US3073545A

US3073545A - Apparatus for unwinding strands

Info

Publication number: US3073545A
Application number: US772874A
Authority: US
Inventors: Domenico C Frate; Vincent A Rayburn
Original assignee: Western Electric Co Inc
Current assignee: AT&T Corp
Priority date: 1958-11-10
Filing date: 1958-11-10
Publication date: 1963-01-15
Anticipated expiration: 1980-01-15

Description

Jan. 15, 1963 D. c. FRATE ETAL APPARATUS FOR UNWINDING STRANDS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 10, 1958 CAPSTAN INVENTORS D. C. FRATE BY L A. RAYBUR/V ATTORNEY Jan. 15, 1963 D. c. FRATE ETAL 3,073,545

APPARATUS FOR UNWINDING STRANDS Filed Nov. 10, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. '9 w INVENTORS 0.6. FRA TE MA. RAYBURN Jan. 15, 1963 D. c. FRATE ETAL APPARATUS FOR UNWINDING STRANDS Filed Nov. 10, 1958 3 FIG. 3

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS D. C. FRA TE A. RA YBUR/V ArroR/vir United States Patent" 3,073,545 APPARATUS FOR UNWINDING STRANDS Domenico C. Frate and Vincent A. Rayburn, Baltimore,

Md., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Nov. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 772,874 9 Claims. (Cl. 242-128) The present invention relates generally to apparatus for unwinding strands, and more particularly to improved apparatus for withdrawing a strand from a coil thereof. The invention further comprehends improved clamping and braking mechanisms, which are especially suitable for use with a strand unwinding apparatus.

The primary object, therefore, of the invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for unwinding strands.

In the past, it has been a common practice in certain situations to utilize a strand supply of the type wherein the strand is withdrawn from a stationary coil or reel. Such a reel is generally mounted in an upright, on-end position and the strand is withdrawn therefrom by any suitable strand-advancing means. A flyer or guide unit is provided, which is revolved about the axis of the reel by the withdrawing strand and is thereby caused to guide the strand over the upper end of the reel to the advancing means.

Another object, then, of the invention is to provide apparatus for withdrawing a strand from a coil thereof.

In some cases, particularly where a soft copper wire of small diameter, such as 22 gage, is being unwound, there is a tendency for the adjacent strand convolutions on the reel to stick to each other during the unwinding operation, which leads to uneven or jerky unwinding producing kinks or breaks in the wire.

Accordingly, a further object of the invention is to eliminate or materially reduce these difficulties providing apparatus for continuously pryingor peeling the strand being unwound away from the convolutions remaining in the coil.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for clamping a reel in an upright, on-end position previous to the strand-unwinding operation, which clamping apparatus has general utility in the clamping of other objects having bores formed therethrough.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved braking apparatus, especially suitable for use in a strand-unwinding apparatus but having general utility in the braking of rotary members with respect to stationary members.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an integrated unwinding apparatus, including interconnected flyer, guide, clamping and braking units, which is simple in construction and easy to engage and disengage, as a unit, from a reel to be unwound.

An apparatus, illustrating certain features of the invention, may include, in a strand-unwinding apparatus wherein a strand is withdrawn from a coil thereof, the combination of means for wedging the strand being withdrawn from the convolutions remaining in the coil together with means for mounting the wedging means for continuous revolution about the axis of the coil as the strand is withdrawn. Preferably, the wedging means is mounted for movement into continuous contact with the surface of the coil as the strand is depleted therefrom.

The wedging means may comprise a prying blade positioned between the strand being withdrawn and the surface of the coil and mounted for revolution about the reel. The wedging blade may be mounted to a revolving flyer unit for pivotal movement with respect thereto so that the wedging blade is maintained in continuous contact with 3,073,545 Patented Jan. 15, 1963 ice the surface of the coil by the strand passing thereover to the flyer unit. A support member may be pivotally mounted to a flyer unit with the wedging blade mounted resiliently by means of a fiat spring to the support member. Two wedging blades are preferably provided, spaced apart a distance just suflicient to allow the strand to pass therebetween, thus restricting its freedom to fly wild or to leave the prying blades.

An apparatus for clamping an object having a bore formed therethrough to a base in a position wherein the bore extends vertically, illustrating certain features of the invention, may include a clamp having portions which may engage and be seated on the upper surface of the article and a clamping rod carried by the clamp and mounted so that the clamping rod extends into the bore and is capable of limited vertical movement with respect to the clamp. Means are provided for biasing the clamp and clamping rod relatively apart so that the clamp is urged downward and the clamping rod is urged upward relative to each other. A locking member is secured to the base and is located beneath the bore when the article is properly positioned on the base. Means are attached near the lower end of the clamping rod, designed for engaging portion of the locking member, for locking the clamping rod in a depressed position with respect to the clamp, whereupon the biasing means urge the clamp downward so that portions thereof are forced against the upper surface of the article to clamp the article firmly against the base. A flyer may be mounted between the clamp and the clamping rod for rotation with respect thereto during the unwinding of the strand from a clamped reel.

