US3347477A - Continuous wire winding device - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 17, TOUZE CONTINUOUS WIRE WINDING DEVICE 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28, 1966 INVENTOR. BY P/rre 750 26 Oct. 17, 1967 P. TOUZE commfious WIRE WINDING DEVICE 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1966 INVENTOR Oct. 17, 1967 P.TOUZE CONTINUOUS WIRE WINDING DEVICE '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 28, 1966 R m w W.

P. TouzE Oct. 17, 19 67 CONTINUOUS WIRE WINDING DEVICE 7 Sheets-Shet 4 Filed June 28, 1966 INVENTOR. P//re 7502a WM (f P. TOUZE Get. 17, 1967 CONTINUOUS WIRE VENDING DEVICE 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 28, 1966 m w w m /w 6 egw Oct. 17, 1967 P. TOUZE CONTINUOUS WIRE WINDING DEVICE 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 28, 1966 INVENTOR. BY p/r e 75026 P. TOUZE Oct. 17, 1967 T Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed June 28, 1966 R m a m M m 7 e w 5 Q 1 vmm v M T I 4 7. J 6 M r l m 7 II I. no. I L 3 n HHM 5 U i: L m E VFW 8 Inn. w 5/|\\ L lil M. MWHHV V 2 5 -2 3 4 R M United States Patent Ofiice 3,347,477 Patented Oct. 17, 1967 10 Claims. icl. 242 2s ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A wire Winding apparatus comprising at least two reelcarrying spindles and including a set of idler pulleys mounted to rotate concentrically about the reel carrying spindles thereby permitting passage of the wire from one reel to the other while holding the wire on the core of this latter reel and cutting the wire at its section situated between the two reels.

The present invention relates generally to continuous wire winding apparatus and has for an object an improved Wire winding apparatus provided with two or more rotatable reel-carrying spindles, with which are associated relatively simple systems for ensuring that the wire passes from one reel to another Without interrupting the unwindin of the wire and without substantially modifying its speed. The winding apparatus according to the invention permits not only the use, in the winding of the wire on reels, of simple receiving reels of the ordinary type havin smooth checks or flanges, but also the maximum simplification of the operations enabling the full reels to be replaced by empty reels on the reel-carrying spindles; and consequently an advantageous reduction of the time required for the reels to be changed.

In a continuous wire winding apparatus having two or more operation stations, when a receiving reel is filled, the wire is generally made to pass over to the reel of the adjacent station and said wire is held on said reel.

In order to effect these operations, either especially constructed receiving reels are used or reels of the ordinary type having smooth cheeks or flanges, with which delicate components for mechanically hooking and holding the wire are remov-ably associated. Up to the present time, the reels of wire obtained from such winding apparatus do not have a particularly advantageous cost price. This is due either to the relatively high price of the special receiving reels used, or to the costs of maintaining r the delicate hooking and holding mechanical components which are used with reels of the ordinary type and to the costs of handling relative to the operations of previous preparation of the receiving reels, these operations consisting in mounting said components for mechanically hooking and holding thewire 0n the empty reels and in removing them from the full reels and finally to the costs of handling in the reel changing operations.

In certain known wire Winding apparatus, the reel carrying spindles are mounted on pivoting supports and arranged in line with one another. In order to replace a full reel by an empty reel on a reel-carrying spindle, said spindle must previously be oscillated about the pivot axis of its support in order to throw it out of line from the other reel carrying spindle, this permitting the full reel to be withdrawn and replaced by an empty spare reel. The result is that in addition to the time for withdrawing and placing the reels in position, there is added the time taken by the operator to throw the corresponding reel carrying spindle out of line and to return it again into its initial position.

The present invention permits such disadvantages to be avoided and consequently reels of wire to be obtained whose cost price is particularly advantageous.

The present invention has for its main object a winding apparatus comprising at least two reel-carrying spindles with which improved, relatively simple combined systems are associated, permitting both the passage of the wire from one reel to the other, the holding of said wire on the core of this latter reel and the cutting of the Wire at its section situated between these two reels to be efiected without having to resort to a disadvantageous utilisation of conventional components for mechanically hooking or anchoring and holding the wire on the receiving reels. These improved combined systems comprise in particular a system of sets of idler pulleys mounted to rotate concentrically, respectively about the reel carrying spindles and co-operating systems, namely a wire moving system, a guide or traverse system and a wire cutting system.

