GB2229202A

GB2229202A - Loading cable stranders: bobbin grippers

Info

Publication number: GB2229202A
Application number: GB8928191A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin Poida; Andreas Kuemmel
Original assignee: Schwermaschinenbau Kombinat Ernst Thalmann VEB
Current assignee: Schwermaschinenbau Kombinat Ernst Thalmann VEB
Priority date: 1989-03-13
Filing date: 1989-12-13
Publication date: 1990-09-19
Anticipated expiration: 2009-12-13
Also published as: HU205318B; CZ278629B6; DD289903A7; HU895438D0; GB2229202B; GB8928191D0; IT8922444A1; CZ643189A3; IT1236805B; HUT54742A; IT8922444A0; DE3933945A1

Description

1 Amaratus for charging stranding machines. in particular for the

nroduction of steel cord. with bobbins The invention relates to an apparatus for charging stranding machines, in particular for steel cord production, with bobbins, wherein consideration is given preferably to those stranding machines which receive the bobbins on delivery pegs arranged in the bobbin carrier in a vertical position and where the bobbin change operation is effected from above.

In the known high-speed stranding machines which are used hydraulically for the production of steel wire cable, when dealing with larger bobbins, charging apparatuses are required for the bobbin change operation because the weight of the bobbins is too great for them to be fitted by the operating personnel by hand. In most cases, arranged above the high-speed stranding machines are what are known as electric hoists by mans of which, and using commercially available load receiving mans, the bobbins are moved into and removed from the bobbin carrier, the bobbins being arranged in any case in a horizontal position in the bobbin c arr ier.

Numerous other charging apparatuses for high-speed strandina machines are also known, which in part also automatically perform the bobbin change operation. All those apparatuses are based on the bobbin being in a horizontal position in the stranding machine. That arrangement has proved successful in all tube-type high-speed stranding machines; the bobbins can be precisely fixed and locked in position on both ends. That is absolutely necessary for safety reasons in the case of all tube-type machines for, if a bobbin were to come loose and come into contact with the tube which rotates at very high speed, that would inevitably result in damage or even 2 destruction of the machine and would endanger the operating personnel. In the area of steel cord production, stranding machines in which the stranding system does not involve a tubular rotor have gained acceptance; they are tube-less stranding machines which operate both on the basis of a single and a double lay stranding process.

Such a machine is disclosed in DD patent specification No 131 943. The machine bobbins are arranced on a bobbin carrier in a vertical position. On the basis of the entire technological process of steel cord production, the bobbin size in the stranding operation was limited to about 165 mm flange diameter; that approximately corresponds to a filling of 8 kg. Due to the low weight, the bobbins could be fitted by hand, in which respect, by virtue of the simple arrangement of the bobbin receiving pegs or mandrels on the bobbin carrier, the operating personnel was capable of performing those operations quickly and conveniently. In order further to increase the economy of steel cord production, there was a requirement to use larger bobbins in the stranding equipment, that is to say, to achieve longer machine running times and thus a lower level of operating expenditure.

At the present time the technical level attained is such that bobbins with a capacity of 20 to 30 kg can be processed when dealing with those thin wire dimensions as are convintionally used in the production of steel cord. The- operating personnel can no longer be expected to fit those heavy bobbins into the stranding machines by hand.

The literature discloses a steel cord stranding machine of that kind with machine bobbins with a filling weight of 20 kg, but in such a machine the bobbins are arranged horizontally and the bobbin change operation is made easier from the point of view of the operating personnel by using an electric hoist in conjunction with commercially available load receiving rreans, as described previously 1 1 t_ 3 in relation to high-speed stranding machines.

In comparison with the bobbins being carried on vertical' receiving pegs or mandrels, the machinery expenditure for the horizontal fixing of the bobbins is substantially higher and the operation of fitting the bobbins is awkward and inconvenient from the point of view of the operating personnel, in regard to the handling aspect.

