US1974212A

US1974212A - Ball winding machine

Info

Publication number: US1974212A
Application number: US472355A
Authority: US
Inventors: John R Gammeter
Original assignee: BF Goodrich Corp
Current assignee: Goodrich Corp
Priority date: 1930-08-01
Filing date: 1930-08-01
Publication date: 1934-09-18
Anticipated expiration: 1951-09-18

Description

p 1934- J. R. GAMMETER BALL WINDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 1, 1930 7 Sheets-Sheet l I u Ytlllllllllllllllllll mun" lllllllllll N N W 11: T

Sept. 18, 1934. J GAMMETER I 1,974,212

BALL WINDING MACHINE Filed-Aug. l. 1930 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 P 1934- J. R. GAMMETER BALL WINDING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet s Filed Aug. 1, 1950 Sept. 18, 1934.

'r Sheets-She et 4 P 1934- J. R. GAMMETER 1,974,212

BALL WINDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 1, 1930 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 atented Sept. 18, 1934 BALL WINDING MACHINE John R. Gammeter, Akron, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to The B. F. Goodrich Company, a corporation of New York Application August 1, 1930, Serial No. 472,355-

33 Claims.

This invention relates to ball-winding machines, and more especially it relates to mechanism for winding golf balls wherein a continuous length of elastic strand material, such as rub- 55 ber tape or thread, is wound on the ball while under tension, in successive convolutions, while the ball is constantly in angular motion on changing axes, to produce a perfectly spherical finished article.

In the winding of golf balls with the mechanism heretofore provided, great difliculty is encountered in maintaining uniform constant tension upon the strand material as it is applied to the ball, because of the constantly increasing 15 diameter of the latter and the constantly decreasing size of the spool of material from which the strand is drawn. This inability to control accurately the tension of the windings results in non-uniformity of the weight and resilience 2g of golf balls. I

The chief objects of this invention are to effect uniformity of weight and resilience in .wound balls; to remove some of the causes for breakage of the winding strand; to save time and as labor heretofore required for re-threading of the apparatus after the winding strand has broken;

, and to provide improved ball-winding apparatus whereby the foregoing objects are attained. A more specific object is to provide automatically for maintaining constant, uniform, determinate tension in the strand material as the same is wound on a ball. A further object is to provide improved counter-balancing mechanism for a rotatable element.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved ballwinding machine, in its preferred form, a part thereof consisting of a supporting structure being broken away. F

Fig. 2 is a re r elevation of the machine, a part being brok away for clearness of illustration.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figs. 1 and 2.

- Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 6 isan elevation of a gear and associated cam as viewed from the line 6-6 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 7 is a section on line 77 of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 8 is a section through one of the ball- 50 holding members, and mechanism for manipulating the same.

. Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a section on line 10-10 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a section'on line 11-11 of Fig. 10.

55 .Referring to the drawings, 10 is a supporting structure upon which is mounted a housingll, and 12 is the main drive shaft of the machine which is journaled in suitable bearings mounted in the respective end walls of the housing 11 and in brackets 13, 13 (Fig. 3) mounted interiorly of the housing, said brackets being provided respectively with bearing bushings 14. The drive shaft 12 is driven from any suitable source of motive power by a transmission belt 15 which engages a pulley 16journaled on an extension of the bushing 14, at the left of the machine as viewed in Fig. 3, said pulley being confined between the bracket 13 and a collar 17 formed on the shaft 12. Mounted upon the shaft 12 beside the pulley 16, is an annular friction clutch member 18 which has driving connection with the shaft through a feather key 19 which permits axial movement of the clutch member toward and away from the pulley 16. The lateral faces of the clutch member 18 are provided respectively, with facings 20, 21 of friction material such as leather, and the adjacent face ofthe pulley 16 is of plane form and adapted for frictional driving engagement with the clutch facing to drive the shaft 12. A stationary, disc-like, bracket member 22 has a tubular hub 22 which is fixedly mounted in a boss which extends inwardly from the adjacent end wall of the housing 11, the member 22 being so positioned as to be engaged by the friction facing 21 o the clutch member 18 upon occasion, to stop tation of the shaft 12.