A braking apparatus, illustrating certain features of the invention, may include a brake shoe carried by a rotary member and designed for continuous engagement with a curved surface of a stationary member. Means are provided for biasing the brake shoe into engagement with the curved surface of the stationary member and means, including a relatively large adjusting knob which protrudes prominently from the rotating member, for adjusting the biasing means to regulate the braking action, whereby the braking action may be adjusted while the rotary member is rotating. In the strand-unwinding apparatus, the brake shoe is carried by the flyer and engages a curved surface ofthe clamp, the adjusting knob protruding from the upper surface of the flyer to allow adjustment while the flyer is rotating.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a strand-unwinding apparatus embodying the invention, and constituting one apparatus suitable for practicing the methods of the invention, with portions broken away to reveal structural details;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1, with portions thereof broken away for clarity;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view, taken generally along the line 33 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows and illustrating a mounting means for a guide unit according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the guide unit, taken generally along the line 44 .of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows, and showing portions of the mounting means therefor in exploded position;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section through the guide unit, taken generally along the line 55 of FIG. 4 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a horizontal section through the guide unit, taken generally along the line 6-6 of FIG. 4 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, perspective view of a cam lock according to the invention, with a portion of a clamping rod shown in exploded position with respect thereto; FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the elements illustrated in FIG. 7, and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged vertical section, taken generally along the line 9--9 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows, and illustrating portions of a braking mechanism.

Overall Arrangement of the Apparatus Referring now in detail to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, a flyer or guide-01f unit, designated generally by the numeral 10, is provided and is mounted for revolution about the central axis A of a stationary strand supply. The strand supply may conveniently be a conventional reel, designated generally by the numeral 11 and mounted in upright, on-end position, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The flyer unit 10 is designed to facilitate the continuous withdrawal of a strand 12 from the winding surface of the reel 11 and the passage of the withdrawn strand to a subsequent processing operation (not shown).

The strand 12 is wound in conventional fashion in a plurality of layers of helical convolutions, back and forth along the length of a hollow winding drum 13, forming a part of the reel 11, between a pair of circular reel flanges 1414. Previous to the unwinding operation, the reel 11 is mounted in the upright position illustrated in FIG. 1, so that a central bore 15 thereof, defined by the hollow drum 13, extends vertically and one of the flanges 14-14 is positioned on a base plate 16. During the unwinding operation, the reel 11 is maintained stationary in this position by a clamping mechanism, designated generally by the numeral 17, illustrated particularly in FIGS. 1, 7 and 8 and to be described in detail hereinafter under the heading Clamping Mechanism 17."

A rotatable flyer, designated generally by the numeral 18 and forming a first part of the flyer unit 10, is mounted centrally with respect to the reel 11 for rotation about the vertical axis A. The flyer 18 includes a circular plate 19, which is mounted in a plane above the upper reel flange 14 and has a flyer arm, designated generally by the numeral 21 and forming a second part of the flyer unit 10, secured thereto for revolution about the axis A upon rotation of the flyer 18. The flyer arm 21 terminates in a vertically mounted, square mounting tube 22 shown in its assembled position in FIG. 1, in cross section in FIG. 3, and in exploded relation to other parts in FIG. 4 having a square central passage 23 extending therethrough. The specific construction and assembly of the flyer 18 and the flyer arm 21, together constituting the flyer unit 10, will be described in detail hereinafter under the heading Flyer Unit 10.

A guide unit, designated generally by the numeral 24 and shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, is mounted near the end of the flyer arm 21 for revolution therewith about the central axis A and for independent pivotal movement with respect thereto about a vertical ,axis B, which coincides with the center of the mounting tube 22. The guide unit 24 facilitates the withdrawal of the strand 12 from the reel 11, by engaging the strand 12 as it is withdrawn.

and directing the same to the subsequent process and by prying the strand being unwound from the adjacent convolutions remaining on the reel 11, as will be described in detail hereinafter under the heading Guide Unit 24 and Unwinding Operation.

An adjustable braking unit, designated generally by the numeral 25 and best illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 9, is provided to restrain the free rotation of the flyer 18 as required for smooth unwinding under the particular conditions encountered. The braking unit 25 is carried by the flyer 18 and has a frictional surface thereof engaging a portion of the fixed clamp 17, as will be described in detail hereinafter under the heading Braking Unit 25.

Guide Unit 24 and Unwinding Operation The guide unit 24, which is shown in assembled position in FIG. 1, in cross section in FIG. 3, and in exploded relation to other parts in FIG. 4, is provided with a circular shaft 26 at the upper end thereof. The shaft 26 is received within the square central passage 23 of the mounting tube 22 and is rotatably mounted within the tube 22 by means of a pair of bushings, designated generally by the

numerals

27 and 28, and a locking collar 29.

