US3831412A - Coordinated stopping of take-up and process machines - Google Patents

Abstract

Winding machines that spool wire delivered from a processing machine, such as a wire drawing apparatus, having a speed control that passes a loop of wire around a dancer roll that actuates the control. This invention coordinates the stopping of the processing machine and the winding machine by providing a brake to the rotation of the winding machine spool. This brake applies a negative torque that is grossly set to stop the rotation of the winding machine at a decrease rate which is greater than the decrease rate of the processing machine. A positive torque of the winding machine drive is applied during the brake actuation and continues to supply a positive torque under the control of the dancer roll. The stopping rate of the winding machine is thus coordinated to the stopping time of the processing machine.

Description

limited States Patent [191 Bravin [451 Aug, 27, 1974 2,708,024 5/1955 Bryden 72/279 [75] Inventor: Ben Bravin, New York, NY. 'y Examiner-Charles Lanham Assistant ExaminerM. J. Keenan [73] Assrgnee: Cook Maclunery Company, Dlvlslo Attorney, Agent, or FirmRalph R. Roberts of Wire Technology & Machinery Company, Hackensack, NJ. [22] Filed: July 13, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT Winding machines that spool wire delivered from a [2!] Appl' 378989 processing machine, such as a wire drawing apparatus, avin ?..Pee 1 ..e2nr9! t 1at,passes Heep of i [52] US. Cl 72/19, 72/279, 72/288 around a dancer roll that actuates the controlf'lhis in [51 Int. Cl. B2lc 1/ 12 vention coordinates the stopping of the processing ma- [58] Field of Search 72/279, 288, 289, 443, chine and the winding machine by providing a brake 72/10, 17, 19, 26, 30; 242/78, 80, 156 to the rotation of the winding machine spool. This brake applies a negative torque that is grossly set to [5 6] References Cited stop the rotation of the winding machine at a decrease UNITED STATES PATENTS rate which is greater than the decrease rate of the pro- 1 354 336 9/1920 Pierson 72/289 cessing machine. A positive torque of the winding mal:920 207 8/1933 Mcllvriedxx: I 1: 72/289 chin? drive is 39PM dun-g the biakgaquafion 2.0471374 7/1936 Larsen 72/289 continues to Supply a Positive terqueunder the 2,067,973 H1937 Mcllvried 72/289 trel 0f the daneer rell- The Stepping rate of the Wind- 2,068,836 l/ 1937 Zarafu r. 72/279 ing machine is thus coordinated to the stopping time 2,266,861 12/1941 Haase 72/289 of the processing machine. 2,331,798 10/1943 Orr 72/289 2,417,780 3/1947 Parvin 72/289 12 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures AUTOMTIC 34 36 ANN 3 WINDING 2O 22 EALER MACHINE I et I' 48 O /26 \k ,JIO I PROCE$S 30 84 MACHINE 7 6 1 POSITIVE TORQUE CONTROL FOR MOTOR COORDINATED STOPPING OF TAKE-UP AND PROCESS MACHINES BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Where processing machines supply wire to winding machines (spoolers) that wrap the wire on a spool, there is a problem in synchronizing the stopping of the machines. Although the invention will be described in connection with wire processing apparatus, such as a wire drawing machine, it will be understood that it can be used also with any processing machine that turns out long lengths of material that have to be wound on spools.

It is conventional practice to have a dancer roller between a processing machine and a spooler. This dancer roller produces a loop in the wire and the length of the loop increases or decreases in accordance with variations in the relative speeds of the processing machine and the spooler. The speed of the spooler is controled in response to change in position of the dancer roll so as to increase the spooler speed if the loop gets longer and to decrease the spooler speed when the loop gets shorter. The control varies the power supply to the spooler motor.

