US2293379A - Wire coating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

C. BRUIN ING WIRE COATING APPARA'IUS Aug. 18', 1942.

Filed May 16, 1959 INVENTOR. QRL fiRU/N/Ni @f ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 18, 1942' UNITED STATES; PATENT former;

wins coarnwo mans-ms Carl Draining, luakegon, llleln, assignorto Ana conda Wire & Cable Company, New York, N..Y., a corporation of Delaware Application mile, 1939, Serial No. 273,837

c6 (CI. 91-32) My invention relates to an apparatus for applying a thin coating or film of coating material, such as lacquer, to wire and more particularly to a die and die mounting for such apparatus.

In applying enamel or similar coating to .wire, it has beencustomary to draw the wire continuously through a bath of the coating material or enamel, generally by causing the wire to dip into the bath and under rollers or pulleys immersed therein. If the enameling composition is suillciently limpi'd or non-viscous a thin uniform coating of enamel is left on the wire as it leaves the bath. when more viscous enameling solutions, or coating solutions are employed, the excompositionis drawn out ofthebath onthe.

wire and must be removed by a die.

.Heretofore. the wire has been drawn through a fixed die, the diameter of which is that of the coated wire or. equal to the diameter of the wire plus twice the thickness of the coating. In the event that the wire in such prior arrangements is not guided centrally into the die, it has a tendeasy to be drawn to one edge or the other oi. the die, particularly if the wire is taut or has a feudency to spring to one side or the other. Accord.- ingly, when this occurs there is a corresponding inequality in the thickness of the enamel coating.

In my present invention I provide a coating apparatus in which the die is so mounted as to be selfaligningwithrespecttothewireandthusto insureanalig'nmentoftheaxisofthewireandof the position or path of the wire.

' In my invention, therefore. I provide a die and and in which the dies may move freely with the shifting or sidewise movement of the respective wires, so as automatically to preserve a centering of .the wire in the die. For this purpose I provide a cage at the exit side of the tank in which one or more dies freely slide or move. Wherethe wires are drawn upwardly over a pulley, a longitudinal cage extending lengthwise of or parallel V to the pulley may be provided so that the dies may move lengthwise of it to follow a sidewise shifting of the wires on the pulley. It will be apparent however that any suitable type of heating die supporting or. positioning means may be employed.

Preferably the dies are spherical and have a die passage. extending diametrically through. them. Thispermitsthediestoturnandtoslide freely with a variation of directions or positions oLthe wire. The entering end of this opening is prefer- 45 can receiving reel or spool l9.

opening withoutsharp edges and to build up pressure within the opening 'of the die which aids in. the centering of the wirein the die passage;

Thewire having been drawn through the 7 ing bath has an adherent layer or coating of the enamel which causes the wire to. center itself automatically in the die opening inasmuchas the liquid tends to maintain an equal thickness in the narrow annular passage between the wire ing of the dies avoids any'counteracting force or tendency suillcient to impair this evenness of and the die passage. The free or floating mount apparatusembodying a preferred form of invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a die and die mounting forming a part of the apparatus shown inFIg. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-4 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is asection of a die and wire passing therethrough, taken on a plan transverse to the wire as indicated in line H oi Figs. 1 and-3.

In the embodiment of the invention shown. in

the accompanying drawing, wire" II which may in the accompanying drawingr be of any suitable size such, forexample, as that used as magnet wire, or of larger sizes, is drawn fromasupplyreel orspool H overaguidepulley i2 and into a tank l3 of lacquer solution. Upon entering the'tank I! the wire I! passes below the first pulley or rollll of a pair of pulleys, thence die mounting for wires leaving the coating tank passes immersed in the bath to a second pulley or 40 After passing through the die I I the wire, which has now a uniform film or coating of lacquer solution, passes through a drying chamber l8 7 to evaporate or remove lacquer solvent or otherwise harden the lacquer and thence is received hardeningchamber I! may be heated as'indi cated tically by theheaters II, or may have otherimeans for hardening the lacquer.

Itwillhetmderstood thatanamber of wiresmaybedrawninparallelfromareelorreels-ll dividual die ll. a

As indicated in Pig. 2, the die "for each in.-

. ably belied or coned to provide aismooth entering dividual wire it is-mounted within a cageformed The drying Or y a s ou't resistance.

'bgeach die n is provided'with ot parallel rodsgll held in spaced position between endpiates 22 and 28. g

As shown inl 'iga 3 the'dies II are spherical and the cage is-made oi four rodsjl, this numconvenient and an eiiect ive' one for 'ly byway of example and that diflerbers o1 rods may be employed to formthe ge. The rods. are so spacedas to permit .ai sliding or-move'ment of the dies H within the die immediately back of the opening 24 cal dies; but it willbe understood that to'give a-uniiorm annular passage. between the wire and the passageway of the-die. This is indicated in Fig; 4 in whichthe space between the wire II and the die I1 is filled with an annular film oilacquer solution 25.

In the above apparatus, if the wire should shiit lengthwise 'of the roll I its respective die "is free to shift with it without substantial resistance .to ,overcome't e'iorces in the liquid tending to .maintain a orinfllm about the wire. The spherical dies I! may be made of any suitable material. For example, ball bearings,

softened suflleiently to permit drilling, may be employed. The rods 2| may be formed 0t any to permit the dies 11 to he slipped into the cage and-held whenthe rods are released.

Through the above inventiont therefore, the} uniformity of the lacquer coating is not im r by anvshiiting of the wire, inasmuch as the dies shift accordingly and thus areas of successive thickness or thinness or bare spots on the wire are avoided.

Various modifications in detail maybe made by those skilled in the art without departing iron I the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is: I .IIAppo-ratus for coating wires, a cage or parallel rods and a die within said cage and movable therein lengthwise 01' said rods, said die having a die passage therethrough.

' 2. Apparatus for applying a uniform length a!- coatingto wires or-iilaments, a cage of parallel rods and a spherical die within said cage and movable therein lengthwise oi said said spherical die having a passage. extending metrically therethrough.

3. Apparatus for applying a coating to wires or filaments, a'fcage of parallel rods and a spherical die within jaid cage and movable therein lengthwise of said rods,1sald spherical die having a passage extendingdiametrically therethrough, saidpassage diverging at its entrance end. I

4.,Apparatus for coating wires or filaments which comprises a coating tank,a die cage at one side of said tank comprising a number of spaced parallel rods, a diein said cage and mpvable freely lengthwise or said rods and means for drawing. wire successively through said tank'- and through said die in a direction transverse to suitable material,. preferably of metal such as -steel drill rod, which can' be sprung sumciently the lengths oi'said rods. 1

' 5.,Apparatus ior coating wires. or filaments which comprises a tank 01' coating material, a die cage at one end of said tank having a n ber of parallel rods, a plurality 'otspherical di mounted in said cage and movable lengthwise of said rods, each said die having a diametrically positioned die passage therethrough, means for drawing a plurality of wires through'said tank and individually each throughone oi said dies. I

6. The apparatus of claim- 5 in which the die through the dies diverge at the ends nearest said'tank and in which said cage is made of four rods.

CARL BRUINING.

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