WO1979000324A1

WO1979000324A1 - Device for wire processing

Info

Publication number: WO1979000324A1
Application number: PCT/SE1978/000081
Authority: WO
Inventors: S Hasselqvist; A Thoreson; P Helenelund
Original assignee: Scanovator Handel; S Hasselqvist; A Thoreson; P Helenelund
Priority date: 1977-11-28
Filing date: 1978-11-22
Publication date: 1979-06-14
Also published as: GB2039844B; FI783617A; SE7906129L; NO783961L; DK529078A; EP0007962A1; GB2039844A; SE422194B

Abstract

A method and a device for processing a metal wire so that it can effectively be applied to a matrix as fiber reinforcement, thereby contributing the strength of the fiber material to the matrix. A typical example of a matrix material is concrete. This invention operates in principle in the following way according to Fig. 1: rollers (1", 1"") drive the wire (2) from the reel (3) to a cutting mechanism (10) with one fixed (7) and one or more rotating cutters (8, 15), where the wire is cut into fibers (12) which are then sprayed at high speed onto the surface of the concrete for embedding in the matrix material, The advantage of this invention is that the concrete manufacturer can use wire supplied on reel or a similar paying-off device and, with the aid of a device according to this invention, apply directly to the concrete material fibers of greater length and more accurate distribution than previously obtainable with other devices.

Description

Device for wire processing

This invention relates to a method and a device for processing a metal wire so that it can effectively be applied to a matrix as fiber rein- forcement, thereby contributing the strength of the fiber material to the matrix.

Various methods for using metal fiber for reinforcing cement composites have been known for a long time, as have devices for applying this technique. A prominent method hitherto has been to blend in bulk stored fiber in a mixer, various dispersing and dosing equipment being used for this purpose. These earlier known methods are, however, limited to producing relatively short fiber lengths and cannot fully utilise the strength of the fiber material. In addition there exist disadvantages in storing large quantities of fiber, which is rather bulky and often susceptible to corrosion.

This invention constitutes a system in which the concrete manufacturer can use wire stored on reels or in a similar storage form which, with the aid of a device according to this invention, is applied as fiber to the concrete, thereby permitting great accuracy in application of longer fibers. The invention works in principle in the following way: rollers drive the wire from a reel to a cutting mechanism with one cutting edge and one or more rotating cutters , where the wire is cut into fibers which are then sprayed at high initial speed onto the surface of the concrete for embedding by the matrix material. The advantages of this method are very great; the cost of the fiber in the finished product is lower and the quality is higher. In fact it has been shown that considerably more complex products can be manufactured in production runs. Concrete or cement products (also mortar and light clinker products) can be provided with fibers of different lengths, well distributed and with similar orientation. Of particular interest is the fact that both continuous and separate fibers can be applied with the aid of this invention and that consequently the greatest possible freedom is permitted in design¬ ing technically advanced concrete products .

C.Y.P1 As an example of this we mention a panel, either flat or uneven. The stresses on a panel generally vary at different parts of the panel. Thus the edges are often exposed to impacts and require a fiber rein¬ forcement for protection, while the centre of the panel may require a lower fiber content and possibly fibers of greater length. In order to prevent d^lamination of the panel from the edges it may be appropriate to introduce short fibers distributed in three dimensions. This is one illustration of the production possibilities afforded by the invention. Beams , posts and bars which are subject to bending can be manufactured with continous fibers. The ends often require more randomly oriented short fibers in order to increase impact resistance or other types of stress. This invention is appropriate for such process.

A great advantage with long continous fibers is that they rebound less than short fibers when the spraying nozzle is operated manually. This in turn means a reduced accident risk at the same time as fiber wastage is limited.

In accordance with this invention the device may suitably be comprised of modular units (see block diagram).

The blocks in the diagram have the following significance:

A Wire magazine

B Wire conduit

C Feeding and indenting unit

D Wire conduit

E Driving rollers for improved feed function

F Cutting unit

G Control unit for fiber output providing better coverage

H Splash guard An important part of this invention is the unwinding of the wire from a reel or coil. A relatively thin, flexible wire has for each turn only a small mass and can therefore be accelerated and retarded very quickly. In order for the unwinding mechanism to operate there must be no resi¬ stance to fast unwinding, otherwise the wire would be snapped off. Un¬ winding takes place without any mowing parts until the feeding indenting unit. A wire guide at an appropriate distance from the axial centre of a reel or coil produces a curred loop due to the centrifugal force generated during the relatively fast unwinding of the wire.

By altering the speed of the cutting motor different fiber lengths can be obtained. In one practical design fiber lengths in the range 15 - 150 mm have been continuously regulated in this way. It should be noted here that the speed component of the rotating cutters should always be at least equal to the speed of the wire in its direction of feed if the wire feed is not to be jammed by the rotating cutters.

