winds in which the cross-overs progress successively around the
package in opposite directions in successive layers, the
progression of cross-overs being somewhat less than 360.degree. so
as to leave holes forming a radial opening into the central core of
a package being wound on the spindle element, and means mounting
the guide element for oscillatory movement towards and from the
spindle about an axis parallel to the spindle element axis, the
improvement which comprises means to cause said holes in successive
layers to be formed substantially in a straight line radial to the
axis of the spindle element, said last means comprising means for
changing the relative speed of movement of the elements
progressively during the build-up of the package to such a degree
as to maintain substantially the holes in the same radius.
2. In a machine as claimed in claim 1, said last means comprising
means for producing a slight angular shift of that part of the
spindle element on which the material is wound with respect to the
guide element after a predetermined number of layers.
3. In a machine as claimed in claim 2, said spindle element
comprising a shaft and a mandrel mounted on the shaft and turnable
with respect thereto, said spindle element rotating means including
means to rotate the shaft, friction means normally resisting
turning of the mandrel with respect to the shaft, said shift
producing means including means to produce turning of the mandrel
with respect to the shaft.
4. In a machine as claimed in claim 3, means to count the movements
of one of said elements, and means controlled by said counting
means to produce operation of said shift producing means.
5. In a machine as claimed in claim 2, means to count the movements
of one of said elements, and means controlled by said counting
means to produce operation of said shift producing means.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the winding of flexible material in a
package composed of a series of layers each formed of a plurality
of figure-8 bights the cross-overs of which progress successively
around the package leaving a radial opening through it at one point
through which the inner end of the material is led out for
twistless payout.
2. The Prior Art
The present invention constitutes an improvement on the machines
and methods disclosed by Taylor et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,634,918 and
Taylor U.S. Pat. No. 2,634,922. It is particularly useful in
connection with the arrangement shown in Taylor U.S. Pat. No.
2,716,008, in which a so-called plus-minus wind is formed by
causing the cross-overs to progress around the package first in one
direction and then in the other by amounts of somewhat less than
360.degree..
Hole Straightening
Either the guide or the spindle on all conventional widning
machines recedes from either the spindle or the guide respectively.
This receding member pivots on a fulcrum about an axis parallel to
that of the spindle, which is the case in all conventional winding
machinery, a radial hole produced by methods covered in the patents
discussed above will be curved. The curvature will follow the arc
of the receding member. The curved hole is undesirable. It leads to
restrained payout due to layers where the greatest friction occurs.
It may limit the size of the winding because the curvature can be
so great as to make payout of certain materials impractical in a
large package, and even prevent insertion of a tube. It may make a
large hole mandatory so that some of the curvature can be negated
by using an inordinately large hole.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, the production of a curved hole
is avoided and a straight radial hole is produced, by so adjusting
the machine that the hole is produced in each layer at the same
angular position on the material being wound, regardless of the
fact that the guide in its movement out from the axis as the
package is built up moves in a curved path.
The present invention constitutes two ways in which this can be
accomplished.
Since the hole advances around the winding circumference, each
layer gaining or losing slightly on the one preceding, it will be
necessary to speed up or slow down the spindle with respect to the
guide. This change in speed of one member with respect to the other
must be coordinated with the rate at which the hole is advancing
around the circumference of the winding. Thus the effect will be a
straight hole. That is, a hole perpendicular to the winding's
surface will be produced. This change of speed will ordinarily be
very slight.
A machine using a synchronous motor will lend itself well to such
an application because speed changes are easily and accurately
accomplished by changing the driver frequency at the translator. At
the completion of each layer it will only be necessary to adjust
the driving frequency very slightly in order to effect the speed
change of one of the members (spindle or guide). Since the gain is
also effected by changing one member's speed with respect to the
other's, it may be necessary to compensate for the change in speed
in order to preserve the same gains in each layer of the wind.
Programmed winding machines could easily straighten the hole and
preserve the original positive and negative gains throughout the
wind.