The

bushings

27 and 28 are identical, but reversely positioned as indicated in FIG. 4, the bushing 27 being mounted at the top of the square tube 22 and the bushing 28 at the bottom thereof. As best illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the upper bushing 27 includes a circular flange 31, which is supported on the upper surface of the square tube 22, and a hub 32 extending therefrom. The outer periphery of the hub 32 is square and is designed to be seated within the square passage 23 of the tube 22 in order to prevent the bushing 27 from rotating with respect to the mounting tube 22. The bushing 27 is also provided with a circular central bore 33, extending through both the flange 31 and the hub 32 and designed for receiving the circular shaft 26 therein. With this connection, the shaft 26 may rotate with respect to the bushing 27, thus allowing pivotal movement of the guide unit 24 with respect to the flyer arm 21 about the vertical axis B.

As indicated in FIG. 4, the lower bushing 28 is similarly constructed and arranged, being provided with a hub 34, designed for reception at the bottom of the square bore 23, and a flange 35, which may be supported on a collar 36 formed at the base of the shaft 26 and constituting a portion of the guide unit 24. The locking collar 29 is formed with a central bore 37 so that it may be placed over the upper end of the shaft 26, as indicated in FIG. 4 and as seen in FIG. 1..

The collar 29 is locked to the shaft 26 by means of a pin 38 (FIG. 1), which is inserted through a bore 39 (FIG. 4) extending transversely through the collar 29 and a similar, alignable slot 41 (FIGS. 4 and 5) in the shaft 26. In this manner, the entire weight of the guide unit 24 is supported by the collar 29 bearing on the upper surface of the bushing 27, yet the collar 29 may rotate with respect to the bushing 27 so as to permit the desired pivotal movement of the guide unit 24.

The guide unit 24 further includes a first pair of spaced plates 4242, which are secured to the collar 36 and depend vertically therefrom as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4. A second pair of spaced plates 43-43 are secured to the plates 42-42 by a rib 44 extending therebetween. The plates 43- 43 extend in vertical planes and are generally coextensive in length with the distance between the reel flanges 1414. A first strand-guiding pulley 46 is journalled between the spaced plates 43-43, and is provided with a peripheral V-groove 47 in which the strand 12 being unwound from the reel 11 is received, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

The shaft 26 is provided with a central bore 48 therethrough, through which the strand 12 is advanced, vertically upward as viewed in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, after passing around approximately of the V-groove periphery 47 of the pulley 46. In order to facilitate the passage of the strand 12, the pulley 46 is so mounted that the center of the V-groove 47 at the right-hand side thereof, as viewed in FIG. 4, is directly below the center (axis B) of the bore 48 in the shaft 26. After advancing through the bore 48, the strand 12 passes around a 90 portion of the periphery of a second V-grooved pulley 49, which is mounted to the flyer arm 21 with the strand-engaging portion of its periphery in vertical alignment, with that of the lower pulley 46 along the axis B.

The strand 12 runs horizontally from the second pulley 49 to a third V-grooved pulley 51, which is also mounted to the flyer arm 21 and is so disposed that the lower strand-engaging periphery thereof is in horizontal alignment with the upper strand-engaging periphery of the pulley 49, so that the strand 12 runs horizontally therebetween. The pulley 51 is further mounted so that the left-hand, strand-engaging portion of the periphery thereof, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, is in vertical alignment with the center of the reel 11 along the axis A, so that the strand 12 advances around a 90 portion of the periphery of the pulley 51 and then passes vertically upward along the central axis A to a capstan or other means for advancing the strand (not shown but indicated at the top of FIG. 1). Due to the aligned peripheral mounting of the pulley 51, the strand 12 always passes along the axis A even through the flyer arm 21, and thus the pulley 51, revolve about the axis A during the unwinding operation.

As the strand 12 is advanced by the capstan indicated in FIG. 1, the strand convolutions are unwound, one by one, from the winding surface of the reel 11 with the strand 12 being guided by the three

pulleys

46, 49 and 51 along the path indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1, over the upper flange 14 to the capstan. The engagement between the advancing strand 12 and the

pulleys

46, 49 and 51 causes the flyer unit to revolve, for example in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2, about the central axis A. The adjustable braking unit operates to restrain the free rotation of the flyer unit 10 to an extent whereby the flyer unit 10 rotates at substantially the same rate that the strand convolutions are being withdrawn from the reel 11.