One interesting and unusual variant is a device for feeding continous fiber. The efficient driving provided by the patterned rollers allows high wire speeds to be obtained. It is thus possible to spray a thin, con¬ tinuous wire fiber a comparatively long distance. No difficulty is in¬ volved in spraying a wire a distance of 5 - 10 m from the operator, there¬ by obtaining in a single process a continuous fiber reinforcement which permits light, strong, fiber concrete modules.

In one design the rollers and the cutting device can be placed adjacently. In another, the cutting device can be placed at a considerable distance from the reel and rollers. The wire is guided in a flexible conduit to the cutting device and is then sprayed directly into its required loca¬ tion. In the latter variant two motors are used, one for driving and indenting and the other for cutting.

In an advanced process several fiber wires can travel through the device in accordance with the invention and undergo different processing: thinner wire can be cut into shorter pieces and thicker wire can be cut into longer lengths or sprayed continuously. Also any combination of these may be used. The device can be controlled by an automatic regula¬ tor which distributes the fiber. The unreeling technique permits momen¬ tary starting and stopping of fiber feed and spraying as often as desired. The reliability of the device is dependent mainly upon exact winding of the wire on the reel or coil so that it can rapidly be unwound.

Reels or coils of different designs can be used, the essential require¬ ment being that the wire can quickly be unreeled. One variant consists of a coil for internal unwinding. As. ith the coils mentioned above, thi coil has no core, the wire supporting itself.

In one interesting distribution system indenting of the fiber wire can performed during the wire-drawing process, after which the wire is woun or coiled on a reel or as a coil. It is then only necessary to feed and possibly to cut the fiber in the process where it is to be used. The in dented fiber can be fed using a soft roller.

The invention as described here can, of course, be used for producing fibers in bulk for subsequent addition to the concrete matrix. Here it has been possible to describe only a limited number of those variants which are feasible without altering the basic idea of this invention. The invention can be used for applications other than fiber production, in fact wherever a rapidly fed wire of any length is required.

The following section and references to the accompanying drawings de¬ scribe in greater detail a process relating to symbols A, C, D, and F in the block diagram given above.

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Fig. 1 shows a schematic arrangement of reel, housing, indenting and feed rollers and cutting unit. Fig. 2 shows the reel and coil with a cone mounted on the upper flange. Eig. 3 shows details of the feed and indenting rollers. Fig. 4 shows an eccentric bearing arrangement for the feed and indenting roller. Fig. 5 shows an example of roller design. Fig 6 shows an alternative roller design in the form of a disc. Fig. 7 shows schematically how the cutting mechanism in the cutting unit operates. Fi 8 shows an example of splash guard design.

In Fig. 1 roller pair 1 drives wire 2 with motor 4 mounted directly on one of the rollers 1 ", the wire being unwound from reel 3. A tangential guiding and indenting groove is shown in the roller pair. The wire is driven by the feed rollers through a rigid or flexible conduit to the cutting unit. Disk 9 is mounted directly on motor 10 and is provided wit cutting edges. Cutter 8 is rotating and is about to cut wire length 11 against fixed cutting edge 7. Cut fibers 12 are sprayed at a speed corresponding to the speed at which the wire is fed into the cutting unit.

Fig.2 shows a wire magazine consisting of a housing containing the reel . The housing is positioned radially on the lower flange 21 of the reel in order to ensure a space between the housing and the upper flange of the reel. A cone 20 is mounted on the upper flange. This cone prevents wire loops from lifting over the top of the reel.

Fig. 3 shows rollers 1' and 1" which feed wire fiber 2 while it is in¬ dented. One guide 14 before and one guide 13 after the roller pair assist correct movement through the rollers.

Fig.4 shows how a feed and indenting roller are supported in order to facilitate wire loading and maintenance, such as change of rollers. Two eccentric discs are arranged so that the outer disc 25 is mounted on a fixed base. The inner disc 26 is located eccentrically on the outer disc and is spring loaded so that it can oscillate in relation to the outer disc with the aid of compression spring 28. Adjusting screw 29 is used to alter the indenting force. An axle is supported in eccentric disc 26 by an eccentrically placed ball bearing 30 and in turn supports a feed and indenting roller at its extremity 31.

Fig. .5 shows a design of roller 1 ' and 1" respectively with tangential guiding groove 6 and depressions 16, here at right angles to the tangen¬ tial guiding groove. These depressions may alternatively be designed as radially drilled holes with regular intervals in the guiding groove.

Fig. 6 shows an^"alternative design of rollers 1' and 1" respectively where each roller is built up of discs with thin spacer so as to provide a tangential groove. The advantage of these built-up rollers is consider¬ able. A tangential groove can be obtained which is fairly deep in rela¬ tion to its width, which means that the groove is less vulnerable to obstruction. Better cooling of the rollers is achieved and different wire diameters are easily accommodated by simply exchanging the spacer. By adjusting the relative position of the discs on the axle different indenting patterns can be obtained for the two rollers in a roller pai which is advantageous in identifying the fiber. When the discs have be come worn at their edges it is only necessary to reverse them in order obtain new surfaces. If several wires are to be run parallel between t same roller pair a thin spacer need only be fitted together with a dis on the outside of each roller.

