US2406530A - Safety device for stranders - Google Patents

Description

27,1946- c. oysnuss'ru-z I 2,406,530

SAFETY DEVICE FOR STRANDERS Filed May 19,1945 2 Sheets-Sheetl INVENTOR CARL O. BRUESTLE 1946- c. o; BRUESTLE SAFETY DEVICE FOR STRANDERS Filed'May 19, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT on CARL o BRQJESTLE 7 ATTO NEYS Patented Aug. 27 1946 SAFETY DEVICE FOR STRANDERS Carl 0. Brues tle, Rahway, N. J., assignor to Syncro Machine Company, Perth Amboy, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application May 19, 1945, Serial No. 594,757

1'. l This invention relates to improvements in stranding or cabling machines with special refer- .ence to a safety, device controlled by the individual strands being formedintoa cable for stopping the machine when one or more strands breaks or runs out. p r V A more specific object of therinvention is the provision of a safety device for stranding or cabling machines comprising an electrical switch for each strand having a contact member controlled by it.

A more detailed object of the invention is the provision in such a safety device of means for renderingit inoperative when desired.

Other and more detailed objects of the invention will be apparent from the following disclosure of one embodiment thereof as illustrated in the attached drawings. 7

This invention resides substantially in the combination, construction, arrangement and relative location of parts as will be described in detatil below. V

In the accompanying drawings 7 Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the front end of a strand or section with some parts broken away;

Fi ure 2 is a vertical, central, cross-sectional view through one of the safety devices of this invention;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of thestructure of Figure 3. i V

In the operation of stranding and cabling machines, it is desirable to have some form of safety device actuated when one or more of the strands being formed into a cable breaks or runs out to automatically stop the machine for the purpose of repairing the break or substituting a fresh package of strand material.

While it is not of special importance in relation to this invention, it is noted that stranding and cabling machines are adapted to twist two or morebare or insulated wires, respectively, into a cable as represented, for example by a stranded wire cable or a plurality of twisted insulated conductors. It will be seen from the following disclosure that the subject matter of this invention is applicable to the control of various forms of machines for feeding wires, tapes, ribbons, strands, or the like to detect breakage thereof or their running out and when desired upon detection to efiect stoppage of the machine.

. 2 in elevation the front end of a typical stranding machine of which a supporting girder or structure I is a part. Mounted upon this structure by meansof bearings and rollers or other suitable supports 3 is a large disc-like member 2 centrally of which is secured a shaft 3 to the end of which, not shown, power to effect rotation thereof is applied in any suitable manner. The shaft 4' has an axial passage through which a central strand or core C may be fed longitudinally to the die position D. Attached to the end of the shaft 4 is the lay plate 5 which has a series of guides or eyepieces 6 mounted therein through which the strands W to be twisted around the core C are guided to the die position.

The forward portion of the guide tube for one of the strands is shown at 1 while the forward portion of the cradle for one of the other strands W is shown at 8. The construction of this portion-of the machine is of special importance with relationto the subject matter of this invention and may take any of the forms that are known in the art of which the one illustrated is a well known type. The strands pass through passages 9 in the supporting disc 2 so as'to deliver the strands W to the control devices which form the subject matter of this invention.

The contro1 devices are arranged around the disc 2 on its forward face, as illustrated, so asto lie in pairs at diametrically opp'ositepositions.

Thus it is possible to twist one or more pairs of strandsW about. the core..C. At this point it may be noted that it is not necessary, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, to have a core wire C since one or more pairs of strands W may be twisted into spiral relationship at the die station D without the use of a core strand.

The safety device itself is clearly illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4. Each device consists of a base plate III which is attached in the opening 9 to the forward face of the disc .2 by means of cap screws l I. The guiding and protecting tube 1 telescopes into a central aperture in the supporting plate ID, as clearly shown in Figure 2. Mounted in any suitable manner on the plate I0 is an insulated bushing l2 in which an electrical contact I3 is mounted so as to be insulated from the machine.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated Attached on or formed integral with the plate ID are a pair of parallel arms M in the ends of which is attached a shaft upon which the guide wheel I5 is rotatably mounted and over which the strand W passes from the tube 1. Attached to the plate In in any suitable manner so as to lie between the parallel arms I4 is a small bracket IE on which is rotatably mounted an S-shaped contact mem against the support I j and is biased so as to normally urge it into en.-

gagement with .thecontact l3. This bias results from the fact that one end of the spring "lies The strand W is fed Contact II, as cleargages the contact l1. through the upper loop of the 1y illustrated in the drawings, so that when the strand is under normal feeding tension it will hold the contact I! in the position shown inFig; ure 2 against the resistance of thebiasing spring I8 tending to move it in a counterclockwise direction (Figure 2) into engagement'withthe fixed contact l3. l I The S-shaped contact I! has its lower leg eittended, as shown in Figure 3, so that it may be slid transversely 'inits pivotalsupport from the full line position shown in Figure 3'to the'dotted'imsition in the same figure; A collar l9 is secured to the extended armof'thecontact so as to-lie against'the pivotal support when thecontact is tlius'shifted. Attached to or'formingpart of'the support I 6 is" an arm ?'2 ll having a. slot! extending inwardly from its upper face 'and an car 21 overlying the slot as is best seen from Figures? and 4.

' When .the contact I! is in-full line position itmay pivot in its support under the ends of the spring i8. On the other han'djwhen it is shifted to the do'tted'line position shown in Figure 3"it' lies in the slot in"the 'arm 20 and when'moved behind the ear 2| isheldiby'gth'e spring la in a slotted position out of, engagementjwith" the contact l3, as clearly shown by therighthandd'otted position v of Figure 2.

l6 and a longer end 18' en-' ber I1 'formed from arod or wire of a suitable event the contact arms l! are shifted to a position where they may be locked in inoperative position 7 in the slotted arm 20. They will thus not interfere with the operation of the machine in twisting four pairs of wires.

Electrically it will be seen that the contact arm n .l 1 is-grounded on the machine forming one side of the circuit to be controlled by the saiety device 'The'leads, not shown, for the insulated contacts l3 will be extended to a slip ring, not shown, insulated from the machine by means of which the other control circuit wire is connected through a I fixed insulated brush, not shown. It is, of course,

apparent that the'control circuit may be used for any number of purposes as, for example, to operate a signal device or suitably constructed switches for shutting off the power which operates the entire machine so that if a strand is broken it "can be repaired or if it has run out its supply reel can be replenished, j From the abovedescription it will be apparent to those skilled in theartthat the s'ubject matter-of this invention; is capable of "somevariation without departure from the scope thereof and i.

do not, therefore, desire" to" be limited other than as required by the appendedclai'ms.

- What is claimed is t 1. In astrand feed'ngmachine, thecombination-including a guidemember over which the strand is'fed in the direction-of its length, an in sulated electrical contactmounted-adjacent said guide member, and a'movablecontact arm biased towards engagen ent With' saidfixed contact and positioned adjacent the path of travel 0f, the

strand to said'guide member was tobe'engaged bythe strand and heldagainst-itsbias out ofengag-ement with the fixed contact; whereby upon The normalop'eration of this device is already clear from the description above; 'Whenjin'use the strandW holds .thecontact'arm l1 out of engagement with the contact 13 either until it is broken or runs out whereupon spring "[8 'move's'it into engagement with the contact l3.

:Since a stranding machine" of this .typefis adapted to'handleany numberof p'airs'of strands within its capacityjit' will be desirable'frequently when using 'a lesser number of -pairs than the maximum capacity of'the machine'tobe able to render the control device 11 inoperativejAs'sum ing for descriptive purposes that" the machine is capable of handling eight pairs'o'f strands and it is desired to twist a cable having only four pairs of strands, itis apparent that every'other safety device must be rendered inoperative: "In that breakage or running out-of the-strand the movj able contact engages-fthefixed contact, saidmovablecontact being transversely shiftableand 'a locking member forming a" seat 'therefor into which it may be shifted transversely.

2. In a strand feeding machine as 'top motion switch comprising aninsulated electrical {contact mounted adjacent the pathof travel of tlre strand,

Y a movable contact arm, means for pivotallygand 'slid'ably supporting said contact arm'so-as to be 'engag'ed b'y the strand, resilient means for' biasing said arm into engagement with said contact-"when the strand breaks or runs out, and means-forming a lock for holding said arm out of'eng'age ment with said contactwhenshifted into engagemerit therewith, said resilient means serving-to hold said arm in said seat.

CARL 0,. "BRUl-iisTL E.

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