The clutch member 18 is formed with a peripheral groove 23, and ri J therein is a collar 24 to which a forked ship er lever 25 is pivotally connected. The shipper lever 25 is mounted upon a short shaft 26 (Figs. 2 and 5) which is journaled in the wall of the housing 11 arid in a bracket 27 mounted interiorlyof the housing upon the floor thereof, and said shipper lever is provided with a downwardly extending arm 28 which is connected by a

toggle comprising links

29,30, 30 (Figs. 2 and 4) with a rock shaft 31, the latter being journaled in the front and rear walls of the housing .11 and projecting outside said rear wall. The links.30 of the toggle are pivotally mounted upon the rock shaft 31, and a flanged collar 31 is mounted upon the latter beside the links 30 and provided with a projecting stud 31 positioned beneath at least one of said links. The arrangement is such that counterclockwise movement of the rock shaft 31 as viewed in Fig. 2 causes the stud 31 to engage the link 30 and lift the free end thereof to flex the toggle and actuate the shipper lever to shift the clutch giernber 18 into engagement with the brake mem- A tension spring 32 is connected to the elbow of the toggle and to a bracket 33 mounted beneath a suitable aperture in the floor of the housing 11, said spring normally urging the clutch member 18 toward driving engagement with the pulley 16, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. The normal, inoperative position of the stud 31 is somewhat below the links 30, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the pull of the spring 32 is not diminished by being transmitted to the rock shaft, but exerts its full force in pressing the clutch member 18 against the pulley 16 notwithstanding wear on the friction facing 20 of the member 18. A lever arm 34 is secured to the rock shaft 31 and projects therefrom in the opposite direction from the toggle, and a weight 35 is suspended from the free end of said arm for turning the rock shaft angularly in the counter-clockwise direction as described, upon occasion, upon the release of latching mechanism which normally holds the rock shaft against angular movement induced by the weight 35.

The latching mechanism comprises a collar 36 which is mounted upon the rock shaft 31 outside the housing 11 at the rear thereof, said collar being formed on its periphery with a single abutment or stop 36*- (Fig. 2) which is engaged by a latch or pawl 37 pivotally mounted-at 38 upon the rear wall of the housing for preventing counter-clockwise movement of the rock shaft as viewed in Fig. 2. The pawl is lifted, to permitcounter-clockwise movement of the rock shaft for stopping the machine, asdescribed, auto-' pawl-arm 3'7 and at its other end is connected .to the lower end of a lever 40 which is pivotally mounted at 41 upon the housing 11 and has its upper end positioned in the path of a movable member 42 (Fig. 7) having a forked end asso-' ciated with work-holding mechanism. A stud 43 is adjustably mounted in the movable member 42 for engaging the lever 40, and a tension spring 44 (Fig. 2) is connectedto the latter and to the housing 11 for urging said lever normally toward said member 42, and for urging the pawl 37 toward latched'position. The arrangement such that the lever 40 is engaged by the member 42 when the work attains determinate size, and moved to the left as viewed in Fig. 2. to lift the pawl 3'7.

For lifting the pawl 37 to stop the machine automatically andv immediately upon the breaking of the-elastic strand material with which the work is being wound, I provide stop-motion mechanism which engages the strand material intermediate the work and strand-feeding mechanism which is provided for imparting determinate elongation or stretch to the strand. The

strand-feeding mechanism is constructed as a unitand comprisesa framework 45 (Fig. 'I) mounted for vertical adjustment upon a post 46 risingfrom the housing 11. A lever arm 4'1 is pivoted near its middle at 48 upon the framework 45 and has one end provided with a grooved sheave 49 adapted to engage the strand 50 of winding material as the latter passes from the strand-feeding mechanism to the work 51, the latter being shown herein as a golf ball center. That end of the lever-arm 4'7 which carries the sheave 49 is lightest so that in the inoperative position of the apparatus the lever andsheave are in the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 7. The sheave 49 is so positioned with relationto the last strand-engaging member of the strand-feeding mechansm, and the work, that the tensioned strand 5c in passing over the sheave 49 draws the latter downwardly into close proximity to the work, as shown in full lines in the drawings. Thus, upon breaking of the strand 50 the sheave 49 immediately moves upwardly to the broken line position described, and the opposite end of the lever-arm-47 moves downwardly.