Fig. 7 shows wire 2 fed through conduit 5 past fixed cutting edge 7 wi the rotating cutter 8 about to shear the wire. Two cutters 8 and 15 ar shown here, these being fitted on rotating disc 9. It can thus be seen that a simple movement of conduit 5 can bring the wire out of the cutt so that a continuous wire is obtained as reinforcing fiber.

Fig. 8 shows a splash guard for use in casting fiber-reinforced produc The design shown here is adapted so that short fibers sprayed in from top are efficiently distributed; the splash guard here has a guiding a tion. Its other purposes are to reduce the momentum of the fibers, to limit fiber wastage due to rebounding and to avoid damage or injury caused by flying fibers.

Claims

What we claim is :

1. A method of processing a thin metal wire stored on a reel or other paying-o£f device for use as fiber, for example in reinforcing cement composites, the wire being driven by rollers (1 ) provided with con¬ tinuous grooves (6) placed opposite to each other on the circumference of the rollers, and in which the reel is enclosed within a housing which guides the wire while, it is unwound at high speed, the housing consisting of an outer casing (18) whose axis coincides with that of the reel and whose upper part is shaped as a funnel (19) with an aperture (17) through which the wire is withdrawn before being passed between the roller pair and into a longitudinally flexible conduit (5) which may terminate in a cutting device (lθ) for possible division of the rapidly driven wire into short fibers.-

2. A method according to Claim 1 in which the reel supports a cone (20) whose base coincides with, and is attached to, the flange of the reel nearest the funnel (1 ) and with a space between the cone and the funnel which exceeds the thickness of the wire.

3. A method according to Claims 1 and 2 in which one roller in the roller pair has an eccentrically mounted bearing arrangement (25) and (26) and is movable to a position in which the rollers are separated, the abovementioned roller being held radially with an adjustable spring force against the wire passing between the rollers, the latter possess¬ ing a patterned surface which provides a plastic indentation in the wire, thereby eliminating slipping while continuing to provide the wire with the desired pattern even when only one of the rollers is being driven.

4. A method according to Claims 1 - 3 in which each roller consists of two discs (22) and (23) separated by a thin spacer of a smaller dia¬ meter, the patterns on the two larger discs being adjustable in rela¬ tion to each other.

5. A method according to Claims 1 - 4 in which the cutting device con¬ sists of a fixed cutting edge (7) and one or more rotating cutters (8 and (15) whose projected speed at the cutting edge is at least as great as the speed of the wire in its direction of feed.

6. A method according to Claims 1 - 5 in which several wires are guided through parallel grooves in the roller pair or are brought together from different roller pairs before being cut over a cutting edge by a cutter rotating in a similar way.

7. A method according to Claims 1 - 6 in which a spreader (32) breaks up the fiber stream which then rebounds upon an external casing (33) so as to be distributed over an area.

8. A device for processing a thin metal^' ire stored on a reel or other paying-off device from which it can be unwound for use as fiber, for example in reinforcing cement composites, the wire being driven by a roller pair (1 ) provided with continuous grooves (6) placed opposite each other on the circumference of the rollers, and in which the reel is enclosed within a housing which guides the wire while it is unwoun at high speed, the housing consisting of an outer casing (18) whose axis coincides with that of the reel and whose upper part is shaped as a funnel (19) through which the wire is withdrawn before being passed between the roller pair and into a longitudinally flexible conduit (5) which may terminate in a cutting device (10) for possible division of the rapidly driven wire into short fibers.

9. A device according to Claim 8 in which the reel supports a cone (2θ) whose base coincides with and is attached to the flange of the reel nearest the funnel (19) and with a space between the cone and the funnel which exceeds the thickness of the wire.

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10. A device according to Claims 8 and 9 in which one roller in the roller pair has an eccentrically mounted bearing arrangement (25) and (26) and is movable to a position in which the rollers are separated, the above- mentioned roller being held radially with an adjustable spring force against the wire passing between the rollers, the latter rollers possess¬ ing a patterned surface which provides a plastic indentation in the wire, thereby eliminating slipping while continuing to provide the wire with the desired pattern even when only one of the, rollers is being driven.

11. A device according to Claims 8 - 10 in which each roller consists of two discs (22) and (23) separated by a thin spacer of a smaller diameter, the patterns on the two discs being adjustable in relation to each other.

12. A device according to Claims 8 - 11 in which the cutting device consists of a fixed cutting edge (7) and one or more rotating cutters (8) and (15) whose projected speed at the cutting edge is at least as great as the speed of the wire in its direction of feed.

13. A device according to Claims 8 - 12 in which several wires are guided through parallel spoores in the roller pair or are brought together from different roller pairs before being cut over a cutting edge by a cutter rotating in a similar way.

14. A device according to Claims 8 - 13 in which a spreader (32) breaks up the fiber stream which^' then rebounds upon an external casing (33) so as to be distributed over an area.

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