US3186653A - Centrifugal self-cleaning snagger - Google Patents

Description

June 1, 1955 J. J. STEFANISZYN 3,186,553

CENTRIFUGAL SELF-CLEANING SNAGGER Filed Oct. 29, 1962v INVENTOR JOHN J. STEFANISZYN A TTORNE of the take-up reel.

United States Patent 3,186,653 CENTRIFUGAL SELF-CLEANING SNAGGER John Joseph Stefaniszyn, Pointe Claire, Quebec, Canada, assignor to Northern Electric Company Limited, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Filed Oct. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 233,615 11 Claims. (Cl. 242-25) This invention relates generally to snagger plates for strand take-up mechanisms and more particularly to snagger plates which are self-cleaning.

In the continuous production of strand in which the strand is wound in predetermined lengths on successive .mechanism and by guiding the strand from the full reel to the empty reel. A snagger plate having peripheral snagging members or teeth is mounted in the take-up mecha- .nism adjacent each reel for rotation therewith so that the strand is snagged and gripped by a tooth of each snagger plate as the strand is shifted from the one reel to the other. A cutting blade positioned between the snagger plates severs the strand to separate the strand on the full reel from that being wound on the empty reel so that the full reel may be stopped and removed from the take-up mechanism. Gripping of one severed strand end by the snagger plate on the full reel is maintained until just before the full reel is removed and gripping of the other severed strand end by the other snagger plate maintains a pulling force on the strand being wound on the empty reel.

The first snagger plates of the prior art had fixed teeth cooperating with the plate periphery to form tapered gripping slots in which the strand became wedged and from which the strand had to be pulled manually for removal Frequently, the strand became so tightly wedged in one of the gripping slots that it had to be pried loose. This eventually resulted in damage to the snagger plate and, in any event, demanded manual attention which made such snagger plates unsuitable for use vin conjunction with automatic take-up reel loading and i unloading arrangements.

snagger'plate was brought to a stop. The teeth were biased to the open position by spring means until the snagger plate was rotated whereupon centrifugal force overcome the biasing action of the spring means and closed theteeth into gripping'position, the teeth being counter-weighted for that purpose. The critical speed 'for this centrifugal action was somewhat less than the minimum operating speed so that the teeth would be in gripping position when the operating speed was reached and would be open by the time the snagger plate and reel came to a stop. Insofar as itfreed the strand ends upon coming to rest thisself-cleaning snagger plate was an improvement over the fixed-tooth snagger plate. However,

,it was still not satisfactory for use with automatic reel handling arrangements because the severed strand end often became entangled with the teeth due to the centrifrugal or whipping action on the loosened strand end as the snagger plate continued to rotate before coming to rest.

A snagger plate generally has a snagging member mounted thereon and is adapted to be mounted in a takeup mechanism adjacent the flange of a take-up reel. It

has been discovered according to the invention that a supe- 3,186,653 Patented June 1, 1965 rior snagger plate is obtained when the snagging member is pivotally mounted on the plate so that a free end of the member, which is movable into engagement with the periphery of the plate upon rotation of the latter above the critical speed, is movable axially of the plate on the side thereof remote from the reel.

When the snagging member in the snagger plate of the invention moves to the open or non-gripping position to release the strand, the free end of the member moves from its position of engagement with the plate periphery to a position which is axially spaced therefrom on the side of the plate remote from the take-up reel. This movement of the free end is toward the severed end of the strand, which movement reduces the length of strand extending beyond the snagging member and increases the length of strand between the member and the reel. Corresponding changes also occur in the centrifugal forces on the strand on either side of the snagging member thereby decreasing the whipping of the free end of the strand, which whipping tends to entangle the strand end with the snagging member, and increasing the force pulling the strand end clear of the snagger plate.

In addition, broken pieces of strand are thrown clear of the snagger plate by centrifugal force because the snagging member in the open position does not overlie the periphery of the plate. Thus, the snagger plate according to the invention has much improved self-cleaning characteristics than prior snagger plates of this type.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified view of a strand take-up mechanism utilizing snagger plates;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view taken partly in section along line 22 of FIG. 3 of a snagger plate according to this invention mounted in a take-up mechanism; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 in FIG. 2.

