GB2080846A

GB2080846A - Automatic spool change in cable-twisting machines

Info

Publication number: GB2080846A
Application number: GB8123174A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Diosgyori Gepgyar
Current assignee: Diosgyori Gepgyar
Priority date: 1980-07-29
Filing date: 1981-07-28
Publication date: 1982-02-10
Also published as: HU179885B; DE3129984A1; YU187081A; IT8123228A0; PL232402A1; SU1175369A3; DE3129984C2; FR2487875A1; GB2080846B; PL129367B1; IT1138894B

Abstract

The automatic apparatus has a spool storage unit (2) for the movement of full and empty spools in parallel but in opposite directions, a drum (4) rotatable about a horizontal shaft, and supporting in bearings individual spool clamping yokes (3) and a spool transfer carriage (6) provided with spool lifting devices (5a, 5b) and travelling between the spool storage unit and the drum, spool clamping devices on the yokes being operated through the lifting devices of the carriage. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Feeding apparatus with automatic spool change for twisting machines used in cable industry The invention relates to a feeding apparatus with automatic spool change for twisting machines used in the cable industry.

In the cable industry simply or multiply twisting machines are used, the task of which is to twist wires, guides, cables etc.

The elements to be twisted, which the previously mentioned products are made of, are generally delivered to the subsequent technological operation on so-called manufacturing spools.

The capacity of the manufacturing spools has been increasing more and more in order to achieve greater and greater manufacturing length. Hence, in most instances their weights are over, or comprise a multiple of, the 20 kp limit value which can be lifted by a man. In the beginning hoisters of so-called "Demag" system were used to perform this task, which are practical, simple, manually operated crane constructions movable on a suspended track.

But the operation of this construction takes up much by-time (down-time).

All over the world efforts have been made to the mechanization of the spool change in the interest of faster spool change, decrease in by-time and hereby increase in productivity.

At present there are known solutions which can hoist in more spools at the same time by means of raising platform or raising beam and thereafter the clamping of the spools is to be performed manually or with central manual control. These various solutions known up till now can be considered only as semi-automatic ones for the most part, because the operator of the machine or mechanism still plays a significant part in changing the spools.

The task to be solved by the invention is to form a feeding apparatus for twisting machines used in the cable industry which accomplishes the spool change fully automatically and reduces by-time connected with the spool change to a minimum.

That perception has led to the invention that the set task can be solved if the system holding the feeding spools can be continuously served and be accessible in several places at a time and besides the spool clamping device can be operated without manual intervention.

Relying upon these findings the task according to the invention was solved in such a way that the feeding apparatus has a spool storage unit delivering the full and empty spools in parallel but in opposite directions, a drum construction with a horizontal shaft, supporting in bearings in a drum-like arrangement the yokes clamping the individual feeding spools, as well as a spool transfer carriage provided with lifting devices, travelling between the yoke holding drum construction and the spool storage unit and beside said carriage, and on the yokes a spool clamping device, which can be operated through the lifting device of the carriage, is formed.

The direction of movement of the spool transfer carriage according to the invention is parallel with the plane of the yoke holding drum construction and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the spool storage unit.

With an expedient embodiment of the invention the spool storage unit consist of a horizontal ladder construction movable forward-backward between its two end positions and two parallel spool lifting fork rows movable up-down in opposite movement, arranged under the ladder construction, in its longitudinal direction.

With an another advantageous embodiment of the invention the carriage is provided with two fork-lift lifting devices assuring the doffing of the empty spools simultaneously with the placing of the full spools, where beside spool holding prisms releasing and fixing unit/s/ is/are mounted on the fork-lift.

With a further advantageous embodiment of the invention the spool clamping construction formed on the yokes, operated by lifting devices consists of a skewed slot worked out in the shaft of the spool clamping top and a lock operating with it, guided on a cam perpendicular to the shaft of the spool clamping top, having a prismatic guide, furthermore it consists of a securing pin pressed downwards with a spring, fitting in the cutout of the lock in a position perpendicular to the lock, fixed with its cylindrical mantle surface, while passing the lock over the cutout formed in its cylindrical mantle surface in an unsecured position, and besides it has a nosepiece overhanging the yoke end, assisting the lock to be pushed back in fixed position.

