US2786638A - Automatic strip coiler - Google Patents

Automatic strip coiler Download PDF

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Publication number
US2786638A
US2786638A US197801A US19780150A US2786638A US 2786638 A US2786638 A US 2786638A US 197801 A US197801 A US 197801A US 19780150 A US19780150 A US 19780150A US 2786638 A US2786638 A US 2786638A
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strip
shaft
cam
reel
winding
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US197801A
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Thomas J Fullerton
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Acme Steel Co
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Acme Steel Co
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    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B21MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
    • B21CMANUFACTURE OF METAL SHEETS, WIRE, RODS, TUBES OR PROFILES, OTHERWISE THAN BY ROLLING; AUXILIARY OPERATIONS USED IN CONNECTION WITH METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL
    • B21C47/00Winding-up, coiling or winding-off metal wire, metal band or other flexible metal material characterised by features relevant to metal processing only
    • B21C47/02Winding-up or coiling
    • B21C47/04Winding-up or coiling on or in reels or drums, without using a moving guide

Definitions

  • This invention relates to improvements in strip coiling apparatus and its purpose is to provide means for automatically cutting from a continuous source of supply successive lengths of metal strip material and winding them successively on spools in concentric layers.
  • metal strip material it has been the practice heretofore to furnish metal strip material to the trade in the form of coils wound on spools.
  • the metal strips are often comparatively narrow and of relatively fine gauge.
  • the strip material is to be used in forming tacks or staples, for example, it is generally provided with equally spaced notches or indentations which mark the points at which the strip is to be cut into short lengths for use. It is desirable that means be provided for quickly and economically cutting strips into the desired lengths and for winding these lengths onto spools of commercial size and form whereby the strip material may be readily used in the devices by which it is consumed.
  • One object of the present invention is to provide a method and means for feeding metal strip material from a source of supply, winding the material on a spool, cutting it ofi when a predetermined length has been wound, and repeating these operations with successive lengths of material in a continuous process.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide means for imparting an initial longitudinal curl to the advancing end of a moving metal strip to cause it to conform to the hub portion of a spool on which it is to be wound.
  • a further object of the invention is to provide, means for imparting an initial longitudinal curl to the. advancing end of a moving metal strip to cause it to conform to the curvature of the hub portion of a spool on which it is to be wound and then to increase the curvature of the following portions of the strip to cause these portions to grip the spool and the underlying portions of. the wound strip.
  • successive layers tightly embrace those which precede them in the winding operation and a close winding is effected which is self-sustaining without any external binding means.
  • Still another object of the invention is to provide a coil winding machine which automatically cuts oil the metal strip material being Wound and starts the winding of a new coil the instant a predetermined amount of strip material has been wound on the preceding coil.
  • a related object is to measure the amount of material wound in a coil before it is cut off and to start then the winding of the next coil, whereby equal lengths of material may be wound in successive coils.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide coil winding apparatus comprising means for automatically shifting the spools axially as the material is being wound, whereby the material is coiled in evenly wound layers.
  • a further object is to provide a machine comprising a plurality of reels for holding spools on which successive coils may be formed, in combination with means for insuring that the winding starts in the same position on successive spools.
  • Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the improved coiling apparatus
  • Fig. 2 shows a top plan view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1;
  • Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a spool of metal strip material, notched along its edges and wound according to the present invention
  • Fig. 4 shows an enlarged partial side elevation of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1, with parts removed, showing the means for feeding and curling the strip and the winding means;
  • Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4;-
  • Fig. 6 shows an enlarged side elevation of the strip shearing device illustrated in Fig. 1, with the parts in their normal inactive positions;
  • Fig. 7 shows an end elevation of the sharing device, looking toward the right as viewed in Fig. 6;
  • Fig. 8 is a view similar to that of Fig. 6, showing the relative positions of the parts after they have been actuated to shear the metal strip;
  • Fig. 9 is a partial elevation similar to those of Figs. 6 and 8, showing, by full lines, the relative positions of the parts immediately after the shearing operation with the shearing blade retracted, and, by dotted lines, their relative positions during the return of the shearing blade supporting arm to its normal position;
  • Fig. 10 shows a vertical section on the line Ill-10 of Fig. 4;
  • Fig. 11 shows a vertical section taken on the line 1111 of Fig. 10;
  • Fig. 12 shows a sectional view taken on the line 12-42 of Fig. 10;
  • Fig. l3 shows a partial vertical axial section through the right hand portion of the apparatus as viewed in Fig. 14 is a section taken on the line 14-14 of Fig 13, showing the Geneva cam by which the indexing of the reels is eifected, with the actuating roller and cam slots illustrated by full and dotted lines in two difierent positions;
  • Fig. 15 is a view similar to that of Fig. 14 showing the movement of the actuating roller from one position to another without rotating the cam;
  • Fig. 16 shows a vertical section taken on the line 1616 of Fig. 13;
  • Fig. 17 shows a top plan view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 16;
  • Fig. 18 is a vertical section taken on the line 1518 of Fig. 17;
  • Fig. l9 is a vertical section taken on the line 1l9 of Fig. 17 and Fig. 20 is a circuit diagram of the electrical connections of the parts by which the sequence of the operations performed by the apparatus shown in Fig. l are automatically efiected and controlled.
  • the invention is embodied in a machine having a frame 25 adapted to rest upon a suitable support and arranged to carry all of the parts of the apparatus as a unit.
  • a counting device 26 through which the metal strip 27 passes as it is drawn to the machine from a source of supply, such as a large coil of strip material.
  • This strip material is usually in the form of narrow flat metal of relatively thin gauge and it is preferably provided with notches 27a spaced at equal intervals along one of its edges, as shown in Fig.
  • This spool is formed of sheet metal or cardboard and comprises a hub portion 234: having two outwardly extending parallel annular flanges 23b along its edges which form a channel between which the metal strip is wound in a succession of annular layers each made up of a plurality of annular convolutions of equal diameter which have an edgewise relationship to each other.
  • the counting device 26 measures the length of strip to be wound on each spool and initiates the automatic operations by which the strip is severed when a predetermined length has been wound on one spool and the Winding of another spool is started.
  • the metal strip 27 After passing through the counting device 26, the metal strip 27 passes through a roller leveler or straightener 29 which levels out the kinks or bends in the strip as it travels forwardly in the machine.
  • the strip then passes through the feeding unit 39 by which the strip is drawn from the source of supply through the counting device 26 and the straightener 29 and then fed to the curling unit 31 by which an endwise or longitudinal curl is imparted to the end of the strip before it reaches the spool on which it is to be wound.
  • the strip Upon emerging from the curling unit 31, the strip passes through a shearing device 32 and then the upwardly curled portion extends partially in a reverse direction, while still being advanced by the feeding unit 30, and into operative engagement with a spool 28 mounted on one of three Winding reels 33 which rotate in the direction of the arrows 34- and wind the strip material into the form of the coils shown in Fig. 3.
  • These reels are carried by a horizontal shaft 35 which is journaled in suitable bearings carried by a frame structure within the housing 36.
  • This housing is U-shaped in vertical cross section and is closed at its top by a removable cover plate 37.
  • the forward end wall of the housing is provided with a circular opening 36a concentric with the shaft 35 and this opening is closed by a circular plate 38 mounted to rotate with the shaft.
  • the reels 33 are fixed on reel shafts 40 which extend through the plate 38 and are journaled in bearings carried by the shaft 35 within the housing.
  • the reel shafts 40 are spaced 120 apart on a common circle concentric with the shaft 35 which is capable of being rotated in the direction of the arrow 41 for the purpose of moving the reels 33 and their spools 28 successively to the winding position, which is the lower reel position shown in Fig. l.
  • the counting device 26 initiates the indexing movement of the shaft 35 and the reels 33 and, as a preliminary to the indexing movement, causes the actuation of the shearing device 32 to cut off the metal strip 27 without arresting the advance of the metal strip under the influence of the feeding device 50.
  • the shaft 35 rotates through 120 to move the wound spool and its reel to the upper left position shown in Fig. 1 and to move an empty spool from the upper right-hand position shown in Fig.
  • the reel shafts 40 are automatically reciprocated endwise during the winding operation and, to secure uniformity, means are provided for insuring that the winding operations always begin at the same position on the hubs of the spools.
  • Figs. 1 and 2 As comprising a pair of freely rotating mated rolls including a male roll 45 having an annular rib 4501 which enters the annular groove 46a in the female roll 46.
  • the strip 27 passes through the groove 46;: and the rib 45a bears on the strip and holds it in frictional engagement with the roll 46.
  • the side wall of the groove 46a is provided with an annular series of equally spaced projections 46!) which engage the notches so that the groove 46a of the roll as which is otfset forwardly from the roll 45.
  • the block 47 may be tilted upwardly by a handle 51 to raise the roll 45 from the strip.
  • the shaft of the roll 46 has fixed thereon a gear 52 which meshes with a gear 53 fixed on a shaft 54 of a gear reducer 55.
  • This gear reducer cuts down the speed of rotation and its delivery shaft 6, operating at the reduced speed, has fixed thereon a cam 57 in the form of a circular disk having a radial projection 57a adapted to operate the plunger 53a of an electric switch 58 which is connected in the control circuit hereinafter described.
  • the cam 57 closes the switch 58 and causes the series of operations above referred to, and hereinafter more fully described, which take place when a predetermined length of metal strip has been wound on 'a spool in the winding position.
  • the metal strip is drawn through the straightener 2%, which is of well known form, comprising a lower series of rolls 6t journaled in a stationary block as. and an upper series of rolls 62 which are journaled in an upper block 63 occupying normally a fixed position with respect to the block 61.
  • the rolls 69 are offset with respect to the rolls 62 and the peripheral portions of the rolls of the two series intermesh so that the strip 27 passing between the rolls of the two series is compelled to follow a zigzag path, preferably of gradually decreasing amplitude, thereby removing the kinks or irregularities from the Sill
  • the upper block 63 is normally held in operative position with respect to the block 51 by two earns 65. When these cams are released by operating the handles 66 the block 63 and its rollers 52 are elevated by the spring 5'7 to inoperative positions which permit the metal strip 27 to pass freely through the straightener.
  • the metal strip 27 is drawn through the counting device 26 and the straightener 29 by the feeding device 30 which is shown particularly in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 where it is shown as comprising a lower roll 7% having annular end flanges 78a adapted to receive between them the upper feed roll 71.
  • the upper feed roll is mounted upon a shaft 72 carried by a block 73 which is pivoted at 74 in the frame structure 75.
  • the block '73 is provided between the pivot 74 and the roll '71 with an aperture engaged by a stud 76 which threadedly engages a threaded member 77 mounted in a recess in the frame structure "75.
  • a coil spring 78 is mounted on the stud '76 between a washer '79 and the bottom of a recess 73a which is formed in the block so that the spring tends normally to mantain the roll 71 in contact with the metal strip passing over the roll 76).
  • the block 73 is provided with an upstanding arm 73:; having a pivotal connection at 80 with an operating lever 21.
  • This lever has an enlarged head at its lower end provided with a flat face 81a and when the lever is rotated about its pivot to cause the face 81a to engage the wall 75a formed on the frame structure, the spring 78 is compressed and the roller 71 is sufficiently elevated from the roll 70 to arrest the feeding of the strip 27.
  • the lower roll 70 is positively driven, in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, by a sprocket gear 83 which is fixed on the rear end of the shaft 84 on which the roller 70 is fixed, and this sprocket gear '83 meshes with a sprocket chain 85 which is also passed around a sprocket gear 86 on the shaft of an electric motor 87.