A pair of wedging

blades

53 and 54 are resiliently mounted by means of a pair of flat springs 5656 to the plates 43-43 for revolution about the central axis A. Each of the flat springs 5656 is secured at its right end, as viewed in FIGS. 4 and 6, between a pair of end portions 5757 of the plates 43-43, the end portions 57-57 being formed close together at the tops and bottoms of the plates 4343. Each of the

wedging blades

53 and 54 is secured at both ends to the flat springs 5656 by means of a pair of cup washers 58-58, as best seen in FIGS. 4 and 6, the springs 5656 being located centrally with one of the

blades

53 and 54 fastened on either side thereof.

The withdrawing strand 12 is threaded between the wedging

blades

53 and 54, as seen in FIG. 2, before advancing to the first guide pulley 46, the

blades

53 and 54 being spaced apart slightly farther than the normal diameter of the strand 12. The

blades

53 and 54 revolve with the flyer unit 10 about the central axis A, in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 as the strand 12 is withdrawn; thus, the travel of the

blades

53 and 54 is in the direction opposite to that in which the strand 12 is advancing therebetween and the rate of revolution is regulated by the brake unit 25 to the rate at which the strand coils are being unwound. I

Due to the freely pivotable mounting of the guide unit 24, the strand 12 passing between the

blades

53 and 54 pulls the inner blade 53 into continuous contact with the winding surface of the reel 11, so that the inner blade 53 functions to wedge or peel the strand being unwound away from the adjacent convolutions remaining on the reel 11. The wedging action of the inner blade 53 prevents any unevenness in the unwinding operation due to any tendency of the strand convolutions to stick together, as might be the case when the strand 12 is a soft copper wire or when the convolutions tend to adhere to each other for any other reason. The single strand 12 being unwound is, at all times, effectively forced or peeled away from the remaining convolutions due to the wedging or prying action of the travelling inner blade 53.

The

blades

53 and 54 are made slightly shorter in length than the distance between the reel flanges 1414 (the winding length of the reel 11), as illustrated in FIG. 1, in order to permit withdrawal of the strand 12 from all points along the winding length of the reel 11. In FIG. 1, the numeral 12 designates the path of the strand to be withdrawn from a position near the upper flange 14 and the numeral 12" designates the path of the strand to be withdrawn from a position near the lower flange 14. With this arrangement, the revolving blade 53 operates to wedge the strand 12 from the reel 11 during the entire unwinding operation, even though the strand is wound helically along the entire length of the reel 11 between the flanges 14--14. Further, because the inner blade 53 bears against the winding surface of the reel at all times, any tendency of the strand convolutions to come loose and fall against the lower flange 14 is checked and unwinding may proceed smoothly even though a false crossover is encountered.

As the unwinding operation proceeds from a full-reel condition to an empty-reel condition, the guide unit 24 swings about the axis B from the solid-line position illus trated in FIG. 2 toward the center of the reel 11 and a terminal position illustrated fragmentarily in phantom lines in FIG. 2 and designated by the numeral 24. As before described, the center of the V-grooved periphery 47 of the pulley 46 is mounted directly below the central bore 48 of the shaft 26, so that the strand 12 is advanced vertically upward through the bore 48 during the entire unwinding operation regardless of the pivoting movement of the pulley 46 with the guide unit 24.

The guide unit 24 may also be swung through an arc of about 270 to a position 24", illustrated fragmentarily in phantom lines in FIG. 2, wherein the blade 54 becomes the inner blade and the blade 53 becomes the outer blade. In this instance, the guide unit 24 may be revolved in the opposite direction about the reel 11 in order to permit withdrawal of strand wound in the opposite direction thereon.

While the prying device would function fairly Well with a rigid connection between the

blades

53 and 54 and the mounting plates 4343, the resilient, flexible connection provided by the flat springs 5656 is preferred, since the inner blade 53 is thus free to follow exactly the contour of the winding surface of the reel 11 and, if any difiiculty is encountered in breaking away the strand 12 due to undue adhesion, the springs 5656 will vibrate to assist in breaking the strand away.

In addition, the device would function fairly well if only one wedging blade or member were provided; however, the construction shown with two closely spaced blades is preferred since the strand 12 is then positively guided to the pulley 46 in a substantially straight line generally tangent to the surface of the reel 11. In addition, any kinks or other irregularities in the strand diameter may be straightened out by the opposing,

closefitting blades

53 and 54. Further, in the event that sticking occurs, so that the revolution of the flyer unit 10 is temporarily stopped followed by a sudden breaking loose wherein the flyer unit 10 tends to overtravel, the outer blade 54 will prevent the strand from bowing out and losing contact with the inner blade 53. Also, the doubleblade construction facilitates the unwinding of reels wound in either direction.

Clamping Mechanism 1 7 The mechanism 17, previously described in general, for clamping the reel 11 to the base plate 16 in an upright, on-end position is best illustrated in FIGS. 1, 7 and 8 and includes a clamp designated generally by the numeral 59, a. cam lock designated generally by the numeral 60-, and a clamping rod 61, which is mounted coaxially within the clamp 59' and engages the cam lock 6 d to clamp the red 11 in place.

