GB2143863A - Apparatus for winding filamentary material - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for winding filamentary material such as wire onto a single spool, the apparatus including a winder at a winding station (3), the winder having aligned tail spindles to receive an empty spool (7a, 7) onto which the filamentary material is to be wound to produce a full spool (9). The spools are loaded and unloaded by means of a member which can be in the form of a table (13) having a table plate (14) mounted on it. The table has means to raise and lower it and a means is also provide to shift at least the table plate (14) transversely of the longitudinal axes of the tail spindles. This member is able simultaneously to receive and carry a full spool from the winder whilst being able to receive and carry an empty spool to the winder for loading thereon. In one particular embodiment, this is achieved by providing in the table plate two recesses to receive respective spools. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for Winding Filamentary Material This invention relates to apparatus for winding filamentary material.

More particularly, the invention relates to apparatus for winding filamentary material onto a single spool including a winder having a facility for automatic change of spools of filamentary material wherein an empty spool may be taken up and then wound whilst being carried on tail spindles of the winder and a full spool so wound may be released again and carried away by conveyor means.

Reference is made in this specification to wire as being the filamentary material which is to be wound but it will be appreciated that the apparatus can also be used for winding other filamentary material.

In the case of known apparatus for winding filamentary material onto a single spool, the change of spools is only possible in one direction, that is, the spool is always only both inserted and taken out through a single opening of the winder.

As a result, the amount of time spent changing spools is comparatively great, as the full spool must first be taken out of the winding space before the next empty spool can be inserted.

There are also winders such as that disclosed in German Patent Specification No. 13331 3 where the full spool can be removed and the empty spool can be supplied almost simultaneously. However, this construction, in which the empty and full spools are arranged respectively in two tiers, is only suitable for relatively small spools. A winder of this kind can, as a result of its kinematics in the range of application, only be used in a very restricted manner, and more particularly not if the weight of a wound spool amounts to 400 kg and more. This is also the reason why apparatus of this kind, which come to be used for spinning machines, cannot be readily transferred and used in wirewinding-on machines. What is more, the full spools are, for the most part, moved away by rolling. In the long run, this can result in damage to flanges of the spool.Furthermore, in the event that a long trailing end of wire is provided, the latter can also be easily damaged when the spool is rolled.

According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for winding filamentary material onto a single spool comprising a winder at a winding station having aligned tail spindles to receive a spool onto which the filamentary material is to be wound. and a member to receive two said spools, there being first means to shift said member transversely of the longitudinal axes of said tail spindles and second means to raise and lower said member, and said member being able simultaneously to receive and carry a full spool from the winder whilst being able to receive and carry an empty spool to the winder for loading thereon.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, refernce will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is diagrammatic sectional view taken on the line 1-1 in Figure 3 and shows a winding apparatus having a spool loading table, which may be moved to and fro and which may also be raised and lowered, Figure 2 is diagrammatic sectional side view taken on the line Il-Il in Figure 1 and shows a fixed and a movable tail spindle and also an additional discharging element which may be shifted in the longitudinal axis of the spool and which pushes the full spool from the fixed tail spindle onto the table, Figure 3 is a corresponding top view taken on the line Ill-Ill in Figure 1 and shows also a driving motor, Figure 4 diagrammatically shows a plan view of the loading table in operation, the table having two recesses, which open on one side, and showing a full spool, which is still clamped in the single spool winder, and spool tail spindles which may be drawn back on one or both sides, Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 4 and shows the condition where an empty spool has been pushed from a conveyor belt onto the loading table, Figure 6 is another view showing a further operation step in which the loading table has been shifted in the direction of its longitudinal axis so that an empty spool has reached the region where it can be mounted on the winder and at the same time the full spool has been moved away.

Figure 7 follows on from Figure 6 and shows the full spool being transported away by the conveyor belt, Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 1 of a second embodiment taken on the lineVIll-VIll of Figure 10, which is equipped with a loading table having empty spools which are arranged ready for delivery in "keel line" on an inclined plane, Figure 9 shows a corresponding sectional side view taken on the line IX-IX in Figure 8, Figure 10 shows a corresponding top view in which a cover plate of the housing is omitted for clarity, Figure 11 diagrammatically represents a plan view of the operation, from which can be seen a different arrangement of the feed and removal conveyor means, Figure 12 is a diagrammatic view of the operation according to which the full spool is still being would or rather is running and the empty spool stands by in readiness for the exchange process on the lowered loading table, Figure 13 shows a portion of the loading table having a supporting dish-like vessel of which either the whole or just one side can be displaced in the direction of the arrow, Figure 14 shows a portion of a loading table of which only one portion and not the whole needs to be lifted up or lowered, and Figure 1 5 diagrammatically illustrates a possible modification of a spool and parts of the winder to prevent spools slipping and over running on acceleration and braking.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 3, the apparatus for winding filamentary material such as wire onto a single spool includes a single spool winder which has a portal-like housing 1 which is constructed as a frame closed on four sides and which is rigid when subject to a torsional force. It has a portal-like passage 2 giving access to a winding station 3 housing the winder itself and has a base plate G.