With a further advantageous embodiment of the invention the releasing units of the lifting device consist of a working cylinder opening the lock fixed on the fork-lift and an unsecuring device pressing the securing pin upwards against the spring; while the fixing units of the lifting device of the carriage consist of a cylinder closing the lock fixed on the fork-lift and a staying element operating with the nosepiece overhanging the yoke end.

It is expedient according to the invention if the yoke holding drum construction has a stepping organ consisting of an arm moved by a pressurised fluid medium and a dog moved by said medium.

The invention will be described in detail by reference to the accompanying schematic drawings where one of the advantageous constructional embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention is shown. In the drawings: Figure 1 shows the schematic perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention; Figure 2 schematically illustrates the yoke holding drum construction and the stepping organ thereof; Figure 3 is the front-view of the spool clamping device and the releasing unit of the lifting device of the carriage, using fracture.

Figure 4 is the side-view of the section of the apparatus according to Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is the side-view of the spool clamping device and fixing unit of the lifting device of the carriage.

Figure 6 is the schematic side-view of the section of the spool clamping device in fixed position.

Figure 7 is the top-view of the section according to Fig. 6.

Figure 8 is the top-view of the section of the spool clamping device shown in Fig. 6 and 7, in unsecured position.

Figure 9 is the perspective view of the securing pin and lock of the spool clamping device, infixed position.

Figure 10 is the section according to Fig. 9, in unsecured position.

As it can be seen in Fig. 1, the feeding apparatus according to the invention practically consists of the following three main parts: spool storage unit 2, drum construction 4 with horizontal shaft, supporting in bearings the yokes 3 clamping the feeding spools in a drum-like arrangement, as well as spool transfer carriage 6 provided with lifting devices 5a, 5b, travelling between the drum construction 4 supporting in bearings the yokes 3 and the spool storage unit 2.

Spool storage unit 2 has a horizontal ladder construction 7 movable forward-backward between its two end positions, assuring the adjacent placement of a full spool 1 a each and empty spool 1 b each. Two parallel spool lifting fork rows 8a, 8b movable up-down in a mutually opposite movement are arranged under the ladder construction 7 in its longitudinal direction.As a result of the synchronized motion of the ladder construction 7 and fork row 8a, 8b the full spools 1 a and empty spools 1 b are travelling in parallel but in a mutually opposite direction: the prepared full spools 1 a are travelling towards the lifting device 5a of the spool transfer carriage 6 waiting at the end of the ladder construction 7, while getting down from the lifting device 5b of the carriage 6, the empty spools 1 b are travelling back to the place of preparation.

This motion happens so that when the ladder construction 7 steps forward, it takes the full spools with it towards the carriage 6.

During this time the fork-row 8b lifts up the empty spools 1 b then in an advanced position of the ladder construction it puts them back, viz. hereby placing them a spacing farther back. When the ladder construction 7 steps back the fork row 8a lifts the full spools 1 a, up, at the same time the empty spools 1 b are travelling backwards together with the ladder construction. After the ladder construction have reached its back position the fork row 8a puts the full spools back on the ladder, viz. it places them a spacing forward. This stepping process will continue until the change of the last spools is accomplished.

The empty spools 1 b can be removed from the spool storage unit 2 during the operation of the production line, viz. during the operating period. which assures very favourable time utilization.

The yokes 3 used for holding the feeding spools, as was previously mentioned, are sup ported in bearings in a new way, in the drum construction 4 with horizontal shaft, along a circle, in equal spacing. The drum-like arrangement enables all the spools one after the other to be brought with a spacing of 2?run in a spool changing position accessible by the spool transfer carriage 6. The moving construction of the yokes 3 supported in bearings in the drum construction 4 is formed in such a way that at stepping the yokes 3 will not revolve round their own shafts, consequently vi = O. This corresponds to planetary motion.

At twisting the yokes 3 can be given a rotating movement wi = c wt through an insert shaft, which can be rotated with a desired rotating speed w,. With an expediently formed kinematic chain all the yokes 3 can be given planetary, sectorial or on- and twisting motion at the same time.

The spool transfer carriage 6 travelling be tween the spool storage unit 2 and yoke holding drum construction 4 is provided with lifting devices Sa, 5b movable up and down, having two fork-lifts where the spool holding prisms 11 of the fork-lifts 10, arranged in couple support the spool to be changed on two sides. Besides the prisms 11, spool re leasing and fixing units are mounted/expediently in pairs/ on the fork-lifts 10, which units make possible the doffing and clamping of the spools without manual intervention through lifting device. The constructive and operation of the spool releasing and fixing unit will be described in detail in connection with the further figures.