It is also conventional to cause power to the processing machine and the winding machine to be cut off to stop the machines, and results in the coordinations of speed by the position of the dancer roller to be lost because there is no longer any positive torque supplied by the winding machine motor under the control of the position of the dancer roll. The circuit of the winding machine motor is open and the dancer roll control is no longer operative. A mechanical brake is applied which has been preset or is manually adjusted to generally slow down the winding machine in accordance with the deceleration of the processing machine.

This brake adjustment is critical and because of variations of different parameters (brake power, temperature, inertia of reel, amount of wire on the reel, etc.) coordinated braking is seldom achieved. When braking is excessive, the reel stops too soon and the wire falls off the pulleys, when braking is insufficient, the reel keeps running while the process machine is fully stopped which breaks the wire and necessitates a new stringing up operation. Also, where power to both the processing machine and the spooler is discontinued there is no possibility of applying certain additional sensitive tandem processing to the wire such as annealing during the deceleration whereas in the present invention processing continues thereby reducing scrap otherwise generated during the deceleration.

Controls are known and available for synchronizing the stopping of processing and winding machines so as to solve this problem, but such controls are complicated and expensive. This invention provides an improved control for coordinated stopping and the principle employed often makes it possible to use conventional apparatus with a mere change in the wiring of the apparatus.

The invention brings the processing machine and the winding machine to a substantial stop without shutting off the power to the winding machine. The comparatively small positive torque applied to the winding machine by the winding machine motor, and the control of this torque by the position of the dancer roller is continued while the processing machine and the winding machine are being stopped. The winding machine brake is set to apply a large negative torque (i.e., braking effect) which would stop the winding machine before the processing machine stopped were it not for the continued positive torque from the winding machine motor.

As the processing machine stops, which may be because its power is cut off or by a motor deceleration control, at whatever rate results from conditions existing at the time, the winding machine operating in accordance with this invention decelerates at the same rate because the dancer roll senses changes in the amount of material accumulated in the loop and controls the torque of the winding machine motor to bring the loop back to normal and the winding machine to rotate in coordination with the speed of output of the processing machine. I

Just before the processing andwinding machines come to a full stop, the power to the winding machine motor is shut off so that power is no longer applied to the motor of the winding machine when it and the winding machine spool reach a stalled condition. At this stage any remaining difference in the time required for the processing machine and the winding machine to come to a complete stop is accommodated without harm to the wire by the increase or decrease in the slack in the loop of wire at the dancer roll even though the dancer is no longer controling the speed of the winding machine motor.

This invention will be described with the winding machine motor torque controlled by changes in'position of the dancer roll; but it can be applied to apparatus where the control of the winding machine torque is obtained by comparing the wire speed to the processing machine speed by means of tachometer generator instead of by the position of the dancer roll, and where the dancer roll is used solely for accumulation of the loop of wire or other material supplied by the processing machine, or any other satisfactory control.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING In the drawing, forming a part hereof, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing a processing machine and a winding machine with the stopping of the machines controlled by apparatus of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic top plan view of the spool of the winding machine shown in FIG. 1 together with the winding machine motor and the brake for stopping the winding machine; and

FIG. 3 is a graph showing the acceleration, full speed operation and deceleration of the winding machine and processing machine, and showing also the corresponding application on a time scale of the power to the processing machine, the winding machine and thewinding machines brake.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows a processing machine such as a wire drawing machine 10 having a driving motor 12 which transmits power through motion transmitting connections 14 to a capstan 16 which pulls the wire through a die or series of dies 18. The wire, indicated by the reference character 20 travels from the processing machine across a guide pulley 22 and such other guide pulleys as are necessary, to a winding machine 26 in which the wire is wrapped on a spool 28 driven by a motor 30 through motion transmitting connections 32, such as a chain and sprocket drive.

