GB1126901A - Improvements in or relating to the manufacture of wire ropes or strands - Google Patents

Abstract

1,126,901. Wire ropes; making. BRITISH ROPES Ltd. 17 Sept., 1965 [19 June, 1964], No. 25575/64. Heading D1T. During the stranding of wires onto a wire core the back tension and torque in the core are continually measured and controlled, just before a layer of wires or strands is twisted thereon, to maintain said tension and torque at or near a desired value serving to prevent the resulting rope from having a tendancy to loosen. The torque and back tension may be determined by passing the core past the wheel 8. Fig. 7, and onto the wheel 7, half-way round the wheel 7 and then back onto the wheel 8, half-way round the wheel 8 and then forward again to pass the wheel 7. The wheels 7, 8 have their axes slightly skewed so that the core may pass round around them as stated. The wheels 7 and 8 are keyed to shafts 32 supported in bearings 33, 34 and 35 which are upwardly urged by springs 36, 37, 38. Torque on the core tends to rotate the wheels 7, 8 about axes perpendicular to the axes of the shafts 32 and parallel with the path of the core and this tendancy is measured by a load cell 39, the readings from which may be so calibrated as to provide a direct reading of torque in the core. The bearings 33 and 34 are also longitudinally supported Fig. 6 (not shown) and one of the supporting links for each wheel contains a load cell 40 which absorbs and measures the tensional forces imparted by the core to the torque measuring wheel. The readings from the load cell 40 may be calibrated directly into back tension in the core. The readings from the load cells 39 and load cells 40 provide the machine operator, or an automatically controlled arrangement, information on which the reel supplying the core may be suitably braked and a cradle carrying said reel can be rotated by a motor to give the necessary back twist to produce the desired torque. Adjustable disc brakes may be used to give the desired tension. Figs. 8 and 9 (not shown) illustrate a single wheel arrangement that can be substituted for the two wheels 7 and 8. Figure 10 (not shown) shows a shaping die 12 and a sizing roller 48 acting on the core, the die 12 and roller 48 being mounted on a pivoted platform supported by a load cell 51 giving a reading of tensional forces absorbed by the die and roller.