  • This motor is connected in an electric circuit as hereinafter described and, when the machine is in use, the lower feed roll 70 is continuously driven thereby.
  • the metal strip 27 passes from the feed rolls 70 and 71 through a guideway 89 which is formed in a frame structure 90 and, as the strip emerges from this guideway, it engages the curling device 31 by which the end of the strip is curled upwardly toward the spool 28 which is in winding position.
  • This curling device is illustrated particularly in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, and it comprises two small rollers 91 and 92 which are rotatably mounted in the frame structure 90 with their adjacent peripheral portions lying in substantial alignment with the guideway 89 and with the upper roller 92 displaced farther from the guideway 89 than the roller 91.
  • a bracket 96 is secured to the underside of the free end of the arm 94 by studs 17 and this bracket and the underside of the arm are notched to form a rectangular opening 98 in which there is mounted a cam 99.
  • This cam is eccentrically located on an operating shaft 100 which is journaled in the side walls 340 of the arm 94, as shown in Fig. 5, and which has a worm wheel 101 fixed on the projecting end thereof within a small housing 102 which is carried by the frame 96.
  • the worm wheel 1111 meshes with a worm 103 fixed on an operating shaft 104 having an operating handle 105.
  • the cam 99 may be rotated to raise or lower the roller 93 and thus vary the position of the top portion of the periphery of this roller with respect to the strip passing bet-ween the rolls 91 and 92 so that the strip is caused to curl upwardly as shown in Figs. 1, 6 and 8, with its free end directed toward the spool 28 on the reel 33 which is in winding position.
  • the strip may be curled to conform to the curvature of the outer surface of the hub 28a of the spool so that, at the beginning of the winding operation on a particular spool, the strip automatically conforms to the curvature of the hub and the winding of the strip on the spool immediately proceeds without the necessity of any adjustment on the part of the operator.
  • the strip passes through an aperture 1070 in a guide member 167 which is mounted on the lower laterally turned extremity of a shearing arm N18.
  • the guide member 1ti7 and the extremity of the supporting arm 108 form a guideway for a reciprocating shearing bar 109 which carries at its upper end the shearing blade 110 having a beveled cutting edge which is adapted to cooperate with the edges of the aperture 107a to shear the metal strip 27 when the shearing bar 1139 is forced upwardly in its guideway.
  • the shearing bar 109 is provided with a pair of cars 169a between which there is pivotally mounted an arm 11 1 by means of a pin 1:12.
  • the pin 112 projects beyond the ears 1il9a and its extremities are connected by two springs 113 to the transversely turned extremities 114a of two arms 11.4 which are secured to the sides of the lower extremity of the supporting arm 108, as shown particularly in Fig. 7.
  • These coil springs thus tend to retract the shearing bar 109 so that the blade 110 is out of registry with the aperture 107d and, when thus retracted, the shearing bar and the arm 111 are limited in their movement by a roller 115 which is mounted between e a-rs 111a formed on the member 111.
  • This roller coacts with the surface 116:: of a cam 116 which is secured to the frame structure 25 by a plate ⁇ 117.
  • the actuation of the shearing bar 109 and the coaction of the roller 115 with the cam surface 116a are brought about by the angular movement of the supporting arm 108 which is secured by a pin 119 upon a shaft 120, which is journaled in the upper end of a frame 121 secured to the frame structure 25, as illustrated particularly in Fig. 6.
  • the other end of the shaft is connected by a pin 122 with a crank arm 123 which projects toward the right as viewed in Fig. 1 with its free end pivotally connected at 124 to a link 125.
  • This link extends downwardly and is pivoted at 126 to the movable core 127 of a solenoid 128 which is mounted in a frame 129 carried by the frame 25.
  • the crank arm 123 is normally held in the upper position shown in Fig. 6 through connections comprising a yoke 130 pivoted at 131 on an intermediate part of the arm 123 and having adjustably secured therein by means of nuts 132 a depending rod 133 on which is mounted a coil spring 134.
  • the upper end of the coil spring 134 engages the lowermost nut 132 and the lower end of the spring engages an angle bar 135 secured to the frame 121 so that the spring tends normally to move the crank arm 123 upwardly.
  • the extent of this upward movement of the crank arm is limited by another angle bar 137 which is secured to the frame 121 and which is apertured for engagement by the lower threaded extremity of the rod 133.
  • This threaded extremity is engaged by a washer 138 and by a pair of nuts 139 which may be adjusted on the rod 133 to limit the extent to which the rod may move upwardly under the influence of the coil spring 134.
  • the solenoid 128 is energized, as hereinafter described, the link 125 pulls the crank arm 123 downwardly and the extent of this downward movement is limited by a pair of nuts 140 which are adjustably mounted upon the rod 133 between the two angle bars 135 and 137.
  • the lower nut engages a washer 141 seated on the lower angle bar 137 the downward movement of the crank arm 123 is arrested and this determines the limit of the swinging movement of the arm 198 toward the left I as viewed in Figs. 6, 8 and 9.
  • the solenoid 128 When a predetermined length of metal strip 27 has been wound on a spool 28 in the lower winding position shown in Fig. 1, the solenoid 128 is automatically energized, as hereinafter more fully described, and this causes the crank arm 123 to move downwardly and thereby swing the arm 108 toward the left from its normal position shown in Fig. 6. As this action takes place, the roller 115 coacts with the cam surface 116a and causes an upward sliding movement of the shearing bar 1&9 with respect to the guideway carried by the arm 108 so that the shearing blade is pushed across the aperture 1137a and shears the metal strip 27 as shown in Fig. 8.
  • the roller 115 When this shearing operation is completed, the roller 115 will occupy a position at the upper end of the cam surface 116a, as shown in Fig. 8, and the arm 11! will lie substantially in alignment with the shearing bar 1119.
  • the solenoid 128 is automatically deenergized, with the result that the spring 134 then moves the crank arm 123 upwardly to effect a reverse swinging movement of the shearing arm 108 toward the right as viewed in Fig. 8.
  • the roller 115 rides over the extremity of the cam surface 116a and onto the upper flat horizontal surface 116b of this cam, as shown in Fig.
  • the arm 111 again automatically assumes a position substantially in alignment with the shearing bar Hi9 and the shearing blade 110 occupies a position in proximity to the aperture 107a in readiness for the next regular shearing operation after the winding of another spool has been completed.
  • the return of the arm 111 to this initial position in substantial alignment with the shearing bar 169 is facilitated by the action of a spring 142 mounted about the pivot pin 112 and engaging the outer side of the arm 111, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.
  • a guide finger 143 is pivotally mounted on the shearing bar 103 and provided with a groove 143a which is adapted to be engaged by the curved portion of the strip.
  • a spring 144 holds the finger 143 normally in its operative position.
  • the parts are so arranged and proportioned that the actuation of the shearing arm 108 and of the shearing blade 110 while these parts move at substantially the same speed as the strip 27 so that the shearing operation does not interfere with the feeding of the metal strip.
  • the shearing operation is completed and the blade 11d retracted from the opening 167a, the movement of the metal strip continues through the aperture 107a and the free end of the strip is curled upwardly by the action of the rollers 91, 92 and 93.
  • These rollers are preferably so arranged and adjusted that the curvature of the e ⁇ :- tremity 27a of the strip, as shown in Fig.
  • the shearing arm 108 is then retracted as previously described so that the curvature of the strip then more nearly assumes that shown at 27a in Fig. 6, which is a greater degree of curvature than that of the hub of the spool or of the succeeding convolutions which are to be wound thereon, thus bringing about the tight gripping effect of the convolutions on each other which has heretofore been mentioned.
  • the reels 33 which are mounted on the equally spaced shaft 40, are formed to have a detachable engagements with the spools 28 so that when a spool has been filled with a coil of strip material, the filled spool may be readily removed and replaced by an empty one.
  • each reel comprises a cylindrical drum 33a attached to a radial disk 33b having a hub portion 330 which is keyed on the end of a shaft 4t and held in place by a nut 40a, as shown in Fig. 10.
  • Each drum is slotted at three equally spaced points to receive a leaf spring 33:] attached to the disk of that reel and projecting through the slots to rip the hub of a spool 23 and detachably hold it in place during a winding operation.
  • the shafts 4d and the reels 33 mounted thereon are supponed and rotated bodily by the shaft 35 which extends through the end plate 38 and is journaled in bushings fixed in a bearing sleeve M5 within the housing 36.
  • T he sleeve is secured in transverse frame members i s-t5 shown in Figs. 2 and l0.
  • the shaft has secured thereon by a pin 147 a Geneva cam 1.4% which is actuated, each time that the winding of a spool is completed, to rotate the shaft one-third of a revolution.
  • the reel carrying shafts 46 are supported by two spiders 15d and 151 mounted on the shaft 35' and having lite form illustrated particularly in Figs. i0 and 12.
  • Each spider comprises a hub 152, secured on the shaft 55 by a pin 153, and a pair of plates 54 secured to the hubs by bolts 1 5 and having radiating arms 154a which are arranged in registering pairs in each spider.
  • Each pair of arms 154a of the spider 15% is apertures. near their outer ends to receive a shouldered spacing sleeve 156 and each pair of arms of the other spider 151 is similarly apertured to receive a shouldered spacing sleeve 157.
  • each shaft id is journaled in a bushing use mounted in a sleeve 156 at the outer end of an arm of the spider 15d and it is also journaled in another bushing 161 mounted in a sleeve 157 of the other spider 151.
  • the reel shafts as are thus mounted for rotation in the spiders and are rotatable bodily with the spiders about the axis of the shaft 35.
  • the spacing sleeves 157 extend rearwardly beyond the arms of the spider 151 and these projecting portions have rotatably mounted thereon three planetary gears 163 which mesh with a central driving gear 164 fixed on the end of a hollow shaft 16:5 ournaled on the bearing sleeve by means of bushings a.
  • the gears 163 and the shaft 165 which forms the hub of the gear 164, are secured against endwise movement by suitable shoulders and retaining rings and the shaft 1%5 is driven by a large gear 166 secured to the rear end thereof.
  • the gear 166 is driven by a pinion 157 fixed on the end of a shaft 170 which is journaled in two ball bearing units 171.
  • the motor ltil is thus connected to drive the planetary gears 163 which revolve about the sleeves 2 .57 mounted in the spider 15 and this rotary motion of the gears 163 is imparted to the reel shafts 49 by pins 184 projecting laterally from the gears and adapted to actuate friction clutches 1&5 mounted on the shafts (see Figs. 10 and 12).
  • Each friction clutch is up of a plurality of plates one or more of which is secured on a shaft 4%), while one relatively rotatable plate is provided with a projecting arm 187 adapted to be engaged by a pin 18-4.
  • the shafts 40 are also reciprocated endwise as the winding proceeds in order to cause the metal strip to be wound in superimposed annular layers.
  • This endwise motion is effected by three cams 190 each of which is rotatably mounted on, but held against endwise movement with respect to, one of the shafts 40.
  • Each cam 190 has an irregular annular groove 190a in its periphery engaged by a pin 191 mounted at the end of a bar 192 secured to an arm of the spider 151 and projecting laterally therefrom so that, as the cam rotates, it causes the shaft 40 to reciprocate endwise and thereby effect a corresponding movement of the reel mounted on the shaft.
  • each shaft has fixed thereon a pinion 195 which drives a gear train connected with the associated cam.
  • Each pinion 195 meshes with a gear 196 which is secured on a countershaft 197 on which there is also fixed a pinion 198.
