US3253800A - Convolution-control cage for wirecoiling machine - Google Patents

Description

May 31, 1966 D. P. WHITACRE CONVOLUTION-CONTROL CAGE FOR WIRE-COILING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed .Dec. 9, 1963 IN VENTOR.

United States Patent 3,253,800 CONVOLUTION-CONTROL CAGE FOR WIRE- COILING MACHINE Donald P. Whitacre, 1013 N. Margarita Ave., Alhambra, Calif.

Filed Dec. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 328,950 8 Claims. (Cl. 242 83) This invention relates to the wire-coiling art and is particularly directed to a device for coiling wire from a galvanizing or wire-drawing machine.

In my prior Patent No. 3,023,977, granted March 6, 1962, and in my copending application for Wire-Coiling Machine, filed of even date herewith, there are disclosed devices employing a rotary flyer for wrapping wire around a capstan or block, so that the wire falls by gravity into an annular coil, the individual loops of the coil lying in a random pattern.

The present invention is directed to apparatus for use with coiling machines of the same general type shown in my patent and copending application identified above, but which apparatus serves to produce a different type of coil of wire. Thec oil of wire produced by the apparatus of the present invention consists of a large number of wire loops of the same size but circumferentially staggered, so that the diameter of the individual wire loops is substantially less than the outer diameter of the coil and substantially greater than the inner diameter of the coil.

Briefly stated, the device of the present invention employs a rotary turntable coaxially positioned below a rotary flyer, together with an adjustable cage device which guides the wire convolutions in their gravity fall from the coiling machine to a location on the turntable which is offset with respect to its rotary axis. While each wire convolution is guided to form a wire loop in the same location in space, the turntable on which the coil is being formed continues to rotate, with the result that each wire loop in the coil is curcumferentialy staggered with respect to adjacent coils. The advantage of a wire coil of this type is that a greater length of wire may be stored in the coil for the same outside diameter and axial length.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a novel form of convolution-control cage apparatus adapted to form a Wire coil of the stated type on a rotary platform below the cage apparatus.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation showing a preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional plan view taken substantially on lines 22, as shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional side elevation taken substantially on the lines 3-3, as shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURES 4, 5, and 6 are fragmentary sectional elevations taken substantially on the lines 44, 55, and 66, respectively, as shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of the type of wire coil formed by the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, the wire-coiling machine generally designated 10 is preferably of the type shown in my copending application referred to above and includes a frame 11 provided with a stationary, horizontal support 12. Stationary capstans or dead blocks 13, 14, and 15 of progressively increasing size are fixed relative to the frame-support member 12. A rotary-flyer assembly 16, including a hollow vertical shaft 17, is rotated :by means of an electric motor 18 driving through variable-speed power transmission connections 19. A speed-oontrol handle 20 mounted on the frame acts through chains 21 and 22 to control the variable speed of transmission connections 19 and thereby regulate the speed of the rotary flyer 16. The wire 26 passes around the lead-in pulley 25, downward through the hollow vertical shaft 17, around the direction-changing pulley 27 mounted on the rotary. flyer 16. Any memory or tendency of the wire to bend in any direction is removed by means of the killer-blockassembly 28, and then the wire passes over a series of pulleys and rollers and is wound around one of the deadblocks. In the position of the parts shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the wire is being wound on the deaclblock 14. Several turns of wire are wound on the deadblock, and the last turn is held in place by a pressure roller 30, carried by the rotary flyer 16. The wire 26 then falls by gravity from the deadblock, forming one or more convolutions 31 as it drops over the central cylindrical mandrel 32 mounted concentrically on the turntable 33.

The circular turntable 33 has a flat, upper surface 34, and the turntable is mounted on axially spaced bearings supported in a housing 35 mounted in a pit 36 extending 7 below the floor line 37. A variable-speed electric motor 38 mounted on the frame 10 is connected by a reduction gearing 40 to drive the turntable 33. The mandrel 32 turns with the turntable.

In accordance with my invention, there is provided a convolution-control assembly generally designated 40, which acts to position the convo-lutions 31 of the wire 26 as it descends by gravity from the coiling machine 10 to the turntable 33. As shown in the drawings, this assembly 40 includes a'stationary, upright, hollow post 41, connected to the frame 10 by brackets 42. A vertical plate 43 fixed to the post 41 has opposite parallel, vertical edges which provide a t-rackway for rollers 44 and 45. These rollers 44 and 45 are mounted on a vertically moving carrier 46, therolls 45 being adjustable by means of the thumb screws 47.