The track of the spool transfer carriage 6 is formed in such a way that the direction of movement of the carriage 6 is parallel with the plane of the yoke holding drum construction and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the spool storage unit 2. One of the , > > end positions of the carriage 6 is at the end of the spool storage unit 2, where the lifting device 5a is practically the fork row 8a, the lifting device 5b is arranged as the last ele ment of the fork row 8b. The other end position of the carriage 6 is beside the drum construction 4, under the yokes 3, namely where the lifting device Sb is arranged under yoke 3 at the lowest point.

The feeding apparatus according to the invention operates as follows: During the operation of the twisting machine the carriage 6 stands by the end of the spool storage unit 2. When the spool change can take its turn, the carriage 6 goes under the yokes 3. The lifting device 5b rises, opens the spool clamping device by means of its releasing unit, lifts the first empty spool 1 b out and takes it to the spool storage unit 2.

Then the ladder construction 7 of the spool storage unit 2 steps a spacing forward. At this the lifting device 5b of the carriage 6, lowering the empty spool 1 b taken out of the yoke 3, puts it on the last spacing of the ladder construction 7. At the same time the lifting device 5a rises and hereby it takes off a full spool from the other part of the ladder construction 7.

While the carriage 6 stays at the spool storage unit 2, the stepping organ of the drum construction 4, shown in Fig. 2, turns away the drum construction 2 anti-clockwise with an angle of 2sr/n. Thus, now the yoke 3 emptied a short while ago gets in a put-in position while a newer yoke holding the empty spool, in an emptying position. The stepping organ can be formed in many ways.

At the solution shown in Fig. 2 the end of the arm K formed from double-operating cylinder is fixed in the spacing formed on the drum construction 4 by the dog R /expediently a cylinder, too/. With the contraction of the arm K, the drum construction 4 moves a spacing. /New position of the arm K is indicated by dotted line/. Then the dog R draws back, unsecures, but at the same time a securing pin, not shown in Figure, secures the drum construction 4 against displacement.

Then the arm K stretches out again and the process makes a fresh start.

After the turning-off is accomplished the carriage 6 with lowered lifting devices goes under the yokes 3 again. One of its lifting devices 5b lifts out an empty spool 1 b again, while its other lifting device 5a puts the first full spool in the empty yoke 3 and also closes the spool clamping device by means of its fixing unit.

After this the carriage 6 takes the empty spool 1 b to the spool storage unit 2 and therefrom it brings in a full spool 1 a agains and puts it in the next yoke 3. The spool charging automation repeats this sequence of operations until the carriage 6 brings the last, nih spool and puts it in the yoke. Then the carriage 6 stops working, forming a broken cycle.

Stepping of the drum construction 4, movement of each element of the carriage 6, as well as movement of the elements of the spool storage unit 2 can be expediently solved by both (or either of) hydraulics and pneumatics.

Fig. 3 to 5 illustrates the spool clamping device 1 2 and releasing and fixing unit of the lifting devices 5a and 5b of the carriage 6, by the latter ones the spool clamping device can be opened and closed, respectively, without manual intervention. The construction of the spool clamping device formed on yokes 3 is as follows: As is shown in Figs. 6 to 8, a skewed slot 15 is worked out in the shaft 14 of the spool clamping top of the spool clamping device 13, supported in bearings in yokes 3.The lock 1 7 guided on the cam 1 6 perpendicular to the shaft 14 of the spool clamping top 13, having a prismatic guide 1 8 fitting in the slot 1 5 is working together with this slot 1 5. In the fixed position of the lock 17, namely when the spool is in a clamped position, the accidental dislocation of the lock 1 7 is prevented by the securing pin 20 with its cylindrical mantle surface pressed downwards with a spring 19, said securing pin fits with its cylindrical surface in the semi-circular cutout 21 of the lock 17, while the cutout 22 passing the lock 1 7 in an unsecured position is formed in the cylindrical mantle surface of the securing pin 20.The construction of the securing pin 20 and its operation together with the lock 1 7 can be seen in Figs. 9 and 10. The nosepiece 23 assisting the pushing back of the lock 1 7 in a fixed position and overhanging the end of the yoke 3 also belongs to the spool clamping device assuring the automatic spool change.