On its way to the winding machine 26, the wire 20 passes over guide rolls 34 and 36 between which it is deflected downwardly to form a loop of wire, indicated by the reference character 38. This loop of wire passes around a dancer roll which reverses the direction of run of the loop 38. If the winding machine 26 winds wire on the spool 28 faster than wire is supplied from the processing machine 10, then the loop 38 decreases in length and the dancer roll 40 is moved upward. Conversely, if the winding machine 26 does not wind wire on the spool 28 as fast as the wire is delivered from the processing machine 10, then the extra wire accumulates in the loop 38 and the loop becomes longer so that the dancer roll 40 moves downward.

The dancer roll 40 has a spring 42 which applies on it a force in a direction to increase the length of the loop 38. The up and down movement of the dancer roll 40 is indicated by the arrows 44 and 46. A position feed back means such as a potentiometer 48 is connected with the dancer roller 40 to supply information signals through conductors 50 to control apparatus 52 which regulates the speed of the winding machine motor 30 so as to increase the motor speed when the loop 38 becomes longer and to decrease the speed of the motor 30 when the loop 38 becomes shorter. The motor 30 applies a positive torque to the spool 28; that is, a torque which causes the spool to turn in a direction to wind the wire 20 on the spool.

In the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 there is an automatic annealer 54 located between the processing machine 10 and the winding machine 26. Automatic annealers are well known in the wire drawing art and the heat supplied by the annealer to the wire is regulated automatically in accordance with the speed of the wire when the apparatus is operating normally; that is, with the speed of the wire spool 28 and motor 30 regulated by the position of the dancer roll 40. The dancer roll 40 is also conventional equipment for wire drawing apparatus and many other processing apparatus for work of long length. No further description, therefore, of the automatic annealer or the dancer roll 40 is necessary for a complete understanding of this invention.

FIG. 1 shows a tachometer generator 56 which is connected with the guide 36 mechanically so as to run at the same speed as the guide roll 36 or at a speed proportional to that of the guide roll 36. The circuit of the tachometer generator 56 is connected by a conductor cable 58 to the control 52 for the motor 30. In the operation of the control 52, the position of the dancer roll 40 controls the torque of the motor 30 when the apparatus is operating at full operating speed and when the apparatus is stopping. The output of the tachometer generator 56 is a feedback signal which indicates to the control 52 the actual speed at which the wire 20 is being wrapped on the spool 28. When this speed reaches a predetermined low value, the control 52 opens the power supply circuit to the motor 30 so that the motor 30 is no longer connected with the electric power supply when the motor reaches a stalled condition. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the control 52 shuts off power to the motor 30 for the final five percent of the deceleration time as will be explained more fully in connection with FIG. 3.

FIG. 2 shows the spool 28 secured to a shaft or axle 60 which rotates in bearings 62 and which is connected by the motion transmitting connection 32 to the motor 30. There is a brake drum 66 secured to the shaft 60 and a brake band 68, surrounding the brake drum 66, is moved into braking engagement by a cylinder and piston when compressed air is suppliedto the cylinder through a compressed air line 72. A conventional band brake can be used as the brake 66-68 of this invention. Such brakes have a spring bias to provide and maintain a brake released position and force is applied to the brake band to force the band into brake energizing contact with the drum.

The force with which the brake band 68 is applied to the drum 66, and the resulting negative torque applied to the shaft 60 on the spool 28 depends upon the force exerted by the piston 70. This force can be adjusted by regulating the air pressure that operates the piston 70. In FIG. 2 compressed air is supplied to the piston 70 from a source 74 through the line 72. A pressure regulator 76 is located in the air line 72 with a gauge 78 indicating the pressure in this line. Regulator adjusting handwheel or knob 80 is turned to increase or decrease the downstream pressure in the line with this adjustment being sufficient to obtain a desired pressure which will positively cause the brake 66-68 to stop the winding machine spool 28 before the processing machine 10 comes to a stop after power to its motor 12 is controllably decreased or is shut off. In actual operation, however, the brake 66-68 does not stop the winding machine spool before the processing machine is stopped as a controlled amount of the power to the winding machine motor 30 is maintained during the stopping period. The positive torque of the winding machine motor 30 is regulated by the position of the dancer roll and this input diminishes the braking effect 'of the brake 6668 on the spool. The combined negative torque brake action and the positive torque of the motor causing the winding machine and processing machine to a stop at substantially the same time. The control 52 feeds the desired and required current to motor 30 in response to signals received from the dancer roll 40.

