US2519461A

US2519461A - Strand distributing apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2519461A
Application number: US727418A
Authority: US
Inventors: Estyle D Hanson
Original assignee: Western Electric Co Inc
Current assignee: AT&T Corp
Priority date: 1947-02-08
Filing date: 1947-02-08
Publication date: 1950-08-22
Anticipated expiration: 1967-08-22

Description

Aug 22 119 HANSQN 2,519,461

STRAND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 8, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I m/vslv TOP 7 I 1 5.0 HANSON 0 A TTORNEV v Aug. 22, 1950 E. D. HANSON STRAND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 8, 1947 lNl/EN TOR 5.0. HANSON 1950 E. D. HANSON 2,519,461

STRAND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS A 7'7'ORNEY Patented Aug. 22, 1950 STRAND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS Estyle D. Hanson, Baltimore, Md., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 8, 1947, Serial No. 727,418

\ i v 5Claims. (Cl. 242-458) This invention relates to strand distributing apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for adjusting the travel of a strand guiding means in accordance with the size of the strandbein distributed on strand takeup machines.

In the manufacture of various types of strand materials, such as wires, cables and textile strands, there is usually provided suitable strand takeup machines by means of which the strand material is wound upon a suitable reel for storage or other purposes. Takeup machines in use at the present time employ various types of apparatus for distributing the strand back and forth across the winding surface of the takeup reel. In some cases the reel itself is moved laterally with respect to the delivery point of the strand being taken up therl'eby, while in others the strand itself is moved back and forth across the winding surface of the reel. In either case, this type of takeup machine is generally referred to as the traversing type in which there is provided a conventional traversing screw driven in timed relation with respect to the speed of the takeup reel. The traversing screw serves to reciprocate a slidably mounted nut adjacent to the winding surface of the takeup reel and means are provided on the nut for guiding the strand in which case reciprocation of the nut serves to takeup machines, wherein the travel of a strand distribute the strand evenly across the winding surface of the reel.

While such distributing apparatus is generally satisfactory, it possesses a very undesirable feature, in that the traversing screw is provided with a. thread having a predetermined working length designed to distribute a certain size of strand on a, certain size of takeup reel. This means that if it is desired to-distribute a strand having a larger or smaller diameter on the same takeup reel or the same strand on a reel having a winding surface of difierent width, or any different combination of strand and reel, it is necessary to provide the distributing apparatus with a traversing screw having a thread whose working length would suitthe new conditions. 'ously, it is desirable to provide such takeup machines with a type of strand distributing apparatus which possesses some degree of adjustability, whereby the distributing apparatus may be adjusted to accomplish the distribution of strands of various diameters on takeup reels having winding surfaces of various widths.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved strand distributing apparatus.

Another object is to provide new and improved strand distributing apparatus for use with strand distributing element may be adjusted to suit the diameter of the strand being distributed or the size of the reel used in the takeup machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide new and improved strand distributing appara-'. tus for use with strand takeup machines, in which the travel of strand guiding elements may be varied with respect to the uniform travel of ;a traversing nut carrying the strand guiding elements.

In accordance with a specific embodiment of the invention, there is provided an adjustable strand distributor for use with strand takeup machines, which comprises a traversin screw having a double screw thread engaged by a slidaably mounted nut, whereby the nut is reciprocated adjacent to the winding surface of takeup reel rotatably mounted in the takeup machine. Rotatable strand guiding members are positioned on a base slidably mounted on the nut. A pivotally mounted track is arranged to receive a roller fixed on one end of a crank pivotally mounted on the nut, the other end of said crank engaging a pin provided in a base supporting the strand guiding members. When the track is rotated to the right or to the left, the travel of the strand guiding members will be decreased or increased, respectively, with respect to the uniform travel of the nut being reciprocated by the traversing screw.