According to a further modification of the invention, the mandrel
on which the wind is to be formed is mounted on a spindle and
mechanism is provided controlled by a counter operated in
synchronism with the motor driving the spindle for shifting the
mandrel slightly on the spindle after each given number of
revolutions to such an extent as to cause the production of a
straight hole.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically the manner in which a hole is
normally produced in a machine in enabling the feature of the
present invention, as well as the desirable hole to be produced
according to the invention;
FIG. 2 shows a system for producing a straight hole in which the
relative speeds of the guide and spindle are varied;
FIG. 3 is a detail of a part of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 shows in a block diagram a circuit for the arrangement of
FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 shows a modified form in which the mandrel is attached with
respect to the spindle; and
FIG. 6 is an end view of the mandrel shifting mechanism of FIG.
5.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a spindle or mandrel 2 upon
which is built up a package 4 of flexible material in the form of
figure-8 bights as disclosed in the Taylor patents referred to
above. Certain layers of the package are shown
diagrammatically.
The package is produced by the rotation of the spindle 2 in
synchronism with a guide 6 which is moved back and forth along the
package so as to build up successive figure-8 coils in layers, with
the cross-overs in each layer progressing successively around the
package but leaving an opening at one point such as the opening 8.
This is preferably accompanied by causing the cross-overs to
progress in one direction through an angle of slightly less than
360.degree. and then in the other direction as disclosed in Taylor
U.S. Pat. No. 2,716,008.
Because the guide 6 which moves gradually out from the axis of the
package as it is wound is mounted to swing about an axis parallel
to the axis of rotation, the normal procedure results in a curved
hole as shown in 8, which has the disadvantages discussed
above.
The present invention provides a straight hole as indicated at
10.
According to the modification shown in FIG. 2, the mandrel on which
the material is wound is driven by a synchronous motor controlled
by a translator which also controls a synchronous cam motor. The
latter through a heart-shaped cam and rollers on a slide oscillates
a lever carrying a guide for the flexible material. All of the
mechanism from the motor 18 to the guide 28 is mounted on a frame
mounted in bearings and gradually moved away from the mandrel
during the building up of the package by a guide angle adjustment
device.
According to the invention, the translator is so adjusted that, as
the package builds up, at each revolution or at a certain time
after a pre-determined number of revolutions the translator adjusts
the speed of the cam motor slightly with relation to that of the
spindle motor. This may for example accomplish the desired result
by slowing down the guide slightly with respect to the spindle as
the cross-overs progress in one direction around the package,
preferably at about the time of change from a plus wind to a minus
wind or speeding it up slightly as the cross-overs progress in the
other direction. For example, if in the form of FIG. 1 the
cross-overs are progressing clockwise, and the rate of rotation of
the spindle is increased slightly with respect to that of the
guide, the cross-overs will reach the radial position of the
straight hole 10 at the time that the reversing mechanism operates
to cause the cross-overs to start to progress in the opposite
direction. If during this second stage the spindle is slowed down
with respect to the guide, the final cross-overs will again
approach the other side of the hole 10. This will continue forming
layer by layer, with the result that the hole 10 will be straight
instead of curved as shown at 8.
Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, FIG. 2 shows a mandrel 2 mounted on a
spindle 12 driven by a motor 14. There is likewise a guide 16
pivoted at 18 on a member 20 carried by a frame 22 having
projections at either end turnable in bearings 24. The frame 22
also carries a motor 26, hereinafter referred to as the guide
motor, which drives a cam 28 capable of moving back and forth a
slide 30 guided in a member 32 carried by the frame 22. Slide 30
has a pin 34 engaging in a slot 36 in the guide member 16, for
causing the guide member to oscillate as the cam 28 is rotated by
the motor 26.
Two pickups 38 and 40 respectively are associated with the shafts
of motors 14 and 26 to pick up a signal once at each revolution.
The signals from the pickup 40 are supplied by a step-by-step motor
42 which drives a worm 44 engaging a worm wheel 46 mounted on the
frame 22. Thus at each revolution of the motor 26, the motor 42 is
turned by one step, and through worm wheel 46 gradually moves the
guide 16 away from the package being wound on mandrel 2 as this
package builds up, without contact with the face of the
package.
In lieu of this arrangement, it is possible to also use an
arrangement such as shown in the U.S. Pat. to Keith, No.