The opposite end of the lever-arm 42- is connected by a link 52 of adjustable length to the free end of a beam 53 (Fig. 1) which is mounted at its other end upon a rock shaft 54 journaled in

respective brackets

55, 56 mounted upon the bottom of the housing 11 at the front and rear thereof. Mounted upon the end of the shaft 54 at the rear of the machine is an eccentric cam 57 (Figs. 2, and 5) which engages one arm of a bell-crank lever 58 pivotally mounted at 59 upon the bracket 56. The other arm of said bellcrank lever is forked and straddles the push-rod 39 and bears agains ne side of a collar 60 mounted upon the latter, the arrangement being such is maintained in the ideal position shown, with the sheave 49 adjacent to but not touching the ball. A handle 62 (Fig. 1) is secured to the front end of the lever-arm 47, to provide for conveniently grasping the same to lift it, whereby the operative movements of the cam 57 and bellcrank 58 are reversed to permit reverse movement of the push-rod 39 and latching movement of the pawl 37 at the starting-of the machine.

For lifting the pawl 37 manually to stop the machine, a shaft 63 is journaled in the rear wall of the housing 11 and in a quill or sleeve 64 journaled in the front wall of said housing. (See Figs. 4 and 7). The front end of the shaft 63, outside the housing, is provided with a hand-lever 65 for turning it, and the rear end thereof is provided with a forked finger 66 (Fig. 2) which straddles the push-rod 39 and engages one lateral face of a collar 67 mounted thereon. The arrangement is such that movementof the handlever 65 to the right as viewed in Figs. 1, 3, and 4 causes the finger 66 to move the push-rod 39 to the right as viewed in Fig. 2 to lift the pawl 37.

For starting the machine, and concurrently setting the automatic stop mechanism, the outer end of the sleeve or quill 64 is provided with a hand-lever 68, and the inner end thereof is pro-,

vided with a downwardly projecting arm 69 the Gil right as viewed in the same figures and thereby effects clock-wise movement of the rock shaft 31 as viewed in Fig. 2, with the result that the collar 36 turns angularly until the pawl 37 drops behind the abutment 36, and the spring 32 is permitted to straighten the toggle and throw the clutch mechanism into driving position as the collar 31', moving angularly with the shaft 31, carries the stud 31 out of engagement with the togglelinks 30. To secure a perfectly spherical and balanced ball requires that the latter be constantly manipulated as the windings are applied thereto. The work-manipulating mechanism of the present invention is adapted to rotate the ball on three different axes, namely, on a horizontal axis for drawing the winding strand onto the ball, on an axis perpendicular to the horizontal axis, and on an axis perpendicular to both of said axes and 20 lying in the plane described by the last mentioned axis as the ball is rotated on the first mentioned axis, all of said axes passing through the center of the ball. For so manipulating the work, I provide a pair of opposed winder heads generally designated 73, 74 which heads normally are urged toward each other to hold the ball between them. Said winder heads and associated mechanism are substantially identical so that a detail description of one of them will suillce, reference being had particularly to Figs. 8,9, 10 and 11.

The winder head 73 comprises a box-like hous-' ing structure 75 which is open at its side facing the winding plane and has mounted therein a pair of parallel, spaced apart

rollers

76, 76 which,

with similar, rollers in the winder head 74, are adapted to engage, support, and turn the golf ball center 51 constituting the work. The

heads

73, 74 always are sopositioned that the rollers 76 of one head are parallel to the similar rollers on the other head. The housing 75 is mounted with a tongue and groove connection upon a rotatable support 77 which is secured to'one end of a' quill or sleeve 78 journaled for axial and angular movement in

suitable bearing brackets

79, 79 on the top of the housing 11, the other end of the sleeve 78 being provided with a gear 80 meshed with a.

gear 81 .of the same size mounted upon the main drive shaft 12 of the machine. The arrangement is such that the ball 51 is rotated upon a horizontal axis when the machine is in" motion.

