US1843075A - Strand twisting and coiling mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 26, 1932. R. c. ANGELL STRAND TWISTING AND COILING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 7. 1928 Patented dan., 26, i932 erica ROBERT C. ANGELL, OF "PRINCE BAY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE S. S. WHITE DENTAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A GORCPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA STRAND TWISTING- AND COILING MECHANISM application ala January 7, 192s. serial No. 245,073.

My invention relatesparticularly tothe manufacture of flexible shafts or cables formed of a plurality of wire strands, coiled or wound around a cent-ral core,` and is especially directed to mechanism arranged to so has a considerable variation in different parts of its length, in size and other physical characteristics. v For example, the total variation in size frequently amounts to 7% or more of its rated gauge dimensions, (e. g.

to 1': .0005 in a wire of .013, normal diameter). It will be obvious thatirregularities in wire introduce difficulties in the uniform winding of the helical layers of wire bn the core body, and tendto produce differences in the uniformity, or in the visual appearance of the spacing of successive turns of the helically disposed layers. These difficulties are due: in part to the variations in frictional resistance to the movement of a wire through the winding mechanism; in part to the changes in the force required to bend or coil different portions of such a wire around a central core or underlying bodv: and yin part to the changes in the force which is required to draw the assembledl core and overlying through the machine. y

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a flexible shaft or cable producing machine with means arranged to compensate for any inequalities or irregularities of the. character above mentioned, by subjecting the shaft to such a force at the region of fabrication as to effect the laying of the coiled strands on to the core or mandrel in uniformly spaced relation: in such relation that the interproximal separation, or interelical layer of wire spatial distance between the adjacent or cone tiguous wires of the helically wound layer,

is substantially constant and uniform.

Other objects of my invention are to provide l flexible shaft or cable producing machine, with drawing-out mechanism having controlling means connected to be actuated to vary the amount of force developed by said drawing-out mechanism in accordance with any variation of the forces tending to change the progressive movement of said shaft or cable.

Specifically stated, the form of my invention as hereinafter described' comprises a core-spool carrier or pay-out, mechanism, a strand bobbin carrier or winding mechanism for fabricating the shaft or cable by laying the superimposed strands on the core or mandrel, recoiling or'untwisting mechanism, all rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the fabricated shaft or cable, a take-up reel or spooling mechanism, and means acting upon said shaft at regions embracing or spanning the fabricating mechanism, arranged to obtain a uniform interproximal spacing of the strands coiled thereon during the progressive `movement of the shaft. rIhis last mentioned `mea-ns comprises a pivoted beam' carrying pulleys about which said shaft is looped, and which relatively rise and fall in accordance with the variations in the forces acting upon the shaft elements during the process of fabrication; and a connective mechanism, actuated by this relative rising and falling movement, which controls or regulates the draft on pull exerted on the fabricated product by the take up lor spooling mechanism.

My invention also includes all the various novel yfeatures of construction and arrangement as hereinafter more definitely specified.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention, certain parts being shown in elevation for convenience of illustration; and `Fig. 2 is a plan view of those parts of the machine which cooperate to apply the force r'that is necessary to effect the desired progressive movement of the shaft at the region of fabricationv comprising The machine shown in these figures may preferably be composed of separate units cooperatively associated and comprising a mandrel-dispensing or core pay-out carrier 1, the revolvable winding or laying-on mechanism 2, the recoil or untwisting mechanism 3, which is also arranged to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the shaft being fabricated, the take-up or spooling mechanism 4, and the compensating means comprising the shaft-looping frames- 5 and 6, and the rocking or walking beam 7 which is cooperatively connected with said take-up or spooling mechanism to effect the desired progressive movement of said shaft at the region of fabrication.

rlhe core-dispensing carrier has the flierframe '9 provided with trunnions 10 and 11 rotatably mounted in the standards 12 and 13 and having the mandrel or core-carrying spool 14, which is mounted to rotate in said flier-frame 9 on the shaft 15 `whose axis extends transverse to the axis of rotation of said flier-frame 9, and whichis arranged to pay out the mandrel or core 16 guided through the hollow trunnion 11.

Rotation of the flier-frame 9 may be effected in any convenient manner, but 1 have chosen to illustrate a simple method which comprises the pulley 17 secured en the trunnion 10, and having varying diameters arranged to be connected bythe belt 19 with a similar stepped pulley 20v on the countershaft 21.