Apparatuses are generally known for transporting in particular coils but also bobbins, which apparatuses are introduced into the bore in a col 1 or a bobbin, being arranged in and braced in a vertical position. An apparatus of that kind is disclosed in German laid- open application (DE-OS) No 33 23 239. Clamping segments which are guided in guide rails are spread radially out.,;ard]Lv, by the vertical movenent of a support pin, and when that happens the coil or bobbin is frictlonlockingly fixed in position. Such apparatuses have proved successful for the transportation of coils, and the forcelocking fixing action in the core of the coil is adequate. 20 In contrast that apparatus does not provide for secure arresting in a bore in a bobbin. By virtue of their continuous rotational movement in the wire works, bobbins are subjected to a very high loading, and the bobbins 1 go out of true that is to say they increase in size and become out-of-round.

An aim of the invention is to simplify the charging of stranding machines, in particular stranding machines for steel cord production, with bobbins.

The invention is based on the problem of providing a charging apparatus which can pick up and deposit the respective bobbin in a vertical position and which guarantees convenient and comfortable handling by the operator.

4 In accordance with the preferred form of the invention, an apparatus for charging stranding machines, in particular for steel cord production, with bobbins, in the form of a gripper system which can be actuated with a pressure fluid, canprises a draw bar which is associated with a piston rod of a hydraulically actuated lift cylinder and which is guided in a housing, the draw bar having a spreading cone and an axial shoulcer, disoosed at the lower enc of the draw bar, and the housing has slots in which spreading claws are arranged, being held by a holding ring and a groove nut, the spreading claws providing a positive connection with a trapezoidal annular groove with a chamfer angle W of 35 to 450 (relative to a radial plane) on the arresting side. the trapezoidal annular Qroov_= being disposed in the upper portion of the respective bore in the tobbin.

In a particularly preferred of invention. the spreading cone associated with the draw bar is of a two-part configuration, being interrupted by a cylindrical portion, and the housing of the gripper system has a right-angled locking groove with recess, into which engages a locking pin which is fixedly arranged on the draw bar.

Furthermore, it is desirable that the gripper system is arranged by way of the stroke cylinder and a pivotal arm, on a rotatable column se cur ed to the back of the stranding machine.

The mode of operation of the apparatus is described hereinafter:

The wound bobbins, for example caning from the drawing machine, are prepared an what are known as bobbin transport trucks. In that connection the position of the bobbins is so fixed as it will also subsequently be in the stranding machine, that is to say the bobbins are arranged vertically. In that condition a necessary annular groove is disposed in the upper portion of the bore in the bobbin. The gripper system is moved by means of the pivotal arm into position above the corresponding bobbin on the bobbin transport 11 1 t truck. The stroke cylinder is lowered by means of the pressure fluid and, when that happens, the gripper system is introduced into the bore in the bobbin until the abutment surface of the housing is applied to the bobbin. The locking pin is in the vertical part of the locking groove. When now the draw bar is lifted by means of the stroke cylinder, the spreading cone initially urges the spreading claws into the annular groove in the bore in the bobbin, the spreading claws and the annular groove being provided on the arresting side with a chamfer angle of 30 to 45'. Thereupon the positive locking action is effected by the cylindrical part of the spreading cone until then finally the housing with the spreading claws and the bobbin held thereby can be lifted, by way of the axial shoulder on the draw bar. The bobbin is now moved into the desired position within the stranding machine by mans of the pivotal a rm, and is lowered in that position an to the corresponding delivery mandrel or peg until once again' the abutment surface of the housing bears against the bobbin. The housing is now rotated so that the locking pin is in the horizontal part with the recess of the rightangled locking groove. When the gripper system is raised, the locking pin cannot escape dpwardly, but is held in the recess of the locking groove. As a result the spreading claws remain free and can deflect inwardly, and the bobbin is thereby released.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described in gre-=7--er detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 shows an apparatus for charging stranding machines, and Figure 2 shows the gripper system with bobbins in the locked position.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the apparatus for charging stranding machines 1 with bobbins 2 cmprises a rotatable column 4 which is secured to the back wall of the stranding machine 1 or the guard device 3 thereof, a pivotal arm 5 which is connected to the 6 column 4 and a l if t cylinder 6 which is arranged at the end of the pivotal arm 5 and which carries a gripper system 8 on its piston rod 7. The gripper system 8 in turn comprises a draw bar 9 with a locking pin 10 and a spreading cone 11. The draw bar 9 is mounted in a housing 12 which has a right-angled locking groove 13 with a recess 14, into which the locking pin 10 engages. At its lower end the housing 12 has slots which are formed therein and in which are fitted spreading claws 15, held by a holding ring 16 and a groove nut 17. When the wound bobbins, for example coming from the drawing machine, are prepared on what are known as bobbin transport trucks 18, the position of the bobbin 2 is fixed as that in which it will also subsequently be in the stranding machine 1, that is to say the bobbins 2 are arranged vertically. A necessary annular groove 19 is disposed in that position in the upper portion of the bore 20 in the bobbin. When it is to be used, the gripper system 8 is moved by means of the pivotal arm 5 into position above the corresponding bobbin 2 on the bobbin transport truck 18. The stroke cylinder -6 is lowered by mans of the pressure fluid and, when that happens, the gripper system 8 is introduced into the bore 20 in the bobbin until the abutment surface 21 of the housing 12 bears against the bobbin 2. The locking pin 10 is now disposed in the vertical part of the locking groove 13. When now the draw bar 9 is lifted by mans of the cylinder 6, the spreading cone 11 initially urges the spreading claws 15 into the annular groove - 19 in the bore 20 in the bobbin, the spreading claws 15 and the annular groove 19 being provided on the arresting side with a chamfer angle cc of 30 to 350; thereupon the positive locking action is effected by means of the cylindrical portion 22 of the spreading cone 1-1 until then finally the housing 12 with the spreading claws 15 and the bobbin 2 held thereby can be lifted by way of the shoulder 23 on the draw bar 9. The bobbin is now moved by means of the pivotal am 5 into the desired position within the stranding machine 1, and is lowered in that position on to the corresponding delivery mandrel or peg 24 until once again the 7 abutment surface 21 of the housing 12 bears against the bobbin 2. The housing 12 is now turned so that the locking pin 10 is disposed in the horizontal portion of the right-angled locking groove 13. AS a result the spreading cone 11 releases the spreading claws 15. When the gripper system 8 is lifted, the spreading claws 15 can deflect inwardly, by virtue of a conical surface 25 therein, and the bobbin 2 is released.

The advantages of this arrangement are that it provided a charging apparatus which can reliably pick up and set down the respective bobbin 2 in a vertical position and which ensures convenient and comfortable handling by the operator.

A bobbin of the type usable in this invention is described in our copending UK Patent Application No. (Ref: N 531 8 RTT) filed on even date herewith.

8

Claims

1. Apparatus for charging stranding machines, in particular for steel cord production, with bobbins, in the form of a gripper system which can be actuated with a pressure fluid, wherein the gripper system comprises a draw bar which is associated with a hydraulically actuated lift cylinder and which is guided in a housing and has a spreading cone a-its lower end, the housing having spreading claws operable by the spzeading cone andproviding, in operation, a positive connection with an annular groove disposed in the upper part of the respective bobbin bore.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the draw bar is carriec by the piston rod of the lift cylinder.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the draw bar has an axial shoulder for engaging the underside of the spreading claws.

4. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the sprea-ding claws are arranged in slots in the housing and are retained by a holcing ring and a groove nut.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the annular groove in the bobbin bore is trapezoidal and has a chamfer angle of 30 to 450 on the upper side.

6. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the spreacing cone has a lower cylinder portion.

7. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the housing has a right-angled locking groove into which engages a locking pin which is fixedly arranged on the draw bar whereby in one rotary position the draw bar can bring the spreading claws into operation and in another rotary position it cannot.

41 9

8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the gripper system is arranged by way of the lift cylinder and a pivotal arm on the stranding machine.

9. Apparatus for charging stranding machines, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Published 1990 at The Patent Office. State House. 66 71 High Holbc)rn. UndonWC1R4TP.Purther copies maybe obtained from The Patent Office 2Wes Branch, St Mary Cray. Orphigton, Kent BR5 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd. St Mary Cray. Kent, Con. 1.187