  • the countershafts 197 are journaled in bushings 193 which are mounted in spacing sleeves 194 fixed in the arms of the spiders 150 and 151.
  • Each pinion 198 meshes with a gear 199 which is secured to the end of the cam 190, as shown in Fig. 10, thus causing the cam to be rotated at reduced speed on the shaft 40.
  • each reel 33 and its spool 28 are oscillated endwise during their rotation through a distance approximately equal to the width of a layer of strip material, as indicated by full and dotted lines in Fig. 10, so that the metal strip 27 is wound on the spool in successive concentric layers to produce a product such as that disclosed in the United States Letters Patent of John Ekern Ott, No. 2,265,246, dated December 9, 1941.
  • each shaft 40 is provided on its reduced inner extremity with a relatively fixed radially extending crank arm 205, shown in Figs.
  • This stop member 207 has an outwardly extending wedge-shaped flange 207a which is so positioned that when a shaft 40 reaches the upper right-hand position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 11, the rotating crank arm 205 will move to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig; 11 and the pin 206 will engage the projecting wedge-shaped flange 207a of the stop member, thus arresting the rotation of the connected shaft 40.
  • the means for actuating the Geneva cam 148 and controlling the actuation thereof are :shown particularly in Figs. 2, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19.
  • the cam 148 is provided on its end face with a Y-shaped groove comprising three radiating arms 148a, 148b, and 148a which are engaged by a roller 210 mounted on a pin 211 fixed in the end of a crank arm 212.
  • This crank arm is secured upon a shaft 213 which is journaled in bushings 214 secured in the previously described transverse frame members 177.
  • the shaft 213 is adapted to be rotated by a gear 215 which meshes with the previously de-.
  • the gear 215 is thus continuously driven by the motor 181 when the machine is in operation and a driving connection is adapted to be established between the gear 215 and the shaft 213, at proper times, by means of a one revolution clutch 216 which may be of the type disclosed in the United States Letters Patent of Richard G. Dickens, No. 2,140,737, dated December 20, 1938.
  • the gear 215 is attached to a rotary part of this clutch and when the driving connection is established, the shaft 213 rotates the crank arm 212 with the result that the roller 210 moves the Geneva cam 148 and the shaft 35 through one-third of a revolution.
  • roller 210 The action of the roller 210 in rotating the Geneva cam is best illustrated inFigs. 14 and 15.
  • Fig. 15 the roller 210 is shown in its normal position adjacent the upper end of one of the arms of the cam groove which, in this instance, is the arm 148a.
  • the clutch 216 is automatically actuated, as hereinafter described, when a spool 28 has been fully wound with strip material in the winding position, the shaft 213 starts to rotate and the roller 210 is moved from the full line position shown in Fig. 15 through the central opening of the cam groove to the position which is illustrated by dotted lines at 210a in Fig. 15.
  • This dwell period is utilized for the purpose of permitting the shearing device 32 to be actuated during this interval to sever the metal strip and to permit a new end portion of the strip to be curled upwardly toward the windmg position.
  • the continued rotation of the shaft 213 causes the roller 210 to travel outwardly in the arm 1480 of the cam grove through successive positions, two of which are illustrated in Fig. 14.
  • the roller 210 In the first position, shown by dotted lines 21%, the roller 210 has effected a substantial degree of rotation of the cam 148 and at the position shown by full lines in Fig. 14, the roller has effected a rotation of the cam through substantially one-sixth of a revolutron.
  • the path of the roller 210 is indicated by the dotted lines 218 in Figs. 14 and 15 and, as the rotation of the roller continues, the angular movement of the cam 148 also continues until the roller is again restored to the position shown by full lines in Fig.
  • the shaft 213 has keyed thereon a clutch cam 218 which forms a part of the single revolution clutch 216 and this shaft also has keyed thereon a brake earn 219 and a brake drum 22%.
  • the brake drum and the shaft 213 are normally held against rotation by the brake cam lever 221, shown particularly in Figs. l6, l7 and 18, which is mounted upon a shaft 222 journaled in frame members 223.
  • the lever 221 has an upturned extremity 221a which is adapted to engage a notch 219a in the brake cam.
  • A'bracket 224 is pivoted at 225 along an inte mediate part of the lever 221 and a rod 226 attached to this link extends downwardly through an aperture 227a formed in a horizontal frame member 227.
  • a coil spring 228 is mounted between the link 224 and the frame member 227 on the rod 226 and serves normally to push the lever 221 upwardly to cause its extremity 22111 to engage the cam 219.
  • the brake drum 224 ⁇ is provided with a brake band 239 having a lining 230a, of leather or the like.
  • One end of this band is connected to a pin 231 mounted in the frame structure and the other end of the band is adjustably connected, as shown at 232, to the free end of a crank arm 233 fixed on the shaft 222.
  • the brake band 236 is released from the brake drum 220 and this condition exists when the extremity 221a of the lever is out of engagement with the notch 219a.
  • the clutch cam 218, which controls the operation of the single revolution clutch 216, is provided with a spiral cam surface 218a terminating in a radial shoulder 21312 which is normally engaged by the extremity of a trip lever 234 which is also fixed upon the shaft 222.
  • a bracket 236a is pivotally connected by a pin 235 to an intermediate part of the lever 234 and the bracket is connected to a rod 236 arranged to extend downwardly through another aperture 227k in the frame member 227.
  • the rod 236 has mounted thereon a coil spring 237 which extends between the bracket 236a and the frame member 227 so that it forces the lever 234 upwardly to cause its free extremity to engage the peripheral surface of the earn 218.
  • the lower end of the rod 236 is connected to the plunger 238 of a solenoid 239 by means of a pivot pin 240 and, when this solenoid is energized, the trip lever 234 is pulled downwardly out of engagement with the shoulder 21% and the cam 218 is thereby permitted to cause the actuation of the clutch 216 with the result that the shaft 213 is rotated through one revolution.
  • the downward movement of the lever 234 causes its projecting pivot pin 235 to engage the upper side of the trip lever 221, as shown in Fig. 17, and thereby move the lever 221 downwardly out of engagement with the notch 219:: of the brake cam 219.
  • the crank arm 233 moves downwardly to release the brake band 236 from the brake drum 229 which is then free to rotate.
  • the tip of the lever 23-4 again engages the shoulder 21% of the cam 21% and the tip of the lever 221 again engagem the notch 219a of the brake cam 219 while, at the same time, the crank arm 233 moves upwardly to tighten the brake band 236 on the brake drum 220.
  • This action of the brake band 230 is employed primarily to arrest the rotation of the shaft 213 without causing undue impact of the end of the lever 234 upon the shoulder 2181) of the clutch cam.
  • the shaft 213 has secured to the free end thereof, as shown particularly in Figs. 13 and 17, a switch cam 245 having a single radial projection 245a on the periphery thereof which is adapted to engage the operating member 246a of an electric switch 246 connected in the operating circuit for the purpose of initiating the actuation of the shearing device 32 upon the initial angular movement of the shaft 213 with a movement of the roller 21d in the groove of the Geneva cam 148 from the position shown by full lines to the positon shown by dotted lines in Fig. 15.
  • the electrical system which controls the automatic operation of the apparatus heretofore described is shown particularly in Fig. 20. It comprises a pair of line conductors 250 which are connected by a double pole switch 251 with the two supply conductors 252 between which a number of operating circuits are connected in parallel.
  • the reel drive motor 181 is connected between the conductors 252 in series with a two-arm control switch 253.
  • the motor 87 by which the feeding device 30 is driven is connected between the line conductors 252 through another two-arm controlling switch 254.
  • the actuating switch 246 for the shear actuating mechanism 32, which is controlled by the cam 245, is connected in series with a relay solenoid 255, thus forming another circuit in parallel with those previously described.
  • the solenoid 128 by which the shearing mechanism is operated is connected between the supply conductors 252 in series with a relay switch 256 which is closed when the solenoid 255 is energized.
  • the switch 243 which is actuated by the plunger of the solenoid 239 which controls the clutch cam 213 is connected to one supply conductor 252 and is in series with a relay solenoid 257 and with the contacts 258 and 259 of the switch 58 controlled by the counter cam 57.
  • the reel clutch solenoid 239 is connected between the supply conductors in series with a relay switch 260 which is operated when the solenoid 257 is energized and in series with the contacts 261 and 262 of the switch 58.
  • an empty spool 28 is first placed upon each of the reels 33 and the metal strip leading from a source of supply is threaded through the counting device 26, the straightener 29, the feeding unit 30, the curling unit 31 and the shearing device 32 and the leading end of the strip is then wrapped partially around the spool which is in the winding position. Somewhat more than onehalf a wrap around the hub of the spool is sufficient at starting.
  • the double pole switch 251 is then closed and also the switches 253 and 254 to start the reel drive motor 131 and the feed roll motor 87, thereby starting the winding of the strip around the spool on the lower reel 33.
  • the relay solenoid 257 When the switch 251 is closed, the relay solenoid 257 is energized so that the relay switches 26%? and 263 are then both closed. The winding continues until the measured length of metal strip 27, determined by the counting device 26, has been wound whereupon the cam 57 disconnects the contacts 258 and 259 but the switch 263 keeps the relay solenoid 257 energized. When the contacts 258 and 259 are disconnected, the contacts 261 and 262 are connected, thereby energizing the solenoid 239 through the relay switch 260.
  • T his energizes the solenoid 128 and operates the shearing device, in the manner heretofore described, to cut the strip 27.
  • This cutting operation is practically instantaneous and the metal strip then continues its movement under the influence of the feed roll with the free end of the strip being curled upwardly toward the winding position.
  • the roller 210 has started the rotation of the Geneva cam 148 with a resulting rotation of the shaft 35 so that a new reel 33 carrying an empty spool 23 is then moved to the winding position.
  • the raised portion 245:: of the shear actuating cam is sufiiciently long to keep the shearing arm in its extended position, as shown in Fig.
  • the clutch solenoid 239 is promptly deenergized, after it has caused the actuation of the clutch 216, because of the mechanical actuation of the switch 243 by the pivot pin 240, so that the clutch 216 causes only a single revolution.
  • the solenoid 239 deenergized, the trip lever 234 is restored to a position engaging the cam 218 so that it again engages the shoulder 218b at the end of the single revolution.
  • the switch 243 is opened, the relay solenoid 257 is deenergized and the relay switches 260 and 263 are thereby opened.
  • the opening of the switch 260 deenergizes the clutch solenoid 239 to permit the return of the trip lever 234 to return to engagement with the cam 218.
  • the relay solenoid 257 remains deenergized even though the switch 243 again closes as the plunger of the solenoid 239 rises.
  • the contacts 261 and 262 are disconnected and the contacts 258 and 259 are again connected to energize the solenoid 257 in preparation for the next cycle.
  • the energization of the relay solenoid 257 again closes the switches 260 and 263.
  • the cam 57 may be manually advanced in a forward direction to terminate the winding of a particular spool before its winding has been completed, thereby permitting a new spool to be indexed to the winding position, a feature which may be of advantage when the strip is defective at a particular point.
  • the parts are preferably so proportioned that the peripheral speeds of the spools and of the partially wound strips thereon tend to be slightly greater than the speed of the strip coming from the curling device to the winding position, so that there is always some slippage of the friction clutches 185.
  • the combination in coil winding apparatus of a plurality of winding reels, means for rotating said reels bodily about a common axis to move said reels successively to a winding position, means for feeding a metal strip to a reel in said position, means for rotating each reel about its own axis, and means for curling the metal strip longitudinally to cause it to automatically encircle and be wound by a reel as itapproaches said position, said means causing the curled portion of said strip to have one curvature to conform to the curvature of the reel at the commencement of the winding operation by a reel in said position and a greater curvature at a later stage of said operation.