In the simplified strand take-up mechanism as shown in FIG. 1, a pair of take-up reels 10 and 11 for a strand 12 are mounted on arbors 13 and have a pair of snagger plates 14 mounted for rotation therewith. As it is advanced from a processing station, the strand 12 is distributed back and forth between the flanges of one reel by a strand guide 15 until that reel is full as represented by reel 10. The guide 15 then shifts to the empty reel 11 drawing the strand 12 over the flanges of the reels where it is gripped by the snagger plates 14. A knife 16, positioned between the snagger plates, cuts the strand 12 so that the full reel 10 may be stopped and removed from its arbor 13. The snagger plates 14 firmly grip the strand ends to prevent premature unwinding from the full reel 10 and to provide the pulling force necessary to initiate winding of the strand 12 onto the empty reel 11.

A snagger plate according to the invention is shown mounted on a take-up mechanism in FIGS. 2 and 3 The snaggerplate 14 comprises a circular plate 17 rotatably mounted on a supportls of the take-up mechanism by a ,shaft 19 securely fastened to or integral with a boss 20 on the plate. A pulley 21 fastened to the shaft 19 provides the driving connection between the snagger plate 14 and a drive motor (not shown). A second boss 22 ,on the opposite side of the plate 17 has a tapered axial bore 23 in which is removaibly disposed a pintle 24 for supporting one side of a take-up reel 10. T hev other side of the-reel 10 is rotatably supported by an arbor 25' which .ber and isadapted to be compressed between the rigid ring 26 and the flange 28 of the reel 1% when the latter is positioned on the pintle 24 and the arbor 25.

symmetrically arranged around the periphery of .the-

plate 17 are a plurality of L-shaped snagging members 29 as seen in FIG. 2, each of which has two leg portions 30 and 31. The leg portion 30 is radially disposed on 'the side of the plate 17 remote from'the reel and the leg portion 3 l-extendsaxialy through an aperture 3-2 to the other side of the plate 17 where it is pivotally mounted at its free end on a pin 33 supported by tabs 33a. The pivotal axisof the'snagging member 29 as defined by the pin 33 is perpendicular both to the rotational axis of the snagger plate 14 and to the radius defined by the leg portion 3%). The aperture 3-2 is sufficiently large to: permit limited pivotal movement of the snagging member29'whereby the free end of the leg portion 39 is axially movable relative to the plate 17. In-

tegral with the free end. of the leg portion 30 is a tooth 34 which is adapted to contact the periphery of the'plate 1'7 and form therewith a tapered 'strand gripping slot 35 (FIGURE 3) when the snagging member 29 is in the solid-line position shown in FIGURE 2. A peripheral rim36 ensures intimate contact between the tooth 34 and' the plate 17.-

Threadably extending through the. plate 17 from the 7 side thereof adjacent the reel 10 and associated with each snagging member'29 is a tubular housing 37 having a plunger 38 reciprocally disposed therein. The plunger 4i, position extending beyond the periphery of the plate and defining with the periphery of the plate a slot which lies beyond the periphery of the plate and diverges in the direction of rotation of the plate, whereby a strand laid across the periphery of the plate will be snagged in said slot.

2. A snagger plate for strands comprising a rotatable plate, pivot means mounted on the plate and having'a pivot axis which extends at a substantial angle to the axis of rotation of the plate, a snagging member having a free end and mounted on said pivot means for pivotal movement between a normal position in Which said free end is spaced axially fromthe plate "and a snagging posi tion in which it is in contact with the' plate, the snag- 38 extends from the housing 37 so that its free end isincontact with the leg portion of a member 29. A spring 3 retained in the housing 37 by a plug 40, acts against the inner endof the plunger 33, to urge the mag ging member 29 to the open or non-gripping dotted-line position of FIGURE 2.

A peripheral flange 41, projecting from the plate 17'to. the periphery of the reel flange 23, shroudsthe space between the 'snagger platel t and the reel 10 to prevent entry of the strand therein.

When the 'snagger plate 14' is atrest, the snagging members 29 are urged to the open position shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2 by the spring loaded plungers.

38. In this position, the teeth 34 are axially spaced from the periphery of the plate 17; Upon rotation of the snagger plate 14 above the critical speed,centrifugal force. acts on the snagging members '29 to pivot them v ging member adopting said snagging: position by the action of centrifugal force thereon upon rotation of the plate above a critical speed, said free end of the snagging member in said snagging position extending beyond the periphery of the plate .and defining with the periphery .of the plate. a slot which'lies beyond the periphery of the plate and diverges in the direction of rotation of the plate, whereby a strand laid acrossthe periphery of the plate will be snagged in said slot.

