GB2134423A - Manufacturing reel and packaging coil of wire - Google Patents

Abstract

Two apertured reel flanges 21 are introduced into an open-topped carrier 2, a coil 22 of wire is fed into the carrier between the flanges, and a hollow hub 24 is introduced axially through a side wall of the carrier, one reel flange, the coil and the other reel flange and is secured to the reel flanges. The carrier is then tipped about a horizontal axis and the coil reel is caused to roll either to a station where it is introduced into a closable cardboard box or where a cardboard box is assembled around the coil reel, or to a station where paper or plastics tape is wound around the periphery of the coil reel. Preferably, the open-topped carrier is one of several such carriers mounted on an endless belt. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Packaging coils of wire 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 house wiring 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 used 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because such packaged coils are not readily stackable and is not popular with users because wire cannot be readily withdrawn from a coil and because once the toroidal lapping is removed to enable wire to be withdrawn from the coil, the balance of the coil is left unprotected and may become tangled, as replacement of the toroidal lapping is usually too tiresome to be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 nonreturnable 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.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of manufacturing a coil reel.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved method of manufacturing a coil reel package.

According to the invention, the improved method of manufacturing a coil reel comprises introducing two substantially flat reel flanges, each having a central aperture, downwardly into an open-topped carrier which is of such a form that said reel flanges are maintained in axial alignment and axially spaced apart; feeding a coil of wire downwardly into said carrier and between said reel flanges to such an extent that the coil substantially bounds the apertures in the reel flanges; introducing a hollow hub axially through an opening in one side wall of the carrier, through the aperture in one reel flange, through the coil and through the aperture in the other reel flange in such a way that the hub extends between, and protrudes beyond the outer faces of, the reel flanges; distorting the protruding end parts of the hub in such a way that said distorted protruding end parts are secured to, and bear against the outer surfaces of, the reel flanges thereby to form a coil reel; and causing said carrier to pivot about a substantially horizontal axis to such an extent that the coil reel will fall out of the carrier under its own weight.

Where it is desired to manufacture a coil reel package, preferably, on emerging from the carrier, the coil reel is introduced into a closable carton and the carton is closed, or a carton is assembled around the coil reel, to form a boxed coil reel.

Alternatively, after the coil reel has emerged from the carrier, paper or plastics material is wound around the periphery of the coil reel.

Preferably, the open-topped carrier is one of a plurality of such carriers mounted at intervals along at least one substantially horizontally driven endless belt each carrier in turn on the upper part of the endless belt being arrested at a station or stations where the reel flanges and coil are introduced into the carrier. Preferably, also at a position downstream of said station or stations where the upper part of the endless belt passes around a rotating roller, each carrier travels in turn around said roller and the coil reel falls from the carrier under its own weight on to a conveyor or other means facilitating passage of the coil reel to a further operating station.

Preferably, the reel flanges are each of substantially circular shape and are so introduced into the carrier that the axis of the coil reel extends transversely of the endless belt, the arrangement being such that on emerging from a carrier at said position downstream of the station or stations at which the reel flanges and coil are introduced, the coil reel will roll on its flanges under its own weight along a track into an open-topped closable carton or to a wrapping station.

To facilitate introduction of a hollow hub axially through a side wall of the carrier, through the apertures of the reel flanges and through a coil when positioned in the carrier, preferably the openings in the side walls of the or each carrier are in the form of slots extending to the open top of the carrier to facilitate discharge of the coil reel. The or each carrier is preferably of substantially rectangular shape and its walls may be made of metal or metal alloy, plastics material, wood or other solid material and, in this case, to facilitate inspection of the manufacturing process, each carrier is preferably made of transparent plastics material. Alternatively, each carrier may be in the form of an open framework.

To maintain the reel flanges axially spaced apart, each carrier may have positioned inwardly of its side walls continuous or discontinuous inwardly extending protrusions which define with the side walls of the carrier grooves for receiving the reel flanges.

Such inwardly extending protrusions may be so spring loaded that they are movable in a direction away from the major side walls of the carrier against the action of the spring or springs when the protruding end parts of the hub are distorted to secure them to, or urge them against the outer surfaces of, the reel flanges, whereby risk that a coil reel will become jammed in a carrier is substantially reduced.

The protruding end parts of the hollow hub may be distorted to bear against the outer surfaces of the reel flanges in any convenient manner but, preferably, each protruding end part is folded radially outwardly to form a rim which bears against the outer surface of, and whose exteeme edge bites into, one of the reel flanges. The protruding end parts of the hollow hub may be distorted in such a way and under such a pressure that the reel flanges are pressed inwardly to such a dish-like shape that no part of the hub protrudes beyond planes containing the boundary edges of the reel flanges.

The hollow hub may have, spaced inwardly from its ends, outwardly extending continuous or discontinuous circumferential ribs which are of such a height and shape that when pressure is imparted to distort the protruding end parts of the hub, they will be distorted to form outwardly extending continuous or discontinuous circumferential shoulders bearing against the inner faces of the reel flanges, the distance between the shoulders preferably being such that the reel flanges are gripped between the shoulders and the distorted end parts of the hub.

