US3605466A

US3605466A - Apparatus for drawing metal wire and the like and the method thereof

Info

Publication number: US3605466A
Application number: US880227A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank B Kilcoin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-11-26
Filing date: 1969-11-26
Publication date: 1971-09-20
Anticipated expiration: 1988-09-20

Abstract

AN APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DRAWING CONTINUOUSLY MOVING ALUMINUM WIRE. THE APPARATUS INCLUDES ONE OR MORE DRAWING MACHINES HAVING A HOUSING THAT FORMS A DRAWING CHAMBER AND A RESERVOIR FOR LIQUID DRAWING LUBIRCANT. DRAWING DIES ARE MOUNTED WITHIN THE DRAWING CHAMBER IN COAXIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO THE MOVING WIRE, AND AT LEST AN UPPER AND A LOWER TIER OF DRAW ING BLOCKS DIRECT AND PULL THE MOVING WIRE THROUGH THE DIES. THE LEVEL OF THE DRAWING LUBRICANT IN THE RESERVOIR IS MAINTAINED OBOVE A PREDETERMINED LEVEL SO THAT THE LIQUID LUBRICANT WETS AT LEAST ONE OF THE DRAWING BLOCKS OF THE LOWER TIER THEREBY TO CAUSE THE LIQUID LUBRICANT TO BE SPRAYED AND COOLED BY THE DRAWING BLOCK OR BLOCKS OF THE LOWER TIER. THE DRAWING MACHINE IS CONNECTED IN A CLOSED FLOW LOOP WHICH INCLUDES A STORAGE TANK, A PUMP, A LUBRICANT COOLER AND CONTROL VALVE.

Description

Sept. 20, 1971 F. B. KlLcolN f 3,605,455

' APPARATUS FOR DRAWING METAL WIRE AND THE LIKE AND THE METHOD THEREOF y Original Filed Oct. 11, 1967 United States Patent O 3,605,466 APPARATUS FOR DRAWING METAL WIRE AND THE LIKE AND THE METHOD THEREOF Frank B. Kilcoin, 4514 Beaver Ave., Fort Wayne, Ind. 46807 Continuation of application Ser. No. 674,537, Oct. 11, 1967. This application Nov. 26, 1969, Ser. No. 880,227 Int. Cl. B21b 45/02 U.S. Cl. 72-43 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus and method for drawing continuously moving aluminum wire. The apparatus includes one or more drawing machines having a housing that forms a drawing chamber and a reservoir for liquid drawing lubricant. Drawing dies are mounted within the drawing chamber in coaxial relationship with respect to the moving wire, and at least an upper and a lower tier of drawing blocks direct and pull the moving wire through the dies. The level of the drawing lubricant in the reservoir is maintained above a predetermined level so that the liquid lubricant wets at least one of the drawing blocks of the lower tier thereby to cause the liquid lubricant to be sprayed and cooled by the drawing block or blocks of the lower tier. The drawing machine is connected in a closed ilow loop which includes a storage tank, a pump, a lubricant cooler and control valve.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This is a continuation application of application Ser. No. 674,537, filed Oct. l1, 1967, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to the fabrication of metal wire and more particularly to an improved apparatus for drawing aluminum wire and the method thereof.

In apparatus for drawing continuously moving wire, wire is passed through a series of dies in a drawing machine. The moving wire is pulled through the dies by drawing blocks. While the wire is being drawn successively through the series of dies, liquid lubricant is sprayed over the wire, the dies, and drawing blocks. Excess liquid lubricant is returned to a storage tank, and additional lubricant is pumped from the storage tank through a cooler to the drawing machine.

Problems have been encountered with such drawing machines where lubricants, such as the oletinic compositions, having relatively low latent heats of evaporation are employed. Although the temperature of the lubricant in the reservoir of the drawing machine is not signicantly increased, a loss of lubricant resulting from evaporation of the liquid lubricant at the dies has in some applications been excessive. Also, where aluminum wire is being drawn, diihculty has been experienced in wire sticking to the drawing blocks. It will be appreciated that excessive loss of lubricant is not only costly but also may present health hazards to operating personnel. Wire sticking to the drawing blocks may not only damage the wire but 4frequently may necessitate stopping the operation of the drawing machine.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus for drawing metal wire and the method thereof.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus and method for drawing continuously moving aluminum wire wherein excessive vaporization of an oleinic lubricant is effectively reduced.

3,655,465 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with one form of my invention, I have provided an improved apparatus and method for drawing continuously moving aluminum wire. The apparatus includes one or more drawing machines having a housing `that denes a drawing chamber and a reservoir for liquid y drawing lubricant, lan entrance opening for the entry of the moving wire into the drawing chamber and an exit opening for the moving wire leaving the drawing chamber. In the drawing chamber dies are mounted in generally coaxial relationship with respect to the moving Wire, and at least rst yand second levels, such as an upper and lower tier, of drawing blocks are provided for pulling and guiding the moving wire through the dies. Suitable sprayers are positioned within the drawing chamber for applying liquid drawing lubricant during operation to the dies, drawing blocks and moving wire.

