US2567329A

US2567329A - Stranding machine spool cradle

Info

Publication number: US2567329A
Application number: US126648A
Authority: US
Inventors: Larry C Frazier
Original assignee: National Standard Co
Current assignee: National Standard Co
Priority date: 1949-11-10
Filing date: 1949-11-10
Publication date: 1951-09-11
Anticipated expiration: 1968-09-11

Description

Sept. 11, 1951 L. c. FRAZIER STRANDING MACHINE SPOOL CRADLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 10, 1949 INVENTOR. Zar yCHcyzr BY a; My

Sept. 11, 1951 1.. c. FRAZIER 2,567,329

STRANDING MACHINE SPOOL CRADLE Filed Nov. 10, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

MLM 7 3 Patented Sept. 11, 1951 STRANDING MACHINE. SPOOL CRADLE Larry C. Frazier, Niles, Mich.,. assignor. to. Na!- tional-Standard Company,.Niles, Mich, a conporation of Michigan ApplicationNovemlier 10, 19.49;.Serial No;..12fi,648

6 Claims. 1v My present invention relates to stranding machines. and more particularly to cradle means for supportingiaaspool of wire for machines; of the-character noted; v

In stranding machines intuseat present, it

2 posedin a helical path in the body of the. cradle, and in which the. wire. tensioning means, in the: form of a dancer. guide disposed .atthewire exit-guidesof the cradle.

A further preferred. feature. of. another em.-

Di is the universali'practice:to*provide cradle means bodiment of. my inventionis to provide. a spool which a: spool of wire isrotatably' supported cradle having a flexible-and hollow. tubehelioal-ly with itsaxis 1 of 'rotationextending transversely disposedin the body thereof. and mountedatone ofithe. axis. of theicradle=means In such con.- end so as tollead the. wirefrom. the spool supstructionsi the cradlei-r-means is journalled' in a 1.0 ported in the cradle out through. one. end of rotor meansfandiin the design of. suchmachines the cradle'and with the, other end of the. flexible the axialdengthofi'the spo'ol rotatably supported tube being free for approximately. 9.0? of the in"thei cradle means is: a factorinsdetermining cradle soas toimparttheaforementioned spring the: diameter of therotormeans; Thus; in known tension action. in the unwinding of. therwire from machineshaving'arotorfmeans of'small-diameter, the spoolin the cradle. I wireh'ol'ding capacity of: the; spool isrlimited due A further advantage of; the aforementioned to thesh'ort axialtlengtrrof theispool. Increasing cradles as. will presently. appear, is that. they of the axial'lengthof'thee spoolto' increasethe maybe readily. adaptedito either horizontalor capacity thereof results: in unfavorable i'ncreasvertical types: oft stranding machines. 4 ing" of the diameter of the: rotor means which, The above and other objects features? and at high speeds; creates'an undesirable centrifugal advantages vof my invention will appear fromthe force problem; I following-detailed description of certain preferred Fhave conceivedthatttheaforementionedand embodimentsofmyinvention. other disadvantages may be overcome and. it Now in order. toacquaint those skilled. in. the is an object of my invention: to do so by-providart with-the-mannerof;constructingand utilizing ing' a cradle means" in which? a spool may be stranding? machines andspool. cradles. .in. acrm'ountedf so'that its axis of rotation extends. in cordance with the principlesofcmy present. inthe same directionas that of the cradleand vention; I. shall. describe in.v connection. with preferably coaxial therewith. the. accompanying. drawings certain. preferred It" will be readily" apparent that when mountembodiments ofmy invention: 5 a ing' a spool in a cradle. as? above related? that In the-drawings: a the axial' length of? the spool doesnot" become Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of one. form a factor in determining the diameter of the of' acradle means for azstranding machine rotormeanst. constructed in. accordancewith. the. principles A: preferred feature: of my: invention resides in of' my invention; T providing a cradle means having. a substantially Figure 2 is: adetail vertical sectional view hollow semi-cylindrical: body defined: by athin of the dancer guide .of the cradle, of. Figure shell and'end walls; andzin which the bodypor. 1, with thev-iew being taken-substantially along tion of theicradleisonly'of slightly largerdiame the line 2--2 ofthelatter view,. looking, in. the ter: than the; spool diameter which.' enables con- 40 direction indicatedby the arrows; I structiorr or stranding, machines: with rotors of Figure 3 is a side. elevational view, largely m mum e diagrammatic,- ofa standing. machine. of the A: further preferred feature isto provide a horizontality-pe, embodyingthecradlemeansof CIEdIGTGJSIabOVG notediha-ving meansrfor. guiding :Figure 1; 1 wire withdrawnrfrom -az spool mounted therein 4-5- Figure 4 is a. detail vertical sectional. view u st y 'p taken along line: 4-4, looking- ,inthe direction A further: preferredfeature resides in providing indicated by the arrows, and showingthemanner arad1 ;'as=..1ast referred to; aving means for of journalling an endv of the cradle. in.-the.rotor; imparting a tensionihg. action to the" wire as it Figure Elsa perspective view of. another form of is'unwound from:the spool nt c adle: cradle meansconstruetedv inaccordance with my A further preferred featurelof onerembodiment present invention and. which may be susbtituted of myinventioni hereinafter: disclosed; is toprofor the cradle means ofxFigureltin the horizontal ride a-cradle as aforesaid in which the means stranding machine of Figure. 3