' For urging the winder-

heads

73, 74 yieldingly toward each other and for moving them apart concurrently as the ball increases in size, the sleeve 78 associated with the head 73 is engaged, between

collars

82, 82, by the movable member 42 hereinbefore mentioned, and a similar member 83, but lacking the adjustable stud 43, is similarly engaged with the sleeve 78 of the winder head 74. Thrust bearings 84. 84 are mounted between the

members

42, 8 3 and the respective collars 82 nearest the work. As is most clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 7, each .of the

movable members

42, 83 comprises an arm having a forked end-portion which rests upon the sleeve 78 between the collars 82. The opposite end of the member 42 is secured to a short, horizontal rack 85 (Figs. 2 and 7) mounted for sliding movement in a pair of

brackets

86, 87 secured to the side of the housing 11, "said rack being meshed with a pinion 88 mounted upon a shaft 89 joumaled in the housing 11 at thefront and rear thereof, and extending outside said housing at each of its ends. The movable arm 83 has its end remote from the sleeve 78-secured to an elongate bar 90 which is mounted for sliding movement in a pair of brackets 91,

91 adjacent the member 83 and in the bracket 87 at the other end of the machine, the bar 90 being formed with rack teeth 92 meshed with the pinion 88 on the opposite side thereof from the rack 85. The arrangement is such that axial movement of either sleeve 78 will effect similar movement of the other sleeve by reason of the interconnected gearing. At the front of the machine the shaft 89 is provided with a hand-lever 98 by which the shaft is manually. turned, upon occasion, as for separating the winder heads to remove a wound ball and to mount a ball core therein. At the rear of the machine a peripherally grooved sheave 94 is mounted upon the shaft 89, and a cable or chain 95 passes over said sheave and has one end secured thereto, the other end of said chain supporting a weight 96 which normally urges angular movement of the shaft 89 to move v the winder heads toward each other.

The tongue and groove mounting of the winder housing 75 upon its supporting structure 77 permits the housing to be moved relative to the latter, which movement alternately carries the center of the housing to opposite sides of the axis of. said supporting structure. This movement is concurrent and opposite in direction in the winding. heads 73, 74, with the result that the work is rotated, on an axis perpendicular to the axis of the supporting structures 77, without shifting its center from the an?l of the latter;

For so moving t e housing 75 relative to the structure 77, I provide a rotatable heart-shaped cam 97-(Fig. 10) which engages a pair of

cam rollers

98, 98 joumaled in opposite sides of the housing 75, with the result that the housing is reciprocated, laterally, radially of the cam, as the latter is rotated. The cam 97 is mounted upon one end of a quill or sleeve 99 which is joumaled within the sleeve 78 and projects therefrom at its opposite end where it is provided with a gear '100 meshed with a gear 101 mounted upon the main drive shaft 12 of the machine. The ratio of the

gears

100, 101 is somewhat less than that of the gears 80, 81 (about 8 per cent) which effects such relative movement between the cam 97 and the housing 75 as to cause the cam to reciprocate the latter in a radial direction, the housing making one complete reciprocatory movement for every twelve and one-half revolutions that it makes upon its horizontal axis. The winder head 73 is balanced with relation to its axis of rotation by means of

counterweights

102, 102 which are pivotally mounted at 103, 103 upon the supporting structure 77, at each side of the path of reciprocatory movement of the housing 75, each counterweight being formed with a gear segment 104 concentric with the pivot 103 and meshed with a rack 105 (Figs. 8 and 9) formed on the housing. The arrangement is such that lateral movement of the housing moves the counterweights 102 in the opposite direction to balance the rotating structure.

For turning the rollers 76 to rotate the ball 51' on the third axis hereinbefore mentioned, each of said rollers comprises a shaft 106 which is gear 108 in one direction only, namely, counterclockwise as viewed in Figs. 8 and 11.