The clamping rod 61 is vertically movable and is mounted centrally of the reel 11 along the axis A. The rod 61 is provided with a handle 62 at the upper end thereof and an enlarged, bullet-shaped portion 63 at the lower end thereof, as viewed in FIGS. land 7. A transverse pin 64 is secured through the rod 61 near the top of the enlar ed portion 63 and projects outwardly therefrom on either side thereof. The opposite ends of the pin 64 are designed for reception in a pair of notches 66-45 formed in the under surface of the cam lock 60. The cam lock 60 is secured within an aperture 68 in the base plate 16 in a position beneath the reel bore and in alignment with the clamping rod 61 when the reel 11 has been properly positioned on the base plate 16.

The clamping rod 61 and the cam lock 60 are shown in assembled, locking relationship in FIG. 1 and in exploded relationship in FIG. 7, previous to assembly into the locking relationship shown in FIG. 1. The cam lock 60 includes a profiled, annular hub 69 and a flange 71 at the upper end thereof, which is secured within the aperture 68. As seen in FIG. 8, the cam lock 66 is provided with a rectangular slot 72, formed therethrough and large enough to accommodate the pin 64, and a curved central aperture 73, formed therethrough and large enough to accommodate the enlarged end 63 of the clamping rod 61. The under surface of the annular hub 69 is formed with a pair of tapered, circumferential camming surfaces 74-74, communicating between the ends of the slot 72 and the notches 66-66 and along which the pin 64 may ride.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the clamp 59 includes a tubular shell 76, mounted coaxially around the rod 61 and having a circular flange 77 extending outwardly therefrom near the upper end thereof. The outer end of the flange 77 includes an upwardly extending portion 78 having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the reel bore 15 to permit reception therein and a circumferential lip 79 extending outward from the portion 78. The lip 79 is designed to be seated on the upper surface (FIG. 1) of the upper reel flange 14 and to exert a downward force thereon of sutficient magnitude to clamp the reel 11 firmly in place against the base plate 16.

A collar 81 having a flange 82 formed at the top thereof is secured to the rod 61 near the longitudinal center thereof. A cup member 83 is bolted to the bottom of the shell 76 and is formed with a circular bore 84 through the bottom thereof, which loosely surrounds the collar 81 so as to define an inwardly extending annular lip 86. The outer diameter of the flange 82 is also made slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the cup 83, so that a loose, sliding fit exists between the collar 81 and the cup 83 to allow the rod 61 to be rotated and moved vertically with respect to the clamp 59, yet to define an annular pocket 87 between these members within which is received a helical biasing spring 88. As seen in FIG. 1, the spring 88 bears against the flange 82 at the top thereof and against the lip 86 at the bottom thereof so that, when compressed by sufficient downward movement of the rod 61 with respect to the clamp 59, the biasing spring 88 exerts a force tending to move the clamp 59 downward and the clamping rod 61 upward relative to each other.

In order to assembled the clamping mechanism 17 to clamp the reel 11 in place, previous to the start of an unwinding operation on a full reel, the reel is first placed on the base plate 16 with the central bore 15 positioned concentrically with respect to the cam lock 68, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The clamp 59 and the clamping rod 61 carried thereby are lowered, as a unit, into the central bore 15, until the circumferential lip 79 of the flange 77 is seated loosely on the upper reel flange 14.

At this time, the handle 62 of the clamping rod 61 is rotated until the pin 64 projecting therefrom is aligned with the rectangular slot 72 (FIG. 8) in the cam lock 66. The handle 62 is next depressed to lower the rod 61, thus compressing the spring 38, until the ends of the pin 64 are entirely beneath the portions of the circumferential camming surfaces 74-74 which are adjacent to the ends of the slot 72. Finally, the handle 62 is again rotated, so that the pin 64 travels through an arc of about 120 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 8, until the ends of the pin 64 enter the locking notches 66-66 in cam lock 60.

During this last movement, the clamping rod 61 is lowered still further to compress the biasing spring 88 additionally, since the ends of the pin 64 are constrained to follow the camming surfaces 74-74, which taper downward as seen in FIGS. 1 and 7. The clamping rod 61 moves a short distance upward as the ends of the pin 64 snap into the notches 66-66; however, the compression on the spring 88 is only released slightly. In this locking position, the spring 88 urges the clamping rod 61 upward so that the pin 64 is retained in the notches 66-66 and the clamping member 59 is urged downward so that the lip 79 is compressed against the upper reel flange 14 to clamp the reel 11 firmly in place.

In order to unclamp an empty reel at the end of an unwinding operation, the handle 62 is first depressed to free the pin 64 from the notches 66-66, then the handle 62 is rotated until the pin 64 again aligns with the slot 72. The clamping rod 61 is elevated until the upper surface of the flange 82 engages a portion of a spacer 89, extending inward of the inside surface of the cup 83. After this engagement, further lifting on the handle 62 elevates the clamp 59, the flyer unit 10, the guide unit 24. and the brake unit 25 connected thereto out of the reel bore 15.