The present invention has for yet another object a winding apparatus in which the reel-carrying spindles are mounted at fixed stations and associated with the cooperating combined systems described in the preceding paragraph. These reel carrying spindles comprise in particular a cylindrical part intended to receive wire receiving reels and provided with flexible elements for retaining these reels, and on said cylindrical part a shoulder or stopping flange serving as a final stop for these wire receiving reels.

The invention will now be further described, by Way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of continuous wire winding apparatus, according to the pres ent invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front, partial and schematic view of the winding apparatus of FIGURE 1, showing the successive positions occupied by the wire moving system in the operation of passing the wire from one reel to another;

FIGURES 3 to 7 schematically show the passage of the wire from a first receiving reel to a second receiving reel, showing the movement of the set of idler pulleys and the manner in which the first wire turns are wound on the core or hub of said second receiving reel;

FIGURE 8 is a partial side view of the winding apparatus of FIGURE 1, showing the first Wire turns wound on the core of a reel;

FIGURE 9 is a partial side view of the apparatus of FIGURE 1, showing the method of crossing the wire over the first turns of Wire, this cross-over having for an object to hold the wire on the core of the reel.

FIGURE 10 is a view, in axial section, of the wire cutting system of the winding apparatus of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 11 is a view on a larger scale of a cutting roller of the wire cutting component of FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 12 is a partial schematic side view of a modification of the winding apparatus of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 13 is a partial front view of the modification illustrated in FIGURE 12, on a smaller scale.

The continuous wire winding apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 11, comprises in particular; a closed frame or chassis 1 forming a cabinet in which are contained components for driving and controlling the winding apparatus; two rotatable reel carrying spindles 2 and 3 which are parallel,

horizontal and laterally spaced and which are mounted at fixed stations projecting from the front of the chassis 1; a system of idler pulleys comprising two sets of pulleys 4 and 5 which are mounted to rotate respectively about spindles 2 and 3; a wire moving system 6 which can move in a plane parallel to the plane formed by the spindles 2 and 3, and in directions perpendicular to the axes of the latter; and a traverse system 7.

The reel carrying spindles 2 and 3, mounted at fixed stations on the front of the winding apparatus, are identical. They are preferably constituted by cylindrical parts which are maintained in rotation, by one of their ends, inside the chassis 1 by bearings such as those indicated schematically at 8 in FIGURE 9.

The outer ends of these cylindrical parts, intended in particular for carrying wire receiving reels, are provided, in their cylindrical surface, with one or more longitudinal open grooves 9 in which are mounted leafsprings 10 acting as elements for retaining the reels. These springs 10 generally have one of their ends fixed in the base of these grooves and the other end sliding in said groove, and their central part, which, has the form of a large inverted U i.e. which is bowed, substantially extends above the level of the cylindrical surfaces of said cylindrical parts.

When the receiving reels are slipped onto these cylindrical ends, the central bowed parts of the springs 10 are radially urged towards the inside of the grooves 9. Due to their own resilience, these springs 10 exert on the walls of the bore of said reels, where they make contact with the latter, a retaining force which is sufficient for permitting said reels to be solidly held on these cylindrical parts and for preventing them from rotating about the latter, without any other supplementary locking or clamping member being necessary. Generally, in order to obtain good winding characteristics i.e. reels of wire in which the wire turns are Well arranged and disposed in successive layers, it is not suflicient merely to ensure a good fixation of the wire receiving reels on the reel carrying spindles, but it is also necessary individually to adjust on the latter the position of these receiving reels, with respect to the traverse system of the winding apparatus. In order to render this adjustment of the reels easy and almost immediate, the present invention provides on the cylindrical reel carrying spindles 2 and 3 a shoulder or flange 13 serving in particular as a stop for the wire receiving reels, 11 and 12.

The adjustment of these receiving reels on the winding apparatus of the invention then consists only in sliding them on the cylindrical spindles 2 and 3 until they abut against said flanges 13. The possible displacement existing between the position of these reels thus placed in position and their exact position determined with respect to the traverse system for the purpose of obtaining a good winding, is practically reduced to the permissible tolerances of manufacture, which are moreover relatively small, for the thickness of the flanges of these receiving reels.

The reel-carrying spindles 2 and 3 are rotated respectively in opposite directions, as indicated in FIGURE 1 by arrows F and F by motors 14 and 15 and by means of belts 16 and 17 and pulleys 18 and 19 (see FIGURES 2 and 9), or any other suitable driving means. The pulleys 18 and 19 are respectively integral in rotation with the spindles 2 and 3.

In order to permit the wire, even in the course of its passage from one receiving reel to the other, to be continuously wound at a substantially constant speed, the present invention provides, as has been indicated above, in the winding apparatus and associated with the reel carrying spindles 2 and 3, three components whose combined action permit the winding station for the wire to be changed. These components are constituted by a system of two sets of idler pulleys 4- and 5, a wire moving system 6 and a traverse system 7.

The sets of idler pulleys 4 and 5 mounted to rotate respectively about spindles 2 and 3 are identical. These sets of pulleys comprise, as FIGURES 1, 2 and 9 show, a rotary plate 20 which is provided, on its rear face, with a hub 21 and on its front face with three fixed perpendicular shafts 22, 23, 24 about which three idler pulleys 25, 26, 27 respectively rotate. Shaft 22 is hollow and the idler pulley having in particular a wide 4 flat groove (see FIGURE 10) permits it easily to receive, as will be seen in the following, the wire guided by the wire moving system 6.

A wire cutting component comprising a cutting roller 28 and a knife 29 is mounted on the outer end of the hollow shaft 22. The cutting roller 28 shown on a larger scale in FIGURE 11 is fixed to the shaft 22. This roller 28 is provided on its periphery with two disengaging flats 30 and 31 and on its internal face with a circular concentric cavity 32 which can freely receive in its hollow the external web of the idle pulley 25, as FIGURE 10 shows. The circular cavity 32 is placed in communication with the periphery of the roller 28 by means of an open wire receiving groove 33, whose longitudinal axis AA is preferably determined so that it is situated in a common internal tangential plane defined between the base of the groove of the adjacent pulley 25 and the core or hub of the empty wire receiving reel mounted on the corresponding reel-carrying spindle. This particular arrangement of the groove 333 permits the wire 34 wound about said reel and pulley 25 as shown in FIGURE 6, to penetrate easily into said groove in order that it is cut by the knife 29 at the desired moment.

The knife 29 associated with the roller 28 has a profile substantially similar to the shape of an L (see FIG- URE 10). This knife 29 is mounted against the roller 28 so that, on the one hand its peripheral cutting blade 29a is adjacent the wall of the circular edge of said roller, and on the other hand its central end is fixed to a spindle 35 pivoting in the bore of the hollow spindle 22. In its rest position, the blade 29a of the knife is located in the circular Zone of the edge of the roller 28 between the disengaging fiat 31 and the entrance of the wire receiving groove 33 (see FIGURE 11).

The angular displacement of the knife 29 is controlled under the combined action of a lever 36 fixed to the axis 35 and of a retractable stop 37 mounted at a fixed position in the chassis 1 (see FIGURE 1). On the passage of the free end of the lever 36, the rotational movement of the lever 36 about the corresponding reel-carrying spindle is determined by that of the rotary plate 20 to which this lever is mechanically connected.

The lever 36 is constantly returned, by a spring 38, into its rest position according to which its free end is ready to be actuated by the retractable stop 37 which, when at rest is normally held in its retracted position.

In order to actuate the knife 29, the stop 37 is caused to extend from its housing. The stop is then along the path of the free end of the lever 36, and during the passage of said end, the stop 37 causes said lever 36 to pivot and consequently to rotate the shaft 35 which for its turn angularly displaces the knife 29.

The movement of the stop 37 to its operating position may be controlled for example by an electrical coil 39, or any other suitable control device.

According to a feature of the invention, the sets of idler pulleys 4 and 5 may rotate at a very low speed respectively about the reel carrying spindles 2 and 3 and in the same directions of rotation as the latter, which are indicated by arrows F and F in FIGURES 1 and 2. The sets of pulleys 4 and 5 may be rotated by motors or any other suitable driving components (not shown) for example through shafts 40 and gears 41, 42, the gears 42 being fixed to the hubs 21 of the plates 20. It is to be noted that the idler pulleys may be mounted on rotary apparatus other than the plates 20', for example on rotating endless chain systems (not shown).

The wire moving system 6, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 9, comprises two smooth cylinders 43 and 44 which are parallel and idle on their shafts mounted perpendicularly on the front face of a carriage 45. Said carriage is provided with four rollers 46 which permit it to move laterally over two fixed horizontal guide bars 47, which are vertically spaced. The to and fro movement of the carriage 45 is controlled for example by a reversible motor 48 fixed to the rear vertical face of the carriage 45 through an opening 49 made in the front wall of the chassis 1, and by means, for example, of a pinion 50 fixed to the shaft of the motor and a toothed rack 51 fixed on one of the fixed guide bars 47. It is understood that the smooth cylinders 43 and 44 may be mounted on an endless chain (not chain) replacing the carriage 45, and that the wire moving system 6 may comprise a single smooth cylinder 43 or 44.

The traverse system 7, which according to the invention is intended both to arrange the wire on the wire receiving reels and to effect the cross-over of the first turns of this wire on the core or hub of said receiving reels, comprises (see FIGURE 1) an improved wire guiding pulley 52 to be described in detail in the following, mounted to rotate idly on the front of a frame 53 which is animated by a uniform to and fro, front-to-back and back-to-front movement in order to effect the guiding of the wire (see FIGURES 1 and 9). This to and fro movement of the frame 53 may be controlled for example by a reversible motor 54 by means of a gear-pinion system In order to effect the cross-over of the first turns of wire wound on the receiving reels, the present invention provides a short and momentary modification of the traverse movement of the wire. To this end, one acts either on the movement of the frame 53 itself, or on the position of the wire guide pulley 52 with respect to this frame.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 9, the wire guide pulley 52 is fixed to a shaft 56 which can freely rotate and slide axially in a sleeve 57 fixed to the front of the frame 53.

The wire guide pulley 52 is constantly urged axially outwards by a helical spring 58, in its position shown in FIGURES 1 and 8. In order to permit the wire guide pulley 52 to be urged towards the frame 53, an electrical coil 59 is for example arranged about the sleeve 57, which coil, whilst it is energised, attracts in the manner of an electromagnet, the shaft 56 and the pulley 52 towards the frame 53 in opposition to spring 58.

The operation of the winding apparatus of the invention and in particular the passage of the wire from one receiving reel to another will now be described.

Referring to FIGURE 2, it is seen that the wire 34 shown in solid lines, guided by the pulley 52 of the traverse system 7 is in the process of being wound on the receiving reel 11 mounted on the reel carrying spindle 2 which rotates in the direction of the arrow F The sets of idler pulleys 4 and 5, the reel carrying spindle 3 and its empty wire receiving reel 12 remain in their rest positions. The wire moving system 6 is also located in its rest position on the left of FIGURE 2.

When the receiving reel 11 is filled to a predetermined degree, a revolution counting device or any other suitable similar component (not shown) associated with the winding apparatus, then controls the energisation of the motor 15 which rotates the reel-carrying spindle 3, and consequently its reel 12, in the direction indicated by the arrow F Whilst the motor 15 is accelerated in order to reach its operating speed, the motor 48 of the wire moving system 6 is energised in order to displace the carriage 45 from its position shown in solid lines to its position shown in broken lines on the right of FIGURE 2, at a sufiiicently low speed (about a few metres per minute) in order that the unwinding speed of the wire 34 (for example of the order of several hundreds of metres per minute) remains substantially constant, in the course of its displacement under the thrust of the smooth idler cylinder 44, from its position as shown in solid lines to its position as shown in broken lines at 34a. The wire 34, whilst continuing to be wound on the receiving reel 11, is slowly and progressively engaged in the free space between the receiving reel 12 and the idler pulley 25 of the set of pulleys 5, with the result that the traverse Cit system 7, in its return path, is displaced in a rearward direction. When the wire is in alignment with the pulley 25, the motor 48 is energised and the wire moving system 6 slowly returns to its initial position shown in solid lines on the left of FIGURE 2 and deposits the wire 34 in the wide groove of the pulley 25. The wire 34 then takes the position 34b continues to be wound on the reel 11. During this time, the reel carrying spindle 3 and its reel 12 reach their operational speed of rotation and the set of idler pulleys 5 begins to rotate in the direction indicated by arrow F at a very low speed of the order of a few metres per minute about the spindle 3, as FIG- URES 3 to 7 successively show.

The wire 34, driven by the idle pulley 25, is successively wound on the idler pulleys 26, 27 and several times round the core of the rotating reel 12 in order to form the first turns although it is still wound on the receiving reel 11. Being given the low speed of rotation of the set of idler pulleys 5 (about a few metres per minute), the unwinding speed of the wire 34 (of the order of a few hundreds of metres per minutes) may be considered as constant.

The idler pulleys 25, 26, 27 and the core or hub of the reel 12 rotate in the same direction of displacement of the wire 34 and at the same speed as the latter, then act as return pulleys.

The first turns of wire 34 formed on the core or hub of the reel 12, as FIGURE 8 shows, are clearly spaced out. The size of the spaces separating these turns depends both upon the speed of rotation of the set of idler pulleys about the spindle 3 and upon the speed of displacement of the traverse system 7. In other words, these spaces become larger as the speed of rotation of the set of idler pulleys 5 becomes lower and as the traverse speed becomes higher.

Whilst the pulley 25 drives the wire 34 and winds it about the core of the reel 12 as FIGURES 3 to 7 show.

the traverse system 7 moves the wire 34 in a forward direction. The wire 34 slowly slides along the core of the reel 12 in a forward direction and the wire strand located between the idler pulley 25 and the reel 12, is progressively engaged in the groove 33 of the cutting roller 28.

The wire 34 continues to be wound on the reel 11. When the latter is filled, i.e. when it reaches its final filling level, and whilst the set of idler pulleys 5 continues its rotation about the reel 12, the revolution counting device (not shown), already referred to above, respectively triggers off the energisation of the electrical coils 59 and 39 (see FIGURES 1 and 9). Under the effect of attraction exerted by the coil 59, the wire guiding pulley 52 is sharply drawn towards the frame 53 and the wire 34 guided by the pulley 52 is sharply brought back in a rearward direction, this having for an effect to cross the wire 34 on its turns which were initially formed on the core of the reel 12, as FIGURE 9 shows. These first wire turns are then firmly held on the core of the reel 12 and the latter then ceases to act as a return pulley. At this instant, the retractable stop 37, under the action exerted by the electrical coil 39, extends from its housing in order to actuate, the lever 36 which causesthe knife 29 to pivot towards the groove 33 of the cutting roller 28. The blade 29a of the knife cuts the wire 34 at the level of said groove 33 and frees the wire strand connecting the core of the reel 12 to the reel 11. The wire 34 is then wound on the reel 12.

The current supply to the electrical coils 59 and 39 being cut off, the wire guide pulley 52 is urged axially outwardly by the spring 58, whilst the stop 37 returns to its retracted position again. The set of idler pulleys 5 turns to its rest position shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 and becomes immobilised therein.

The traverse system 7 continues its forward course and when it has reached the end of its course, the wire moving system 6 is displaced from its position as shown 7 in the solid lines on the left of FIGURE 2 towards its position shown in broken lines on the right of this figure and is immobilised there until the next passage of the wire 34 from the reel 12 to a receiving reel mounted on the spindle 2.

The motor 14 is then stopped. The full reel 11 can be withdrawn and replaced by another empty wire receiving reel according to the method for removing and replacing the reel, which was described previously.

It is noted that the devices used in the winding apparatus of the invention in order to elfect the control and coordination of the movements of its components and systems are conventional devices which are described in detail in the present description. A control button may also be associated with these devices, which permits the operation of the passage of the wire from one receiving reel to another to be voluntarily triggered and in addition, the revolution counting device to be set at zero.

When the reel 12 is filled, the wire 34 is directed to an empty receiving reel mounted on the spindle 2. The passage of the wire 34 is developed in a manner similar to that described above. It is easy to understand and consequently will not be described in the following.

Referring now to FIGURES 12 and 13, a modification of the apparatus according to the invention will be seen. The elements identical to those of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numbers.

In this modification, a single set of idler pulleys are used, here designated as pulleys 25-26-27. This set of idler pulleys is mounted with a wire moving system constituted by two long smooth idler cylinders 43 and 44, on the same lever known as the position control lever 60 which is pivoted at 61 as shown in FIGURES 12 and 13. This lever 60 may be displaced from its position shown in solid lines on the left of FIGURE 13, to its position shown in broken lines at 60a on the left of this figure, with the aid of a handle 62. In these two positions, the lever 60 is respectively secured for example in flexible devices 63 and 64 and the set of pulleys 25-26- 27 is respectively centred with respect to the receiving reels 11 and 12. The plate carrying the set of pulleys -26-27 is rotated at a low speed as in the first embodiment, about reels 11 and 12 and respectively in the direction of rotation of the latter, by a reversible motor 65 fixed to the external face of the lever 60. When in rest position, the plate is clamped for example by a retractable device 66.

In this embodiment, it will be noted that the wire guiding pulley 52 is mounted on the rear face of the frame 53 of the traverse system 7, as shown in FIGURE 12, in order to be able to guide the wire over the whole length of the wire receiving reel, by reason of the fact that the latter is mounted close to the front wall of the frame 1. On the other hand, the cutting roller 28 comprises four disengaging flats 30, 31 and 30a, 31a and two symmetrical grooves 33 and 33a for receiving the wire.

When it is desired to pass the wire 34 from one receiving reel to another, for example from reel 12 to reel 11 in FIGURE 13, the lever 60 is pivoted from its dotted line position to its position shown in solid lines on the left of this figure. The device 66 is released and the motor 65 is energised. The set of pulleys 25-26-27 then rotates slowly in the direction of rotation of the reel 11, indicated by arrow F and in co-operation with the traverse system 7 effects both a winding of the first turns of this wire on the core of the reel 11, a cross-over of said Wire on these turns in order to hold this wire on this core or hub of the reel and a cutting of the wire at its strand connected with the reel 12, in accordance with the process described in the first embodiment.

It will be noted that any suitable drive component such as a reversible motor (not shown) may be associated with the lever 60 in order to effect the changing of its position.

The wire 34, due to the improved winding apparatus of the invention may be wound continuously at a substantially constant speed and with turns well spread out over single receiving reels of the ordinary type having smooth flanges successively presented on said winding apparatus. The latter, due to the revolution counting and control devices and in particular to the combined action of the components, namely the sets of idler pulleys 4 and 5, the wire moving system 6 and the traverse system 7, automatically effects the passage of the wire 34 from one wire receiving reel to another. All that the winding operator has to do is to remove the full reel and fix an empty reel on the reel carrying spindle, without any other supplementary manual operation being necessary. The result is that one operator only may, due to the improved winding apparatus of the invention, advantageously control the operation of a larger number of wire winding apparatus, in comparison with the case where the same operator works with known winding apparatus. In fact, in these known devices, the operator must, as has been seen above, in order to remove the full reel and replace it with an empty reel, either throw the reel carrying spindles out of line, because they are arranged in line with one another or must previously effect assembly or disassembly of the mechanical components associated with the wire receiving reels in order to ensure the anchoring and holding of the wire on the latter.

Due both to a particular arrangement with fixed stations for the reel carrying spindles on the winding apparatus of the invention, to the simple improved reel retaining devices associated with these reel-carrying spindles and to the easy manner of mounting the Wire receiving reels with a desirable assurance of an excellent precision of their position with respect to the traverse system, those skilled in the art find it easy to be able to concoct a relatively simple system which automatically ensures the withdrawal of the full receiving reels and their replacement by empty receiving reels.

Whilst particular embodiments have been described it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of this invention.

What I claim is:

1. Continuous Wire winding apparatus, ensuring both the winding and arrangement of the wire on wire receiving reels, the automatic displace-ment of the wire from a filled reel to an empty reel, the anchoring of said wire on the core or hub of the empty reel and the cutting of the wire in order to separate it from the filled receiving reel, comprising, in combination; at least two reel-carrying spindles which are rotatable and mounted in parallel positions at fixed stations; at least one set of idler pulleys each of which comprises a support rotatable concentrically about the axis of a reel carrying spindle and having the idler pulleys arranged on said support and regularly spaced about said spindle; a wire moving system provided with at least one smooth cylinder mounted freely on its axis, permitting the wire to be wound to be displaced and permitting it to be hooked to one of the idler pulleys; a wire guiding or traverse system arranged for to and fro movement at uniform speed and permitting the wire to be wound to be arranged in regular layers on a wire receiving reel and also permitting a cross-over of turns of the wire to be effected at the desired moment on said receiving reel, and a wire cutting component mounted coaxially to one of the idler pulleys.

2. Wire winding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reel-carrying spindles are each constituted by an elongated cylindrical element terminated by a shoulder and provided with a longitudinal groove serving as a housing for a retaining leaf-spring.

3. Wire Winding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the idler pulleys has a wider groove than that of the others.

4. Wire winding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the wire cutting component, associated with the pulley having a wider groove, comprises a roller integral with the rotatable plate and provided in its internal face with a concentric cavity whose diameter is greater than that of the web of the pulley with the wider groove and with a tangential groove placing the cavity in communication with the periphery of said roller, an L-shaped knife mounted on said wire cutting component and a control lever associated with said wire cutting component and cooperating with a retractable stop.

5. Wire winding apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the wire moving system comprises two cylinders which are laterally spaced and which can effect translational movement in a plane parallel to the plane defined by the reelcarrying spindles and in directions perpendicular to the axes of said spindles.

6. Wire winding apparatus according to claim wherein the wire guiding system comprises an idler pulley integral with a frame arranged for to and fro movement in a direction parallel to the axes of the reel-carrying spindles, means to urge the pulley into its rest position and means to permit the pulley to be urged towards said frame.

7. Wire winding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wire moving system comprises two smooth cylinders which are laterally spaced and which can efiect translational movement in a plane parallel to the plane defined by the reel carrying spindles and in directions perpendicular to the axes of said spindles.

8. Wire winding apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein the wire guiding system comprises an idler pulley integral with a frame arranged for to and fro movement in a direction parallel to the axes of the reel carrying spindles, a spring axially urging the pulley into its rest position and an electrical coil whose energisation permits the pulley to be urged towards said frame.

9. Wire winding apparatus according to claim 1 in which two sets of idler pulleys are provided each of which is arranged concentrically with respect to a reel carrying spindle.

10. Wire winding apparatus according to claim 1, in that a single set of idler pulleys and a control lever, said pulleys mounted on said lever for pivotal positioning.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1959 Bunch 242-25 4/1960 Bunch 242-25

Claims (1)

1. CONTINUOUS WIRE WINDING APPARATUS, ENSURING BOTH THE WINDING AND ARRANGEMENT OF THE WIRE ON WIRE RECEIVING REELS, THE AUTOMATIC DISPLACEMENT OF THE WIRE FROM A FILLED REEL TO AN EMPTY REEL, THE ANCHORING OF SAID WIRE ON THE CORE OR HUB OF THE EMPTY REEL AND THE CUTTING OF THE WIRE IN ORDER TO SEPARATE IT FROM THE FILLED RECEIVING REEL, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION; AT LEAST TWO REEL-CARRYING SPINDLES WHICH ARE ROTATABLE AND MOUNTED IN PARALLEL POSITIONS AT FIXED STATIONS; AT LEAST ONE SET OF IDLER PULLEYS EACH OF WHICH COMPRISES A SUPPORT ROTATABLE CONCENTRICALLY ABOUT THE AXIS OF A REEL CARRYING SPINDLE AND HAVING THE IDLER PULLEYS ARRANGED ON SAID SUPPORT AND REGULARLY SPACED ABOUT SAID SPINDLE; A WIRE MOVING SYSTEM PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE SMOOTH CYLINDER MOUNTED FREELY ON ITS AXIS, PERMITTING THE WIRE TO BE WOUND TO BE DISPLACED AND PERMITTING IT TO BE HOOKED TO ONE OF THE IDLER PULLEYS; A WIRE GUIDING OR TRAVERSE SYSTEM ARRANGED FOR TO AND FRO MOVE-

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