The gear 110 is oscillated to effect intermittent rotary movement of the roller, 76, in the same direction, by a rack 113 formed on one arm of a fork or yoke 114 which straddles said gear, the elongate construction of the latter permitting it and the rack to remain meshed notwithstanding .the stem 115, at unequal distances therefrom, and

are slidably mounted for longitudinal movement in suitable apertured bosses formed upon a gear 119 which is journaled upon a bushing 120 on the outer end of the sleeve 99. The gear 119 is meshed with a gear 120 mounted upon the main drive shaft 12 of the machine. The ratio between

gears

119, 120 is somewhat higher than that between

gears

100, 101 so that the gear 119 rotates faster (about 3.4 per cent) than gear 100. This differential rotation of the gears is utilized to effect reciprocatory axial movement of the stem 115 in the following manner.

The lateral face of the gear 100 adjacent the gear 119 is provided with two concentric face cams 1 21, 122, (see Figs. 6 and 8) against which the respective push-

rods

117, 118 are urged by means of tension springs 123, 123 connected to the cross-head 116 and to the gear 119. The cam 121 comprises a series of elevations 121 121 of uniform length, and intermediate. depressions 121 121 of different lengths, the arrangement being such that there are no diametrically opposed elevations. The cam 122 is the complement of cam. 121, each of its elevations 122 and depressions 122 being diametrically opposite similar elevations and depressions of the cam 121. Thus, the push-

rods

117, 118 are actuated in unison, and the stem 115 is reciprocated axially to turn the work-holding

rollers

76, 76, notwithstanding the non-uniform arrangement of the cam faces of the

cams

121, 122. It is the different speeds of the

gears

100, 119 that provides the relative angular movement necessary for moving the push-

rods

117, 118 over the said cams. The difference in rotation between the

gears

119 and 100, and between the gears 119. and is no small denominator fraction of either

gear

100 or 80 so that one complete revolution of the push-

rods

117, 118 around the

cams

121, 122 does not return the ball to its original angular starting position, and t is feature of the machine, together with the n n-uniform succession of the

cam members

121, 122, provides sucfli non-registry ofthe successive convolutions of material applied to the work as to produce a substantially spherical finished article.

It will be obvious that the rollers 76 in the winder head 74 rotate in the, opposite direction to those of the winder head 73 to effect the rotation of the ball 51, and thismay be accomplished simply by reversing the position of the rack 113 with relation to the gear 110.

The strand of elastic material 50 is applied to the ball 51 under tension, and in the apparatus herein shown, it is stretched to ten times its original length. This stretch in the strand is obtained by positively feeding the strand from a supply spool one-tenth as fast as it is wound upon the work, and the mechanism for so feeding thestrand includes means for changing the rate of feed automatically to compensate for the growing size of the ball. Also, means is provided whereby the tension is applied progressively to the strand, the greatest tension, of course, being adjacent the work.

For so feeding the strand 50, a spiral gear 125 (Figs. 3 and 7) is mounted upon the main drive shaft 12 and is meshed with a spiral gear 126 which is formed with an elongate hub portion (not shown) and journaled thereby in a bearing bracket 127 formed on the rear wall of the housing 11,- a thrust washer 128 and a nut 129 being mounted upon the outer end of said hub portion for securing the gear in the bearing. A shaft 130 is mounted for axial movement in a bearing 131,

Mounted upon the shaft 130 interiorly of the housing 11 is a driving disc 132 having a peripheral facing of friction material such as leather, said driving disc having its periphery engaged by the lateral face of a disc 133 mounted upon the end of a countershaft 134 that is disposed in the same horizontal plane as the shaft 130, at right angles thereto, and is journaled in a bracket 135 and in the end wall of the housing 11, at the left thereof as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3. A compression spring 136 is mounted upon the countershaft 134 between the disc 133 and a Washer 137 abutting the bracket 135 for urging the disc 133 into frictional driving engagement with the driving disc 132. A compression spring 138 is mounted upon the shaft 130, between the driving disc 132 and a washer 139 abutting the bearing 131, for urging the driving disc 132 toward the outer periphery of the driven disc 133, whereby the latter is driven at its slowest speed, which is the speed required at the start of operations when the ball 51 is of relatively small diameter.

