US2161228A - Automatic reel - Google Patents

Description

` June 6, 1939. E M WELLy 2,161,228

Y AToMATIc REEL.

Filed Ag. 27, 193e` 2 sheets-sheet 1 F. M. LITTELL AUTOMATIC REEL Jun'e 6, 1939.

Filed Aug. 27, 193s 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 om NN.

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- ing mechanism to which the stock material `isl -LSU - Patented June s, 1939 Frederick M. Linen, chicago', nl., signor to F. J.

Littell Machine Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Appnemnn August 27, 193e, serial No. 98,112

' Vc claim. (ci. 242-78) Y The invention relates to reels for supporting coil stock and has reference more particularly to an automatic centering reel having mechanism for rotating the reel in order to yunwind the coil stock thereon for feeding to metal working ma'- chines such as punch presses and the like.

The present invention has for its object to provide novel drive mechanism for rotating stock lsupporting reels which will maintain the outside loop free of the coil, and of the proper size to insure accurate and efficient operation of the feedpresented. l I

A further object is to provide mechanisrnfor driving a spindle type reel having automatic operation to rotate the wheel in response to the size of the outer loop of the coi1'stock,-.wh1ch will not@ interfere with the operation of thefreel 'and which will be operative Vat all anglespfiadjustment of the reel. 4 1 J v' f A further object is to provide 'anautomatic centering reel and ldrive mechanism thereforfthat can be utilized for producing inward and outward movement of the stock supporting ar'ms vfor receiving ya coil of stock and centering the same with respect to the reel.

A further object is to provide an automatic centering reel having improved drive mechanism and which can be manually connected and disconnected with the coil supporting and center- I ing means.

A further object is to provide improved switch mechanism for actuation by the outer loop of the coil which will be economical to manufacture and which will not readily get'out of order.

With these and various other objects in view, the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction and operation as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawings and claims appended hereto.

In vthe drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention and wherein like reference characters designate like parts- Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an automatic centering reel embodying the improvements of the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the reel shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the lock for, locking the driven pulley to the spindle of the reel;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 4--4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional View Showing ing supporting portion consisting of the longitu- 1 dinally extending ribs II, the transversely extending ribs I2, whichconne the ribs Il therebetween, and the diagonal ribs I3. The supporting structure has a sloping top wall I4 and pro- Avides at the lower end of the wall I4 spaced bearings I 5 and at the upper end spaced bearings I6.

.v The bearings I6 provide, journalling means for spindle arm Il, which is therefore rotatable onv pivot I9, said spindle arm having a forwardly extending portion I8 to which is suitably fixed the forwardly extending spindle shaft 20. The portion I8 of the spindle arm also supports uprights 2| integral with the base 22, which supports an electric motor, to be more particularly described as the description proceeds. Bearings I5 journal an elevating screw 23, said screw having handle 24 xed to the outer projecting end thereof and being threaded at its other end to sleeve 25 having pivotal connection with the spindle arm I 1.

Rotatably mounted o n the spindle shaft 20 by roller bearing assemblies 26 is a spindle sleeve 21 having a hub portion 28. Mounted on the hub portion so as to rotate relative thereto is a combined pulley and gear 3U having teeth 3| formed on the forward inclined surface thereof and having grooves 32 formed in its cylindrical portion. The combined gear and pulley is held on the hub 28 of the spindle sleeve by the retaining plate 33, Figure 4, secured to the hub by the screws 3l. The face of the member 30 and likewise the retaining-plate is provided with grooves 35 and 36, respectively, which project radiallyv with respect-to the spindle shaft 20, the purpose of which will presently appear.

