EP1050502B1

EP1050502B1 - Machine for coil rewinding having approached spiral coils

Info

Publication number: EP1050502B1
Application number: EP00108428A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gianluigi Marangoni
Original assignee: Gimax Srl
Current assignee: Gimax Srl
Priority date: 1999-05-04
Filing date: 2000-04-18
Publication date: 2003-10-22
Anticipated expiration: 2020-04-18
Also published as: ITVI990085A0; ITVI990085A1; EP1050502A2; EP1050502A3; DE60006027D1; IT1307428B1; DE60006027T2

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to achievement of a machine suitable for coil rewinding, the machine having approached spiral coils according to the general part of claim 1.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRIOR ART

In the field of industrial welding utilizing a supply material, usually called welding wire, which may be constituted by copper coated iron, aluminum, copper, steel inox, etc. there are used spools constituted of a basket, made of a metal or plastic material, on which the wire is wound.
The people who produce the welding wire supply the wire wound in skeins weighing a few hundred kilograms, so that an operation of rewinding the above mentioned wire on spools suitable for mounting on the tool machines becomes necessary.
This operation of unwinding the wire from the skein of considerable dimensions and the subsequent rewinding or coil rewinding of the same wire in a plurality of spools of maximum weight of 10 Kgs is normally carried out using a plurality of operating machines, separated one from the other, each one being intended to carry out a well determined operation.
According to the present state of the art there are known machines capable of automatic coil rewinding which are constituted by three distinct parts: the unwinding group on which is placed the skein to be unwound, an intermediate group, called "ballerino" which has the function of tensioning the wire between the unwinding phase and the rewinding phase, and the final group of winding and discharge of the wound spool.
These machines, such as for example the machine described in Italian Patent application Nos. VI95A00049 and VI98A000151, use the system for winding the wire in the basket to form the final spool known as "system having approached spiral coils" or also "spiral-spiral". EP-A-0 560 245 additionally discloses such a machine.
This winding system requires in order to achieve perfect coil winding that the distance between the two lateral walls which limit the skein of the wound wire be perfectly equal to a multiple of the diameter of the wire to be wound plus one-half of the diameter of the wire. In view of the fact that the diameter of the wire to be wound is variable both with respect to the nominal dimension and the allowable deviation due to several factors which are not perfectly controllable and foreseeable such as the wear of the spinning machine, ovalization, and similar factors, it is necessary therefore to regulate continuously the distance between the two lateral walls of the container of the wound'wire, placing them in relation to the variations of the dimensions of the same wire.
In the machines cited hereinabove this condition is achieved by providing that one of the two counterposed flanges which support the basket be axially movable by connecting to a threaded ringnut, which being rotated in one direction or in the opposite direction, causes the approaching or the moving away of the same movable flange from the other fixed flange.
After the operator has established the exact distance, he blocks the ringnut and as a result the movable flange becomes placed at a distance from the fixed flange which remains constant during the entire operation of winding the wire.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The first object of the present invention is to provide a machine capable of rewinding the wire with the system having approached spirals which is constructively simpler than with the known machines capable of winding the wire.
Another object is the achievement of a machine for winding the wire capable of winding the wire with two different types of baskets, one metallic and the other made of plastic material.
The main novel characteristic of the machine according to the invention resides in the structure of the spindle which supports and places in rotation the basket to carry out the winding of the wire. Specifically the spindle is shaped in a manner to allow the simple and rapid manual mounting of the empty basket.
A second novel characteristic of the invention resides in the fact that during the winding of the wire the basket is compressed between the two flanges and is mounted as a projecting part, that is at the extremity of the single motor shaft and this substantially simplifies the mechanical part of the machine.
The third novel characteristic of the invention resides in the fact that the automatic discharge of the wound basket is achieved by channelling the basket in the rear of the machine.
These and other characteristics of the machine of the present invention will be more evident by reference to the description of a possible embodiment submitted by way of illustration and nonlimiting example, by reference to the drawings of which:

FIG. 1: illustrates an elevational external front view of the machine;
FIG. 2: is an elevational external side view of the machine;
FIG. 3: is a front cross-sectional view of the spindle group;
FIG. 4: is a front cross-sectional view of the entire basket handling group;
FIG. 5: is a front cross-sectional view with the basket mounted on the spindle as a projecting part;
FIG. 6: illustrates the initial phase of winding the wire;
FIG. 7: shows the extraction of the wound spool from the spindle;
FIGS. 8 and 9: illustrate elevational transversal view of the device of unloading the wound spool in two operating positions.