Preferably, the hollow hub is introduced into the apertures in the reel flanges in a preformed substantially rigid form and it may be of circular or non-circular cross-section. Where the preform substantially rigid hollow hub is of non-circular crosssection., preferably it has a transverse cross-section of substantially corrugated form with the corrugations extending lengthwise of the hub and, after the corrugated hollow hub has been introduced into the apertures in the reel flanges, it is expanded radially outwardly to such an extent that the transverse cross-section of the hollow hub becomes substantially circular and the hollow hub is fixed tightly in the apertures in the reel flanges.Preferably, also, the overall external diameter of the corrugated hollow hub is substantially less than the diameter of the aperture in each reel flange so that the corrugated hollow hub can be readily introduced into the apertures before it is expanded radially outwardly to a transverse cros-section of substantially circular shape.

The hollow hub is preferably made of a metal or metal alloy and, in a preferred embodiment, is formed by transversely folding a strip of metal or metal alloy so that edges of the strip overlap and securing these overlapping edges together to form a preformed substantially rigid hollow hub, where required corrugations being formed in the strip before or whilst it is transversely folded or in the hollow hub after it has been formed.

Alternatively, the hollow hub may be introduced through the apertures in the reel flanges in the form of a transversely rolled strip of metal or metal alloy which, after it has been introduced into the apertures, is expanded to fit tightly in the apertures of the reel flanges.

The invention also includes apparatus for use in the manufacture of coil reels by the improved method as hereinbefore described.

The invention further includes a coil reel made by the improved method as hereinbefore described.

The invention is further illustrated by a description, by way of example, of the preferred method of and apparatus for manufacturing a coil reel or a boxed coil reel with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of the apparatus; Figure 2 is a fragmental diagrammatic perspective view of the apparatus, and Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of a carrier of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus comprises a horizontal driven endless belt 1 on which are mounted at intervals along the belt a plurality of open-topped carriers 2. Each carrier 2 is of a rectangular shape and has, in each of its major side walls 3, a slot 5 which extends to the open top of the carrier. Positioned inwardly of each major side wall 3 and projecting inwardly from each minor side wall 4 is a flange 6 which defines with the neighbouring major side wall a groove 7.

Mutually spaced along the endless belt 1 are three operating stations 10, 11 and 12. At operating station 10 flat centrally apertured reel flanges 21 of circular shape can be introduced downwardly into the grooves 7 of a carrier 2. At operating station 11 a coil 22 of wire, with its axis horizontal and extending transversely of the endless belt 1, can be introduced downwardly from a wire coiler (not shown) into a carrier 2 between previously introduced reel flanges 21.At operating station 12 a transversely rolled metal strip can be introduced horizontally through the slot 5 in one major side wall of a carrier 2, through the central aperture in one reel flange 21, through the coil 22 of wire and through the central aperture in the other reel flange 21 in such a way that the rolled strip extends between, and protrudes beyond the outer faces of, the reel flanges; the rolled strip is expanded radially outwardly to fit tightly in the central apertures of the reel flanges; and the protruding end parts 23 of the rolled strip are distorted in such a way that they are secured to, and bear against the outer surfaces of, the reel flanges, thereby to form a coil reel 24 having a tubular hub 25.

Downstream of the operating station 12 the endless belt 1 passing around a rotating roller 8 and, adjacent to the rotating roller, is an inclined track 9 along which a coil reel 24, which has fallen from a carrier under its own weight, can roll to an operating station (not shown) where the reel will drop into an open-topped closable cardboard carton to form a boxed coil reel orto a station where paper or plastics material will be wrapped around the periphery of the coil reel.

In use, each carrier 2 on the upper part of the driven endless belt 1 is arrested at each of the operating stations 10, 11 and 12 in turn for reel flanges 21 to be introduced downwardly into the carrier, for a coil 22 of wire to be introduced downwardly into the carrier between the reel flanges, and for a hollow tub 25 to be secured to the reel flanges. Downstream of the operating station 12, each carrier 2 in turn passes around the rotating roller 8 where the coil reel 24 falls out of the open-topped carrier under its own weight on to the inclined track 9, the slots 5 in the major side walls of the carrier ensuring that the distorted protruding end parts 23 of the hub 24 do not foul the side walls 3 Of the carrier and prevent or restrain ready discharge of the coil reel. Each coil reel 24 in turn rolls down the inclined track 9 to an operating station (not shown) where it drops into an open-topped closable cardboard carton to form a boxed coil reel, or where paper or plastics material is wrapped around the periphery of the coil reel.