An alternate coordinated stopping system with high usefulness for apparatus with motors that have variable speed control means on both the process and winding machines is to operate the speed control regulating the speed of the processing machine motor so as to obtain a controled deceleration of the processing machine instead of having it coast to a stop. A controlled motor deceleration substantially eliminates the problems arising from the variations in the time of stopping which occur with the changes in the processing factors of drawing wire producing different loads. By proper control, linear deceleration of the processing machine can be obtained and this may be desirable for some in-line auxiliary processing apparatus such as the annealer 54, or other auxiliary apparatus.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the motor 12 of the processing machine is shown as connected across conductors 84 and 86 which comprise a power line. The power supplied to the motor 28 can be made or broken by a switch 88 located in this power line. Beyond the switch 88, the

power line comprising the conductors 84 and 86 leads to a solenoid connected to a three way valve 92 in the compressed air supply line 72.

When the solenoid 90 is energized, the valve 92 is moved into the position shown in FIG. 2 where it connects the cylinder 70 with an exhaust outlet 94 of the three way valve 92. In this position the pneumatic cylinder is open to atmosphere and the spring return causes the piston to be at its right end whereat the brake is fully disengaged. When the solenoid 90 is deenergized, a spring 96 pulls the valve 94 into a position which connects the compressed air source 74 with the cylinder 70 through the regulator 76 to supply the desired force to operate the brake 66-68. Thus the valve 92 operates to apply the brake 66-68 whenever the power to the processing machine motor 12 is shut off; and operates to release the brake whenever the power to the processing machine motor 12 is again turned on.

FIG. 3 illustrates the operation of the invention by means of four graphs. In the uppermost graph, the apparatus is started at a time T 1 and the acceleration of both the processing machine and the winding machine is represented by the ascending graph line 100.

At time T 2, the apparatus is up to full speed and continues to operate at full speed as indicated by the horizontal graph line 102.

When the apparatus is started, the main machine drive; that is, the drive of the processing machine is turned on at the time T l as indicated by the second graph of FIG. 3 and as represented by the vertical line 104a. The spool drive is also turned on at the same time as represented by the vertical graph line l04b in the third graph of FIG. 3; and the spooler brake is released; that is, is moved to its off position as indicated by the vertical line 1040 in the bottom chart of FIG. 3.

All during the acceleration period and the full speed running period, the main machine drive and the spool drive are on, as indicated by the horizontal lines 105a and l05b in the second and third charts of FIG. 3 and the brake remains in its off position as indicated by the horizontal line 105s in the bottom chart.

When the apparatus is to be stopped at the time T 3, the power to the main machine drive is shut off by opening the switch 88 of FIG. 1 and this is represented by the vertical line 106a in the second chart of FIG. 3. The spooler drive motor remains energized by a variable source of current as determined by control 52 which is indicated by the continuation of the line l05b in the third chart beyond the time T 3. Opening of the circuit of the main machine drive motor 18 (FIG. 1) causes the spooler drive brake to be applied at the time T 3 since it releases the solenoid 90 of FIG. 2 so that the spring 96 moves the valve 92 into position where pressurized air is fed to cylinder 70 to cause the cylinder to energize the brake 66-68 as previously explained. This application of the brake is represented in the bottom chart by the vertical line 106C.

The apparatus decelerates as represented by the downwardly sloping line 108 in the top chart of FIG. 3 for a time extending from T 3 to T 5. The time T 5 is beyond an intermediate time T 4 on the graph by an amount equal to approximately 5 percent of the deceleration time.

