GB2122168A - Packaging coils of wire or cable - Google Patents
Packaging coils of wire or cable Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2122168A GB2122168A GB08316748A GB8316748A GB2122168A GB 2122168 A GB2122168 A GB 2122168A GB 08316748 A GB08316748 A GB 08316748A GB 8316748 A GB8316748 A GB 8316748A GB 2122168 A GB2122168 A GB 2122168A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- coil
- reel
- hub
- flange
- station
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H75/00—Storing webs, tapes, or filamentary material, e.g. on reels
- B65H75/50—Methods of making reels, bobbins, cop tubes, or the like by working an unspecified material, or several materials
Abstract
In the manufacture of a coil reel having flanges of such dish-like shape that coil reels can be readily stacked one upon another, a flat apertured reel flange (1) is fed to a horizontal supporting surface (12) at a first flange-loading station (14), a coil (5) of wire or cable with its axis vertical is fed on to the reel flange at a coil- loading station (17) so that the coil bounds the aperture in the reel flange, a preformed rigid hollow hub (4) is introduced into the coil and the aperture in the underlying reel flange at a station (21) in such a way that the hub protrudes upwardly from the coil and an end part of the hub protrudes downwardly through the aperture in the reel flange, and a second flat apertured reel flange (1) is fed on to the upper end part of the hub at a second flange-loading station (24) in such a way that the second reel flange overlies the coil and an upper end part of the hub protrudes upwardly through the aperture in the second reel flange. The protruding end parts of the hub are then distorted at hub-distortion station (27) in such a way and under such a pressure that said distorted protruding end parts bear against the outer surfaces of the reel flanges and central portions of the reel flanges are pressed inwardly to such a dish-like shape that no part of the hub protrudes beyond the planes containing the boundary edges of the reel flanges and that the overall length of the hub is substantially equal to or less than the axial length of the coil. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Packaging coils of wire or cable
This invention relates to the packaging of wire or cable and more particularly to the packaging of coils of bare or insulated electric wire or cable, for example wire or cable of the kinds used in housing wire systems, all such bare and insulated wire and cable hereinafter, for convenience, being included in the generic term "wire".
The interests of the manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer, and user of wire are in conflict insofar as packaging and transportation of wire are concerned. For ease of manufacture and transportation within the factory, it is in the interests of the manufacturer that wire produced within the factory be in the form of a coil. From the point of view of the wholesaler or retailer who has to keep a large stock of wires of different kinds from one another, storage of wire is facilitated if it is supplied in packages of a shape and size such that they can be readily stacked. On the other hand, the user prefers wire to be supplied on a reel from which wire can be readily unwound as and when required.
Generally, wire is marketed either in the form of coils which are covered by a toroidal lapping of paper or cheap fabric or on non-returnable reels.
The former type of packaging is cheap but it is not popular with wholesalers and retailers because such packaged coils are not readily stackable and is not popular with users because wire cannot be readily withdrawn from a coil and because once the toroidal lapping is removed to enable wire to be withdrawn from the coil, the balance of the coil is left unprotected and may become tangled, as replacement of the toroidal lapping is usually too tiresome to be undertaken by the user. The alternative form of packaging constituted by winding wire on non-returnable reels is unpopular with the wire manufacturer because it is more labour intensive and costly and is disliked by the wholesaler and retailer because reels hitherto proposed cannot be readily stacked.
In the Specification of our co-pending Patent
Application No. 83 filed on June 1983,
there is described an improved coil reel
comprising a pair of oppositely disposed flanges
whose boundary edges lie in substantially parallel
planes, each of which flanges has an aperture in
axial alignment with the aperture of the other
flange, a substantially rigid hollow hub extending
between parts of the flanges bounding said
aligned apertures, and a coil of wire surrounding
the hub between the flanges, wherein no part of
the rigid hollow hub protrudes beyond the planes
containing the boundary edges of the flanges and
wherein the axial length of the coil is substantially
equal to or greater than the overall length of the
hub.
It is the object of the present invention to
provide an improved method of manufacturing the preferred coil reel as described in the
Specification of our aforesaid co-pending patent
application.
According to the invention, the'method comprises feeding to a substantially horizontal supporting surface a substantially flat reel flange which has a central aperture; feeding a coil of wire with its axis substantially vertical on to the reel flange to such an extent that the coil substantially bounds the aperture in the reel flange; introducing into the coil and the aperture in the underlying reel flange a preformed substantially rigid hollow hub in such a way that the hub protrudes upwardly from the coil and an end part of the hub protrudes downwardly through the aperture in the reel flange; feeding a second substantially flat reel flange which has a central aperture on to the upper end part of the hub in such a way that the second reel flange overlies the coil and an upper end part of the hub protrudes upwardly through the aperture in the second reel flange; and distorting the protruding end parts of the hub in such a way and under such a pressure that said distorted protruding end parts bear against the outer surfaces of the reel flanges and at least central portions of the reel flanges are pressed inwardly to such a dish-like shape that not part of the hub protrudes beyond the planes containing the boundary edges of the reel flanges and that the overall length of the hub is substantially equal to or less than the axial length of the coil.