  • the combination in coil winding apparatus of a winding reel, means for feeding a metal strip endwise to said reel, means for curling the strip longitudinally as it approaches said reel, a shearing device located between said curling means and said reel, means for automatically operating said shearing device to cut said strip when a predetermined length of said strip is wound on said reel, and means for causing said shearing device to cooperate with said curling means to increase the curvature of said strip effected by said curling means when said strip first engages said reel.
  • the combination in coil winding apparatus of a winding reel, means for feeding a metal strip endwise to said reel, means for curling the strip longitudinally as it approaches said'reel, a pivotally mounted shearing bar having a part provided with an aperture through which said metal strip extends after passing said curling means, a shearing blade mounted for reciprocation on said shearing bar, means for swinging said bar away from said curling means when a coil has been formed on said reel, and means including a cam operative during said swinging movement for moving said blade across said aperture to out said strip.
  • the combination in coil winding apparatus of a winding reel, means for feeding a metal strip endwise to said reel, means for curling the strip longitudinally as it approaches said reel, a pivotally mounted shearing bar having a part provided with an aperture through which said metal strip extends after passing said curling means, a shearing blade mounted for reciprocation on said shearing bar, means for swinging said bar away from said curling means when a coil has been formed on said reel, a stationary cam, and an arm pivotally connected to said blade and adapted to be actuated by said cam during said swinging movement of said bar to cause said blade to shear said strip, said arm being mounted for actuation by said cam after the shearing has been eifected for retracting said blade while holding said bar in its extended position.
  • the combination in coil Winding apparatus of a winding reel, means for feeding a metal strip endwise to said reel, means for curling the strip longitudinally as it approaches said reel, a pivotally mounted guide member located adjacent said reel and having means for guiding said strip after it passes said curling means, a shearing blade mounted to reciprocate on said guide member, and means actuated when a predetermined length of strip is wound on said reel for swinging said guide member to cause the reciprocation of said blade to sever said strip and to change the degree of longitudinal curl of said strip.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Winding, Rewinding, Material Storage Devices (AREA)

Description

March 26, 1957 'r. J. FULLERTON AUTOMATIC STRIP COILER 11 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 27, 1950 T. J. FULLERTON AUTOMATIC STRIP COILER March 26, 1957 11 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 27, 1950 March 26, 1957 T. J. FULLERTON AUTOMATIC STRIP COILER ll Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 27, 1950.
INVENTOR. fhomezsffzldsrin,
March 26, 1957 Filed Nov. 27, ,1950
T. J. FULLERTON 2,786,638
AUTOMATIC STRIP coma ll Sheets-Sheet 4 QOQ I W i EEE gas.
1 INVENTOR.
f/wmsff allerizg BY Mam}! 1957 T. J. FULLERTON AUTOMATIC STRIP COILER l1 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 27, 1950 March 26, 1957 T. J. FULLERTON AUTOMATIC STRIP coma ll Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR. f/zamsffzllerir;
Filed Nov. 27, 1950 March 26, 1957 AUTOMATIC STRIP Filed Nov. 27, 1950.
' T. J. FULLERTON COILER ll Sheets-Sheet 7 11 Sheiets-Sheet 9 'r. J. FULLERTON AUTOMATIC STRIP COILER INVENTOR.
f/zomefl ullerfi'ik V BY 2.1%
March 26, 1957 Filed Nov. 27, 1950.
March 26, 1957 T. J. FULLERTON 2,786,638
AUTOMATIC STRIP COILER Filed Nov. 27, 1950. ll Sheets-Sheet 11 1 N IN VEN TOR.
9,17% fwzw w,
r 2,785,638 Patented Mar. 2%, 1%??? AUTOMATIC STRIP COILER Thomas J. Fullerton, Palos Heights, 111., assiguor to Acme Steel Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application November 27, 1950, Serial No. 197,801
12 Claims. (Cl. 242-80) This invention relates to improvements in strip coiling apparatus and its purpose is to provide means for automatically cutting from a continuous source of supply successive lengths of metal strip material and winding them successively on spools in concentric layers. I
It has been the practice heretofore to furnish metal strip material to the trade in the form of coils wound on spools. The metal strips are often comparatively narrow and of relatively fine gauge. In some instances, as when the strip material is to be used in forming tacks or staples, for example, it is generally provided with equally spaced notches or indentations which mark the points at which the strip is to be cut into short lengths for use. It is desirable that means be provided for quickly and economically cutting strips into the desired lengths and for winding these lengths onto spools of commercial size and form whereby the strip material may be readily used in the devices by which it is consumed.
One object of the present invention is to provide a method and means for feeding metal strip material from a source of supply, winding the material on a spool, cutting it ofi when a predetermined length has been wound, and repeating these operations with successive lengths of material in a continuous process.
Another object of the invention is to provide means for imparting an initial longitudinal curl to the advancing end of a moving metal strip to cause it to conform to the hub portion of a spool on which it is to be wound.
A further object of the invention is to provide, means for imparting an initial longitudinal curl to the. advancing end of a moving metal strip to cause it to conform to the curvature of the hub portion of a spool on which it is to be wound and then to increase the curvature of the following portions of the strip to cause these portions to grip the spool and the underlying portions of. the wound strip. In this way successive layers tightly embrace those which precede them in the winding operation and a close winding is effected which is self-sustaining without any external binding means.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a coil winding machine which automatically cuts oil the metal strip material being Wound and starts the winding of a new coil the instant a predetermined amount of strip material has been wound on the preceding coil. A related object is to measure the amount of material wound in a coil before it is cut off and to start then the winding of the next coil, whereby equal lengths of material may be wound in successive coils.
Another object of the invention is to provide coil winding apparatus comprising means for automatically shifting the spools axially as the material is being wound, whereby the material is coiled in evenly wound layers. A further object is to provide a machine comprising a plurality of reels for holding spools on which successive coils may be formed, in combination with means for insuring that the winding starts in the same position on successive spools.
Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement which will appear more fully hereinafter.
The nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment of the invention is illustrated. In the drawings,
Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the improved coiling apparatus;
Fig. 2 shows a top plan view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a spool of metal strip material, notched along its edges and wound according to the present invention;
Fig. 4 shows an enlarged partial side elevation of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1, with parts removed, showing the means for feeding and curling the strip and the winding means;
Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4;-
Fig. 6 shows an enlarged side elevation of the strip shearing device illustrated in Fig. 1, with the parts in their normal inactive positions;
Fig. 7 shows an end elevation of the sharing device, looking toward the right as viewed in Fig. 6;
Fig. 8 is a view similar to that of Fig. 6, showing the relative positions of the parts after they have been actuated to shear the metal strip;
Fig. 9 is a partial elevation similar to those of Figs. 6 and 8, showing, by full lines, the relative positions of the parts immediately after the shearing operation with the shearing blade retracted, and, by dotted lines, their relative positions during the return of the shearing blade supporting arm to its normal position;
Fig. 10 shows a vertical section on the line Ill-10 of Fig. 4;
Fig. 11 shows a vertical section taken on the line 1111 of Fig. 10;
Fig. 12 shows a sectional view taken on the line 12-42 of Fig. 10;
Fig. l3shows a partial vertical axial section through the right hand portion of the apparatus as viewed in Fig. 14 is a section taken on the line 14-14 of Fig 13, showing the Geneva cam by which the indexing of the reels is eifected, with the actuating roller and cam slots illustrated by full and dotted lines in two difierent positions;
Fig. 15 is a view similar to that of Fig. 14 showing the movement of the actuating roller from one position to another without rotating the cam;
Fig. 16 shows a vertical section taken on the line 1616 of Fig. 13;
Fig. 17 shows a top plan view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 16;
Fig. 18 is a vertical section taken on the line 1518 of Fig. 17;
Fig. l9 is a vertical section taken on the line 1l9 of Fig. 17 and Fig. 20 is a circuit diagram of the electrical connections of the parts by which the sequence of the operations performed by the apparatus shown in Fig. l are automatically efiected and controlled.
As illustrated in the drawings, the invention is embodied in a machine having a frame 25 adapted to rest upon a suitable support and arranged to carry all of the parts of the apparatus as a unit. Reference will first be made to the principal parts of this apparatus which, as shown in Fig. 1, includes a counting device 26 through which the metal strip 27 passes as it is drawn to the machine from a source of supply, such as a large coil of strip material. This strip material is usually in the form of narrow flat metal of relatively thin gauge and it is preferably provided with notches 27a spaced at equal intervals along one of its edges, as shown in Fig.
3, where a coil of the strip material is illustrated as being wound on a spool 23. This spool is formed of sheet metal or cardboard and comprises a hub portion 234: having two outwardly extending parallel annular flanges 23b along its edges which form a channel between which the metal strip is wound in a succession of annular layers each made up of a plurality of annular convolutions of equal diameter which have an edgewise relationship to each other. The counting device 26 measures the length of strip to be wound on each spool and initiates the automatic operations by which the strip is severed when a predetermined length has been wound on one spool and the Winding of another spool is started.
After passing through the counting device 26, the metal strip 27 passes through a roller leveler or straightener 29 which levels out the kinks or bends in the strip as it travels forwardly in the machine. The strip then passes through the feeding unit 39 by which the strip is drawn from the source of supply through the counting device 26 and the straightener 29 and then fed to the curling unit 31 by which an endwise or longitudinal curl is imparted to the end of the strip before it reaches the spool on which it is to be wound.
Upon emerging from the curling unit 31, the strip passes through a shearing device 32 and then the upwardly curled portion extends partially in a reverse direction, while still being advanced by the feeding unit 30, and into operative engagement with a spool 28 mounted on one of three Winding reels 33 which rotate in the direction of the arrows 34- and wind the strip material into the form of the coils shown in Fig. 3. These reels are carried by a horizontal shaft 35 which is journaled in suitable bearings carried by a frame structure within the housing 36. This housing is U-shaped in vertical cross section and is closed at its top by a removable cover plate 37. The forward end wall of the housing is provided with a circular opening 36a concentric with the shaft 35 and this opening is closed by a circular plate 38 mounted to rotate with the shaft. The reels 33 are fixed on reel shafts 40 which extend through the plate 38 and are journaled in bearings carried by the shaft 35 within the housing. The reel shafts 40 are spaced 120 apart on a common circle concentric with the shaft 35 which is capable of being rotated in the direction of the arrow 41 for the purpose of moving the reels 33 and their spools 28 successively to the winding position, which is the lower reel position shown in Fig. l.
When a predetermined length of metal strip has been wound on a spool carried by a reel 33 in the winding position, the counting device 26 initiates the indexing movement of the shaft 35 and the reels 33 and, as a preliminary to the indexing movement, causes the actuation of the shearing device 32 to cut off the metal strip 27 without arresting the advance of the metal strip under the influence of the feeding device 50. Immediately after the strip has been cut off the shaft 35 rotates through 120 to move the wound spool and its reel to the upper left position shown in Fig. 1 and to move an empty spool from the upper right-hand position shown in Fig. l to the winding position, whereupon the upwardly curled extremity of the moving strip automatically engages the hub 28:: of the spool in the winding position and the winding of this spool takes place without any interruption in the operation of the machine. in order to cause the metal strip to be wound in layers on the the spools 28, the reel shafts 40 are automatically reciprocated endwise during the winding operation and, to secure uniformity, means are provided for insuring that the winding operations always begin at the same position on the hubs of the spools.