The main machine drive remains off during the entire deceleration time as represented by the horizontal line 109a in the second chart; and the spooler drive is shut off at the time T 4 as represented by the vertical line 110 in the third chart. The shutting off of the drive to the spooler motor at the time T 4 has been explained in connection with the operation of the tachometer generator 56, though it will be evident other types of controls responsive to the motor speed or wire speed can be used.

As above noted the process machine may be precisely decelerated with the use of a motor speed control for motor 12. Where this manner of machine operation is provided switch 88, of course, is deleted and the control circuit which begins the deceleration cycle of the process machine also deenergizes the solenoid 90. It is, of course, to be noted that solenoid may be arranged to provide an opposite movement and be actuated only to move valve 92 to the brake energizing position. The arrangement and actuation of the solenoid is merely a matter of selection. For that matter other well known valve actions may be provided. Also as above noted, the dancer roll is not essential to the invention since the control 52 may be operated completely in response to the signals from the tachometer generator 56. During the deceleration control of the spooler drive, whether a dancer or a tachometer generator or both are used, the brake 66-68 is grossly set to stop the spooler at a rate which is faster than the deceleration rate of the process machine whether this deceleration is by a power-off or by a decreasing speed of the motor 12. The positive drive control system 52 is only programmed to keep wire 20 moving to spool 28 at a selected rate thereby only a selected drive torque signal and means is required. When brake 66-68 is applied the spooler motor 30 adds positive torque to the torque in the already rotating spool 28, these positive added torques exactly balancing the negative torque of the brake.

It is to be further noted that the coordinated stopping means of this invention permits the processing machine to be operated as a wire drawing machine with no slip of the wire at capstan 16. This permits the automatic annealer 54 to be precisely controlled by the capstan rotational speed rather than the less accurate downstream tachometer generator 56.

The above-described spooler deceleration control provides an inexpensive but highly accurate coordinated stopping means and uses only a simple motor drive and brake rather than an expensive positive motor drive and speed control having reverse loading capabilities.

The brake remains applied during the entire deceleration time as indicated by the horizontal line 1096' and ordinarily remains applied continuously until the apparatus is started up again.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, but changes and modifications can be made, and some features can be used in different combinations without departing from the invention as defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wire drawing and similar system in which the strand output of a processing machine is wound on a reel in a winding machine, there is provided apparatus for the coordinated deceleration and stopping of the winding machine in accordance with the deceleration and stopping of the processing machine, this coordinated deceleration of the processing and winding machines preventing undue strain and breaking of the strand extending therebetween, said coordinating deceleration apparatus including: (a) a processing machine having a positive torque drive disposed to bring said machine from a stopped condition to a normal running rate of speed; (b) means to discontinue the running speed operation of this processing machine and to decelerate at a selected rate to bring the processing machine to a stopped condition; a winding machine for wrapping the strand output of the processing machine on a rotating reel associated therewith; (d) positive torque means to bring the reel of the winding machine from a stopped condition to a rotational rate sufficient to wind the strand output of the processing machine at a determined rate of production; (e) means for sensing the rate at which the strand material comes from the processing machine and in response thereto to vary the positive torque means of the winding machine and the rotation of the associated winding reel, and (f) means for decelerating and stopping the reel of the winding machine at a rate which is in synchronism with the selected rate of deceleration of the processing machine, said decelerating and stopping means including a brake in association with the winding machine, this brake being energized when and as the deceleration of the processing machine is begun, said brake including means for providing a negative torque sufficient to stop the reel of the winding machine in a lesser time than the time required to decelerate and stop the processing machine and including means for continuing to provide a positive torque input to the winding machine during the time the brake is applied, said torque input sufficient for the winding machine to wind at the same rate as the output of the processing machine, this positive torque being controlled by the means for sensing the rate at which the strand material is delivered from the processing machine.