Horizontal arms and 51 extend at right angles from the carrier 46. Near its outer end, the arm pivotally supports the guidebar 52 between a pair of stop collars 53. The outer end of the guidebar 52 carries a projecting portion 54, which extends upward at an angle. A counterweight 55 balances the major portion of the weight of the guidebar 52. A bracket fixed on the arm 51 carries horizontal extension rods 61 and' 62 for pivotally supporting the guide rod 63. Stop collars 64 hold the guide rod 63 in selected position, and a counterweight 65 balances the major portion of the weight of the guide rod 63. The swinging end of the guide rod 63 carries a projecting finger 66, which extends downward and then upward at an angle.

Another finger 67 projects upward and outward from the bracket 60. The bracket 60 carries a horizontal slot 70 to receive a clamp bolt 71, received in a plate 72.(see FIGURE 2). The plate 72 supports a horizontal stub shaft 73, having a gauge wheel 74, rotatably mounted thereon.

It will be noted that the fingers 66, 67, and 54 project upward and outward away from the convolution 31 of wire 26.descending from the coiling machine 10.

A counterweight 80, positioned within the hollow post 41 is connected by cable 81 passing over pulley 82 to the carrier 46, and this counterweight serves to counterbalance the major portion of the weight of the carrier 46, horizontal arms 50 and 51, and the apparatus mounted on said arms.

In operation, a mandrel 32 is placed on the center of the turntable 33, and the motor 38 causes the turntable and mandrel to rotate as a unit. The convolution-control cage is lowered along the trackway plate 43 until the pivoted arms 52 and 63 and the gauge wheel 74 all rest on the upper surface 34 of the turntable 33. Power is then supplied to the motor 18 to cause the coiling machine to draw wire 46 through the pulley system and to wrap it on the deadblock 14 in a plurality of turns. The wire 26 falling from the deadblock by gravity forms convolutions as it drops down over the mandrel 32 and comes to rest on the turntable 33. The wire 26 rests in flat, substantially circular loops 84 of the same diameter and without any substantial helix angle. The loops 84 do not fall centrally around the mandrel 32 because each convolution 3 1 is contracted by the fingers 54, 66, and 67 to move them so that the loops 84 each have one portion thereof tangent to the central mandrel 32. Since the turntable 33 rotates as the convolutions descend, each loop 84 is deposited in a circumferentially staggered position with respect to the previous loop 84. A coil 85 builds up onthe turntable 33. As the height of the coil 85 increases, the uppermost loops 84 in the coil contact the underside of the horizontal arm 61, thereby lifting the entire convolution-control device 40, assisted by the counterbalance weight 80. The pivoted guidebars 63 and 52- also ride on the upper surface of the coil 85 as it is being formed. The gauge wheel 74 acts in turn on each wire loop 84, thereby maintaining a constant outside diameter of the coil 85. When the height of the coil 85 approaches the height of the mandrel 32, the wire in one of the convolution 31 is cut, the control device 40 is manually raised, and the completed coil 85 and mandrel 32 are removed as a unit. A new mandrel 32 is placed in central position on the turntable 33; the control device 40 is lowered into position; and forming of a new coil is begun. The operation of removing the completed coil and beginning formation of a new coil may be completed without stopping the coiling machine 10, if desired;

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I am not to be limited to the details herein set forth, but that my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A convolution-control device for use with a horizontal deadblock of a wire-coiling machine and a horizontal rotary turntable comprising: non-rotary wire-contacting elements positioned below the deadblock and above the rotary turntable and acting to shift each convolution of wire descending by gravity from the deadblock in the same direction to a location laterally offset from the axis of the turntable, so that loops of wire are deposited in circumferentially staggered position to build up a coil of wire.

2. A convolution-control device for use with a horizontal deadblock of a wire-coiling machine and a horizontal rotary turntable provided with a central upstanding mandrel comprising; non-rotary wire-contacting elements positioned below the deadblock and above the rotary turntable and acting to shift each convolution of wire descending by gravity from the deadblock in the same direction to a location laterally offset from the axis of the turntable, so that loops of wire are deposited over the mandrel in circumferentially staggered position to build up a coil of wire.