Having described generally the structure and mode of operation of the machine, the construction of the different units of apparatus and their cooperative relation will now be more specifically set forth. Referring first to the counting device 26, it is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as comprising a pair of freely rotating mated rolls including a male roll 45 having an annular rib 4501 which enters the annular groove 46a in the female roll 46. The strip 27 passes through the groove 46;: and the rib 45a bears on the strip and holds it in frictional engagement with the roll 46. When the strip 27 is provided with notches 27a, as above described, the side wall of the groove 46a is provided with an annular series of equally spaced projections 46!) which engage the notches so that the groove 46a of the roll as which is otfset forwardly from the roll 45. When it is desired to release the metal strip 27, the block 47 may be tilted upwardly by a handle 51 to raise the roll 45 from the strip.
The shaft of the roll 46 has fixed thereon a gear 52 which meshes with a gear 53 fixed on a shaft 54 of a gear reducer 55. This gear reducer cuts down the speed of rotation and its delivery shaft 6, operating at the reduced speed, has fixed thereon a cam 57 in the form of a circular disk having a radial projection 57a adapted to operate the plunger 53a of an electric switch 58 which is connected in the control circuit hereinafter described. When a predetermined length of metal strip 27 has passed between the rolls 45 and 46, the cam 57 closes the switch 58 and causes the series of operations above referred to, and hereinafter more fully described, which take place when a predetermined length of metal strip has been wound on 'a spool in the winding position.
After passing through the counting device as, the metal strip is drawn through the straightener 2%, which is of well known form, comprising a lower series of rolls 6t journaled in a stationary block as. and an upper series of rolls 62 which are journaled in an upper block 63 occupying normally a fixed position with respect to the block 61. .The rolls 69 are offset with respect to the rolls 62 and the peripheral portions of the rolls of the two series intermesh so that the strip 27 passing between the rolls of the two series is compelled to follow a zigzag path, preferably of gradually decreasing amplitude, thereby removing the kinks or irregularities from the Sill The upper block 63 is normally held in operative position with respect to the block 51 by two earns 65. When these cams are released by operating the handles 66 the block 63 and its rollers 52 are elevated by the spring 5'7 to inoperative positions which permit the metal strip 27 to pass freely through the straightener.
The metal strip 27 is drawn through the counting device 26 and the straightener 29 by the feeding device 30 which is shown particularly in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 where it is shown as comprising a lower roll 7% having annular end flanges 78a adapted to receive between them the upper feed roll 71. The upper feed roll is mounted upon a shaft 72 carried by a block 73 which is pivoted at 74 in the frame structure 75. The block '73 is provided between the pivot 74 and the roll '71 with an aperture engaged by a stud 76 which threadedly engages a threaded member 77 mounted in a recess in the frame structure "75. A coil spring 78 is mounted on the stud '76 between a washer '79 and the bottom of a recess 73a which is formed in the block so that the spring tends normally to mantain the roll 71 in contact with the metal strip passing over the roll 76). At a point above the pivot 74, the block 73 is provided with an upstanding arm 73:; having a pivotal connection at 80 with an operating lever 21. This lever has an enlarged head at its lower end provided with a flat face 81a and when the lever is rotated about its pivot to cause the face 81a to engage the wall 75a formed on the frame structure, the spring 78 is compressed and the roller 71 is sufficiently elevated from the roll 70 to arrest the feeding of the strip 27.
In order to cause the strip to be moved positively toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, when the rolls 70 and 71 are in engagement with the strip, the lower roll 70 is positively driven, in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, by a sprocket gear 83 which is fixed on the rear end of the shaft 84 on which the roller 70 is fixed, and this sprocket gear '83 meshes with a sprocket chain 85 which is also passed around a sprocket gear 86 on the shaft of an electric motor 87. This motor is connected in an electric circuit as hereinafter described and, when the machine is in use, the lower feed roll 70 is continuously driven thereby.
The metal strip 27 passes from the feed rolls 70 and 71 through a guideway 89 which is formed in a frame structure 90 and, as the strip emerges from this guideway, it engages the curling device 31 by which the end of the strip is curled upwardly toward the spool 28 which is in winding position. This curling device is illustrated particularly in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, and it comprises two small rollers 91 and 92 which are rotatably mounted in the frame structure 90 with their adjacent peripheral portions lying in substantial alignment with the guideway 89 and with the upper roller 92 displaced farther from the guideway 89 than the roller 91. As the metal strip emerges from the guideway it passes between the rolls 91 and 92 and is then engaged on its underside by an adjustable roller 93 which is rotatably mounted at the free end of an arm 94 pivoted at the point 95 on the frame structure 91'). A bracket 96 is secured to the underside of the free end of the arm 94 by studs 17 and this bracket and the underside of the arm are notched to form a rectangular opening 98 in which there is mounted a cam 99. This cam is eccentrically located on an operating shaft 100 which is journaled in the side walls 340 of the arm 94, as shown in Fig. 5, and which has a worm wheel 101 fixed on the projecting end thereof within a small housing 102 which is carried by the frame 96. The worm wheel 1111 meshes with a worm 103 fixed on an operating shaft 104 having an operating handle 105. By adjusting the handle 105 the cam 99 may be rotated to raise or lower the roller 93 and thus vary the position of the top portion of the periphery of this roller with respect to the strip passing bet-ween the rolls 91 and 92 so that the strip is caused to curl upwardly as shown in Figs. 1, 6 and 8, with its free end directed toward the spool 28 on the reel 33 which is in winding position. In this way, the strip may be curled to conform to the curvature of the outer surface of the hub 28a of the spool so that, at the beginning of the winding operation on a particular spool, the strip automatically conforms to the curvature of the hub and the winding of the strip on the spool immediately proceeds without the necessity of any adjustment on the part of the operator.
Between the place where the metal strip 27 emerges from the curling device 3 1 and the place where it reaches the lower spool 28, the strip passes through an aperture 1070 in a guide member 167 which is mounted on the lower laterally turned extremity of a shearing arm N18. The guide member 1ti7 and the extremity of the supporting arm 108 form a guideway for a reciprocating shearing bar 109 which carries at its upper end the shearing blade 110 having a beveled cutting edge which is adapted to cooperate with the edges of the aperture 107a to shear the metal strip 27 when the shearing bar 1139 is forced upwardly in its guideway. At its lower end the shearing bar 109 is provided with a pair of cars 169a between which there is pivotally mounted an arm 11 1 by means of a pin 1:12. The pin 112 projects beyond the ears 1il9a and its extremities are connected by two springs 113 to the transversely turned extremities 114a of two arms 11.4 which are secured to the sides of the lower extremity of the supporting arm 108, as shown particularly in Fig. 7. These coil springs thus tend to retract the shearing bar 109 so that the blade 110 is out of registry with the aperture 107d and, when thus retracted, the shearing bar and the arm 111 are limited in their movement by a roller 115 which is mounted between e a-rs 111a formed on the member 111. This roller coacts with the surface 116:: of a cam 116 which is secured to the frame structure 25 by a plate \117.
The actuation of the shearing bar 109 and the coaction of the roller 115 with the cam surface 116a are brought about by the angular movement of the supporting arm 108 which is secured by a pin 119 upon a shaft 120, which is journaled in the upper end of a frame 121 secured to the frame structure 25, as illustrated particularly in Fig. 6. The other end of the shaft is connected by a pin 122 with a crank arm 123 which projects toward the right as viewed in Fig. 1 with its free end pivotally connected at 124 to a link 125. This link extends downwardly and is pivoted at 126 to the movable core 127 of a solenoid 128 which is mounted in a frame 129 carried by the frame 25. The crank arm 123 is normally held in the upper position shown in Fig. 6 through connections comprising a yoke 130 pivoted at 131 on an intermediate part of the arm 123 and having adjustably secured therein by means of nuts 132 a depending rod 133 on which is mounted a coil spring 134. The upper end of the coil spring 134 engages the lowermost nut 132 and the lower end of the spring engages an angle bar 135 secured to the frame 121 so that the spring tends normally to move the crank arm 123 upwardly. The extent of this upward movement of the crank arm is limited by another angle bar 137 which is secured to the frame 121 and which is apertured for engagement by the lower threaded extremity of the rod 133. This threaded extremity is engaged by a washer 138 and by a pair of nuts 139 which may be adjusted on the rod 133 to limit the extent to which the rod may move upwardly under the influence of the coil spring 134. When the solenoid 128 is energized, as hereinafter described, the link 125 pulls the crank arm 123 downwardly and the extent of this downward movement is limited by a pair of nuts 140 which are adjustably mounted upon the rod 133 between the two angle bars 135 and 137. When the lower nut engages a washer 141 seated on the lower angle bar 137 the downward movement of the crank arm 123 is arrested and this determines the limit of the swinging movement of the arm 198 toward the left I as viewed in Figs. 6, 8 and 9.
When a predetermined length of metal strip 27 has been wound on a spool 28 in the lower winding position shown in Fig. 1, the solenoid 128 is automatically energized, as hereinafter more fully described, and this causes the crank arm 123 to move downwardly and thereby swing the arm 108 toward the left from its normal position shown in Fig. 6. As this action takes place, the roller 115 coacts with the cam surface 116a and causes an upward sliding movement of the shearing bar 1&9 with respect to the guideway carried by the arm 108 so that the shearing blade is pushed across the aperture 1137a and shears the metal strip 27 as shown in Fig. 8. When this shearing operation is completed, the roller 115 will occupy a position at the upper end of the cam surface 116a, as shown in Fig. 8, and the arm 11! will lie substantially in alignment with the shearing bar 1119. After the shearing operation has been thus completed, the solenoid 128 is automatically deenergized, with the result that the spring 134 then moves the crank arm 123 upwardly to effect a reverse swinging movement of the shearing arm 108 toward the right as viewed in Fig. 8. However, at the extremity of the shearing movement of the arm 108, the roller 115 rides over the extremity of the cam surface 116a and onto the upper flat horizontal surface 116b of this cam, as shown in Fig. 9, so that, as the reverse swinging motion of the shearing arm 108 begins, the roller carrying arm 111 occupies the position shown by full lines in Fig. 9 and, as the arm 108 continues its reverse move ment, the roller travels again on the cam surface 116a, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 9, with the result that arse-ass the arm 111 occupies an angular position with respect to the shearing bar 109, thus permitting the coil springs 113 to retract the shearing bar 3.09 so that as the parts are restored to their initial positions shown in Fig. 6, there is no danger of the shearing blade 116 being again actuated to effect the cutting of the metal strip 27. As the parts are restored to the initial position shown in Fig. 6, the arm 111 again automatically assumes a position substantially in alignment with the shearing bar Hi9 and the shearing blade 110 occupies a position in proximity to the aperture 107a in readiness for the next regular shearing operation after the winding of another spool has been completed. The return of the arm 111 to this initial position in substantial alignment with the shearing bar 169 is facilitated by the action of a spring 142 mounted about the pivot pin 112 and engaging the outer side of the arm 111, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. To insure the passage of the upwardly curled end of the strip 27 into engagement with the spool, a guide finger 143 is pivotally mounted on the shearing bar 103 and provided with a groove 143a which is adapted to be engaged by the curved portion of the strip. A spring 144 holds the finger 143 normally in its operative position.