3.. A snagger plate as definedin claim 1 comprising means for disengaging the free end of the snagging member from the plate upon cessation of rotation of the latter. i

4. A snagger plate as defined-in claim'3 whe'rein 'said means is spring operated. V

5. A snagger plate as defined in claim 1 'wherein the plate has an aperture communicating with both sides thereof, and the snagging member is substantially 'L-shaped with one leg portion disposed radially on the side of the plateremote from the reel and with the other leg portion extending through the aperture, the one leg portion having. said free end, the end of the' other leg portion which extends through the aperturebeing piv- -otally mounted on the plate on 'the side'thereof adjacent about their pins 33 against the action of the spring loaded 2 plungers38 to bring the teeth 34 into contact with the rim 36 on the periphery of the plate17 to form the strand gripping. slots 35. It is preferable that the arrangement of mernbers 2 and spring 39 be such that the teeth 34 contact the rim 36 before the snagger plate reaches the, minimum operating speed. Thus, on deceleration. but before the snagger plate 14 comes to rest, the plungers a 33 overcome.thediminishing centrifugal force and urge the snagging members29 toward their open positions;

This ensures that the strandends will be thrown clear ofthesnagger plate 14 by: centrifugal forceand cannot 7 possibly remainQtr-apped between the teeth 34 and rim 36..

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A snagger plate for astrand take-up mechanisrn'in which a take-up reel is rotatablyand drivably mounted, comprising a plate adapted to be mounted on the take-up mechanism adjacent a flange of the reel for rotation therejwith,ppivot means mounted on the plate and having .a

pivot axis which extends at a substantial angleto the axis of rotation of the plate, a snagging member'having a free end and mounted 'on said pivot means for pivotal movement between a normal position in which said free'end is spaced axially from the plate on the side thereof remote from the reel and a snagging position'in which it is in. contact withthe plate, the snagging member adoptingsaidrsnagging position by the action of centrifugal force thereon upon rotation, of the plate above a-critical speed, said-free end of the snaggingmemberin said snagging driving means comprises a rubber spacera the reel. 7

6. A' snagger plate as defined in'claim 5 comprising spring-operatedmeans mounted on the plate and engaging the one leg portion to urge 'the'free end thereof from engagement with the plate upon cessation of rotation of driving means mounted. 'on the" plate and adapted to .drivingly connect the plate andlthe reel.

10. A snagger plate. as defined in claim 9* wherein the driving means is adapted to be compressed between the plate and the reel flange.

.11. A snagger plate as defined in claim 10 wherein the RefereneesCited bythe Examiner- UNITED. STATES PATENTS 'Mnnvmi STEIN, Primary 1 Examiner. v

RUssELL c. 'MAD R,-E. m;iher,- l r

Claims (1)

1. A SNAGGER PLATE FOR A STRAND TAKE-UP MECHANISM IN WHICH A TAKE-UP REEL IS ROTATABLY AND DRIVABLY MOUNTED, COMPRISING A PLATE ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON THE TAKE-UP MECHANISM ADJACENT A FLANGE OF THE REEL FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, PIVOT MEANS MOUNTED ON THE PLATE AND HAVING A PIVOT AXIS WHICH EXTENDS AT A SUBSTANTIAL ANGLE TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE PLATE, A SNAGGING MEMBER HAVING A FREE END AND MOUNTED ON SAID PIVOT MEANS FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN A NORMAL POSITION IN WHICH SAID FREE END IS SPACED AXIALLY FROM THE PLATE ON THE SIDE THEREOF REMOTE FROM THE REEL AND A SNAGGING POSITION IN WHICH IT IS IN CONTACT WITH THE PLATE, THE SNAGGING MEMBER ADOPTING SAID SNAGGING POSITION BY THE ACTION OF CENTRIFUGAL FORCE THEREON UPON ROTATION OF THE PLATE ABOVE A CRITICAL SPEED, SAID FREE END OF THE SNAGGING MEMBER IN SAID SNAGGING POSITION EXTENDING BEYOND THE PERIPHERY OF THE PLATE AND DEFINING WITH THE PERIPHERY OF THE PLATE A SLOT WHICH LIES BEYOND THE PERIPHERY OF THE PLATE AND DIVERGES IN THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION OF THE PLATE, WHEREBY A STRAND LAID ACROSS THE PERIPHERY OF THE PLATE WILL BE SNAGGED IN SAID SLOT.

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