2. The apparatus as described in claim 1 characterized by the processing machine and the winding machine each having its own motor and further including switch means for shutting off power to the processing machine to cause deceleration and the stopping thereof, the energizing of the brake including an electric circuit that is operative when the power to the processing machine motor is shut off.

3. The apparatus described in claim 1 characterized by motors for driving the processing machine and the winding machine and further including means for shut ting off power to the processing machine while power continues to be supplied to the winding machine motor and the brake being operative to bring the winding machine to a substantial stop while power is still supplied to the winding machine motor and at the same time to said means for sensing the delivery rate of the strand material that varies the positive torque means of the winding machine.

4. The apparatus described in claim 3 characterized by means responsive to the winding machine speed for shutting off the power to the winding machine motor when the winding machine motor comes to a substantial stop but is not yet completely stalled.

5. The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein the means for sensing the delivery rate of the strand material includes a dancer roller that contacts with a loop of the strand material between the processing machine and the winding machine, the dancer roller being movable into different positions in response to the changes in the length of the loop resulting from variations in the relative speeds of the processing machine and the winding machine, and a control means responsive to said sensing means and to vary accordingly the positive torque in response to changes of position of the dancer roll.

6. The apparatus described in claim 5 which further includes a tachometer generator which is driven by the material fed to the loop, and means responsive to the drop in output of the tachometer generator for shutting off power to the winding machine motor when the delivery speed of the wire drops to a slow speed such as two to five percent of the normal speed of the processing machine the excess material being accommodated without breaking by the available accumulation in the dancer roll system.

7. The apparatus described in claim 1 which further includes a dancer roll that contacts and forms a portion of a loop in the material extending between the processing machine and the winding machine, the dancer roll being movable into different positions in response to the changes in the length of the loop resulting from variations in the relative speed of the processing machine and the winding machine and in which the positive torque varies in response to a control input to an electric operating mechanism, whose output is varied to provide a signal means generated in response to changes in position of the dancer roll.

8. The apparatus described in claim 1 characterized by detector means that sense differences in the relative speed of the processing machine output and the rate of winding of the winding machine, the control for the positive torque being operative to vary the torque of the winding machine motor in proportion to said differences as sensed by the detector.

9. The apparatus described in claim 8 characterized by an actuator for the brake, and means for adjusting the actuator to increase or decrease the negative torque exerted by the brake on the winding machine motor so as to stop the winding machine in a time period less than that required for the processing machine to decelerate and stop.

10. The apparatus described in claim 8 characterized by a tachometer generator that is driven from the material advancing to the winding machine and at a speed proportional to the rate of winding of the material by the winding machine, and an electric circuit operably connecting the tachometer generator with the control for the winding machine for shutting off all power to the winding machine motor when the winding machine speed drops below a predetermined minimum.

11. The apparatus described in claim 1 characterized by auxiliary processing apparatus for annealing furnace located between the processing machine and the winding machine and through which material processed in the processing machine passes on its way to the winding machine.

12. The apparatus described in claim 11 characterized by the auxiliary processing apparatus being an automatic annealing furnace.

Claims (12)

1. In a wire drawing and similar system in which the strand output of a processing machine is wound on a reel in a winding machine, there is provided apparatus for the coordinated deceleration and stopping of the winding machine in accordance with the deceleration and stopping of the processing machine, this coordinated deceleration of the processing and winding machines preventing undue strain and breaking of the strand extending therebetween, said coordinating deceleration apparatus including: (a) a processing machine having a positive torque drive disposed to bring said machine from a stopped condition to a normal running rate of speed; (b) means to discontinue the running speed operation of this processing machine and to decelerate at a selected rate to bring the processing machine to a stopped condition; (c) a winding machine for wrapping the strand output of the processing machine on a rotating reel associated therewith; (d) positive torque means to bring the reel of the winding machine from a stopped condition to a rotational rate sufficient to wind the strand output of the processing machine at a determined rate of production; (e) means for sensing the rate at which the strand material comes from the processing machine and in response thereto to vary the positive torque means of the winding machine and the rotation of the associated winding reel, and (f) means for decelerating and stopping the reel of the winding machine at a rate which is in synchronism with the selected rate of deceleration of the processing machine, said decelerating and stopping means including a brake in association with the winding machine, this brake being energized when and as the deceleration of the processing machine is begun, said brake including means for providing a negative torque sufficient to stop the reel of the winding machine in a lesser time than the time required to decelerate and stop the processing machine and including means for continuing to provide a positive torque input to the winding machine during the time the brake is applied, said torque input sufficient for the winding machine to wind at the same rate as the output of the processing machine, this positive torque being controlled by the means for sensing the rate at which the strand material is delivered from the processing machine.