According to one aspect of my invention, I have provided a means for maintaining the level of the liquid drawing lubricant in the reservoir of the housing above a predetermined level whereby the liquid drawing lubricant wets one or more of the drawing blocks of the lower tier to thereby cause the liquid drawing lubricant to be sprayed by the rotating action of the blocks. In a more specic aspect, I have employed a damming plate in the reservoir to insure that the liquid drawing lubricant does not fall below the desired predetermined level.

By another aspect of the present invention, I provide an improved method for drawing continuously moving aluminum Wire including the steps of guiding and pulling aluminum wire in at least two levels through the dies by the number of drawing blocks arranged in the at least first and second levels in the housing. Liquid drawing lubricant is cooled and sprayed from the reservoir generally toward the drawing blocks of the second level within the housing by wetting at least one rotatable drawing block of the rst level with liquid drawing lubricant from the reservoir as a portion of the at least one drawing block is being rotated in the reservoir, thereby causing the lubricant to be thrown away from the rotating portion. This lubricant is directed into contact with at least one rotatable drawing block of the second level, and additional lubricant is sprayed onto the same .block from locations other than the at least one rotating drawing block of the rst level. The liquid drawing lubricant in the reservoir is maintained at a level sui'licient to wet the rotating portion of the at least one rotatable drawing block as the aluminum wire is being guided and pulled through the dies in the housing. Also, the closed ow loop is provided for circulating the liquid drawing lubricant as the aluminum wire is being guided and pulled through the dies.

Important advantages of this invention are that it makes it possible to achieve relatively lower lubricant temperatures Within the drawing chamber, to achieve a more effective lubrication of the wire at the blocks thereby to minimize wire sticking, and to reduce lubricant loss resulting from evaporation.

Further aspects and advantages` of the invention will become apparent from the more detailed description of the invention rwhich follows. It will be understood that the specification concludes with claims which clearly point out and distinctly clairn the subject matter which I regard as my invention. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, may be best understood with reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

3 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of one form of the improved apparatus, particularly suited to practice the method, the figure illustrating a system wherein three drawing machines are employed to draw three strands of continuously moving iwire; and

FIG. Z is an elevational View of the drawing machine with portions thereof cut away to illustrate the internal arrangement of the components of the drawing machine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more specifically to FIG. l of the drawings, I will now more fully describe one forni of the apparatus, particularly suitable to practice the method, for drawing continuously moving wire, which is generally identified in the drawing by the reference numeral It will be seen that the apparatus 10` includes three drawing machines 11, 12 and 13, which are connected in a closed lubricant liow loop. 'I'his iiow loop includes a storage tank 14, a pump 15, a lubricant cooler 16 and a control valve 17.

Liquid drawing lubricant from the reservoirs of the drawing machines 11, 12' and 13 return by gravity ow through

return lines

18, 19 and 20` joined to a common line 21 connected to the storage tank 14. The suction side of pump 15 is connected with the storage tank 14 by a section of piping 22` while the discharge side of the pump is connected by suitable piping 23 to the lubricant cooler 16. Liquid drawing lubricant leaving the lubricant cooler 16 passes through a control valve 17 which regulates the quantity of lubricant supplied to the individual drawing

machine inlet lines

26, 27 and 28.

11n the illustrated exempliiication of the invention, cooling water is admitted to the header of the lubricant cooler 16 by means of an inlet valve l29 and leaves the lubricant cooler at the outlet connection 30. Further, in the exemplication of the invention a conventional temperature sensing device was used to sense the temperature of the liquid drawing lubricant leaving the lubricant cooler 16. The temperature sensing device is connected in a conventional circuit that controls valve 2'9 to vary the amount of water admitted into the lubricant cooler 16 in response to changes from a preselected lubricant temperature thereby to maintain the temperature of the lubricant at the preselected level.

The

wires

32, 33 and 34 to be drawn by the drawing machines 11, 12 and 13 are brought out from pay-off

reels

35, 36 and 37 over series of guide sheaves 38, 39 and 40. The nished drawn wires 41, 42 and 43 leave the drawing machines 11, 12 'and 13 at the opposite sides and pass over guide sheaves 44, 45 and 46- to

storage reels

47, 48 and 49. Although in the exempliiication of the invention, the finished wires 41, 42 and 43 are shown being fed to

storage reels

47, 48 and 49, it lwill be appreciated that the wires leaving the drawing machines may be fed directly to an 'annealing oven, enameling oven, or other wire processing equipment.

yIn the apparatus 10 exemplifying one form of my invention, aluminum wire was drawn. It will be understood that the term aluminum as used herein is intended to include not only aluminum itself but also compositions in which the aluminum is present in an amount equal to at least 50% of the total weight of the composition, as for example, aluminum alloys. Representative aluminum compositions that may be drawn with the apparatus 10 are disclosed on pages 851-853 and S65-958 of Metals Handbook, volume '1, Properties and Section of Metals, American Society of Metals, Novelty, Ohio, Eighth edition (1961). Although wire fabricated o'f aluminum was used in the apparatus exemplifying my invention, it will be appreciated that the apparatus 10 may be used to draw other metal wires.