Flyer Unit 10 As previously described in general, the flyer unit 10 comprises a rotatable fiyer 18 having a circular plate 19 mounted for rotation about the central axis A and a flyer arm 21, secured to the plate 19 and designed for pivotably supporting the guide unit 24 at the outer end thereof. In detail, the flyer 18 includes a sleeve 91, which fits loosely around the clamping rod 61 and to which the plate 19 is secured at the upper end thereof. The sleeve 91 is mounted in bearings 92-92 within the shell 76 of the clamp 59. With this arrangement, the flyer 18 is free to rotate with respect to both the clamp 59 and the clamping rod 61, yet the flyer 18 (and the elements mounted thereto) is carried by the clamp 59 when the clamp 59 is inserted into or withdrawn from the aperture 15 of the reel 11 at the start or finish, respectively, of the unwinding operation.

The flyer arm 21 is best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, and includes a first pair of square tubes 93-93 secured horizontally, in spaced relationship to each other, to the upper surface of the flyer plate 19. A second pair of square tubes 94-94 are secured to the first pair 93-93, and are inclined an angle of approximately 35 with respect thereto, as illustrated in FIG. 1. A curved support plate 96 is secured to the flyer plate 19, the horizontal tubes 93-93, and the inclined tubes 94-94 in order to connect the flyer 18 and the flyer arm 21 together into a rigid flyer unit 10.

The square mounting tube 22 at the outer end of the flyer arm 21, previously described in detail as to the manner in which the guide unit 24 is pivotably mounted thereto, is secured between the lower ends of the inclined tubes 94-94, as indicated in FIG. 1. The guide pulley 49 is rotatably mounted between a pair of tabs 97-97, which extend perpendicularly outward from the inclined tubes 94-94. Similarly, the guide pulley 51 is rotatably mounted between a second pair of tabs 98-98, which are formed at the ends of the inclined tubes 94-94. The tabs 97-97 and 98-98 are so arranged, having regard to the sizes of the

pulleys

49 and 51, that the strand 12 engages the pulley 49 along the axis B, advances along a horizontal line between the top of the pulley 49 and the bottom of the pulley 51 (passing between the inclined tubes 94-94 in the process), and leaves the pulley 51 vertically along the central axis A.

With the flyer-unit construction just described, the flyer arm 21 (including the guide pulleys 49 and 51) is free to revolve with the flyer 18 about the center axis A when a withdrawing pull is applied to the strand 12 by the capstan (not shown, but indicated at the top of FIG. 12. Further, although the flyer unit 10 is free to rotate with respect to the clamping mechanism 17, it is carried 9 thereby to facilitate changeover between reels at the end of an unwinding operation.

Braking Unit 25 The braking unit 25, previously described as to function, is best seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 9, and includes an arcuate brake shoe 100, which is lined with a suitable frictional material 101 (FIG. 1) and is carried by the fiyer plate 19 for rotation therewith. The lining 101 is designed for frictionally engaging a circular braking surface 102 of the clamp 59, which surface is defined by the upwardly extending portion 78 of the flange 77.

A helical spring 103 is provided, which bears against the brake shoe 100 to urge the lining 101 into compressive, frictional engagement with the braking surface 102. A movable adjusting bar 104 is provided, which bears against the inner end of the spring 103 and which may be moved in order to adjust the compression of the spring 103, thus providing the necessary amount of braking between the lining 101 and the surf-ace 102 to enable the fiyer to revolve under the pull exerted by the withdrawing strand 12 but precluding any tendency of the flyer 10 to revolve freely at a faster rate.

The fiyer plate 19 is provided with a pair of spaced, aligned brackets 106-106 projecting from the upper surface thereof, between which .is journalled an adjusting screw 107. The adjusting bar 104 is tapped to receive a threaded end of the screw 107 so that, when the screw 107 is rotated by manipulating a large knurled knob 108 keyed thereto, the adjusting .bar 104 moves to the left or right, as viewed in FIG. 1, in order to increase or decrease, respectively, the compression of the spring 103 in order to adjust the braking force. The knob 108 is purposely made quite large, so that it extends above the brackets 106-106 in order that an operator may make adjustments during operation, even though the brake unit is travelling with the flyer 18.

A lower end portion 109 (FIG. 1) of the adjusting bar 104 depends through a slot 111 in the fiyer plate 19 so as to permit abutment of the bar 104 against the inner end of the spring 103. The spring 103 is received around a mounting shaft 112, which is secured at its outer end to the brake shoe 100 and is supported at its inner end by the lower end portion 109 of the adjusting bar 104, which is suitably bored for slidable reception around the shaft 112.