2. The apparatus as described in claim 1 characterized by the processing machine and the winding machine each having its own motor and further including switch means for shutting off power to the processing machine to cause decelerAtion and the stopping thereof, the energizing of the brake including an electric circuit that is operative when the power to the processing machine motor is shut off.

3. The apparatus described in claim 1 characterized by motors for driving the processing machine and the winding machine and further including means for shutting off power to the processing machine while power continues to be supplied to the winding machine motor and the brake being operative to bring the winding machine to a substantial stop while power is still supplied to the winding machine motor and at the same time to said means for sensing the delivery rate of the strand material that varies the positive torque means of the winding machine.

4. The apparatus described in claim 3 characterized by means responsive to the winding machine speed for shutting off the power to the winding machine motor when the winding machine motor comes to a substantial stop but is not yet completely stalled.

5. The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein the means for sensing the delivery rate of the strand material includes a dancer roller that contacts with a loop of the strand material between the processing machine and the winding machine, the dancer roller being movable into different positions in response to the changes in the length of the loop resulting from variations in the relative speeds of the processing machine and the winding machine, and a control means responsive to said sensing means and to vary accordingly the positive torque in response to changes of position of the dancer roll.

6. The apparatus described in claim 5 which further includes a tachometer generator which is driven by the material fed to the loop, and means responsive to the drop in output of the tachometer generator for shutting off power to the winding machine motor when the delivery speed of the wire drops to a slow speed such as two to five percent of the normal speed of the processing machine the excess material being accommodated without breaking by the available accumulation in the dancer roll system.

7. The apparatus described in claim 1 which further includes a dancer roll that contacts and forms a portion of a loop in the material extending between the processing machine and the winding machine, the dancer roll being movable into different positions in response to the changes in the length of the loop resulting from variations in the relative speed of the processing machine and the winding machine and in which the positive torque varies in response to a control input to an electric operating mechanism, whose output is varied to provide a signal means generated in response to changes in position of the dancer roll.

8. The apparatus described in claim 1 characterized by detector means that sense differences in the relative speed of the processing machine output and the rate of winding of the winding machine, the control for the positive torque being operative to vary the torque of the winding machine motor in proportion to said differences as sensed by the detector.

9. The apparatus described in claim 8 characterized by an actuator for the brake, and means for adjusting the actuator to increase or decrease the negative torque exerted by the brake on the winding machine motor so as to stop the winding machine in a time period less than that required for the processing machine to decelerate and stop.

10. The apparatus described in claim 8 characterized by a tachometer generator that is driven from the material advancing to the winding machine and at a speed proportional to the rate of winding of the material by the winding machine, and an electric circuit operably connecting the tachometer generator with the control for the winding machine for shutting off all power to the winding machine motor when the winding machine speed drops below a predetermined minimum.

11. The apparatus described in claim 1 characterized by auxiliary processing apparatus for annealing furnace located between the processing machinE and the winding machine and through which material processed in the processing machine passes on its way to the winding machine.

12. The apparatus described in claim 11 characterized by the auxiliary processing apparatus being an automatic annealing furnace.

Images