The equipment of the winding station 3 includes opposed bearings 4 from which extend two aligned tail spindles 5 and 6 respectively facing one another, of which one spindle can be arranged so that it is fixed and the other can be arranged so that it may be shifted in the direction of its longitudinal axis in a known way for the purpose of taking up an empty spool 7 which is to be wound with wire 10. In the example shown, the spindle 5 is the one which is restrained from longitudinal axial movement, whilst the spindle 6 is not so restrained. A ram S, which may, for example. be moved with the aid of a hydraulically or pneumatically controlled piston in a cylinder, serves to remove a full spool 9 from the fixed spindle 5. If two movable spindles are used, the ram S need not be provided.

A manipulator 8 is arranged between the winding station 3 and the full spool 9 which has been drawn out from the winding station and serves to hold the wire 10 by means of clamps and also to cut off the wire in the direction of the full spool 9. In order that the wire 10, after having been cut off, cannot spring back on account of its spring characteristics, the manipulator 8 is provided in addition with a swivel arm which secures the wire in position on the periphery of the full spool 9 with an adhesive tape or the like.

In the example shown in Figures 1 to 3, the spools are transported, in order to be supplied and removed, with the aid of conveyor belts 11 and 12, the belt 11 serving to deliver the empty spools 7 and the belt 12 serving to carry the full spools 9 away. Figure 1 shows an empty spool 7a ready to be brought to the winding station 3 from the conveyor belt 11 by means of a member in the form of a table 13, the table 13 having means to raise and lower it and having a table plate 14 which is arranged on the table 13 so that the plate 14 may be moved to and fro transversely of the table 13 and transversely of the spool axes and therefore of the spindle axes. further means being provided for this purpose.

When the spool 7 has been mounted in between the spindles 5 and 6. The table 13 with the table plate 14 is lowered a little to the position shown in Figure 1 and the process of winding the spool 7 can be commenced straight away and the wire 10, which was still held fast by a transfer roiler 1 5 and the manipulator 8, can be taken hold of by the spool 7 and wound thereon.

The previously-filled spool 9 has in the meantime been pushed along into the region of the point of transfer to the conveyor belt 1 2 as a result of the longitudinal displacement of the table 13 with its table plate 14.

The table plate 14 has means to determine the position of the spools thereon, this means being in the form of recesses 1 6 and 1 7 which open in the direction of the travel of the conveyor belts 11 and 12 and which are designed to receive the spools with their flanges resting on the edges of the recesses 16, 1 7 with their cores in the recesses and so the spools 7a can be pushed up as far as and onto the table plate 14 without special, additional action and the full spools 9 can be brought down from the table plate 14 when the conveyor belt 12 is set in motion. In this way, it is possible to take the spools through the winding apparatus without significant losses of operational time.

The table 1 3 itself is preferably supported and can be raised and lowered by four hydraulic or compressed-air motors 1 8 (of the piston-andcylinder type) and the height to be achieved thereby may be sensitively adjusted and regulated. The table plate 14 is shifted by means of a hydraulic or compressed-air motor 1 9 with which the table plate 14, on the one hand, is pivoted on the table 1 3 at 20 and, on the other hand, is pivoted by way of rods 21 and 22.So that the table plate 14 may be used for spool flange diameters of varying sizes and in order to ensure a fixed location of the spools on the path of conveyance through the winding apparatus, the edges of the recesses 16 and 17, as is clear from Figure 1, are bevelled irrespective of whether they are recesses which are closed on all sides or whether they are recesses which are open on one side as shown. Through this bevelling of the edges, damage to the spool flanges is avoided as well.

The individual steps of the winding process are diagrammatically represented in plan in Figures 4 to 7.

Figure 4 shows the table plate 14 having the two recesses 16 and 17, which are open on one side, and furthermore, the conveyor belt 11 for delivering the empty spools 7a. One empty spool 7 has already been engaged by the spindles 5 and 6 and is being wound, the table 13 being in a lowered position.