3, In a convolution-control device for use with a horizontal deadblock of a wire-coiling machine and a rotary turntable, the combination of: a support structure, means guiding the support structure for movement parallel to the axis of the turntable, and non-rotary wire-contacting elements connected to the support structure and acting to 4 shift each convolution of wire descending by gravity from the deadblock in the same direction to a location laterally oifset from the axis of the turntable, so that loops of wire are deposited in circumferentially staggered position to build up a coil of wire.

4. In a convolution-control device for use with a horizontal deadblock of a wire-coiling machine and a rotary turntable, the combination of z a support structure, means guiding the support structure for movement parallel to the axis of the turntable, non-rotary wire-contacting elements connected to the support structure and acting to 1 shift each convolution of wire descending by gravity from the deadblock in the same direction to a location laterally offset from the axis of the turntable, so that loops of wire are deposited in circumferentially staggered position to build up a coil of wire, and means on the support structure engaged by the wire loops for lifting the support structure along said guide means as the height of the wire coil increases.

5, In a convolution-control device for use with a horizontal deadblock of a wire-coiling machine and a horizontal rotary turntable provided with a' central vertical mandrel, the combination of: a support structure, means guiding the support structure for vertical movement, nonrotary wire-contacting elements connected to the support structure and acting to shift each convolution of wire descending by gravity from the deadblock in the same direction to a location laterally offset from the axis of the turntable, so that loops of wire are deposited over the mandrel in circumferentially staggered position to build up a coil of wire, and means on the support structure engaged by the wire for lifting the support structure along said guide means as the height of the wire coil increases.

6. In a convolution-control device for use with a horizontal deadblock of a wire-coiling machine and a rotary turntable, the combination of: a support structure, including a pair of horizontal arms fixed at right angles, a pair of counterweighted guidebars, one pivoted on each of said arms, respectively, each guidebar having a non-rotary wire-contacting element near its swinging end, another non-rotary wire-contacting element on one of said arms, said wire-contacting elements being positioned to shift each convolution of wire descending by gravity from the deadblock in the same direction to a location laterally offset from the axis of the turntable, so that loops of Wire are deposited in circumferentially staggered position to build up a coil of wire.

' 7. In a convolution-control device for use with a horizontal deadblock of a wire-coiling machine and a rotary turntable, the combination of: a support structure, means guiding the support structure for movement parallel to the axis of the turntable, said support structure including a pair of horizontal arms fixed at right angles, a pair of counterweighted guidebars, one pivoted on each of said arms, respectively, each guidebar having a non-rotary wire-contacting element near its swinging end, another non-rotary wire-contacting element on one of said arms, said wire-contacting elements being positioned to shift each convolution of wire descending by gravity from the deadblock in the same direction to a location laterally offset from the axis of the turntable, so that loops of wire are deposited in circumferentially staggered position to build up a coil of wire, and means on the support structure engaged by the wire loops for lifting the support structure along said guide means as the height of the wire coil increases.

8. In a convolution-control device for use with a horizontal deadblock of a wire-coiling machine and a rotary turntable, the combination of: a support structure, means guiding the support structure for movement parallel to the axis of the turntable, non-rotary wire-contacting elements connected to the, support structure and acting to shift each convolution of wire descending by gravity from the deadblock in the same direction to a location lateral- 5 6 ly offset from the axis of the turntable, so that loops of References Cited by the Examiner wire are deposited in circumferentially staggered position UNITED STATES PATENTS to build up a coil of mm, a gauge wheel on the support structure engageable with each of the wire loops in turn 2,936,509 5/1960 242 83 X to define the outer diameter of the wire coil being formed, 5 31061129 10/1962 Crum and means on the support structure engaged by the wire for lifting the support structure along said guide means MERVIN STEIN Puma? Examiner as the height of the wire coil increases. D. E. WATKINS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A CONVOLUTION-CONTROL DEVICE FOR USE WITH A HORIZONTAL DEADBLOCK OF A WIRE-COILING MACHINE AND A HORIZONTAL ROTARY TURNTABLE COMPRISING: NON-ROTARY WIRE-CONTACTING ELEMENTS POSITIONED BELOW THE DEADBLOCK AND ABOVE THE ROTARY TURNTABLE AND ACTING TO SHIFT EACH CONVOLUTION OF WIRE DESCENDING BY GRAVITY FROM THE DEADBLOCK IN THE SAME DIRECTION TO A LOCATION LATERALLY OFFSET FROM THE AXIS OF THE TURNTABLE, SO THAT LOOPS OF WIRE ARE DEPOSITED IN CIRCUMFERENTIALLY STAGGERED POSITION TO BUILD UP A COIL OF WIRE.

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