The winding mechanism comprises Vthe strand bobbin frame having its end walls the disks 24 and 25 connected by the spacing bars 26, and respectively having hollow trunnions 27 and 28 mounted for rotation in the standards 29 and 30, the trunnion 27 being extended inwardly to forni the Ahollow stud .31 upon which the bobbins 34,

35, 36 and 37 may be rotatably mounted and (removably heldin position thereon by the disk 39, which is retained on the retaining nut 40.

Said bobbins 34,35, 36 and 37 are-respecthe stud 31 by vtively arranged to deliver strands 41, 42, 43

and 44 to the strand-winding die 46, suitably mounted inthe disk 25 and having therein suitable apertures 47 through which said strands are arranged to pass, and the aperture 48 for the core 16, which is directed through the hollow trunnion 27 hollow stud 31 and hollow trunnion 28, and about which said strands 41, 42, 43, and 44 are coiled by the rotation of the strand bobbin frame and its die 46. The' strands 41, 42, 4.3 and 44 are respectively directed to the die 46 by passing oversuitable guide rollers or pulleys 49, preferably carried by the spacing bars 26, and over the `guide rollers or pulleys 50, which may be conveniently carried b v the disk 39.

The rotation of the strand bobbin frame may be conveniently effected by the pulley 51 which is mounted on the trunnion 27 and. connected by the driving-belt 53 with the pulley 54 on the counter-shaft 21, the pulley 54 being of much greater' diameter than the pullley 51, so as to rotate the strand-bobbin frame 7 at a comparatively high and substantially constant rate of speed.

rlhe longitudinal progressive movement of the fabricated shaft or cable and its components is effected by the take-up mechanism, comprising the take-up reel or spool 55 having its shaft 56 mounted for rotation in the standards 57 and provided with the pulley 58 connected by the belt 59 with the pulley 60 which-'s loosely mounted for rotation on the countershaft, and provided with friction flanges 61 and 62.

The flanges 62 is arranged to frictionally engage the flange 63 of the flanged collar 65 which is pinned to rotate with the countershaft 2l, and the flange 61 is arranged to be' 46 the twisting or recoil 75,having the shaft looped therearound, may be conveniently interposed between the strand-feeding and ,winding mechanism, and the take-up mechanism, said drum 75 being mounted for rotation in the frame 76 which includes the stepped pulley mounted for rotation on the hollow trunnion 28 and connected to be rotated about the axis of the shaft being fabricated, by the belt 78, with the stepped pulley 79 on the countershaft 21.

When the recoil frame 76 is revolved in a direction opposite to that in which the winding head is rotating, a portion of the fabricated shaft lying between' said recoil'frame 76 and the take-up reel 55, is revolved in the same direction as that in which the recoil frame is moving. This rotation of the frame 76 twists the core'in a direction opposed to that of the winding of the outer layer, and this results in a definite vpredetermined torsion, per foot of length, in the said core. The revolution of the recoil frame also twists the outer helical layer of wire in a direction opposed to that in which it is applied to the core by the action of the winding mechanism,

twist the shaft, after it i leaves the windmg head comprising the die.

:teasers ing and Winding mechanism, and the take-up mechanism, and comprises the standards 85 and 86, respectively carrying the relatively spaced pulleys 87 and 88 in tandem relation over which the fabricated shaft is form-ed into a bight 89. n

The bights 84 and 89, in the shaft being fabricated, embrace the pulleys 90 and 91 disposed at the opposite ends of the walking beam 7, which is-pivoted at 93 a rock on the bracket 94 extending from the standard 30,

and which is provided with the weight 95 longitudinally adjustable thereon to vary the force required to dran7 the shaft through the fabricating mechanism and thereby obtain the desired uniformity of the spacing of the strands being Wound thereon.