The spindle sleeve 21 is retained on shaft 20 by means of the collar 31 suitably pinned to the shaft and which directly engages the bearing race 26. The collar is enclosed by the cap member 38 which is keyed to extension 39 of the spindle shaft and is yieldingly urged into engagement with the end of the spindle by the coil spring 40 retained on the extension by the nut 4I. As the capmember is yieldingly urged against the spindle the same retards the rotation thereof and The hub portion 28 of the spindle carries a plurality of radially projecting rods or supporting members 43, each of which rotatably mounts an elongated screw 44 having at its lower endl the pinion 45 meshing with the gear teeth 3| on the combined gear and pulley 30. Each elongated screw rests on a bearing race 46, the same being confined between the pinion and the hub 28 of the spindle shaft. The screw is retained on its respective rod by the collar 41. Supported from each of the members 43 is a right angle arrndesignated in its entirety by 48, having spaced lugs 50 and 5| projecting from one leg thereof, the upper lug receiving the outermost end oi the rod 43, while the lower lug is threaded to the elongated screw v44. Each armis held against rotation on its rod 43 but has movement longitudinally of the -rod upon rotationV of the elongated screw 44. Upon rotation of the combined pulley and gear 30 the pinions will rotate simultaneously to cause` movement ofthe arms on their respective rods, thev direction of movement ofthe arms being determined by the direction of rotation of the pinion and its integral elongated screw. From the foregoing it will be understood that the supporting arms 48 of the reel have movement toward the spindle 21 Vor outwardly away from the spindle, depending upon the particular direction of rotation given the pinions 45.

The arms Aof `the reel are adapted to support a coil of stock 52, Figure 1,' which is retained on the arms bykeepers 53, each arm receiving a keeper which is detachable by means of the spring pressed retaining lever 54. Difllculty has been encountered in controlling the unwinding of the coil from the reel, especially with respect to machines having an intermittent feed due to the shortage of excess stock which causes the loops to snag around the coil. The invention contemplates a power drive for spindle reels which will embody automatic switch mechanism for connecting and disconnecting the drive, depending on the size of the loops of excess stock.

The structure 2 |22 supports an electric motor 55 which drives shaft 56, having suitably keyed thereto the driving pulley 51. Said pulley is operatively connected with the combinedpulley and gear 30hy means of endless belts 58 so that operation of the motor will result in rotation of said member 30. lIt is preferred that the endless belts 58 have slippage with respect to the pulleys 3|)4 and 51 so as to relieve the power means of strain incident to the rotation of a heavy coil of stock and which will permit continued rotation of the heavy coil after the power means has ceased to operate. For locking the member 30 to the hub of the spindle so that rotations of the member 30 will be imparted to the spindle, the invention provides a manual lock, Figure 3, comprising a locking member 60 having reciprocating movement within a cylindrical bore formed in the member 30 and which is adapted to fit within openings 6| located in spaced relation around the periphery of the hub 28. The locking member 60 is lifted against the tension of coil spring 62 by the knob 63 and when lifted so as to entirely retract member 60 from its opening 6| and turned substantially ninety degrees the member will'be held in released position so that member 30 and theP spindle may have relative rotation.

Mounted in a support 64. Figure 5, are a pair of locking lugs 65--66, each lug being eccentrical ly connected to disc 61 by link 68. Disc 61 is iixed to shaft 10, suitably journalled in boss 1| formed integral with the support 64. The shaft is manually actuated by handle 69, Figure 1, so that either locking lug 65 or 66 can be projected forwardly, depending on whether the operator desires to lock the member 30 or the spindle against rotation. Said member 30 and the retaining plate 33have/been previously described as provided with grooves 35 and 36 and it will be understod by reference to Figure 2 that when the locking lugs are caused to project beyond their support, said lugs will enter the particular recess disposed directly opposite thereto. When lshaft 10 is rotated so as to actuate lug 65. the same will enter one of the recesses 35 in the member 3|! and accordingly said member will be held againstl rotation and the spindle will be free to rotate, provided, of course, locking member 60 is still held in retracted position. Reverse rotation of shaft 10 will withdraw lug 65 andproject lug 66 which will 'enter recess 36 in the retaining plate and thus hold the spindle 21 against rotation.

The electric switch for controlling the current to the motor 55 is indicated by numeral 12, Figure 1, the same being suitably fixed to casing 13 housing the switch arm 14. Said arm has suitably is yieldingly held in contact therewith by the` coil spring 16 retained within the casing and having contact with the other end of said switch arm. rIhe casing is suitably supported below and to one side of the coil ofpstock on the reel by the diagonal and horizontal supporting rods11 and 18,the former being fixedly secured to a boss 80 integral with the portion I8 of the spindle arm. Projecting vertically from the horizontal `rods 18 are rods 8| which are accordingly positioned on each side of the coil of stock.

With the lever 15 in the position shown in Figure 1 the switch 12 is in on position and current is supplied to the motor 55, rotating pulley 51, and through belt 58 the combined pulley and gear 30 is rotated, which upon release of the locking member 60 will effect rotation of the spindle and thus the reel. If the amount of stock unwound by the rotation of the spindleL is in excess of the requirements. of the metalworking machine, stock will accumulate and the outermost loops of the coil will increase in size. An increase in the size of these loops, however, will actuate the stock 'supporting lever 15, causing movement of the same downwardly and actuation of the switch to "oil position. This will interrupt the current supplied to the motor, stopping the drive to the spindle.