When the spool 7 is fully wound another empty spool 7a is pushed by means of the conveyor belt 11 into the recess 1 6 in the table plate 14 (Figure 5). Driving of the full spool is then stopped and the table 13 is raised until the edges of the recess 17 in the plate 14 are in contact with the full spool and then the spindles 5 and 6 are drawn relatively apart.

The table plate 14 is then shifted, in its longitudinal direction transversely of the axes of the spools, carrying the empty spool 7a and the full spool 7 so that the spindles 5 and 6 are caused to engage with the empty spool 7a and the latter is firmly clamped. The table 13 is lowered and with this the full spool 7 is also placed upon the conveyor belt 12. In the meantime, the empty spool is, in terms of motion, already going at full speed so that the winding process can already be carried out again. This process is represented in Figure 6. Through actuation of the conveyor belt 12, the full spool 7 is transported away in the same direction as that of the longitudinal axis of the spool itself (Figure 7). Afterwards, the table plate 14 can again be brought into the position which is represented in Figure 4 so that the same process can be repeated.

The substantially U-shaped travel path thus achieved for the spools is particularly favourable if the space available is such that it is comparatively narrow on both sides.

In those cases in which the reverse is true, that is, if there is sufficient space on both sides, the single spool winder shown in Figures 8 to 10 is advantageous. In both cases, practically the same design of the portal-like single spool winder housing 1, which is rigid when subject to torsional force, is chosen, as described above. The corresponding structural members are provided with the same reference numerals.

As may be seen from Figures 8 and 10, the path of travel for the spools and the winding station 3 is in a straight line. The empty spools 7a are supplied on an incline 23, which slopes down towards the housing 1, and at the end point are temporarily prevented from advancing further by means of a stop 24. The height of the incline 23 is such that the table plate 14 can travel with what are in this case trough-shaped or dish-shaped spool receiving vessels 25 under the empty spool 7a at the end of the incline 23 to enable the spool 7a to be lifted over the stop 24 and into the receiving vessel 25by the lifting movement of table 13.

When the table 13 is in the position shown in Figure 8, it is lowered again, after the spool 7 has been clamped on the spindles 5, 6, and the full spool 9 has been pushed past the manipulator 8 in such a way that the latter can hold the end of the wire which leads back into the housing 1 and can cut off the rest which leads onto the spool 9 and, if necessary, can fix it by means of an adhesive tape.

The spool 9 is, in this case, lowered onto rollers 26 of a conveyor 27 with a rolling movement which is of hardly any consequence so that the conveyor 27 can carry the spool on in an almost constant state. By this means, on the one hand, full protection of the flanges and, on the other hand, good access to the end of the wire, which constantly remains at the top, is achieved so that the end of the wire may, for example be welded onto the end of an additional full spool of wire.

Individual steps of the method are diagrammatically shown in Figures 11 and 12.

Figure 11 shows a plan view of the empty spool 7a, winding spool 7, and the full spool 9 which are arranged in a straight line transversely on the spool and winder axes.

Figure 1 2 shows a view of the table plate 1 4 which bears the empty spool 7a, while the spool 7, which to begin with is still empty, is being wound in the winding station 3 to form a full spool 9, the table plate 14 being in its lowered position. Instead of the lifting and lowering movement of the table 13, the sides of the receiving vessel 25 can also be provided with a drive to effect a tilting movement about a hinge point 31 (Figures 12 and 13) so that in this way the spool can be lowered at a tilting angle which becomes greater. A side of the receiving vessel 25 can also be swung out, as shown in Figure 13, in the direction of the arrow 28 for unloading purposes, in which case the other side 29 of the vessel 25 can be constructed so that it remains fixed in the space or even so that it is tiltable.

Furthermore, the table 1 3 and/or the table plate 14 need not be rigid but can be instead constructed of several parts. It is, for example, possible to connect the parts by means of pivoting joints 30, as indicated in Figure 14. In this way, predetermined portions can be raised, while other portions of the table can still remain in their original positions. In this way, it is possible to raise not the whole table but just one section, for example, that portion which serves to raise and lower the spool into or out of the winding station 3.

Referring to Figure 15, when winding heavier spools, which are stored on tail spindles, it is of course known to ensure by means of dogs that the spools do not slide through or slip or over-run upon acceleration or braking.

It appears, however, that a dog of this kind does not always engage in a satisfactory manner.

This is disadvantageous especially in the case of an automatic winding operation. In order to achieve a reliable winding operation, more particularly with high and the highest number of revolutions per minute, the winder can be provided with, apart from a main driving pin 32, another searching driving pin 33 which with the aid of a compression spring 34 is pressed against the spool flange 35 and which also has a somewhat smaller diameter than the main driving pin 32. These pins being shown in their rest position in Figure 1 5.