As seen in FIGS. 2 and ,9, a pair of supporting rods 113--113 are also secured to the brake shoe 100, one on either side of the spring-receiving shaft 112, to furnish additional support for the brake shoe 100 and enable the same to be carried by the fiyer plate 19 for rotation therewith. For this purpose, each of the rods 113-113 is supported slidably in a pair of spaced, aligned bracket members 114114, which depend from the under surface of the fiyer plate 19. A pair of pins 116116 (FIG. 2) are secured to the free ends of the supporting rods 113-113 to furnish an extreme limit for the movement of the rods 113-113 with respect to the brackets 114-114.

-It will be apparent that the integrated unwinding apparatus described hereinabove (including the interconnected flyer, guide, clamping and braking units described hereinbefore) is simple, convenient and easy to operate, in that each unit of the apparatus is relatively movable with respect to an adjacent unit or units to perform its appointed function, yet the entire structure may readily be engaged and disengaged, as a unit, from a reel to be unwound.

It will be manifest that this invention is not limited to the specific details described in connection with the above embodiment of the invention, but that various modifications may be made with-out departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

'1. In combination with a strand-unwinding apparatus 10 of the type wherein a strand is withdrawn from a coil and is passed to a guide unit which revolves about the axis of the coil as the strand is withdrawn, the improvement which comprises a wedging blade positioned between the strand being withdrawn and against the surface of the coil so that the strand being withdrawn passes over said wedging blade to the guide unit, and means for mounting said wedging blade to the guide unit for revolution therewith and for pivotal movement with respect thereto so that said wedging blade is maintained in continuous contact with the surface of the coil by the strand passing thereover, thus efiectively separating the strand being withdrawn from the adjacent strand convolutions remaining in the coil.

2. In combination with a strand-unwinding apparatus of the type wherein a strand is withdrawn from a coil and is passed to a guide unit which revolves about the mis of the coil as the strand is withdrawn, the improvement which comprises a pair of blades mounted in parallel relationship and spaced a distance just sufiicient to permit the strand to pass therebetween, said blades being positioned so that the strand being withdrawn passes therebetween to the guide unit, and means for mounting said blades to the guide unit for revolution therewith and for pivotal movement with respect thereto so that one of said blades is maintained in continuous contact with the surfaceofthe coil by the strand passing between said blades, thus effectively separating the strand being withdrawn from the strand convolutions remaining in the coil.

3. An apparatus for withdrawing a strand from a supply reel, which comprises a fiyer arm, means for mounting said fiyer arm for revolution about the axis of the reel, first strand-guiding means carried .by said fiyer arm and designed for guiding the withdrawing strand away from the reel so that the withdrawing strand causes revolution of said fiyer arm, a support member, means for mounting said support member to said fiyer arm for revolution therewith and for pivotal movement with respect thereto about an axis parallel to the axis of the reel and beyond the outer edge thereof, second strandguiding means carried by said support member and designed for engaging the strand as it is withdrawn from the reel and guiding the strand to said first guiding means, and means carried by said support member for wedging the strand being withdrawn away from the adjacent convolutions remaining on the reel to disengage the strand from the reel while said Wedging means are maintained in continuous contact with adjacent convolutions of the strand on the reel by the'strand being unwound.

4. An apparatus for withdrawing a strand from a supply reel, which comprises a fiyer arm, means for mounting said fiyer arm for revolution about the axis of the reel, first strand-guiding means carried by said fiyer arm and designed for guiding the withdrawing strand away from the reel so that the withdrawing strand causes revolution of said fiyer arm, a support member, means for mounting said support member to said fiyer arm for revolution therewith and for pivotal movement with respect thereto about an axis parallel to the axis of the reel and beyond the outer edge thereof, second strandguiding means carried by said support member and designed for engaging the strand as it is withdrawn from the reel and guiding the strand to said first guiding means, a wedging blade positioned between the strand being withdrawn and the convolutions remaining on the reel so that the strand being withdrawn passes over said wedging blade to said second guiding means, and means including a flat spring for mounting said Wedging blade to said support member so that said wedging blade engages the strand in advance of said second guide means, the strand passing over said wedging blade causing pivotal movement of said support member and flexing of the flat spring to maintain said wedging blade in continuous contact with the Winding surface of the reel, thus eii'ectively separat- 11 ing the strand being withdrawn from the adjacent strand convolutions remaining on the reel and maintaining the remaining convolutions in place.