fo -guiding the Wirein'its helica-l' path comprises Figures is avperspective view of another 'form aseries of wire guide eyelets. or? the like; dis.- of cradlemeansofmy invention following. in large wire vertical strander in which the cradle means of Figure 6 is mounted in the lower rotor, and in which the cradle means of Figure"? is mounted in the upper rotor of the machine.

Referring now particularl drawings, I have shown one form of cradle means, indicated generally at 5, constructed in accordance with my invention. The cradle comprises to Figure 1 of the end walls 6 and I which are joined by a thin semi-..

cylindrical wall 8 defining the body of the cradle. The end walls 6 and 1 are formed with end blocklike portions (0 and [2, respectively. A cradle supporting shaft I3 is carried by the end block portion l0 and extends axially of the semi-cylindrical body portion 8. A hollow cradle supporting shaft I4 is carried by the block-like portion [2 and extends outwardly of end wall I, axially of the semi-cylindrical body portion 8 and in axial alignment with shaft l3. The shafts l3 and I4 are formed with annular grooves I5 and I6 which receive hollow cylindrical rubber bushings l1 and l 6, which provide for absorbing shock, and reducing vibration of the cradle when mounted in a stranding machine, as will later appear from the description of the manner in which the cradle is supported in a stranding machine.

, The end block portions l0 and [2 are, as shown in Figure 1, formed with suitable openings or recesses 26 and 22 respectively, to provide for the journalling therein of the opposite ends of a spool shaft 23. In order for clarity of illustration, the end flange members for the spool supported by shaft 23 have been deleted from Figure 1 of the drawings, but it will be understood that such end flanges are provided and are adapted to be disposed closely adjacent the inner surfaces of the end walls 6 and I. The spool, of

which the shaft 23 forms a part, is detachably mounted inthe end block-like portions l0 and l 2 by means of releasable hairpin spring clips 25 which. as shown, are formed with linear legs 26 adapted to extend through openings formed in the legs 2'1 of each of the block-like portions l0 and I2. The hairpin spring clips 25 each further include a sepentine leg portion 28 for yieldingly retaining them in mounted position on the cradle, as shown in Figure 1. The spool shaft 23 adjacent each of its opposite ends, is formed with an annular groove 30 through which the straight leg portions 26 of the hairpin spring pins 25 extend to retain the spool in the cradle.

The cradle furtherrcomprises a series of metal .wire guides or eyelets 32 arranged to lie in a substantially helical path in the shell 8 of the cradle so that the wire indicated at 35, carried bythe spool mounted in the cradle, is caused to follow the helical path shown in withdrawing of ,the wire from the spool, outlet path of the wire from the cradle the end .wall I is suitably ported, as indicated at 35', to provided for the passage of the wire therethrough to the guiding wire member 36 of a dancer guide,

At the end of the helical indicated generally at 31. The dancer guide 31 .as best shown in Figure 2, comprises a guide sleeve 33 threaded in the end wall 1 and in which the guide member 36 is mounted for reciprocation.

the passage of wire through the eye of the wire guide member 36. From the dancer guide 31 the wire is guided through the end block-like portion I2 through a suitable passageway 45 formed therein and thence outwardly through the hollow shaft I4.

It will be observed that in the spool cradle above described, a spool of wire is adapted to be supported within the cradle, with the axis of the spool of wire extending coaxially of the axis of the cradle, so that wire is adapted to be withdrawn from the spool in a substantially helical path and through the dancer guide 31 which, as will presently appear, provides for effecting tensioning of the withdrawn wire.

