IE41731B1

IE41731B1 - Feed control device

Info

Publication number: IE41731B1
Application number: IE210075A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: Unelec Corp
Priority date: 1974-09-26
Filing date: 1975-09-25
Publication date: 1980-03-12
Also published as: NL7511405A; GB1523454A; IT1044632B; DK139936B; LU73396A1; BE833404A; FR2286092A1; DK139936C; CH603473A5; FR2286092B1; DK431475A; IE41731L; DE2541876A1

Abstract

1523454 Yarn clearers; stop motion; tension control UNELEC 22 Sept 1975 [26 Sept 1974] 38866/75 Headings DID and D1J A knot or loop detector for use with elongate material 1 being wound up comprises a micro-switch 8 that contacts the material between tension means 3 and a return pulley 9 and serves, in the event of a break in the material, to actuate braking means 12 that can act on the material downstream of the micro-switch; and in the vicinity of the micro-switch 8 a calibrated orifice 4 through which the material passes, the orifice 4 being at the end of a pivoted lever 5 the arm length of which and location relatively to the micro-switch 8 is such that when a knot or loop fails to pass through the orifice 4, the lever 5 rocks along the arc 13 so as to pull the flow path of the material away from the micro-switch and so cause the micro-switch to actuate the brake 12. The braking means 12 may be arranged between two multi-groove pulleys 10, 11 to enable an appreciable length of material to be kept in reserve between the micro-switch 8 and the take-up means. The then drawn material is wound in a Fig. of 8 between the two pulleys 10, 11 and the braking means 12 acts at the crossing zone. A counterweight 7 on the lever 5 balance the effort exerted by the material on the orifice 4 during normal flow.

Description

This invention relates to devices for controlling the feeding of a wire. Such devices are often used upstream of electrical wire winding machines and especially in systems for the transmission of electric wire from a storage drum to a winding machine.

In a. device for transmitting a wire from a feeding out unit to a winding in unit, there may occur incidents (such as the breakage of the wire or the forming of loops or knots), which, if not detected rapidly in order to stop the advance of the wire, would disturb the operation of the winding in unit.

According to the present invention, there is provided a device for controlling the feeding of a wire, comprising: tensioning means for tensioning the wire; guiding means downstream of the tensioning means for guiding the wire; an electrical micro-switch so positioned in the wire*' feed path between the tensioning means and the guiding means that, in its normal feed path, the wire co-operates with the micro-switch to maintain the micro-switch in one condition; braking means downstream of the micro-switch and responsive to the micro-switch in order to brake the wire feed when the micro-switch is not in said one condition; and a calibrated orifice through whioh the wire passes, in use, in the region of the micro-switch, the orifice being positioned on a lever arm such that, in use, when an obstruction in the wire blocks the orifice, the lever arm is entrained with the wire and deviates the wire from its normal feed path such that the wire does not maintain the micro-switch in said one condition.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows, schematically, a device for controlling the feeding of an electric wire between a storage drum and a winding machine.

In the drawing, the electric wire 1 is fed from the storage drum (not shown), and, guided by a guide 2, passes through a tensioning device 3 which imparts a required tension to the wire by controlled braking. The wire 1 then passes through a calibrated orifice 4, placed at the end of a lever 5 which is pivoted about an axis 6, and is provided with a counterweight 7 for balancing the force exerted by the wire during its normal feed. Downstream from the orifice 4, the wire 1 bears against a micro-switch 8, to maintain the micro-switch in a closed condition.

The micro-switch 8 controls a braking system for controlling stopping of the feed of the wire, for example, an electrovalve and a jack (not shown), controlling the closing of brake jaws 12, From the micro-switch 8, the wire 1 passes over a further guiding means in the form of a return pulley 9, and then over two multiple-groove pulleys 10 and 11, about which it forms several turns in a figure of eight configuration. The clamping jaws 12 are arranged at the centre of the figure of eight, where the wire 1 crosses. The wire 1 then goes from the pulley to the winding machine (not shown). - 4 In the case of breakage of the wire, the latter ceases to bear against the micro-switch 8, which then opens, this causing braking by means of the electro-valve and of the jack. The jaws 12 come closer together and grip the lengths of wire stretched between the pulleys 10 and 11.

An appreciable length of wire therefore remains tensioned between the pulley 11 and the winding machine, the braking means having a sufficiently short stroke for the faulty tension of the wire 1, corresponding to the break therein, to remain localized upstream of the braking means.

In the case of the presence of a knot or of a loop on the wire 1, these latter block the calibrated orifice 4 to entrain the lever 5 upwards in the direction of the arrow 13. The lever 5 thus moves the wire out of its normal feed path away from the micro-switch 8, this causing braking as previously.

The illustrated device can be varied in a number of ways. For example, the braking jaws 12 can be arranged between ordinary pulleys, provided that they are suffic20 iently far apart to provide a sufficient reserve of length of wire to ensure that the wire fed to the winding machine (or other wire using means) is kept under tension when the wire breaks upstream of the pulleys. The controlling of the braking through a jack can be replaced by an altern25 ative electrical of mechanical control. The calibrated orifice can alternatively be arranged downstream from the micro-switch 8.

The illustrated control device can be used particularly to control the feed of electric wires to be made into transformer windings, electric motors, etc.

We believe that the illustrated control device is generally improved over previously proposed detection devices of the inductive, capaeitative, optical or feeler - 5 type, which are often complicated and expensive and do not often make it possible to keep the wire taut downstream of a breakage or blockage, this lengthening the time for restarting feeding of the wire.

Claims

1. CLAIMS;1. A device .for controlling the feeding of a wire, comprising; tensioning means for tensioning the wire; guiding means downstream of the tensioning means for guiding the wire; an electrical micro-switch so positioned in the wire feed path between the tensioning means and the guiding means that, in its normal feed path, the wire co-operates with the micro-switch to maintain the micro-switch in one condition; braking means downstream of the micro-switch and responsive to the micro-switch in order to brake the wire feed when the micro-switch is not in said one condition; and a calibrated orifice through which the wire passes, in use, in the region of the micro-switch, the orifice being positioned on a lever arm such that, in use, when an obstruction in the wire blocks the orifice, the lever arm is entrained with the wire and deviates the wire from its normal feed path such that the wire does not maintain the micro-switch in said one condition.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said guiding means comprises a pulley.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said calibrated orifice is positioned upstream of the microswitch .

4. A device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, including two multi-groove pulleys downstream of the guiding means, wherein the wire passes, in use, between the multi-groove pulleys and around each multi-groove pulley a plurality of times, and the braking means is positioned between the multi-groove pulleys.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the braking means is arranged to engage the wire, in use, at a position between the multi-groove pulleys which is the centre of a figure of eight configuration in which the wire can be 5 wound about the multi-groove pulleys.

6. A feed control device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

7. A feed control device according to any preceding 10 claim, connected to feed wire from a storage drum.

8. A feed control device according to any preceding claim, connected to feed wire to an electrical winding machine.