5. An apparatus for withdrawing a strand from a supply reel, which comprises a fiyer arm, means for mounting said fiyer arm for revolution about the axis of the reel, first strand-guiding means carried by said fiyer arm and designed for guiding the Withdrawing strand away from the reel so that the withdrawing strand causes revolution of said fiyer arm, a support member, means for mounting said support member to said fiyer arm for revolution therewith and for pivotal movement with respect thereto about an axis parallel to the axis of the reel and beyond the outer edge thereof, second strandguiding means carried by said support member and designed for engaging the strand as it is Withdrawn from the reel and guiding the strand to said first guiding means, a pair of blades positioned so that the strand being withdrawn passes therebetween to said second guiding means, said blades being slightly shorter in length than the winding length of the reel and spaced a distance slightly greater than the normal diameter of the strand, and a pair of flat springs for mounting said blades to said support member, the strand passing between said blades causing pivotal movement of said support member and flexing of said flat springs to maintain one of said blades in continuous contact with the Winding surface of the reel, thus effectively separating the strand being withdrawn from the adjacent strand convolutions remaining on the reel and maintaining the remaining convolutions in place.

6. An apparatus for withdrawing a strand from a supply reel, which comprises a reel support, means for clamping the supply reel to the reel support, a fiyer unit mounted upon said clamping means for rotation with respect thereto about the longitudinal axis of the reel, said fiyer unit engaging the strand being withdrawn for rotation thereby as the strand is withdrawn, and means supported by said fiyer unit for rotation therewith for wedging continuously between the strand being withdrawn from the reel and adjacent convolutions remaining on the reel to facilitate disengagement of the strand from the adjacent convolutions of the strand on the reel.

7. An apparatus for withdrawing a strand from a supply reel, which comprises a reel support, means for clamping the supply reel to the reel support, a fiyer unit mounted to said clamping means for rotation with respect thereto about the longitudinal axis of the reel, said fiyer unit engaging the strand being withdrawn for rotation thereby as the strand is withdrawn from the reel, braking means mounted to said fiyer unit and engaging portions of said clamping means for retarding the rotation of said fiyer unit, and means pivotably mounted to said fiyer unit for rotation therewith about said axis of the reel and for wedging between the strand being withdrawn and the adjacent convolutions remaining on the reel to facilitate disengagement of the strand from the adjacent convolutions of the strand on the reel, said wedging means being maintained by the strand being withdrawn in continuous contact with said adjacent convolutions.

8. Apparatus for withdrawing a strand coiled on a supply reel having a central bore, which comprises a support for such a supply reel, said support having a locking element provided thereon; a clamp including a body portion designed to be engaged with and seated on one end of the supply reel in surrounding relationship with respect to the central bore, a clamping rod mounted at one end thereof to said body portion for limited axial movement with respect thereto and arranged to extend into the central bore of the supply reel when the body portion is engaged and seated on the end of the supply reel, locking means provided on the other end of the clamping rod and designed for engaging the locking element when the clamping rod is in an extended position with respect to the body portion, and resilient means arranged between the body portion and the clamping rod, said resilient means tending to urge the body portion tightly against the reel to hold the reel firmly to the support when the locking means on the rod is in engagement with the locking element of the support; a fiyer unit mounted on said clamp for rotation with respect thereto about the longitudinal axis of the reel when the clamp is in its clamping position, said fiyer unit including a fiyer arm having portions thereof engaging the strand as it is withdrawn from the supply reel so that the flyer arm is rotated thereby as the strand is withdrawn, and means supported by said fiyer arm for rotation therewith for wedging between the strand being withdrawn from the reel and adjacent convolutions of the coil on the reel, said wedging means being maintained continuously by the strand being withdrawn in contact with the surface of the coil.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, in which means are mounted to said fiyer unit and designed for continuous braking engagement with a surface of the body portion of the clamp to retard the free rotation of the fiyer unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,048,511 Newton July 21, 1936 2,417,818 Finn Mar. 25, 1947 2,454,590 Berlinger Nov. 23, 1948 2,514,264 Soper July 4, 1950 2,643,075 Moore June 23, 1953 2,743,066 Crurn Apr. 24, 1956 2,941,746 Hunt June 21, 1960

Claims

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A STRAND-UNWINDING APPARATUS OF THE TYPE WHEREIN A STRAND IS WITHDRAWN FROM A COIL AND IS PASSED TO A GUIDE UNIT WHICH REVOLVES ABOUT THE AXIS OF THE COIL AS THE STRAND IS WITHDRAWN, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES A WEDGING BLADE POSITIONED BETWEEN THE STRAND BEING WITHDRAWN AND AGAINST THE SURFACE OF THE COIL SO THAT THE STRAND BEING WITHDRAWN PASSES OVER SAID WEDGING BLADE TO THE GUIDE UNIT, AND MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID WEDGING BLADE TO THE GUIDE UNIT FOR REVOLUTION THEREWITH AND FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT THERETO SO THAT SAID WEDGING BLADE IS MAINTAINED IN CONTINUOUS CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE OF THE COIL BY THE STRAND PASSING THEREOVER, THUS EFFECTIVELY SEPARATING THE STRAND BEING WITHDRAWN FROM THE ADJACENT STRAND CONVOLUTIONS REMAINING IN THE COIL.