Reference may now be had to Figure 3, in which I have shown a pair of spool cradles of the type described in connection with Figure 1, embodied in a horizontal machine. The machine shown in Figure 3 is largely conventional and comprises a rotor of known construction, indicated generally at 50, which is journalled for rotation at its opposite ends in bearing

assemblies

52 and 53 carried in suitable supporting

frame structures

54 and 55 respectively. An electric motor 56 is provided for driving the stranding machine and it has connection by an endless belt 51 to a drive pulley 58 fast to the end of the shaft 56 of the rotor 50 mounted in the end supporting frame structure 54. Upon energization of the electric motor 56, the rotor 50 is adapted to be rotated about a horizontal axis in its journalled support in the

bearing assemblies

52 and 53. l

The strander illustrated in Figure 3 is a three wire strander and comprises a tail spool, shown diagrammatically at 60, a second spool 6| and a third spool 62, with the spools 6| and 62 each being suitably supported in a cradle 5 of my invention. It will be understood that the showing of a three wire strander is illustrative only, since my invention may be embodied in machines having any desired number of spools. The tail spool 60 may be suitably supported in any appropriate and conventional manner and the wire 63 therefrom is adapted to be drawn through the stranding apparatus to be stranded with the wire 64 from the spool 6 I and the wire 65 from the spool 62. At the end of the shaft of the rotor 50, supported in frame 55, a conventional stranding head, indicated generally at 66, is mounted for laying the wires 63, 64 and 65 over each other, and after which the laid wires pass through a closure die 61 from which the finished strand 68 extends to a bull wheel 63. The bull wheel 69 is driven in any suitable manner and three or four turns of the strand are wound thereabout so as to effect drawing of the several wires 63, 64 and 65 through the stranding apparatus. The finished strand 68 from the bull wheel, is wound on a strand spool in the conventional way.

My invention is concerned primarily with the arrangement of parts in which the spool cradle means 5 is journalled in the rotor 50 and of a spool in the spool cradle means, in view of which the: several structural 'details'relating' tothe support-of the tail spool; thejournallingof the-rotor in the supporting frame structure; the drive mechanismfor the bull wheel and other-elements of the stramding machine: are not illustrated ih detail since these are well known expedient's in the art: I

' The end shafts 13 and I1 of eachof the pair cradles 5 are journalled ball bearing assembl ies supported intraverse frame members lliwhich; in part,- define therotoril: One of these ball bearing assemblies is shown atl l in Figure 4 and it-will be seen that the rubber'bushing' H of the and shaft l3 there shown, is disposed within the inner racemember 12-. It will be understood that the hollow end sliait-l-l ofthe cradle 5 is mounted, likewise, in a bearing assembly so that the rubber bushings- FF and P8 provide a resilient mounting for tliecradlea the shafts I3 and H are journalled in the rotor about an axis extending horizontally of the rotor so that the rotor may be rotated relative to-the cradles 5 which, since their-centers of gravity are disposed below 'theaxis of theshafts' I3" and I are restrained against rotation with the rotor 5G by the force of gravity. The journalled ends of the spool shaf-ts- 2 3 inthe endbl'ock: portions to and I2 permit rotation of the wiresupply spools 6t and 6-2 so that these spools may rotate in withdrawing the wire therefrom:

Thejournall'ed shaftportion 59 of the rotor 21F is formed with a suitable bore through which the:- cradle 5 therefor; through dancer guides-l andihollow'shaft 'l 4-, thenlatera-lly outwardly and through-suitable known guides of the rotorin: a :2

cylindrical. path about. the spool. $2: and; diametrically opposite: wire 63:, 'andi thence laterally inwardly and; through. the end shaft. at the rotor 50'; iournalled in: the bearing assembly- 23. torthe stranding head. The. wire 65' from. the spool: 62

passes outwardly through the hollow shaft.- Mfol the spool cradle therefor, through the adiacent journalled end ofv the shaft of the rotor-'50 and tothe. stranding. head: 35. whereat.- the three: wires are caused to be laid over eachothergas above related.

From the above description. itwill be observed further. that the. three.- wires drawn fromthe spools 60, 61- and' fizfollow'the conventional-.-paths of conventional forms of stranding. machines.- to effect the laying of. the. wires overeach othercto create a three wire-strand Referring now to Figure 5, I have shown a modified form of cradle means indicated genorally at which is the same asthe cradle means 5, except for the omission, of the wire guide eye'- lets 32 and. the dancer guide 31,. and: all. other parts of the cradle 15 which are: the; same as those. of cradle 5; are identified by the same reference numerals as used in describing cradle 5.-