The protruding end parts of the preformed rigid hollow hub may be distorted to bear against the outer faces of the reel flanges in any convenient manner but, preferably, each protruding end part is rolled radially outwardly in such a way as to form an end wall which bears against the outer surface of, and whose extreme edge bites into, one of the reel flanges.
Preferably, the preformed rigid hollow hub has, spaced inwardly from its ends, outwardly extending circumferential ribs which are so spaced apart and are of such a height and shape that, when the protruding endparts of the hub are distorted, the central portions of the reel flanges are pressed inwardly against the circumferential ribs and gripped between the ribs and the end walls of the hub.
The operations of feeding a reel flange on to the support surface, feeding a coil of wire with its axis substantially vertical on to the reel flange and, when necessary, substantially centering the coil so that its axis is approximately co-linear with the axis of the aperture in the underlying reel flange, introducing a preformed rigid hollow hub into the coil and underlying reel flange, applying a second apertured reel flange on to the upper part of the hub, and distorting the protruding end parts of the hub may be effected in sequence at a single operating station but, preferably, two or more of these operations are effected at two or more mutually spaced stations, an operation at each of the stations preferably being effected substantially simultaneously so that, at any one time, operations are being effected on two or more partially assembled coil reels.In this latter case, the stations are preferably arranged at circumferentially spaced positions around a circle and the partially assembled coil reels conveyed from station to station either by means of a rotatable turntable or by a rotating spider having a plurality of radially extending arms, each carrying means for supporting a partially assembled coil reel, or, if desired, the stations may be in alignment and the partially assembled coil reels conveyed along a substantially rectilinear or nonrectilinear path from station to station. In all cases, conveying of partially assembled coil reels from one station to a succeeding station or succeeding stations and the operation or operations at each station are effected automatically and in the appropriate sequence by means of robot devices under the control of a computer.
The invention also includes apparatus for use in the improved method as hereinbefore described of manufacturing the preferred coil reel as described in the Specification of our aforesaid co-pending patent application.
The invention is further illustrated by a description, by way of example, of the preferred coil reel and of the preferred method of
manufacturing the preferred coil reel with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is an isometric view of the preferred coil reel;
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the
preferred coil reel, and
Figure 3 is a schematic representation of the preferred apparatus employed in the preferred
method of manufacturing the preferred coil reel.
The preferred coil reel shown in Figures 1 and 2 has a pair of oppositely disposed flanges 1 of
cardboard whose boundary edges 2 lie in
substantially parallel planes, each of which
flanges has an aperture 3 in axial alignment with
the aperture of the other flange, and, extending
between parts of the flanges bounding the aligned
apertures, a rigid hollow hub 4. A coil 5 of wire
surrounds the hub 4 between the flanges 1, the
axial length of the coil being slightly greater than
the overall length of the hub. End parts 8 of the
hub 4 protrude through the apertures 3 in the
flanges and are so distorted that a central dished
portion 9 of each flange is gripped between the
distorted end part and a circumferential rib 7, the
central dished portions being of such depth that
no part of the hub protrudes beyond the planes
containing the boundary edges 2 of the flanges.
Referring to Figure 3, the preferred apparatus
comprises a rotatably driven spider 11 having a
plurality of radially extending arms 12, each
having a substantially horizontal supporting
surface having a central hole 13. Associated with
and circumferentially spaced around the rotatably
driven spider 11 are a plurality of operating
stations. The first of these is a first flange-loading
station 14 having means 1 5 for feeding on to the
supporting surface of one of the arms 12 from a
supply 1 6 of reel flanges, a substantially flat reel 1
which has a central aperture 3, the reel flange being so loaded on to the arm 12 that the aperture in the reel flange is substantially coaxial with the hole 1 3 in the arm.Downstream of the first flange-loading station 14 is a coil-loading station 1 7 which is also associated with wirecoiling apparatus 10. A coil transfer device 19 is provided for transferring a coil of wire from the wire-coiling apparatus 10 to the coil-loading station 1 7 which has means for feeding a coil with its axis substantially vertical on to a reel flange supported on an arm 12 to such an extent that the coil bounds the aperture in the reel flange. Downstream of the coil-loading station 1 7 is a hub-loading station 21 having means 22 for introducing into a coil and the underlying apertured reel flange on an arm 12 a preformed substantially rigid hollow hub 4 in such a way that the hub protrudes upwardly from the coil and an end part of the hub protrudes downwardly through the aperture in the reel flange and the hole 13 in the arm.A second flange-loading station 24 is positioned downstream of the hubloading station 21 and has means 25 for feeding a second flat apertured reel flange 1 on to the upper end part of a hub carried by an arm 12 in such a way that the second reel flange overlies a coil surrounding the hub and an upper end part of the hub protrudes upwardly through the aperture in the second reel flange. Downstream of the second flange-loading station 24 is a hubdistortion station 27 having above and below the rotatably driven spider 11 means 28 for distorting the protruding end parts of a hub supported on an arm 12. Downstream of the hub-distortion station 27, is a wrapping station 29, a pallet-loading station 30 and a reject station 35.At the palletloading station 30, is a device 31 for removing an assembled coil reel from an arm 12, the device travelling backwards and forwards along an overhead track 32 between the pallet loading station and a position at which assembled coil reels can be lowered into a pallet 34. At the reject station 35, means is provided for pushing an unsatisfactory coil reel from an arm 12 into a container for scrap material.
