GB770495A - Improvements in and relating to automatic wire coiling machines - Google Patents

Abstract

770,495. Winding wire. ENTWISTLE CO., J. L. April 6, 1955, No. 10137/55. Classes 120 (2) and 120 (3). [Also in Group VIII] A machine for automatically coiling wire comprises a pay-off unit having a rotatablymounted pay-off reel adapted to receive a supply of wire, means for pulling wire from the reel, a spinner assembly for carrying the wire completely around the reel as it is uncoiled therefrom, an adhesive applying unit through which the wire passes, which unit has a source of adhesive and means for coating the wire with adhesive, and a take-up unit for the wire, which unit has a detachablymounted take-up reel, and means for driving the take-up reel. Wire W from a supply reel 10 supported upon a shaft 11 in ballbearings carried by arms 24, is led about a wheel 75, which is laterally free to move along a pivoted shaft 74 and forms part of an unwinding control system. This system comprises a brake unit 80 which co-operates with an idler gear 37 on the unwinding unit to vary the braking of the reel in accordance with the wire tension. From the wheel 75, the wire, pulled by capstans 87, 88, enters a " spinner " 44, supported on ball bearings and rotated by a belt 122, the wire passing about a pulley 64 on its way to a guide wheel 54 on an arm 53, the rotation of which puts twist into the wire which will be cancelled out when wire from the finally wound package 215 is unwound for use (e.g. as military ammunition means) so that the wire will lie flat upon the ground. The capstans 87, 88 and the " spinner" 44 are driven from a motor M which is pivotally mounted on a shaft 89, and, through a bell-crank arrangement 92 can be adjusted. The belt 95 drives the capstans and the belts 107, 109, through variable speed devices 108, 113 drive the shaft 115, which through bevel wheels 117, 118 drives the belt 122. Counters C1, C2 operated from the capstan shaft, measure the amount of wire passing, C1 being set to shut off the motor M when say 50 ft less than the desired amount has passed through, leaving the momentum of the machine to deal with the required remainder, the counter C2 then operating to bring the machine to rest. From the capstans 87, 88 the wire passes about a " dancer " sheave 126 the carrying bracket 127 of which is slidably mounted on a bar 128. Movement of the bracket 127 moves the chains 129, 134 to operate a spring-biased and weighted arm 139 to adjust the variable speed pulley 108 to adjust the speed of the shaft 115 which also drives the take-up reel, and maintains the wire tension constant. On its way to the adhesiveapplying unit 160, the wire passes about a wheel 150 and a roller 152 so that a pointer 154 on a spring-urged arm 153 indicates on a scale 155 the wire tension. Should the wire break, the arm 153 moves to contact a switch 157 to stop the machine. Upon leaving the wheels 150, 152, the wire passes through a spraying chamber 160 therein compressed-air operated spray guns 166, deliver an adhesive on to the wire so that when finally wound up, the coils will adhere together and prevent too rapid unwinding when in use. Surplus adhesive is collected at 131. The coated wire is collected upon a reel 192 carried on a shaft 191 driven through a hand-operated clutch 195 from a shaft 183 belt-driven from the main shaft 115 through a shaft 177. From the shaft 183, a belt 203 and variable-speed pulleys 202, 204 drive a bevel wheel 210 meshing with wheels 211, 212 to rotate them oppositely. Through a clutch 213, operated by compressed air through a diaphragm 218, the wheels 211, 212 drive the shaft 214 in opposite directions, to traverse the wire on to the reel 192, by way of a rack 223 and guides 231. The rack 223 drives a linkage 224 to move the traverse carriage 225 which through a trip lever 234 controls an air pressure valve 235 to operate the diaphragm 218. The traverse length is adjustable by means of stops 238, 239 on the linkage 224, and the speed of traverse may be adjusted by a screw 243 which presses a lever 244 against a thrust bearing on one flange of the variable speed pulley 204 to vary the effective pulley diameter. A hand lever 250 enables the traverse gears to be disengaged so that the wire traverse guides 231 may be arranged against the inside of a flange 232, 233 of the reel 192. This reel (Fig. 13) comprises recessed plates 258, 259 mounted against a fixed flange 260 and a removable flange 261, respectively, by pins 262, 263. Canvas pieces 264, 265, provided with flaps 264<SP>1</SP>, 265<SP>1</SP> are held against the plates 258, 259 by hoops 266. The centres of the canvas pieces 264, 265 closely surround a movable rubber sleeve 270 on the outside of a collapsible barrel 271. The coil is removed from the collapsible reel by pushing on the hub 275 to release the ball lock 276 thus allowing the flange 261 to be pulled off.