2,769,299.
FIG. 4 shows diagrammatically the control circuit. Pickups 38 and
40 feed And logic 48 which emits a signal each time the pickups 38
and 40 emit signals simultaneously. Since the motors 14 and 26 are
running slightly out of phase with each other, this means that such
a signal will be emitted only once in slightly less than a full
layer, that is, as the cross-overs of the winding approach the hole
from one side or the other.
The emission of a signal by the And logic 48 sends a signal to a
bi-stable flip-flop 50, which alternately energizes resistors 52
and 54, which in turn control a pulse generator 56 supplying pulses
from a power supply 58 through logic and amplifiers 60 to one of
the motors, for example the cam motor 26. The other motor, such as
the spindle motor 14, is also supplied through pulse generator 62
from power supply 58, and logic and amplifiers 64. Pulse generator
62 is connected with an adjustable resistor 66 so that the speed of
motor 14 can be adjusted.
The device 68 made up of the parts 56, 58, 60, 62 and 64 makes up a
translator, which may be for example a high speed translator of the
type made by the Superior Electric Company, Bristol, Conn., and
described in a pamphlet entitled "New High Speed Translators
Present Indexer," Copyright 1968 by the Superior Electric Company.
With such an arrangement, variations in the resistances 52, 54 or
66 control the pulse generators 56 or 62 so as to vary the speed of
motors 26 and 14. Since resistors 52 and 54 are different, they
will alternately be connected by the bi-stable flip-flop 50 to
cause the cam motor 26 to move slightly faster than or slightly
slower than the spindle motor 14, so as to produce the desired
plus-minus gain and minus gain.
Bi-stable flip-flop 50 at each operation operates a time relay 70,
which upon actuation closes for a pre-selected, adjustable period
of time, for example half a second or the like. The closing of this
relay closes an electronic switch 72 which in turn operates a
sequential relay 74, or in other words a step-by-step relay which
at each operation will move a movable contact from one to another
of a series of secondary contacts. The secondary contacts are
connected by lines 76 to a plurality of resistors 78 of differing
values which are in turn connected to the pulse generator 56.
Thus each time the bi-stable flip-flop 50 is operated, that is,
each time the cross-over point approaches the hole being formed in
a winding, the time relay sends current to one of the resistors 78
and thus to the pulse generator.
Each time one of the resistors is connected to the pulse generator
56, it causes a slight adjustment of the speed of the cam motor 26
for the time in which the relay 70 is closed. This then slows down
the progress of the crossovers on one side of the hole and speeds
them up on the other side of the hole, so that the curvature shown
in FIG. 1 is avoided and a straight hole is obtained.
The resistors 76 are selected so that this speeding up or slowing
down varies to compensate for the fact that the position of the
hole must be adjusted more and more as the package builds up, or in
other words the deviation from the hole 8 must be increased to
maintain the hole straight.
In the case of narrow walled packages it may be possible to
eliminate the relay 74 and operate with a single resistor 78, and
still obtain substantial straightening of the hole.
Coming now to FIGS. 5 and 6, a modified arrangement is shown in
which the mandrel 2 is mounted on a spindle 80 driven by motor 14.
A friction clutch 82 mounted on the spindle 80 connects the mandrel
2 with the spindle so as normally to turn therewith but to be
movable with respect thereto. The spindle is mounted in bearings
84.
The motor 14 drives a motor 86, which is arranged to emit a pulse
after a certain number of operations, for example at each hundredth
rotation of the spindle. This pulse is supplied to a control switch
86 and reopens as soon as the pulse is removed. The switch 88
controls an electromagnet 90 through slip rings 92.
Electromagnet 90 is mounted on a carrier 94 rotatable with the
spindle 80, and at each actuation operates a pawl 96 which is
connectible with teeth on a projection 98 of the spindle 2.
As a result, periodically during the formation of the package the
electromagnet 90 is energized and produces turning of the mandrel 2
on the spindle 80. The result is that the position at which the
hole is formed with reference to the spindle is adjusted
periodically from its curved shape part at 8 in FIG. 1 to obtain
substantially a straight hole 10.
* * * * *