As shown in Fig. 1, the machine (1) for the coil rewinding with approached spiral coils is constituted by a structure (2) which supports the spindle (3). The latter is provided with the fixed flange (4) and the counterspindle (5) which moves the movable flange (6), with the basket (7) being inserted between the two flanges.
Fig. 2 shows that the machine is completed with an unwinding group (8) of the wound spool (9), the unloading group being located in the rear of the machine.
Fig. 3 shows that the spindle (3) is constituted of a shaft (10) which is integral with the fixed flange (4) and is provided with a projecting part (11), the empty basket (7) fitting closely on the projecting part.
This shaft (10), by means of the motor reducer (12) which is provided with an encoder, is capable of both rotating in order to achieve both the winding of the wire in the basket and axial sliding in order to regulate the width of the basket as will be explained hereinbelow.
As shown in Fig. 4, after the operator manually has positioned the basket (7) on the shaft (10), the counterspindle (5) by means of a command in the rack (13), positions the movable flange (6) against the basket (7) with a slight compression.
Contemporaneously hooking occurs between the end (14) of the shaft (10) and the sleeve (15) which supports the movable flange (6) in a manner that the shaft (10) with a minimum axial displacement, produces on the basket a first action of compression between the two flanges.
After the positioning of the basket (7), the counterspindle (5) without the movable flange (6) is separated and contemporaneously the operator provides for hooking the end of the wire (16) to hub (17) of the basket (7), according to known methods capable of eliminating the danger of unhooking from the same.
After the hooking of the wire and prior to starting the winding, there is provided for the approachment to the hub (17) of the basket of a disc (18) which performs the function of guiding the spiral coil in formation so as to achieve the spiral winding (19), in addition to approaching one to the other, go to rest on the internal wall of the disc thus overcoming the action force of the disc, which is regulated by the guide group (20) so that it is always brought close to the spiral coil which is being constituted. This is shown in Fig. 6.
After the disc has gone through almost the totality of the length which must engage the entire piece of the spirals, the operator stops the machine, separates the disc (18) from the winding (19) and controls the space of the hub which must still be wound, that is the distance between the last spiral already wound and the wall of the basket.
In fact, in order to avoid that the winding occur in a disorderly manner, that is with the spiral coils not perfectly superimposed so as to cause the discharge of the spool, with significant damage both economically and from the production point of view, it is necessary to maintain the distance between the walls of the basket such as to contain on each layer an exact number of wound spirals.
For this purpose the operator, acting on the command panel (30), causes the shaft (10) to slide towards the interior and causes the movable flange (6) to come close to the fixed flange (4) thus causing the flattening of the basket up to the exact distance between the two walls of the container of the wound wire.
When the spool (21) is completed, the counterspindle (5) is connected with the movable flange (6) and by means of forceps (22), hooks to the movable flange (6) so that in the return course it is unstrung from projecting part (11) at the end of shaft (10) and positioned for the automatic discharge as shown in Fig. 7.
Figs. 8 and 9 show that the discharge device is constituted substantially of an inclinable sliding structure (23) which collects the wound spool (21) when the latter is released by the forceps (22) and conveys it into the collection channel (24), where through suitable handling means, not shown for simplicity, provides for transporting the wound spool (21) from the working area.
Finally there is provided an insertion in the machine of a pneumatic positioner (25) per se known which provides for:
1. stopping the spindle (3) with the related flange (4) always in the same position for the purpose of ensuring an exact embedment with the counterflange (6) when metallic baskets are used;
2. maintaining the spindle blocked during the compression phase, due to the action of the counterflange (6) of a basket made of plastic material to regulate the distance between the walls of the basket as described hereinabove.
Advantageously the machine of the invention is capable, with the same operation cycle, to wind the wire on baskets made of plastic material or metallic baskets simply by substituting the two flanges (4) and (6).

Claims

A coil rewinding machine (1) having approached spiral coils, said machine being located downstream of an unwinding group (8), a skein to be unwound being located on said unwinding group, an intermediate or "ballerino" group being also on said unwinding group, said intermediate group having the function of holding the wire in tension, said machine being commanded by an electronic circuit with PLC and having two counterposed flanges (4,6), one flange (6) being axially movable and the other flange (4) being fixed, a basket (7) being inserted and being placed in rotation between said flanges (4,6), the wire being wound on said basket (7) to form the spool, said flanges (4,6), being capable of regulating the distance between themselves for the purpose of modifying the width of the cavity which contains and supports the wound skein, characterized by the fact that during the winding of the wire, said basket (7) is compressed between said flanges (4,6) and is mounted on a projecting part (11), that is at the end of the motor shaft (10).
The machine having approached spiral coils according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the automatic discharge of the wound spool occurs by channelling said spool in the rear of said machine.
The machine according to claims 1 and 2 characterized by the fact that it comprises a structure (2) which supports both the spindle (3), said spindle being provided with said fixed flange (4) and the counterspindle (5), said counterspindle moving the movable flange (6), said basket (7) being inserted between said two flanges, and also comprising an unwinding group (8) of the wound spool (9) which is placed in the rear of said machine.
The machine according to claim 3 characterized by the fact that the spindle (3) comprises a shaft (10) integral with the fixed flange (4), said shaft having a projection (11), said empty basket (7) fitting close on said projecting part (11), said shaft (10) by means of the motor reducer (12) provided with an encoder, being capable of both rotation and axial sliding.
The machine according to one or more of the precedent claims characterized by the fact that the counterspindle (5) by means of a command with a rack (13) positions the movable flange (6) against said basket (7) with a slight compression.
The machine according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized by the fact that it provides for hooking the end (14) of the shaft (10) with the sleeve (15) which supports the movable flange (6) in a manner that the shaft with a minimum axial displacement, causes on the basket a first action of compression between the two flanges (4) and (6).
The machine according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized by the fact that after the basket (7) is positioned, the counterspindle (5) returns to the initial position without the movable flange (6).
The machine according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized by the fact that it provides a disc (18) positioned close to the hub (17) of the basket, said disc having the function of guiding the spiral coil in formation, because the spirals to form the winding (19), in addition to approaching one to the other, go to rest on the internal wall of the disc, overcoming the reaction force of the disc, said force being regulated by the guide group (20) whereby said disc is always close to the spiral being constituted.
The machine according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized by the fact that the discharge device of the wound spool is constituted by an inclinable slide (23), said slide collecting said spool when the latter is release from the pincers (22) and sends said spool to collection channel (24), where suitable handling means provide for moving said spool from the operation zone.
The machine according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized by the fact that it is provided with a pneumatic positioner (25) which when metallic baskets are used stops the spindle (3) and flange (4) in the same position for the purpose of ensuring a close fitting with the movable flange (6) and when the used baskets are made of a plastic material said positioner provides to maintain the spindle blocked during the compression phase of the baskets to regulate the distance between the walls of the baskets.
The machine according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized by the fact that it achieves the winding of the wire on the baskets made of plastic material or on metallic baskets by substitution of the pair of flanges (4) and (6).
A process of coil rewinding which uses the machine according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized by the fact that the operator, prior to the completion of the winding of the wire (19) to the first layer of spiral coils, stops the machine and regulates the amplitude of the space to be wound, that is the distance between the last wound spiral coil and the wall of the basket to such a value capable of containing exactly one further winding, this operation being carried out acting on command panel (30) in a manner that the shaft (10) slides towards the interior whereby the movable flange (6) is brought closer to the fixed flange (4) and causing the flattening of the basket and determining the correct distance between the two walls which together with the hub (17) limit the containing cavity which supports the wound skein.
A process of coil rewinding which uses the machine according to one or more of claims 1-11 characterized by the fact that when the spool (21) is wound to the determined weight, the counterspindle (5) is connected with the movable flange (6) and by means of the forceps (22) hooks the spool in a manner that in the return course, it unstrings from the end of projection (11) of the shaft (10) and positions said spool for the automatic discharge.