Having more speciiic reference now to FIG. 2, I will now more fully describe the drawing machine 11. The

4 other two drawing machines 12 and 13 are of substantially identical construction, and therefore the detailed description respecting drawing machine 11 is, of course, applicable to the drawing machines '12 'and 13.

The drawing machine 11 includes a housing 50 that forms an enclosure for a drawing chamber 51 and a reservoir 52 for liquid drawing lubricant 53. In order to make the drawing chamber r51 readily accessible, a hinged cover 55, a portion of which is cut away as shown in FIG. 2, forms a wall of the housing 50. The wire 32 from the pay-off reel 35 enters the housing 50 through an entrance opening 56, is pulled through a -irst die 57 by drawing block 58, through die 59 of die box 60 by drawing block 61 and through die 62 of die box y60 by drawing block 58. -It will be noted that draiwing blocks 58, 61 form an upper tier for directing and pulling the wire essentially horizontally through dies 57, 59 and 62.

The wire leaving drawing block 58 is diagonally pulled through a die 63 by drawing block 64 of the lower tier and then is pulled by drawing block 65 through die 66 of die box 67. Final finishing of the wire is accomplished as the wire is pulled through the final dies 68, 69 by the drawing block 70 mounted on the outside of the drawing machine housing 50.

It will be understood that the drawing blocks are by means of a chain 71 driven by a motor 72. Since the drawing block drive system employed is conventional, a detailed description is not given herein. For details relating to such systems, reference may be made to U.S. Letters Patent 2,557,215, 2,884,120 and 2,996,170 granted to Carl O. Bruestle.

During operation the dies 57, 59, 62, 63, 66, 68 and 69, the moving wire, and rotating drawing blocks 58, 61, 64 and 65 are sprayed with the liquid drawing lubricant within the drawing chamber y51. The portion of supply line 26 Within the drawing chamber 51 is formed with a series of

spray nozzles

74, 75, 76. It will be seen that the supply line 26 has two feeder lines 77, 78 connected with it that lubricate nozzles 79, respectively. Also, supply line 26 terminates in a feeder line '81 which pours lubricant into die box 67.

It will be noted that the bottom of the housing serves as a reservoir y52. for the liquid drawing lubricant. In the illustrated exempli'cation of the invention, the liquid lubricant is returned to the storage tank 14 through an outlet 82 and connection 18 by means of gravity ow.

iIn accordance with one feature of my invention, I have provided a damming plate 83 which extends transversely across the reservoir to maintain the level of the lubricant to the right of the damming plate 83, as viewed in FIG. 2, at a predetermined level. The vertical height of the damming plate 83 is designed so that the level of the liquid lubricant in the reservoir is suiiiciently high to wet the drawing blocks of the lower tier. With the drawing blocks 64 and 65 partially submerged in the liquid lubricant, considerable quantities of the lubricant are sprayed within the drawing chamber 51. vIn particular, it will be noted that the underside of both of the drawing blocks 58, `61 of the upper tier are sprayed and that additional spraying on the topside of the drawing blocks 64, 65 of the lower tier is achieved. It is believed that a scattering effect is achieved within the drawing chamber 51 that not only augments the amount of lubricant being applied to the continuously moving wire, drawing blocks and dies, but also produces a pronounced cooling effect. The resultant cooling is found to be an important advantage where aluminum wire is being drawn and where the lubricant is of an olefinic composition since such lubricants have a relatively low latent heat of evaporation. It will be appreciated that the pictorial representation in FIG. 2 of the spray generated by the drawing blocks 64, 65 is at best a schematic showing.

The olenic compositions used as a lubricant in the exemplification of my invention are fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,288,715, granted to Robert S. Owens and Leon E. St. Pierre and assigned to the present assignee. The olenic compositions may be mixed with mineral or hydrocarbon oils having viscosities of from 25 to 10,000 Saybolt Universal Seconds (S.U.S.) and may be a single hydrocarbon or a mixture of hydrocarbons. Although olenic compositions are preferably used with aluminum wire, it will be appreciated that other lubricants suitable for use with the specific metal composition of the wire may be employed in the practice of this invention.