A clear understanding of the invention will be had from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in

which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a conventional strand takeup machine having associated therewith a strand distributing apparatus comprising a specific embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, front elevation of the strand distributing apparatus shown in Fig. 1;'

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 4- 4 of Fig. 2;

' Fig. 6 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view taken along line 5--5 of Fig. 3;

chine l having a reel rotatably mounted between a pair of spaced supports i2 and I3 forming a part of the takeup machine It. The reel H is coupled to and driven by a suitable electric motor l4, whereby a filamentary strand l5, which may be wire, cable or textile material, being advanced at a constant linear speed by a suitable driven capstan H3, is wound upon the reel In order to distribute the strand i evenly across the winding surface of the reel N, there is provided a strand distributing apparatus l1 (Figs. 1 and 2) which consists of a conventional traversing screw 23 rotatably mounted between the spaced supports l2 and I3 and driven by the motor M in timed relation with respect to the rotation of the reel A block-like nut 2| (Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5) is slidably mounted on a pair of spaced

guide rods

22 and 23 positioned between the supports l2 and I3, which guide rods are parallel with and horizontally aligned with the traversing screw 26. The nut 2| is provided with a follower 24 (Fig. 5) arranged to engage a conventional double thread 25 provided on the traversing screw 20, whereby when the screw is being driven by the motor M, the nut 2| will be reciprocated by the thread adjacent to the winding surface of the reel I. A pair of

strand guiding rollers

26 and 21 are rotatably mounted on the nut 2| and are spaced thereon so as to have the strand |5 pass between the rollers as it advances from the capstan IE to the takeup reel The double thread 25 (Figs. 1 and 2) provided on the traversing screw has a fixed working length, which imparts a definite reciprocation to the nut 2|, that is to say, the thread is designed to distribute a given size of strand on, a given size of takeup reel. Hence, if it were desired to use a reel having a slightly wider or narrower winding surface, or if it was desired to distribute a strand having a larger or smaller diameter, a separate traversing screw having a thread designed to suit each new condition would have to be provided in the distributing apparatus in order that the strand may be evenly distributed on the reel. The present invention provides for an adjustable strand distributing apparatus which enables a given strand takeup machine to take up various sizes of strands on takeup reels having slightly larger or smaller winding surfaces.

In order for the strand distributing apparatus to be capable of distributing strands of various diameters, the strand guiding members 26 and 21 (Fig. 2) must be adjustable so that the space between their peripheries can be adjusted to suit the size of strand to be advanced therebetween. The guide member 26 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 30 secured in an upright position on a base 3|. The guide member 21 is rotatably mounted in a similar manner on a base 32. The

bases

31 and 32 are slidably mounted on a support 33 by means of a dovetailed joint 34 provided between the bases 3| and 32 and the support 33. A thumb screw 35 (Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 6) is rotatably mounted in spaced bearings 36-36 secured on opposite sides of the support 33 having a body portion 31 thereof provided with a right hand thread which engages a similarly tapped bore 38 provided in the base 3| and a body portion 46 provided with a left hand thread which engages a similarly tapped bore 4| provided in the base 32.

When the thumb screw 35 is turned in a clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 4, the bases 3| and 32, together with their

respective guide members

26 and 21, will move away from each other, whereas when the thumb screw is turned in a counterclockwise direction, the guide members will move toward each other, equal movement being simultaneously imparted to each of the guide members in either instance. In this manner, by manipulating the thumb screw 35 in the proper direction, the

guide members

26 and 21 may be positioned to accommodate strands of various diameters up to the limits of adjustability provided between the bases 3| and 32.

The support 33 on which the bases 3| and 32 are slidably positioned is in turn slidably positioned on the nut 2| by means of a dovetail joint 43 (Figs. 4 and 5) provided between the support 33 and the nut 2|. From this arrangement of the support 33 on the nut 2|, it is apparent that the

strand guiding members

26 and 21 are movable laterally as a unit with respect to the nut 2|. A boss 44 formed integrally with the support 33 at one end thereof, is provided with a bore in which a pin 45 is rigidly secured. The end of the pin 45 extending beyond the boss engages an open ended slot 46 formed in the end of a lever 41, which is pinned to a shaft 48 rotatably mounted in spaced bearingt 50-50 provided on the underside of the nut 2|. A crank 5| (Figs. 2, 4, '1 and 8) is secured on the op osite end of the shaft 48 with an arm 52 thereof aligned with the arm 41. The arm 52 also is provided with a slot 53 which engages a pin 54 secured in a boss 55 formed on the support 33 and opposite the boss 44. The crank 5| also is provided with an arm 56 formed integrally with the arm 52 and positioned at with respect thereto, and has an anti-friction roller bearing 51 secured on the free end thereof by means of a stud 58 and a nut 58.

An elongated track 66 (Fig. 2), having a channel-shaped cross section, has a bearing 6| centrally positioned on the underside thereof with respect to its ends, which bearing has a, bore therein arranged to receive a post 62 secured to a support 63 mounted between the spaced supports l2 and I3. The post 62 is positioned on the support 63 so as to locate the track 60 centrally with respect t the working length of the double thread 25 provided on the traversing screw 20. An ear 64 is positioned on the underside of the track 60 at each end thereof, each ear being provided with an elongated aperture 65 arranged to receive the body portion of a stud 66 secured to the support .63. A- wing nut 61 is threadedly mounted on each stud 66 and serves to clamp the track 66 to the support 63 in any desired position. A scale 10 (F gs. 2 and 3) is provided on the right hand ear 64 adjacent to a pointer 1| secured on the support 63. To position the track 60 (Fig. 2) in any desired position with respect to the horizontal reciprocating axis of the nut 2|, the wing nuts 61-61 are loosened sufiiciently to allow the track to be rotated about the post 62 (Fig. 8) until the desired position of the track is btained, after which it may be clamped in that position by tightening the wing nuts 61-41.

Referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be noted that the track 60 is clamped to the support 63 in a horizontal position, that is, the central axis of the track is parallel with the reciprocating axis of the nut 2|. When the track is in this position, and the nut is being reciprocated by the traversing screw 20, the crank 5| carried by the nut remains in the position shown in Fig. 2, asthe nut travels back and forth. Since the crank is not actuated during the travel of the nut, equal reciprocation of the

strand guiding members

26 and 21 and the nut 2! is obtained. In other words, the distribution of the strand [5 is governed solely by the working length of the screw thread 25.

When it is necessary for the strand guiding members to have a shorter reciprocating stroke than that of the nut 2| the track is rotated clockwise a distance determined by the scale and the pointer 'li (Fig, 8). When the track is so positioned, its longitudinal axis is not parallel with the reciprocating axis of the nut. As a result, the roller 51 aifixed to the arm 56 of the crank travels along this inclined axis, which causes the crank to be actuated in a clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 8, during the right hand half of the stroke of the nut and counterclockwise during the left hand half of the stroke of the nut. In other words, the left hand stroke and the right hand stroke of the strand distributing members are forshortened with respect to the corresponding strokes of the nut 2|. To obtain a reciprocating stroke of the

strand guiding members

26 and 21 greater than the stroke of the nut 2i, the track 60 is rotated counterclockwise, which causes the reverse operation of the crank 5| as that which occurs when the track is rotated clockwise, thereby increasing the stroke of the strand guiding members.

The scale TE] and the pointer ll are provided on the apparatus so that the track 60 may be set at an angle which will produce the stroke differential required between the nut 2| and the

strand guiding members

26 and 21. The scale 10 (Fig. 3) consists of a central line 12 having the indicia 0 positioned adjacent to the inner end thereof. When the track is positioned so that the line 72 is directly opposite the pointer TI, the longitudinal axis of the track is parallel with the reciprocating axis of the nut, in which position no stroke differential occurs between the strand guiding members and the nut during the reciprocation thereof. With the track in this position the thread 25 of the traversing screw 20 controls the distribution of the strand I5. The scale it is also provided with lines 13-43 above the central line 12 and lines 14-14 below the line 72. the indicia A, and 1 positioned adjacent to the inner ends thereof, beginning at the central line and proceeding upward or downward as the case may be. The word Decrease may be imprinted adjacent to the lines l3'l3 while the word Increase may be imprinted adjacent to the lines "Hii l. The indicia /4, /2, and 1 opposite the lines EB-J3 of the Decrease portion of the scale it serve to indicate that when the track is positioned so that one of the lines 'i3-'|3 is aligned with the pointer 16, the indicia opposite the selected line 73 is the actual decrease in inches, in the stroke of the strand guiding members that the selected position of the track produces with respect to the uniform stroke of the nut. Likewise, the indicia n, V and l opposite the lines l4ld f the Increase portion of the scale 19 indicate the actual increase, in inches, of the stroke of the strand guiding members that the selected position of the track produces with respect to the @uniform stroke of the nut. Obviously, the track may be positioned so that the pointer H is aligned with any desired intermediate point between the lines 13l3. and 14-14 in order to The lines 13 l3 and 14-14 have obtain a required stroke differential between the strand guiding members and the nut.

When the track is rotated in a clockwise direction about the post 62 so that one of the lines 1313 is directly opposite the pointer H the stroke of the strand guiding members with respect to the stroke of the nut will be decreased by the amount indicated opposite the selected line 13. To cause the stroke of the strand guiding members to be increased with respect to the stroke of the nut, the track 60 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction about the post 62 so that one or the lines 14-44 of the Increase side of the scale 10 is directly opposite the pointer 1!. When the track is so positioned, the stroke of the strand guiding members with respect to the stroke of the nut will be increased by the amount indicated opposite the selected line 74. It is believed to be apparent that in order for the crank to make a uniform correction of the stroke of the strand guiding members, the roller 51 aifixed to the end of the arm 56 must be vertically aligned with the center of the strand when the nut 2| is centrally positioned with respect to the working length of the thread. The overall design of the crank 5| depends on the length of the track required by a given traversing screw and the stroke differential required between the strand distributing members and the nut.

The above-described apparatus operates in the following manner:

A takeup reel, such as the reel H is mounted on the takeup machine It! and centrally aligned ith respect to the working limits of the nut 2|, and the strand !5 is positioned between the

guide members

26 and 21 and secured to the winding surface of the reel l i. Let it be assumed that the strand l5 and the takeup reel I I are of such size that the length of the thread 25 of the screw 20 will effect an even distribution of the strand on the reel. Having this combination of strand and reel, the track 69 is positioned on the support :3 so that the central line 12 is aligned with the pointer ii, in which case longitudinal axis of the track is parallel with the axis of reciprocation of the nut. The motor M then is energized to drive the reel II and the traversing screw 20 in the proper direction and speed relationship with respect to each other. The nut 2| is reciprocated :by the double thread 25 of the traversing screw 20, whereby the strand l5, positioned. between the guiding

members

26 and 21 is reciprocated therewith and is distributed evenly across the Winding surface of the rotating takeup reel, Since the longitudinal axis of the track 60 is aligned horizontally with the axis of reciprocation of the nut, the crank 5! will remain in the position shown in Fig. 2 throughout the entire stroke of the nut, in which case the stroke of the strand guiding members is the same as that of the nut.

Let it now be assumed that it is desirable to have the traversing screw 20 of the distributing apparatus i1 distribute a larger diameter strand on the same size takeup reel, such as the takeup reel I I. Since the traversing screw 20 is provided with a thread 25 having a definite working length which imparts a fixed reciprocation to the nut 2 I, it is obviously necessary to shorten the travel of the

strand guiding members

26 and 21 so that the larger strand will be distributed evenly across the winding surface of the takeup reel H. The

strand guiding members

26 and 21 may be separated sufiiciently to allow a larger diameter strand to pass therebetween by proper manipulation of the thumb screw 35. However, without further adjustment, the stroke Of the strand guiding members 26 and 2'i remains unchanged with respect to the stroke of the nut 2|. To effect the required decreased travel of the

strand guiding members

26 and 21 with respect to the fixed travel of the nut 2| on the thread 25, it is necessary to loosen the wing nuts 61-61 and rotate the track 50 in a clockwise direction about the post 62 until the particular line 13 of the scale 10 which will give the required stroke differential is aligned with the pointer 1 l.

Having positioned the track 60 in this manner and having installed the takeup reel II in the takeup machine IO, as described hereinabove, the motor is now energized, whereupon the nut 2| is reciprocated by the traversing screw 20. As the nut 21 travels back and forth between the ends of the thread 25, the roller 56 aflixed to the end of the crank arm 55 also rides back and forth in the angularly positioned track 60. When the nut 2| travels to the right hand end of the thread 20, the track 8% which is. engaged by the roller 56 of the crank 5! causes the crank to pivot in a counterclockwise direction about the bearings 505D in which the crank is rotatably mounted. As the result of this rotation of the crank 5|, the support 33 which is inovably positioned on the nut 2i and engaged by the slotted end of the crank arm 52 is urged to the left, in which case the strand guiding members 26 and 2! have not travelled to the right so far as the nut 2|. When the nut 2i travels to the extreme left end of the thread 25 of the traversing screw I9, as illustrated by the broken line position of the nut and guiding members in Fig. 8 of the drawings, the crank 5| is pivoted about the bearings 5050 of the nut in a clockwise direction so that the guiding members 26 and 2! have not travelled so far to the left a has the nut 2|.

Since the track fill is pivotally mounted at its center, the same degree of angularity of the track occurs on each side of its vertical axis and,

therefore, the shortened travel of the

strand guiding members

26 and 27 effected by the selected position, is the same for each half stroke of the nut. For example, if the track 69 is positioned so that the line I3 bearing the indicia is directly opposite the pointer II, it is believed to be clear that the total travel of the strand guiding members 26 and 2? with respect to the travel of the nut 21 would be decreased inch. Obviously, the track may be adjusted so that the stroke of the strand guiding members with respect to the nut will be decreased by A or 1 inch to suit the particular strand to be distributed on a given takeup reel. In other words, the indicia positioned adjacent to their respective lines indicate in each case the stroke differential, in inches, between the stroke of strand guiding members with respect to the uniform stroke of the nut.

The distributing apparatus H is also adjustable to cause the stroke of the

strand guiding members

26 and 21 to be greater than the stroke of the nut 2 I Such adjustment is required when it is necessary to distribute a smaller diameter strand on the same takeup reel H, or to distribute the same size strand on a reel having a wider winding surface. In any event, the particular combination of the strand size and reel size determines whether the track 60 must be adjusted in accordance with the .Decrease or Increase sections of the scale 10. To accomplish this adjustment of the apparatus, the track is rotated in a counterclockwise direction to position the track opposite to that shown in Fig. 8 on the drawings, so that one of the lines 1414 now is directly opposite the pointer 1 I.

When the track 60 is so positioned and the nut 2| has travelled to the extreme right hand position, the inclined track cause the crank 5| to be rotated in a clockwise direction thereby advancing the

members

26 and 21 further to the right. When the nut has travelled to the extreme left hand position on th traversing thread 25, the inclined track actuates the crank 5| in a counterclockwise direction and causes the strand guiding members to be advanced further to the left. In other words, when the track 60 is set in this position, it actuates the crank 5| in opposite directions to that described for it operation when inclined to the right, and the total stroke of the strand guiding members 26 and 2'! is greater than the fixed stroke of the nut 2|.

It is to be understood that the above-described apparatus for adjusting the stroke of strand guiding members with respect to the stroke of the reciprocating nut may be modified to accommodate various conditions arising from the required distribution of various sizes of strands on various sizes of reels without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a strand takeup mechanism having a double threaded traversing screw and nut uniformly reciprocated thereby, an adjustable strand distributor, which comprises a pair of spaced strand guiding members slidably positioned as a unit on the nut, means provided on the nut for imparting equal and opposite movement to the strand guiding members to fix the space between them to suit a strand being distributed, a crank pivotally mounted on the nut and having one end thereof engaging the movable strand guiding members and a roller mounted on the other end thereof, a track pivotally mounted centrally of the double thread of the traversing screw and arranged to engage the roller provided on the end of the crank, and means for selectively positioning the track with respect to the reciprocating axis of the nut to obtain a predetermined actuation of the crank when the nut is reciprocated, whereby when the track is pivoted in a clockwise direction the total stroke of the strand guiding members with respect to the stroke of the nut will be decreased and when the track is pivoted in a counterclockwise direction the total stroke of the strand guiding members with respect to the stroke of the nut will be increased and when the track is in an intermediate position the stroke of the strand guiding member will remain unchanged.

2. An adjustable strand distributor for use with strand takeup apparatus, which comprises a traversing screw, a slidably mounted nut engaged by the traversing screw and reciprocated thereby through a fixed stroke parallel to the winding surface of a takeup reel forming part of the takeup apparatus, a pair of adjustable strand guiding members slidably mounted on the nut as a unit to rotatably engage a strand to be distributed on the takeup reel, means provided on the nut for imparting equal and opposite movement to the strand guiding members to fix the space between them to suit the strand to be distributed, a crank pivotally mounted on the nut for imparting lateral movement to said strand guiding members with respect to the nut, said crank having a roller fixed on one end thereof, and a track positioned adjacent to the traversing screw for engaging the roller provided on the end of the crank as the nut and crank are reciprocated by said traversing screw, said track being pivotally mounted centrally or" the fixed stroke of the nut whereby it may be positioned with respect to the traversing screw to effect an equal stroke differential between the strand guiding members and the nut to each side of the center of the winding surface of the takeup reel on which the strand is being distributed.

3. An adjustable strand distributor for use with strand takeup apparatus, which comprises a traversing screw, a nut slidably mounted on the traversing screw and reciprocated thereby through a predetermined stroke parallel to the winding surface of a takeup reel forming part of the takeup apparatus, a pair of spaced strand guiding members arranged to rotatably engage a strand to be distributed on the reel, means provided on he nut for supporting said strand guiding members as a unit thereon in an axially movable relationship therewith, means provided on the supporting means for imparting equal and opposite movement to the strand guiding members to fix the space between them to suit the size of a strand to be guided thereby, a crank pivotally mounted on the nut for imparting axial movement to said strand guiding members as a unit, said crank having one end engaging the support carrying the strand guiding means and a roller mounted on the other end thereof, a track pivotally mounted centrally of the fixed stroke of the nut for engaging the roller provided on the end of the crank, and means for clamping the track in a position which will actuate the crank as the nut is reciprocated by said traversing screw and thereby impart equal lateral movement to the strand-guiding members with respect to the nut at each sideof the center of the winding surface of the takeup reel, whereby the stroke of the strand guiding members may be selectively varied with respect to the fixed stroke of the nut n the traversing screw.

4. An adjustable strand distributor for use with strand takeup apparatus, which comprises a traversing screw rotatably mounted between a pair of spaced supports, a slidably mounted nut uniformly reciprocated between predetermined limits by the traversing screw parallel tothe Winding surface of a takeup reel forming part of the takeup apparatus, a pair of spaced strand guiding members arranged to rotatably engage a strand to be distributed on said reel, means provided on the nut for supporting said strand guiding members as a unit on the nut in an axially movable relationship therewith, said movable supporting means serving to maintain the strand guiding means at right angles to the nut throughout the stroke of the nut, a crank pivotally mounted on the nut and having one end thereof engaging the means supporting the said strand guiding members, said crank havin a roller fixed 0n the other end thereof, a track pivotally mounted centrally of the predetermined operating limits of the nut for engaging the roller provided on the crank, said track being adjustable with respect to the reciprocating axis of the nut to actuate the crank as the nut is reciprocated by said traversing screw and thereby impart axial movement to the support and the strand guiding members with respect to the nut, means positioned adjacent to one end of the track for indicating the relative position of the longitudinal axis of the track with respect to the reciprocating axis of the nut, and means for clamping the track to the apparatus in a desired position, whereby when said track is pivoted in a clockwise direction and clamped therein its longitudinal axis is such that the crank is actuated and causes the total stroke of the strand guiding members to be decreased with respect tothe fixed stroke of the nut and vice versa when the track is pivoted counterclockwise.

5. An adjustable strand distributor for use with strand takeup apparatus, which comprises a traversing screw rotatably mounted between a pair of spaced supports, a slidably mounted nut reciprocated through a fixed stroke by the traversing screw parallel to the winding surface of a takeup reel forming part of the takeup apparatus, a pair of spaced strand guiding members arranged to rotatably engage a strand to be distributed on said reel, a base slidably positioned on the nut for supporting said strand guiding members as a unit in an axially movable relationship with the nut, said movable base serving to maintain the strand guiding members at right angles to the nut throughout the stroke of the nut, means provided on the base for imparting equal and opposite movement to the strand guiding members to fix the space between them to suit the size of the strand to be guided thereby, a crank pivotally mounted on the nut and having one end thereof engaging the support carrying the strand guiding means, said crank having a roller fixed on the other end thereof, a track mounted between the supports for engaging the roller provided on the crank as the nut is reciprocated by said traversing screw, said track being pivotally mounted centrally oi the fixed stroke of the nut so that its longitudinal axis may be positioned obliquely with respect to the axis of the traversing screw, means for indicating the position of longitudinal axis of the track with respect to the reciprocating axis of the nut, and means for clamping the track in an oblique position which will actuate the crank and thereby impart equal lateral movement to the support carrying the strand guiding members on each side of the center winding surface of the takeup reel as the nut is reciprocated by the traversing screw, whereby the stroke'of the strand guiding members may be selectively varled with respect to the uniform stroke of the nut on the traversing screw.

ESTYLE D. HANSON.

REFERENCE S CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,941,250 Dale Dec. 26, 1933 1,948,305 McIlvried Feb. 20, 1934 2,134,369 Merwin Oct. 25, 1938 2,185,309 Pierce Jan. 2, 1940