The parts are so arranged and proportioned that the actuation of the shearing arm 108 and of the shearing blade 110 while these parts move at substantially the same speed as the strip 27 so that the shearing operation does not interfere with the feeding of the metal strip. As soon as the shearing operation is completed and the blade 11d retracted from the opening 167a, the movement of the metal strip continues through the aperture 107a and the free end of the strip is curled upwardly by the action of the rollers 91, 92 and 93. These rollers are preferably so arranged and adjusted that the curvature of the e}:- tremity 27a of the strip, as shown in Fig. 6, is normally somewhat greater than that of the circumference of the hub portion 23a of the spool so that, as the winding continues, the metal strip applied to the winding tends to grip the portion of the coil which has previously been wound, thus holding the convolutions in tight assembled relationship. However, at the beginning of the winding operation on an empty spool, this degree of curvature of the free end of the metal strip might prevent it from assuming its proper position on the hub of the spool but this possibility is offset by the fact that when the free end of the strip initially approaches the empty spool, the shearing apparatus has not yet been fully retracted to its initial position but is temporarily extended, as shown by full lines in Fig. 9, so that the portion of the arm 103 carrying the guiding aperture N71: is moved substantially away from the roll 3, thus tending to flatten the curvature of. the upturned end of the strip so that it has a curvature substantially like that shown in Fig. 8, or a slightly lesser curvature, at the time that it initially engages the hub of the empty spool. The parts are so proportioned that this curvature, which may be nearer that shown at 2% in Fig. 8, is approximately the same curvature as that of the external surface of the hub of the spool, thus insuring that the winding of the spool will begin immediately when the strip engages the hub. The shearing arm 108 is then retracted as previously described so that the curvature of the strip then more nearly assumes that shown at 27a in Fig. 6, which is a greater degree of curvature than that of the hub of the spool or of the succeeding convolutions which are to be wound thereon, thus bringing about the tight gripping effect of the convolutions on each other which has heretofore been mentioned.
A more detailed description will now be given of the apparatus by which the winding reels 33 are successively indexed to the winding position and the rotation and reciprocation of the reels effected in a continuous series of operations during which the shaft 35 is intermittently rotated each time that the positions of the reels 33 are to be changed. The reels 33, which are mounted on the equally spaced shaft 40, are formed to have a detachable engagements with the spools 28 so that when a spool has been filled with a coil of strip material, the filled spool may be readily removed and replaced by an empty one. For this purpose, each reel comprises a cylindrical drum 33a attached to a radial disk 33b having a hub portion 330 which is keyed on the end of a shaft 4t and held in place by a nut 40a, as shown in Fig. 10. Each drum is slotted at three equally spaced points to receive a leaf spring 33:] attached to the disk of that reel and projecting through the slots to rip the hub of a spool 23 and detachably hold it in place during a winding operation.
The shafts 4d and the reels 33 mounted thereon are supponed and rotated bodily by the shaft 35 which extends through the end plate 38 and is journaled in bushings fixed in a bearing sleeve M5 within the housing 36. T he sleeve is secured in transverse frame members i s-t5 shown in Figs. 2 and l0. At its rear end the shaft has secured thereon by a pin 147 a Geneva cam 1.4% which is actuated, each time that the winding of a spool is completed, to rotate the shaft one-third of a revolution.
The reel carrying shafts 46 are supported by two spiders 15d and 151 mounted on the shaft 35' and having lite form illustrated particularly in Figs. i0 and 12. Each spider comprises a hub 152, secured on the shaft 55 by a pin 153, and a pair of plates 54 secured to the hubs by bolts 1 5 and having radiating arms 154a which are arranged in registering pairs in each spider. Each pair of arms 154a of the spider 15% is apertures. near their outer ends to receive a shouldered spacing sleeve 156 and each pair of arms of the other spider 151 is similarly apertured to receive a shouldered spacing sleeve 157. At a point located inwardly from the sleeves 156 and 157 the arms are spaced by another sleeve 15% mounted on a bolt 159 by which the arms are clamped together and against the shoulders of the outer sleeves 156 and 157. Each shaft id is journaled in a bushing use mounted in a sleeve 156 at the outer end of an arm of the spider 15d and it is also journaled in another bushing 161 mounted in a sleeve 157 of the other spider 151. The reel shafts as are thus mounted for rotation in the spiders and are rotatable bodily with the spiders about the axis of the shaft 35.
The spacing sleeves 157 extend rearwardly beyond the arms of the spider 151 and these projecting portions have rotatably mounted thereon three planetary gears 163 which mesh with a central driving gear 164 fixed on the end of a hollow shaft 16:5 ournaled on the bearing sleeve by means of bushings a. The gears 163 and the shaft 165, which forms the hub of the gear 164, are secured against endwise movement by suitable shoulders and retaining rings and the shaft 1%5 is driven by a large gear 166 secured to the rear end thereof. The gear 166 is driven by a pinion 157 fixed on the end of a shaft 170 which is journaled in two ball bearing units 171. mounted in the ends of a sleeve 1712 fixed in the frame members 14%. The rear end of the shaft 171 has fixed thereon a gear 173 which meshes with a gear 174 secured on another shaft 175 having its hearings in bushings 175 mounted in the transverse frame members 177. This shaft 175 is connected by a flexible coupling 17) with the shaft 18% of an electric motor 151 which is connected in the control circuit hereinafter described.
The motor ltil is thus connected to drive the planetary gears 163 which revolve about the sleeves 2 .57 mounted in the spider 15 and this rotary motion of the gears 163 is imparted to the reel shafts 49 by pins 184 projecting laterally from the gears and adapted to actuate friction clutches 1&5 mounted on the shafts (see Figs. 10 and 12). Each friction clutch is up of a plurality of plates one or more of which is secured on a shaft 4%), while one relatively rotatable plate is provided with a projecting arm 187 adapted to be engaged by a pin 18-4. Thus, under normal conditions a pin E84 engaging an arm 13? rotates the connected shaft 40, unless unusual resistance is encountered as hereinafter described, in which case the plate 186 slips in the clutch and the shaft 40 remains stationary while the associated planetary gear'continues to rotate. in this way the shafts 40 are positively driven from the motor 181, thereby rotating the reels 33.
In addition to their rotation for winding purposes, the shafts 40 are also reciprocated endwise as the winding proceeds in order to cause the metal strip to be wound in superimposed annular layers. This endwise motion is effected by three cams 190 each of which is rotatably mounted on, but held against endwise movement with respect to, one of the shafts 40. Each cam 190 has an irregular annular groove 190a in its periphery engaged by a pin 191 mounted at the end of a bar 192 secured to an arm of the spider 151 and projecting laterally therefrom so that, as the cam rotates, it causes the shaft 40 to reciprocate endwise and thereby effect a corresponding movement of the reel mounted on the shaft.
The cams 190 are rotated at slower speeds than the shafts 40 and, for this purpose, each shaft has fixed thereon a pinion 195 Which drives a gear train connected with the associated cam. Each pinion 195 meshes with a gear 196 which is secured on a countershaft 197 on which there is also fixed a pinion 198. The countershafts 197 are journaled in bushings 193 which are mounted in spacing sleeves 194 fixed in the arms of the spiders 150 and 151. Each pinion 198 meshes with a gear 199 which is secured to the end of the cam 190, as shown in Fig. 10, thus causing the cam to be rotated at reduced speed on the shaft 40. The gear 199 abuts against the pinion 195 and a retaining ring 200 at the other end of the cam holds the cam against endwise movement away from the pinion so the pinion and the shaft 4t]? shift endwise with the rotation of the cam. To permit this movement while retaining the gears in mesh, the pinions 195 and 198 are of substantial length as compared with the cooperating gears 196 and 199. By this arrangement, each reel 33 and its spool 28 are oscillated endwise during their rotation through a distance approximately equal to the width of a layer of strip material, as indicated by full and dotted lines in Fig. 10, so that the metal strip 27 is wound on the spool in successive concentric layers to produce a product such as that disclosed in the United States Letters Patent of John Ekern Ott, No. 2,265,246, dated December 9, 1941.
In order to insure that the winding of the metal strip always starts at the same place on the spools, means are provided for arresting the rotation of a reel 33 when it is in the upper right-hand position, shown in Fig. 1, with the connected spool 28 in a predetermined endwise position so that when the shaft 35 is subsequently rotated through one-third of a revolution to move that spool to the lower winding position, the spool will reach that winding position in such a location that the end of the metal strip will engage the outermost part of the hub of the spool. For this purpose, each shaft 40 is provided on its reduced inner extremity with a relatively fixed radially extending crank arm 205, shown in Figs. 10 and 11, which is provided with a pin 206 extending parallel to the axis of the shaft and adapted to engage a stop member 207 which is secured to the upper righthand portion of the transverse frame member 146 which is adjacent to the gear 166. This stop member 207 has an outwardly extending wedge-shaped flange 207a which is so positioned that when a shaft 40 reaches the upper right-hand position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 11, the rotating crank arm 205 will move to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig; 11 and the pin 206 will engage the projecting wedge-shaped flange 207a of the stop member, thus arresting the rotation of the connected shaft 40. This is permitted by reason of the fact that the plate 186 of the friction clutch 185 mounted on that shaft will then slip with respect to the remaining plates of the clutch as it continues its rotation under the influence of the pin 184 projecting from the associated planetary gear 163. This slippage will continue until the Geneva cam 148 is actuated to cause the shaft 35 and the reels 33 to rotate-through one-third of arevolution. The pin 206 then passes by the flange 207a of the stop member and the rotation of this shaft 40 is resumed with an accompanying endwise movement of the reel so that when the spool reaches the winding position the upturned extremity of the metal strip 27 will engage the hub of the spool always in the same position.
The means for actuating the Geneva cam 148 and controlling the actuation thereof are :shown particularly in Figs. 2, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19. The cam 148 is provided on its end face with a Y-shaped groove comprising three radiating arms 148a, 148b, and 148a which are engaged by a roller 210 mounted on a pin 211 fixed in the end of a crank arm 212. This crank arm is secured upon a shaft 213 which is journaled in bushings 214 secured in the previously described transverse frame members 177. The shaft 213 is adapted to be rotated by a gear 215 which meshes with the previously de-.
scribed gear 174 fixed on the shaft 175. The gear 215 is thus continuously driven by the motor 181 when the machine is in operation and a driving connection is adapted to be established between the gear 215 and the shaft 213, at proper times, by means of a one revolution clutch 216 which may be of the type disclosed in the United States Letters Patent of Richard G. Dickens, No. 2,140,737, dated December 20, 1938. The gear 215 is attached to a rotary part of this clutch and when the driving connection is established, the shaft 213 rotates the crank arm 212 with the result that the roller 210 moves the Geneva cam 148 and the shaft 35 through one-third of a revolution.
The action of the roller 210 in rotating the Geneva cam is best illustrated inFigs. 14 and 15. In Fig. 15 the roller 210 is shown in its normal position adjacent the upper end of one of the arms of the cam groove which, in this instance, is the arm 148a. When the clutch 216 is automatically actuated, as hereinafter described, when a spool 28 has been fully wound with strip material in the winding position, the shaft 213 starts to rotate and the roller 210 is moved from the full line position shown in Fig. 15 through the central opening of the cam groove to the position which is illustrated by dotted lines at 210a in Fig. 15. During this time, the roller travels around the arcuate surface 148d of the opening of the cam groove which connects the arms 148a and 1455c without effecting any rotation of the cam 148, by reason of the fact that the surface 148d 1s concentric with the axis of the shaft 213 so that the roller 210 may move to this extent Without effecting any rotation of the shaft 35 and the reels 33. This dwell period is utilized for the purpose of permitting the shearing device 32 to be actuated during this interval to sever the metal strip and to permit a new end portion of the strip to be curled upwardly toward the windmg position. After that interval has elapsed, the continued rotation of the shaft 213 causes the roller 210 to travel outwardly in the arm 1480 of the cam grove through successive positions, two of which are illustrated in Fig. 14. In the first position, shown by dotted lines 21%, the roller 210 has effected a substantial degree of rotation of the cam 148 and at the position shown by full lines in Fig. 14, the roller has effected a rotation of the cam through substantially one-sixth of a revolutron. The path of the roller 210 is indicated by the dotted lines 218 in Figs. 14 and 15 and, as the rotation of the roller continues, the angular movement of the cam 148 also continues until the roller is again restored to the position shown by full lines in Fig. 15 with the result that the cam 148 will then have been rotated through one-third of a revolution. At this point, the single revolution clutch 216 is automatically disconnected so that the rotation of the shaft 213 ceases with a new reel and a new empty spool in the winding position shown in Fig. l.