The switch will remain in olf position until the excess stock has been used up, whereupon the lever 15 will gradually move upwardly, being urged in this direction by spring 16. At a predetermined point the switch 12 wil be actuated to on position to again cause actuation of the motor and rotation of the reel.

To place a coil of stock on the present reel the locking member 60 is ilrstv retracted and the Vspindle is then locked against rotation by actuation of shaft 1|) to project the locking lug 66. The motor is started and the member is rotated to simultaneously rotate the elongated screws in `that direction to cause travel of the arms inwardly. After the coil is placed on the arms the yrotation of the motor is reversed and therefore coils of stock lt may be desirable to tighten the arms with respect to the coil, for which operation the reel is used as a capstan. First, however, the

spindle must-be released, which requires retraction of locking lug 66, and the member 30 is locked against rotation, forwhich purpose the locking -lug 65 is projected forwardly. Rotation of the heel as a oapstan in the proper direction will now produce outward travel of the arms until they are in' tight engagement with the coil, whereupon the tation oi handle 24 which will locate the spindlel reel at various angles to the vertical, as may be 1 desired.

" What is claimed is:

1. A spindle reel of the character described, in-

cluding in combination, a supporting standard,

a shaft pivotally supported at the. upper end of said standard, elevating means .for locating the shaft' in desired rotated position with respect to the standard, a reel rotatably Imounted on said shaft and adapted'to support a coil of stock, an electric 'motor supported by said reel and operatively connecting with the vreelto cause rotation thereof, an arm carried by the reel and being resiliently biased into contact. with the outermost loop of said coil, la switch controlling the operation of said electric motor, and connections between said' switch and said arm whereby said switch ijs actuated to start orstop said motor vin response to the increase or decrease in the size of the outermost loop of sa'id coll. t

2.A"device for supporting coils of stock including in combination; a support, la shaft supported thereby having a reel rotatable thereon,

said reel including a spindle, 1a' plurality of rods sextending radially therefrom, actuating means *rotatably mounted on each rod, and a 'support-I ing armv associated with each rod for supporting w the coil otstock, eachvarm being slidably mounted on its rod and having connection with the actuating means, a gear rotatably mounted on said spindle, for simultaneously rotating the 'actuating means for said supporting arms, and an electric motor supported by the reel for rotating the gear'.

3. 'A device for supporting coils of stock including in combination, a support, a shaft supY ported thereby having a reel rotatable thereon, said reel including a spindle, a plurality of rods extending radially therefrom, actuating means rotatably mounted on each rod, and a supporting arm associated with each rod for supporting the coil of stock, each arm being slidably mounted on its rod and having connectionwlth the actuating means, a gear rotatably mounted on said spindle for simultaneously rotating the actuating means for the supporting arms, an electric motor supported by said reel, and means operatively connecting said motor and said gear.

, 4. A device for supporting coils of stock com-- prising, in combination, a support, a reel mountedfor rotation on said support and including a 20 shaft journalling a spindle, a gear rotatably mounted on said spindle, means for locking said gear and spindle, whereby they rotate as a unit,

an. electric motor supported by said reel, and means operatively connecting said motor and said gear.

5. A device for supporting coils of stock comprising, in combination, a support, a reel mounted for rotation on said support and including a shaft journalling a, spindle, a gear rotatably mounted on said spindle, means for locking said gear and spindle, whereby they rotate as a unit, an electric motor supported by said reel, means operatively connecting said motor and said gear,

and means responsive to the quantity of excess stock unwound from said reel for controlling the operation ofv said-electric motor.

6. An automatic reel for winding or unwinding strip stock comprising a stand, a stock reel journaled on said stand, a brake operating-to hold said reel in the periods of rest, alfree swinging arm mounted on said stand and located to be engaged and positioned by a slack loop of the stripmaterial winding on or unwinding from said reel, switch means including a tilting switch contact connected to and actuated by said free swinging slack engaging arm, a motor mounted on said stand, drive connections from said motor to .said reel and electrical connections on said stand from said tilting control switch mechanism w to said motor. v

J FREDERICK M.. LI'I'I'ELL.

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