The operations at the stations around the rotatably driven spider 11 are effected substantially simultaneously so that, at any one time, operations are effected on seven (or eight) partially or completely assembled coil reels.
In use, a substantially flat centrally apertured reel flange 1 is fed on to an arm 12 of the spider
11 at the first flange-loading station 14 and the spider is then caused to rotate in a clockwise direction through 45 until the arm 12 is positioned at the coil-loading station 1 7 where a coil 5 of wire, which has been fed to the coilloading station from the coiling apparatus 10 by the coil transfer device 19, is applied with its axis substantially vertical on to the reel flange to such an extent that the coil substantially bounds the aperture 3 in the reel flange. the spider 11 is then rotated through a further 450 until the arm 12 is at the hub-loading station 21 where a preformed substantially rigid hollow hub 4 is introduced into the coil 5 and the aperture 3 in the underlying reel flange 1 in such a way that the hub protrudes upwardly from the coil and an end part of the hub protrudes downwardly through the aperture in the reel flange and through the hole 13 in the arm.
The spider 11 then rotates through a further 450 until the arm 12 is positioned at the second flange-loading station 24 where a second flat centrally apertured reel flange 1 is fed on to the upper end part of the hub 4 in such a way that the second reel flange overlies the coil 5 and an upper end part of the hub protrudes upwardly through the aperture in the second reel flange.Further rotation of the spider 11 through 450 brings the arm 1 2 to the hub-distortion station 27 where the upper and lower distortion means 28 distort the protruding end parts of the hub in such a way and under such a pressure that the distorted protruding end parts bear against the outer surfaces of the reel flanges 1 and central portions of the reel flanges are pressed inwardly to such a dish-like shape that no part of the hub 4 protrudes beyond the planes containing the boundary edges 2 of the reel flanges and that the overall length of the hub is substantially equal to or less than the axial length of the coil 5. The spider 11 then rotates through a further 450 until the arm 12 is at the wrapping station 29 where an overall wrapping of plastics material is applied to the assembled coil reel. Further rotation of the spider
11 brings the arm 12 to the pallet-loading station 30 where the device 31 lifts the assembled coil
reel from the arm and travels along the overhead track 32 to above the pallet 34 where the wrapped assembled coil reel is lowered onto the
pallet. Meanwhile, further rotation of the spider through 450 brings the next arm 12 to the pallet
loading station 30 and the next rotational
movement of 450 of the spider brings the arm 12
back to the first flange-loading station 14 for a
repeat of the sequence of operations described.
Incremental rotational movement of the spider
11 to arrange for the arms 12 to move from one
operating station to the succeeding stations and
the operations at the stations are effected
automatically and in the appropriate sequence by
means of robot devices under the control of a
computer.
Claims (15)
1. A method of manufacturing a coil reel,
which method comprises feeding to a
substantially horizontal supporting surface a
substantially flat reel flange which has a central
aperture; feeding a coil of wire with its axis
substantially vertical on to the reel flange to such
an extent that the coil substantially bounds the
aperture in the reel flange; introducing into the
coil and the aperture in the underlying reel flange
a preformed substantially rigid hollow hub in such
a way that the hub protrudes upwardly from the
coil and an end part of the hub protrudes
downwardly through the aperture in the reel
flange; feeding a second substantially flat reel
flange which has a central aperture on to the upper end part of the hub in such a way that the second reel flange overlies the coil and an upper end part of the hub protrudes upwardly through the aperture in the second reel flange; and distorting the protruding end parts of the hub in such a way and under such a pressure that said distorted protruding end parts bear against the outer surfaces of the reel flanges and at least central portions of the reel flanges are pressed inwardly to such a dish-like shape that no part of the hub protrudes beyond the planes containing the boundary edges of the reel flanges and that the overall length of the hub is substantially equal to or less than the axial length of the coil.