The shaft 213 has keyed thereon a clutch cam 218 which forms a part of the single revolution clutch 216 and this shaft also has keyed thereon a brake earn 219 and a brake drum 22%. The brake drum and the shaft 213 are normally held against rotation by the brake cam lever 221, shown particularly in Figs. l6, l7 and 18, which is mounted upon a shaft 222 journaled in frame members 223. The lever 221 has an upturned extremity 221a which is adapted to engage a notch 219a in the brake cam. A'bracket 224 is pivoted at 225 along an inte mediate part of the lever 221 and a rod 226 attached to this link extends downwardly through an aperture 227a formed in a horizontal frame member 227. A coil spring 228 is mounted between the link 224 and the frame member 227 on the rod 226 and serves normally to push the lever 221 upwardly to cause its extremity 22111 to engage the cam 219.
The brake drum 224} is provided with a brake band 239 having a lining 230a, of leather or the like. One end of this band is connected to a pin 231 mounted in the frame structure and the other end of the band is adjustably connected, as shown at 232, to the free end of a crank arm 233 fixed on the shaft 222. When the crank arm 221 is moved downwardly against the compression of the spring 228, the brake band 236 is released from the brake drum 220 and this condition exists when the extremity 221a of the lever is out of engagement with the notch 219a.
The clutch cam 218, which controls the operation of the single revolution clutch 216, is provided with a spiral cam surface 218a terminating in a radial shoulder 21312 which is normally engaged by the extremity of a trip lever 234 which is also fixed upon the shaft 222. A bracket 236a is pivotally connected by a pin 235 to an intermediate part of the lever 234 and the bracket is connected to a rod 236 arranged to extend downwardly through another aperture 227k in the frame member 227. The rod 236 has mounted thereon a coil spring 237 which extends between the bracket 236a and the frame member 227 so that it forces the lever 234 upwardly to cause its free extremity to engage the peripheral surface of the earn 218. The lower end of the rod 236 is connected to the plunger 238 of a solenoid 239 by means of a pivot pin 240 and, when this solenoid is energized, the trip lever 234 is pulled downwardly out of engagement with the shoulder 21% and the cam 218 is thereby permitted to cause the actuation of the clutch 216 with the result that the shaft 213 is rotated through one revolution.
At the same time that the revolution of the shaft 213 is initiated, the downward movement of the lever 234 causes its projecting pivot pin 235 to engage the upper side of the trip lever 221, as shown in Fig. 17, and thereby move the lever 221 downwardly out of engagement with the notch 219:: of the brake cam 219. At the same time, the crank arm 233 moves downwardly to release the brake band 236 from the brake drum 229 which is then free to rotate. After this release has been efiected and the rotation of the shaft 213 has started, the pivot pin 240 connected to the plunger of the solenoid 239 engages the actuating member 242 of an electric switch 243 which is connected in the electric circuit and which operates to deenergize the solenoid 239 so that the two levers 221 and 234 tend to be restored upwardly under the influence of the springs 228 and 237, respectively. At the end of one revolution of the shaft 213 and one-third of a revolution of the shaft 35, the tip of the lever 23-4 again engages the shoulder 21% of the cam 21% and the tip of the lever 221 again engagem the notch 219a of the brake cam 219 while, at the same time, the crank arm 233 moves upwardly to tighten the brake band 236 on the brake drum 220.. This action of the brake band 230 is employed primarily to arrest the rotation of the shaft 213 without causing undue impact of the end of the lever 234 upon the shoulder 2181) of the clutch cam.
The shaft 213 has secured to the free end thereof, as shown particularly in Figs. 13 and 17, a switch cam 245 having a single radial projection 245a on the periphery thereof which is adapted to engage the operating member 246a of an electric switch 246 connected in the operating circuit for the purpose of initiating the actuation of the shearing device 32 upon the initial angular movement of the shaft 213 with a movement of the roller 21d in the groove of the Geneva cam 148 from the position shown by full lines to the positon shown by dotted lines in Fig. 15.
The electrical system which controls the automatic operation of the apparatus heretofore described is shown particularly in Fig. 20. It comprises a pair of line conductors 250 which are connected by a double pole switch 251 with the two supply conductors 252 between which a number of operating circuits are connected in parallel.
The reel drive motor 181 is connected between the conductors 252 in series with a two-arm control switch 253. The motor 87 by which the feeding device 30 is driven is connected between the line conductors 252 through another two-arm controlling switch 254. The actuating switch 246 for the shear actuating mechanism 32, which is controlled by the cam 245, is connected in series with a relay solenoid 255, thus forming another circuit in parallel with those previously described. The solenoid 128 by which the shearing mechanism is operated is connected between the supply conductors 252 in series with a relay switch 256 which is closed when the solenoid 255 is energized. The switch 243 which is actuated by the plunger of the solenoid 239 which controls the clutch cam 213 is connected to one supply conductor 252 and is in series with a relay solenoid 257 and with the contacts 258 and 259 of the switch 58 controlled by the counter cam 57. The reel clutch solenoid 239 is connected between the supply conductors in series with a relay switch 260 which is operated when the solenoid 257 is energized and in series with the contacts 261 and 262 of the switch 58. There is also connected in parallel with the contacts 258 and 259 a relay switch 263 which is actuated by the relay solenoid 257.
in the operation of the coil winding machine described above, an empty spool 28 is first placed upon each of the reels 33 and the metal strip leading from a source of supply is threaded through the counting device 26, the straightener 29, the feeding unit 30, the curling unit 31 and the shearing device 32 and the leading end of the strip is then wrapped partially around the spool which is in the winding position. Somewhat more than onehalf a wrap around the hub of the spool is sufficient at starting. The double pole switch 251 is then closed and also the switches 253 and 254 to start the reel drive motor 131 and the feed roll motor 87, thereby starting the winding of the strip around the spool on the lower reel 33. When the switch 251 is closed, the relay solenoid 257 is energized so that the relay switches 26%? and 263 are then both closed. The winding continues until the measured length of metal strip 27, determined by the counting device 26, has been wound whereupon the cam 57 disconnects the contacts 258 and 259 but the switch 263 keeps the relay solenoid 257 energized. When the contacts 258 and 259 are disconnected, the contacts 261 and 262 are connected, thereby energizing the solenoid 239 through the relay switch 260.
With the reel clutch solenoid 239 energized, its plunger is lowered to trip the clutch 216 and thereby cause the shaft 13 to rotate so that the roller 210 starts its rotary movement. During the initial stage of that movement, while the roller 210 is passing around the curve 148d from one arm of the groove in the Geneva cam 148 to another arm, the Geneva cam remains stationary and the shearing device 32 operates to cut off the moving strip 27. Thisaction is caused by the shear actuating cam 245 which operates, as soon as the shaft 213 starts rotating, to close the switch 246, thereby energizing the relay solenoid 255 and closing the relay switch 256. T his energizes the solenoid 128 and operates the shearing device, in the manner heretofore described, to cut the strip 27. This cutting operation is practically instantaneous and the metal strip then continues its movement under the influence of the feed roll with the free end of the strip being curled upwardly toward the winding position. By this time the roller 210 has started the rotation of the Geneva cam 148 with a resulting rotation of the shaft 35 so that a new reel 33 carrying an empty spool 23 is then moved to the winding position. The raised portion 245:: of the shear actuating cam is sufiiciently long to keep the shearing arm in its extended position, as shown in Fig. 9, with the roller 115 resting upon the surface 116b of the cam 116, until a sufficient length of the strip has been curled, with a curl-of the larger radius, to conform to somewhat more than one-half of the circumference of the spool 28. The cam 245 then releases the switch 246 so that it springs open to deenergize the solenoid 255 so that the switch 256 opens, thus deenergizing the solenoid 128 and allowing the shearing arm 1% to return to its normal position.
Shortly before that takes place the end of the metal strip with a curl of the larger radius automatically encircles the hub of the newly arrived spool and then, as the shearing arm 108 is returned to its initial position, a curl of smaller radius is imparted to the strip by the curling device, and the winding continues until the spool is filled with the curl of lesser radius hugging the hub and then the underlying convolutions so that a tight winding is effected, as heretofore described. When the winding is completed on that spool, the reels are again indexed and the cycle is repeated as above described.
During each cycle, the clutch solenoid 239 is promptly deenergized, after it has caused the actuation of the clutch 216, because of the mechanical actuation of the switch 243 by the pivot pin 240, so that the clutch 216 causes only a single revolution. With the solenoid 239 deenergized, the trip lever 234 is restored to a position engaging the cam 218 so that it again engages the shoulder 218b at the end of the single revolution. When the switch 243 is opened, the relay solenoid 257 is deenergized and the relay switches 260 and 263 are thereby opened. The opening of the switch 260 deenergizes the clutch solenoid 239 to permit the return of the trip lever 234 to return to engagement with the cam 218. Then, as long as the projection 57a of the counter cam 57 remains in contact with the switch 58, the relay solenoid 257 remains deenergized even though the switch 243 again closes as the plunger of the solenoid 239 rises. When the projection 57a of the counter cam switch passes the switch 58, the contacts 261 and 262 are disconnected and the contacts 258 and 259 are again connected to energize the solenoid 257 in preparation for the next cycle. The energization of the relay solenoid 257 again closes the switches 260 and 263. The cam 57 may be manually advanced in a forward direction to terminate the winding of a particular spool before its winding has been completed, thereby permitting a new spool to be indexed to the winding position, a feature which may be of advantage when the strip is defective at a particular point.
In the construction of the apparatus the parts are preferably so proportioned that the peripheral speeds of the spools and of the partially wound strips thereon tend to be slightly greater than the speed of the strip coming from the curling device to the winding position, so that there is always some slippage of the friction clutches 185.
The oscillation of the spools is controlled entirely by the 14 understood that it may be constructed in various forms without departing from the scope of the appended claims.
I claim:
1. The combination in coil winding apparatus, of a plurality of winding reels, means for rotating said reels bodily about a common axis to move said reels successively to a winding position, means for feeding a metal strip to a reel in said position, means for rotating each reel about its own axis, and means for curling the metal strip longitudinally to cause it to automatically encircle and be wound by a reel as itapproaches said position, said means causing the curled portion of said strip to have one curvature to conform to the curvature of the reel at the commencement of the winding operation by a reel in said position and a greater curvature at a later stage of said operation.
2. The combination in coil winding apparatus, of a plurality of reels, a supporting shaft on which said reels are mounted, said reels being equally spaced from said shaft and from each other, a plurality of reel shafts each having one of said reels mounted thereon, continuously operating driving mechanism for actuating said reel shafts, means including friction clutches for connecting said driving mechanism with said reel shafts, means for intermittently rotating said supporting shaft to move said reels successively to a winding position, means for feeding ametal strip to a reel in said position, means oscillating said reel shafts axially to cause the metal strip to be coiled in annular layers, and means for arresting the rotation of each reel shaft in one position in advance of said winding position with that reel shaft in a predetermined axial position to cause the winding to begin in a predetermined place when the reelin that reel shaft reaches said winding position.
3. The combination in coil winding apparatus, of a plurality of reels, a supporting shaft having said reels mounted thereon, said reels being equally spaced from said shaft and from each other, means for rotating said reels about axes parallel to the axis of said shaft, a cam in said shaft, a clutch shaft, means on said clutch shaft cooperating with said cam forrotating said supporting shaft, said cam and said means on said clutch shaft caus- 4. The combination in coil winding apparatus, of a plurality of reels, a supporting shaft having said reels mounted thereon, said reels being equally spaced from.
said shaft and from each other, means for rotating said reels about axes parallel to the axis of said shaft, a cam in said shaft, a clutch shaft, means on said clutch shaft cooperating with said camfor rotating said supporting shaft, said cam and said means on said clutch shaft causing each rotation of said clutch shaft to cause rotation of said supporting shaft equal to a single revolution divided by the number of reels, each partial rotation of said supporting shaft being arranged to move a reel to a winding position, means for feeding a metal strip to a reel in said position, and means actuated when a coil has been wound on a reel in said position for causing a single rotation of said clutch shaft.
5. The combination in coil winding apparatus, of a winding reel, means for feeding a metal strip endwise to said reel, means for curling the strip longitudinally as it approaches said reel, a shearing device located between said curling means and said reel, means for automatically operating said shearing device to cut said strip when a predetermined length of said strip is wound on said reel, and means for causing said shearing device to cooperate with said curling means to increase the curvature of said strip effected by said curling means when said strip first engages said reel.
6. The combination in coil winding apparatus, of a winding reel, means for feeding a metal strip endwise to said reel, means for curling the strip longitudinally as it approaches said'reel, a pivotally mounted shearing bar having a part provided with an aperture through which said metal strip extends after passing said curling means, a shearing blade mounted for reciprocation on said shearing bar, means for swinging said bar away from said curling means when a coil has been formed on said reel, and means including a cam operative during said swinging movement for moving said blade across said aperture to out said strip.
7. The combination in coil winding apparatus, of a winding reel, means for feeding a metal strip endwise to said reel, means for curling the strip longitudinally as it approaches said reel, a pivotally mounted shearing bar having a part provided with an aperture throng which said metal strip extends after passing said curling means, a shearing blade mounted for reciprocation on said shearing bar, means for swinging said bar away from said curling means when a coil has been formed on said reel, and means including a cam operative during said swinging movement for moving said blade across said aperture to cut said strip, said last named means having parts for retracting said shearing blade while holding said bar temporarily in its extended position away from said curling means whereby the part having said aperture cooperates with said curling means to reduce the curvature of said curled portion of said strip.
8. The combination in coil winding apparatus, of a winding reel, means for feeding a metal strip endwise to said reel, means for curling the strip longitudinally as it approaches said reel, a pivotally mounted shearing bar having a part provided with an aperture through which said metal strip extends after passing said curling means, a shearing blade mounted for reciprocation on said shearing bar, means for swinging said bar away from said curling means when a coil has been formed on said reel, a stationary cam, and an arm pivotally connectedto said blade and adapted to be actuated by said cam during said swinging movement of said bar to cause said blade to shear said strip.
9. The combination in coil winding apparatus, of a winding reel, means for feeding a metal strip endwise to said reel, means for curling the strip longitudinally as it approaches said reel, a pivotally mounted shearing bar having a part provided with an aperture through which said metal strip extends after passing said curling means, a shearing blade mounted for reciprocation on said shearing bar, means for swinging said bar away from said curling means when a coil has been formed on said reel, a stationary cam, and an arm pivotally connected to said blade and adapted to be actuated by said cam during said swinging movement of said bar to cause said blade to shear said strip, said arm being mounted for actuation by said cam after the shearing has been eifected for retracting said blade while holding said bar in its extended position.
10. The combination in coil winding apparatus, of a winding reel, means for feeding a metal strip endwise to said reel, means for first curling the strip longitudinally about a radius corresponding to the radius of said reel, and means for thereafter causing the degree of curvature so imparted to said strip to be increased to correspond to a curvature about a radius less than that of said reel.
11. The combination in coil winding apparatus, of a winding reel, means for feeding a metal strip endwise to said reel, means for curling the strip longitudinally as it approaches said reel, a pivotally mounted guide member located adjacent said reel and having means for guiding said strip after it passes said curling means, a shearing blade mounted to reciprocate on said guide member, a cam for reciprocating said shearing blade upon pivotal movement of said guide member to sever said strip, said guide member engaging said strip to change the degree of longitudinal curl of said strip when said guide member is actuated by said cam.
12. The combination in coil Winding apparatus, of a winding reel, means for feeding a metal strip endwise to said reel, means for curling the strip longitudinally as it approaches said reel, a pivotally mounted guide member located adjacent said reel and having means for guiding said strip after it passes said curling means, a shearing blade mounted to reciprocate on said guide member, and means actuated when a predetermined length of strip is wound on said reel for swinging said guide member to cause the reciprocation of said blade to sever said strip and to change the degree of longitudinal curl of said strip.
References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 587,363 Edwards Aug. 3, 1897 1,076,831 Kilmer Oct. 28, 1913 1,258,091 Clark Mar. 5, 1918 1,417,609 Koerner May 30, 1922 1,566,111 Miller Dec. 15, 1925 1,715,219 Biggert May 28, 1929 1,958,068 Raiche May 3, 1934 2,089,783 Criley Aug. 10, 1937 2,156,820 Salyers May 2, 1939 2,265,246 Ott Dec. 9, 1941 2,267,036 McArthur Dec. 23, 1941 2,267,962 Tishken Dec. 30, 1941 2,339,194 Reichelt Jan. 11, 1944 2,344,508 Groll Mar. 21, 1944 2,357,389 Ferm Sept. 5, 1944 2,389,644 Shibovick Nov. 27, 1945 2,471,346 Peterson et al. May 24, 1949 2,586,833 Kohler et al.- Feb. 26, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 257,763 Great Britain Sept. 9, 1926
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Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3126165A (en) * 1961-01-31 1964-03-24 Jan van euk
DE1237050B (en) * 1959-02-03 1967-03-23 United States Steel Corp Continuously working multi-drum reel for stiff metal strip
US3321949A (en) * 1964-02-25 1967-05-30 Schloemann Ag Strip-reeling apparatus comprising a belt coiler
US3360211A (en) * 1963-05-11 1967-12-26 Properzi Ilario Machines for coiling continuously supplied tape
US4724873A (en) * 1985-10-29 1988-02-16 Bridgestone Corporation Tire bead wire forming apparatus

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US1076831A (en) * 1909-11-29 1913-10-28 American Steel & Wire Co Machine for making wire fabric.
US1258091A (en) * 1914-08-20 1918-03-05 Bridgeport Brass Co Method of blocking strip metal.
US1417609A (en) * 1921-10-05 1922-05-30 United Cigarette Mach Co Inc Machine for applying mouthpiece-forming sheets to cigarette-paper strips
US1566111A (en) * 1923-10-23 1925-12-15 Miller Thomas Spencer Fluid-pressure-operated device and control therefor
GB257763A (en) * 1925-10-06 1926-09-09 John Fowler And Company Leeds Improvements in or relating to coiling gear for windlasses and the like cable winding apparatus
US1715219A (en) * 1926-09-25 1929-05-28 United Eng Foundry Co Apparatus for stretching and coiling strip material
US1958068A (en) * 1931-11-09 1934-05-08 Nat Marking Mach Co Device for automatically reeling strips of stampings
US2089783A (en) * 1936-03-12 1937-08-10 Phillips Baker Rubber Company Means for drying footwear
US2156820A (en) * 1936-06-02 1939-05-02 Salyers Clay Linoleum handling apparatus
US2265246A (en) * 1939-07-07 1941-12-09 Acme Steel Co Metal coil and method of forming the same
US2267036A (en) * 1940-03-09 1941-12-23 Wean Engineering Co Inc Method of pickling strip material
US2267962A (en) * 1940-05-13 1941-12-30 Tishken Paul Double loading coil holder
US2339194A (en) * 1941-10-17 1944-01-11 Western Electric Co Material handling apparatus
US2344508A (en) * 1942-05-30 1944-03-21 Bliss E W Co Measuring device
US2357389A (en) * 1940-08-02 1944-09-05 Crueible Steel Company Of Amer Apparatus for feeding and coiling continuous strip material
US2389644A (en) * 1943-08-23 1945-11-27 Henry J Shibovich Stock straightener
US2471346A (en) * 1945-11-19 1949-05-24 Oscar R Peterson Brake mounting and control
US2586833A (en) * 1945-05-21 1952-02-26 Kohler System Company Core enveloper

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US587363A (en) * 1897-08-03 Metal cutting- shears
US1076831A (en) * 1909-11-29 1913-10-28 American Steel & Wire Co Machine for making wire fabric.
US1258091A (en) * 1914-08-20 1918-03-05 Bridgeport Brass Co Method of blocking strip metal.
US1417609A (en) * 1921-10-05 1922-05-30 United Cigarette Mach Co Inc Machine for applying mouthpiece-forming sheets to cigarette-paper strips
US1566111A (en) * 1923-10-23 1925-12-15 Miller Thomas Spencer Fluid-pressure-operated device and control therefor
GB257763A (en) * 1925-10-06 1926-09-09 John Fowler And Company Leeds Improvements in or relating to coiling gear for windlasses and the like cable winding apparatus
US1715219A (en) * 1926-09-25 1929-05-28 United Eng Foundry Co Apparatus for stretching and coiling strip material
US1958068A (en) * 1931-11-09 1934-05-08 Nat Marking Mach Co Device for automatically reeling strips of stampings
US2089783A (en) * 1936-03-12 1937-08-10 Phillips Baker Rubber Company Means for drying footwear
US2156820A (en) * 1936-06-02 1939-05-02 Salyers Clay Linoleum handling apparatus
US2265246A (en) * 1939-07-07 1941-12-09 Acme Steel Co Metal coil and method of forming the same
US2267036A (en) * 1940-03-09 1941-12-23 Wean Engineering Co Inc Method of pickling strip material
US2267962A (en) * 1940-05-13 1941-12-30 Tishken Paul Double loading coil holder
US2357389A (en) * 1940-08-02 1944-09-05 Crueible Steel Company Of Amer Apparatus for feeding and coiling continuous strip material
US2339194A (en) * 1941-10-17 1944-01-11 Western Electric Co Material handling apparatus
US2344508A (en) * 1942-05-30 1944-03-21 Bliss E W Co Measuring device
US2389644A (en) * 1943-08-23 1945-11-27 Henry J Shibovich Stock straightener
US2586833A (en) * 1945-05-21 1952-02-26 Kohler System Company Core enveloper
US2471346A (en) * 1945-11-19 1949-05-24 Oscar R Peterson Brake mounting and control

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1237050B (en) * 1959-02-03 1967-03-23 United States Steel Corp Continuously working multi-drum reel for stiff metal strip
US3126165A (en) * 1961-01-31 1964-03-24 Jan van euk
US3360211A (en) * 1963-05-11 1967-12-26 Properzi Ilario Machines for coiling continuously supplied tape
US3321949A (en) * 1964-02-25 1967-05-30 Schloemann Ag Strip-reeling apparatus comprising a belt coiler
US4724873A (en) * 1985-10-29 1988-02-16 Bridgestone Corporation Tire bead wire forming apparatus

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