US3596844A

US3596844A - Method and apparatus for continuously winding filamentary material

Info

Publication number: US3596844A
Application number: US821799A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gunther Engmann
Original assignee: Maschinenfabrik Niehoff GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Maschinenfabrik Niehoff GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1968-05-14
Filing date: 1969-05-05
Publication date: 1971-08-03
Anticipated expiration: 1988-08-03
Also published as: FR2008475A1; GB1255072A; DE1774266B1

Abstract

A method and apparatus for winding successively onto a plurality of spools a filamentary material, such as wire, which is continuously fed without interruption when the winding changes from one spool to another spool. A pair of spools are provided beside and parallel to each other with the winding taking place at any given instant on one of the spools. When this one spool has almost been filled the traverse which distributes the filamentary material along the spool is shifted from this one spool to the region of the empty spool while a deflecting roller is shifted to an operative position for deflecting the filamentary material into a loop around the empty spool. Each of the spools has, at an end, an auxiliary spool where a cutter cuts the filamentary material to terminate the length thereof which is wound onto the filled spool. The shifted deflecting roller is returned to its starting position so as to release the loop for movement onto the empty spool and the windings continue thereon. The operations are then repeated with the new spool after the previously empty spool has become almost filled.

Description

United States Patent [7 2] lnve ntor Gunther Engmann Plockendori, Germany [21 l App]. No. 821,799 [22] Filed May 5,1969 [45] Patented Aug. 3, 197i 73 Assignee Masehinentabrik Niehofl Kommandit- Gesellschatt Schwabach nar Nurnberg, Germany [32] Priority May 14,1968 [33] Germany [31] P17742664 [54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY WINDING FILAMENTARY MATERIAL Primary ExaminerGeorge F. Mautz Anorney- Richard Low ABSTRACT: A method and apparatus for winding successively onto a plurality of spools a filamentary material, such as wire, which is continuously fed without interruption when the winding changes from one spool to another spool. A pair of spools are provided beside and parallel to each other with the winding taking place at any given instant on one of the spools. When this one spool has almost been filled the traverse which distributes the filamentary material along the spool is shifted from this one spool to the region of the empty spool while a deflecting roller is shifted to an operative position for deflecting the filamentary material into a loop around the empty spool. Each of the spools has, at an end, an auxiliary spool where a cutter cuts the filamentary material to terminate the length thereof which is wound onto the filled spool. The shifted deflecting roller is returned to its starting position so as to release the loop for movement onto the empty spool and the windings continue thereon. The operations are then repeated with the new spool after the previously empty spool has become almost filled.

10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 242/25 [51 Int. C|.. B6$h 54/00 [501 Field of Search 242/25 A,

V 25, 18 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,657,308 l/l928 Jespersen 242125 A 1.988.437 l/l935 Brillhart et al 242/25 A MOTOR STOP SWITC H JMOTOR STOP SWlTCH ATENTED AUG 319m SHEET 2 OF 3 b SIDE 0 SIDE PATENTEU AUG 3 l9?! SHEET 3 [IF 3 7 Man for METHOD ANDIAPPARATUS FORCONTINUOUSLY WlNDlNG-HLAMENTARY'MiA-TERIAL BACKGROUNDOF Til-IE INVEN I ION' 5' The present inventionirelates to a methodand apparatus for winding: filamentary material; such: as wire: or the like onto spools. i

While there are many already known methods and ap paratus for winding; filamentary material such as'wire onto spools, allof these known methods andapparatus suffer from serious drawbacks. Thus, according to onesknown wire=reeling: method and apparatus for'continuouslywinding wire onto sue cessive reels, as shown in LLS. PatfNo.=2,932';462 there is'an' overflow orv overrunning of :the wire from a'spoolor'reel-onto the empty spool which is next'to be filled by means of a guit l'e which movesback and forth andtwhich is actuated bya relay in order-to deflect the path of movement'ofth'e'wire to the reel 3 or spool onto whichthewire starts to wind aftera previousspool has been filled. With this method" and apparatus" the transfer from one spool which is filled to the next'ernpty spool which is to be. filled 'onlytakes I place when" the" guide has moved beyond the end flange of the empty spool as'well as'th'e neighboring end flangeof the filled spooli Aside-from'th'e fact that this known type of construction isexceedinglycomplex'; it"

cannot be used for-arrangements where spools-are situated beside and parallel to each'otherrand-isonly:suitable for use with constructions where'the several spools are'coaxiallyfar ranged one after the other alongacommtmaxis.

it is alsoknown, accordingeto -U.S;- Pan-No guide the wire'which'is to beiwound ontoaspool initially'over' a guide roller, then in part overithe main spoolyandthen'over a laterally arranged deflectii'igroller situatetl iit'the region 'ot the plane of the adjacent flangesofiboaxiP-primaryZ-and aux f" iliary spools with'this deflecting 'roller having ja-plane-inclined to the common plane of these end-flanges; This deflecting? roller is actuated by way *of a suitable 'device so'th'at 'it is' swingable about an axis which'extends acrossandintersects its rotary axis by a relatively sharp;angleofapproximately =90 *,"so 40? that the wire whichwas initially guided: over the' deflecting.;

Thus; irisan object of the invemion wpravia mauled anda'pparat'us which will enable a filamentary material'sucli'as' wire to be continuously woun'd onto' a plurality of spools of which at any given time one pair are situated" beside and extend parallelto each other so that while the'opera'tionsg'oforward witlfone s'pooha previously filledspool can'be removed; and replacedb'y an" empty-spool on which'th e operations will b'e-continued aft'er fillingof the previously empty spool.

In particular it is an object of the prsent invention to provide a'meth'od and apparatus whicli' will enable all of these operationsto take' place without any interruption i'n the feedin'gloftlie filamentary material to the spools tobe wound thereon: V

Thus,-it'is*an object of the" invention to provide-a method and apparatus which will retain all of the advantages'whichac crue in connection with winding on'to individual spoo'ls such as; for-example, the provisionof'an elongated aridu'ndair'iaged starting end of'thewinding, so that this latter end, when 'n'e'ce's sary, can be welded "or otherwise fixed to an end of the wire from another spool to provide I substantially" continuous spool lengths from a plurality of spools. 7

Moreover, it isan object of the invention to providea method andapparatus'which will enable the speed' o f rotation" of the spools to be relatively high as contrasted withthe speeds 'ofrotation which can be achieved with known methods" and' apparatus;- so that *agreater output is achieved providing" fora moreeconomical operation of the entire installation;

SUMMARY OF THE-INVENTION In accordance the invention the-filamentary mat'e'rial' suclfas wire-is tli rected by thetraverse carriage 'an'cl the guide" rollersthereon-to the-eniptytspool while the wire-continues to be guided b yfsuitable'wire'guideand deflectihg-inembersonto the spool which is almostfilled Theshiftingfofthetiaverse'to th'e'region'of theemptyspoollocates tlifilanientary material be directed thereby away fromthedeflecting roller exclusively? onto the guiding roller from'where'it is distributedbntothe main spool.

Devices of this type suffer from the disadvantage of requir ing the complete filling of a single spool; afier which thestrueture must be brought to a standstill-whilethe starting ;endof'- the a wire is first started-onto the-auxiliary spool fand-tlien" brought onto the primary spoolwith theend'ofthe wire beingBSO' suitably fixed to the auxiliary spool," forexample', so that witli this type of method and apparatusa continuous'movement oi the filamentary material du'ringwindingthereof ont'o' 'succes-" sive spools cannot be carried out It is accordingly a primary objectof-the' invention to' provide a method and apparatuswhich will enable continnous'winding operations to go forward withoutinterruption while a filamentary material'such as wire is wound-first-ohm'one spool and' then onto another spool which iszsituated-beside and'extends parallel to the one spool. L

in particular, the present inventionrelatcs to a meth'oda'nd apparatus of thistype which iscapablc-of operating' with a traverse. which distributes the filamentary -material '-along ;'a given spool during the:filli'ng thereofi and'which themcan vantage to -use';- 'in accordance with the structure of the inven beneatl'ra swingableroller and over a uenczihg-erur which extendspara'llel' to thespoolsand' is'sh ift ed beneaththe fi a mentary material; -'Il"iiis',-when-"tlie 'sviiingable roller swings around" w n agethema memary mate v ndromi'aiobp' ting-roller which has-beenshif dfroni a'given" starting-positiontoan-operatirig position located beneath 'tlie filamentary materiah Each spoolhas an auxiliary spool extending 'beyondan en'd; flange of'tlie primary spo'olQarid a flange 'of the auxiliary spool" which is-srnaller thananddistant from' the corn rn'on flarige'of" the primar andauxiliary' spools" carries a cutting means into' whose path 'of rotary movement" the filamentary material is" brought byftlie swingable roller. Through thiscutting n'ieans the filamentary' material is=severed so that its winding onto the spool whi'cli has almosrbeen filled will terminate and now the" filamentary 'mat'eria-Fis'wouiid'onto the auxiliary spoolfThis latter'winding' onto the auxiliary spool continues onl until the f shifted deflecting'roller is-retu'rn'ed to mam-rag position and now tlie": filamentary material will '-in a *wellknown marine'fi wear ofth latt'er-td bewound there p In order to carryoutthe' method oftli in'vention it is ofad non; a swingabl 'a'rm-which' carries a swirrgabie rdneno swi g the -lattr 'from its starting to its end position"; with this end po's'ition" being terminated 'by a limit switch actuated by' the arn'i'i- Also-,-it is of advantage to arrange' this'swingablearin ecshifted to the empty spool my cohu-huezthopcratbnswim centric'ally withrespect to' the axis of thespoolz Furthermore,"

latter.

Also, it is an object ofthe invention'to-provida method and; apparatus according to -whicl r"it becomes-"possible -to'-:'-' deflectthc filamentary material during changeoverfromwind spool in;such a way that the'ilvindirig operationscancontiriu it {is ot-advantage to limit "the auxiliary s ool by a pair arenaflanges-Ione-of which is aniend? flange' in' common with the pr'i m'alry"ti aool and the oth er'ofiwliich carries the cutting rneans Whendealing-vvith' a filamentary material such"as"wire"the' This cutting mear s:fis"preferablyfadjustable in a radial 7 direction? FlNAlLLY,it has provedto beofadvantage-if the cuttirig' 'imeans doe's' nofcarr'y' out a slicingactiombut rather spoolfiwhicli carries the cutting? means hasa diameter s'm all ei'" man'- the common flange or the auxiliary mammary spools;

inner cylindrical cores of the auxiliary and primary spools not I only are coaxial but also are of the same diameter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings which form part of this application and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation of the winding apparatus and method of the invention with a pair of parallel spools being shown in FIG. I with their axes extending perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1; 7

FIGS. 2 is a top plan view schematically illustrating the structure of claim 1 and additional details;

FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. I and showing the operations and position of the parts during a phase of the spool changeover subsequent to that illustrated in FIGS. 1 and FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the parts and operations illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the features illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, as seen from the left of FIGS. 3 and 4; and

FIG. 6 is a partly sectional schematic transverse view of the structure of FIG. 5 taken along the line Vl-VI of FIG. 5 in the direction of the arrows.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERIRED EMBODIMENT The method and apparatus operate with a pair of parallel spools situated beside each other as illustrated in the drawings. These spools are supported for rotary movement in any suitable bearings on a machine frame 1, and the

spools

2 and 3 are supported for rotary movement insuch a way that their

axis

4 and 5 are spaced from and parallel to each other. The spools are driven so as to be rotated about their axis to wind the filamentary material, suchas wire or the like, thereon from any suitable well-known drive. As is apparent from the upper part of FIG. I, the spool 2 is situated at the a side of the apparatus while the spool 3 is situated at the b side thereof. The drives which are operatively connected with the spools will, in a wellknown manner, rotate the spool 2 in a clockwise direction and the spool 3 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. I. These directions of rotation are also indicated by the arrows in FIG. I.

A traverse carriage 6 is situated at an elevation higher than the spools for moving back and forth parallel to the axes thereof for distributing the wire in suitable convolutions onto the spools in even layers where the convolutions of the filamentary material are closely located one next to the other. Such traverse mechanisms are well known. In addition, however, the traverse 6 is capable of shifting from a location from one side coacting with one spool to a location at the other side for coacting with the other spool, and for this purpose the traverse mechanism 6 has a pair of reversing rollers the right one of which coacts with the filamentary material when the mechanism 6 is in the region of the spool 2 while the left roller coacts with the filamentary material to guide it to the spool 3, as indicated by the dotted line illustration of the traverse mechanism 6 in FIG. I. The shifting of the traverse mechanism 6 from the a side to the b side and back again to the 0, etc., is carried out in any suitable manner.

In the space between the pair of

spools

2 and 3 there are wire-engaging components7 and 8 horizontally shiftable in a direction parallel to the spool axis from the rest position shown for the component 7 in FIG. 4 to the operative position shown for the component 8 in FIG. 4. Thus, any suitable fluid under pressure can actuate a piston in a cylinder so as to hydraulically or pneumatically displace the wire-

engaging guide components

7 or 8 between their rest and operative positions. The component 7 coacts with the spool 2 in the same way that the component 8 coacts with the spool 3.

In addition there are situated in the space between the pair of spools 2 and 3 a pair of wire deflecting rollers 9'and 10- respectively shiftable parallel to the direction of shifting of the

components

7 and 8 also by way of a suitable pneumatic or hydraulic structure, asis apparent from FIG. 4. In this case also the deflecting roller 9 coacts with the spool 2 in the same way that the deflecting roller 10 coacts with the spool 3. Additional wire-deflecting rods or th'e'like' II and 12 are situated between the pair of spools, and these components also coact v respectively with the

spools

2 and 3. The wire-guiding components II and 12 may remain stationary and extend vertically in contrast to the horizontal direction of shifting movement of the components 7 to 10. While

components

7 and 8 may be in the form of rollers having vertical turning axis,the deflecting

rollers

9 and 10 respectively have horizontal turning axis which are parallel to the axis of the spools 2-and 3.

A pair of rotary drums I5 and I6, eccentrically arranged with respect to

spools

2 and 3, respectively, are situated in the region of the drive motors I3 and 14 which by suitable beltand-pulley drives serve to rotate the drum 15 about its axis 21 which is parallel and spaced from the axis of the spool 2 and the drum I6 about its axis 22 which is parallel and spaced from the axis of the spool 3. These rotary drums l5 and 16 respectively fixedly carry radially extending

arms

17 and 18. The free ends of these. arms respectively support for free rotary movement swingable guide rolls l9 and 20, these rolls being swingable together with the

arms

17 and 18 about the

axis

21 and 22 respectively, the drums l5 and 16 are turned by actuation of the

motors

13 and 14. Each of the

rollers

19 and 20 is provided at its periphery with a groove of V-shaped configuration, for example, for reliably receiving and guiding the wire.

The

arms

17 and 18 are shown in their starting positions in FIG. 1. In order to limit the swinging of these arms in clockwise and counterclockwise directions, respectively, as viewed in FIG. 1, suitable limit switches are provided. Thus, in association with each

swingable roller

19 and 20 is a limit switch including a pair of stationary contactsK bridged by a bridging conductor Kb carried by each of the

arms

17 and 18 and engaging and bridging the space between contacts K when each arm reaches its end position. The arm 17 is shown in its end position in dotted lines in FIG. 1 at the left thereof, as well as in FIG. 3 at the left thereof, and it will be noted that in this position the bridging member Kb bridges the space between and engages the left pair of contacts K for actuating the limit switch to terminate the operation of the motor 13 when the arms 17 reaches the end position shown at the lower left portion of FIG. I. In the same way during counterclockwise swinging of the arm 18 its extent of swinging will be terminated by closing of the circuit between the contacts K at the right of FIG. 1 upon being bridged by the electrically conductive strip Kb carried by the arm 18 so that in this way this right limit switch serves to terminate the operation of motor 14.

Each of the main or

primary spools

2 and 3 is provided with an auxiliary spool extending from an end of the primary or main spool. Thus, the main spool 2 has an auxiliary spool 23 coaxial therewith and extending as far as adjacent to the'arm l7, and in the same way the spool 3 has an auxiliary spool 24 fixed to and extending coaxially therefrom between the arm 18 and the end flange adjacent thereto. These end flanges of the spools which are adjacent to the

arms

17 and 18 form flanges in common with the main and auxiliary spools. The auxiliary spools 23 and 24 are respectively provided with inner diameters, at their cylindrical cores, which are equal to the core diameters of the

spools

2 and 3. However, the

flanges

25 and 26 of the auxiliary spools are of a smaller diameter than the flanges of the main spools.

Each of these smaller flanges carries at its surface which is .directed toward the main spool a cutting means in the form of of the spool 2. In the same way it is possible to radially adjust the location of the cutting means 28 from the axis 5 oithe spool3.

The cutting means 27 coacts with an anvil 31 to cut'through the wire, and a wire-engaging element 30 (FIG. 5) deflects the wire to locate it in the path of movement of 'the

cutting com ponents

27 and 31 to be cut thereby.

The above described'structure ofthe invention operates,- inaccordance with the method of the invention, as follows:

As is particularly apparent'fromFlGS. 1 and 2,- when the parts are in the condition illustrated, the spool 3is almostfilled. The path taken by the wire Dris indicated by the solid relatively dark line in the drawings. Thus, the wire Dr coming from any suitable source is first guided around a guide roller of the traverse mechanism 6. This mechanism 6; when the spool 3 is almost completely filled, is shifted from side b to side a of the apparatus so that it will now be located at the upperleft position shown in FIG. 1. This will result in the guiding. of the wire around the right roller of the traverse mechanism 6; as viewed in FIG. 1, whereas the wire was guided around theleft roller of the traverse mechanism when woundonto the spool'3' until the latter was almost completely filled! 7 From the traverse mechanism-thewire Dris deflected in the manner most clearly apparent from FIGS. 2 and4 around-the guide 8 which has been pneumatically or hydraulically displaced to its operative position in-a direction-'parallel-to the" axes 4 and 5, and from the guide 8the'wire-willbeguided around the vertical guide 12 soas to continue tobe wound-- onto the spool 3 without any interruption during'the last 'orterminal phase of the winding of the wire onto the spool 3.

This guide 8 when shifted to its operative-position serves to-' deflect the wire from the traverse mechanism fitransversely across the end flange of the spool 2 which is in'common with the auxiliary spool 23 to a. location situated beneaththe swingable guide roller 19. Thus, the guidelZ teams with the deflecting roller 8 to'prevent the .wire from'beingdisplacedfrom the spool 3 during the tenninal part of the winding of the wire onto the spool 3. During this phase of the operation preparations are going forward, asdescribed above and below,

for starting the winding onto the spool 2 so that the winding of the wire will continue withoutinterruption as will be apparent from the description below.

After the wire has thus been deflected bythecomponent-S to the position of FIG. 2 extending beneath the swingable guide roller 19, the deflecting roller 9 ispneumaticallyor hydraulically shifted from the position of FIG. 2 into the posi-' tion of FIG. 4 where it becomes situated beneath the wire t'erminalph'ase of the winding thereon. This operation is particularly appar'entfromFlGS. 3 to 5. lt is only to be noted that for the sake olclarity in the illustration the guide roller 20 carried-by the arm l8and shown in FIG; 3has not been illustrated in FlG. 4'. in this way it is possible to more clearlyillustrate the pathtake'n by the wire as it travels ,to-thespool 3 duringthe terminal phase of the winding thereon to the spool 3.

As soonas theswingabl e roller 19 has reached its end'ppsition; as determined by the limiting switch K,Kb', the wire-engaging element 30 presses the wire into the path of'movement of the anvil cutter 27 to be engaged thereby, and now this member'29 coacts' with the steel-cutting component 31' for cutting through the wire, as is illustrated m'ostclearly in FIG. 5 This will, of course, provide a free end for thewire so as to terminatethewinding thereof onto the spool 3. At the same time thewire which continued to be fed around the traverse mechanism 6 will continue to wind onto the auxiliaryspool 23 until the deflecting roller 9 has been returned in a direction opposite" to thatillustrated'in FIG. 4 to its starting position. These operations can, forexarnple', be controlled by uni'llus trated timing relays which control and determine the proper sequence of the operations.

The result of the retraction of the roller 9 back to it's starting position is that a loop of wire will no longer be capable" of formingaround' the roller'9 and around the flange which is" common to the spool 2 of the auxiliary spool '23. Thus, the wireloop, which previously-extended around this flange, falls and the normal-winding of the wire on the primary spool 2 commences. V

A'tthis instant, the control structureactuates the motor 13 for rettiming the arm 17 and the'roller 19 back to their starting positions illustrated in- FIG. 1; At the same time the wire deflecting guide=8 is retumedto its starting positiomNow, the completely filled spool 3 can be removedand replaced by a new empty spool in a well-known manner.

When the spool 2 is almost filled all of the above operations are repeated inthereverse direction so as totakeplace with this new-spool'which'replaces the previously filled spool 3, so that'now'thetraverse mechanism ois 'shifted from the a side to the b side'and in a completely-analogous maniier all of the above operations are repeated for the empty spool which is now situated at the'location of the illustrated spool 3. Thus, without interruption in the feeding of the wire to the traverse mechanism and from the latter'to the spools the wire is wound completely onto one; spool, and then the winding iss'tarted on the-adj0iningspoo| in a fully automatic manner as described above.

I claim: 1.111- the method for'continuo'usly winding'elongated fila mentary material',isuch as wire or the like, onto one of a pair of parallel spools which are situated beside each other while a traverse carriage distributes the elongated material along the which in turn extends beneath the roller' l9,"so--that howthewire which extends beyond the flange of spool 2, which is in common with spool 23, extends

betweentherollers

9 and 19."

The motor 13 is now actuated through any-suitablecontrol structure so as to swing the arm 17 in a clockwise-direction, as} viewed in FIGS. 1 and 3, up to the dotted line position shown at the lower left portions of FIGS-.1 and-3 where the limit ing guide roller 9 to form a loop which extends around'the roller 9, which hasbeen shiftedto. its operative-position, onto the auxiliary spool 23, as is particularly apparent from FIG. 4.

'lhus, the wire now extends around-the roller 9, ins loop extending around the common flangeof the

spools

2 and 23; The wire moves-beyond the guide roller 19 to-the components'S and 12m continue to be guidedonto the spool 3' during the axis 'ofa rotary spool on which it is wound with deflector cornponentssituated' beneath the traverse carriage for deflecting:

the'elo'ngated filamentary material, the steps" of shifting" the traverse carriage from a spool which is almost filled to the other spoolwhich is'empty and which is about to be filled,'

while guidingthe'filamentary material'to continue the'winding thereof onto the one spool which is almost'filled, shifting a deflecting rollerin' the path of the filamentary material while simultaneouslyswinging the-filamentary material around the shifted rolle'rbeneaththeempty spool and acrossan' end flange thereof-to an auxiliary spool, cutting the filamentary material-,.--shiftingthe' deflecting roller back to its starting position away from the path of'movement' of the filamentary material, and? continuing the winding of the filamentary materialonto-the auxiliary spool until the deflecting roller is shifted back to its starting position, so that the filamentary material will'the'n again pass over the end flange'of the empty spool tobecome wound-thereon.

,2. ln-an'a'pparatusfor winding filamentary material suchas wire, during continuous movement thereof, first onto one spool-"andthe'nontoanother spool with the latter'spools being.

situated beside each other and having stationary parallel axes, a traverse means for distributing the filamentary material along one spool which is being filled, said traverse means being shiftable to the region of the other of said spools when said one spool has almost been completely filled, a guide means for guiding the filamentary material to the one spool to complete the filling thereof while the traverse means situates the filamentary material moving to said one spool in the region of the empty spool, said empty spool having beyond anend thereof an auxiliary spool coaxial with said empty spool, a deflecting roller means for engaging the filamentary material at the region of the empty spool, and swingable roller means swingable around the deflecting roller means to engage the filamentary material and directed it around said end flange of the main spool to the auxiliary spool, cutting means carried by said auxiliary spool for cutting the filamentary material to terminate the length of filamentary material which'is wound on said one spoolwhile the filamentary material now starts to wind onto the auxiliary spool, means for displacing said deflecting roller means into the path of the filamentary material and for returning said deflecting roller means-back to its starting position to release the loop of filamentary material which extends around said deflecting roller means for movement back around the end flange of the empty spool onto'the latter to be wound thereon, and said swingable roller means also returning to its starting position so that the winding operations will now continue with said traverse means at the empty spool while the latter becomes gradually filled so that the operations can then be repeated with respect to another empty spool which replaces the spool which has just been filled.

3. The combination of claim 2 and wherein a swingable arm carries said swingable roller means to swing the latter between starting and end positions.

4. The combination of claim 3 and wherein a limit switch means limits the extent of turning of said arm which carries said swingable roller means.

5. The combination of claim 4 and wherein said swingable arm has an axis of rotation which is parallel to but displaced from the axis of the empty spool which is about to be filled so that the swingable arm turns eccentrically with respect to the empty spool. i

6. The combination of claim 5 and wherein said auxiliary spool has one end flange in common with the empty spool and distant from the latter another end flange, and said other end flange carrying said cutting means for cutting the filamentary material which is directed onto the empty spool.

7. The combination of claim 6 and wherein said flange of said auxiliary spool has a smaller diameter than the end flange of said empt'y spool which is common to the latter and said auxiliary spool. v

8. The combination of claim 7 and wherein an adjusting means coacts with said cutting means for adjusting the latter radially with respect to said auxiliary spool along the flange of the latter which is distant from the common flange.

9. The combination of claim 8 and wherein said auxiliary and empty spools both have cores of the same diameter.

10. The combination of claim 9 and wherein the spool which has just been filled is identical with the empty spool which is about to be filled and also has an auxiliary spool extending from an end thereof, and all of the structure of said empty spool and the controls coacting therewith being duplicated for the other spool so that when the empty spool has almost been filled all of the operations can be repeated in the reverse direction with a new spool which replaces the filled spool.

Claims

1. In the method for continuously winding elongated filamentary material, such as wire or the like, onto one of a pair of parallel spools which are situated beside each other while a traverse carriage distributes the elongated material along the axis of a rotary spool on which it is wound with deflector components situated beneath the traverse carriage for deflecting the elongated filamentary material, the steps of shifting the traverse carriage from a spool which is almost filled to the other spool which is empty and which is about to be filled, while guiding the filamentary material to continue the winding thereof onto the one spool which is almost filled, shifting a deflecting roller in the path of the filamentary material while simultaneously swinging the filamentary material around the shifted roller beneath the empty spool and across an end flange thereof to an auxiliary spool, cutting the filamentary material, shifting the deflecting roller back to its starting position away from the path of movement of the filamentary material, and continuing the winding of the filamentary material onto the auxiliary spool until the deflecting roller is shifted back to its starting position, so that the filamentary material will then again pass over the end flange of the empty spool to become wound thereon.

2. In an apparatus for winding filamentary material such as wire, during continuous movement thereof, first onto one spool and then onto another spool with the latter spools being situated beside each other and having stationary parallel axes, a traverse means for distributing the filamentary material along one spool which is being filled, said traverse means being shiftable to the region of the other of said spools when said one spool has almost been completely filled, a guide means for guiding the filamentary material to the one spool to complete the filling thereof while the traverse means situates the filamentary material moving to said one spool in the region of the empty spool, said empty spool having beyond an end thereof an auxiliary spool coaxial with said empty spool, a deflecting roller means for engaging the filamentary material at the region of the empty spool, and swingable roller means swingable around the deflecting roller means to engage the filamentary material and directed it around said end Flange of the main spool to the auxiliary spool, cutting means carried by said auxiliary spool for cutting the filamentary material to terminate the length of filamentary material which is wound on said one spool while the filamentary material now starts to wind onto the auxiliary spool, means for displacing said deflecting roller means into the path of the filamentary material and for returning said deflecting roller means back to its starting position to release the loop of filamentary material which extends around said deflecting roller means for movement back around the end flange of the empty spool onto the latter to be wound thereon, and said swingable roller means also returning to its starting position so that the winding operations will now continue with said traverse means at the empty spool while the latter becomes gradually filled so that the operations can then be repeated with respect to another empty spool which replaces the spool which has just been filled.

5. The combination of claim 4 and wherein said swingable arm has an axis of rotation which is parallel to but displaced from the axis of the empty spool which is about to be filled so that the swingable arm turns eccentrically with respect to the empty spool.

7. The combination of claim 6 and wherein said flange of said auxiliary spool has a smaller diameter than the end flange of said empty spool which is common to the latter and said auxiliary spool.