In the exemplitcation of my invention, the dies used produced approximately one American Wire Gage size reduction as the aluminum wire passes through a particular die, and the dies were of conventional construction. It will be appreciated that the actual number of dies to be used in a given application will depend on the initial cross-sectional area of the wire being fed into the drawing machine and the desired final size of the finished wire.

From the foregoing description of the apparatus for drawing continuously moving wire and its operation, it will be apparent that I have provided an improved arrangement for achieving lubrication of the components of the drawing machine and for effecting a reduction in the temperature of the liquid drawing lubricant in the drawing chamber. An important advantage of the irnproved arrangement is that it is possible to minimize sticking of the wire to drawing blocks and also to effect significant reductions in the amount of lubricant loss.

Although the present invention has been described by reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that many modifications may be made to the means for maintaining the lubricant in the reservoir at a selected level without actually departing from the invention. For example, it will be apparent that the level of the lubricant in the reservoir may be maintained by locating the outlet connection at a preselected height thereby to maintain the liquid in the reservoir above a preselected level. Also, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the drawing blocks and dies can be rearranged in the drawing chamber without basically changing the functional arrangement. It is, therefore, intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for drawing continuously moving aluminum wire, said apparatus comprising a drawing machine including a housing having a drawing chamber, a reservoir for liquid drawing lubricant, an entrance opening for the entry of the moving aluminum wire into the drawing chamber, and an exit opening for the moving aluminium wire leaving said drawing chamber, said drawing machine further including a. die means mounted within said drawing chamber in coaxial relationship with respect to the moving aluminum wire, at least an upper and a lower tier of drawing blocks for guiding and pulling the moving aluminum wire through said die means, means for driving said drawing blocks, spraying means positioned within said drawing chamber for applying the liquid drawing lubricant to said die means, said drawing blocks and the moving aluminum wire, and means for maintaining the level of the drawing lubricant in the reservoir of said housing above a predetermined level whereby the liquid drawing lubricant wets at least one of the drawing blocks of said lower tier thereby causing liquid drawing lubricant to be sprayed and thereby to be cooled within the drawing chamber by the rotation of said at least one drawing block; means for storing the liquid drawing lubricant; means for cooling the liquid drawing lubricant; means for pumping the liquid drawing lubricant; and piping means connecting said reservoir and spraying means, said means for storing the liquid drawing lubricant, said means for pumping lubricant and said means for cooling the drawing lubricant thereby to provide a closed flow loop for the circulation of the liquid drawing lubricant.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said -means for maintaining the level of the liquid drawing 1ubn'cant includes a damming plate mounted in said reservoir to prevent the level of the drawing lubricant under the drawing blocks of said lower tier from falling below said predetermined level, and the drawing lubricant is an olefinic composition.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least two drawing machines are connected in said closed flow loop, said drawing machines being connected in parallel flow circuit relationship with each other.

4. A method for drawing continuously moving aluminum wire in a housing having a reservoir of liquid drawing lubricant, the method comprising the steps of: guiding and pulling aluminum Wire in at least two levels through dies, mounted in coaxial relationship relative to the aluminum wire within the housing, by a number of drawing blocks arranged in at least rst and second levels in the housing; cooling and spraying the liquid drawing blocks of the second level within the housing by wetting at least one rotatable drawing block of the rst level with lubricant from the reservoir generally toward the drawing liquid drawing lubricant from the reservoir as a portion of the at least one drawing block is being rotated in the reservoir thereby causing liquid drawing lubricant to be thrown away from the rotating portion; and maintaining the liquid drawing lubricant in the reservoir at a level suflicient to wet the rotating portion of the at least one rotatable drawing block as the aluminum wire is being guided and pulled through the dies in the housing.

S. The method of claim 4 in which the liquid drawing lubricant is an olenic composition mixed with oil having a viscosity in the range from 25 to 10,000 Saybolt Universal Seconds.

6. The method of claim 4 including the step of: directing the cooled and sprayed liquid drawing lubricant into contact with at least one rotatable drawing block of the second level, and spraying the at least one rotatable drawing block of the .second level with additional liquid drawing lubricant from locations within the housing other than the at least one rotating drawing block of the first level.

7. The method of claim 6 including the step of providing a closed flow loop for circulating the liquid drawing lubricant as the aluminum wire is being guided and pulled through the dies.

' References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,427,100 8/ 1922 Gilbert 72-286 1,659,591 2/1928 Busey 72-45 2,633,234 3/1953 Kivley 72--44 2,704,151 3/ 1955 Holbrook 72--43 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner E. M. COMBS, Assistant Examiner UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent NO 3,605 ,466 Dated September` Z0, 1971 Frank B. Kilcoin Inventor(s) It is certified that err or appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading to the printed specification, after line S insert assigner to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Signed and sealed this 1st day of August 1972,

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.ELETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents QM PO-105O (I0-69) USCMM-DC G0376-P69 9 US GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: ISIS 0*!56-33,