For automatically increasing the speed of the disc 133 as the windings applied to the ball increase its diameter, an arm 140 (Fig. 5) is mounted upon the outer end of the shaft 89 and is connected by a link 141 to the free end of a lever 142 mounted on a short shaft l43 journaled in a bracket 144 projecting from the front wall of the housing 11. The shaft 143 also carries a forked shipper lever 145 which is connected to a shipper collar 146, riding upon the rear end portion of the shaft 130 (see Fig. 7), between fixed

collars

147, 147 thereon. The arrangement is such that as the winder heads 73, 74 move apart due to .the growing size of the ball 51, and the shaft 89 is thereby turned angularly by the mechanism hereinbefore described, the shipper lever 145 is operated automatically to move the shaft 130 axially inwardly and thus, by changing the drive ration of the frictionally engaged

discs

132, 133 to increase the speed of the countershaft 134. The

connection of the link 141 to the arm is ad-.

' 1,974,212 ly in Fig. 5. The end of the shaft 150 outside the housing 11 is provided with a-bevel gear 152 meshed with a bevel gear 153 which is mounted upon one end of a short shaft 154 journaled in the bearing bracket 151, the other end of the shaft 151 being provided with a sprocket 155 connected by a sprocket chain 156 with a sprocket 157 journaled upon a spindle 158 projecting fromthe framework 45 of the strand-feeding mechanism, at an elevatednposition on the machine. Also journaled upon the spindle 158 are

gears

159, 160 having driving connection with the sprocket 157, the gear 160 being meshed with a pair of spaced apart gears 161, 161 of equal size mounted upon one end of

parallel shafts

162, 162 journaled in the framework 45, the other ends of said shafts, on the other side of the framework, carrying respective feed-

rollers

163, 163 which are adapted between them to support and rotate a supply-spool 164 of the elastic strand 50. The feed-rollers 163 are of such length as to fit between the end flanges of the supply-spool164 so as to engage the convolutions of strand material thereon, and thus are adapted, by rotating the spool, to let off the strand material therefrom at a determinate rate, notwithstanding the fact that the windings on the spool constantly diminish in diameter as the strand material is withdrawn therefrom.

The elastic strand 50 is stretched to ten times" its normal length before being wound onto the ball 51 and this stretch is imparted to the strand,

In traveling from the supply-spool 164 to the ball 51, the strand 50 engages a series of sheaves or

pulleys

165, 166, and 167 which are arranged in staggered relation, and are positively driven at determinate relative speeds with relation to each other and with relation to the rollers 163 and the work 51, the arrangement being such that the stretch or tension of the strand 50 is applied thereto progressively in successive increments. The result of this method is that there is no such great differential of stretch in adjacent regions of the strand as to cause it to move relatively of the sheaves by sliding thereon,

/ which would chafe and roughen the strand, or to pass from the spool in a prematurely stretched condition. I

The

sheaves

165, 166, and 167 are mounted upon one end of

respective shafts

168, 169 and 170 which shafts are journaled in the framework 45 on the same side as the rollers 163. Mounted upon the opposite end of the shaft 168 are gears 171 and 172, the latter being meshed with an idler gear 173 which in turn is meshed with the gear 159 on the driven shaft 158. The gear 1'71 is meshed with a gear 174 on the shaft 169, and mounted on'the same shaft is a gear 175 which is meshed with a gear 1'76 on the shaft 1'70. The

gear ratios of the aforementioned gears are such as progressively to increase the tension in the strand 50', the final increment of tension being effected by the work 51 which is-rotated at a surface "*speedwhich isgreater than that of the sheave 167.

In the operation of the machine, a spherical core is mounted centrally between the'vlvinder heads '73, 74, onthe axial line thereof, to be yieldingly engaged by the rollers '76 as said winder-heads are urged toward each other by the weight 96. The end of the strand 51 is then drawn taut around the core, to depress the adjacent end of the arm 47 and thereby to lift the link 52 to free the pawl 37, and the hand lever 68 is moved to the left as viewed in Fig. 1 to set the machine in motion. The core is thereby continuously rotated on two axes and, intermittently, is concurrently rotated on three axes to draw the strand 50 onto itself, so that it grows in size in perfectly spherical form, and the tension of the strand is automatically maintained uniform during the entire winding operation. When the ball attains the required size, or upon the breaking of the strand 50, the machine is instantly and automatically stopped.