2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each protruding end part is rolled radially outwardly in such a way as to form an end wall which bears against the outer surface of, and whose extreme edge bites into, one of the reel flanges.
3. A method as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the preformed rigid hollow hub has, spaced inwardly from its ends, outwardly extending circumferential ribs which are so spaced apart and are of such a height and shape that, when the protruding end parts of the hub are distorted, the central portions of the reel flanges are pressed inwardly against the circumferential ribs and are gripped between the ribs and the end walls of the hub.
4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein two or more of the operations of feeding a reel flange on to the support surface, feeding a coil of wire with its axis substantially vertical on to the reel flange and, when necessary, substantially centring the coil so that its axis is approximately co-linear with the axis of the aperture in the underlying reel flange, introducing a preformed rigid hollow hub into the coil and underlying reel flange, applying a second apertured reel flange on to the upper end part of the hub, and distorting the protruding end parts of the hub, are effected at two or more mutually spaced stations, an operation at each of the stations being effected substantially simultaneously so that, at any one time, operations are being effected on two or more partially assembled coil reels.
5. A method as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the stations are arranged at circumferentially spaced positions around a circle and the partially assembled coil reels are conveyed from station to station either by means of a rotatable turntable or by a rotating spider having a plurality of radially extending arms, each supporting a partially assembled coil reel.
6. A method as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the stations are arranged in alignment and the partially assembled coil reels are conveyed along a substantially rectilinear or non-rectilinear path from station to station.
7. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 6, wherein conveying of partially assembled coil reels from one station to a succeeding station or succeeding stations and the operation or operations at each station are effected automatically and in the appropriate sequence.
8. Apparatus for use in the manufacture of a coil reel, which apparatus comprises a conveyor having a substantially horizontal supporting surface and, associated with and arranged in sequence in the'direction of motion of said conveyor, a first flange-loading station having means for feeding on to the horizontal supporting surface of said conveyor a substantially flat reel flange which has a central aperture; a coil-loading station having means for feeding a coil of wire with its axis substantially vertical on to a reel flange carried on said supporting surface to such an extent that the coil substantially bounds the aperture in the reel flange; a hub-loading station having means for introducing in the coil and the aperture in the underlying reel flange a preformed substantially rigid hollow hub in such a way that the hub protrudes upwardly from the coil and an end part of the hub protrudes downwardly through the aperture in the reel flange, a second flange-loading station having means for feeding a second substantially flat reel flange which has a central aperture on to the upper end part of the hub in such a way that the second reel flange overlies the coil and an upper end part of the hub protrudes upwardly through the aperture in the second reel flange, and a hub-distortion station having means for distorting the protruding end parts of the hub in such a way and under such a pressure that said distorted protruding end parts will bear against the outer surfaces of the reel flanges and at least central portions of the reel flanges will be pressed inwardly to such a dishlike shape that no part of the hub will protrude beyond the planes containing the boundary edges of the reel flanges and that the overall length of the hub will be substantially equal to or less than the axial length of the coil.
9. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the conveyor is a rotatable turntable;
1 0. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the conveyor is a rotating spider having a plurality of radially extending arms, each having a substantially horizontal supporting surface for supporting a partially assembled coil reel.
11. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 10, which apparatus includes, downstream of said hub distortion station and associated with said conveyor, a wrapping station having means for wrapping paper or plastics material around the assembled coil reel.
12. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 11, which apparatus includes, downstream of said hub-distortion station and, when present, of said wrapping station, and associated with said conveyor, a pallet-loading station having means for loading an assembled coil reel into a pallet.
13. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 12, which apparatus also includes, downstream of said hub-distortion station, a reject station having means for removing from the conveyor any unsatisfactory coil reel.
14. Apparatus for use in the manufacture of a coil reel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown Figure 3 of in the accompanying drawings.
15. A method of manufacturing a coil reel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08316748A GB2122168B (en) | 1982-06-18 | 1983-06-20 | Packaging coils of wire or cable |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8217641 | 1982-06-18 | ||
| GB08316748A GB2122168B (en) | 1982-06-18 | 1983-06-20 | Packaging coils of wire or cable |
Publications (3)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB8316748D0 GB8316748D0 (en) | 1983-07-20 |
| GB2122168A true GB2122168A (en) | 1984-01-11 |
| GB2122168B GB2122168B (en) | 1985-06-05 |
Family
ID=26283129
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08316748A Expired GB2122168B (en) | 1982-06-18 | 1983-06-20 | Packaging coils of wire or cable |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2122168B (en) |
-
1983
- 1983-06-20 GB GB08316748A patent/GB2122168B/en not_active Expired
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB2122168B (en) | 1985-06-05 |
| GB8316748D0 (en) | 1983-07-20 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |