US2942797A

US2942797A - Apparatus for handling spools of wire while the wire is being withdrawn therefrom

Info

Publication number: US2942797A
Application number: US696545A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gordon E Lorenz; John R Weigel
Original assignee: Western Electric Co Inc
Current assignee: AT&T Corp
Priority date: 1957-11-14
Filing date: 1957-11-14
Publication date: 1960-06-28
Anticipated expiration: 1977-06-28

Description

G. E. LORENZ APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SPOOLS OF WIRE WHILE June 28, 1960 THE WIRE IS BEING WITHDRAWN THEREFROM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 14, 1957 June 28, 1960 G. E. LORENZ ETA!- 2,942,797

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SPOOLS OF WIRE WHILE THE WIRE IS BEING WITHDRAWN THEREFROM Filed Nov. 14, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 'Armswsr June 28, 1960 G. E. LORENZ ETAL 2,942,797 APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SPOOLS OF WIRE WHILE THE WIRE IS BEING WITHDRAWN THEREFROM 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Uni-Ed m atent 2,941,191 AIPPAZR' A rUs FoR HAND" use SPO'QLS or win WIRE 'IS BEING WITHDRAWN THEREFROM 'Gordon E. Lorenz, Chicago, andJohn R. Weigel, Elmhurst, 111., assignors to Western Electric Compara lecorpora'ted, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York 1 Filed Nov. 14,1957, se m. 96,545 5 Claims. (Cl. 242 -19) 'lhe present invention relates to apparatus for hair dling heavy spools of who while the Wire .is being withdrawn therefrom, and more particularly to mechanism {for raising and supporting a pair of'heavy spools of wire individually at a 'wire unwinding station to permit the Wire to be unwound therefrom and to permit the wires on the spools to be interconnected .for continuous pay olf.

An object of the present invention 1o provide a simple and effective ap aratus :for handling heavy spools of'wire while thewire is being withdrawn therefrom.

-Anothe'r 'objectfof the invention is the provision of an apparatus for raisingheavy spools of wire individually and supporting a pair of them "at an unwinding station in positions permitting the wires of the spools to be interconnectedand continuously paid on from the'sp'ools.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention contemplates the provis'ion of a first spool-handling mechanism having a base 'on which a heavy spool of wire is placed and rolled along atrack to a'prede'ter- 'rnin'e'd loading position with'the aperture of the spool in coaxial alignment with an arbor mounted on a slide. The slide is advanced on the base from a normal retracte'd position to a forward position by a fluid actuator under control of a manually -operatedvalve to cause the arbor to telescopically engage the spool, in response to which a second fluid actuator operates to tilt the arbor on the slide, thereby raising'the reel and supporting it in 'a predetermined oblique position in which the 'wire is withdrawn from the spool over one end thereof and through a stationary guide disposed above "and along the axis of the spool. When the wire "has been withdrawn from the spool the manually o erated valve is actuated to cause the pivotal return movement of the arbor on the slide and the return movement of the slide to e'ife'ct the lowering of the empty spool onto the base 'and'the withdrawal of the arbor from'the spool. A second spool handling mechanism is disposed in opposed and reversed position relative to the first spool handling mechanism to raise and support a second spool of Wire in an oblique position so that the leading end of the wire on the second .spool may be 'Weldedto the tail end ofthe wire on'th'e first spool, to enable the wire to be continuously withdrawn from the spools.

. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

.Fig. .1 is a side elevational view of an apparatus embodying features of the invention for raising and .sup porting heavy spools of wire to permit 'thewire 1t5 be Withdrawn therefrom and showing one unit of the apparatus with-a spool supporting arbor in raised position and --a second unit of the apparatus with the spool supporting :arbor in lowered and retracted position;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic wiew of "the fluid actuating mechanism of one unit of the apparatus and the controls therefor; f

Fig. '3 is an enlarged plan view of one unit of the apparatus;

Fig. 4 isa side elevational sectional view of the "unit of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view "of the apparatus taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a vfragnnentary vertical sectional view of the apparatus tak'en along line 6-6 of Fig. 5 and showing the iatchiu'g means for'lockin'g a spool supporting arbor in tilted position. a

Referring to Fig. 'l of the drawings; the present apparatus comprises a pair of spool handling mechanisms orunits '20 and Zlfor raising and supporting heavy spools of wire 22 in oblique positions while the Wire is being unwound sequentially therefrom at a wire-unwinding sta -tion and advanced to amachine for processing the wire.

The mechanisms .29 and 21 are duplicates of each other and are arranged in opposed and reversed positi'ons rela tive to each other :for handling the spools individually. Thespools of Wire .22 which weigh about 1,000 pounds each and are too heavy for manual handling are of conventional construction, each spool having a cylindrical drum 123 onwhich the wire is wound and a pair of heads 24 which are provided withrelatively wide rims for supporting the spool for rolling movement.

Each of the :

spool handling mechanisms

20 and 21 comprises a blade 27 secured to a'floor 2'8 and including :a pairo'f tracks 29 onto which .a spool 22 is adapted to be rolled and which guides the spool for movement along a predetermined path. A positioning member 30 extending transversely across the tracks 29 serves to stop the spool and position it in coaxial alignment with 'an arbor 32. The arbor '32 in the .form of 'a cylindrical shell welded to a plate 33 which at its lower ends has a pair of trunnions 34 .journaled in bearings 35 on a slide 36 for supporting the arbor 32 for oscillata'ol'e movement to and from a normal horizontal position as shown in the .left hand portion of Fig. 1 and a tilted position as shown in the right hand portion of Fig. .l. The slide 36 is mounted for slidable movement on the base 27 along a path parallel to the axis of a spool in loading position to a nonnalretracted position (Fig. 4) and to a forward .position with the arbor 32 in telescoping engagement with :the spool 22.

At its upper end the plate 33 :is .pivotally connected to one end *of'the piston rod 40, the piston 41 (Fig. 2 of which is .reciprocable in .a cylinder 42 of a fluid a'ctuator -43 .for imparting oscillatable movement to the arbor .32. The cylinder 42 is pivotally cormectedat 44 to a pair of brackets 45 which are secured to the slide 35 for movement therewith. Reciprocation is imparted to the slide 36 by a fluid actuator 48 which comprises a cylinder 49 fixedly secured to the slide 36:for movement therewith and a ist'ationarypiston 5G. The piston 50 has a piston rod 51 connected to a bracket 52 which is fixedly secured to the base '27.

Opposite ends of the fluid actuators 43 and 4821 8 connected by'condui-ts 55 inthe form of pipes andfiexible .hoses=to a source of compressed air, and the-compressed fair is admitted to the actuators under control:ofarn'anually operable valve 56 and a pair of sequencing valves 57 .andv58 to eflect the horizontal and thetiltingmovements of the arbor'32 in 'a predetermined sequence. '

Ih'ezsequencing valves

57 and 58 are each :spring actu'ated'to one position and mechanically actuated to a second position. The sequencing'valve 57 is sta'tion'arily mounted on a 'fram'e 59 (Figs. '4'and 5) which extends upwardly frornthebase 2 7 andalso supports the manually operated valve '56, andthe sequencing valve 58 is mountedonthe slide so as shown in Figs. 3, '4"and"5.'

The manually-operable valve 56 has a handle "60 movable from a neutral position to a first position A and to a second position B (Fig. 2). When the valve handle is moved to position A, compressed air is directed to the sequencing valve 57 which in its normal position directs the compressed air to the forward end of the fluid actua- ,gagement with a spool 22. In response to the movement of the arbor 32 into engagement with the spool 22 the sequencing valve 57 is actuated to its second position by :a cam 61 on the slide 36, in 'which position the valve 57 ;cuts off the compressed air 'from the fluid actuator 48 are no spools 22 in the apparatus, an operator places a spool on the tracks 29 of the spool handling mechanisms and directs it to the forward end of the actuator 43 to cause it to oscillate thearbor'32 from its normal horizontal position to its tilted position and thereby raise the spool 22 from the tracks 29 and support it in a predetermined obliquely disposed position.

7 Withthe spool supported in its elevated oblique position as shown in the right hand mechanism in Fig. 1

the-wire may be withdrawn therefrom over the end of the spool and, through a guide aperture in a stationary wire guide 62., The wire guide 62 is mounted on a suit- The arbor 32 is. stopped'in its predetermined tilted posi-tion by a stop plate 64 which engages the plate 33 of the arbor and is mounted on a pair of parallel vertically disposed pla'tes65 fixedly secured to the slide '36. The

arbor 32 is locked in its tilted position by a latch 66 during the unwinding of the wire from the spool in order to avoid premature return movement of the arbor in the event of failure of the compressed air-supply and the fluid actuator 43. The latch 66 has a hooked end engageable with the plate 33 of the arbor and is mounted for pivotal movement about a pivot pin 67supported in the plates 65. A torsion spring 68 yieldably maintains the latch in operative position for locking the arbor in its tilted position, and a' fluid actuator 70 which is supported between the plates 65 has a piston rod 71 engageable with an arm 73 of the latch for turning the 1 latch in a clockwise direction to releasethe arbor 32.

After the wire has been unwound from the spool 22, the handle 60 of the manually operated valve 56 is moved to its position B which causes the compressed air to be directed by this valve to the sequencing valve- 58 which currently is in a position in which it directs the compressed air to a valve 75 which in turn directs the compressed air to the actuator 70 and to the rear end of the fluid actuator 43 to efiect the release of the latch 66 and the return of the arbor 32 from its raised and tilted position to its horizontal position with the spool 22 resting on the tracks 29. The valve 75 and the connections therefrom to the

fluid actuators

70 and 43 are so designed that the fluid actuator 70 is operated prior to the operation of the fluid actuator 43 whereby the latch 66 is actuated to release the arbor 32 before the arbor is moved from its tilted position to its normal horizontal position. In response to the movement of the arbor 32 to itshorizontal position the sequencing valve 58 is actuated to its second position, by an arm 77 on the plate 33 and a lever 78, to direct the compressed air to the rear end of the fluid actuator 48 and thereby cause the movement of the slide to its retracted position to effect the withdrawal of the arbor 32 from the spool 22; The lever 78 is pivotally supported intermediate its ends on a bracket 79 (Fig. 5) secured to one of the plates 65. As indicated in Figs. 1, 3 and 4 the manually operated valves 56 of both of the

spool handling mechanisms

20 and 21 are mounted on the frame 59 in close proximity to each other where they are readily accessible to the operator.

In the operation of the device, if we assume that there 20 and rolls it into engagement with the positioning member 30 thereon to align it with the arbor 32. The operator then turns the handle 69 0f the valve 56 of the mechanism 20 to position A to cause the actuator 48 to advance the slide36 and move-the arbor 32 into telescoping engagement with the spool 22'andtocause the actuator 43 to oscillate the arbor 32 to its tilted position thereby raising the spoolof wire 22 to its elevated oblique position. The leading end of, the wire is then unwound from the spool 22 and threadedinto the guide 62 and advanced to the machine for processing it.

While the wire is being withdrawn from the first spool, the operator places a second spool on the tracks '29 of the spool handling mechanism 21 and rolls it into loading position in, alignment 'with the arbor 32. The operator then turns the handle 60 of the valve 56 of the spool handle mechanism 21 to position A to eifect the forward movement of the arbor 32 into telescoping engagement with the second spool and theoscillation ofthe arbor to its tilted position to raise the second spool 22 to its elevated oblique position. With the two spools supported in elevated oblique positions, the leading end of the wire of the second spool may then be bonded to the tail end of the wire of the first spool to provide for continuous unwinding of the wire from the spools. After the wire has been unwoundfrom the first spool, the operator turns the valve handle 60 of the spool handlemechanism 20 to position B to effect sequentially the unlatching of the arbor, the oscillatablemovement of the arbor from its tilted to its normal horizontal position to lower the spool onto the tracks 29, and the horizontal movement of the arbor to disengage it from the spool. .The empty spool V 22 may then be rolled away and replaced with a full spool of wirepreparatory to the next cycle of operation.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of this invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for handling heavy spools of wire at an unwindingstation which comprises a base, means on said base for locating a spool thereon in a predetermined loading position in coaxial alignment with a first horizontal axis, an. arbor for supporting. the spool of wire, mounting means on said base for supporting the arbor in a first position in coaxial alignment with said axis and for movement along said axis into engagement with said spool and for pivotal movement about a second axis to a raised and tilted position, a first actuating means for moving said arbor along said first axis into and from engagement with said spool of wire, a second actuating means for pivotally moving the arbor about saidsecond axis from said first position to said tilted position to raise the spool from the base to a predetermined obliquely disposed unwinding position, and control means for of.- fecting the sequential operation of the first and the second actuating means. 1

2. An apparatus for handling heavyspools of wire at an unwinding station whichcor'nprises' a base, means on said base for locating a; spool thereon" in a predetermined loading position in coaxial alignment with a predetermined horizontal axis, an arbor 'for supporting the spool of wire, a slide on said base' for supporting the arbor in a first position in coaxial alignment with said predetermined axis and for movement with the slide'along said predetermined axis into engagement with said spool and for pivotal movement about a second horizontal axis disposed transversely of said first axis, a first actuating means for moving said arbor along said first axis into and from engagement with said spool of wire, a second actuating means forpivotally moving the arbor about said second axis from said first position to an upwardly tilted position to raise the spool to a predetermined obliquely disposed unwinding position, latching means for releasably locking the arbor in said tilted position, and means for effecting the sequential actuation of said first and said second actuation means and said latching means.