In: lieuof the-wire guideeyelet's; 32: and the; dancer guide 31,.1' propose to provide a. wire. guide and tensioning. means. in. the form ofv a flexible metal tube 126- which, as-' shown, has one end: thereof suitably secured to the block-likeportion 2 in flexible tube 16 isadapted' to move axially to and fro of ends of a spool supported in the cradle andiprovidesfor' applying a spring tension action to -wire withdrawn f'romthe spool which is carried by shaft 23, as previously described. The wire from the spool; after passage through the flexible tube 16, passes out through the hollow shaft M of the cradle. In all other respects", the cradle 1 5' is as described in connection with the cradles of Figure- 1:, and the cradle 15 1's adapted to be iournalled ina rotor in the manner previously describedin connection with the cradle It'will" be readily appreciated therefore, that the-cradle 15 may be substituted for the cradle 5 in the stranding machine of Figure 3 and that the flexible tube 16 serves to function to apply a spring tension action to the withdrawn wire from a spool mounted in the cradle I5.

Referencemay now be had to Figure 8; where- I' have shown my invention embodied in a three wire vertical' 'strander. A three wire verti- 'c'al strand'er of the typeillustra-ted in this figure isshown and described in detail in the application of Robert C. Pierce; Serial No; 107,675, fi led July 30; 1 949, to which reference may be had. The three wire strander' shown in'Figu-re 8? comprises an upper rotor indicated generally at 8Z, and a lower rotor indicated generally at The upper rotor 82 provides for the journalld support of an upper cradle 84', shown in detail in Figure and the lower rotor 83 provides forthe journalled support of a lower cradle &5,. as: shown in detail in Figure 6. The

cradles

84 and 35 are the same as the cradle 5, shown in 'E'i'gure: I, but in addition the cradle 84 is proy'iided with. a permanent magnet 86, and the cradle 85' is provided with a permanent magnet 83E will be observed that the upper cradle 8&1 has the. permanent magnet: Bil-thereof secured to the block-like end. portion. [2 of the cradle,

and; that the lower cradle 85' has the permanent magnet 81; thereof suitably secured to the blocklike end portion Hi. of the. cradle. The substantially square cross section of the end block-like portions III]: and l2 of. the cradles provide for the conyenieni; mounting thereon of the permanent magnets 86? and 81: so. as to form unitary structures. therewith. The purpose. and function of the permanent magnets 86 and" 81' will become apparent from the following description of the general elements making up the vertical strander shown in. Figure 8. It will be understood that the strand'er shown in Figure 8 is largely diagrammatic and only shown in detail insofar as an: understanding. of the application of the eradles oFFigures Sand '7' thereto is necessary.

- im thevertical strander o Figure 8 a drive shaft, indicated at 90'; has upper and lower positi ve'drive pulleys9-2 and 93 secured thereto. The

drive shaft 90' may be drivenby a suitable drive mechanism (not shown) for effecting rotati'on'of the drive pulleys 9'2 and 93. The upper rotor 82 is iournalled in suitable ball bearing assemblies; indicated generally at 98 and 9-1, which may be supported in a forked shaped portion of the main frame structure (not shown) for the machine toprovide for the support of the rotor. Likewise, the lower rotor 83 is also journalled in a pair of

ball bearing assemblies

98 and 99 which similarly may be mounted in a forked shaped portion of the main frame structure. The main frame structure for the support of bearing assemblies for journalling of the upper and-

lower rotors

82 and 83 per se forms no part of my present invention, and in this connection reference may be had to the above referred tov application. A positive drive pulley I is secured to the upper rotor 82 and is disposed between the bearing assemblies 98 and 91. A positive drive belt, indicated at I02 is trained over the pulleys 92 and I00 and provides for the positive rotation of the upper rotor 82 by the pulley -92 and drive shaft 90.

The lower rotor 83 has a positive drive pulley I03 secured thereto and disposed intermediate the

bearing assemblies

98 and 99, and a drive belt I04 having positive drive teeth, is trained over the pulleys 93 and I 03 to provide for positive .driving of the lower rotor 83. As disclosed in the aforementioned application, the

pulleys

92, 93,

-I00 and I03 are provided with teeth of gear construction as are the pulleys I00 and I03 and which, together with the use of identical belts I02 and I04, provide for the synchronous rotation of the upper and

lower rotors

82 and 83.

