EP0778591B1 - Stranding machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The cable manufacturing machine produces twisted pair cables with two or more pairs (11) of insulated wires (12), . The individual wires are twisted (15) into pairs, then pairs are twisted together (18). Before the pairs are twisted together to form the cable they are wrapped in a screening tape. The tape is delivered from stock reels (38), feeding the tape into a winder plate (24) along with the pairs to that each pair is wrapped in the screening tape before the pairs are twisted together (18).

Description

The present invention relates generally cabling machines of the kind implementing, for the realization of an electric cable comprising at least two pairs of insulated wires, on the one hand, for each of the pairs, suitable twisting means for twisting the two wires together intended to form such a pair, hereinafter referred to as simple convenience primary torsion means, and, on the other hand, for the set of pairs, means of torsion suitable for twisting together the various pairs, hereinafter referred to as simple convenience secondary torsion means (FR-A-2 147 951).

It is aimed more particularly, but not necessarily exclusively, the case where, as regards the realization of a transmission cable of the type of those, commonly designated by the acronym "LAN", are intended for transfer of high frequency signals, such as for example computer data, the pairs must be each individually "screened", that is to say surrounded by a shielding screen.

It is then successively provided, between the means of primary torsion and the secondary torsion means a taping station, which allows to associate with each of the pairs a ribbon intended to wrap around it, in principle in propeller, to form the screen sought, a die of commettage, which presents, for the passage of the various pairs and their respective ribbons, as many holes as there are such pairs, and an assembly die, which presents, for the joint passage of all of these pairs, a piercing unique.

Depending on the requirements to be met, the step of assembling the pairs, that is to say the pitch of the propeller that each of them forms within the electric cable, varies very widely, but is usually in the range of 15-20 times the diameter of this electrical cable.

By construction, the taping is necessarily done at the same pace.

However, the pairs to which this taping is applied, they, each individually, obviously have a diameter much lower than that of the electric cable they form jointly.

Consequently, for such a pair, the taping step is a relatively large multiple of the diameter, or, otherwise said, this taping step is particularly long compared to this diameter.

As a corollary, being intended to form a screen, the ribbon applied is a metallic, or metallized, ribbon and therefore presents transversely a certain stiffness, in function, in particular, of its thickness.

It results, overall, from this combination of factors, namely, a relatively large step and a transverse stiffness itself relatively significant, that the ribbon used on each pair to form a screen around it closes relatively awkwardly on a such a pair, forming more a gutter than a helix around of it, and that, from its installation, it unfortunately tends to open, to then close in conditions, which, inevitably poorly controlled, can lead to faults prohibitive.

The present invention generally has for object a provision to overcome in a very simple this difficulty.

More specifically, it relates to a machine of the kind concerned and characterized in that the assembly process it involves works nearby immediately from its committing channel.

For example, and to fix ideas, this sector assembly takes place at a distance from the committing which, preferably, is at most equal to the half the step of a ribbon around a pair.

Either way, assembling the pairs between they intervene, according to the invention, immediately after committing them, and taping them in practice concomitant, or almost concomitant, with this committing, the various pairs by themselves maintain the ribbon of each of them even before this ribbon can have tendency to open.

Thus, the conditions, duly checked, according to which the ribbon associated with a pair coats in a helix these are advantageously preserved, without intermediate degradation, finally in the electric cable got.

Preferably, in fact, each of the holes of the committing process forms a convergent, to ensure by wrapping the corresponding pair with the ribbon itself associated with it.

Preferably, also, the torsion means primary intervening at a distance from the axis of the assembly for take into account their own footprint and being followed by at least two pulleys to bring this axis closer to the matching pair, the taping station intervenes upstream one of these return pulleys.

Advantage is thus taken advantage of additional of this return pulley for a prepositioning of the ribbon in relation to the pair it must coat.

In practice, the taping station ensures the installation of the ribbon along the same groove of the return pulley upstream of which he intervenes.

Thus, at the entrance to the committing sector, the ribbon associated with a pair advantageously extends parallel to it, which facilitates its wrapping around it in the corresponding drilling of this committing die.

la figure 1 est un bloc diagramme d'une machine de câblage suivant l'invention ;

la figure 2 en est, à échelle différente, une vue partielle de bout, suivant la flèche II de la figure 1 ;

la figure 3 en est, à échelle supérieure, une vue partielle en coupe, suivant la ligne III-III de la figure 1 ;

la figure 4 est, à échelle encore supérieure, une vue en coupe axiale de la filière de commettage et de la filière d'assemblage que comporte la machine de câblage suivant l'invention, suivant la ligne IV-IV de la figure 1 ;

la figure 5 est une vue de bout de ces filières, suivant la flèche V de la figure 4 ;

la figure 6 est, sensiblement à l'échelle des figures 4 et 5, une vue en coupe transversale du câble électrique obtenu à l'aide de la machine de câblage suivant l'invention ;

la figure 7 est une vue partielle de côté de ce câble électrique, suivant la flèche VII de la figure 6.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows, by way of example, with reference to the appended schematic drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a wiring machine according to the invention;

Figure 2 is, on a different scale, a partial end view, along arrow II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a larger scale, a partial sectional view along the line III-III of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is, on a still larger scale, an axial sectional view of the committing die and the assembly die that comprises the wiring machine according to the invention, along the line IV-IV of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an end view of these channels, along arrow V of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is, substantially on the scale of Figures 4 and 5, a cross-sectional view of the electric cable obtained using the wiring machine according to the invention;

FIG. 7 is a partial side view of this electric cable, along arrow VII of FIG. 6.

As illustrated in these figures, it is, overall, the production of an electric cable 10 comprising at least two pairs 11 of insulated wires 12, each of these pairs 11 being "screened", that is to say coated individually in a shielding screen 13.

In practice, and as it is better visible on the fig 6, the electric cable 10 to be produced has four pairs 11.

The wiring machine 14 ensuring, according to the invention, the realization of this electric cable 10, puts in work, in a manner known per se, on the one hand, for each of the pairs 11, torsion means 15, here called by simple convenience primary torsion means suitable for twisting together the two wires 12 intended to form such a pair 11, these wires 12 each being individually unwound from transmitting coils 16, and, on the other hand, for all of the pairs 11, torsion means 18, here called by simple convenience secondary torsion means suitable for twisting together the various pairs 11.

Because of their size, the means of primary torsion 15 occur at a distance from the axis A of the whole, shown diagrammatically in broken lines in FIG. 1.

They are generally arranged in a cross around this axis A.

To avoid overloading Figure 1, only the means of primary torsion 15 associated with two of the 11 pairs were represented in this figure 1, being each supposed to be arranged along the plane of this figure 1.

In practice, for each of the pairs 11, the means of primary torsion 15 are torsion means ensuring that this pair 11 an alternate wiring direction, in accordance with a provision commonly designated by the acronym "SZ"

For example, these primary torsion means 15 are of the type covered by the German patent No 2 230 972 (& FR-A-2 189 829).

For each of the pairs 11, the torsion means primary 15 are followed by at least two idler pulleys 19, 20 allowing the pair 11 concerned to be brought closer to axis A of the assembly.

In practice, in the form of implementation shown, only two return pulleys 19, 20 are thus provided upstream of such primary torsion means 15.

The secondary torsion means 18, meanwhile, are torsion means ensuring the electric cable 10 resulting in a constant sense of wiring.

These secondary torsion means 18 are, by example, double twist means, with rotating reception or single twist.

In the embodiment shown, the cable electric 10 from these secondary torsion means 18 is received on a take-up reel 22.

Alternatively, however, it can pass directly into a unit capable of providing it with an insulating sheath, not shown.

The foregoing provisions are moreover well known by themselves, and, not falling under their own present invention, they will not be described in more detail here.

In a manner also known per se, it is successively provided, between the various torsion means primary 15 and secondary torsion means 18, a post of taping 23, which makes it possible to associate with each of the pairs 11 a ribbon 13 ′ intended to be wound around such a pair 11, in principle in a helix, to form the shielding screen 13 sought, and, aligned along axis A of the assembly, a committing die 24, which makes it possible to position one relative to the others the various pairs 11 to be assembled, and an assembly line 25, from which this assembly is effective.

For the passage of pairs 11 and their ribbons 13 ' respective, the committing die 24 presents, in practice, as many holes 26 as there are such pairs 11, in species four, and these holes 26 are regularly distributed circularly around axis A of the assembly.

For the joint passage of the set of pairs 11, the assembly die 25 has a bore 27 single, and it extends along the axis A of the assembly.

According to the invention, the assembly line 25 intervenes in the immediate vicinity of the committing sector 24.

More precisely, it intervenes, preferentially, at a distance D from this committing channel 24 at most equal to half the pitch P of a 13 'ribbon when it forms in helix a shielding screen 13 around a pair 11.

In the embodiment shown, and as shown schematically in Figure 4, this distance D is zero, the entry 28 of the hole 27 of the assembly die 25 being immediately following exits 29 from holes 26 of the committing process 24.

More specifically, in this embodiment, the assembly line 25 is integral with the committing 24.

For example, and as shown, it is nested in a bore 30 that the committing die 24 has axially downstream of its holes 26.

However, as a variant, the assembly die 25 and the committing channel 24 can just as easily belong together with a single piece.

Anyway, when they are so united one from the other, the assembly line 25 and the committing 24 can advantageously be carried by the same support, not shown.

In practice, the holes 26 in the commettage 24 converge jointly towards the axis A of the whole, and each of them forms a convergent itself, for perfect by itself, or even ensure, as well as will appear below, the coating of the corresponding pair 11 by the ribbon 13 'which is associated therewith.

For example, and as shown, the angle of inclination B of the holes 26 on the axis A of the assembly is between 8 and 15 °, for example being close to 12 °, and their convergence angle C, that is to say the angle-at the top of the cone they form, is between 10 and 20 °, being by example close to 15 °.

In the embodiment shown, the face upstream 32 of the committing die 24, that is to say the face transverse of this committing die 24 on which is locate the inputs 33 of the holes 26, is globally frustoconical, so that, given their angle of inclination B on the axis A of the assembly, the axes of these holes 26 are substantially perpendicular thereto.

In its current part, at least, the bore 27 of the assembly line 25 is itself generally cylindrical, with a diameter which corresponds substantially to the diameter of the cable electric 10 to be formed, while being slightly higher than this one, but, on the side of its entry 28, by which it circumscribes, largely, and beyond, the outputs 29 of the holes 26 of the committing die 24 to avoid any catching at this level, this bore 27 locally forms a convergent largely rounded transverse profile.

In practice, the length L2 of the bore 27 of the assembly line 25 is a multiple of the length L1 of holes 26 of the committing die 24, measured according to axis A of the assembly.

For example, and as shown, this multiple is greater than two.

In the embodiment shown, the industry of assembly 25 forms, radially projecting outwards, on the side of the outlet 34 of its bore 27, a flange 35.

For the case where it is not in abutment against the bottom of the bore 30 of the committing die 24, it can, thus, by this collar, be in abutment against the edge downstream of this committing channel 24.

With regard to the direction of alternating wiring of pairs 11, the return pulley 19 most upstream intervenes as closely as possible primary torsion means 15, and, likewise, the die of commissioning 24 occurs as close as possible to the return pulley 20 furthest downstream.

For each of the pairs 11, the taping station 23 intervenes so that, at the entrance to the committing 24, the ribbon 13 'associated with such a pair 11 extends parallel to it.

In the embodiment shown, the taping 23 occurs upstream of one of the deflection pulleys 19, 20, and, in practice, upstream of the return pulley 20 la further downstream, ensuring the installation of the corresponding 13 'ribbon along the same groove 36 thereof.

As best seen in Figure 3, the bottom 37 of this groove 36 is flat, and on this bottom 37 come superimpose, on a little less than 90 °, the 13 'ribbon and the pair 11.