The take-up mechanism is provided `With the friction brake-drum 96, about which a friction brake-band 97 is coiled, said brakeband having one end connected to the base of the standards 57 by the screw-eye 99. and the other end connected by means of the turnbuckle 100 to one end of the lever 101 which is pivoted at 102 to the base of the stand,- ards 57, the other end of said lever 101. being connected by the link 103 to the end of the ,beam 7 on which the pulley 91 is carried. `When the pulley 91 is raised the outer, or

right hand, end of the lever 101 is depressed and the brake-band 97 is drawn more closely into engagement with the drum 96, thereby increasing the frictional resistance to the rotation of the take-up reel 55, and correspondingly diminishing the effective driving action of the flanged collars 63 and 66, on the friction discs 61-62- ,This reduction in f driving effecten the reel will result in a corresponding decrease of 'the draft, or aXial movement, in the shaft Which is being wound up on the take up spool. lWhen the pulley 91 falls the braking action of the band 97 on the drum 96 is diminished, and the effective drivving action of the frictionally engaged elements 61-65-3, and {S2- 66, and the resultant axial pull on the product being spooled, is

correspondingly increased. My invention is advantageous in thatany inequalities vor irregularities in the forces acting on the shaft or cable and its components as a whole, or any iaclr of uniformity in the diameter ofthe Wire rbeing Wound which may tend to produce an irregular interproiiimate spacing of the coiied strands, are automaticaily compensated for, and the irregularities of spacing which might result from such causes are so taken up. absorbed or otherwise eliminated as to nullify the effects of varying tension in or on the component elements of the fabricated product, and produce a shaft Whose surface appearance is substans tially uniform throughout; a resultwhich is not attainable, (when commercial Wire is used), with any such form of fixed pitch or uniform feed machine as is disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,671,951.

I do not desire to limit my invention to the p recise detailsv of construction and arrangement as herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention as defined in thc appended claims. n

Having thus .described my invention, I

claim:

1. A machine of the class described, comprising mechanism for feeding and ceiling a plurality of strands about a core to forni a stranded shaft, means rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the fabricated product, to contemporaneously rotate said shaft about its axis While it is progressing longitudinally, and compensating means engaging at one point with the said core and at another point With the said shaft, and adapted to maintain a substantially uniform difference in tension between said parts during the fabrication.

2. ln a machine for fabricating a flexibleI shaft, the combination Withmcans arranged to dispense a core, of means arranged to form stranded convolutions about said core, means for progressing the fabricated product longitudinally, means arranged to control said progressing means, a pivoted compensating beam having means arranged to engage said core and said shaft, and means-connecting vsaid beam With said controlling means whereby changes of force necessary to pullthe core from the core-dispensing mechanism cause actuation of the controlling means to effect corresponding changes in pull by the shaftprogressing means.

3. lin a machine of the class described` the combination With mechanism for fabricating a stranded shaft comprising a core and Windin gs, of drawingbut mechanism for said shaft, means arranged to control the speed of said drawing-out mechanism, a pivoted compensating beam having means arranged to engagev said core and windings and to rock in accordance Wih irregularities of force 'tending to change the progressive movement of said shaft elements, and pivoted means connecting said beam with said controiling means whereby the rocking of said beam actuates said controlling means 'to effect actuation of said drawing-out mechanism to pro' i variation in the forces tending to progress the shaft the region of fabrication.

e. '"l'n a machine of the cias descriheffi, the

rra

around the core, and

the position of sembled for y shaft, and including core-dispensing mechacombination of mechanism for winding a layer of wire on a core, with compensating mechanism engaging said layer and said core on opposite sides of the point of windin-g and acting to prevent any substantial inequalities in the interproxiinate spacingof the wound strands.

5. In a machine for the manufacture of iiexible shafting which comprises a core and a superimposed helically wound layer of wire, the combination of a winding head, means for feeding the core thereto, and means for withdrawing the liexible shaft therefrom, with a compensating mechanism engaging said core and said shaft on opposite sides of said head and adapted to maintain a constant difference in tension between the said core and the said shaft at its points of engagement therewith.

(E. ln a machine for the manufacture of flexible shafting of the character herein described, the combination of core .dispensing means, winding means for twisting a helix around the core, and shaft take-up means; a movable beam around one end of which the core is looped, and around the other end of which the shaft is looped; and an adjustable weight tending to move the beam.

7. ln a machine for the manufacture of flexible shafting'of the character herein described, the combination of core dispensing means, windng means for twisting a helix shaft take-up means; a movable beam around one end of which the core is looped, and around the other end of which the shaft is looped; an adjustable weight tending to move the beam, and a brake upon a shaft take-up meansv the braking action of which is dependent upon the beam;

8. A machineof the class described, coinprising mechanism for winding a helical laycr of wire on a central core, and having a take-up mechanism arranged to draw the composite body forward during fabrication, and compensating means engaging with the said core and the said layer on opposite sides of the point of winding, and operative to eff ect the formation of the said layer with a 'substantially uniform clearance between the coiled strands.