By maintaining uniform tension in the strand 50 I avoid such breakage of the strand as heretofore has been caused by excessive tension therein. The provision of a positive drive for the tensioning mechanism is particularly advantageous because starting resistance due to inertia and friction in mechanisms wherein the strand drives the tensioning rollers, is herein-eliminated, and breakage at starting is avoided. Aside from the manual labor required for mounting the work therein and removing it therefrom, the machine is fully automatic and accomplishes the various advantages set forth in the foregoing statement of objects.

Modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims, as I do not limit my claims wholly to the specific construction shown and described.

I claim:

1. In a ball-winding machine, the combination of means for rotating a ball, a supply-spool of elastic strand material to be wound on said ball,

and means independent of the pull of the strand material for rotating the supply-spool to feed strand material to the ball.

2. In a ball-winding machine, the combination of means for rotating a ball, a supply-spool of elastic strand material to be wound on said ball, and means independent of the pull of the strand material for rotating the supply-spool at determinate speed with relation to the rotation of the ball, to feed strand material to the latter under tension.

3. In a ball-winding machine, the combination of means for rotating a ball, a supply-spool of elastic strand material to be wound on said ball, and rotatable hold-back means engaging the material on said spool.

4. In a ball-winding machine, the combination of means for rotating a ball, a supply-spool of elastic strand material to be wound on said ball, I

and rotatable hold-back means engaging the material on said spool and constituting a support drive rollers peripherally engagingthe material 159 on said spool for rotating said spool to feed material therefrom, and a driving means connecting said drive-rollers with the ball-rotating means.

7. A combination as defined in claim 6 in which the driving means for the drive rollers of the supply spool includes al'variable speed device.

85 In a ball-winding machine the combination of means for supporting and driving a ball, including a member which contacts with the ball and 10 recedes relative to-the' center thereof as the ball increases in diameter, variable speed feeding means for feeding a continuous length of strand material to the ball controlled by the receding member to maintain uniform tension in said strand as the ball increases in size, and a controlling connection between said nrember and said variable speed feeding means.

9. In a ball-winding machine, the combination increases in size.

10. In a ball-winding machine, the combination of means for supporting and driving a, ball, said means being axially and angularly movable, a supply-spool of elastic strand material to be wound on said ball, means actuated by the angular movement of the ball supporting means for rotating the supply-spool at determinate relative speed, and means actuated by the axial movement of the ball supporting means for varying said speed.

11. In a ball-winding machine the combination of means for supporting and rotating a ball, a supply-spool of elastic material to be wound on said ball, a train of gearing for rotating the sup-a ply-spool at determinate relative speed with relation to the ball-rotating means, said gearing including a pair of friction discs, and means for shifting the relative positions of the discs to, change thespeed of rotation of the supply-spool.

12. In a ball-winding machine the combination W of means for supporting and rotating a ball, a

supply-spool of elastic material to be wound on said ball, means for rotating the supply-spool at determinate speed with relation to the rotation ofthe ball, to apply tension to the strand, and means engaging the strand between the spool and the ball for causing the tension to be applied to the strand progressively in successive increments.

13. In a ball-winding machine, the combination of means for supporting and rotating a ball, a supply-spool of elastic strip material to be wound on said ball, means for driving said spool at determinate relative speed with relation to the rotation of the ball, and a'rotary member en sheavesengagingixthe strand material between the supply-spool and the ball, and means for driving said sheavesat graduated speeds.

15. A combination as defined in claim 14 including a itrain of gearing connected with the spool-rotating means, for driving said sheaves. V

'form tension in the strand material as the ball- 16. In a baII-Winding machine, the combination of a rotatable head for supporting and rotating a ball, said head having a lateral movement which carries its center of gravity alternately to opposite sides of its axis of rotation, and means for automatically counterbalancing the head dursaid movements.

1'7. In a ball-winding machine, the combination of a winder head for supporting and rotating a ball, said head comprising a housing having a lateral movement which carries its center of grayity alternately to opposite sides of its axis oLrotation, and a counter-weight so interconnected with said housing as to be moved thereby in the direction'opposite'to that of the housing.

18. A combination as defined in claim 16 in which the counter-weight is pivotally mounted and geared to the housing. of means for supporting and rotating a ball, a"

19. In a ball-winding machine, the combination of a support, a box-like housing slidably mounted for lateral movement on said support, a cam for effecting reciprocatory lateral movement of said housing, a sleeve connected to said cam, means for rotating said sleeve, a pair of ball-engaging rollers journaled in the housing, means for rotating the ball-engaging rollers including an axially movable stein mounted in said sleeve, and means for effecting axial movement of said stem in timed relation to the movement of the cam.

201 A combination as defined in claim 19 in which the means for effecting axial movement .of the stemcomprises a pair of co-axial gears rotating at difierent speeds.

21. In a ball winding machine, the combination of means for supporting and winding a ball, said means being axially and angularly movable, a supply spool of strand material to be wound on the ball, means for rotating said spool to unwind the strand by surface contact with the strand 115 wound thereon, means actuated by the angular movement of the ball supporting means for driving the ball rotating means at determined relative speed and means actuated by the axial move ment of the ball supporting means foryarying the 120 speed of said driving means.

22. Inja ball winding machine. the combination of a pair of opposed heads, a pair of rollers mounted on each head for holding the ball, means for rotating said rollers, means for rotating the heads, and means rotating on the axis of rotation of the head fon reciprocating the heads in opposite directions relative to each other and transversely to their axes of rotation.

23. In combination in a ball winding machine, opposed rotaryheads, a rotary sleeve attached to each head, means for rotating the sleeves,

'means for reciprocating the heads radially in respect to their axes, said means comprising rotary quills extending through the sleeves with means for converting the rotary movement of the sleeve into reciprocating movement in the heads,.rollers carried by the heads for engaging the ball and means for giving the rollers rotary movement on their. axes, said means including members extending through the quills, substantially as described. I. 7

24. A combination as defined in claim 11 in which the means for supportingandrotating the ball includes a head which recedes as the ball increases in diameter, said head-being connected with the gear. shifting means to automatically change the relative position of the friction discs accordingly as the ball increases in size, substantially as described;

V which the said ball supporting and rotating means includes a pair of rollers in heads which recede Y 26. A. winding machine comprising means for rotating a core to wind an elastic thread thereon,-

a supply reel for such thread, means for rotating the supply reel to unwind thread therefrom, and means for conducting the thread in a path from the reel wherein its initial tension is controlled and for thereafter releasing it to the core under an increased. and uniform tension.

2-7. In a Winding machine, means for rotating a core about a predetermined axis to wind an elastic thread thereon, and means acting independently of the pull on the thread for feeding thread to the core at a rate of linear speed hearing a fractional ratio to the circumferential rate of speed of the core.

28. Ina winding machine, means for rotating a core to wind an elastic thread thereon, a. roll acting to engage hold back thread running to the core, and means for driving the roll at a rate such that the thread is released to the core at a slower linear speed than that at which it is wound thereon. r

29. In a ball-winding machine the combination of a rotary winder head for supporting a ball and rotating it on a plurality of axes, said head comprising ball-engaging rollers and means for so moving them upon their mounting that their centers of gravity change position with relation to the axis of general rotation of the head, and counterbalancing means for said rollers mounted on said head. .7

* 30., In a ball-winding machine the combination of a head for supporting a ball and rotating it on a plurality of axes, said head comprising ballengaging rollers, a rotatable shaft on which said head is mounted, and means'extending through a'bearing of and mounted for rotation with said shaft for rotatively driving said rollers on their respective individual axes, and means on the side of said'bearing opposite to that oi the said head for eifecting roller-driving movement of said roller-driving means with relation to said shaft.

JOHN R. GAMMEI'ER.