GB876842A - Machines for continuously spooling filamentary material - Google Patents

Abstract

876,842. Continuously spooling filamentary materials. ASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL INDUSTRIES Ltd. Oct. 7, 1957 [Oct. 9, 1956], No. 30784/56. Class 120(2) A machine for continuously spooling filamentary material comprises at least two arbors arranged to carry spools and to be moved in succession into an operative winding position and means for simultaneously driving both an arbor leaving the operative position and one approaching said position so that the rotational speed of a spool on the arbor approaching said position is controlled in dependence on the quantity of filamentary material on the spool leaving the operative position so that the linear winding speed remains substantially constant during a change-over from one spool to the other. In the embodiment shown main drive shaft 2 drives parallel shafts 8 and 9 each connected through an electromagnetic clutch to shafts 10 and 12 respectively which are connected by chain drives to variable speed gears 18 and 26 the outputs from which are connected to concentric shafts 34 and 37 which again by chain drives, drive concentric shafts 40 and 41 which rotate the spool arbors 51 and 52. The latter are mounted on a bowl 50 which is rotatable by motor 61 so as to bring the arbors alternatively to the winding position. A traversing guide 104 is reciprocated by lever and cam mechanism driven from the faster of two free-wheel sprockets 46, 47. An arm 68 pinned to one end of a shaft 67 carries a capacitance probe 135 in close proximity to the material wound on spool 59. The other end of shaft 67 has a cam follower 66 which engages a groove 108 cut in the periphery of the bowl 50. Movable with the arm 68 is a cam follower 107 in contact with one or other of cams 30, 31. The variable speed gears 18 and 26 are controlled by worms and worm-wheels from shaft 132 which is rotatable in alternate directions by either one or other of the pawl and ratchet wheel mechanisms 82, 81, or 83, 80. The ratchet mechanism is operated by a solenoid 87 under the control of the capacitance probe 135 through switch 65. In operation, in the position shown, the clutch 13 is energized to drive the spool 59 whilst clutch 11 is not energized so that there is no drive to the spool 58. When a predetermined thickness, say 1/16 inch of material has been wound on spool 59, the change in capacitance between the probe 135 and the material closes the switch 65, thus energizing the solenoid 87 and causing the ratchet mechanism 82, 80 to rotate the shaft 132 thereby changing the settings of the variable speed gears 18 and 26. These are arranged so that they are varied in opposite senses. Thus the speed of spool 59 is reduced whilst the setting on gear 18 is altered so that the speed of the drive to spool 58 would, if it were connected, be increased. Rotation of shaft 132 also rotates the cams 30 and 31 thus causing the probe 135 to move away from the material on spool 59 thus breaking switch 65. This process goes on until the material on spool 59 has reached a predetermined size by which time the gear 26 has been adjusted so that the spool 59 is rotating relatively slowly and the gear 18 has been adjusted so that if brought into operation it would rotate the spool 58 relatively fast. When the spool 59 is nearly full' the follower 107 will have been moved to a position whereby it closes switch 64. This energizes clutch 11 thus causing spool 58 to commence to rotate and, after a time delay, deenergizes clutch 13. At the same time it energizes motor 61 which rotates the bowl 50 so that the spool 58 assumes the position previously occupied by spool 59. Rotation of the bowl 50 moves the shaft 67 axially causing the follower 107 to engage cam 30. At the same time, through the flexible connection 73, the ratchet mechanism 111 is moved, bringing pawl 82 and ratchet 81 into co-operation and disconnecting pawl 83 and ratchet 80 so that operation of the solenoid 87 will rotate shaft 132 in the opposite direction to reverse the settings of the variable speed gears 18 and 26. Winding now proceeds on spool 58. A blade is secured to the bowl 50 in such a position that as the spools change position that part of the material stretching between the spools is automatically cut. Specification 876,841 is referred to.