In this case, the spool flange 35 is provided with at least two recesses 36 and 37 which lie radially opposite each other. Upon insertion of a new empty spool, normally, neither of the two pins will have a recess 36 or 37 facing it. For this reason, the empty spool is only pushed in just far enough axially for the main driving pin 32 to be still not in contact with the spool flange 35.

However, the searching driving pin 33, which is urged towards the spool flange 35 by the pressure of the spring 34, already rests fully against the spool flange 35.

As soon as the spool driving shaft, possibly at crawling speed, has executed the first revolution by way of a corresponding control system or programming, the searching driving pin 33 will reach one of the recesses 36 or 37 present and will engage straight away so that the spool is already being taken along with it. Thereupon, the axial clamping of the spool is completed before its operating position is reached and now the main driving pin 32 as well is inserted into the additional recess 36 which has already been centered by means of the searching driving pin 33. In this way, it is possible that the main driving pin 32 within the first spool revolution can already safely take over those forces which result.

It will be appreciated generally that all the individual elements, which may be moved and driven, can, for examle, be provided with control valves, locking and limit switches and also with control and regulating contacts so that in order to set the whole of the present apparatus into operation each program or sequence control can be used in the most simple way.

Furthermore, it is possible and advantageous to arrange the main driving pin and the searching driving pin 32 and 33 not, as shown in Figure 15, on the same side of the spool flange, but to assign the searching driving pin to a recess in one of the spool flanges and the main driving pin to a recess in the other spool flange. It is also possible to use compressible gas, for example, compressed air, to press against the searching driving pin instead of using a spring 34. Furthermore, it is advantageous if the main driving pin 32 is constructed so that it tapers a iittle in the direction of its insertion, i.e.

towards its free end. In this way, even when the recesses are already widened, a form-locking connection is guaranteed.

It will be further appreciated that the present winding apparatus requires as few operators as possible and can be easily automated. Also, it is possible with the present apparatus to provide a long internal trailing end of wire and a long external trailing end of wire and it should be possible to change the spools more quickly with a minimum number of operational steps whilst treating the internal and external trailing ends of wire and the spool flanges most carefully, in which case neither a turning movement nor a rolling action of the comparatively heavy spools is necessary. Moreover, the apparatus is intended to be suitable for all sizes of spool and also for the greatest weights of spool and highest speeds of winding.

Claims (14)

1. An apparatus for winding filamentary material onto a single spool comprising a winder at a winding station having aligned tail spindles to receive a spool onto which the filamentary material is to be wound. and a member to receive two said spools, there being first means to shift said member transversely of the longitudinal axes of said tail spindles and second means to riase and lower said member, and said member being able simultaneously to receive and carry a full spool from the winder whilst being able to receive and carry an empty spool to the winder forloading thereon.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a said full spool on said winder is caused to be transferred to said member either by a movement of the member itself or by another part of the apparatus.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said winding station is formed by a portal-like housing which is in the form of a frame closed on four sides, is rigid when subject to a torsional force and leaves a passage through which access to the winder can be gained.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , 2 or 3, wherein at least one of said tail spindles is axially movable so as to be able to allow reception and release of a said spool to and from the winder.

5. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said member is in the form of a table having a table plate arranged thereon, said table plate being able to be moved transversely of the table and of the axes of said spindles.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said table and/or its table plate is/are formed of parts connected by at least one pivoting joint.

7. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said member has means which serve to determine the position of the spools thereon.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said means which serve to determine the position of the spools are constituted by respective recesses in said member, each recess being closed on four sides.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said means which serve to determine the position of the spools are constituted by respective recesses in said member, said recesses opening to one side of said member and facing respective conveyor belts which are provided to supply empty spools to the winder and full spools away from the winder.

10. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, and being arranged so that the supply of filametary material to a said spool is not cut off until a said full spool has been removed from said winder by said member, thereby providing a trailing end of the filamentary material on said full spool and a leading end for attachment to a said empty spool.

11. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said winder is provided with a main driving pin and a searching driving pin, which searching driving pin with the aid of a compression spring is pressed against one of the flanges of a spool on the winder and serves to search for a recess in the spool flange in order to determine the point of engagement of said main driving pin with that spool.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the diamater of said seaching driving pin is smaller than that of said main driving pin.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 or 12, wherein said main driving pin tapers towards its free end.

14. An apparatus for winding filamentary material onto a single spool, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 7 or Figures 8 to 12 or Figure 13, or Figure 14, or Figure 1 5, of the accompanying drawings