In practice, the ribbon 13 ′ is unwound from a emitting coil 38, and, after passing over a guide roller 39, it wraps the deflection pulley over a little more than 180 ° 20.

In service, the ribbon 13 'associated with each of the pairs 11 accompanies this pair 11 parallel to it until the entry of the assembly into the corresponding bore 26 of the committing die 24, and, thanks to this drilling 26, it coats pair 11, as shown in dashed lines for one of them in FIGS. 4 and 5, and, in practice, the corresponding coating is done in a helix, at the pitch P of the next assembly.

From the exit of this committing channel 24, in Indeed, each of the pairs 11 thus coated with a ribbon 13 'is finds itself helixed with the others in favor of the assembly line 25, and with it the ribbon 13 'which the coating, which, on the one hand, leads to a helical twist of this ribbon 13 'with the corresponding pitch P, and what, else part, ensures the subsequent holding of the shielding screen 13 thus formed, preventing the ribbon 13 'constituting it to open up.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown, but encompasses any variant of execution.

Claims (12)

1. A cabling machine of the kind using, for producing an electrical cable (10) comprising at least two pairs (11) of insulated wires (12), on the one hand, for each of the pairs (11), twisting means (15) for twisting together two wires (12) which are intended to form such a pair (11). referred to herein for the sake of convenience as primary twisting means, and, on the other hand, for the assembly of the pairs (11), twisting means (18) for twisting together the various pairs (11), referred to hereinafter as secondary twisting means, characterised in that there are successively provided between the primary twisting means (15) and the secondary twisting means (18) a taping station (23) which makes it possible to associate with each of the pairs (11) a tape (13') intended to be wound around it, a laying die (24) which, for the passage of the various pairs (11) and their respective tapes (13'), has as many orifices (26) as there are such pairs (11), and an assembly die (25) which, for the passage of the assembly of pairs (11), has a single orifice (27), the assembly die (25) being operative in the immediate proximity of the laying die (24).
2. A cabling machine according to claim 1 characterised in that the assembly die (25) is operatively disposed at a distance (D) from the laying die (24) which is at most equal to half the pitch (P) of a tape (13') around a pair (11).
3. A cabling machine according to claim 2 characterised in that the assembly die (25) is operatively disposed at a zero distance (D) from the laying die (24), the entrance (28) of the orifice (27) of said assembly die (25) being immediately following the exits (29) of the orifices (26) of the laying die (24).
4. A cabling machine according to claim 3 characterised in that the assembly die (25) is fixed with respect to the laying die (24).
5. A cabling machine according to claim 4 characterised in that the assembly die (25) and the laying die (24) jointly belong to a one-piece component.
6. A cabling machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterised in that, for each of the pairs (11), the taping station (23) is operatively disposed in such a way that, at the entrance of the laying die (24), the tape (13') associated with such a pair (11) extends parallel thereto.
7. A cabling machine according to claim 6 characterised in that, the primary twisting means (15) being operatively disposed at a spacing from the axis (X) of the assembly and being followed by at least two return pulleys (19. 20) permitting the corresponding pair (11) to be moved closer towards said axis (A), the taping station (23) is operatively disposed upstream of one of said return pulleys (19, 20) and ensures positioning of the corresponding tape (13') along the actual groove (36) thereof.
8. A cabling machine according to claim 7 characterised in that the taping station (23) is operatively disposed upstream of the most downstream return pulley (20).
9. A cabling machine according to either one of claims 7 and 8 characterised in that the laying die (24) is operatively disposed closest to the most downstream return pulley (20).
10. A cabling machine according to any one of claims 7 to 9 characterised in that, the primary twisting means (15) being twisting means affording an alternate cabling direction, the most upstream return pulley (19) is operatively disposed closest to said primary twisting means (15).
11. A cabling machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10 characterised in that the orifices (26) of the laying die (24) converge jointly towards the axis (A) of the assembly.
12. A cabling machine according to any one of claims 1 to 11 characterised in that each of the orifices (26) of the laying die (24) forms a convergent configuration to ensure by itself that the corresponding pair (11) is wrapped by the tape (13') which is associated with it.

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