ES342584A1 - Coil handling apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for transporting coils, e.g. of metal rod, from a forming station to a compacting and binding station includes a mandrel raisable through a slotted floor to support the coil during formation and to transport the coil along the floor towards the binding machine, the mandrel then withdrawing beneath the floor to return to the coil forming station. In one arrangement, a pair of mandrels 56, 78 are vertically reciprocable on carriages 40, 70 respectively, the carriages moving on a track 36. The carriage 70 also carries a pusher 112 which may be elevated through the slot in the floor 14 by linkage and piston and cylinder means 114a, 114b, 115. The carriage 40 oscillates between a coil forming station A and an intermediate station B, and the carriage 70 between the station B and a binding station C. As the carriage 70 moves to station C, the pusher 112 moves the bound coil at the station to an intermediate position D. A retractable arm 120 on a carriage 117 draws this coil on to a conveyer at station E. Coil forming and binding.-Coils are initially formed on a plate 26 when the latter is in its advanced position 26a within an open, fronted guide 18. When the mandrel 56 rises within the guide, the plate withdraws allowing the coils to drop over the mandrel and continue to build up round it. The plate returns when the coil is complete and may include shear means to separate the coil from the supply. At station C two bands are applied at 180 degrees. The mandrel 78 remains within the coil during binding and includes side grooves to receive portions 104b of guide tracks 106 on elements 92, 94. These descend to embrace the coil after the latter has been compressed, having first pivoted from the dotted inoperative positions shown in Fig. 4. Compression is produced by plates 96a, 96b which descend on either side of the mandrel. The tracks have hinged portions 107 which close to complete the circuits when binding is carried out by known means (not detailed). Alternative arrangement.-In order that the coils should be formed to a greater extent on the mandrel 56, the latter may be duplicated, each such mandrel being mounted on a separate carriage on either side of the machine centre line, Figs. 11, 12 (not shown). These mandrels are capable of passing each other and while one is feeding forward a coil to station B, the other is returning to station A.