As is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the cylinders 24 opening the lock and the unsecuring devices 25 pressing the securing pin 20 upwards against the spring 1 9 are mounted on the fork-lift 10 of the lifting device 5b of the carriage doffing the empty spools 1 b, beside the prisms 11 supporting the flange 29 of the spindles, of course, also on both sides of the yoke 3 in a symmetrical arrangement.

On the fork-lift 10 of the lifting device 5a of the spool transfer carriage 6 charging the full spools 1 a beside the prisms 11 holding the spool, a spool fixing unit consisting of the supporting element 29 operating together with the nosepiece 23 overhanging the end of the yoke 3 and of the cylinder 27 closing the lock is arranged on the two sides of the forklift surrounding the yoke 9.

The spool clamping device is opened by the lifting device Sb in such a way that the unsecuring (releasing) device 25 presses the securing pin 20 upwards against the spring 19, thus the cutout 22 of the securing pin 20 gets in the height of the lock 17, whereby the lock 1 7 becomes displaceable. At this time the lock opening cylinder 24 is supported by the lock tongue 30, and displaces the lock 1 7 in the cam 16, thereupon due to the operation of the slot 1 5 together with the prismatic guide 1 8 fitting in it the shaft 14 of the spool clamping top 1 3 moves perpendicularly to the cam 1 6 and it pulls the spool clamping top 1 3 out of the cavity of the spindle. As the same takes place at the other end of the spool, the empty spool 1 b becomes free and bears against the prisms 11.

At clamping the full spool 1 b in the yoke 3 the lifting device 5a lifts the spool 1 a in the height of shaft of the spool clamping tops 13, then it pushes the lock 1 7 back in the starting position by means of the lock-closing cylinder 27 mounted on the fork-lift 10, meanwhile its supporting element 28 is supported by the nosepiece 23. With the displacement of the lock 1 7 the shaft 14 moves in an opposite direction as compared with the former direction, and the spool clamping top 1 3 is pushed in the respective cavity of the spindle.

Claims

1. Feeding apparatus with automatic spool change for twisting machines used in cable industry, which the elements to be twisted are spooled on spools clamped in yokes with shaft supported in bearings, characterized in that it has a spool storage unit delivering the full and empty spools in parallel but in mutually opposite directions, a drum construction with horizontal shaft, supporting in bearings the individual spool clamping yokes in a drum-like arrangement, as well as a spool transfer carriage provided with lifting devices travelling between the spool storage unit and yoke holding drum construction, and beside said carriage a spool clamping device operated by the lifting devices of the carriage is formed on the yokes.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the spool storage unit consists of a horizontal ladder construction movable forward-backward between its two end positions, and two parallel spool lifting fork rows movable up-down in opposite movements arranged under the ladder construction in its longitudinal direction.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the direction of movement of the spool transfer carriage is parallel with the plane of the yoke holding drum construction and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the spool storage unit.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the carriage is provided with two fork-lift lifting devices assuring the doffing of the empty spool simulta neously with the placing of the full spool, where beside the spool holding prisms releasing and fixing unit/s/ is/are also mounted on the fork-lift.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that the spool clamping device formed on the yokes, operated through lifting devices consists of a skewed slot worked out in the shaft of the spool clamping top and a lock operating together with it, guided on a cam perpendicular to the shaft of the spool clamping top, having a prismatic guide, furthermore it consists of a securing pin pressed downwards with a spring, fitting in the cutout of the lock in a position perpendicular to the lock, fixed with its cylindrical mantle, while passing the lock over the outcut formed in its cylindrical mantle surface in an unsecured position, and besides it has a nosepiece overhanging the yoke end, assisting the lock to be pushed back in fixed position.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or 5 characterized in that the releasing unit(s) of the lifting device consist/s/ of the lock opening cylinder fixed on the fork-lift and the unsecuring device pressing the securing pin upwards against the spring.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or. 5 characterized in that the fixing unit/s/ of the lifting device of the carriage consist/s/ of the lock closing cylinder fixed on fork-lift and the supporting element operating together with the nosepiece overhanging the yoke end.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7 characterized in that the yoke holding drum construction has a stepping organ consisting of an arm moved by a pressurised fluid medium and a dog also moved by said medium.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1 sub stantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.