3. In an apparatus for handling heavy spools of wire at an unwinding station, a base, means on said base for guiding'a spool for rolling movement to a predetermined loading position coaxially aligned with a predetermined horizontal axis, a slide mounted on said base for movement parallel to said axis, an arbor pivotally mounted on the slide for supporting the spool, a fluid actuator on said slide for pivotally moving the arbor to a horizontal position in coaxial alignment with said axis and to a tilted position for raising the spool to and supporting it in a predetermined oblique unwinding position, a fluid actuator for moving the slide on the base to an inoperative position with the arbor disengaged from the spool and to an operative position with the arbor in telescoping engagement with the spool, and control means including a manually actuated element operable in response to movement thereof to a first position to effect the sequential operation of said actuators to cause the horizontal movement of the arbor into engagement with the spool and the pivotal movement of the arbor and the spool to said oblique unwinding position and operable in response to movement of said element to a second position for effecting the return movement of the arbor and the spooi from said oblique position to said horizontal position and the horizontal return movement of the arbor from the spool.

4. In an apparatus for handling heavy spools of wire at an unwinding station, a base, means on said base for guiding a spool for rolling movement to a predetermined loading position coaxially aligned with a first horizontal axis, a slide mounted on said base for movement parallel to said axis, an arbor pivotally mounted on the slide for supporting the spool, a first fluid actuator on said slide for pivotally moving the arbor to a horizontal position in coaxial alignment with said first axis and to a tilted position for raising the spool to and supporting it in a predetermined oblique unwinding position, means on said slide for latching the arbor in tilted position, a second fluid actuator for moving the slide on the base to an inoperative position with the arbor disengaged from the spool and to an operative position for effecting the telescoping engagement of the arbor with the spool, a third fluid actuator for operating the latching means to release the arbor, and control means including a manually actuated valve operable in response to movement thereof to a first position to effect the sequential operation of said actuators to cause the horizontal movement of the arbor into engagement with the spool and the pivotal movement of the arbor and the spool to said oblique unwinding position and operable in response to movement of the valve to a second position for effecting the unlatching of the arbor and the pivotal movement thereof from tilted to horizontal position and the horizontal movement of the arbor from the spool.

5. An apparatus for handling heavy spools of wire at an unwinding station which comprises a base, means on said base for guiding a spool of wire for movement to a predetermined loading position with the axis thereof disposed in a predetermined horizontal direction, a slide mounted on said base for movement parallel to said direction, a spool supporting member including a plate engageable with one end of the spool and an arbor element extending perpendicularly therefrom for telescoping engagement with the spool, means for mounting the spool supporting member on the slide for pivotal movement about a second horizontal axis adjacent the lower edge of the plate to a normal position with the arbor element disposed horizontally in coaxial alignment with the spool and to a tilted position for supporting the spool in a predetermined raised and obliquely disposed unwinding position, a fluid actuator on the slide for moving the reel supporting member to and from said horizontal and said tilted positions, a second fluid actuator interconnecting the slide and the base for moving the slide to a normal inoperative position with the arbor element disengaged from a spool in loading position and to an operative position in telescoping engagement with the spool, conduit means for connecting the actuators to a source of fluid pressure, a manually operable valve in the conduit means operable in one position for directing fluid pressure to the second fluid actuator to eflect the movement of the slide to its operative position and the telescoping engagement of the arbor element with the spool, 21 first auxiliary valve in the conduit means operable in response to movements of the slide to its operative position for disconnecting the fluid pressure from the first fluid actuator and for directing the fluid pressure to the second fluid actuator to efiect the pivotal movement of the spool supporting member from its normal horizontal position to said tilted position, said manually operable valve being operable in a second position to disconnect the fluid pressure from said first auxiliary valve and direct it to the opposite end of the second actuator to effect the pivotal movement of the spool supporting member and the spool thereon from said tilted position to said horizontal position, and a second auxiliary valve in the conduit means operable in response to movement of the spool supporting member to said horizontal position for disconnecting the fluid pressure from said second fluid actuator and directing it into the opposite end of the first fluid actuator for effecting the return movement of the slide to its inoperative position and the disengagement of the arbor element from the spool.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,264,149 Grimshaw Nov. 25, 1941 2,677,476 Bebinger May 4, 1954 2,755,033 Anderson July 17, 1956