US2184704A - Enameling machine - Google Patents

Description

9 D. s. STARRING ET AL 2,134,704

ENAMELING MACHINE Filed Dec. 17, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTQRS Ml flat ad 6'. Starmng w/ Y Gearyeli. Or

A ORNEY 11:24:.26, 1939. D, T RR ET A 2,184,704

ENAMELING MACHINE Filed Dec. 17, 1936. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 O Fi P i i l l Lbf/ IN VENTORS Jazz id 5. S'arrirzg w'eorieli 7 AT. EY

Patented Dec. 26, 1939 ENAMELING MACHINE David S. Starring, Greens Farms, and George B. Horn, Fairfield, -Conn., assignors to Wheeler Insulated Wire Company, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application December- 17, 1936, Serial No. 116,284

4 Claims. (CL 242-25) This invention relates to wire enameling. Heretofore in the enameling of wire it was the practice to pass the wire from a source of supply to the enameling bath or dip, then through a drying oven, and again through the dip and oven a number of times, and then have the wire pass around a capstan employed to draw or pull the wire through the said dip and oven, after which it was spooled in a manner suitable for use.

According to this prior arrangement the freshly enameled wire, after being guided by one or several sheaves or pulleys, passed directly to the capstan, being wound thereabout a number of times, and was then spooled for subsequent use. The spooling or take-off mechanism was powered through a friction drive so that a certain amount of slip existed, since it wasimpossible to properly correlate the speed of the capstan with that of. the spool, and since the proper functioning of the capstan depended on a tension being maintained in the wire leaving it.

This frictional drive complicated the take-ofi mechanism, and was at times troublesome, requiring attention and repair, and in addition there was frequently experienced a fouling of the capstan sheaves due to the numerous turns of the freshly enameled wire thereabout and the pressure of said wire in the sheaves. Also, the finish of the wire was marred in passing over the capstan.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate these disadvantages, and in the embodiment thereof shown herein .this isaccomplished by providing an improved take-off or spooling mechanism which spools the wire for future use while also functioning to draw the wire through the enameling dip and oven, thereby making unnecessary the use of a capstan for this latter purpose, and making unnecessary the use of a frictional drive in the power transmission of the" spools. Thus the take-off mechanism is simplified considerably, and operation is more uniform dilference'in the diameters of the core and the 5.: outside wire of a fully wound spool is sufficiently slight that the linear speed of the wire isalways 1 within practical limits.

The invention is shown embodied in an enameling machine adapted to coat a number of wires simultaneously, and the take-off mechanism provided includes improved spool mounting and driving means, and improved wire-guiding means associated therewith whereby a large number of separate strands of wire can be satisfactorily passed through the machine and spooled for use required. I

l0 1 with a minimum of apparatus and floor space" Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved take-off mechanism embodied in a wire-drawing machine.

Fig. 2 'is an inside elevation of the takeoff mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a top or plan view.

' Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view showing the reciprocating'mechanismin detail.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary inside elevation, enlarged, of the reciprocating mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section taken on the line a-a of Fig. 6, showing the reciprocating mechanism guide follower in upper position.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentarysection taken on the line b-b of Fig. 6, showing the position of two half nut driving armscorresponding to the position of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section on line aa of Fig. 6, showing the guide follower in lower position, and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary section on line b-"b; 4 showing the corresponding position 'of the half nuts. 4

Referring to Fig. 1, the enameling machine embodying the present invention comprises wiresupply means broadly desigiiatedby the numeral t 20, enamelingdips or baths 2|, drying ovens 22; 1

and take-off or spooling mechanisms"23. The

uncoated wires are fed to the machine from sup: ply spools 24 held on vertical pins carried by brackets'25 which are mounted on vertical posts. 26 fastened to the floor on each side of the ovens 22. There are four spools for *each side of the machine, but only those nearest the observer are shown in the drawings.

Eachspool has a fric-- of pulleys carried by; a pivotally' mounted,

weighted member, as shown. The wires from the.

spools pass around the pulleys of the tensioning devices to pulleys 29 carried near the lower ends of the ovens, and from said pulleys the wires pass under sheaves 36 located at the bottoms of the ovens, said sheaves being partially immersed in the enameling fluid in the dips 2|.

The ovens 22 are carried by a frame having vertical posts 3|, which posts also support the enameling dips 2| and, by means of a bracket 32. the pulleys 29.

In passing under and around the sheaves 30 for the first time, the wires are initially coated with enamel, after which they pass upwardly through the ovens 22 where the initial coating is dried. The wires pass over sheaves 33 at the tops of the ovens and down again outside of the ovens, under and around the sheaves 36 for a second coating of enamel. Again the wires pass through the ovens where the second coating is dried, and this procedure is repeated a number of times until the desired enamel coating is obtained. The wires are then brought over the sheaves 33 a final time, and pass to the takeoff and spooling mechanisms of the machine.

According to the present invention there are provided improved take-off and spooling means adapted to draw or pull the wires from the supply spools through the enameling dips and ovens while at the same time spooling the wires preparatory to subsequent use. Fig. 1 shows the enameling machine as equipped with two of these takeoff or spooling mechanisms. Each mechanism is identical with the other, and therefore only one will be described.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the improved takeoil mechanism comprises a central vertical supporting post 35 carrying a plurality of take-off spools 36, said post being secured to the floor by means of a base plate 35. The post 35 carrieshorizontal spindles 31 which are journaled at their centers in suitable bearings mounted in the post, there being shown by way of example five such spindles. Each spindle carries two bobbins 36 which are secured thereto for quick removal by winged nuts 38. i

For the purpose of driving all the bobbins simultaneously, the spindles 31 have sprocket gears driven through chains 39. The lowermost spindle 31 is driven from an electric motor 40 through suitable gearing as shown.

In Fig. 2, the bobbins carried by the lowermost spindle 31 are shown as not having any wire on them, these bobbins being preferably used for the purpose of starting the wires. It will be noted that the bobbins 36 have a core diameter which is large relative to the depth of the layers of wire which said bobbins are to carry, and therefore, since the bobbins function to pull the wires through the machine, the linear speed of said wires will remain substantially constant for a given constant speed of rotation of the bobbins, regardless of whether the bobbins are fully or only partially wound. This is of importance since uniformity in the enamel coating of the wires depends on the speed of the wires passing through the enameling dips and ovens, as well as on the temperature of the ovens and the composition of the enameling fluid.

For the purpose of guiding the wires, after they are finally coated, from the tops of the ovens to the spools, there is provided an improved wire-guiding mechanism carried by the post 35. This mechanism comprises an elongate rigid frame having vertical members 4| and cross members 42, said frame being braced by a diagonal strut 43. This frame is attached by journals to a sliding sleeve 44 movable on a slide rod 45 which latter is mounted by means of brackets 46 to a cross plate" at the top of the post 35. The frame is thus laterally movable relative to the post 35, and the sleeve 44 may be turned relatively to the frame. The lower portion of the frame has a short arm 48 attached to the cross member 42 and extending downwardly, said arm being movable within a guide strip 49 carrled by abracket 50 at the lower inside portion of the post 35, and the frame is thus prevented from swinging about the slide rod .45, but yet is permitted to move freely in a lateral direction.

The vertical members 4| have upper portions 4|a beyond the sleeve 44, said portions extending toward the ovens 22 at an angle, as shown, and said portions being connected at their upper extremities by a transverse rod 5| carrying pulleys 52 over which the wires from the ovens pass.

The vertical members 4| of the frame carry a plurality of pulleys 53, one for each spool 36, the pulleys being mounted on pins located on the frames closely adjacent the spools. Thus it will be seen that the wires emerging from the tops of the ovens pass over and are guidedby the pulleys 52 at the top of the frame, and from there pass to the individual pulleys 53 and thence to the spools 36.

For the purpose of reciprocating the frame simultaneously with turning of the spools 36 there is provided a traverse screw 54, see Figs. 4, 5 and 6, having reverse threads, said screw being rotatably carried by the brackets 46. The traverse screw 54 is driven from a countershaft 55 by means of a sprocket chain 56, said countershaft in turn being driven by a sprocket chain 51 from the uppermost spindle 31. The traverse screw 54 is engaged alternately'by a pair of half nuts formed on arms 58 and 59 carried by the sleeve 44 at the ends thereof, said sleeve having attached to its center an operating arm 60 actuated by a cam bar 6| mounted on the plate 41. The operating arm 60 is provided with a slot intermediate its ends through which traverse screw 54 passes, said arm being provided at its end with a resilient blade 62 adapted to engage either the upper or lower surface of the cam,

When the blade is engaging the lower surface of said bar the operating arm will be in the position shown in Fig. I, and the half nuts in the position shown in Fig. 8, the half nut carried by the arm 58 engaging the traverse screw 54 so that the sleeve 44 and frame carried thereby will move from left to right. As this movement reaches its limit the blade- 62 will engage a resilient switching blade 63 carried by the plate 41, see Fig. 6. so that when said blade 62 has passed the end of the cam bar it will be urged upwardly by the switching blade. This will cause the operating arm 80 to swing upwardly, disengaging the half nut carried by the arm 58 from the traverse screw 54, and causing a half nut carried by the arm 59 to engage the reverse threads carried by said screw. The sleeve 44 and frame carried thereby will therefore now move from right to left, the cam blade 62 riding up on the inclined surface 6|a at the end of the cam bar. The arm 60 will now have the position shown in Fig. 9, and the half nuts the position shown in Fig. 10, and the sleeve and frame will move from right to left. When the limit of this movement is reached the cam blade 62 will engage a second resilient switching blade 64 carried by the plate 41, and be urged downwardly to disengage the half nut from the traverse screw.

The operating arm 60 will thus swing downwardly again and the sleeve 44 and frame will move from left to right, this cycle being repeated as long as turning of the traverse screw continues.

Thus, the frame carrying the guiding pulleys for the spools 36 will reciprocate laterally simultaneously with turning of said spools, and the freshly enameled wires will be guided on the spools 36 in even layers at the same time that the said spools are pulling or drawing the wires from the supply spools through the dips and ovens.

It will be readily understood that the traverse frame will undergo stresses due'torthe fact that the wires guided by the pulleys thereof are under tension because they are pulled by the spools 36. The slide-bar mounting of said frame and the means for reciprocating the frame, all as described herein, together with the sliding con nection at the lower end of the frame, are particularly well adapted to function perfectly for working stresses as caused by the tensioned wires.

After the spools 36 are completely filled with wire they are removed by unscrewing the winged nuts 38 and replaced with empty spools.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

We claim:

1. A device of the type described, comprising a supporting post; a plurality of spools; means, including a plurality of spindles journaled at their centers in the post, one spindle for each pair of spools, for mounting said spools for rotation on said post; means for driving the spindles in unison; a frame; means for mounting the frame on the post for reciprocative movement relatively to the spools; a plurality of wire-guiding pulleys carried by the frame, one pulley for each spool, and each pulley being adjacent its associated spool; a second plurality of pulleys of like number, carried by the frame and disposed laterally of the first plurality of pulleys to receive and guide the strands to the first-mentioned pulleys; and means for reciprocating the frame simultaneously with turning of the spools.

2. In a device of the type described, a supporting post; a plurality of spools; means carried by the supporting post for supporting said spools, said means comprising a spindle for each pair of spools mounted in said supporting post for rotation; means for simultaneously driving said spindles; a traverse frame mounted on the post for reclprocative movement relative to the spools; a plurality of wire-guiding pulleys carried by the frame at one side thereof to receive and support the wires during movement to the plurality of spools; a second plurality of pulleys mounted on the frame, one pulley for each spool located adjacent said spool to receive and support the wire and to guide it to the spool; and means driven by the spool-driving means for reciprocating the frame to cause the wire to be laid on the spools by the last-mentioned pulleys during rotation of the spools.

3. In a device of the type described, a sup porting post; a plurality of spools for receiving wire, said spools being of relatively large diameter with respect to the finished wound diameter of the spool whereby but slight changes in linear speed of the wire occur during winding; means carried by the supporting post for supporting said spools, said means comprising a spindle for each pair of spools mounted in said supporting post for rotation; means for simultaneously driving said spindles; a traverse frame mounted on the post for reciprocative movement relative to the spools; a plurality of wire-guiding pulleys carried by the frame at one side thereof to receive and support the wires moving to the plurality of spools; a second plurality of pulleys mounted on the frame, one pulley for each spool located adjacent said spool to receive and support the wire and to guide it to the spool; and means for reciprocating the frame to cause the'wire to be laid on the spools by the last-mentioned pulleys during rotation ofthe spools.

4. In a device of the type described, a supporting post; a plurality of spools; meanscarried by the supporting post for supporting said spools, said means comprising a spindle for each pair of spools mounted in said supporting post for rotation; means for simultaneously driving said spindles; a traverse frame mounted on the post for reciprocatlve movement relative to the spools; a plurality of wire-guiding pulleys, one for each wire, carried by the frame at one side thereof to receive and support the wires to be wound on the plurality of spools; a second plurality of pulleys mounted on the frame, one pulley for each spool located adjacent said spool to receive and support the wire and to guide it to the spool, said pulleys holding the wires leading to the spools in spaced relation and out of contact with one another; and means for reciprocating the frame to cause the wire to be laid on the spools by the last-mentioned pulleys during rotation of the Spools.

DAVID S. STARRING. GEORGE B. BORN.

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