9. A machine ofthe class described, com-v prising a plurality of units `cooperatively asfabricating a stranded flexible nism, strand-feeding and winding mechanism, drawing-outl mechanism, and compensating means, pivotally mounted and spanning said strand-feeding and winding mechanism and arranged to effect the ceiling of the strands with a'substantially uniformclearance. 4

10. A machine of the class described, comprising a plurality of units cooperatively assembled for fabricating a stranded flexible shaft, and including core-dispensing mechaieeaova rnism, and drawing-out mechanism, the corcdispensing mechanism and strand-feeding and winding mechanism being arranged for relative movement about the axis of the shaft and compensating means engaging with the core and the shaft on opposite sides of the said winding mechanism and acting to produce an axial tension in said shaft at the point of winding which is in excess of the tension in the core by a substantially uniform amount.

11. A machine of the class described, comprising mechanism for feeding a'core and winding a plurality of strand wires thereabout to form a flexible shaft, means rotatable about thel longitudinalaxis of said shaft to relatively twist the core after said strand ^wires are wound thereon, a take-up mechapense a core, of means arranged, to form stranded eonvolutions about said core, means for progressing the fabricated product longitudinally, means arranged to control said progressing means, a pivot-ed compensating beam arranged to engage said core and fabricated product, and means connecting said beam with said controlling means whereby the pivoted movement of the beam regulates the action of the pull exerted by the said progressing means.

13. A machine of the class described which comprises mechanism for winding a plurality of helically disposed coils of wire about a central core, a take-up mechanism for spooling the fabricated product, a compensating draft mechanism engaging with said core and with said shaft on opposite sides ofthe winding ymechanism, and connecting means between said draft mechanism and said take-up mechanism foi` automatically varying the speed of the latter in accordance with variations in tension in the said shaft.

ln witness whereof, l have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of January, A. D. 1928.

ROBERT C. ANGELL.

caarnricara or CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,843,075. January 26, 1932.

ROBERT o. aNonLt.

lt is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as iollows: Page 1, line 48, before the word "in" insert i. e., line 50, for the syllable "spatial" read spacial, and -line 85, for "on" first occurrence read or; page 2, line 56, after the number "43" strike out the comma, line 83, for "flanges" read flange, line. 97, after the word "recoil" insert the word drum, and line 107, for "countershaft" read countershaft; page 3, line 20, for the article "a" read to, line 38, after the figure "7" insert a comma, line 44, for "take-up" read take up, after line 57, insert the following paragraph: It will be apparent that any variation in the frictional resistance to the movement of the pay-out spool 14, which tends to vary the tension in the core element i6, that is being drawn therefrom, will cause the pulley 90 to rise or fall, and that this movement will produce a reciprocal depression or elevation of the pulley 91 at the opposite end of the rocking beam 7. It will also be apparent, from the proceeding description, that this movement of the rocking beam will vary the draft or pull on the fabricated product as it passes to the take up unit 4; and that this draft or pull is in creased as and when the core tension is augmented, and vice versa. It is further obvious that under the normal and intended conditions of operation the forces acting on the opposite ends of the "walking" beam 7 are in equilibrium; and that the tension of the fabricated product, which passes around the pulley 91, must always exceed the tension in the core body, which passes around the pulley 90, by an amount sufficient to support the unbalanced component of the adjustable weight 95 on the beam 7. This difference in tension may be varied by positioning said weight at different distances from the pivot support 93 of the beam; but for any one setting the said difference will and must remain constant; and the shaft will be progressed through the machine at such a rate of speed as to establish and maintain a substantially fixed and uniform interproximal spacing or interspace relationship between the adjoining or contiguous sides of the successive wires as they are applied to, and wound upon, the core bodyl by a uniform rate of rotation of the winding, unit 2.; and line 90, claim l, strike out the comma after "products"; page 4, line 6, claim 4, for "interproximate" read interproximal, and line 37, claim 7, for "a" read the; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record' of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of September, A. D. 1932.

. M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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