824,695. Winding wire. STANDARD MACHINERY CO. Feb. 15, 1957 [Feb. 15, 1956], No. 5285/57. Class 120(2) Reel winding apparatus has means for swinging pivoted reel stands from a position in which wire is wound on a reel thereon to a position in which a full reel can be changed for an empty one, the means comprising a cylinder and piston connection between the upper end of the reel stand and the main frame of the apparatus, fluid under pressure being supplied to the cylinder for moving the stand from one position to the other and also for holding the stand rigidly in the winding position against the frame of the apparatus. In the apparatus shown continuous stock s is fed to the apparatus and passes over dancer, roll sets 430, 432, which keep the stock under constant tension; guide pulley 476 and is wound alternately on the reels R carried on reel stands 36 mounted in framework indicated generally at 22. Reel stands. Each reel stand is pivotally and slidably mounted on the frame bar 28a such that the stand can swing to and from the upright reel-winding position and the forwardly inclined reel-exchanging position. In the upper end of each stand is journalled a drive sleeve keyed to a drive pulley 72 and to which is connected a removable spindle 74. The sleeve also carrries a coupling member 90 carrying a pin 92 which engages in the end rim r of a reel R when on the spindle. The reel is retained axially on the spindle by a removable end collar 94. To replace a full reel by an empty one the stand is first swung (by power means to be described) into the exchange position. The collar 94 and spindle 74 are then removed and the full reel is rolled away and replaced by an empty one. The drive to the reel commences and terminates on swinging the stand into and from its winding position respectively by engagement and disengagement of the pulley 72 with the associated drive belt 40A (Fig. 5). In order to prevent free-wheeling of the reel when it is disengaged from the drive means, a brake 104 is provided which acts on the pulley 72 automatically as the stand is swung downwards. Each stand is axially adjustable on the bar 28a and can be locked in the adjusted position by bracket 98. Stand operating devices. (Figs. 4 and 5), Each device consists of a cylinder which is pivotally carried in a frame supported on bars 28c and 28d and piston 120 therein connected by piston rod 124 to a lug on the stand 36. Suitable connections to a pressure fluid system are provided at both ends of the cylinder such that on the end 140 being opened to pressure and end 141 being at the same time vented, by suitable manually operated valve means the stand 36 is swung into the winding position and conversely on pressure being admitted to the end 141 and exhausted from end 140 the stand is swung into its exchange position. A pinch block 142 which has a lost-motion connection 144 with the rod 124 is interposed between the stand 36 and the adjacent end of cylinder 120 such that in the winding position the stand 36 is held solidly against the main frame 22 by fluid under pressure. The whole device is axially adjustable on the frame bars 28c and 28d so as to be adjustable in keeping with the stand 36. Reel drives. The drive to the reels is from a motor 156 through a change-speed mechanism 158 to common shaft 150 (Fig. 4) and thence to each reel by a belt drive system 40. Each system consists of a plurality of belts 182 extending round pulleys 178 and 180 and in driving contact with the pulley 72 on the associated reel stand 36A, when in the winding position. The pulley 180 is carried on a tension arm 188 which is spring-loaded to keep the belt 182 under tension. Stock guide. The stock guide 42 is adapted to lead the stock s from the dancer roll column 48 to each reel R in turn and comprises spaced rollers 202 mounted on a carrier 203 vertically adjustable on a bracket 204 which is axially movable on a bar 200 and is in threaded engagement with a screwed spindle 206 so as to be moved by rotation thereof, along the bar 200. Stock guide operating and control means. For normal winding traverse movement of the guide 42 the spindle 206 is rotated from the drive shaft 150 through pulley 222, belt 224, pulley 226 which is fast with spocket wheel 228 and freely turnable on stud 230 on bracket 232, then through chain 234, sprocket 236 and shaft 238 to a variable speed drive unit 254 (Fig. 9) consisting of expansible pulleys 252 and 256 connected by belt 258 and controlled through a lever and screw system by handle 286 as shown The output shaft 257 carries a gear 288 which is in mesh with a gear 290 on shaft 292. The shafts 257 and 292 carry conventional magnetic clutches 300 and 302. The output shafts carry identical sprockets 318 and 320 respectively both of which are drivingly connected by a single chain 322 with sprocket 324 on extension 326 of the spindle 206 (Figs. 2 and 6). The magnetic clutches 300 and 302 are under the control of an electric switch 330 on the guide bracket 204 (Fig. 2) the switch being operated by pairs of adjustable stops 332 and 334 for winding in association with reels on stands 36A and 36B respectively. Reversal of switch 330 at the end of each traverse movement of. guide 42 operates the appropriate magnetic clutch 300 or 302 to reverse the drive to the spindle 206 and hence reverse the movement of guide 42. When the reel being wound on, say stand 36B, is full, the guide 42 is given a quickshift motion to move the stock over to the reel on stand 36A and commence winding thereon, the switch 330 then coming under the control of limit stops 332. The quickshift motion is operated by a separate reversible electric motor directly connected with the extension 326 of spindle 206 and the direction of the drive is determined by a suitable switch and switch actuators associated with the guide bracket 204. The circuit of the electric motor is closed in any suitable manner when the reel is fully wound or has received a predetermined measured length of stock. Once the switch is closed the motor will run in the appropriate direction to transfer the stock from the full reel to the empty one suitable electrical controls keeping both the magnetic clutches 300 and 302 de-energized. After the stock has been transferred, severing means 46 are operated to sever the stock between the reels. The severing means 46 is pnuematically operated under the control of a manually operated valve. Dancer dolumn and stock tension control. The dancer column 48 is integrated with the winding apparatus and consists of two dancer roll sets 430 and 432 each mounted at one end of a bell crank lever 440 pivoted at 444 the other ends of the levers being connected to a slide 490 connected to a piston rod 488 the piston of which slides in cylinder 482. The cylinder 482 is kept under constant fluid pressure by means of a bleeder valve 508 such that the tension in the stock passing around the dancer rolls is kept substantially constant despite normal relative motion of the dancer roll sets 430 and 432. The dancer roll sets act to take up excess stock,fed to the winding apparatus at the time from changing from one reel to the next and to give it out during the following winding operation. To ensure a steady take-up speed on the reels with the increasing diameter of the stock on the reel a speed control for the motor 156 is provided and may be actuated in any suitable manner by one of the bell crank levers 440.