Claims (17)

1. A method of manufacturing a coil reel which comprises introducing two substantially flat reel flanges, each having a central aperture, downwrdly into an open-topped carrier which is of such a form that said reel flanges are maintained in axial alignment and axially spaced part; feeding a coil of wire downwardly into said carrier between said reel flanges to such an extent that the coil substantially bounds the apertures in the reel flanges; introducing a hollow hub axially through an opening in one side wall of the carrier, through the aperture in one reel flange, through the coil and through the aperture in the other reel flange in such a way that the hub extends between. and protrudes beyond the outer faces of, the reel flanges; distorting the protruding end parts of the hub in such a way that said distorted protruding end parts are secured to, and bear against the outer surfaces of, the reel flanges thereby to form a coil reel; and causing said carrier to pivot about a substantially horizontal axis to such an extent that the coil reel will fall out of the carrier under its own weight.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein, on emerging from the carrier, the coil reel is introduced into a closable carton and the carton is closed, or a carton is assembled around the coil reel, to form a boxed coil reel.

3. A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein, after the coil reel has emerged from the carrier, paper or plastics material is wound around the periphery of the coil reel.

4. A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein, the open-topped carrier is one of a plurality of such carriers mounted at intervals along at least one substantially horizontally driven endless belt each carrier in turn on the upper part of the endless belt being arrested at a station or stations where the reel flanges and coil are introduced into the carrier and, wherein, at a position downstream of said station or stations where the upper part of the endless belt passes around a rotating roller, each carrier travels in turn around said roller and the coil reel falls from the carrier under its own weight on to a conveyor or other means facilitating passage of the coil reel to a further operating station.

5. A method as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the reel flanges are each of substantially circular shape and are so introduced into the carrier that the axis of the coil reel extends transversely of the endless belt, the arrangement being such that, on emerging from a carrier at said position downstream of the station or stations at which the reel flanges and coil are introduced, the coil reel will roll on its flanges under its own weight along a track into an open-topped closable carton, orto a wrapping station.

6. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the openings in the side walls of the or each carrier are in the form of slots extending to the open top of the carrier.

7. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the or each carrier has positioned inwardly of its side walls continuous or discontinuous inwardly extending protrusions which define with the side walls of the carrier grooves for receiving the reel flanges.

8. A method as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the inwardly extending protrusions are so spring loaded that they are movable in a direction away from the major side walls of the carrier against the action of the spring or springs when the protruding end parts of hub are distorted to secure them to, or urge them against the outer surfaces of, the reel flanges.

9. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the protruding end parts of the hollow hub are distorted in such a way and under such a pressure that the reel flanges are pressed inwardly to such a dish-like shape that no part of the hub protrudes beyond planes containing the boundary edges of the reel flanges.

10. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the hollow hub has, spaced inwardly from its ends, outwardly extending continuous or discontinuous circumferential ribs which are of such a height and shape that when pressure is imparted to distort the protruding end part of the hub, they will be distorted to form outwardly extending continuous or discontinuous circumferential shoulders bearing against the inner faces of the reel flanges, the distance between the shoulders being such that the reel flanges are gripped between the shoulders and the distorted end parts of the hub.

11. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the hollow hub is introduced through the apertures in the reel flanges in a preformed substantially rigid form.

12. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 10, wherein the hollow hub is introduced through the apertures in the reel flanges in the form of a transversely rolled strip of metal or metal alloy which, after it has been introduced into the apertures, is expanded to fit tightly in the apertures of the reel flanges.

13. Apparatus for use in the manufacture of a coil reel, which apparatus comprises an open-topped carrier having a pair of oppositely disposed side walls in each of which is an opening in axial alignment with the opening in the other side wall; means for introducing two substantially flat reel flanges, each having a central aperture, downwardly into the open-topped carrier, the carrier having means for maintaining the reel flanges in axial alignment and axially spaced apart; means for feeding a coil of wire downwardly into the carrier between the reel flanges to such an extent that the coil substantially bounds the apertures in the reel flanges; means for introducing a hollow hub axially through the opening in one side wall of the carrier, through the aperture in one reel flange, through the coil and through the aperture in the other reel flange in such a way that the hub extends between, and protrudes beyond the outer faces of, the reel flamges; means for distorting the protruding end parts of the hub in such a way that said distorted end parts are secured to, and bear against the outer surfaces of, the reel flanges thereby to form a coil reel; and means for causing the carrier to pivot about a substantially horizontal axis to such an extent that the coil reel will fall out of the carrier under its own weight.

14. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the open-topped carrier is one of a plurality of such carriers mounted at intervals along a substantially horizontally driven endless belt and wherein the means for introducing the reel flanges downwardly into an open-topped carrier, the means for feeding a coil of wire downwardly into a carrier, the means for introducing a hollow hub through the reel flanges and for distorting protruding end parts of the hub, and the means for causing the carrier to pivot about a substantially horizontal axis are positioned at intervals along the path of the endless belt.

15. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 14, wherein the common axis of the openings in the side walls of each carrier extends transversely of the endless belt and there is positioned adjacent the means for causing each carrier to pivot about a substantially horizontal axis an inclined track leading to means for forming a closable carton or means for winding paper or plastics material around the periphery of a coil reel.

16. A method of manufacturing a coil reel substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. Apparatus for use in the manufacture of a coil reel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.