The vertical strander shown in Figure 8, as previously noted, is a three wire strander and includes a suitable tail spool I01; a spool I08 journalled in lower cradle 85, the shaft I3 of turn, is journalled in a ball bearing assembly in the upper rotor 82. The wire IIO from the tail spool I01 passes through a bore in the lower rotor:83, then laterally outwardly in a cylindrical path to the upper rotor 82, then laterally inwardly and upwardly through the latter to the stranding head, indicated generally at H3, at the upper end of the upper rotor 82. A second wire I II for the strand is drawn from the spool I08 through the wire guide eyelets 32, the dancer guide 31 and the upwardly extending hollow shaft I4 of the lower cradle 85 of the lower rotor 83 and is caused to follow a substantially cylindrical path about the upper spool cradle 84, journalled in the upper rotor 82, and thence to the stranding head. A third wire H2 is drawn from the spool I09, journalled in the upper spool cradle 84 of the upper rotor 82, through the wire guide eyelets 32, dancer guide 31 and thence upwardly through the upwardly extending hollow shaft I4 and an aligned bore in the shaft of the upper rotor 82 to the stranding head. The three wires IIO, III and H2 are caused to be laid over each other in a conventional manner at the stranding head II3, as is well known in the art. As before, a bull wheel I I5, driven in any suitable manner, is adapted to have three or. four turns of strand wound thereon, whereby the bull wheel is adapted to draw the several wires ,I I0, III and II 2 from the spools described.

. The upper cradle 84, as already noted, hasthe hollow; shaft I4 thereof .iournalled' in the upper rotor -82 so that ,the lattermay rotate relative theretop Inorderto prevent rotation of the upper cradle 84, a pair of stationary permanent magnets I20 are supported by the main frame to lie in a plane in horizontal alignment with permanent magnet 86. The magnet 88 and mag- ,nets I20 are arranged with oppositely disposed pole faces and the gaps between the pole faces provide for the passage therebetween of the 'wiresI I0tand III at the upper end of their travel in the above mentioned cylindrical path.

The-lower spool cradle 85, 'as before noted, mounted inthe lowerrotor 83 by journalling of the shaft I3-therein so as to provide for rotation of I the" lower'rotor 83 with respect of the cradle 85. As before, a pair of permanent magnets I22 are provided for cooperation with the permanent magnet 81 carried by cradle 85.

The stranding machine of Figure 8 further preferablycomprises suitable light weight wire guide means which may comprise two pairs of parallekspokes, such as illustrated at I25,'which may-be arranged in diametrically opposed-relation and suitably secured at their opposite ends to the upper and lower rotors to provide for guiding the-wires H0 and III in their aforedescribedcylindrical paths. I

A spider I26, illustrated diagrammatically, connects the intermediate portions of the opposed pair of spokes I25 so as to prevent or restrain bowing outwardly of the spokes at their central portions in order. to retain the wires H0 and III in a substantially true cylindrical path in passing to the stranding head. As before, the

spools I08 and I09 are journalled in the cradles therefor, with their axes extending substantially coaxially of the axis of the-shafts I3 and I4 of 'the upper and lower cradles.

Such featuresas the journalling of a spool at one 'end in a rotor, guide means such asde- 'fin'ed by spokes I25, and other structural aspects of the strander of Figure 8, are not a part of my 'present'invention, and for a further detail description of such parts, reference may be had to the aforementioned application of Robert C. Pierce; It is thought that for purposes of my present invention, the essential elements of a vertical'strander as are necessary to an understanding of my present invention, are herein dis- "clo'sed.

'It will be readily understood that, if desired. the flexible tube 16 of the cradle shown iirFigure 5 may be substituted for the wire guide eyelets 32 and dancer guides 31 of the cradles -'84 and 85.

While I have shown and described what I consider to be certain preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be readily understood that various modifications and rearrangements may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A spool cradle for a stranding machine having a substantially semicylindrical hollow body portion and end walls, and shaft means for journalling said cradle substantially coaxially of the axis of said body portion,"means carried by said end walls for journalling a spool adapted to have a coil of wire thereon in said body portion substantially coaxially thereof, and wire guide means. mounted on the inner periphery of said body portion and lying in a substantially helical path'for-guiding wire withdrawn from said spool .ialong saidpath; i a

2. The spool cradle of claim 1 in which said wire guide means comprises a plurality of guide by the provision oi dancer guide means mounted on the end wall thereof at the outer end 01' the helical path defined by said wire guide means.

5. The spool cradle of claim 1 characterized by the provision of rubber bushing means for said end shaft means to provide for the resilient mounting of the same in a stranding machine or the like.

6. The spool cradle of claim 1 in which said wire guidemeans comprises a. flexible metal tube having a portion thereof lying substantially in said helical path for substantially 90 of said 10 body portion, one end of said flexible tube having connection with an opening formed in the end 01 said cradle means toward which the wire moVeaand the other end of said flexible tube beingfree for travel to and froaxially of the coil of wire on said spool.

LARRY cfF RAzIER.

REFERENCES CITED.

The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS